Myspace Genesis Bible Journal Blogs

Myspace Genesis Bible Journal Blogs
The Complete Collection
PERRY ‘CURTIS’ MCCLUSKY
http://www.myspace.com/biblejournal
I've created this Myspace “Bible Journal” site as an incentive for me to do some
personal Bible study and to clarify my thoughts by putting them into words. A few
of my acquaintances imagine that I have some rather uncommon views about God,
life, the universe and everything. If that is so, then maybe I have something a
little different to contribute. You may not agree with the substance of all of the
blogs but hopefully they will be interesting. My goal is to approach the Bible
from as simple and fresh perspective as possible, so while working on this project
I will try not to refer to other religious literary sources. I am using the New
International Version of the Bible because for me it is an easy to read
translation. The King James Version and the Revised Standard Version are two other
Bible translations I enjoy referring to. In the spirit of taking a personal (and
possibly casual) look at the Bible, I plan to comment on texts that catch my
interest and skip those that done.
Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-08-07
A Plural God and A Plural Mankind.
Genesis 1:1, 2, 26, 27 “…God created the heavens and the earth…and the Spirit of
God was hovering over the waters…Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in
our likeness, …So God created man in his own image, …male and female he created
them.” (NIV)
It is interesting that the first account in the first book of the Bible, the
creation of the world, would suggest that the God of the Bible is not just an
individual but a union of individuals. What adds to this fascination is the fact
that humankind was created in the image of this plural God. They were divided
into male and female beings. This could be quite a mystery and should give us
something to ponder. What aspects of humankind physically, mentally and
spiritually reflect who and what God is? For God to make us somehow similar to
Himself, shows that in as least someway He is unafraid the share His Godlikeness
with us.
Animal Caretakers.
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and
let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the
livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the
ground.” (NIV)
It would seem that originally mankind’s relationship to the animal life on this
planet was a reflection of God’s relationship with mankind. Humanity was to rule
and be caretakers of their world. This was the first responsibility given to the
human race. We were to care for our animal subjects, as God cares for us. How
different our life and the world around us would be today, if all of mankind took
seriously their God-given responsibly to be guardians to the animals around us.
Creative God and Creative Mankind.
Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and subdue it…” (NIV)
The world that God created for mankind was unfinished and unpopulated with human
beings. God created couples to have intimate sexual relationships (sex) in His
perfect sinless world, at least until the world was full. One could assume that
with all the planets in our universe, which may be unpopulated, couples would
probably have a good chance to continue having sex. Apart from the Garden of
Eden, the rest of the world was unfinished or should I say unfurnished. This was
really a gift from God. Humanity could landscape it how they personally wished,
not unlike what people enjoy today. We enjoy making a house a home. Interior
decoration, furnishing, rebuilding, landscaping are just a handful of things most
people prefer to have creative control over on their property. In these two ways
we are much like our God, we were given the ability to create life and take part
in the creation of this world.
The Original Diet.
Genesis 1:29 “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth
and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”
(NIV)
The original diet for mankind was vegetarian. This makes sense considering that
the animals were under the guardianship of man. So far everything that God has
expected from mankind has made sense. He expected His children to rule over the
animals, the have children, to take control of their environment and to eat what
He had designated for them to eat. Even in a perfect world we find “rules,” or
should I say “laws.” In a perfect environment everything works together smoothly
and in “order.” In an environment where there are no rules there is “chaos.”
Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09- 12-07
The End of Creation Holiday.
Genesis 2:3 “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he
rested form all the work of creating that he had done.” (NIV)
Our calendar is full of days that have been set-aside for a special purpose.
Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veteran’s Day are a few examples of holidays we
find on our calendars. God set aside the seventh day for a particular purpose.
God made this day holy because He had accomplished something special, the creation
of our world. Our calendars are divided up into months and years based on the
rotation of the Earth the Moon and the Sun, but our calendar’s seven day weekly
cycle is based only on the creation week. This day had such a special meaning to
God that long after Eden, the fall of man and the flood it was recorded in the Ten
Commandments. The descendents of Jacob need re-educating after their long
captivity in pagan Egypt and the fourth command, the Sabbath, was important enough
to God for Him to include it in the tables of stone. Of all the commandments, it
is the only one that God asks us to remember and the only commandment most of
Christianity has forgotten.
Dust, Breath and Life.
Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” (NIV)
Whether one prefers “living soul” (KJV) or “living being” (RSV & NIV), man became
alive. The two basic ingredients necessary for life to exist are dirt and God’s
breath. Without one or the other there is no “living being.” Mankind has
obtained quite a bit of knowledge on all the elements that make up our world but
we know very little about “the breath of life.” A father and a mother can pass on
that “breath of life” to their children but as far as medical science is
concerned, scientists can play with the building blocks of life but they can’t
create it…yet. I use the word “yet” because I don’t know to what extent we were
created in the image of God. So far, it would seem, man has been able to
accomplish whatever he has put his mind to, but on this point I believe that we
may be limited to just procreation.
Mankind’s Original Employment.
Genesis 2: 8, 9 “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and
there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow
out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” (NIV)
Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work
it and take care of it.” (NIV)
A few times in my life I’ve had the opportunity to visit large landscaped areas
that were beautifully maintained. I always remember these beautiful gardens when
I think of the Garden of Eden. Considering the fact that it was God who had
created this place for man to live in, it must have really been “pleasing to the
eye.” Man was given the opportunity to maintain his new home. The work that man
was involved in must have been a pleasure to do, on par with the activities that a
person looks forward to when they take a vacation. His attitude towards his work
in Eden could have been similar to the joy that many of us experience when we are
involved in hobbies we enjoy. I can’t envision the work done in the Garden of
Eden being anything close to drudgery.
Temptation in the Garden.
Genesis 2:16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, “Your are free to eat from any
tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, for when you eat of it your will surely die.” (NIV)
At first glance one could believe that God was being unfair and setting His newly
created innocent children up for a fall by placing temptation before them.
Unfortunately there is a larger conflict going on, war! “And there was a war in
heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his
angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they last their place in
heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil
or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his
angels with him.” Revelation 12:7-9 (NIV) In this conflict, who is right? Our
salvation is dependant upon God not only being just but also being fair.
Therefore as I see it God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the
garden out of fairness to Satan. To be reasonable an all-powerful God had to let
Satan have an apparatus to prove his point. You may feel that it stinks that our
world was created at the wrong time and place, but that’s the breaks. Do we blame
God, do we blame Eve, do we blame Adam or do we blame Satan? At least in part,
our salvation rests on our own individual answer. My stand is, if God can be fair
with Satan who started this sin mess than I can rest easier knowing that God will
be fair with me when I die.
The Bonding of Marriage.
Genesis 2:18, 24 “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone…For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
they will become one flesh.” (NIV)
I suspect the bonding that is experienced in marriage may be a miracle of God but
it could be a gift that God has given us genetically. It would seem that people
start experiencing this bonding as soon as they start dating, which is why
breaking up, ending the relationship, is so painful. Even people who are living
together and not married develop this bonding. I imagine that people, who drift
in and out of a multitude of intimate relationships, can become callused to it and
the process of bonding looses its effect, if this is true, what a tragic loss.
This uniting and bonding experience was intended by God to be between a man and a
woman. There is no indication here to include the marriage of men to men and
women to women, which is becoming more common today.
Naming the Animals.
Genesis 2:19 “Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the
field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he
would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its
name.” (NIV)
I had always thought that Adam gave each category of animal its name, for example,
dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, turtles, etc. Recently I’ve changed my mind because
of the way the text is worded, “each living creature.” I believe he gave them
names as we would give names to pets. For example I once had a dog that was named
Shari. This would tend to support my perspective that God had intended mankind to
be friends with the animals, much like God’s relationship with mankind. I’m not
really sure that God had intended that relationship with animals to change that
much through the years.

Mankind’s Emotional Connections.
Genesis 2:20-23 “So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air
and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So
the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping,
he took one of the man’s ribs and …made a woman from the rib…and he brought her to
the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she
shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.” (NIV)
It was while Adam was being introduced to all of the animals that it finally
dawned on him that they were all paired off, male and female, and that there
wasn’t another being similar to him to be his companion. He probably felt lonely
and in need of companionship. God could have been putting off creating Eve for
this very purpose. He may have wished Adam to develop a natural emotional need
for Eve even before Adam met her. Adam would appreciate her presence from the
very start.
From what Adam exclaimed when he first met Eve is revealing. It would seem that
Adam’s emotional relationship with Eve is similar to that of a mother’s love and
attachment to her new born child because Eve was physically created from a part of
Adam’s body. Eve became a part of him both physically and emotionally.
Eve’s experience of being created was similar to Adam’s. She woke up and realized
that all of creation including Adam was created for her. One big difference was
that where Adam was created from the ground she was created from Adam. My point
is that Earth’s first human couple started life feeling both a connection to the
Earth and a connection to each other.
Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-19-07.
Lies and Half-Truths.
Genesis 3:1-4 “…He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from
any tree in the garden’?” The Woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from
the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree
that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die,’”
You will not surely die, “ the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that
when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.” (NIV)
For all practical purposes the serpent’s message is, “God is lying to you. God is
selfish and does not wish you to be as wise and knowledgeable as He is. God is
“holding out” on you. Take what is rightfully yours! Do Not Trust God. He
doesn’t really love you!”
Eve was lied to, the truth is Adam and Eve did die and the human race has been
experiencing death since then. On the question of whether of not God wants us to
be like Him, He does. We were originally made in the image of God and since our
fall into rebellion and sin, He has been attempting to recreate that image of
Himself in humanity. On the other hand it is true that God didn’t want the
human race to know evil. We couldn’t handle it and it has only caused us great
misery throughout the ages.
Apparently God did not originally create mankind with the ability to know evil and
survive it. As we all have experienced, evil is destructive and it is self-
destructive. And yet, at the end of time, those who God rescues will have first
hand knowledge of evil. The saved will eventually become more that what God had
created them for. They will be ‘like God, knowing good and evil’. They rebelled,
they don’t deserve it but because of God’s love and care they survive it.
Naked and Exposed.
Genesis 3: 8-11 “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he
was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God
among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are
you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was
naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten
from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (NIV)
Most of the human race feels at least some degree of embarrassment when they are
undressed in the company of other people. I have heard many explanations for why
we feel that way and although they may be correct, some of them just don’t make
sense to me. My perspective may not cover the phenomenon in its entirety but I
believe that it’s got to be partially correct.
When it finally dawned on Adam and Eve to what they had done, they felt exposed.
They had rebelled against the most unbelievably powerful being in the universe and
there was nothing to protect them from what He might do to them. They felt naked.
Sewing fig leaves together for clothing didn’t seem to help them much because they
still ran away and hid from the presence of God. The fig leaves were much like
the blankets on my bed when I was a child. You see as a child I was afraid of the
dark and when I’d hear an unfamiliar or frightening noise, I’d hid under the
blankets. Those blankets wouldn’t protect me from some murdering fiend bent on
killing me but I hid under them all the same.
Adam and Eve ran away from God, yet He was the only one who could really help
them. It is amazing that we tend to run away from God also. Each one of us is
exposed unprotected to the world around us and it is only God who can really
protect us.
Blame and Ignorance.
Genesis 3: 11-13 “…Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat
from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit
from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this
you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (NIV)
Adam not only blamed the woman for his decision to eat the forbidden fruit but
also partially blamed God for it. Even today we blame God for a lot of bad things
that happen. Storms are known as “Acts of God.” When a young person dies in an
automobile accident, people exclaim, “Why did God takes his life when he was so
young?” Is God to blame for all the bad things that happen in our lives? No. If
we answer that question with yes then we fall into Satan’s line of thinking. To
what degree does ignorance play in our bad decisions and poor relationship with
God?
Here is my perspective. Disobeying God and eating the forbidden fruit was Adam
and Eve’s fault, yet they hadn’t lived very long. The first couple had not even
had lived long enough to have children yet. It is possible that had more time of
passed by before they were tempted, they would have gotten to know God better and
not have disobeyed. I believe mankind’s ignorance of God’s true character played
a part in their fall and it’s partially the reason why God did not snuff out their
lives right then and there. To some degree God’s patience and mercy with mankind
is based on His understanding that we are all ignorant and that many of the
decisions we make are based upon inadequate or even faulty information. Whatever
part ignorance plays in our decision-making will not save us from suffering the
day-to-day consequences of our actions. It probably does play a factor in Gods
ability to be able to offer us salvation and therefore we can sidestep the
ultimate consequence of our rebellion, complete separation from God and death.
The Reason why Bullies are Present.
Genesis 3:14, 15 “So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done
this…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and
hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NIV)
Who are the offspring of the serpent or of Satan? Three answers come to mind.
Either we are talking about the angels that were cast out of heaven with Satan
(Rev. 12: 7-9), or any person who “does not do what is right.” (1 John 3:9, 10),
or we are talking about a combination of both groups. Personally I think in this
case the text is talking about people. There is antagonism between followers of
God and those who don’t. I believe we first really experience this as school
children on the playground. The bullies always seem to pick on the nice children.
It is possible that Christians today have learned as youth that it is far easier
to get along in life if you can blend in with the unbelievers and I believe that
this is a spiritually unhealthy thing to do.
I would like to make this clear. There are two sides to this conflict, on one
side is Eve’s offspring (the human race) and on the other side are those who
desert and follow Satan. The text implies that God is siding with the human race.
The simplest reading of this prophesy shows that in the conflict (no matter which
translation you read) the children of Satan do not fair as well as the children of
Eve. So no matter how dim the future may look to the Christian, he or she may
rest assured that they are on the winning side.
Desire, Pain and Power.
Genesis 3:16 “To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in
childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for
your husband, and he will rule over you.” (NIV)
Let me make this perfectly clear, I’m a guy. From my observation, I see this
whole pregnancy experience and having children being uncomfortable at best. I
told my wife when we got married, “If you don’t want any kids, I’d understand
because if our roles were reversed, I wouldn’t want to go through it.” This text
looks like God is saying to Eve, “You’re going to desire sex (for whatever reason)
and the end result is going to be painful.”
The latter part of the text looks interesting also. Although both men and women
are equally selfish and power hungry in their own way, historically men generally
end up with the most power in the marriage. Again from observation, young women
seem to be looking for a strong capable man to love and protect her and her
children. After she marries him, she finally realizes that she has given up more
power in the relationship than she had first dreamed.
Providing for the Family.
Genesis 3:17 “…Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will
eat of it all the days of your life.” (NIV)
Throughout history, generally it has been the husband’s responsibility to provide

for the family. In primitive cultures if the husband isn’t farming than he is
hunting (which is also not without it’s pain and suffering). You may not see
gardening as being “painful toil” until you have to do it on a large scale, then
it’s called farming. My father was raised on an Iowa farm and will assure you
that it’s hard and dangerious labor. Today, modern man has only traded working
the soil for other forms of difficult employment. Now he braves the dangers of
industrial accidents, chemical exposures and more all for the sake of supporting
the family.
Whether by choice or by circumstances, more and more women are filling the role as
the ‘bread winner’ of the family. Today, many women suffer under the double
burden of being the “homemaker” and the “breadwinner” of the family.
When we look at Adam and Eve’s curses together, we do see a “silver lining.” If
Eve is too busy taking caring for the children and Adam is too busy providing for
the family, then they are both too busy to sin. Remember the old saying, “Idol
hands are the devil’s workshop.”
Garments of Skin.
Genesis 3:21 “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed
them.” (NIV)
I wonder where the skins came to make it possible for God to make clothes for Adam
and Eve? The simplest and most obvious answer is that God killed an animal for
it’s skin. I wonder how God felt? The odds are pretty good that this was the
first thing that God ever killed. In my adult life I’ve had one dog and two cats
as pets. When they died I was grief-stricken and I’m a callous sinner. I wonder
how painful it was for God, a perfect being, to destroy a living thing that He had
created?
The Tree of Life.
Genesis 3:22, 23 “And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him
from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.” (NIV)
Here again God refers to Himself in the plural, indicating that God is more than
just one individual. When Adam would meet with God in the Garden, it would have
been similar to a child meeting one of his or her parents.
Apparently there were two interesting unique trees in the Garden of Eden. Not
only was there the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but there was also the
tree of life. It would seem that physically mankind needed to supplement his diet
with the fruit of this tree in order to not grow old and die. God, in His wisdom,
separated mankind from this fruit so that he would not be able to perpetually live
tainted with sin. Personally I am relieved that God is going to eventually end
this cycle of human insanity.
Banished from the Garden.
Genesis 3:23, 24 “So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the
ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the
east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim with a flaming sword flashing back and
forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” (NIV)
After removing Adam and Eve from their home, God place heavenly beings outside
Eden. It looks as though as least one was armed, so that the human race couldn’t
return to eat from the tree of life. Eden stood there rooted in our world as a
monument to how wonderful it was before there was rebellion against God.
Although Eden was a real reminder to what the human race had lost and what God
stood for, humanity still spiraled down into sin. Any one of Eve’s children who
doubted the consequences of rebellion against God could return to the boarders of
Eden for proof. Past experiences don’t always protect us from straying away from
God. Things finally got so bad on Earth that God had to destroy most everything
and start over with Noah and his family. Keeping one’s relationship with God
current is important. Ongoing prayer, Bible study and relationships with other
likeminded believers will help us from straying away from God.
Sacrifices before the Time of Moses.
Genesis 4:3-7 “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil
as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the
firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but
on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and
his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is
your face downcast?” If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if
you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have
you, but you must master it.” (NIV)
Although it is not spelled out clearly to us, the world’s first family did have
knowledge of what God’s will was. There were rules to live by even way back then.
Like the seventh-day Sabbath, here we find the ritual of sacrifice, which would be
later reintroduced by God to Moses and the Children of Israel after they fled
Egypt. My point is that there were laws given to Moses were not unique only to
the Jewish nation.
Here is something interesting, although God has given us rules to live by; He is
more concerned with the condition of the human heart. God was concerned and
approached Cain because of his attitude. Although God did encourage Cain to
present the correct offering, He was more concerned about what was going on in
Cain’s mind or I could say in Cain’s heart. One can be tempted to see the God of
the Old Testament as one who is only concerned with obedience of the Law and the
God of the New Testament as one who is only concerned with what is going on in the
human “heart.” The way I see it, that is not the case. Here we find God more
concerned over the motives of the heart and the consequences of those motives than
Cain’s misguided act of presenting an incorrect offering.
Murder and Mercy.
Genesis 4:10-15 “The Lord said, “…Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the
ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its
mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground,
it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the
earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you
are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from you presence; I will be a
restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” But the Lord
said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times
over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill
him.” (NIV)
Cain’s curse must have had something to do with Cain’s passion for the ground and
growing things. First, Cain’s occupation was growing crops and in his arrogance
he offered a potion of his crops as a sacrifice to God in place of what he was
suppose to. Second, after killing Abel, he buried him in the ground similar to
sowing a seed in the field. Since the first was connected with the reason Cain
got angry and the second had to do with the murder, God basically said to Cain,
“Your farming days are over.” So Cain became a “gatherer” of food growing in the
wild.
Two other things concerned Cain. It is possible God still personally met with
Adam’s family on a regular basis as He had done in Eden and for Cain that was
going to cease. Also Cain deduced that the natural reaction to Abel’s murder was
that someone would revenge his brother’s death and in turn kill him. All in all
at that time Cain’s future look pretty bleak.
God’s treatment of Cain is an early example of God’s mercy towards all sinners.
Although there was consequences for his murder God did not destroy Cain
immediately for his crime instead he was given a certain amount of protection from
being murdered. God did not kill the killer! This example of God’s mercy should
challenge the Christian. How forgiving and merciful are we to those around us?
The City of a Wanderer.
Genesis 4: 10, 12, 17 “The Lord said…”Your will be a restless wanderer on the
earth”…Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch.
Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.” (NIV)
The stories in the Bible are condensed. They have to be or we’d have a Bible as
large as an encyclopedia set. A chapter or two can cover the life of a person,
where as in today’s libraries, we have whole books dedicated to a person’s life
and even those don’t cover a person’s life in detail.
Here for example we find most all we know about the life of Cain located in one
chapter in the Bible. With so little written about Cain, we will naturally be
left with questions. They may not be important questions but questions
nevertheless. For instance, if Cain was cursed to become a wanderer, why did he
or how could he have built a city? Just for the fun of it, let’s try to answer
the question.
There are several possible answers. Cain could have been repentant enough so that
God released him for his wanderer’s curse. Maybe Cain’s intentions were to have
the city be as a home base to him. Even wanderers need a place to call home. It
could be that he started the city but after a few decades he got restless and had
to move on, I mean they did live an awfully long time back then! Cain could have
settled long enough to raise a family and when he finally felt he had to leave,
his grown children turned the settlement into a city.
Cain, the Roll Model.
Genesis 4:23, 24 “Lamech said to his wives…I have killed a man for wounding me, a
young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-
seven times.” (NIV)
From the Cain’s story, it looks like Cain’s crime was a crime of passion. I would
suspect (or hope) that Cain never killed again. Lamech seems to be bragging to
his wives about his ability to injure and kill, “If someone hurts me, he’s a dead
man!” His attitude is, “I am more dangerous than Cain, therefore God is going to
have to protect me a whole lot more, ha, ha, ah!” In some sick way, Cain was
Lamech’s roll model and his goal was to be meaner and more dreadful than Cain. In
my opinion, I would advise a person not to accidentally step upon Lamech’s toes.
In His Own Likeness.
Genesis 5:1-3 “…When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God…When Adam
had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he
named him Seth.” (NIV)
The writer of Genesis connects the creation of man and his likeness to his Creator
to Adam having his third son born in his likeness. The point has got to be that
the human race is very similar to God somehow. Not only can we create human life,
we are creative. In general, given a historical perspective, if the human race
can imagine it, with enough time and resources the human race can accomplish it.
Unfortunately, humans imagine a lot of good and evil.
For God, having the sin problem solved on Earth will be a lot like the Christmas
holiday. Like a parent, God will get to sit back and thoroughly enjoy watching
how much fun we have with the gifts He has given us. Our resources for creativity
will be unlimited. If what we are now interested in is not inherently sinful,
then we will be able to pursue that same interest in the world make new.
Why am I settling for Less?
Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him
away.” (NIV)
What kind of intimate relationship did Enoch and God have? It had to have been
such a close and valued connection that God didn’t want be separated from him, not
by death and not until the Second Coming of Christ. Each Christian should ask
themselves these questions. Do I wish to have a relationship with God like the
one Enoch had? What would my life be like if I did? Why am I settling for so
much less? What can I do today to have that kind of relationship?
Labor and Painful Toil before the Flood.
Genesis 5:28, 29 “When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him
Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands
caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” (NIV)
These two verses give us a couple of insights into what life was like before the
flood. Number one, life was not perfect or easy. It looks as though that making
a living and putting food on the table was a challenge. This family was hoping
that in some way their son would help make their life easier to bear. I wonder if
Lamech and his wife found the comfort that they were searching for in their son
Noah? If you have children, do you find comfort in them? Number two; the
population still had knowledge of God. I mention this because a lot of knowledge
can be lost through several generations. How far back can you track the religious
beliefs of your family?
Be Content with Your Life Today.
Genesis 5:28, 29 “When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him
Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands
caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” (NIV)
Lamech and his wife were hoping that their son would bring them comfort. They
found their lives difficult as most of us do today. In some way they saw hope in
their child, Noah. I wonder if they, like parents now, wished for their children
to have a better life then the one that they were experiencing?
Life was difficult for those living before the Flood because of God’s curse making
it a challenge to grow food. Yet in many ways the world was still left unspoiled,
as God had created it. Making a living had to have been more demanding after the
Flood. Not only had the whole surface of the world been affected but the weather
also. Who knows, shelter may not have been a necessity before the Flood. Lamech
and his wife may have been looking for comfort from Noah, but in the end Noah’s
life had to have been a much harder one to live. He and his family had to settle
in a land that was in ruins.
I guess the lesson we can learn from the lives of Lamech and his son, Noah, is
that maybe we should be content with the lives that we now live because when
tomorrow arrives we may find that our lives today were really pretty good.
Marrying Unbelievers.
Genesis 6:1-3 “When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters
were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful,
and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not
contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty
years.” (NIV)
Apparently the men who followed God were indiscriminately marrying daughters from
unbelieving families. Most likely the reason why God was unhappy with this
situation was because these men were eventually falling away and becoming
unbelievers like the women they were marrying, plus other problem that general
crops up is that the unbelieving mother influences the children not to care about
adopting a Godly life.
These same two dilemmas exist today. Apparently God considered the influence of
the nonbeliever so great that He had to shorten the life of mankind to lessen its
continual influence. If God was so concerned about the influence of the ungodly
that He had to shorten mankind’s life to protect him from it, then it is serious
enough for men and women today to take the time and soberly consider who they are
about to marry. The basic message is, “Don’t marry an unbeliever!”
A Grieving God.
Genesis 6:5, 6 “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become,
and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the
time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was
filled with pain.” (NIV)
At this point in mankind’s history, the human population was evil. Maybe it would
be clearer to say that the human race turn into a collection of criminals. They
were nasty spiteful unpleasant people who not only ‘did’ wicked things but also
‘were’ wicked through and through. “Every inclination” was evil.
Evil sinful actions are like an addicting drug and can change the human body at
the molecular level. At first we are people who are unpleasant from time to time,
but in time we mutate into unpleasant people. Sin changes us.
God is like a parent who suffers anguish over a wayward child. God is neither an
uncaring remote God nor is He a hardhearted God. Our Creator is a sensitive
being. He feels grief and emotional pain. God’s character is perfect. Unlike
us, His doesn’t become emotionally callus to the suffering around Him. God feels
pure undulated grief and pain.
Destroying the Animals.
Genesis 6:7 “So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the
face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and
birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” (NIV)
Conditions on earth had to have been pretty grave for God to wish to destroy all
the living creatures that lived above ground. It is possible that all the other
creatures that were going to be destroyed along with mankind were just as innocent
victims, collateral damage. On the other hand it is also possible that mankind’s
sinful influence had had a negative affect on his earthly companions and made
their simple natures evil.
Today we find examples of man’s influence affecting the animals that he associates
with. Many people have the habit of making pets out of some of the wildest
animals. Some of the animals that have been made tame and semi-safe to be around
are lions, wolves and large alligators. We can also find man’s influence making
the animals meaner and more dangerious to be around. A good example of this is the
dog.
A Good Christian and a Good Neighbor.
Genesis 6: 6-9 “The Lord was grieved that he had made man…So the Lord said, “I
will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth…But Noah found
favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people
of his time, and he walked with God.” (NIV)
The world had to be a pretty appalling place, if God could only find one man worth
saving. I wonder if Noah represented the spiritual condition of his family or if
the rest of his family were saved only because of their close relationship with
Noah. Maybe it was a little bit of both. No matter how you look at it, we are
all related to Noah and his wife.
Noah is described as a “righteous man.” Here was a man who basically always did
the right thing. Not only did he was he able to live a Godly life, but he was
also able to live without conflict with his fellowman. Noah was a well-rounded
child of God.
A lot of times Christians are tempted to sacrifice their relationship with God so
that they can fit in and be accepted by their friends. Other times I’ve seen
Christians who make unbearable neighbors and coworkers. Its as if they believe
that they have to be obnoxious to be a Christian. Noah was a person who loved God
and loved others in a Godly manner.
A World of Fear.
Genesis 6:11 “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.”
(NIV)
Practically every human being on the Earth was deceitful, insincere, unfair, two-
faced, etc. If that wasn’t bad enough they were also physically brutal, sadistic,
destructive and pitiless towards each other. The world was a place where you
couldn’t trust anyone and life was cheap. The conditions in our society today may
be questionable at best, but you can still find citizens, coworkers, family and
friends who are basically honest and peaceful. Can you imagine a world where
‘everybody’ is bent on corruption and violence? This had to have been very
disturbing to God. He had to have felt like a parent, whose children have all
turned criminal.
An Act of Mercy.
Genesis 6:12, 13 “God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on
the earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an
end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am
surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” (NIV)
Not all destructive acts that happen to mankind are God’s fault but God surely
caused the flood. There were at best only a handful of people on the earth who
followed God’s desires and lived peacefully with their neighbors. There had to be
a Flood because if things went on as they were, after Noah and his relatives died
there would be no more Godly people left within the world’s population. There
would be no living examples for future generations to compare their evil, violent
lives with. The knowledge of God and His ways would be gone and forgotten.
People would not know of any other choice other than to live corrupt and violent
lives. The destructive flood was an act of protection. God was protecting our
freedom of choice, our chance to survive this sinful mess. The flood was an act
of mercy for future generations.
A Life-Changing Project.
Genesis 6: 14-22 “So make your self an ark of cypress wood…The ark is to be 450
feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high…you will enter the ark – you and your
sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you…You are to bring into the ark two
of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you…You are to
take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and
for them.” Noah did everything just as God commanded.” (NIV)
What a huge life-changing project God gave Noah to do. Not only did he have to
build his ship, but also he had to procure materials and tools for it. Building
the ark was only part of the project. Let us not forget the effort it took to
collect all those animals and the food to feed them during their stay on the high
seas. Noah was a shipbuilder and a zookeeper.
I’ve tried to imagine myself taking on this project today and I’m not sure how I’d
get it all done. How would I finance it? If I was persuasive, I could probably
get enough people who would be curious enough to see how it could be completed and
what the end result would look like. It would be a full-time job. If I couldn’t
find people to finance the project, then I would have to work at another job to
support my family and myself and then in my free time build the ark. That would
take forever! Either choice I made would surely take commitment.
“Noah did everything just as God commanded.” What a simple short sentence to
describe what had to have been decades of hard work. I doubt that Noah was able
to attract funding for the ark. Maybe Noah had his son’s support and fund him so
he could work on the ark full-time, if not the project was completed after he got
home from work. It was a good thing that Noah lived 950 years and 600 hundred of
those years was before the flood.
Righteousness and Perseverance.
Genesis 7:1 “The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole
family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.”
Once again I’d like to point out that although a Godly standard of conduct is not
recorded in the Bible before the flood, it did exist. There had to of existed
guidelines along which God judged the people of the Flood.
Another point I’d like to touch on with this verse is that Noah persevered to the
end. He did go into the ark. This may at first sound like a mute point but it
isn’t for us living today. Experts say that the majority of us give up on our
goals and dreams when we have almost reached them. We have a habit of putting
most of the work in on a goal and then “throw up our hands” and giving up when we
are 95% there. Just like you and I, Noah was human too. He had to have had he
fair share of problems and temptations with doubt.
A Distinction between the Animals in the Ark.
Genesis 7:2, 3 “Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its
mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven
of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive
throughout the earth. (NIV)
Here is another example that a portion of God’s Law, His standard of conduct, was
known before the time of Moses, the Children of Israel, and their Jewish
relatives. Here we find that there was knowledge of the differences between clean
and unclean animals. Apparently this division existed before Noah was given
permission to eat them.
This is an interesting note. The New International Version suggests an alternate

translation of the phrase “seven of every kind.” It suggests that it could be
translated “seven pair of every kind.” If that is the case, then it was a lot
more crowded in the ark.
Noah, the Animals and Moving Day.
Genesis 7: 7-10, 15 “And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons wives entered
the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of
birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to
Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah…Pairs of all creatures that
have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.” (NIV)
The New International Version suggests that the animals “came to Noah” and that
neither his sons nor he had to round them up. The King James Version of this
account can be understood the same way. On the other hand the translation in the
Revised Standard Version is vague on this point.
Compared to the miraculous event of the Flood, the animals coming to Noah on their
own could seem rather commonplace. Whether or not the animals came of their own
freewill may not have saved Noah all that much work. If the animals casually
wandered in over the preceding days and months, as with people who take in stray
cats or dogs, Noah could still have had to undertake the vast effort of housing
and feeding all of them until the day they all entered the ark.
I tend to imagine that all the animals arrived the same day that they moved into
the ark. It seems to go with the flow of the miraculous event of the Flood. Plus
I can’t see how Noah and his family could find any time to finish the ark if they
were spending all of their time caring for a multitude of animals.
A Declaration of Fairness?
Genesis 7:9-10 “Pairs…of all creatures that move along the ground…came to Noah and
entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. And after the seven days the
floodwaters come on the earth.” (NIV)
I’ve heard it speculated that the seven days that Noah and his family had to wait
in the ark before the flood actually came was to test their faith and that view
may well be true. Yet one could presume that after all the time and effort
preparing for the flood, Noah and his family had no faith issues. If God knew
Noah was truly committed and faithful, then why did God put off the flood for
seven days?
The time between Noah entering the ark and the Lord shutting him in could have
been that seven-day period. If that is the case, then none of Noah’s neighbors
could complain that God didn’t give them one final chance. God didn’t shut the
door right after the last animal entered the ark and not give anyone a chance to
follow. Those looking back on the event (you and I) can’t accuse God of not being
fair.
Another explanation could be that it was a declaration of Noah’s faith by God to

the generations to come. God could be saying to us today, “Look, Noah was not
tricked into going into the ark. He and his family were not forced against their
will to stay in the ark. They had plenty of time to reconsider their situation
and they knew exactly what they were doing. They all had faith in my word and I
had the right to save them!”
Going along with the Crowd.
Genesis 7:23 “Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; …Only
Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.” (NIV)
The majority is not always correct. Just because everyone seems be in agreement
doesn’t mean that it is safe to join in with them. Every person in the world
perished in the Flood except for Noah and his family. That’s a sobering fact. We
must examine our friends and ourselves. “Whom am I ‘hanging out’ with? Why am I
associating with them? Am I becoming like them? Would God approve? Will they be
saved?”
Noah’s Curiosity.
Genesis 8:6-13 “After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark
and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried
up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see it the water had receded from
the surface of the ground. But the dove could find no place to set its feet
because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah
in the ark…He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.
When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly
plucked olive leaf. Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He
waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not
return to him…Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface
of the ground was dry.” (NIV)
This story shows the human side of Noah. He was curious to see if the flood was
over and what it looked like outside. Apparently the window of the ark was faced
skyward because when it was opened Noah couldn’t see the ground. He decided that
he would be able to determine if there was dry ground by releasing a bird from the
ark. It appears that Noah didn’t know his birds very well and his first choice
didn’t work out as he had intended. The second bird used, a dove, was successful.
By using doves he was finally able to determine over time when it was reasonable
to open up the main door and take a look at what was left of the world.
Faithful and Patient.
Genesis 8: 13-16 “By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and
first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering
from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. “By the twenty-
seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to
Noah, “Come out of the ark…” (NIV)
Noah opened up the ark to see what was outside on the first day of the year and
apparently it was still pretty wet nearby. It was nearly two months later that
God gave him permission to leave the ark. Noah must have been a pretty faithful
and patient fellow. I would have probably jumped out of the ark on that new years
day and took a look around. Afterwards I would have gotten in trouble with God
and also my wife for tracking mud around the ark when I returned.
Do you think Noah recovered the opening of the ark after taking a look outside so
that he wouldn’t be tempted to leave before God gave him permission to?
Noah’s Sacrifice.
Genesis 8:20 “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the
clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. (NIV)
Here we have the first sacrifice to God recorded in the Bible. Since it is not
written here that God requested this specific sacrifice from Noah, then we could
assume that sacrifices of thankfulness to God was a part of Noah’s life and
background. One would take for granted that sacrificing to God was known before
the Flood and long before the time of Moses, the Children of Israel or the Jewish
nation. Again the difference between clean and unclean animals is referred to.
Only clean animals were offered to God in sacrifice.
Why do I make this observation about Noah’s sacrifice? Many seem to connect
sacrifices and the difference between clean and unclean animals ‘only’ with the
Children of Israel and later with the Jewish nation.
No Worries.
Genesis 8:21 “…Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though
every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood…” (NIV)
“Will God curse the ground again?” This question could have been a legitimate
concern for mankind, if God had not made this promise. God had already cursed the
ground when Adam and Eve rebelled. Now the damage done by the Flood to the
environment has made it even more difficult to grow food and to survive. Because
of this promise, mankind will not have to worry that his ability to grow food will
be made more difficult ‘by God.’
This verse is talking about you and me today. Every inclination of ‘our’ hearts
is evil. Still, God has not abandoned us just because things are still not going
His way. It is not His way. What a great attribute of God’s character for us to
attempt to strive for and emulate in our own lives.
Mankind’s New Diet after the Flood.
Genesis 9:2-4 “The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the
earth...Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you
the green plants, now I give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has
its life-blood still in it.” (NIV)
The change in the relationship between mankind and the animals seems to have
happened because of the change in mankind’s eating habits. Either the animals
naturally became fearful because they were being hunted and killed or God changed
their nature so that many breeds would have a better chance of surviving and not
be hunted into extinction. I tend to think that it could be a little bit of both.
It seems obvious that God condoned eating the animals because there was nothing
else to eat right after the flood. The question is, “Why was this emergency
measure never lifted?” Did this change in diet help shorten mankind’s life span
and make it easer for God to deal with sinners? Could it be that once people got
a taste for animals, they wouldn’t want to give it up and God had bigger problems
to deal with than trying to stop it? Maybe the emergency measure was lifted but
it was never recorded and forgotten.
Verse four mentions an eating restriction not to consume animal blood. It is very
likely that this wasn’t the only one. Considering that back in chapter seven
there is a distinction between clean and unclean animals and then in chapter eight
we find Noah only sacrificing clean animals to God, one could surmise that these
two examples mirrored the instructions later given to Moses and the Children of
Israel. If this is so, it is reasonable to believe that Noah’s new diet after the
Flood was similar to the dietary instructions given to Moses for the Children of
Israel and that mankind was only to eat the “clean” animals. Also remember that
there was more of each kind of clean animal that entered the ark than unclean
ones. Think about it, if there were only two (unclean) pigs on the ark and Noah
butchered one after he got off the ark then there wouldn’t be any pigs today. On
the other hand, maybe the unclean animals were healthy enough (back then) to
safely consume considering the dire circumstances?
Blood, Life and Violence.
Genesis 9: 4, 5 “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof,
shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand
of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every
man’s brother will I require the life of man.” (KJV)
It is forbidden by God for us to eat meat without all the blood drained from it.
Apparently God doesn’t want us to consume blood because it represents the essences
of life, that special thing that God, the Creator, supplies us. Another way of
putting it is that we are then starting to tread upon God’s territory.
It’s amazing. If you kill an animal and consume it’s blood, then in turn you will
be killed by either another animal or by your fellow man, even your sibling.
There seems to be the suggestion that consuming the blood of the animal you eat
also places a you too closely to the violent act of taking it’s life and therefore
eventually your life will be taken. It’s almost like you’ve become so intimate
with violence that your life will naturally end in violence.
Murder and the Image of God.
Genesis 9: 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for
in the image of God has God made man.” (NIV)
Offhand I’d say that this is not a hard fast rule for God because God didn’t kill
Cain for murdering his brother Able. In fact God gave Cain a measure of
protection to safeguard him from in turn being murdered. My take on this is that
God is making an observation on the consequences of sinful behavior. Violence
produces violence and God is not generally going to stand in the way of this
happening to a person who murders. Why, because to a certain extent man is holy.
Mankind is made in the image of God and to harm that image is a personally affront
to God.
There is one other point I’d like to make. Once a person dies there is no more
opportunity for that person to repent to God for their evil ways. When you kill a
person, their spiritual fate is sealed and God may frown upon that.
Should Christians take up Shipbuilding as a Hobby?
Genesis 9: 11-13 “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be
cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the
earth. And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and
you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I
have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between
me and the earth.” (NIV)
This is the first covenant recorded in the Bible. In the Bible there are recorded
more than one covenant that God has made with mankind. I hear arguments that we
now live under a new covenant and that the old covenant(s) is now null and void.
I must confess that I am not well versed on this topic, but if it is true then
that’s a scary thought! If one believes that God voided this covenant, then
maybe all Christians should take up shipbuilding in their backyards.
Drunkenness and the Curse.
Genesis 9: 20-24 “Noah…proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its

wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tend. Ham, the father of
Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem
and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in
backward and covered their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and
found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The
lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” (NIV)
Being caught naked could have been culturally extremely embarrassing at this time.
How Ham ‘possibly’ wronged his father is found in Noah’s curse, Ham and his
descendants would end up serving his brothers and their descendants. Ham should
have “served” his father by covering him quietly and respectfully and not have
made what he had seen public. With a little imagination, one could see Ham coming
out of Noah’s dwelling, after seeing the head of the family in such an exposed
position, roaring with laughter and making fun of his father in front of his
brothers and any of their family that happened to be around at that time. However
the event unfolded, Ham must have had a chronic character flaw and this event was
the “last straw” that set Noah off. As a result, Noah cursed Ham and apparently
with God’s blessing.
One must note that Noah’s drunkenness contributed to this unfolding event. Noah’s
action directly placed temptation in the path of his son Ham. May we as parents
not do the same and place temptation in front of our children.
Provider and Protector.
Genesis 10: 8, 9 “Crush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior
on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said,
“Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” (NIV)
Was Nimrod both a mighty warrior and a mighty hunter as suggested in the NIV?
Both the KJV and the RSV translates warrior in verse eight as hunter. I just
don’t see much evidence that there could have been wars going on between Noah’s
offspring at this time. There were just too few people and way too much land to
expand into if you were upset with your neighbor. If the term ”warrior” did
apply, it could be that Nimrod was well known for being the local keeper of the
peace. If a number of people got out of line then he’d just “knock a few heads
together” to straighten them out and get them to calm down.
Personally I think that warrior applies to the fact that he fought animals. It
says in verse nine that he was well known for being a “mighty hunter before the
Lord.” Why would a well-known man of God be well known for hunting? The only
explanations that make sense to me is that he was known either for providing meat
to the community in times of food shortages or that he was known for killing off
the dangerious predators that threatened his neighbors. I’d like to think that he
was well loved for both.
The Division of the Earth.
Genesis 10:25 “Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his
time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.” (NIV)
The name “Peleg” means “division,” and apparently “the earth was divided” in some
way around the time he was born and named. I wonder what had happened.
The division that took place could have been political. Some kind of conflict
could have broken out and divided the newly settled communities of mankind. Maybe
a war took placed that isn’t recorded.
I’d like to believe that this text is referring to the separation of the
continents of the world. What if it didn’t take place during the Flood but
sometime after the Flood? Now that would have been something to experience, the
continents breaking apart from each other! I could imagine a huge earthquake
taking place or a series of giant ones. That would have caught the world’s
attention. I can see an expedition being formed and the amazing story they came
back with.
Most likely the division refers to territorial disputes and for the first time
after the Flood, maps were drawn up and boundaries were formed, so that precious
resources could be protected or controlled.
A Big City and Big Plans.
Genesis 11:4-6 “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a
tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and
not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see
the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, “If as one
people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they
plan to do will be impossible for them.” (NIV)
The reason why the people started building the city with its tower was to stop
people from migrating away. The communities up until this point must have been
small, towns compared to what we call cities today. Apparently, they had big
plans, ultimately detrimental ones from God’s perspective, and needed an abundance
of talented people to do it.
This planned city with its awesome tower must have been a vehicle to appeal to the
people’s pride. It symbolized the statement, “Look at us and how great we are.
Stay and join us!” I wonder if part of their ad campaign was, “Together we can
rival God!”
On the other hand the tower might have appealed to the peoples fears. A “tower
that reaches to the heavens” would be nice to stay close to just incase God
reneges on His promise not to let another flood happen. If that was the case,
than the planners and builders of the tower could be pride fully suggesting,
“Stay, join us and we’ll protect you from the wrath of God!”
The Blessing of having a World with different Languages.
Genesis 11:6- 8 “The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they
have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each
other. So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped
building the city.”
Why did God confuse the people’s languages at Babel? From the text it looks like
it was to protect them from self-reliance. If a group of sinful people come to
believe that nothing is “impossible” for them then eventually they will stop
relying upon God. Reliance upon God is the only prescription for the condition we
call sin. God confused the languages to protect mankind. If the people at Babel
continued upon their course, mankind would have probably fallen back into a pre-
flood like relationship with God, a situation where God would have had to find a
way to destroy the world again. For our sake God couldn’t let that happen. Even
today our differences in language do a pretty good job protecting one nation or
culture from transferring their bad habits to another. At least the language
barrier seems to slow it down.
I’d also like to draw your attention to another interesting point. The plural
concept of God is used to describe God coming down to confuse the languages. God
says in verse seven, “…let us go down…”
Here’s one more observation I’d like to make. It seems that the writer of Genesis
got half way through listing the descendents of Noah, starting at chapter ten,
when he realized that an explanation need to be given about how these descendents
acquired different languages. After explaining the story of the “Tower of Babel,”
he continued and finished listing Noah’s descendents.
With Greatness comes Responsibility.
Genesis 12:1-3 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and
your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into
a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be
a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
When God asked Abram to uproot himself from his family, friends and home and go to
another country, God promised him four things. First of God promised Abram that
if he trusted Him that his descendents would become a great nation. One could
imagine that Abram figured that great meant that his nation would be large, well
known and have many accomplishments.
Secondly God promised that Abram himself would be great. Today most great people
have celebrity status. I wonder if people in Abram’s time ever saw him as we
think of famous celebrities today?
Next God promised that the accomplishments in Abram’s life would bring a blessing
to others. Not all people today have made a name for themselves by making the
world around them a better place. Many celebrities have become very well known
for their character flaws and the appalling things that they do.
God also promised that generally their relationship would be one of cooperation
and agreement. I believe that we all have access to that kind of relationship
with God. The question is, “How badly do we want it?”
I’d like to finish with this point. In this promise is found the principle, “with
greatness comes responsibility.” It seems that the purpose for God blessing Abram
is so that others would be blessed because of it, in fact the whole world was
going to be blessed. Is our basic motivation in life to bless others when we are
struggling “to get ahead”? Let us ask this question of ourselves, “Will I be a
blessing to anyone today?”
Is Packing Up Hard To Do?
Genesis 12:4 “So Abram left, as the Lord had told Him; and Lot went with him.”
(NIV)
Abram’s blessing required a response and that response was for him to take action
and leave. It is said that, next to a death in the family, moving is the most
stressful experience in a person’s life. Whether you agree with that or not,
Abram must have experienced some struggle with making the decision to follow God’s
directions and uproot his life. With no political or social upheaval mentioned in
the area, there was only the promise to motivate him. Even though the promise was
an awesome one, the decision to abandon the life that he had made for himself had
to have been made with some difficulty. God asks us all to make changes that will
improve our characters and lifestyles and yet we find it hard to set these changes
in motion. It must have been the same for Abram too.
Here are some interesting questions. Why did Lot go with Abram? Was Abram Lot’s
guardian after his nephew’s father died? Was Abram Lot’s mentor in business and
Lot didn’t want his training to end yet so he went with him? Did Lot leave with
Abram because they shared a close relationship? Was Lot impressed with his uncle
and followed him because he believed that God had actually talked to him?
The Sightseer.
Genesis 12: 1-9 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country…and go to the
land I will show you…Abram was seventy-five years old…He took his wife Sarai, his
nephew Lot, all the possessions they and accumulated…and they set out for the land
of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the
site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem…the Lord appeared to Abram and Said,
“To your offspring I will give this land.”…From there he went on toward the hills
east of Bethel and pitched his tend, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east…
Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. (NIV)
It looks like God was giving Abram a guided tour of the land that He promised to
Abram’s descendants. I bring this observation up because it seems like such a
personal thing to do. It reminds me of someone who is eager for a friend to open
a present that they had given him or her. After the gift is opened, the person
excitedly points out his friend all the special features of the gift. You’ve
probably experienced this yourself on a birthday or other such gift-giving
occasion. We were created a lot like our God.
Unfavorable Conditions.
Genesis 12:10 “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to
live there for a while because the famine was severe.” (NIV)
God leads Abram to the land promised to his descendants. Then a famine comes and
Abram has to leave it. Just because God favored Abram that didn’t mean that
everyday life was going to be easy for him. The famine didn’t mean that God had
stopped watching over him.
Bad things happen to good people. It could be acts of nature, it could be Satan,
it could be God testing them or it could be that they were just in the wrong place
ant the wrong time. My point is, a difficult challenge in life doesn’t indicate
that God stopped caring for us.
I would also like to note that this is the first bad weather noted in the Bible
record. I would suspect that the flood messed up the world’s environment so badly
that it lost its ability to maintain stable weather.
A Choice of Life or Death.
Genesis 12:11-13 “…he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you
are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is he wife.’ Then they will
kill me…Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake…”
(NIV)
The fear of being put to death has a tendency to test our faith in God. Despite
God’s promise to make Abram the father of a great nation, Abram lied to the
Egyptians so he might live. He couldn’t have children if he is dead. Did he
simply forget God’s promise or was he trying to help God protect his life?
Considering Abram’s fear, it must have been well known that Pharaoh had a passion
for beautiful women and collected them at their husband’s expense. Basically
Abram’s plan was to exchange his wife for his life. Not a very nice thing to do,
at least from Sarai’s point of view.
Although I don’t agree with it, I do understand Abrams decision. Either Pharaoh
takes Sarai and Abram dies or Pharaoh takes Sarai and he lives. Either way
Pharaoh takes his wife, so he might as well live.
Pharaoh takes a Wife.

Genesis 12:14-20 “When Abram came to Egypt…Pharaoh’s officials…praised her to
Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake…But
the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of
Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram…he said, “Why didn’t you tell me
she was your wife…Take her and go!”…” (NIV)
I wonder how Pharaoh found out that Sarai was Abram’s wife. I’m sure the timing
of the diseases inflicting his household helped. Did God tell Pharaoh? Did
gossip from Abram’s camp finally get back to Pharaoh? My bet is that once the
diseases became apparent, that was the final straw for Sarai and wanting out of
there as fast as possible she told Pharaoh.
I believe Abram’s fear of Pharaoh being a violent man was legitimate. I think the
reason why Pharaoh didn’t go ahead and kill Abram when he found out that Abram was
the root of his family’s health problems was because Pharaoh was afraid that
Abram’s God would let whatever disease it was get worse.
The odds are that this event didn’t help Abram’s marriage any.
A Businessman and a Family Man.
Genesis 13:1-13”…Abram had become very wealthy in Livestock and in silver and
gold…Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and
tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together…And
quarreling arose between Abram’s herdsman and the herdsmen of Lot. So Abram said
to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your
herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers…Let’s part company. If you go to the left,
I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” Lot looked up
and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of
the Lord…So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan…” (NIV)
Apparently Abram was not only rich but also generous. I don’t believe that most
businessmen would be so generous to their competition. Although Abram’s faith in
God wasn’t perfect, his confidence in business most likely came from the assurance
that God “had his back.”
It is easy to get caught up in the conflicts about us. Whenever our co-workers,
our neighbors or our family members start fighting among themselves, it is
difficult for us to keep ourselves clear headed and above the emotional storm.
Although Abram’s herdsmen were quarreling with Lot’s herdsmen, Abram was able to
stay emotionally calm and out of the fight. Because of this he was able to
clearly see a solution to solve the problem.
Another thing that I’d like to note is that Abram treated Lot well. I’ve noticed
that it is common for people to treat members of their family harsher than they do
their neighbors or coworkers. I’ve seen children and adults act as nice and
polite as one can imagine in public, but as soon as they are safely home they
become disrespectful and down right mean. It appears that Abram was a pretty nice
fellow to be around when he was at home or away from home.
Christian Generosity and Sacrifice.

Genesis 13:14-16 “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up
your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the
land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your
offspring like the dust of the earth…” (NIV)
After Abram’s generous offer to Lot over grazing rights and land, God repeats His
promise to Abram. It is as if God is saying, “Even though you have given the best
land away, the land is still belongs to you and your descendants. You haven’t
really sacrificed anything, so don’t worry about it.”
God asks all His children to live lives of sacrifice. If we give of ourselves
with the correct motivation and God truly ‘has our back’, do we really loose
anything? I believe that answer to that question can be clearly seen after living
a long time with God.
A Less than Perfect Move.
Genesis 14:1-4 “At this time Amraphel…Arioch…Kedorlaomer…and Tidal…went to war

against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab…Shemeber… and Bela…All
these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). For
twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they
rebelled.” (NIV)
When Lot moved near Sodom, there was a conflict going on. By this time in the
story the king of Sodom had been under the control of another king for twelve
years. This war was started because Sodom and its four surrounding neighbors
wanted their freedom back.
Why Sodom and its neighbors were ‘under the thumb’ of another king is unknown.
Either it was to control the resources of such a luxuriant land or because the
citizens of the area were so troublesome. Either reason could well apply.
Lot’s situation is not unlike circumstances that people find themselves in today.
People move into an area because of job opportunities or to be near family and are
totally unaware of the economic or social problems that are brewing. Once you
have resettled your family then later find that it is not the Eden you expected,
it is very difficult to move again. It’s happened to me.
The Benefit of Having Good Relatives.
Genesis 14: 11-16 “The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and
all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and
his possessions….When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he
called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit...During
the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them…He recovered all
the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the
women and the other people.” (NIV)
Abram had to have been wealthy to be able to support so many employees and their
families. Even though Abram had a great number of men, he still had to have been
out numbered by the armies of four kings, so dividing up his men and ordering a
surprise attack at night was a wise move and a successful one. No doubt faith in
God was involved in this risky operation.
Abram’s actions suggests that he really didn’t have any bad feeling towards Lot
after they separated and Lot chose the best grazing land for his flocks. Although
it is not uncommon for people to risk ‘life and limb’ for close relatives, it is
less common for relatives to risk anything for a relation that they are on the
outs with. Many would say, “Let them boil in their own stew, considering what
they’ve done to me!” May we all be blessed with relatives like Abram.
Priest and Tithe.
Genesis 14: 17-20 “After Abram returning from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings
allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh…
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God
Most High, and he blessed Abram…Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” (NIV)
Melchizedek was both a king and a priest of God. The wording tends to suggest
that this king was not just a priest of God but that he was possibility the
leading priest. No matter what, he was a priest and that is interesting. Here is
another reference to a religious system that is similar to the one given to Moses
and predates it. It is very likely that most of the instruction that God gave to
Moses for the Children of Israel was not anything new but just forgotten by the
people during their years of slavery in Egypt.
Even the concept of tithing, giving a tenth of one’s increase to God, was not new
to Moses and the Children of Israel. But what did Abram tithe on? He did not
keep anything that belonged to the king of Sodom. I’m pretty sure that he kept any
items that belonged to the kings that he routed and tithed on that. Maybe he even
kept the items that belonged to the allies to Sodom, if they didn’t come back to
claim them. Since he had returned home, it would be natural to assume that he
also gave a tithe off of the family business profits.
A Generous Ambassador.
Genesis 14: 21-24 “The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep
the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my
hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an
oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong
of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will
accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men
who when with me -- to Aner, Eschol and Mamer. Let them have their share.” (NIV)
Apparently there was a tradition that when you rescue someone, you receive a
certain portion of his or her belongings. The king, being very grateful at the
moment, offered that Abram keep all the belongings that were rescued.
Already prosperous, Abram was wise not to accept the king’s offer. The reason
being, people during and after an emotional event have a tendency to make
agreements that they will later regret and feel bitter about. This is common
right after an automobile accident or at the beginning of a dissolving marriage,
where the guilt person’s initial offering is very generous then later they renege.
Since Abram was representing God in the region, being generous with the king made
God look good. Even Christians today should keep in mind that they are
ambassadors of God. If we kept that in mind, I wonder how much our relationships
with the people around us would change?
Friends and Allies.
Genesis 14: 24 “I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share
that belongs to the men who when with me -- to Aner, Eschol and Mamer. Let them
have their share.” (NIV)
Abram was not alone in his efforts to free Lot and battle his captors. The three
men who were allied with him were his neighbors (see verse 13). Although there
must have been some social and political advantages to go into battle with Abram,
I am sure that Abram was also on good terms with them, if not friends.
Here is an interesting point. Although Abram did not accept from the king of
Sodom any of his goods recaptured after the battle, Abram did not hold his allies
to the same standard. Apparently his allies didn’t understand his motives and
Abram didn’t put undue pressure on them to follow his example. Do we force those
around us to follow our way of life by aggression or guilt?
It would seem that although Abram was a Godly man, he did not isolate himself from
the world around him. He was a good neighbor. Do our neighbors know us well
enough and like us well enough to risk ‘life and limb’ for a cause we believe in?
Fear, Shelter and Reward.
Genesis 15:1-3 “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision,
“fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram
said, “O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, thou has given me no
offspring: and a slave born in my house will be my heir.” (RSV)
Many of us live our lives in fear. We are afraid we will loose what little
possessions we have. We are afraid of loosing our social status with our family,
friends and co-workers. We are afraid of loosing our loved ones, our friends,
lovers, and spouses through circumstances, conflict, sickness or divorce. We are
afraid of loosing our lives.
Fear stops us from getting the most out of life. It stops us from living. With
it our lives became stagnant. We play it safe and pretty much don’t do anything
because of fear.
God wants us to live fearlessly! We have the greatest chance of making something
of our lives when we feel safe and are confident that we will succeed. God
reassured Abram that he was shielded and he would be rewarded for what he was
doing. There was no reason for Abram to fear the future. We have that same
reassurance from God also.
Success and advancement in life generally makes up feel good when we are younger.
When we get older and closer to death, we ask ourselves, “Why are we doing all of
this?” It is comfort in knowing that our children will reap the harvest of our
success when we are dead and gone. Abram was human like you and I and was
disturbed by this same question.
Faith and Credit.
Genesis 15: 2-6 “But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I
remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will
be my heir.” Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your
heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside
and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count
them.” Then he said to him, “So shall you offspring be.” Abram believed the
Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (NIV)
I wonder if Abram’s choice for his servant Eliezer to become his heir was based on
the fact that Eliezer was a close friend to Abram. It could be that Eliezer was
Abram’s ‘right hand man’ and was the logical choice to take over the business. It
could have been the tradition of the time for a servant to become the heir if
there were no children. Personally, I suspect Abram is being a little sarcastic
because later Abram accuses God that it is His fault that he remains childless.
It looks to me that Abram was starting to doubt that he was ever going to have a
son.
When Abram believed God, he believed not only that he’d eventually have a son, but
also he believed that he would have the promised descendants that he would never
see. Although Abram’s relationship with God may have started to suffer from
doubt, after this conversation he was ‘right’ with God again.
Today credit is money that either doesn’t exist or isn’t immediately available.
As I see it, Abram’s righteousness was being credited to him because God had yet
to fulfill His side of the bargain and because Abram’s life wasn’t over yet and he
still had the freewill to change his mind and doubt God.
The past is over and the future hasn’t happened yet, so the present is the only
time we really have. Right now let us re-evaluate our relationship with God and
may God grant us with righteous credit.
Past, Present and Future.
Genesis 15:7 “He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of
the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” (NIV)
This is God speaking to Abram. He is saying to him, “I am the God who has lead
you, who is leading you and who will lead you. I was in your past, I am in your
present and I will be in your future.”
God is a God of interaction. We experience God as we have experiences with our

friends and family. Even though sin has separated us from God, He still desires a
relationship with us. Much of what we call faith is developed in our relationship
with God. As we look back on our positive experiences with God our faith and
trust in Him becomes stronger. In fact, a major element in God’s big plan is to
restore mankind’s relationship with Him to back where it was originally in Eden
before the fall.
What was our experience with God in our past? What is the quality of relationship
we have with God today? Can we trust Him with our future? I wonder does God
‘seem’ less distant as we break through the barriers of sin, becoming less
rebellious and building up a history of experience with Him?
One last point, we can’t control time and are stuck with the present. On the
other hand, God doesn’t seem to have our restrictions when it come to time, which
is another good reason to partner up with Him in life.
God knows the Future and God plays fair.
Genesis 15:13-16 “Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that your
descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be
enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they
serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You,
however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the
fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the
Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” (NIV)
It is amazing how God knows the future. He knows what we are going to do and also
knows the result of action. Why He intervenes in some lives and not in others is
a mystery to us because of our ignorance. I am sure that our freedom of choice
has a lot to do with it. I also suspect that God works with restrictions out of
fairness to Satan so that His opponent will not overwhelmed and have a fair chance
to prove his point in the conflict between them.
God is a God of fairness. He is fair with us, He plays fair with Satan and he
treated the Amorites fairly. Even though God had promised Abram and his
descendants the Amorites’ land, He wasn’t going to kick them off of their land for
any old lame reason. The Amorites apparently were not a nice group of people, but
they weren’t wicked enough yet to justify God evicting them yet. This situation
indicates that there is a standard for living that God has set for all people.
God’s Patience.
Genesis 15: 16-21 “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here,
for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure…To your
descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the
Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites,
Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” (NIV)
It looks like all the nations of the land promised to Abram were sinful enough to
be evicted from the land except the Amorites. It would be years and years before
Abram’s descendents would be able to receive the land of their promise. This
shows the great patience of God.
Are we as patience with those around us as God was with the Amorites? God knew
that eventually that He would have to send them packing and yet He was able to
wait. We don’t have the luxury to knowing the spiritual future of those around
us. Those wicked people who irritate and try our patience may yet repent and turn
or return to God. Let us follow God’s example and be long-suffering.
These texts can also be reassuring to us. It shows patience God can be with us.
Yes, we are all rebellious and prone to sin. We are quite capable of distressing
those around us and embarrassing God. Yet we need not give up and fear that at
the first sign of trouble God is going to suddenly abandon us. If he is that
long-suffering with the Amorites, He will be same for you and I.
Myspace Bible Blog: 11-19-07
Its God’s fault so what are We going to do about it?
Genesis 16:1-4 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had
an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me
from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family
through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said…He slept with Hagar, and she
conceived…” (NIV)
The first problem is that Sarai believes that not having a child is God’s fault.
Why is it that everything bad that happens to us is blamed on God? Even Adam and
Eve, in a round about way, blamed God for their decision to eat the forbidden
fruit.
From what I understand, what Sarai suggested to Abram was a common practice.
Whether it was or not, it wasn’t what God had in mind when He promised Abram a
son. Even though Sarai was feeling the personal and social pressure to have a
child, any child, I suspect that Abram agreed to do it more for the chance to have
sex with another woman then to help God out. Sarai decision may have been
partially based on ignorance (communications between wives and husbands being what
it is) but Abram knew better. God and he had talked about this very problem more
than once.
Who is to Blame?
Genesis 16: 4-6 “He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was
pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are
responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now
that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you
and me.” “Your servant is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you
think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.” (NIV)
I don’t know how much status Hagar had, as a servant in Abram’s family, was she a
slave or more like an employee? Sarai and Hagar had to have had a pretty friendly
and close relationship for Sarai to suggest that Hagar have Abram’s child. On the
other hand, Hagar should have known better. She had to have known something of
the God that Abram’s family followed and she should have refused. But worse yet
after she found that she was pregnant, she should have maintained a supportive
attitude, which she didn’t.
It’s amazing how quickly friendship can pass when two women are involved with the
same man. Here is Hagar, a servant, carrying a rich man’s baby. She probably
felt that she now deserved a higher status other than just a servant. I can
imagine her thinking, “If only Sarai were ‘out of the picture’ I could be the rich
man’s wife!”
It is sad that when we are suffering the consequences of something we have done
wrong, we want to blame someone else. Sarai came up with the idea and put
pressure on Abram to have sex with Hagar. Now that things weren’t working out as
she had imagined, she placed all the blame on Abram.
Abram couldn’t really defend himself because he was stupid enough to agree with
his wife’s plan and do it. Most likely Abram had, at the very least, become fond
of Hagar. He had to have felt some emotional connection with the woman he had
slept with and is now carrying ‘his’ child. Instead of being a man and refereeing
between the two women, he takes the easy way out and lets Hagar suffer under the
harsh hand of his wife. Abram only made things worse for the three of them.
Running Away from a Problem.
Genesis 16: 7-10 “The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert…
And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you
going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel
of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel
added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to
count.” (NIV)
God still watches over us and does not abandon us when we make mistakes. Hagar’s
bad attitude had gotten her into trouble. When Sarai, her mistress, finally
responded harshly with her, she ran away. She was probably thinking that Abram
would shield her from the consequences of her actions, which didn’t materialize.
It would seem from the story, other than this incident, that Hagar had been a
pretty polite person and on good terms with Abram’s family. It looks to me that
God told Hagar to go back and try to patch things up with Sarai (and Abram).
God’s promise that she would have a lot of descendants was probably an incentive
for her.
Sometimes we run away from difficult situations too soon. Many times there is a
good chance that we can patch up a relationship but we just recognize the chance
from our prospective. Still if we find ourselves in a loosing position, staying
with it a little while longer can even be a benefit to us.
Encounter with God.
Genesis 16:11-13 “And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are with
child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael; because the Lord has
given heed to your affliction. He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against
every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all
his kinsmen.” So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “Thou art a
God of seeing”; for she said, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after
seeing him?” (RSV)
Hagar was so impress that God had prophesied about the child she was carrying that
she gave God a name. “Thou art a God of seeing.” What a personal intimate thing
she did. The closest one English word I could come up with is “seer.” Its
definition being, “One who predicts future events.” I wonder if she normally
referred to God with her own personal name after that. I can see her returning
home and exclaiming, “Guess what the Seer disclosed to me? The Seer prophesied
that I would have a son and….”
Being in the presence of God or one of His angels must be an amazing and somewhat
freighting experience for a sinner. Adam and Eve were the first to experience it
after they rebelled. They ran and hid from God’s presence. Here we find Hagar
amazed to be alive after experiencing God’s attention even through a heavenly go-
between.
Maybe it is for our own good that God keeps His distance from us rebellious
sinners. Yet, we ‘will’ all meet God one day, the saved and the lost. It would
be wise to ponder on what it would be like to come face to face with the God
Almighty, creator of the universe.
A Bittersweet Day.
Genesis 16:15-16 “So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram game the name Ishmael to
the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him
Ishmael.” (NIV)
For Abram receiving his first son must have been a bittersweet event. The child
was not born into a happy household. His wife, Sarai blamed him for having a
child with her servant. Of course Sarai and her servant, Hagar, were not getting
along. As a result of Abram not wanting to referee between the two women, Hagar
had run away for a while because of abuse from Sarai.
On the other hand, this was his first son and he had waited a long time for a
child, he must have felt some joy. People who have a difficult time producing
children value a child when it finally comes along, no matter how. Also Abram
must have believed Hagar’s story of her encounter with God and his prediction
about the child because Abram named his son Ishmael, the name God had told Hagar
to name the child.
Today we have surrogate mothers and sperm donors to help couples have children, so
in some way the idea that Sarai had for a substitute wife was very similar. I
must note that in today’s world there are problems with these solutions also. It
is common for the surrogate mother to change her mind which results in a long and
drawn out custody battle in the court system over the baby.
God Comes to Abram to Confirm His Covenant.
Genesis 17: 1, 2 “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him
and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my
covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” (NIV)
Quite a bit of time had passed by the time God confirmed his promise with Abram.
Ishmael was now thirteen years old and had enjoyed the privilege of being the only
child. I wonder if Abram had gotten use to his uneasy living arrangement, there
was Abram the head of the household, next there was Sarai his wife, after that was
his son Ishmael and last but not least Ishmael’s mother Hagar. The delicate
balance that kept the household together was about to change. God was confirming
His promise of a son through Sarai to Abram.
Abram was asked by God to “walk before” Him. To walk before someone else, an
individual must be constantly within their sight and headed in the same direction.
Basically, Abram was being asked to be an earthly companion with God and share
common life goals.
God asked Abram to be “blameless.” All friendships on earth have spoken and
unspoken rules for the friendship to function under. The same situation exists to
have a relationship with God. Although up till now these guidelines have not been
recorded in the book of Genesis, the book does give us a good idea that they did
exist.
The request to be blameless is not restricted to just Abram’s interactions with

God, so I assume that the request was for Abram to live a blameless life with his
fellowman also.
With a New Child came a New Name.
Genesis 17:5 “No longer will you be called Abram, your name will be Abraham, for I
have made you a father of many nations.” (NIV)
When God confirmed His covenant with Abram, He changed his name to Abraham. There
had to have been several reasons for this and here is one that could apply. Since
Abram was now going to be a father, not only of a son but also of a nation, the
change in his name would help him remember his new responsibility. How Abraham
brought up his child was important. He was not only influencing a son, he was
influencing a nation.
I wonder what it would be like today if every adult changed their name when they
were going to have their first child. Would they be more careful raising the
child? Would their new name help give them personally a new start and as a result
would they be careful not to pass on bad family habits down to their children as
their parents did to them?
The Reminder of God’s Promise to Abraham.
Genesis 17:10-12 “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you. The
covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to
undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.
For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be
circumcised…” (NIV)
Since God’s promise to give Abraham was to make it possible to have a lot of
descendants, circumcision made sense as a reminder of that promise. Every time a
male descendant of Abraham’s had sex with his wife, he would recall that he
personally was a part of God’s promise. Not only was he special to God, but also
every child that was born to him would be part of God’s promise.
Doubt and Love.
Genesis 17: 15-18 “God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife…I will bless
her and will surely give you a son by her…Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and
said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah
bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael
might live under your blessing!” (NIV)
Abraham truly understood that Sarah, his wife, and he were too old to produce
children. It would take a miracle to produce a son and apparently Abraham didn’t
believe God was capable of such a feat. We should hesitate to berate Abraham for
such ignorance or lack of faith. Today’s Christian understands God’s mighty power
and still doubts that God can impact their life in magnificent ways. We settle
for such little God given personal improvements.
Here we also see Abraham’s affection for his son Ishmael. Remember, by this time
Ishmael was 13 years old and no doubt the love that bonds a father and son had
taken place. Abraham loved Ishmael and he was more than willing to have God
bestow the covenant blessing onto him. I’m not claiming that their relationship
with perfect, I’m sure it had its difficulties just like any relationship between
a father and his 13-year-old son.
A Reminder and a Reassurance.
Genesis 17:19-21 “Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you’re a son,
and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him…And as for
Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful…and I
will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac
whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” (NIV)
It is interesting that in the footnotes of the New International Version the name
“Isaac” means “he laughs.” Not only whenever Abraham sees his son but also even
when he hears his name, Abraham will be reminded of his doubt and the fact that
God can be depended on. Despite Abraham’s and his wife’s efforts to have Ishmael
as their heir and despite their old age, God’s will would not be derailed.
Earlier, before Ishmael was born, God promised Hagar that her son would become a
great nation. Now before Isaac is born, we find God restating that promise to
Abraham. Most likely Hagar had told Abraham of God’s promise about their son, but
now Abraham was hearing it from God with his own ears. Since Abraham was so
concerned with Ishmael’s fate, God wanted Abraham to rest assured that both of his
sons would become great nations.
God Comes for a Visit.
Genesis 18:1-8 “The Lord appeared to Abraham…while he was sitting at the entrance
to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing
nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them
and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my
lord, do not pass your servant by…Let me get you something to eat, so you can be
refreshed and then you on your way…” “Very well,”they answered, “do as you say.”
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, “Quick,” he said, “…Bake some bread.”
Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a
servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the
calf that had been prepared, and sat these before them…” (NIV)
The New International Version tends to suggest that Abraham didn’t know right away
that God was visiting him because “lord” is not capitalized. If that were the
case, then one would imagine that Abraham reaction to the visitors was due to the
possibility of meeting some new friends on a hot dull afternoon.
The KJV and the RSV translations capitalize the word “Lord” suggesting that all of
Abraham’s excitement and running around was due to the presence of God at his
home. I wonder how we’d respond to God today, if He were to visit our homes
unannounced. Would we be excited or embarrassed? Would we even recognize God if
He were loitering outside our house?
Lying to God.
Genesis 18:10-15 “Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time
next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the
entrance to the tent, which was behind him…So Sarah laughed to herself as she
thought, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this
pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh…” Sarah was
afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did
laugh.” (NIV)
Let’s not be too hard on Sarah because not long before this her husband, Abraham,
laughed at God also on this same issue. The only difference is that Abraham
didn’t deny his laughter to God. Just for the record, considering that God is an
all-seeing being, it is fruitless to think we can hide anything from Him. There
is no reason not to be honest with God.
There is also the chance that Sarah did not realize that one of the visiting
strangers in her home was God. In that case, she may have thought she could ‘save
face’ with her denial. Remember, the New International Version’s translation of
“lord” in verse three suggests that Abraham did not at first recognize that one of
his guests was God.
The Openness of God.
Genesis 18:16-19 “When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and
Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said,
“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a
great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.
For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after
him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just…” (NIV)
I wonder if Abraham’s decision to see God and his visitors on their way was
motivated by a desire to be in God’s presence as long a possible and not just
being polite. If so then it is possible that our desire to be in the presence of
God, let’s say by prayer, will lead to an opportunity for God to be able to reveal
a little bit more of Himself to us.
Truly all the nations on the earth have the opportunity to be blessed because of
Abraham’s relationship with God. Abraham passed down his experiences with God by
telling them to his friends and family until today his story is printed for all to
read in the Bible. There is so much we can learn about God’s character through
the life of Abraham. In Abraham’s interaction with God we find examples of God’s
patience, love, sense of fairness, openness, and power to name a few.
Personally I am encouraged by the life of Abraham because it shows that God is

more than willing to work with people who are capable of making pretty big
blunders in their lives.
The Need for Ten Righteous People.
Genesis 18: 20-32 “Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is
so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have
done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”…Then
Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the
wicked…Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the
fifty righteous people in it…?” The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people
in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”…Then he said,
“May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can
be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it” (NIV)
There were at least two reasons why Abraham was concerned for the city’s safety.
First his nephew Lot and Lot’s family lived in the city. Abraham and Sarah must
have felt especially close to Abraham’s dead brother’s son because in Lot’s early
years he needed a father and childless Abraham and Sarah needed a son. I’m sure
that Abraham felt like Lot was nearly a son to him. Secondly Abraham must have
had business associates in Sodom that he was quite fond of also. We probably all
know ungodly individuals that we’d hate to see die in a fiery death.
Most of the time when two people come together to haggle of the selling price of
an item, they have a final price in mind. Abraham may have started out asking God
to save the city of Sodom if there were perhaps fifty people in it but most likely
his final goal was ten. One would think that Abraham was sure there were at least
ten people worth saving in Sodom.
Abraham probably thought that it was a safe bet that there would be at least ten
righteous people living in Sodom. He probably counted on Lot and his wife as
being righteous. It would have been reasonable to include Lot’s two unwed
daughters who were still living at home. There were the two young men that Lot’s
daughters were engaged to. Then if he included those young men’s parents, he would
have his ten people he needed to save the city.
It is possible that the reason Abraham didn’t come right out and ask God to spare
Lot’s life is that he may have been afraid that his nephew, living in an evil city
was now evil himself. Abraham may have been hoping that there were ten other
righteous people living in the city and that they would be enough to save Lot.

Food and Shelter.
Genesis 19:1-3 “The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was
sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and
bowed down with his face to the ground. “My lords, “he said, “please turn aside
to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and them go
on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night
in the square.” But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered
his house. He prepared a meal for them…” (NIV)
One could assume that these two angels were the two guests who Abraham entertained
earlier that day along with God. If that was the case then they were both
entertained by men of the same family on the same day. Abraham gave them shelter
and lunch and Lot gave them shelter and dinner. Both Abraham and Lot saw a need a
met it. Abraham wanted to ease the men’s journey in the heat of the day and
apparently Lot knew that they would not be safe staying the night in the city’s
square.
I wonder if it was Lot’s custom to arrive at the city gate in the evening and
invite travelers at risk of sexually assault to stay safely in his home over
night. If this was the case, then it looks like he had gotten away with it up
until this point and possibly the men of the city may have been getting tired of
Lot’s activity. I wonder how much risk we would put our families and ourselves in
for the safety of others?
Sex, Death and Sodom.
Genesis 19:4, 5 “Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the
city of Sodom – both young and old – surrounded the house. They called to Lot.
“Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can
have sex with them” (NIV)
Back when Abraham rescued Lot in Genesis chapter fourteen, Abraham brought with
him 318 trained men born in his household. Sodom had to have had a population
that was a great deal greater than Abraham’s camp. Considering that ‘all’ the men
of the city came out to sexually assault Lot’s two guests, it had to have been a
massive horde of men. Without going into detail, what was about to happen was
going to be barbaric and extremely evil. No victim would survive this mob.
This couldn’t have been the first time this had happened. I can’t see how any
sane person could condemn or question God’s decision to destroy this city and it’s
people. Lot’s living example (imperfect as it probably was) showed the citizens
of Sodom that there was another way to live. By this night it was clear that
Sodom was not going stop it’s lifestyle of rape and murder and that it was only
going to get worse, so extermination was God’s ‘only’ option. The neighboring
communities had to be protected from this debase violent city.
Doing what is Right in the Face of Danger.
Genesis 19:6-11 “Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and
said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters
who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do
what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come
under the protection of my roof.” “Get out of our way,” they replied. And they
said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge!
We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved
forward to break down the door. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot
back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the
door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the
door.” (NIV)
Lot addressed these men as “friends” and it was most likely partially true. On
one hand Lot was attempting to play the diplomat and trying to be polite, yet on
the other hand Lot must have known many of the men in the crowd. Many of these
men were Lot’s neighbors and now they were threatening to do harm to Lot if he
didn’t agree to let them have their way. It is our friends and the people we
know who put the most pressure on us not to do what is correct and not our
enemies.
I am unsure why Lot offered his daughters to the crowd to be sexually assaulted
and almost certainly murdered. My first impression is that Lot was sure that the
offer would be refused, but it could be possible that by this time in human
history women were already becoming second-class citizens. I certainly wouldn’t
have been happy with father if I were one of Lot’s daughters that evening.
When the crowd stopped negotiating and started to act upon their threats, Lot’s
two visitors pulled him back into the safety of the house, then caused the crowd
to go blind. It’s amazing how sudden blindness would change one’s plans for the
evening. It was probably about now that Lot started to realize that these men
were angels sent from God.
“You Must be Joking!”
Genesis 19:12-14 “The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here…who
belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place…
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his
daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about
to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.” (NIV)
The Christian has a responsibility for the physical and spiritual safety of those
around them, but there is no guarantee that a loved one is going to see things
your way just because you care for them. At present are many issues in life that
the Christian is concerned with yet the non-Christian believes is foolish. The
Christian is not expected to succeed in every endeavor that he or she gets
involved with. As we play our part in the salvation of others, we are to do our
best and then let God take over from there.
A Willingness to be Lead by God.
Genesis 19:15-17 “With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry!
Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when
the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands
of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the
Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them
said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the
plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (NIV)
This part of the story of Lot shows the patience and God’s understanding of His
human creation. The destruction of Sodom was going to take place at dawn and
Lot’s family was running swiftly out of time. Lot had all night to flee the city
and yet he was still there. There are several reasons why Lot probably took so
long to leave the city. Fear, stress and just plain not knowing what to do or
where to go doubtless played a part. No matter what Lot’s mental condition was,
he was willing to be led by God’s angels and that saved him. God was willing to
‘physically’ lead Lot and his family out of the city and may I mention, a city
that was in turmoil because almost every man in the city suddenly went blind the
evening before.
There are situations in our lives when in our ignorance we don’t know whether to
turn left or right. It is in those ‘gray’ areas of life when we can’t distinguish
‘black or white’ that we must rely on God’s guidance, whether that guidance is
miraculous or through our personal Bible study.
An Early Morning Rain of Death.
Genesis 19: 17-23 “…“Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop
anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” But Lot
said to them, “No my lords, please…But I can’t flee to the mountains; this
disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run
to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life
will be spared.” He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I
will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I
cannot do anything until you reach it.”…By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had
risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and
Gomorrah… (NIV)
Living in the city must have left Lot physically out of shape. He feared that he
couldn’t make it all the way to the mountains in time, so he asked if the small
town of Zoar could be spared then he would flee to it. I wonder if the evil
people of Zoar ever realized why their town was spared. I bet you the flames that
burnt up everything in the plain came uncomfortably close that small community, if
so the event must have been freighting.
Lot’s hesitation and slowness slightly threw off God’s timetable for the disaster.
Most likely God wanted to destroy the two cities at night while everyone was in
bed asleep. Once the sun came up, many of the people would be leaving the cities
to travel elsewhere, therefore some of the one’s marked for destruction would be
missed. I wonder if any early risers traveled far enough away to escape death.
Burning Sulfur and a Pillar of Salt.
Genesis 19: 23-26 “By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.
Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah – from the Lord out
of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including
all those living in the cities – and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s
wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.” (NIV)
The destruction was great, not only were two cities destroyed but the entire
plain. If God had destroyed ‘only’ the two cities, a passerby may have supposed
that an army came through and destroyed the cities, but since the devastation was
so widespread all who passed through the area would know that man did not do this.
I am unsure why the angels warned Lot and his family not to look back (verse 17)
while they were fleeing the destruction. Maybe it was that they were supposed to
escape the city not only physically but in their hearts also. Whatever the case,
Lot’s wife didn’t heed the warning and lost her life. If Lot would have fled the
city early enough, I wonder if his wife wouldn’t have been so tempted to turn
around and take a look to see what was happening behind her. Prompt action on
Lot’s part might have saved his wife’s life.
A Case for Intercessory Prayer.
Genesis 19: 27-28 “Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place
where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah,
toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land,
like smoke from a furnace. So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he
remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the
cities where Lot lived” (NIV)
Out of concern for the people of the cities, Abraham went back to the same spot
where he negotiated saving Sodom and Gomorrah with God. Apparently where the two
talked was elevated enough to overlook the plain where Sodom and Gomorrah use to
exist. It was obvious by all of the smoke to Abraham that his negotiations had
failed and that there were not a total of ten people worth saving in both cities.
This must have been a devastating moment for Abraham.
The text says that God “remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out.” Was it
Abraham’s relationship with God that saved Lot or was it his intersession with God
to save the cities that saved Lot? Were Lot and his two daughters righteous
enough to be saved without Abraham’s influence with God? If Abraham had asked God
to save the cities if there were only three righteous people living there, would
the cities have been saved? I have more questions than I have answers, but one
thing is for sure, this story does reassure today’s Christian that God will take
intercessory prayer into consideration as He deals with mankind.
Lot Suffers the Consequences of His Decisions.
Genesis 19:30-38 “Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the
mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a
cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, ”Our father is old, and
there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth.
Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with Him and preserve our family
line through our father.”…So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their
father…” (NIV)
Life didn’t go very well for Lot after the consequences of living in the evil city
of Sodom started to become apparent. When God destroyed the wicked city, he lost
all he had including his wife. Next Lot ended up feeling safer in a desolate cave
than in the town that he originally sought shelter in. Last but not least, the
perverted sexual practices of Sodom influenced his daughters to get him drunk so
that they could have sex with him. I’m sure he was very pleased when he found out
both of his daughters were pregnant and that he was the father.
What influences and dangers are we subjecting our families to? I might be wise to
sit down and try to match our decisions with some of their probable consequences.
Moving Again and Lying Again.
Genesis 20:1, 2 “Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and
lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham
said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for
Sarah and took her.” (NIV)
One could envision what the environment was like, near the plain where Sodom and
Gomorrah use to be, after God destroyed the cities and the surrounding
countryside. If all of the smoke in the air didn’t cause Abraham to move his
camp, I’m sure that the smell from the burnt sulfur residue did.
Even at her current age during this period of Sarah’s life, she was beautiful and
desirable. Because of this Abraham was still afraid of the negative consequences
of publicly claiming her as his wife. The local king could decide to murder him
then take Sarah for himself, so he fell into the old habit of openly claiming that
she was his sister. He had done this once before in Egypt (chapter 12) and no
good came of it.
Adultery, Coveting and Stealing.
Genesis 20:3 “But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, “You
are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
(NIV)
Depending on how you look at it, God is concern with Abimelech doing three things
that breaks three of the Ten Commandments, Adultery, Coveting and Stealing. Sure,
Abimelech mistakenly thought Sarah was Abraham’s sister, but God was still going
to put an end to the king’s actions. Most likely Abimelech was married and if he
had sex with Sarah he would be committing adultery. Even if he wasn’t married, he
is putting Sarah in a position to commit adultery. Next, he was coveting and
stealing. Coveting had caused him to take something that wasn’t his, and in this
case it ended up that he was coveting his neighbor’s wife.
God seems pretty sever with Abimelech when it comes to adultery, coveting and
stealing. The question is, “Are we engaged in anyone of the three and if so is it
worth it to us to stop?”
Once again we find evidence that the Law of God was in effect at this time even
though it wasn’t recorded in the Bible record yet.

God Deals Clearly and Firmly.
Genesis 20:4-7 “Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you
destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t
she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and
clean hands.” The God said to him in the dream, “Yes I know you did this with a
clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I
did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he
will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be
sure that you and all yours will die.” (NIV)
First of all I doubt that king Abimelech was that nice of a fellow or Abraham
wouldn’t have been afraid of him. Sure Abimelech hadn’t done anything yet to
Sarah but most likely Abimelech had a reputation for violence and taking whatever
women he wanted. I would suspect that God dealt very clearly and firmly with the
king so that the king wouldn’t be tempted to go ahead and do whatever he pleased.
The threat of death to the king and his family (even his nation) was probably a
sobering one and the only one that would have been successful.
Have king Abimelech request Abraham to pray for him was probably meant to be a
humbling experience for the king and make sure that the king was aware of the
importance of Abraham to God. On the other hand, it was probably a sobering
experience for Abraham. Here Abraham would have to pray for the king whose
actions was partially a result of Abraham’s lie. In the end both Abimelech and
Abraham were well aware that God was ‘looking over their shoulders.’
It would do each one of us well to keep in mind that God is very aware of our
dealings with each other.
Half-Truths are Half-Lies.
Genesis 20:10-15 “And Abimelech asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing
this?” Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in
this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my
sister, the daughter of my father through not of my mother”…and he returned Sarah
his wife to him. And Abimelech said, “My land is before you; live wherever you
like.” (NIV)
This story is a good example of why we shouldn’t tell ‘half-truths’ because they
are also ‘half-lies’. Abraham’s excuse to lie was because of the fear that
something ‘may’ happen. If that action was truly justifiable than today we
couldn’t trust to believe what anybody would say, who knows what another person
‘may’ be afraid of.
Sarah’s Vindication and the Healing of Abimelech’s Household.
Genesis 20:16-18 “To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels
of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you;
you are completely vindicated.” Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed
Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, for the
Lord his closed up every womb in Abimelech’s household because of Abraham’s wife
Sarah.” (NIV)
The payment given to Abraham by Abimelech was given as a testimony to all in
Sarah’s camp the she was guiltless and had done no wrong, as far as Abimelech and
Sarah’s relationship was concerned. It was to say that Sarah had committed no
sexual discretion. This payment is similar in spirit to Old Testament Law found
later in Bible history.
Abimelech had a lot of incentive to turn over Sarah unharmed to Abraham because
having descendants would mean a lot to any king. The death that God threaten the
king with earlier was the death of his family line, no more children. All that he
worked for (personal wealth and nation building) would have been useless if he had
no descendant to pass it down to.
Laughter.
Genesis 21:1-7 “…the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became
pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age…Abraham game the name Isaac to
the son Sarah bore him…Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who
hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to
Abraham that Sarah would nurse children.” Yet I have borne him a son in his old
age.” (NIV)
It was God who (in chapter 16) told Abraham to name his son Isaac. God must have
a sense of humor because the name “Isaac” means “he laughs.” Both Abraham and
Sarah had a one time laughed in disbelief that God could fulfill His promise and
now we find Sarah in as sense ‘laughing with delight” so Isaac was the perfect
name for Abraham and Sarah’s child. God, if we let Him and give Him time, has a
way of turning our impossibilities into reality and our disbelief into delight.
Sarah and Ishmael Vent Their Frustration.
Genesis 21:8-10 “The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned
Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave
woman and her son. For that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance
with my son Isaac.” (NIV)
By the time Isaac was born, Ishmael, Abraham’s first son was 14 years old. He
most likely was starting to go through those rebellious teen years that most
teenagers go through. As the first-born son of Abraham, he no doubt was upset and
refused to understand why Isaac was now the favored son, so he started venting his
discontent in public.
Sarah, having had bitter feelings towards Hagar and Ishmael in the past, now
probably felt that Isaac’s position as the favored son was going to be threatened
when she saw Ishmael mocking Isaac’s feast. She had waited a long time for a son
and was not in the mood to have her son share his inheritance with the son of an
Egyptian slave. She was jealous and not only protecting her son’s position in the
family but hers also.
Both Sarah and Ishmael were not handling the situation as well as they could have.
The two of them had 14 years to develop and nurture the poor attitude that they
were displaying on this day and neither was faultless.
I would like to note that the story does not single out Hagar as being the problem
this time. It is likely, that after Hagar’s meeting with an angel of God many
years ago, she adjusted her attitude about her position in Abraham’s family and
was a lot easier to live with.
Not All Bad Situations can have Happy Endings.
Genesis 21: 11-14 “The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his
son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your
maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that
your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a
nation also, because he is your offspring.” Early the next morning Abraham took
some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her
shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in
the desert of Beersheba.” (NIV)
What a sad situation for Abraham. God is basically telling Abraham that the
situation between Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael is not resolvable and removing them
from the camp is the only practical solution. Sending away his firstborn son,
whom he loved, and also Hagar, whom he had to have been very fond of, must have
been heart breaking for him, but it had to be done.
Because of the hardiness of people’s hearts some situations cannot be solved. As

much as we would desire ‘happy endings’, not every problem has a perfect answer.
This whole sad situation was the result of a regretful choice. The people around
us do suffer because of our poor choices.
God Hears Us Cry.
Genesis 21:15-20 “When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one
of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for
she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.”…the angel of God...said to her, “What
is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies
there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great
nation.” The God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and
filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he
grew up…” (NIV)
Ishmael was crying. He must have been aware that in some way he had brought this
state of affairs upon his mother and himself. He had caused so much trouble in
the camp that even his father couldn’t protect him and now as a result he was
homeless. He also desperately needed water and his mother couldn’t provide him
anymore. His world was falling apart. No one could help him and he couldn’t help
himself. He felt hopeless.
Ishmael was unaware that the God of his father had not abandoned him or his
mother. God was as close to him as the water that he thirsted for. He just
didn’t realize it. Do we realize that God is keenly aware of the problems we make
for ourselves? Are we blind to the fact that despite those problems God still
cares for us? Whether we are living or whether we are dying, we as Christians
need not despair. God hears us cry. We are not all alone and we will always have
a home with God, in this world and in the next.
The Importance of Trust Between Two People.
Genesis 21:22-24 “At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces
said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here
before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my
descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same
kindness I have shown to you.” Abraham said, “I swear it.” (NIV)
King Abimelech must have still been worried about the incident where he had taken
Sarah away from Abraham believing she was only Abraham’s sister and now was
worrying about the possibility of Abraham extracting some sort of revenge in the
future. Many people with character flaws have the tendency to mistakenly see
those same flaws in others around them. Abimelech had at one time taken what he
wanted from Abraham and now he feared that Abraham would one day do the same thing
to him or worse.
Although I believe Abraham was basically a truthful person, it is a fact that he

did deal falsely with the king once when he told Abimelech that Sarah was his
sister. This gave Abimelech enough evidence to fear that Abraham may deal falsely
with him again, maybe in some other way.
Let us deal fairly and truthfully with each other because once the trust between
two people has been broken it is at times very difficult to restore. In our
marriages and in our business let’s keep that bond of trust protected and intact.
Resolving an Issue Early and Dealing Clearly.
Genesis 21:25-31 “Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that
Abimelech’s servants had seized. But Abimelech said, “…I heard about it only
today.” So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the
two men made a treaty…and Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these
seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?” He replied, “Accept these
seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” So that place was
called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. (NIV)
King Abimelech had come to Abraham to make sure that Abraham was a friend and not
a foe. After reassuring Abimelech that he was no threat, Abraham brought up a
problem over a well of water with some of the local residents. Abraham had dug a
well and now he was being denied access to it.
Abraham took a risk. Abimelech was already concerned as to whether or not Abraham
was safe to have as a neighbor; this complaint could have started a fight between
them. It was better for Abraham to resolve the issue now than later, because if
the conflict over the well escalated with the locals and word of it later got back
to the King Abimelech, the king may once again start having doubts again over his
friendship with Abraham and Abraham wouldn’t be around to explain his side of the
conflict.
Abraham dealt as clearly as possible with the Abimelech so that there would be no
misunderstandings later. Abraham made it clear that the seven lambs were not part
of the gift of sheep and cattle that he gave to Abimelech. The seven lambs were
given to Abimelech so that later the king would remember that Abraham had bought
and paid for the well, if ever the conflict should arise over the well again.
Apparently the word “Beersheba” can mean either ‘well of seven’ or ‘well of the
oath’, so even the name of the area became a testament that Abraham had a right to
the water in the well.
Following God’s Instructions.
Genesis 22:1, 2 “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom
you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering
on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (NIV)
Although not every challenge we face in our lives is a test from God, this story
is evidence that God can test an individual. Abraham had shown in the past that
he could not always follow God’s instructions. For example, God’s plan for
Abraham to have a son was pretty clear. God said that his wife and he were going
to have a son, yet Abraham went ahead and had his first-born son with his wife’s
servant, Hagar.
I guess God’s thinking might have been, “If Abraham can’t experience following My
instructions that he can easily understand, then I’ll have him experience
following instructions that is not clearly understood. Maybe he’ll learn
something from it, like maybe trust!”
Most of us would probably not try to pass off our spouses as our brother or our
sister. At least a lot of us would only have children with our spouses, but I am
not sure that many of us would pass this test…sacrificing our first or only child.
A Sudden Trip to go and Worship God.
Genesis 22:3-6 “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He
took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood
for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the
third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his
servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will
worship and then we will come back to you.” (NIV)
Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son and instead of putting off what must have
been an emotionally difficult trip, he left the next morning. Normally when we
put something difficult off, getting around to do it later only gets harder.
Even though Abraham started the trip as soon as he did, he still had a three-day
trip to take. There was plenty of time for him to reevaluate his decision and
back out of sacrificing his son. Nobody could accuse Abraham of not thinking this
event through or making a rash decision. Abraham had time to understand what he
was about to do and when the time came, he was committed to follow through with
what God had requested him to do.
Abraham let his two servants know that his son and he were going off a distance to
worship so that they would have some idea of what was going on and how long they
were going to have to wait. Apparently the connection between burnt offerings and
the worship of God was common knowledge, at least in the household of Abraham.
Here again is a similarity with the worship of God that we find later recorded
during the time of Moses.
Abraham’s Fear of God and Isaac’s Salvation.
Genesis 22:7-13 “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb
for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb”…He
bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar…Then he reached out his hand and
took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from
heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the
boy,” he said. “…Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from
me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a
ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a
burnt offering instead of his son.” (NIV)
What God had told Abraham didn’t add up. God promised Abraham that Isaac would
have descendants, yet He asked Abraham to kill him. Also Abraham must have known
God’s character well enough to know that He was against murder. Although Abraham
was committed to go through with the sacrifice, he still had hope that God would
provide a way out of the situation, which God did in the end.
The angel stated that now it was for certain that Abraham ‘feared’ God. In this
case one could assume that the fear that is being talked about here is the fear
that if Abraham didn’t follow God’s wise directions that life would become more
miserable for him. As I see it, Abraham had already made a mess of his family
life because he did not fear the consequences of disobeying God’s directive. By
the way, God did not punish Abraham for having a son with Hagar. The results of
that action were punishment enough.
We have a lot in common with Isaac because there is a definite parallel between
this story and our salvation. God provided a way out from our destiny with
eternal death. Jesus, God the Son, the Lamb of God, was in a sense ‘sacrificed’
in our place on the cross so that that we might have eternal life.
I wonder what Sarah felt about her the life that She had lived.
Genesis 23:1-4 “Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died
at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to morn
for Sarah and to weep over her. Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and
spoke to the Hittites. He said, “I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me
some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” (NIV)
Sarah was ninety years old when Isaac was born (Gen. 17:17) so that would make
Isaac 37 years old when Sarah died. I wonder how Sarah died. Was it a sudden
death or was it a lingering one? If it was a lingering death, I wonder what Sarah
thought and felt about her son Isaac before she died. She must have felted secure
in the fact that he had survived childhood and grown up into a young man. On the
other hand, she must have felt sadness because she would not be able to see him
build a home, marry and have children.
Like you and I, Sarah had happiness and sadness in her life. I doubt that her
life was like she would have wanted it to be and I am sure Sarah felt that she had
died too soon.
The Decision to get a Wife for Isaac.
Genesis 24:1-4 “Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had
blessed him in every way. He said to the chief servant in his household, the one
in charge of all that he had, “…I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven
and the God of earth, they you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters
of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own
relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
I find it interesting that Isaac was over 37 years old before his father decided
it was time for Isaac to marry. I would think that the death of Isaac’s mother
had a lot to do with the decision. Abraham was getting older and wanted to make
the determination as to where his son’s wife came from before he died.
Apparently Abraham thought the quality of young women was much better back in his
native homeland and that it was worth the trip to send his chief servant back and
search for one. Abraham must have had a lot of faith in this servant’s judgment.
Even thought a person may have good organizational and management skills, it
doesn’t mean that they are good at judging character. Apparently Abraham’s chief
servant had skills in both areas.
Deal Breakers.
Genesis 24:5-8 “The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come
back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you
came from?” Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.
“The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my
native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your
offspring I will give this land’ – he will send his angel before you so that you
can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with
you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son
back there.” (NIV)
Abraham’s servant is clarifying what his next option would be, should she turn him
down, for maybe one of two possible reasons. The first reason would be that he
would be able to ask the woman not to make a final decision until she has seen her
potential husband in person. The second reason the servant may want to know what
his next step might be is just in case Abraham dies before his quest is finished.
Abraham is unwilling for his son, Isaac, to travel back to the country where
Abraham came from. It would seem that Abraham is not taking any chances with his
deal with God. Abraham seems to be saying to his servant, “God promised that if I
left my native land He would give to my descendents and me the land where we are
now. I will not risk breaking that deal by having my son or I go back there.”
Asking for a Sign.
Genesis 24: 12-14 “Then he prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me
success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside
this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a
drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’ – let her be the one
you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown
kindness to my master.” (NIV)
Abraham was not the only believer of God in his camp. His chief servant was a
believer also. His task to find a wife for Isaac was a serious one and he had the
sense enough to ask God for help. The servant’s request to God was neither a
ridiculous nor an unwise. The girl who would volunteer to water the servant’s ten
camels would be a person with a generous kind spirit.
Here’s another interesting point that I am sure Abraham’s chief servant did not
overlook. He was actually also choosing the next mistress whom he would serve, so
it would be in his best interest to choose a good-natured girl, one who would show
kindness to servants.
God’s Quick Answer to Prayer.
Genesis 24:15, 16 “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar
on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife
of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had
ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up
again.” (NIV)
Before Abraham’s chief servant had finished clarifying with God what he wished to
future wife of Isaac to do as a sign, she was on her way. This sudden answer to
pray by God had to have been for the purpose to reassure Abraham’s servant that
Rebekah was the woman God had chosen. I believe it was also to reassure Abraham
and Isaac that God had chosen Rebekah when they’d hear the story later.
Abraham wanted Isaac to be married to a woman who was a relative. He couldn’t

have asked for a closer one. Rebekah was the daughter of Abraham’s nephew.
Another way of putting it would be to say that Isaac married his cousin’s
daughter. How reassuring to Abraham that this woman would be the first woman this
chief servant would meet.
The text makes clear that Rebekah was a woman of good character. It states that
she was a virgin, which means that she had a certain degree of self-control.
Self-control is always a good quality to have in one’s mate.
The Man Watched Her Closely.
Genesis 24:17-21 “The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a
little water from your jar.” “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the
jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said,
“I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.”…Without
saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had
made his journey successful. (NIV)
The sign from God was to be that the girl would volunteer to water the servant’s
ten camels. Rebekah not only offered to give them some water but also offered to
give them all the water they could drink. A lot of people have the tendency to
inflate their standing in the eyes of others by volunteering to ‘go above and
beyond the call of duty’. Often they never fulfill their promises once they are
out of eyesight. Apparently Abraham’s chief servant was well aware of this trait
in people and watched her closely to see if she was true to her word, which she
was.
In our lives we never know who is watching us or why there are watching us. I
wonder how many opportunities people miss because they are discovered to be false
to others when they believe they are not being watched? A person has a tendency
to show who they really are when they believe no one is watching.
A Pleasant Surprise.
Genesis 24:22-25 “When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold
nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. Then he
asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s
house for us to spend the night?” She answered him, “I am the daughter of
Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.” And she added, “We have plenty of
straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.” (NIV)
Abraham’s chief servant had decided that this young woman was the answer to his
prayer, so after watering his ten camels he brought out three gifts of gold to
give her. I am sure that these gifts were given with the intention to motivate
her to at least consider his proposition, to leave her family to marry somebody
whom she had never met.
Having just arrived in the area and not wanting to waste any time, he asked if her
father would lodge his camels and he. I am sure he was anxious to meet her
parents and get right to the business of negotiating the marriage.
The servant also had to have been pleasantly surprised, if not shocked, to find
out that after making his selection, the young woman was so closely related to
Abraham’s brother. She was Abraham’s niece. It is even surprising for us today
how God answers our prayers better than we can imagine.
Surprised by a Prayer.
Genesis 24: 26-28 “Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying,
“Praised be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his
kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the
journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” The girl ran and told her
mother’s household about these things.” (NIV)
What an amazing experience Rebekah must have up to this point. She meets a
stranger and after watering his camels, he gives her three pieces of gold jewelry.
After finding out who she is and what family she is from, the man breaks out in
public prayer.
In the stranger’s prayer she finds out that he is the servant of her father’s long
lost uncle, so in her excitement she runs off, abandoning the servant, to inform
her mother and in the process tells everybody along the way. The whole event must
have been very exciting.
Greed, Joy or Suspicion?
Genesis 24: 29-31 “Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to
the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on
his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went
out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. “Come, you
who are blessed by the Lord,” he said, “Why are you standing out here? I have
prepared the house and a place for the camels.” (NIV)
I wonder what Laban’s motivation was for running out to see the stranger that his
sister Rebekah had met. Was it the gold jewelry that could indicate that the
servant’s master was rich or was it the story told by his sister indicating that
this servant was from his long lost uncle Abram (Abraham)? Whether it was greed,
joy or a little bit of both, Laban wasted no time in being extra polite to the
stranger and welcoming him to the house.
Personally I would have been suspicious of some stranger, wealthy or not, telling
my sister a tall tale out by the well and most likely Laban was probably a little
suspicious too. Whether the misgiving would turn out justified or not, Laban
probably had the good sense to be polite until he could evaluate the stranger for
himself.
Taking Care of Business.
Genesis 24:32, 33 “So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded.
Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to
wash their feet. Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until
I have told you what I have to say.” “Then tell us, “ Laban, said.
The story indicates that there were more men who took the journey from Abraham’s
camp then just the chief servant. It is possible that if ten camels took the trip
then nine other men could have accompanied Abraham’s servant on his mission to
find a wife for Isaac. There could have been more or there could have been less.
Personally I envision five riders leading five other camels, each carrying large
packs of supplies for the trip, in tow behind them.
Why did the chief servant not eat until he had told his story? One reason could
be that he was just plain too excited to eat. Here is a man who had taken a long
journey and immediately upon arriving at his destination he prays for a sign and
immediately the sign is answered and the answer was ‘down right’ better than he
could imagine. The young lady was a niece of his master’s!
Another reason why the chief servant didn’t wish to eat until he told his story to
his hosts was because of the type of man he was. He wasn’t Abraham’s chief
servant for just any reason. He was probably a “business before pleasure” kind of
guy and in this case the “business” was ‘very’ important to his boss! The man was
probably able to stay focused and not easily get distracted from the job at hand.
Most likely any businessman today would love to have for this fellow work for
them.
Rebekah’s Marriage is Decided.
Genesis 24:49-54 “Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master,
tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.” Laban and Bethuel
answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.
Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s
son, as the Lord has directed.”…Then the servant brought out gold and silver
jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly
gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate
and drank and spent the night there.”... (NIV)
As soon as Abraham’s chief servant had told his story to Rebekah’s brother and
father, he immediately requests what their decision is as to whether Rebekah will
become Isaac’s wife. Their answer is basically, “If God has decided that Rebekah
is to be the wife of Isaac, then the decision is made.”
It is only after Abraham’s chief servant had passed out gifts to Rebekah, her
mother and her brother that he and those with him finally ate their meal. He
definitely wanted to make sure the deal was made before anything else took place.
I wonder, would he have left without eating and started on his journey back to
Abraham if Rebekah’s brother and father had refused to let her be married?
Rebekah Concedes to Leave Home Right Away.
Genesis 24:54-61 "...When they got up the next morning, he said, "Send me on my
way so I may go to my master." But her brother and her mother replied, "Let the
girl remain with us ten days or so; then you may go." But he said to them, "Do
not detain me...” Then they said, "Let's call the girl and ask her about it." So
they called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" "I will go," she
said...Then Rebekah and her maids got ready and mounted their camels and went back
with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left." (NIV)
Abraham's chief servant wasted no time returning back to his master. Again, he
must have been very efficient running Abraham's household and business. He wasn’t
the type of person who wasted a lot of time. I wonder what each on of us would be
able to accomplish in life if we were more like this man.
I thought it was important that the story recorded the desire of Rebekah’s brother
and her mother for her to remain another ten days before she left. I showed their
fondness for her as a person and that she was not just another item around the
house to be bartered away.
To Rebekah’s credit, she must have felt Abraham’s servant’s urgent need to not
tarry and start the trip back. Since technically he was only a servant, she could
have made him wait and left when it was comfortable for her, but she placed the
needs of the servant over her desires to linger at home and say her goodbyes.
Love at First Sight?
Genesis 24: 62-67 “Now Isaac …went out to the field one evening to meditate, and
as he looked up. He saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac.
She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field
coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her
veil and covered herself. Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac
brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she
became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s
death.” (NIV)
This story has always left me with the impression or at least the hope that it was
love at first sight for Rebekah and Isaac. It just seems to me that, when Rebekah
saw Isaac in the distance, she was thinking, “I really hope that this ‘hunk’ is
Isaac!” Hoping against hope, she dismounts quickly to find out from the chief
servant if her intuition is true.
Although Isaac is still mourning over the loss of his mother and may have been
subconsciously looking for someone to replace her in his life, it may be a good
thing for Rebekah. Even though Rebekah may have been tempted to feel like only a
replacement, she was probably lucky. Here was a man really desiring an actual
relationship and looking for a woman he could connect with. He may not have been
the perfect catch for many women, but let’s confess, he wasn’t all that bad of one
either.
One last observation, apparently the use of veils by women were common by this
time in early human history, but the story doesn’t give us a lot of insight as to
the reason for the veils.
The Other Children of Abraham.
Genesis 25:1-6 “Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah…Abraham left everything he owned
to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his
concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.” (NIV)
It is possible that Abraham didn’t obtain another wife until after Sarah’s death.
Following the incident of Sarah’s jealous over Hagar’s son Ishmael, it is likely
that Abraham didn’t dare have any other children from anybody else until after
Sarah wasn’t around to complain.
It is recorded that he sent all of the sons from his concubines away but not the
six sons from his second wife. Apparently he felt comfortable that the son’s of
Keturah would follow Isaac’s leadership and not vie for power and attempt to take
over. Therefore when Abraham died there would be an easy transition to power in
the family business for Isaac and a less likely chance for chaos.
Personally I believe that if Sarah was still alive at this time that she would
have insisted that the second wife and her offspring and all the concubines and
their offspring would be banished from the camp. Plus I doubt that any gifts
would have been handed out to those leaving due to the fact that these gifts would
have reduced Isaac’s inheritance.
Both Isaac and Ishmael attend their Father’s Burial.
Genesis 25:7-10 “Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then
Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of
years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him
in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the
Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried
with his wife Sarah. (NIV)
How was it that Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury their father? Through the
years did Abraham and Ishmael eventually try to stay in touch with each other or
did a casual relationship develop between Isaac and Ishmael? When the two sons of
Abraham met for the funeral was there bitterness felt between them or were they
pleased to see each other under the circumstances? Whatever the case I am sure
that Abraham was well known in the area and the news of his death traveled far, at
least far enough for Ishmael to hear of it and participate in his father’s burial.
A death in the family is always difficult, but it is generally far more difficult
on members of the family who were estranged from the family when the loved one
dies. Either they have to deal with not being able to say their goodbyes or they
were not able to makeup and settle their differences before the death. I wonder
how Ishmael felt at his father’s burial.
Rebekah had Difficulties Getting Pregnant.
Genesis 25:19-21 “…Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah …Isaac prayed
to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his
prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” (NIV)
Abraham married his half-sister and his son married his second cousin. Both
father and son married women who were close relatives and both women had problems
getting pregnant. I wonder if there was a genetic problem in this family.
Troubled Pregnancy.
Genesis 25: 22, 23 “The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why
is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to
her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be
separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve
the younger.” (NIV)
My wife had twins and they were not delivered early. To me she seemed extremely
uncomfortable. She said she felt she was a big as a house and I said that she was
a big as a duplex. She was young and in good shape, yet it still medically taxed
her health. The doctor put her on ‘bed rest’ the last several weeks for her
safety.
Fortunately for my wife, the babies were not very active while she carried them
and later our daughters turned out to be pretty quite kids. I can’t imagine how
Rebekah felt carrying two very active babies. Considering it was her first
pregnancy, it must have been painful and frightening or at the very least
uncomfortable and disturbing.
Rebekah was concerned and prayed to God. God’s answer gives us an insight as to
what Rebekah’s concern was. It looks to be that she was concerned for her babies’
health and not her own. God’s answer reassured her that both babies would survive
the pregnancy, grow into health adults and have children of their own. Personally
I would have been worried as to whether or not I would survive childbirth in her
situation, yet I’m just a guy.
Having Twins.
Genesis 25: 24-26 “When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys
in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy
garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand
grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when
Rebekah game birth to them” (NIV)
Isaac and Rebekah were married twenty years before they had children, so you can
imagine why Isaac prayed to God on the matter of having children. I am sure that
being unable to have children back then was just as distressing as it is today…
maybe more so.
Although the text has reasons to describe how the babies looked, because one was
uncommonly hairy, there could have been a second minor reason the describe them.
Since being the first born was important, it is also important in the story to
reassure the reader that Isaac and Rebekah didn’t get the babies mixed up.
Having been the father of twin daughters, I understand the problem. Even though
my daughters were not identical twin, they looked exceptionally similar…even still
today. After their birth I kept extremely careful track of them until the nurse
placed their nametags on them. The nurse actually got them mixed up and I had to
correct her. Although having their names mixed up may not have been a big deal,
my daughters were two different weights. The hospital may have thought something
was wrong if suddenly one baby appeared to loose weight and the other appeared to
gain weight. When we got them home, we painted one’s toenail red before we
removed their nametags.
Playing Favorites.
Genesis 25: 27, 28 “The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of
the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. Isaac,
who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (NIV)
Children have the ability of being keenly aware of whether or not their parents
and relatives have favorites. They are aware of who has to go to bed first, who
received the largest piece of pie and who spent the most time with mom or dad. In
my experience, twins are even more sensitive over these issues. In fact, no
matter how hard my wife and I tried to treat our daughters equally, our fairness
was still questioned to some degree.
It is possible that both young men had too much time on their hands. No doubt
Isaac did not squander this father’s wealth, so each of his sons had the freedom
to do what they wanted and not what they had to do to survive. There were plenty
of servants around to accomplish to necessary day to day tasks. Because of this
lifestyle Esau was able to finely hone his hunting skills and Jacob had the luxury
of being able to stay in camp. This situation no doubt helped set up the
atmosphere where Isaac and Rebekah would end up having favorite sons.
To state it simply, Esau (dad’s favorite) was a ‘man’s man’ and Jacob (mom’s
favorite) was probably a ‘mama’s boy.’ No doubt this was a ‘bone of contention’
between the two brothers and also between the two parents. Conflict without
resolution will drive a wedge between two people.
The Beginning of the End of a Family Relationship.
Genesis 25:29-34 “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the
open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red
stew! I’m Famished!”…Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am
about to die, “ Esau said, “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said,
“Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew…” (NIV)
First of all Esau must have been exaggerating. I can’t believe that he would have
died if Jacob hadn’t given him something to eat right then and there. Besides his
father must have still been very wealthy and ran a very large camp, so if he were
actually starving he could have begged something to eat from one of his father’s
many servants.
Second, I doubt Esau was being very sincere, even though he did eventually swear
that the birthright was now Jacob’s. Both brothers were at fault. Esau should
not have treated his birthright so casually and Jacob should never have asked for
it.
I’ve been told that since something was exchanged for the birthright, in this case
food, it was a legal contract. This story brings to my memory several sly and
deceitful salespeople I have dealt with and also this saying, “A fool and his
money are easily parted.”
The really sad thing about this story is that it was the incident that eventually
destroyed the relationship between Jacob and his brother and also actually Jacob
and his parents.
A Famine, a Move and a Reassurance.
Genesis 26:1-6 “Now there was a famine in the land…and Isaac went to Abimelech
king of the Philistines in Gerar. “The Lord appeared to Isaac and said…”Stay in
this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and
your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to
your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the
sky and will give them all these lands”…So Isaac stayed in Gerar.” (NIV)
Another famine came and Isaac moved his camp (as his father did in the past) to
Gerar where King Abimelech reigned. These were not good times for Isaac and his
camp. Basically they were refuges fleeing famine and their future at least to
some degree was uncertain.
It was during this time of uncertainty that God appears to Isaac to reassure him.
Isaac is told that he has fled to the correct place. God also reaffirms His
promise to make Isaac’s descendants a great nation, which had to have been
bolstering to his sagging confidence.
It is interesting to note that immediately after God appeared to Isaac, his

problems did not all disappear and his life did not suddenly become easy. The
famine did not go away and he and all the people he was responsible for were still
dislocated.
A Parent’s Example.
Genesis 26:7 “When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She
is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The
men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful”
(NIV)
Here we find Isaac doing the same thing that his father Abraham did, claiming that
his wife is his sister. Isaac did not think this story up all by his self. His
father and mother used this story often (see Genesis 20:13). Also this very story
was used on this same king and it didn’t end well.
Children pick up habits from their parents. We as parents should consider the
example that we are setting for our children and ask ourselves the question, “Do I
my children live or act like this?” Another consideration for us to ponder is,
“Are there unsavory habits that we’ve picked up from our parents that we should
change?”
Not Again.
Genesis 26:8-11 “…Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and
saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She
is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him,
“Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” The Abimelech said,
“What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your
wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelech gave orders to all
the people; “Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to
death.” (NIV)
King Abimelech had to have been pretty upset with Isaac when he found that Rebekah
was not really his sister but his wife. He had learned his lesson with his
encounter with Abraham and Sarah. The last time, when he mistakenly took Sarah,
Isaac’s mother, into his household, God cursed all the women in his household with
not being able to have children until the king gave her back to Abraham, her
husband. I am sure that King Abimelech was afraid that the curse could happen
again if anyone molested Isaac’s wife by mistake, so he made it public that nobody
was to lay a hand upon Rebekah.
Other’s Wealth and Our Happiness.
Genesis 26:12-16 “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a
hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth
continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds
and servants that the Philistines envied him. So all the wells that his father’s
servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,
filling them with earth. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you
have become too powerful for us.” (NIV)
We are all tempted to believe that all our troubles would go away if we became
wealthy. It is possible that the wealth Isaac inherited from his father Abraham
may have dwindled some by the time he was forced to relocate near King Abimelech
due to the famine. Whatever Isaac’s net worth was before the move, he wealth
increased noticeable after the move and so did his troubles.
Isaac’s Philistine neighbors became jealous of his wealth and tried to cut off his
water supply either to ruin him or to run him off. Eventually King Abimelech
became so alarmed by Isaac’s wealth and power that he asked him to move.
I wonder, how we feel our other family members, friends and acquaintances
advancing in wealth? Is there a bit of resentment towards them that we hid from
ourselves and don’t wish to acknowledge? Do we covertly in word or deed try to
discourage them or hold them back? Are we really that happy for them?
Resolving to Keep the Peace.
Genesis 26:17-22 “So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of
Gerar and settled there…Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well
of fresh water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen
and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed
with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so
he named it Sitnah. He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one
quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room
and we will flourish in the land.” (NIV)
The first well that Isaac had dug and then abandoned was named ‘Esek’ which means
‘dispute.’ The second well he dug and also abandoned was named ‘Sitnah’ which
means ‘opposition.’ The last he dug, which he was able to keep, was name
‘Rehoboth’ which means ‘room.’
This story shows Isaac’s patience and his resolve to keep the peace with his
neighbors. These local herdsmen were pretty lucky that Isaac did not resort to
violence in order to keep the wells that he dug. Just before this story King
Abimelech had sent Isaac away because Isaac had become too wealthy and powerful.
Then after this story the king returns to Isaac to make a peace treaty with him.
If Isaac really wanted to he could have easily kept the wells by force, but he was
trying to be gracious.
We all have some power over others. We may not know it but we do. We can use
that power to get what we want or just plain make other people miserable.
Hopefully we will have the resolve to be patience and keep the peace with those
around us. Let us be gracious with our family, friends, coworkers and neighbors.
Patching Things Up.
Genesis 26:26-29 “Meanwhile Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath
his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them,
“Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” They
answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to
be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with
you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated
you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the Lord.” (NIV)
King Abimelech realized that he had run off Isaac while they were not on ‘good
terms’, so he looked up Isaac and attempted to ‘patched up’ their relationship.
This was a prudent move on the king’s part because it wouldn’t have been wise to
have an enemy as wealthy and as powerful as Isaac wondering about on the edges of
his kingdom.
It is always advisable to part with others on good terms because you don’t when
you may have to rely upon their good graces in the future.
Poor Judgment.
Genesis 26:34, 35 “When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of
Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a
source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” (NIV)
Your basic parent wants the best for their children and worries about them, so it
is understandable that they will be concerned about whom their children marry,
considering the fact that whom we marry has a major impact upon our lives. In
fact they are concerned about their children’s marriages long after the marriage
vows have been taken.
Your average parent has a pretty good idea whether the person that their child is
dating is a good match or not. Yes, they can be wrong but that is why I said that
they have a “pretty good idea.” On the other hand, considering the high divorce
rate in the United States, perhaps children should pay more attention to their
parents.
With all that being said, I would conceder that Isaac and Rebekah’s son, Esau, did
a poor job in selecting his two wives. It could be possible that his poor
judgment in marriage reflects his overall ability to make good choices in his
life. Maybe that should give us all something to think about.
A Loving Relationship and Growing Old.

Genesis 27:1-4 “When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no
longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I
am,” he answered. Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my
death. Now then, get your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open
country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like
and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.” (NIV)
This is the first time that a father’s blessing to his son is mentioned in the
book of Genesis. From the text we are given no indication if this is the first
time a father’s blessing had ever taken place, if it was a common practice or if
God commanded it at some time.
This is a touching moment between Isaac, who is failing health, and his oldest son
Esau, who is a grown man and married. At times during their lives I am sure that
Esau had done this before, had gone out hunting and then returned successfully to
prepare one of his father’s favorite meals. Isaac is probably figuring that there
will be very few more opportunities like this in his future, so he requests this
of his son one more time before he blesses him.
One last point, even though God favored Isaac, it did not prevent him from
eventually growing old, loosing his eyesight and dying. Sometimes I think we
expect too much from God on this point. All of us will experience failing health
and death. It is not God’s will or fault. It is the result of sin.
The Decision to Deceive.
Genesis 27:5-10 “Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When
Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her
son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some
game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in
the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what
I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can
prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it
to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” (NIV)
It is obvious that Jacob had told his mother, Rebekah, that Esau had sold his
birthright to him many years ago. It is also obvious that his mother felt just as
strongly about it as Jacob did, maybe more so.
One must acknowledge the ‘possibility’ that if Rebekah felt so strongly about
Jacob receiving the birthright than she most likely approached her husband and
discussed the issue with him. If this was the case, the controversy over the
birthright could have been an openly sore issue within the family for years.
Whatever the case, the fact is that Rebekah and Jacob banded together to deceive
Isaac in order for Jacob to secure this birthright blessing. I find it
interesting that Rebekah is trying to secure by her own efforts a promise that was
made to her by God before her sons were born, “…the older will serve the younger.”
No doubt Jacob knew of this prophecy also. No matter what situation was, both
Jacob and Rebekah should have been patient and not deceptive.
Jacob’s Objection.
Genesis 27: 11-13 “Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a
hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would
appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a
blessing.” His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do
what I say; go and get them for me.” (NIV)
Here in this part of the story Jacob points out to his mother the problem that
Esau is hairy and he is not. I find it interesting that although Jacob desired
the birthright blessing, he probably would not have figured out how to deceive his
father on his own. So far in this story, it looks like Rebekah was the driving
force in this plot to deceive Isaac.
When Jacob is afraid that his father will curse him if the plot is discovered,
Rebekah rashly volunteers, “…let the cures fall on me.” Basically she is
reassuring her son that she will take the blame. If Jacob had given it some more
though, he would have realized that although his mother could probably protect him
from his aging father, she probably couldn’t protect him from his furious brother.
When we are tempted to take a possibly dangerous course of action, it would be

advisable to solicit the advice of an unbiased observer.
Unresolved Differences and Deception.
Genesis 27: 15-19 “Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which
she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his
hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to her
son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. He went to his father and
said, “My father.” “Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?” Jacob said to his
father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and
eat some of my games so that you may give me your blessing.” (NIV)
When Jacob’s disguise was complete, he went in to deceive his father and gain
Esau’s firstborn blessing. It is hard to believe that Jacob would do such a thing
to his ailing disabled father. This just goes to show how far unresolved
differences can go in a family if left unsolved.
We may not have personally sold our birthrights or played favorites with our
children, but most likely we have unresolved differences either with our parents,
our spouses or our children. Let us resolve to resolve those wrongs and
misunderstandings before they can do anymore harm.
How Many Sons did Rebekah Have?
Genesis 27:27-29 “…”Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the
Lord has blessed. May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness—an
abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to
you. Be lord over you brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”
Listed above is the blessing that Isaac gave to his son Jacob that was really
meant for Esau. In it is an interesting piece of information. The blessing
suggests that Isaac and Rebekah had other children besides Esau and Jacob.
Trying to Circumvent God’s Will.
Genesis 27:27-29 “…”Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the
Lord has blessed. May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness—an
abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to
you. Be lord over you brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”
Here we find Isaac’s blessing originally meant for Esau stating that Esau was to
“lord over” his other brothers and this includes Jacob. Why would he add this to
Esau’s blessing? Isaac had to have known God’s prophecy on this issue, that “the
older will serve the younger.” Isaac did it because Esau was his favorite son and
wished to circumvent God’s will.
In this big mess over the birthright and the firstborn’s blessing everyone was at
fault. Isaac was at fault for insisting on blessing Esau as the lording son.
Rebekah was at fault for planning the plot to deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the
blessing. Esau was a fault for selling his birthright in the first place, which
was connected with the firstborn’s blessing. Jacob was at fault for taking what
was not his to take. All four players were not dealing with each other fairly
and/or openly.
Isaac and Esau Realize Jacob’s Deceit.
Genesis 27: 30-36 “After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left
his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting…His father Isaac
asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”
Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought
it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be
blessed!” When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter
cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!” But he said, “Your
brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” Esau said, ”…He has deceived me
these two time; He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing…” (NIV)
What an emotional scene when both Isaac and his son Esau find out that they have
been deceived. Both were vividly shaken. Whether this blessing was an age-old
tradition or a religious directive from God, apparently once the blessing was
given, it could not be undone.
I wonder if Esau would have killed his brother Jacob had Esau ran into him,
dressed in his disguise, departing from his father’s presence. If that had
happened, it would have been interesting to hear how Jacob would have tried to
explain himself that is if he was given a chance.
Once again I would like to point out that it ‘seems’ that Isaac was aware of the
fact that Esau had years earlier sold his birthright to his younger brother when
Esau exclaims to his father that now he has been deceived twice. To some degree
it seems that the birthright and the blessing are connected. If so, I wonder if
Isaac was trying to keep this event secret so that he could bless Esau without
Jacob (and possibly Rebekah) objecting.
Esau’s Blessing.
Genesis 27: 39, 40 “…Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away
from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your
brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.”
(NIV)
The above blessing is the blessing that Isaac finally gave Esau, but it was only
after Esau’s desperate pleading. I would guess that the first part of the
blessing was pretty much tailored to match Esau’s personality. Personally if I
were Esau I would have rather skipped this rather harsh blessing than to have one
at all.
The bright side of Esau’s blessing is Isaac’s prediction that Esau would
eventually break the bonds of serving his little brother. In this prediction we
find Isaac still trying to circumvent God’s prophecy that the older brother would
serve the younger one. Isaac is still playing favorites.
Waiting to Murder.
Genesis 27: 41 “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his
father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of morning for my father are
near, then I will kill my brother Jacob.” (NIV)
Apparently Isaac believed that he was going to die soon, so that is why he had
planned to bless Esau at this time. Esau must have thought that his father was
close to death also. I am sure that even though Isaac was upset with Jacob’s
deception, he did not wish physical harm to befall him. Esau loved his father and
did not want to cause him any more emotional pain, so Esau planned to kill Jacob
after his father died. Little did anyone know that Isaac would continue to live
quit awhile longer.
Jacob is Warned about Esau’s Plans to Kill him.
Genesis 27: 42-46 “When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she
sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is consoling
himself with the thought of killing you…Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran…
When your brother is no longer angry with you…I’ll send word for you to come back
from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” Then Rebekah said to
Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes
a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life
will not be worth living” (NIV)
Rebekah was probably told by one of her servants that Esau was planning to kill
Jacob after her husband, Isaac, died. Fearing that both Isaac and Jacob would die
on the same day, Rebekah asked Jacob to leave home for a while, at least until
Esau’s anger ‘blew over.’
It had been stated earlier in chapter 26 that both of Esau’s parents were very
unhappy with the two Hittite women that he chose to marry. Apparently Rebekah was
still upset, so she sent Jacob to live with her brother Laban in hopes that, while
Jacob was hiding out, he would marry within her side of the family.
Isaac Finally Acknowledges Jacob as the Heir to God’s Promise.
Genesis 28: 1-5 “So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: “Do
not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your
mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters
of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful
and increase your numbers until you became a community of peoples. May he give
you and your descendants the blessing of Abraham, so that you may take possession
of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham. Then
Isaac sent Jacob on this way…” (NIV)
After Isaac and Rebekah discussed the issue, Isaac called Jacob in and made it
clear that while he was away that he should marry someone closely related to him
on his mother’s side. At least that was something that both Isaac and Rebekah
agreed on.
Isaac finally decided to stop fighting against God’s prophecy and reassured Jacob
that the blessing he meant to give Esau was truly Jacob’s. Jacob was blessed and
acknowledged to be the heir to land and nation that God promised to Abraham.
Esau Finally Realizes How Much His Father Dislikes His Two Wives.
Genesis 28: 6-9 “Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to
Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded
him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and
mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. Esau then realized how displeasing the
Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married
Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in
addition to the wives he already had.” (NIV)
Esau was his father’s favorite son. When Esau heard that his father had told his
brother not to marry any Canaanite women, it finally dawned on him just how much
his wives displeased his father. I am sure that Esau knew that his father was not
happy with his two Canaanite wives, but he didn’t know to what extent. Esau
probably figured that although his father was not wild about the local Canaanite
women, they would be acceptable for Jacob, since he was just the second born son
and not daddy’s favorite. Esau saw his error when he understood that Canaanite
women were not even acceptable for even Jacob to marry.
I guess Esau figured that if he married a descendant of Uncle Ishmael’s then at
least his father would like at least one of his wives. I wonder if Esau’s father
did.
Stairway to Heaven.
Genesis 28: 10-15 “Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran…he stopped for the
night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under
his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting
on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am
the Lord…I will give you and your descendants the land on which your are lying…All
peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you
and will watch over you wherever you to, and I will bring you back to this land.
I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (NIV)
Jacob’s dream not only shows God’s active interest in Jacob and his life but also
for all mankind. God is active in our lives. He does care for us. We are not a
distraction to God but we have His complete attention. Probably today if Jacob
had the dream instead of a stairway connecting Heaven to Earth maybe God would
replace it with a freeway.
God reassures Jacob that he is the chosen on to carry on God’s promise to Abraham,
but He adds more. God also comforts Jacob and lets him know that He will watch
over him and bring him back home. God promises that He will not leave him. It is
interesting that God tells Jacob all of this after he had really made a mess of
his life.
This story is encouraging to us. God will continue to watch over us and not leave
us even if we make a mess of our own lives. There is a connection between Heaven
and Earth and God will not deserted us.
Jacob Commits His Life to God.
Genesis 28: 18-22 “Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under
his head and set it up as a pillar and pored oil on top of it…The Jacob made a
vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am
taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to
my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God. This stone that I have set up as
a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a
tenth.” (NIV)
When Jacob woke up after experiencing his dream of the stairway to Heaven and
God’s promise to be with him, he used his stone pillow to make a memorial of the
event. Why? It may have been a turning point in his life. If I understand the
text clearly, it looks as though up to this point in Jacob’s life he never fully
committed his life to God. In a sense he made his own covenant with God, “If you
‘watch my back’ then I’ll worship You!”
In this covenant of Jacob’s to God he vows to tithe. We know that Abraham was
familiar with the concept of giving a tenth to God (Gen. 14:20), so either Jacob
picked the tradition up from his father Isaac or tithing was already an
established religious act.
Jacob Visits His Uncle.
Genesis 29: 2-14 “There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep
lying near it…Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Haran,” they replied. He said to him, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s
grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered. Then Jacob asked them, “Is he
well?” “Yes, he is,” The said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the
sheep.”…Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. He had told Rachel that
he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her
father. As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, He hurried
to meet him…and brought him to his home…then Laban said to him, “You are my own
flesh and blood.” (NIV)
It is amazing how isolated people were by distance back then. Today, modern man
has automobiles, planes, trains, telephones, E-mail and regular mail at his
disposal to keep in touch with his relatives, if he wants.
This story of Jacob reminds me of a story told to me by my father. Around the

late 1930’s when my father was 17 years old (maybe younger), he ‘hopped a frigate
train’ in California to go visit his uncle up in Montana. When he arrived he had
to ask the local people if they knew his uncle and directions to his ranch. The
trip was not an easy one and dangerous, but it was an adventure for my father. He
ended up working for his uncle for a few years until he was drafted during the
Second World War.
The Value of a Spouse.
Genesis 29: 14-19 “…After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, Laban said
to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for
nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” Now Laban had two daughters; the
name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel…Jacob was in
love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your
younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It’s better to give her to you than to
some other man. Stay here with me.” (NIV)
Apparently some sort of dowry was expected by this time in this culture. Even
Abraham sent a wealth of gifts with his chief servant to procure a wife for Isaac.
Since Jacob had nothing but ‘the clothes on his back’, he had nothing to exchange
for Laban’s daughter. Jacob’s offer, to work seven years for Rachel, was probably
a very good deal for Laban and showed how much Jacob valued Rachel.
This story reminds me of how much most of us valued our own spouses when we
married them. I wonder how many years we would have been willing to work for
them. How much do we value our spouses today? Shouldn’t years of marriage make
our spouses more valuable to us and not less?
Deception at the Wedding.
Genesis 29: 20-30 “So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like
only a few days to him because of his love for her. Then Jacob said to Laban,
“Give me my wife. My time is completed”… so Laban brought together all the people
of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah
and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her…When morning came there was Leah!
So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me...?” Laban replied, “It
is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older
one. Finish out this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger
one also, in return for another seven years of work.” And Jacob did so….Jacob lay
with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah…” (NIV)
Jacob must have felt that he was ‘on top of the world’ those first seven years
working for his uncle. To feel the way he did must have been a testament that
Rachel felt the same love for him, but after the seven years the ‘good times’ came
to an end, when Laban switched daughters at the wedding. Jacob who deceived his
father ends up being deceived himself. I wonder if he learned anything from the
experience.
I am told by an elderly woman who lived in that part of the world when she was a
child that the weddings probably haven’t changed too much since Bible times.
During the wedding the men and the women party in separate areas, the women wear
veils and it is common for the men to get very drunk. If that is the case then it
is reasonable to understand how Jacob could have been tricked into marring the
wrong daughter.
Jacob was tricked into having multiple wives and it is understandable that he
ended up loving Rachel more than her sister. Whether Jacob got drunk at the
wedding or it was just too dark in the bedroom to tell who he was having sex with,
Leah knew what she was doing. Whatever the case Jacob felt cheated, he therefore
did not love his wives equally and this is a recipe for trouble in the household.
God Desires for Us to Love our Spouses.
Genesis 29: 31-35 “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb,
but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She name
him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my
husband will love me now.” She conceived again…So she named him Simeon. Again
she conceived…So he was named Levi. She conceived again…So she named him Judah.
Then she stopped having children.” (NIV)
Apparently Jacob was still held a grudge against Leah for her part in deceiving
him during his wedding. He had not wished to marry her and therefore was still
treating her with less respect than Rachel. It appears that God was not pleased
with Jacob’s relationship with Leah and blessed her with sons. Having sons was
important to Jacob and the idea was that he would surely value her more for having
done so. It looks like Leah was not being an especially bad wife at this time and
God was expecting Jacob to treat her with love and respect.
Not all of us have gotten married under the best circumstances or made the best
choice (in our view) in selecting a marriage partner. On the other hand sometimes
poor choices or circumstances cause a couple to ‘grow apart’ and the marriage
becomes strained. It looks as if God expects us to love and respect our spouses,
even if they don’t meet with our expectations.
Jealousy and Anger Results in a Third Wife.
Genesis 30: 1-8, “When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she
became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll
die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has
kept your from having children?” The she said, “Here is Bilhah, my maidservant.
Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can
build a family.” So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with
her, and she became pregnant…she named him Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived
again…she named him Naphtali.” (NIV)
I’ve known on couple who had difficulties have children and they finally had to
adopt a child. To be in the position of wanting children and not being able to
have them is very stressful. Rachel was in the situation, in fact she was so
stressed that she wanted to die.
Normally when one spouse is upset the other is also and Jacob, who loved Rachel
dearly, was disturbed about Rachel’s plight also. When she unloaded her
frustrations on him, he responded with his own frustrations which possibility
could be reworded to say, “I can’t fix your problem, and if I could I would!”
Most guys feel responsible to fix problems and are frustrated when they are unable
to.
Rachel’s solution to the problem was for Jacob to marry her maidservant and then
raise the servant’s children as her own. This is similar to a couple today
finding a surrogate mother to have their child. This solution brought about a
third wife for Jacob and two more sons. Personally I don’t see how bringing a
third wife into the marriage is going to solve all of the jealousy and anger.
How Much is Really Enough?
Genesis 30: 9-13 “When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her
maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore
Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad. Leah’s
servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Lea said. “How happy I am! The
women will com me happy.” So she named him Asher.” (NIV)
Leah gave birth to four sons for Jacob. One would think that she would be
satisfied, but when Rachel convinced Jacob to marry her servant and that servant
had two sons, Leah wasn’t satisfied anymore. So Leah persuaded Jacob to marry her
maidservant and through her had two more sons. The jealousy between Leah and
Rachel and the competition for Jacob’s affection was the major motivation for
having all these children. The question one must ask is, “What does it take to be
truly satisfied?”
There is always someone who is better off than oneself, at least in some aspect of
their life. How many toys, shoes, tools, clothes, cars, houses and how much money
does it take to be truly satisfied? How much love does a person need to be
satisfied? For the Christian if they place God first in their lives, everything
else should fall into place and their satisfaction shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Is God proficient in taking care of all of our needs or not?”
Competition and Marriage.
Genesis 30: 14, 15 “During Wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and
found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to
Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to her, “Wasn’t
it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”
“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s
mandrakes.” (NIV)
Considering all in all, I can’t believe that Rachel would let Leah sleep with
Jacob over a handful of plants. This fight between the sisters had gotten
ridiculous.
Apparently Rachel had restricted Leah’s access to Jacob. Since Rachel couldn’t
compete with Leah and was upset that Leah was having too many sons, she wouldn’t
let Leah sleep or have sex with Jacob. Obviously Leah was feeling left out of the
marriage and complained. It is interesting that Leah’s complaint was that Rachel
had “took away” her husband, when it was Leah who had married Jacob deceitfully.
The competition between the two sisters had turned ugly. Whenever there is
competition there is a winner and a looser. Hardly anyone likes to lose and that
is one reason why so many fights break out at sports events. Even nations
compete, so it isn’t any wonder that we find wars breaking out around the world.
If it feels “so good” to win then you can’t expect the looser not to feel “so
badly.” If that is the case than maybe friendly competitions are a rare thing.
Since the competition between Leah and Rachel was tarring their multiple marriage
apart, I just can’t believe that, in today’s marriages, competition between
married partners is a safe thing to engage in either.
The Competition Ends Between Leah and Rachel.
Genesis 30: 16-21 “So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went
out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my
son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she
became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son…So she named him Issachar. Leah
conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said,”…This time my husband
will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him
Zebulun. Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.” (NIV)
Even though it is difficult to believe that Rachel would let Leah have sex with
Jacob for some plants, it is also hard to understand Jacob’s position in this part
of the story. If he is still truly angry with Leah then his decision to have sex
with her because Rachel and Leah made a deal seems a little ridiculous.
One answer could be that because Jacob had gotten so tired of the fight between
Rachel and Leah that he would do anything to try to make Rachel, his favorite
wife, happy. If she said don’t have sex with Leah, he wouldn’t and if she said
have sex with Leah, he would.
I think that God gave Leah a daughter to let her know that He had blessed her with
enough sons. I wonder if Leah thought that God was saying to her, “Enough is
enough! Please be happy with the six sons that I have blessed you with because
with this daughter I am telling you that your competition with Rachel is over, so
stop it!”
Note: How about this perspective on the marriages of Jacob and his brother Esau?
Had Isaac and Rebecca not played favorites with their sons and had Esau and Jacob
been good boys, I personally believe their marriages would have turned out ‘much’
different. I would guess that if Esau had been closer to his mother, he would not
have married the Canaanite women and his mother would have sent him to Laban and
Esau would have actually ended up marrying Leah instead of Jacob. Then later
Jacob would not have had any trouble marrying Rachel because Leah would have
already been married and Jacob would have brought gifts from home to give to Laban
(and not worked all those years).
Jacob Requests to Return Home.
Genesis 30: 22-26 “Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her
womb. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away
my disgrace.” She named his Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another
son.” After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way
so I can go back to my own homeland. Give me my wives and children, for whom I
have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for
you.” (NIV)
Considering all of the children that have been born to Jacob’s family so far, the
seven extra years he had to work for Rachel had probably passed or was soon
approaching and Jacob asked Laban if he could leave. Jacob had been away from
home around 14 years not and I am sure wished to see his mother and father again.
I am not so sure that he was looking forward to settling his unresolved issues
with his brother, who wanted to kill him when he originally left home.
It could be that Jacob was asking Laban’s permission to leave because he was
taking Laban’s daughters and grandchildren finally away from home and was being
polite. It could also be that Laban had come to a point where he was heavily
relying on Jacob to get all the work done in the family business and it would
place Laban in a difficult if Jacob were to leave. Although Jacob probably was
just been being polite in his request to go home, he may not have completed the
extra seven years quite yet. Personally, I don’t really think Jacob was ready to
go home yet and was just trying to negotiate some wages out of Laban.
Negotiations Over Wages.
Genesis 30:25-34 “…Jacob said to Laban, ”Send me on my way so I can go back to my

own homeland…” But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please
stay…the Lord has blessed me because of you.” He added, “Name your wages, and I
will pay them…” “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied…Let me go through all you
flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-
colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. “They will be my wages...”
“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” (NIV)
Apparently Laban didn’t have many speckled or spotted animals in his flocks, so he
thought he was getting a very good deal. It appears that he didn’t know much
about breeding and what the outcome of his deal would cost him.
It is possible that Laban tricked Jacob, by exchanging Rachel with Leah at Jacob’s
wedding, so that Jacob would be forced to work another seven years for Rachel.
Probably seven years earlier Laban knew how much he had prospered under Jacob’s
management. Pretty much up to this point in the two men’s lives Jacob had worked
for free. Now that that was over, one could expect in the future to see business
problems between them because both have been known to be deceitful.
Discontented Sons.
Genesis 31: 1, 2 “Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken
everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to
our father. And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it
had been.” (NIV)
Jacob’s breeding strategy was paying off and he was becoming wealthy. Laban’s
sons saw Jacob becoming rich and they became jealous and envious. Laban’s
generous attitude towards Jacob faded as Jacob because more prosperous too.
Becoming envious over an acquaintance’s success is an easy temptation to fall

into. We ask ourselves the question, “Why them and not me?” and exclaim, “It’s
not fair!” The fact is that we all come from different economic and educational
backgrounds. No matter where you go you will eventually find someone somewhere
who is smarter or luckier then you. I think in the end you will find that a poor
contented person is far better off that a rich discontented person.
Time to Go Home.
Genesis 31: 3-7 “Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers
and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” So Jacob sent word to Rachel and
Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. He said to them, “I see
that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my
father has been with me. You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my
strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However,
God has not allowed him to harm me.” (NIV)
I wonder if Jacob was not only afraid that Laban was trying to financially harm
him but I wonder is Jacob was afraid that Laban was getting upset enough to cause
him physical harm.
It is possible that Jacob ‘stuck it out’ with Laban as long as he did because he
feared that he had nowhere else to go. Pretty much he was between ‘a rock and a
hard place’. If he stayed, his relationship with Laban would continue to degrade
and if he went home he risked being murdered by the hands of his brother Esau. It
looks like God had to intervene and reassure Jacob that it was alright to go home.
It also looks like Jacob was afraid that his two wives would put up a fuss and not
want to leave. That is probably the reason why he ‘spelled out’ his situation to
his wives. It is nice, when it comes to making a big decision that everybody is
in agreement and ‘onboard’.
Alienated Children.
Genesis 31: 14-16 “Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in
the inheritance of our father’s estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not
only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. Surely all the
wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do
whatever God has told you.” (NIV)
At some time during their marriage to Jacob, both Rachel and Leah lost respect for
their father. By this time in the story they saw Laban for the man he really was
and their relationship to him. They were no more part of his family. He treated
them not like family but like foreigners. They now realize that he sold them in
marriage for gain. They also realized that whatever Laban was doing to Jacob he
was also doing to their own children, so they were willing to leave as God said.
We as parents need to treat our children with love and respect. Someday we will
have to live with how we treated them. What we do now, will affect our
relationship with them as we grow older. Do we wish to die with our children
alienated from us? Let us reconcile our differences with our children while we
still that the time.
Stealth and Theft.
Genesis 31: 17-20 “Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, and he
drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated
in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. When Laban had
gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. Moreover,
Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.” (NIV)
One question I have is, “Why did Jacob leave so suddenly?” There are several
things that Jacob could have been thinking that motivated him to leave in such a
hurry. “God told me to leave, so I’m going to obey immediately.” “Laban may talk
me out of leaving.” “I’m nervous that my wives might change their minds and wish
to stay.” “Laban may forcibly take away all of my flocks or my wives and
children, if he knows I’m going to leave.” “By sneaking away Laban will feel
unhappiness and regret which will be a little revenge for the misery he has caused
me.” “If I stick around any longer, physical harm may come to me.”
From what I have seen, sheep shearing is a big time consuming project, so would
have been a great time for Jacob to sneak away. Apparently it was also a good
opportunity for Rachel to steal the statues of her father’s gods. This action is
a little disturbing because it suggests that after all these years married to
Jacob that she still hadn’t completely committed herself the God of her husband.
Laban, Be Careful What You Say.
Genesis 31: 22-24 “On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Taking
his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in
the hill country of Gilead. Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at
night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or
bad.” (NIV)
Personally I believe that what really angered Laban was that his ‘meal ticket’ was
gone. Laban understood that he prospered while Jacob worked for him and now that
Jacob was gone that loss infuriated him. Also I am sure that Laban held a similar
belief as his sons that Jacob’s wealth actually belonged to him. If you add the
theft of his gods, not being able to say goodbye to his daughters and
grandchildren and the personal disrespect of Jacob sneaking away, I believe that
Laban was ‘out for blood’. Jacob was a dead man.
Another interesting thing is that God warned Laban not to say anything to Jacob
that was “either good or bad.” It is understandable that Laban would want to say
‘bad’ things to Jacob, but may be not so obvious why God would not want Laban to
say ‘good’ things to Jacob. Personally I believe that God was warning Laban not
to offer Jacob a proposition so good as to tempt Jacob to return home with Laban.
Most likely any offer that good would only be a deception to get Jacob back under
his authority.
As Laban had attempted to manipulate Jacob by changing his wages ten times, I am
sure we can read into Gods warning to Laban that we should also not attempt to
manipulate people either by tempting them with good things or with bad things
(threats).
The Power to Harm.
Genesis 31: 26-30 “Then Laban said to Jacob. “…Why did you run off secretly and
deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you way with joy and singing
to the music of tambourines and harps? You didn’t even let me kiss my
grandchildren and my daughters good-by…I have the power to harm you; but last
night the god of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob,
either good or bad.’ Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your
father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?” (NIV)
In most conflicts between people, both parties are not totally blameless. Laban
had some legitimate reasons for being upset with Jacob. He didn’t get a chance to
say goodbye to his daughters and their children or throw farewell parity for them.
Laban was also upset because when Jacob disappeared, the statues of his gods
disappeared at the same time.
I find it interesting that even while Laban is trying to play the innocent victim
he still lets Jacob know that he could still do Jacob harm. Basically Laban is
saying, “I don’t know why you are afraid of me, but you do know that I could hurt
you if I wish?” which proves by Laban’s own words why Jacob feared him.
We all have some power over those around us. How do we use it? We may not have
the strength to physically hurt them but we can use our words and actions to make
them emotionally miserable.
Theft and a Death Sentence.
Genesis 31: 31-34 “Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you
would take your daughters away from me by force. But if you find anyone who has
your gods, he shall not live…see for yourself whether there is anything of yours
here with me; and if so take it.”…So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s
tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but found nothing. After he came
out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the household
gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban search
through everything in the tent but found nothing.” (NIV)
I believe Jacob was being diplomatic with Laban when he claimed that he was only
concern about losing daughters. Jacob’s claim was a half-truth. I am sure
Jacob’s great number of flocks was on each man’s mind.
If Jacob had known that his beloved wife Rachel had stolen his father-in-law’s
statues, I doubt that he would have mentioned killing the thief as punishment. I
personally believe that Laban was extremely angry and am not sure what he would
have done if he were to have found that Rachel was the thief. He might have
killed her killed her, if only to ‘save face’ in front of all his relatives he had
brought along.
I figure that when Rachel stole her father’s household gods, she never figured to
see her father again. I wonder how she felt, sitting there on top of the statues,
in the presence of her angry father with a possible death sentence over her head.
I am sure at that point in her life she realized how foolish stealing really is.
It is a foolish action that we all would do well to ponder.
An Angry Mob or Sympathetic Jury.
Genesis 31: 36-42 “Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he
asked Laban. “What sin have I committed that you hunt me down? Now that you have
searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?
Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the
two of us…I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for
your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God
of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent
me away empty-handed…” (NIV)
I believe Laban’s plan to bring along all his relatives backfired on him. I am
sure that he brought them along for support and as a show of force, but in front
of all these witnesses Jacob was found innocent. What probably started out as an
angry mob ended up turning into a sympathetic jury for Jacob. They all were well
aware of Laban’s character and knew if Laban had been given a chance he would have
sent Jacob away with nothing.
Because of Jacob’s poor decisions at home, he was forced to take shelter with such
a selfish relative. Let us live our lives in such a way that we too don’t make
the same type of foolish decisions that will place us in a similar situation.
May the Lord Keep Watch Between You and Me.
Genesis 31:43-50 “Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children
are my children and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can
I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne?
Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I and let it serve as a witness between
us” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar…Laban said, “This heap is a
witness between you and me today…May the Lord keep watch between you and me when
we are away from each other. If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any
wives beside my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a
witness between you and me.” (NIV)
I find it interesting that Laban confesses that he can’t control his daughters
although they are his, yet he doesn’t confess that there is nothing he can do
about all of his flocks that Jacob has. His veiled threat is, “If it weren’t for
my daughters and all their children, I would kill you and take all my flocks back
with me!”
The beautiful friendship saying, ‘May the Lord keep watch between you and me when
we are away from each other’ which is commonly found on commercially produced
pins, cards, bookmarks, etc. was actually said with controlled anger with a threat
connected to it, “If I could, I’d kill you if you ever mistreat my daughters or
take any other wives, but I can’t so just remember that the Lord is watching you
in my place!”
Swear You Won’t Kill Me.
Genesis 31: 51-55 “Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this
pillar I have set up between you and me. This heap is a witness and this pillar
is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that
you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. May the God of
Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob
took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. He offered a sacrifice
there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had
eaten, they spent the night there. Early the next morning Laban kissed his
grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned
home.” (NIV)
Laban asked Jacob to agree that neither one of them would cross over into each
other’s territory just in case one of them should be tempted to kill the other.
We suspected that Jacob was afraid that Laban would do him harm but now we find
that Laban must have had some fear that Jacob might do the same to him. Maybe
Laban was afraid that Jacob would seek revenge because of their past dealings. On
the other hand Laban could have worried that if Jacob feared for his life, he
might just sneak over and murder Laban first.
I am sure that in those days, when an adult child moved a great distance away that
was very little chance of seeing them again, if at all. In Laban’s situation, he
knew he would never see his daughters and grandchildren again and when he kissed
them goodbye, it was forever. It must have been a sad farewell.
Once again I would like to note that here we find again evidence of some sort of
sacrificial system in place before the time of Moses. Therefore sacrificing was
not reserved only for the Jewish nation by God.
Reassurance in the Face of Uncertainty.
Genesis 32: 1, 2 “Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When
Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place
Mahanaim.” (NIV)
When Jacob fled from his home, fearing death by the hand of his brother Esau, he
was given a dream. In his dream God gave him words of reassurance and also in it
he saw angels coming and going from Earth to Heaven. Now Jacob is returning home
and sure to meet his brother, God gives him reassurance again. Jacob returns home
and does not return alone. God is with him.
I would suspect that most of us from time to time feel insecure as we approach
certain junctions in our lives. Yes, some of us feel a lot more insecure than
others. How would our outlook on the future be if we could maintain this text’s
perspective that God and all of His resources are at our disposal in our time of
need? How would our lives change?
Holding a Grudge.
Genesis 32: 3-8 “Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau..He
instructed them: “…say to my master Esau: “Your servant Jacob says, I have been
staying with Laban and have remained there until now…Now I am sending this message
to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’” When the messengers returned to
Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you,
and four hundred men are with him.” In great fear and distress Jacob divided the
people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as
well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left
may escape.” (NIV)
Jacob had been away from home for around twenty years and Esau was still angry
enough at him to wish to murder him. The four hundred men accompanying Esau were
with him to help kill Jacob, his family, his servants and assist carrying off the
plunder and flocks. In all fairness to Esau, he company of men could have been
with him to protect him in case Jacob actually planned to kill Esau as he came out
to welcome Jacob home, but I highly doubt that.
Holding a grudge isn’t worth it. I suggest dealing with your unresolved issues
right away and don’t hold on to them. If possible deal with the offender, forgive
them and get on with your life. Forgiveness frees us from the offender so that he
or she has no more hold over us.
I know of a man who held a grudge for nearly 40 years. Both men were in their old
age when they finally met again. The man with the grudge hostilely cussed the man
out for all of his offenses, but it did no good. The offender was so old, that
when he was confronted with his offenses, he honestly could not remember any of
them. He had actually thought he had come to visit a friend.
Understanding Our Worth.
Genesis 32:9-12 “Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father
Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I
will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you
have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now
I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for
I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.
But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants
like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’” (NIV)
I doubt that this prayer was a formal pray. Jacob was truly afraid of death,
death for himself and his family. He also saw that he really wasn’t worth saving
when he stated, “I am unworthy…” It was his own fault that his brother wanted to
kill him and he was powerless to protect himself, so he pleaded with God and
reminded God of his promise because that was his only hope.
We are all in Jacob’s shoes. We all deserve to die. We are all rebellious with
God and miserable to live with. Our only salvation out of this miss is in God’s
promise to save us. As we get older, it becomes all too clear that death is just
around the corner. We will all die and become nothing. My only question is, “Why
do we talk so little to the only Being in our life that has the ability to see us
through to the other side of nothingness?”
Generous Gifts.
Genesis 32: 13-21 “…he selected a gift for his brother Esau: two hundred female
goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female
camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and
ten male donkeys. He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself,
and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”
He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To
whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in
front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are
a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’…For he thought, “I will
pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps
he will receive me.” So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent
the night in the camp.” (NIV)
Esau was angry over losing his birthright and his blessing to Jacob. Since the
birthright and the blessing had to do a lot with wealth and prosperity, Jacob
hoped that these valuable gifts would pacify his brother’s anger. Plus splitting
up the herds was a good idea. The presentation of each individual herd separately
would have been impressive. To Esau the gifts would have just seemed to keep
coming and coming and coming.
Another wise decision Jacob made was to give theses herds a day’s head start.
Esau would have had time to contemplate the value of his gifts and also have time
to settle into a temperate mood. It was basically greed that was the motive for
Jacob’s decision to con Esau out of his birthright and his blessing. Hopefully
these gifts would help to show Esau that Jacob had changed.
Struggling with God.
Genesis 23: 22-31 “That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two
maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had
sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possession. So Jacob was left
alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could
not overpower him, he touched the socked of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was
wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is
daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The
man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob”, he answered. Then the man said,
“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with
God and with men and have overcome…So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It
is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose
above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.” (NIV)
Who was Jacob wrestling with? Was it an angel in human form or was it God in
human form? The next question would be, was the being only using their only their
human strength or was the fight just a sham to prove a point to Jacob? No matter
who Jacob was struggling with and under what circumstances, Jacob was not the
‘mama’s boy’ he was when he left home. After twenty years of working for Laban,
Jacob was both strong physically and mentally. Even after his unknown foe injured
his hip, he still fought on! Of course the fear of death may have played a big
part in Jacob’s ability to defend himself.
Definitely Jacob was not the same man that he was when he left home twenty years
before. Not only did this fight prove it but also the prayer that he prayed a
short time earlier. I believe that this encounter was an attempt to show Jacob
just how much he has changed. Because of that change God gave him a new name.
God named him “Israel” which means “he struggles with God.” When Jacob left home
he was a man who took what he thought he deserved. Now we see, after his prayer
in verse 10 that he understands just how ‘unworthy’ he is to God.
One point I’d just like to add, is the fact that Jacob was amazed that he had come
face to face with God and came away alive. My point being is that humans who do
not have a healthy relationship with God will not fair so well.
Who was Expendable.
Genesis 33: 1-3 “Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred
men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He
put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and
Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the
ground seven times as he approached his brother.” (NIV)
Since the gift of animals that Jacob and sent to Esau had a day’s head start,
Jacob didn’t know how the gift had been received. Considering that Esau was still
approaching with his four hundred men had to have been unsettling for Jacob.
The way Jacob divided up his family as they approached Esau and his men said a lot
about who he valued the most. Jacob walked ahead of his family for possibly two
reasons. First, he had to be in the front to greet his brother (that was only
proper). Second, if Esau was still angry, he would possibly murder Jacob and let
the rest of Jacob’s family live. If Esau was still angry then the Maidservants
and their children would be murdered next. Then if Esau’s bloodlust continued,
Leah and her children would be killed next. Jacob hoped that, if the worst
happened, maybe his beloved Rachel and her son Joseph would be saved from Esau’s
wrath.
If I was part of Jacob’s family (other than Rachel and her son), I’d be a little
upset that Jacob considered me expendable. Yet at that moment I am sure that they
were all worried that in moments they were all going to die.
Negotiating a Renewed Friendship.
Genesis 33: 4-11 “…Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms
around his neck and kissed him. And they wept…Esau asked, “What do you mean by
all these droves I met?” “To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said. But
Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
“No, Please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift
from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have
received me favorably. Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God
has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau
accepted it.” (NIV)
Esau was wealth. He had stayed at home that had his father’s great wealth of
resources behind him, so most likely at this point Esau was a lot richer that
Jacob. Esau could comfortably turn down all of his brother’s gifts.
Jacob was honest with Esau when Esau inquired about the gift of animals, pretty
much said, “You were angry with me because of what I swindled from you and now I’m
paying you back and in an effort to receive your forgiveness.” Jacob continues,
still possibly the manipulator by implying, “If you accept these animals, then I
don’t owe you anything more. The whole exchange seemed more like a business
contract to me.
Although Jacob was pleased to see Esau because he missed him and was happy to see
him friendly, I think Jacob ‘laid it on a little thick’ by comparing Esau’s image
to God’s. Jacob was probably really trying to appeal to his brother’s pride.
Polite Distrust.
Genesis 33: 12-17 “Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you."
But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must
care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard
just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his
servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of
the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." Esau said, "Then let me leave
some of my men with you." "But why do that?" Jacob asked. "Just let me find favor
in the eyes of my lord." So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.
Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made
shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth.” (NIV)
Was Esau’s offer to accompany Jacob because he desired the companionship of his
brother’s company or was it to keep an eye on Jacob? Was Esau still planning to
harm his brother? Was he going to wait until night and kill Jacob, family and his
servants in their sleep, and then easily take all of Jacob’s possessions?
Was Jacob being polite by turning Esau’s offer down or was he suspicious of his
brother’s offer? Why did Jacob tell Esau that he would meet him in Seir but then
go to Succoth instead? Did Jacob expect Esau to set up a trap for him in Seir?
Did Jacob want to put some safe distance between he and his brother?
Although both brothers claimed to make up and be friends, I still don’t believe
that they trusted each other very much at all.
Deciding to Live Close to the City.

Genesis 33: 18-20 “After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the
city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. For a hundred
pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the
plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it
El Elohe Israel.” (NIV)
This is the first time in Jacob’s life, he was completely on his own. At first he
lived with his parents, until he had to flee for his life. Then for the past 20
years, he lived with or lived very near to his uncle Laban, who he worked for.
Living close to the city of Shechem probably seemed convenient and a bit
comforting. Living close to people had its price. The land ‘within sight of the
city’ cost him 100 silver pieces, which to me seems pretty expensive.
Once again we find Jacob setting up an altar to God. He named the altar “El Elohe
Israel.” The footnote in the NIV Bible translates it “Mighty is the God of
Israel.” If we add the translation of ‘Israel’, the new name that God had given
Jacob, which means “He struggles with God”, you get something that reads like,
“Mighty is the God of he who struggles with God.”
The Abduction and Rape of Dinah.
Genesis 34: 1-7 “Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to
visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of
that area, saw her, he took her and violated her. His heart was drawn to Dinah
daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. And Shechem
said to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl as my wife." When Jacob heard that
his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his
livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home. Then Shechem's father
Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. Now Jacob's sons had come in from the fields
as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with grief and fury,
because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's
daughter--a thing that should not be done.” (NIV)
It looks as if Shechem, the son of the ruler, saw Dinah in town, lusted for her,
kidnapped her and then raped her. After he had sexually forced himself upon her,
he realized that he was either quite fond of her or just plain wanted to keep her.
He then approached his father to negotiate with Jacob about the matter so he could
marry her.
Before Shechem’s father could approach Jacob for ‘the hand of his daughter’,
account of the rape got back to Jacob. Probably how it ‘went down’ was that one
of the servants of the city told the tale to one of the servants of Jacob, who
then in turn reported it to him.
Jacob held off telling his sons about their sister’s rape probably because he
wanted time to think of a proper solution before his sons were tempted to take the
matter into their own hands. Unfortunately for Jacob, Shechem’s father approached
Jacob in the presence of his sons and the story angered them.
Diplomacy or Sincerity.
Genesis 34: 8-12 “But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem has his heart set on
your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us
your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. You can settle among us; the
land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it." Then
Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and
I will give you whatever you ask. Make the price for the bride and the gift I am
to bring as great as you like, and I'll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the
girl as my wife." (NIV)
Shechem, who had kidnapped and raped Jacob’s daughter Dinah, had accompanied his
father Hamor to negotiate with Jacob. Hamor’s approach to the marriage
negotiation was, “I approve of your daughter as a wife for my son, but I also
approve of your whole family being my relatives.” Although Hamor may have been
being diplomatic, I personally believe that he was sincere in his offer.
Shechem may have also been being diplomatic when he said he’d pay whatever it took
to have Dinah as his wife, but I suspect that his offer was sincere. Mixed in
with his lust and his sexual aggression towards Dinah must have been quite a bit
of fondness for her (or infatuation). Probably for many of us when we are young,
the line between lust and love is blurred.
Circumcision and Deceit.
Genesis 34: 13-23 “Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob's sons
replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to
them, "We…can't give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a
disgrace to us. We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you
become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters
and take your daughters for ourselves…" Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and
his son Shechem... So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to
speak to their fellow townsmen."These men are friendly toward us," they said. "Let
them live in our land and trade in it... We can marry their daughters and they can
marry ours. But the men will consent to live with us as one people only on the
condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. Won't their
livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us give
our consent to them, and they will settle among us." (NIV)
Hamor must have had some influence with town and may have also been wealthy. It
was from one of Hamor’s sons that Jacob bought all of his land. Although Hamor’s
son wished to negotiate with Jacob to possess Jacob’s daughter Dinah, how he
kidnapped and raped, Hamor had to have been partially looking at this situation
from a business point of view. He was possibly thinking, “Let’s integrate this
wealthy man, his family, all his servants and all his possessions into our society
and eventually his prosperity will increase our standard of living (or at least
‘my’ standard of living).”
Revenge, Murder, Kidnapping and Looting.

Genesis 34: 24-29 “All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and
his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. Three days later,
while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi,
Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing
every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from
Shechem's house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted
the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds
and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. They
carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder
everything in the houses.” (NIV)
Simeon and Levi took things into their own hands and did not wait for their father
to find a solution to their sister’s kidnapping and rape. They took their swords
and murdered all the men in the city. For two men to murder every man in the city
it either had to have been a very small settlement or God had to have been with
them. It is hard for me to believe that God made it possible for them to kill all
those men, unless it was to make for certain that there was no reprisals after
they rescued their sister from her kidnappers.
The story could imply that the two brothers had the help of their servants in this
endeavor. It is difficult to see only two individuals looting the whole city and
carrying off all the women and children, but not impossible. By threatening all
the women with death, they could have been intimidated, rounded up and made to
carry off all the valuables back to camp.
Move or be Destroyed.
Genesis 34:30-35:1 “The Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble
on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in
this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack
me, I and my household will be destroyed.” But they replied, “Should he have
treated our sister like a prostitute?” The God said to Jacob, “Go up to bethel
and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you
were fleeing from your brother Esau.” (NIV)
What a mess, the surrounding communities now will be tempted to retaliate for the
events that took place in the city of Shechem and in turn murder Jacob and his
household. I wonder what Jacob’s solution would have been if his sons would have
given him time to come to a decision? I doubt that for the kidnapping and rape of
his daughter Dinah, he would have murdered all the men, taken all their women and
children and collected all their valuables as his two sons did. God solved the
Jacob’s dilemma and told him to move out of the area.
God, Foreign Gods and Earrings.
Genesis 35:1-5 “Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and
build an alter there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your
brother Esau.” So Jacob said to this household and to all who were with him, “Get
rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your
clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an alter to God,
who answered me in the day of my distress and who have been with me wherever I
have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in
their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out,
and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued
them.” (NIV)
There were members of Jacob’s family and household who did not worship God and
because of the murders that two of his sons committed; Jacob was relying on God’s
guidance and protection to save himself and everyone. When God told Jacob to move
to Bethel and build an altar, his whole camp left the statues of their foreign
gods and their earrings behind. They even washed and changed into clean clothes.
Before Jacob’s camp left, he was signifying to God and his whole household that he
was committing his future (and theirs) into God’s hands.
Apparently they left their earrings behind due to some negative religious issue.
Either their earrings had some connection with idol worship or in some way this
jewelry was recognized as being irreverent to God.
The surrounding towns would have come after Jacob and his household, had God not
supernaturally placed terror in their hearts. Jacob’s fear of reprisal from the
other towns was real. The rash action of his two sons could have killed them all.
Promises, Promises, Promises.
Genesis 35:9-12 “…God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be
called Jacob; you name will be Israel.”…And God said to him, “I am God Almighty;
be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come
from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and
Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants and you.”
(NIV)
This is the second time that God informed Jacob that his name had been changed.
Either God was reassuring Jacob that yes his name had been changed or God was
reminding him that he was suppose to go by the name of Israel ‘now’ because he
hadn’t done it earlier when God had asked him to.
Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob (Israel) were promised things, by God, which they
were never going to see in their lifetime. There are probably several reasons for
it, but I am certain that God wanted them to be examples of faith for the
generations that came after them. God has promised us today many things also;
eternal life is one of them. Are we going to trust in Him as did Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob?
Myspace Bible Journal Blob: 03-12-08
House of God.
Genesis 35:14, 15 “Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked
with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.
Jacob named the place where God had talked with him Bethel.” (NIV)
The footnote in the NIV Bible states that the name ‘Bethel’ means ‘House of God’.
Jacob could have just been naming the stone pillar that he had set up, but I
suspect that there was more to it. This is the second time he met God in this
place and he could have thought that God frequented the area.
Up to this point, it seems like that whenever Jacob moves there is a good chance
that he is fleeing for his life. When Jacob first stopped here and he encountered
God, he was fleeing from his brother Esau. This time he was fleeing due to the
murders two of his sons committed, which he would be blamed for. Considering that
Jacob had concerns for his physical safety when he tiptoed away from his father-
in-law, Jacob’s life hasn’t been without its stress. Life as a child of God does
not guarantee that life will be dull and boring.
Once again we find here an example of another offering taking place before the
time of Moses and the laws that God gave to him.
Birth, Marriage and Death.
Genesis 36:16-18 “Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some
distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. And
as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t
be afraid, for you have another son.” As she breathed her last—for she was dying—
she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.” (NIV)
Even today with the benefits of modern medical technology in many countries,
childbirth can be difficult for women. I told my wife, when we got married, that
if she didn’t want children, that was alright with me because if our roles were
reversed, I wouldn’t want to go through childbirth. Personally if I were a woman,
I’d practice celebrity and not have any babies!
I wonder what Rachel was afraid of? Was she afraid that if she died delivering a
daughter that her death would be in vain, was she still competing with her sister
or was she afraid that she would loose the life of her child also?
In the footnotes of the NIV Bible the name “Ben-Oni” means “Son of my trouble” and
the name “Benjamin” means “Son of my right hand.” I can understand why Jacob
(Israel) wanted to change his son’s name. I wouldn’t want to constantly be
reminded that this is the son that at childbirth killed my wife. I would like to
think that the name change signified the close loving relationship that Jacob had
with Rachel. She was his ‘right hand’. She was always with him, a constant
companion. Are we satisfied with our relationships with our spouses? Do we wish
to be considered by our spouses their ‘right hand?’ Do we try?
Grave Marker.
Genesis 35:19, 20 “So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is,
Bethlehem). Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar
marks Rachel’s tomb.” (NIV)
Generally we mark the graves of our deceased loved ones for two reasons. We
either mark the grave so that we can find it when we return on occasion and/or we
mark the spot so that nobody else will accidentally dig in the same area and
disturb the remains.
Jacob (Israel) was traveling when Rachel died and marked her grave with a pillar,
I’d guess a pillar of stones, maybe even carved stones. At the time this story
was recorded, Rachel’s grave could still be found because of the pillar that Jacob
erected. Basically the writer of the book of Genesis is saying, “If you’re
interesting in this story, you can still go there and still find the grave.” Or
the writer could be defending the validity of the story and is saying, “ If you
don’t believe me, go there as see for yourself!”
Sex with Father’s Concubine.
Genesis 35:21, 22 “Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.
While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s
concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.” (NIV)
Although the original intent (Genesis 30:4) was for Bilhah to be another wife,
apparently she only ended up ‘playing second fiddle’ to Rachel and Leah and was
only considered a concubine. The story records that Israel (Jacob) found out that
his oldest son Reuben and Bilhah had sex together, but the story did not say what
he did about, if anything. I bet you that if Bilhah and had sex with Rachel, the
punishment would have been severe
I wonder just how willing Bilhah was? I wonder if Reuben would have slept with
what was once Rachel’s maidservant, if Rachel had still been alive? Considering
how possessive most men are, I’m certain that Israel (Jacob) was none too happy
about the event and none too happy with Reuben or Bilhah.
Isaac Dies and You do the Math.
Genesis 35: 27-29 “Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba
(that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Isaac lived a hundred and
eighty years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,
old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.” (NIV)
These are just a few interesting facts. First off, Isaac never got to meet his
daughter-in-law, Rachel because she died during childbirth on Jacob’s way home.
Considering that Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau was born (Gen. 25:20)
then that would make Jacob 120 years old when Isaac died.
Isaac was 100 years old when Esau got married (Gen. 26:34). Sometime after that
Jacob spent 20 years living with his uncle Laban (Gen. 31:38). That would give
Jacob roughly about 40 – 50 years to reconcile with his father and brother after
he returned home. I would like to think that after all those years they finally
forgave each other and got along as a family again.
One more thing to think about. Jacob was 130 years old when he arrived in Egypt
(Gen. 47:9) and that was after 2 years of famine (Gen. 45:6), so that would mean
that Isaac died about 7-8 years before the devastating drought. That would also
mean that Isaac has alive when his grandson, Joseph, was sold into Egyptian
slavery.

Family Separation.
Genesis 36: 6-8 “Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of
his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the
goods he had acquired in Canaan, and moved to a land some distance from his
brother Jacob. Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the
land where they were staying could not support them both because of their
livestock. So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.” (NIV)
Eventually after Jacob (Israel) returned Esau left home because there was not
enough grazing land to support both of their large herds so Esau left. The text
would seem to indicate that the brothers separated after the death of their
father. That would mean that the brothers were able to spend a many years
together before they separated again. I would like to believe that their
separation was a friendly one, similar to that of Abraham and Lot.
Esau eventually became known as ‘Edom’. I wonder if this came about naturally as
nicknames do or if he decided to go by another name? I wonder if Jacob being
renamed by God influenced this name change?
Playing Favorites One More Time.
Genesis 37: 2-4 “…Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with
his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and
he brought their father a bad report about them. Now Israel loved Joseph more
than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he
made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father
loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to
him.” (NIV)
Like his mother and father, Jacob (Israel) ‘played favorites’ with his children.
Joseph was his favorite son. Joseph was the oldest son of his beloved wife
Rachel, who is now dead. The question could be asked, “Why wasn’t Benjamin his
favorite?” It could be that Rachel died during the birth of Benjamin and every
time Jacob looked at Benjamin, he was reminded of his wife’s death. Of course
that didn’t stop Jacob from making Benjamin his ‘second favorite’ son.
I suspect that all children accuse their parents of loving their children
unequally. Yet when their suspicions are actually true, it is a hard thing for
children to deal with. Considering that Joseph was the favorite son of a favorite
wife must have made things that much worse. On top of everything else, Joseph’s
brothers probably thought that he was a ‘tattle tale’ and a spy for their father.
Pecking Order.
Genesis 37: 5-8 “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they
hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were
binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood
upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." His
brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?"
And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.” (NIV)
Reuben was the oldest son and Leah was his mother. Had Leah’s father not deceived
Jacob, Jacob would have married only Rachel and Joseph (now the second youngest)
would have been the first born and received all the privileges that came with
being the oldest son. With the ‘pecking order’ as it was, only Joseph could ‘pull
rank’ on his little brother Benjamin because everybody else was older.
Although Joseph’s older brothers may not have put much faith in what they may have
thought was a silly dream, yet the dream did bring up a possibility. It could
have gotten Reuben and all the other brothers thinking. Since their father took
the birthright away from their Uncle Esau through deception, it was possible that
their father to could possibly steal the birthright away from Reuben and give it
to Joseph, the favorite son of the favorite wife.
Are We Jealous of Others?
Genesis 37: 9-11 “Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers.
"Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven
stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father as well as his brothers,
his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and
I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" His
brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” (NIV)
Considering that Jacob had had contact with God before, he did not brush off the
idea so easily that all his son had was a silly dream, as Joseph’s brothers did.
Do we have the tendency to belittle another’s religious experience? Don’t we
think that our friends are just going through an emotional experience and that God
is not really directing them to do whatever it is that they are sharing with us?
Why were Joseph’s brothers jealous? We all say we are happy when friends, family
and coworkers ‘get ahead’ but are we really? Don’t we all harbor some resentment
for those who are doing better than us? When we attend our high school class
reunions, don’t we secretly hope that the popular kids in school have now fallen
flat on their faces? Actually we may have more in common with Joseph’s brothers
then we do with Joseph.
Naughty or Nice.
Genesis 37: 12-14 “Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near
Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the
flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them." "Very well," he
replied. So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and
with the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley
of Hebron…” (NIV)
It would seem that Jacob (Israel) kept his son Joseph close to home at times and
when he was one of Joseph’s duties was to check on his brothers and see how they
were doing. You could say that at these times he was his father’s eyes and ears.
Considering that at least once before (Gen. 37: 2) Joseph gave his father a bad
report on his brothers, most likely his brothers considered the Joseph was spying
on them. A favorite son of a favorite mother who is a tattletale for father is
not the type of brother that the others would be fond of.
We really don’t know much about the character of Joseph at this point in his life.
He could have been a spoiled brat or he could have been a nice kid with
questionable brothers. Whatever the case, a question that comes to mind is, “How
are we perceived by our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers?” Is there a
way that we can better our relationship with them, even if we are doing nothing
wrong, without compromising our relationship with God? A lot of times Christian
standards can look odd to the rest of the world and maybe a little ‘public
relations’ effort on our part will not make our lives seem so out of place.
Fear to Speak Up.
Genesis 37: 17-22 “…So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill
him. "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill
him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal
devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this,
he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said.
"Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't
lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to
his father.” (NIV)
Reuben could have put himself at risk and defied his brothers but he didn’t.
Personally I believe that the brothers were so bitter and angry with Joseph that
they would have killed Reuben also, if he would have openly stood up for Joseph at
that moment. Remember it was Simeon and Levi who killed all the men in the city
of Shechem without consulting their father first.
Had Reuben been able to carry out his plan, I am sure that he thought that both he
and Joseph would be safer. Once his father found out about the plot, the brothers
would be suspected if anything ever happened to Joseph or himself. That would
have probably been a big deterrent for his brothers.
We probably shouldn’t think so harshly of Reuben. How many times have we not
stood up for what was right in the face of our peers? Why are we so afraid of
what others think or say?
Another Great Idea.
Genesis 37: 23-28 “So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his
robe--the richly ornamented robe he was wearing-- and they took him and threw him
into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. As they
sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming
from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were
on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, "What will
we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the
Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own
flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by,
his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels
of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” (NIV)
Joseph was fortunate that the pit that he was thrown into did not have any water
in it because he may not have known how to swim. I wonder if the pit was
purposely dug to collect water or if it was a natural hole in the ground? If it
was dug, then one would suppose that there was a settlement here at one time that
eventually moved on.
Reuben had earlier convinced his brothers to not kill Joseph outright but to throw
him in the pit and leave him there to die of thirst and hunger. Of course
Reuben’s plan was to rescue him later when his brothers were not around. Well his
brothers took his suggestion one step further (when Reuben was gone) and decided
to sell Joseph as a slave. Not only would he not die by their actions but they
would profit from it also. I’ve never figured that greed could save one’s life,
but maybe it played a part in this story. I have a feeling that they may have
also thought that life as an Egyptian slave would be far better revenge than a
several days of starvation then death.
Some of us may currently not get along with our brothers and sisters as well as we
may wish. Let us resolve to make an effort (or another effort) to resolve our
differences with them before emotions spiral out of control and somebody does
something ‘really’ stupid.
Where can I turn now?
Genesis 37: 29, 30 “When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was
not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy
isn't there! Where can I turn now?" (NIV)
As Reuben had planned, once his brothers had left the pit that they had thrown
Joseph into, he returned to rescue him. When he got to the pit, Joseph wasn’t
there. What a mess that he had gotten himself into.
As he had said, where could Reuben turn to now? Most likely he didn’t have enough
cash on him to catch up with the caravan and buy Joseph back. The traders would
certainly want more for Joseph than the 20 silver shekels that they had bought him
for. I can’t see the other brothers parting with their shekels either. I also
doubt that the traders would be the types of characters who would say to Reuben,
“Oh, I’m sorry that you made a mistake, here take your brother back. That isn’t
any problem.”
If Reuben returned to his father, to mount a rescue party and buy Joseph back, he
would have some explaining to do to his father. He would have to explain to his
father why, as the oldest, he didn’t defy his brothers at the very beginning and
not let this plot against Joseph go so far as to put Joseph in such danger. As
difficult as this would have been to do, this plan would have worked. Reuben’s
father probably had the wealth to buy the whole caravan or enough men to overpower
the caravan and take Joseph back from them.
Reuben’s fear of this brothers and his father made him weak. He didn’t have the
strength of character to stand up to his brothers or the strength to go to his
father and receive his father’s wrath. Like Reuben, our personal fears not only
hurt ourselves but those around us in many ways that we don’t understand yet.
Living with the Consequences of Sin.
Genesis 37: 31-36 “Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the
robe in the blood. They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said,
"We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." He recognized
it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph
has surely been torn to pieces." Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth
and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,
but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the
grave to my son." So his father wept for him. Meanwhile, the Midianites sold
Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the
guard.” (NIV)
There are those who morn the loss of a loved one all the rest of their lives,
Jacob (Israel) must have been one of those people. He believed the deception that
his son’s created and he planned to mourn Joseph’s death until the day he died. I
am sure that this was more than Joseph’s brother’s had planned on, to see their
father every single day stricken in grief over the loss of a son that they were
responsible for and lied about.
Worst of all by the time they realized what the situation was going to be with
their father. The caravan to which they sold their brother was long gone and
Joseph is now sold to an Egyptian in Egypt. At that point in time it would have
been extremely difficult to be able to find Joseph and retrieve him. Even at this
point I believe that their father would have spent his fortune and the rest of his
life to find Joseph if they would have confessed what they had done.
Why does God not want us to sin, to do what He does not wish us to do? It is not
that He doesn’t want us to have fun. As I see it, sin is destructive not only to
ourselves but also to those around us. What we don’t normally realize is that we
then have to live with the consequences of what we’ve done for the rest of our
lives. God would rather not have us go through that.
Why does God Kill?
Genesis 38: 1-7 “At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with
a man of Adullam named Hirah. There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man
named Shua. He married her and lay with her; she became pregnant and gave birth to
a son, who was named Er. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him
Onan. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib
that she gave birth to him. Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name
was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD
put him to death.” (NIV)
Judah had three sons and Judah married his firstborn, Er, to a woman named Tamar.
Before Tamar became pregnant the story records that God killed Er because he was a
wicked man. The story does not say in what way Er was wicked, but for God to put
his to death it had to have been serious.
It has been my observation in the Bible that when God puts to death an individual
or a group of people it is normally for defensive reasons, to protect those living
in their sphere of influence. Considering that God killed Er before he had
children, it may be that God was protecting Tamar’s future children from his
“wicked” influence.
Personally I don’t believe that God is responsible for every single death on this
Earth. He may have foreknowledge of when we are going to die but I don’t believe
that every death is a direct result of God’s action. As I see it death is
normally a consequence of our own sins, someone else’s sin (action) or just simply
as a result of living in a sinful environment.
Duty or Death.
Genesis 38: 8-10 “Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and
fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your
brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay
with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing
offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put
him to death also.” (NIV)
Here is another example of an unpublished Law of God that existed before the time
of Moses. I list it as a law because the story states that God put Onan to death
because he refused to fulfill it. Why the law was in place is not clear but on
can speculate a bit. One reason could be is that God was in the business of
nation building and children need to be produced. Another reason for this ‘duty’
to be fulfilled is that there was no financial support system for a person in
their old age. All that a person had to look after them, especially women during
this time, were their children (hopefully sons).
We can be sympathetic with Onan for not wanting to produce children that he could
never lay claim to. People today in the U.S. commonly fight in court over the
possession of their children during a divorce. On the other hand one can also see
the selfish side to Onan’s action.
Technically Onan did go to bed with Tamar, his brother’s wife, so she could
attempt to have sex with him but he apparently masturbated just before doing so.
He either did this so that he could not perform in bed or he did this in an
attempt to create a low sperm count. Either way it was successful, Tamar
continued to be childless and God put him to death because of it.
Delay Tactics and Deceit.
Genesis 38: 11-16 “Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow
in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die
too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house. After
a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered
from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and
his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him. When Tamar was told, "Your father-
in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep," she took off her widow's
clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the
entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah
had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. When Judah saw her,
he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that
she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come
now, let me sleep with you…" (NIV)
I have the feeling that Judah didn’t know that God was behind the deaths of his
two sons. Had he known I don’t believe he would have sent Tamar away with no
plans to recall her, risking God’s disapproval with himself. Like many people his
plan was that if he ignored the problem maybe it would go away. He must have felt
that in some way Tamar was just bad luck for his sons and he didn’t want to place
his third and final son is danger. Maybe it was because of this ignorance that
God spared his life.
Tamar must have known Judah pretty well. She must have known that with his wife
dead and traveling away from home Judah would have figured that know one would
find out if he had sex with a prostitute. Judah was perhaps like most of us, our
sins are pretty well known to those around us. I would bet that she was well
aware that when he was away he probably frequented prostitutes. Most likely all
she had to do for her plan to work was to be the first prostitute that he came
across.
I don’t believe Tamar was totally righteous in her action ether. There is no
record of Tamar coming to Judah, demanding that he make good on his promise and
Judah refusing her. Most likely she was angry for waiting so long and like many
of us didn’t want to confront him openly, so she acted rashly and used deceit to
get what was rightfully hers.
The Security Deposit.
Genesis 38: 15-23 “When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute…and said,
"Come now, let me sleep with you." "And what will you give me to sleep with you?"
she asked. "I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. "Will you give
me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked. He said, "What pledge
should I give you?" "Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand," she
answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by
him. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again.
Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get
his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her…So he went back to Judah
and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, `There hasn't
been any shrine prostitute here.' " Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has,
or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but
you didn't find her." (NIV)
Tamar asked Judah to leave with her items that were recognizably Judah’s until he
paid her. This would be very similar to the time when I borrowed a gas can from a
gas station. The station attendant requested that I leave my driver’s license
behind until I returned the gas can. Tamar knew that there would be questions
about her future pregnancy and she could produce these items to prove that Judah
was the father.
I can imagine Judah’s hesitation to search for the prostitute to pay her. I am
sure the locals would think it was very funny watching a stranger wondering around
seeking information about a prostitute that didn’t exist…and why? So he could pay
her! I can hear the locals calling out, “Hey buddy, why look for her? If you
leave now, you’ve gotten a ‘freebie’!” If Judah confessed to them what he wanted
to get back from her, they’d probably laugh and reply, “You’d better not let her
confront your wife with that stuff!”
Almost Burnt to Death.
Genesis 38: 24-27 “About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law
Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant." Judah
said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!" As she was being brought out,
she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns
these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and
staff these are." Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I,
since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again.
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.” (NIV)
Here we find another reference to a law that was established before the time of
Moses. This one is against prostitution. Apparently the punishment for
prostitution was being burned to death. I wonder what the punishment was for
using the services of prostitution? I would guess the same thing.
Tamar must have wanted a child very badly to risk being burnt to death. What if
Judah denied that the objects were his, due to either fear of punishment or
embarrassment? It is interesting that Judah does not really come out and confess
that the child is his. His statement could be construed to say that Tamar was
justified in seeking prostitution to have her child because Judah would not give
her to his son. That sounds like a half-lie to me. I wonder how many in Judah’s
camp saw the possessions that Tamar had and recognized that they were Judah’s?
Tamar’s risk paid off. She was blessed with twin sons. They would be able to
provide for her well and take care of her in her old age.
Blessings of God.
Genesis 39: 1-4 “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian
who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the
Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered,
and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the
LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph
found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of
his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (NIV)
God had been with this family and caused them to prosper since the time of
Abraham. One reason that God had blessed this family with prosperity was because
He was creating a nation from them. Joseph, who should have been the firstborn of
Israel (Jacob), was also especially set apart with the blessing of prosperity.
Although Joseph was especially blessed by God that did not mean that bad
circumstances did not come his way. In Joseph’s case, he ended up being a slave
in Egypt. Yet even in this bad situation, Joseph still found himself being
blessed by God.
To a certain extent I believe that God blesses every Christian. We may find that
not all are blessed specifically with prosperity but we are blessed in many ways.
As a Christian I have found myself blessed by God. God has blessed me throughout
my life and under various situations. I have been wealthy and poor, free and
enslaved (drafted in the Army), happy and sad, safe and in harms way. I have also
been loved and hated, surrounded by friends and friendless, employed by good
bosses and very poor ones, healthy and in poor health. Yet as I look back on my
life, through the good times and the bad times, God has blessed me in many ways.
Unlike Joseph, I do not see God having any great plan for my life and that could
because I have not always been a righteous man. On the other hand, maybe if we
live our life and die a child of God, that is a good enough plan.
Christian Service.
Genesis 39: 4-6 “…Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to
his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household
and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because
of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the
house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph
in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate….”
(NIV)
Many people will only work well if they believe that they are getting paid well.
Their theory is “I will only ‘put in’ as much as I ‘get out’. In Joseph’s case,
he was unfairly enslaved and was not seeing any wages at all, yet he worked as if
he were being highly paid.
Christians invest more into whatever he or she does then than what they expect to
get out of their effort. For instance, that is how forgiveness works. Christians
forgive their neighbors whether or not it is to their advantage. Marriage works
in a similar fashion. We are lenient with our spouses even though they may never
‘come around’ to our way of thinking. God’s grace works the same way. Both the
active sinner and the repentant sinner live and conduct their affairs on this
Earth even though the ‘wages of sin is death’.
As a Christian, we must ask ourselves, “Am I the best employee or employer that I
can be or am I only ‘putting in as much as I am getting out’? Am I as gracious to
others and God is gracious to me? Is my relationship with those around me
(friends and enemies) such that God is able to bless them through me?
Too Close for Comfort.
Genesis 39: 8-10 “…Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his
master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he
refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself
with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one
is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except
you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin
against God?" And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to
bed with her or even be with her.” (NIV)
I find it very revealing that Joseph was open about his relationship with God when
he was talking with Potiphar’s wife. I’d guess that in today’s (U.S.) society
(and elsewhere) that a person would say, “How then could I do such a wicked thing
and cheat on my boss?” figuring that adding religion into the discussion would
only make things worse. In this case, maybe it did (later on in the story) for
Joseph.
I find it very wise of Joseph that not only did he refuse to have sex with her but
that he didn’t even risk being around her. I’ve observed that many people let
their temptations stay close at hand and maybe that is why we give into our
temptations so often. Really, think about it. How close by are your pet
temptations?
The Wages of Sin are Worthless.
Genesis 39: 11-20 “One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and
none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said,
"Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house…
she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been
brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I
screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran
out of the house." She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home…When
his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave
treated me," he burned with anger. Joseph's master took him and put him in
prison….” (NIV)
Potiphar’s wife sexually desired Joseph, her servant, but when Joseph ultimately
refused her, she disposed of him. She loved (lusted) him one minute and hated him
the next. Most everything that we’ve had, we’ve eventually sold at a loss, gave
away for free or threw away. Things that at one time we’ve greatly desired. How
many things that we have discarded were items that at once time we were willing to
sin for to obtain? How many things have we stolen or how many sexual
relationships have we had that now mean nothing to us? It is amazing how many
things or actions we were once ready to sacrifice our souls for and now they are
meaningless to us. Sin does not pay. Sin is worthless in the long run.
Making the Best of a Bad Situation.
Genesis 39: 20-23 “…But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with
him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison
warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he
was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to
anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him
success in whatever he did.” (NIV)
I’d like to think that the warden of the prison must have had some kindheartedness
in him and therefore was open to God’s influence, as a result eventually the
warden held Joseph in high esteem. Apparently God was still blessing Joseph with
prosperity also, so the warden placed most of the prison under Joseph’s
management.
People in general tend to blame God for everything bad that happens to them, even
the little things. I find it amazing that Joseph held up psychologically as wall
as he did. I would guess that most people (including Christians) who end up
slaves in a foreign country that eventually get thrown into prison, would
eventually become extremely bitter and angry or give up hope and fall into a deep
depression.
Joseph went through all of this with an apparently a good outlook and his
relationship with God intact. Hopefully we, as Christians, can weather our
experiences with a similar success.
The Cupbearer, His Dream and His Forgetfulness.
Genesis 40: 6-23 “When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were
dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his
master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" "We both had dreams," they
answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do
not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." So the chief cupbearer
told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me,
and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its
clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes,
squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand." "This is what it
means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. Within three days
Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put
Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But
when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to
Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the
land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a
dungeon."… Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all
his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker
in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position,
so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand…The chief cupbearer,
however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” (NIV)
Apparently Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker were upset because they were use to
having access to individuals who claimed to be able to understand the meaning of
dreams. Joseph turned their attention to God, the only true interpreter of
dreams. It is possible that Joseph’s confidences came from the fact that God had
given him two dreams of his own.
The chief cupbearer forgot about Joseph. Like Joseph, we are all bound to be
forgotten by many of those around us. Abandonment is a difficult emotion to bear.
Most likely others ignore us due to their ignorance or their meanest. Let us be
careful not to confuse the two. I believe that in the cupbearer’s case, he simply
forgot about Joseph. It just slipped his mind.
The Baker, His Dream and His Death.
Genesis 40: 16-22 “When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable
interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three
baskets of bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but
the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." "This is what it
means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh
will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your
flesh." Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his
officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in
the presence of his officials…he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said
to them in his interpretation.” (NIV)
We don’t know if the chief baker was guilty of any crime other than angering
Pharaoh. It is possible that God gave the baker this dream in an effort to
prepare him for his soon death. Here we have a man who came into contact with
knowledge of the true God and the knowledge of the end of his life in three days.
No doubt God gave him an opportunity for his salvation.
A successful life is not one of many accomplishments, or is it one of a long and

healthy life. A successful life is not defined with how much wealth one
accumulates. If a man or a woman dies being a child of God, then their life was a
success.
Searching for Answers.
Genesis 41: 1-8 “When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was
standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and
fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and
gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the
cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke
up. He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy
and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain
sprouted--thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up
the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. In the
morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of
Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.”
(NIV)
Joseph languished in prison two whole years after he had hoped that Pharaoh’s
cupbearer would help get him out. From his perspective, he probably didn’t know
if he’d ever get released. Most people, when they are abandoned by other peopled
are also tempted to feel that God had abandoned them also. Apparently this was
not the case with Joseph. How often do we blame God for what others do to us?
How often do we accuse God having the same faulty characters as you and I have?
Although Pharaoh’s dream is described very simply, I can imagine just how
graphically horrifying and gory it could have been. Considering just how scary
nightmares can be I can imagine how disturbing these two dreams could have left
Pharaoh.
I find it interesting that none of the magicians or wise men could interrupt his
dream. Could it be that God muddled their minds so that they couldn’t think to
make something up? Could it be that the men were too afraid of getting the
interpretation incorrect and being sent to prison? Could it have been that no
one’s interpretation had ‘a ring of truth’ to it and the interpretation did not
satisfy Pharaoh? Whatever the case, Pharaoh couldn’t find any help. Some
questions or problems we have can not be answered or fixed by those around us or
ourselves. In those cases we must be prepared to wait and be patient for God to
reveal them to us.
Shortcomings.
Genesis 41: 9-13 “Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded
of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me
and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a
dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew
was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams,
and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my
position, and the other man was hanged." (NIV)
Personally I believe that the chief cupbearer was pretty brave to reminding
Pharaoh of a time when Pharaoh was once angry with him. I am sure that the chief
cupbearer was afraid of ‘opening up old wounds’ and stirring up Pharaoh’s
suspicions or wrath again.
The cupbearer conveniently left out the fact that the ‘young Hebrew’ claimed that
it was God and not himself that interpreted the dreams. Considering that he had
stuck out his neck this far, he didn’t want to go and bring up any religious
controversies. When you are serving a ruler who can put you to death at a whim,
you probably are tempted not to ‘rock the boat’ if you can.
I am not excusing the chief cupbearer’s shortcomings. I am just observing that he

probably had his reasons and we shouldn’t be too critical of him. I am sure that
we play it safe all too often when we should speak out on God’s behalf or on what
is right. We all have actions (or inaction) that we need forgiveness for.
Sharp Objects and Sharp Words.
Genesis 41: 14-16 “So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the
dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have
heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." "I cannot
do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he
desires." (NIV)
I don’t know if Joseph normally wore a beard or not while he was living at home,
but I am sure that the authorities didn’t allow any sharp objects in prison and
that is why he had a beard while he was incarcerated.
Joseph made it clear from the very start that God was the one who would be able to
interpret the dream and not himself. I don’t believe that Joseph was being
confrontational with Pharaoh from a religious standpoint. I believe that Joseph
wanted to be transparent on who was doing what.
I am sure that there are many accomplishments in our lives that we recognize were
achieved only by God’s involvement in our lives, but the question is whether or
not we acknowledge to others that understanding?
Why Pharaoh?
Genesis 41: 25-27 “Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and
the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows
are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and
the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years,
and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are
seven years of famine.” (NIV)
One can ask, “Why was this dream (plus it’s interpretation) given to Pharaoh by
God?” Most of my answers to this question are just guesswork, but I’ll give it a
shot.
It is possible that God found in Pharaoh a ruler who was open to following the
dream’s warning and preparing for the famine. Other rulers may have just
dismissed the dream.
God’s ultimate goal was to make a great nation out of Jacob’s (Israel) family.
With a devastating famine coming, Egypt was the nearest nation (when prepared for
the famine) to save Jacob’s family.
Egypt, with all of its faults, may have been a nation that was worth saving at
that time.
We don’t always know why God chooses us and gives us opportunities. Maybe the
opportunities that God gives us are openings for us to do great things. Maybe the
opportunities are that God gives us are chances for us to do a small thing for
someone else that will in turn accomplish some great thing. One influencing act
of kindness by us at the right moment could unknowingly change the world.
Heeding God’s Warnings.
Genesis 41: 28-32 "…God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of
great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine
will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the
famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered,
because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was
given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God,
and God will do it soon.” (NIV)
Like the famine that was to descend upon Egypt and the lands around it, we too can
go through similar bad experiences in our lives; situations that can be so bad
that we can not remember the good days that preceded them. Although many times
God attempts to guide us around such experiences, He also gives us the insight,
strength and tools to get through those hard periods, if we acknowledge and heed
His warning. Whether it is a bad marriage, a difficult job, deteriorating health
or even a famine (as in Pharaoh’s case) God will give us what it takes to see us
through to the end.
One additional point, God will do what He says He will do. He may disrupt His
actions for the remorseful but He is not like a parent, who threatens their
misbehaving unrepentant child with punishment and never follows through with the
threat. In Pharaoh’s case, the famine was coming whether he prepared for it or
not. My point is, if God has made you aware of something (whatever) please don’t
ignore it.
Safe from Ruin.
Genesis 41: 33-36 "And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put
him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the
land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up
the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This
food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years
of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the
famine." (NIV)
We will see as this story goes on that God used the nation of Egypt to save
Joseph’s family, which was not even living in the country. No nation is perfect,
but that does not stop God from using governments to do His will when necessary.
We, as individuals, are not perfect either, but that does not prevent God from
including us in His plans. May we all be open and ready to be used as a tool by
God to become a blessing to those around us.
The Dream Job.
Genesis 41: 37-45 “The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials…Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one
so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my
people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be
greater than you." So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the
whole land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it
on Joseph's finger…Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your
word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." Pharaoh gave Joseph the name
Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be
his wife…” (NIV)
I once held a position with quite a bit of authority. My boss gave me full reign
of about two thirds of the department and never ‘looked over my shoulder’. I even
alternated covering for him every other weekend and had the department all to
myself. The ‘upside’ was that I had full control of everything under me and the
‘downside’ was that I had a lot of responsibility and nobody to ‘catch me if I
fell’. With that freedom came a lot of stress.
At first, Joseph’s position sounds pretty ‘cool’ but as you think about it reality
starts to set in. If anything went wrong, it was literally ‘Joseph’s head’. All
he had to do was anger Pharaoh and his life was on the line and there is a lot
that can go wrong when you are running a nation. Joseph had before of him the
worst famine the area had ever known and he had to prepare a nation for it. Seven
years is not a lot of time when you are trying to make nation wide changes.
Pharaoh had set up Joseph as the ‘fall guy’. If the preparations did not go
right, it would be Joseph who would reap the people’s wrath. This wouldn’t be my
idea of a ‘dream job’.
Age and Abundance.
Genesis 41: 46-49 “Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of
Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled
throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced
plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of
abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown
in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the
sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was
beyond measure.” (NIV)
All the sons of Jacob (Israel) were at least young adults now. Next to Benjamin,
Joseph at thirty was the second youngest. That means that his older brothers at
this time were pushing forty.
Apparently food storage structures were built close to the cities and fields there
the food was grown. That would save Joseph the trouble of trying to find a way to
transport all of it to a central location.
With the grain stored throughout Egypt, record keeping would be important in
trying to keep track of how much was stored where when it came time to distribute
it. Having so much extra food to store was a mixed blessing. There was so much
food that Joseph couldn’t keep track of it all and had to give up.
Having a Home of One’s Own.
Genesis 41: 50-52 “Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph
by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn
Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my
father's household." The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God
has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." (NIV)
The footnote in the New International Bible about the name ‘Manasseh’ states,
“’Manasseh’ sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for ‘forget’.” I am
sure that being a slave in a foreign land and then in prison made Joseph long for
the solace of home and family. Having a family of his own now must have been
quite comforting for Joseph. He now had a home of his own to (in a sense) take
the place of the one that he lost.
The footnote in the New International Bible about the name ‘Ephraim’ states,
“’Ephraim’ sounds like the Hebrew for ‘twice fruitful’.” I would think that in a
society which values sons so much it is reassuring when a second son is born into
the family. That way if the first son dies then there is a second to take his
place and guarantees the continuation of the family (as in our case today, the
family name).

From Forgotten to Famous.
Genesis 41: 53-57 “The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the
seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the
other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. When all Egypt began
to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all
the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you." When the famine had
spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the
Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came
to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the
world.” (NIV)
Joseph’s life had gone through a vast change. He progressed from a forgotten
slave in prison to a man that the whole known world eagerly searched out. As we
look at Joseph’s life, we understand that God was with Joseph during not only the
good times but also the bad times. Our lives may look grim, but we, as
Christians, must be comforted with the fact that God has a plan for each one of
us. God may accomplish great things with our lives or may accomplish small things
with our lives. We may hinder God’s plans or help Him. He can even use us in
spite of our faults and foot dragging. Let us not be discouraged because one
small act of kindness from any of us can in the long run drastically change the
world.
The Source of Security.
Genesis 42: 1-5 “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his
sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" He continued, "I have heard
that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may
live and not die." Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from
Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because
he was afraid that harm might come to him. So Israel's sons were among those who
went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.” (NIV)
Jacob was a wealthy man and no doubt being well off has a lot of advantages over
being in need. He had a large family, servants and flocks. Yet all that he had
did not protect him from a natural disaster such as a vast severe famine. This
story makes a good argument for dependence upon God. It doesn’t matter how much
wealth we are able to accumulate because we can’t collect enough to protect
ourselves from every situation or disaster. In a sense, the more we possess, the
more we have to depend upon God to protect it. My point is that we all need the
security that comes from God’s safekeeping…rich or poor.
It’s Time to Squirm.
Genesis 42: 6-17 “Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain
to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with
their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them,
but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come
from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he
remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come
to see where our land is unprotected." "No, my lord," they answered. "Your
servants have come to buy food. We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are
honest men, not spies." "No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our
land is unprotected." But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the
sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our
father, and one is no more." Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You
are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you
will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of
your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that
your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then
as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" And he put them all in custody for
three days.” (NIV)
Joseph was now pushing forty years old. He was thirty before Egypt had its seven
years of plenty and now the famine had been going on at least for a little while.
For sure he had out grown the rashness of youth yet on the other hand he had a
vast amount of power and that much power has the potential to corrupt a person.
I can’t help thinking that Joseph wanted to cause his brothers a little
discomfort and worry in return for how they treated him. It is also possible that
Joseph hadn’t completely made up his mind in what he was going to do with them.
He could have been testing them to see if they had changed any since the time they
had sold him into slavery. He may have been considering actually putting them to
death if he found that they were unchanged and evil men. Personally I believe
their lives were pretty safe and he just wanted them to ‘squirm’ a little.
Release and Imprisonment.
Genesis 42: 18-24 “On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will
live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in
prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.
But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified
and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do. They said to one another,
"Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was
when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this
distress has come upon us." Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against
the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood."
They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an
interpreter. He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and
spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.”
(NIV)
The brothers must have been relieved that all but one were permitted to go back
home to retrieve Benjamin instead of only one that was first suggested (verse
sixteen). I am sure the Simeon was none too happy about it since he was selected
to stay behind in prison. I wonder if Simeon was worried that his brothers would
go home and not take the chance of returning.
Why was Simeon chosen to stay behind in prison? Simeon was one of the two
brothers who earlier had been instrumental in killing all the men in the city of
Shechem. I would guess that he had a tendency to be harsh and violent. Since
Reuben (the oldest) was overheard as being against Joseph’s sale into slavery,
Simeon had to have been the likely brother who was influential in originally
forming the plot against Joseph.
I find it interesting that the brothers believed that God is behind their bad luck
in Egypt because of their mistreatment of Joseph when it is actually Joseph
himself. I wonder how many times we blame God for all the bad stuff that happens
to us? If anything, God was actually trying to save the brothers from the famine
through Joseph.
Playing Games.
Genesis 42: 25-28 “Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each
man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey.
After this was done for them, they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get
feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. "My silver
has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their
hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that
God has done to us?" (NIV)
I am sure that Joseph was ‘playing games’ with them by placing their money back
into their bags of grain (see verse 35). He also may have done it to assure that
they returned. They may be reluctant to return with their youngest brother to
prove their story and retrieve Simeon out of prison, but they will eventually have
to return to buy more grain. By returning their silver to them, Joseph knew for
sure that they would have enough money to return and purchase more food.
The question arises as to why the brothers were upset because one of them found
that their silver had been returned to them. Considering that they were accused
of being spies for no reason, this returned money could look bad. They could have
believed that the money was planted in the flour for the purpose of accusing them
of theft. If they believed that then how could they return to retrieve their
brother from prison? The unknown person who planted the silver money would be
waiting for their return to accuse them.
Two Sons Gone and One Generous Offer.
Genesis 42: 29-38 “When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,
they told him all that had happened to them. They said, "The man who is lord over
the land spoke harshly to us…But we said to him, `…We were twelve brothers…One is
no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' "Then the man…said
to us, `This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your
brothers here with me…But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that
you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you…' "As
they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver!
When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. Their
father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more
and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against
me!" Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I
do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back."
But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and
he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you
will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." (NIV)
Jacob and his sons must have come to the conclusion that someone in Egypt had set
them up to look like dishonest men by returning the money that the brothers had
paid for their grain. They would either look like they had not paid for their
grain or that they had somehow stolen their money back before they left Egypt.
Jacob must have thought that even if Benjamin were sent to Egypt now, the ‘man who
is lord over the land’ would not believe the brothers were ‘honest men’.
When the brothers had sold Joseph as a slave, they told their father Jacob that a
wild animal killed Joseph. They had tried to shift the blame for Joseph’s
disappearance on a wild animal but in the end their father still blamed them for
his death. Now Jacob was blaming Simeon’s imprisonment on his sons. Since Jacob
was not planning to send Benjamin to Egypt, Simeon was a good as dead.
One last point, Reuben seemed pretty generous offering his son’s be put to death
if he was unable to bring Benjamin back from Egypt. I would be more inclined to
believe Reuben’s sincerity and optimism if he had offered his ‘own’ life.
The Difficulty in Letting Go.
Genesis 43: 1-10 “Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when they had
eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go
back and buy us a little more food." But Judah said to him, "The man warned us
solemnly, `You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'…Israel
asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another
brother?" They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our
family…We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, `Bring
your brother down here'?" Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy
along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live
and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally
responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before
you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not
delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." (NIV)
Jacob (Israel) had postponed for as long as possible sending his sons to Egypt to
purchase more food. Apparently it took him a long time to make the decision to
send Benjamin along with them. This time it is Judah and not the eldest brother
who volunteers to take responsibility for Benjamin’s safe return. I wonder if in
the eyes of his father Judah was the most responsible of all the brothers because
in the end Jacob concedes to let Benjamin go to Egypt. Whatever the case I would
think that hunger also played a significant part in Jacob finally letting go of
his youngest son. Most likely in Jacob’s eyes, he was saying goodbye to his son,
Benjamin, for good and taking a great risk in sending him to his death.
Honesty.
Genesis 43: 11-14 “Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do
this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to
the man as a gift--a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some
pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you
must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it
was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God
Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and
Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." (NIV)
Jacob (Israel) was hoping that the silver his sons found in their sacks was a
mistake, but I think he had his doubts. I believe Jacob was being genuinely
honest, even though any deceit would have placed his son’s as well as their
survival during the famine at risk. I must confess that a lot of people today
would have taken the money. They would have taken the risk hoping that the money
would not be missed.
How honest are we? Is physical survival more important to us than spiritual
survival? Are we willing to trade eternal life for an easier life today? Are we
Children of God or not?
Donkeys and Servants.
Genesis 43: 15-23 “…They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take
these men to my house…they are to eat with me at noon."…Now the men were
frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here
because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to
attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." So they
went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
"Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. But at
the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found
his silver--the exact weight--in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back
with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know
who put our silver in our sacks." "It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid.
Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received
your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.” (NIV)
It is not surprising that the sons of Jacob (Israel) “hurried” to Egypt. They had
postponed the trip as long a possible. Their families would probably be pretty
hungry by the time they returned.
It is interesting that the author of Genesis specifically mentioned that Joseph’s

brothers were concerned about their donkeys being taken. Those donkeys would be
the equivalent to our automobiles today. Donkeys were valuable.
My last observation is that Joseph’s servant, who was put in charge of his
brothers, knew of Joseph’s religious beliefs. I wonder how many of our fellow co-
workers know what we believe? Are we proud of our relationship with God or does
it embarrass us to some degree?
The Joy of meeting a Sibling again.
Genesis 43: 24-30 “The steward took the men into Joseph's house…When Joseph came
home…He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you
told me about? Is he still living?" They replied, "Your servant our father is
still alive and well." And they bowed low to pay him honor. As he looked about
and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your
youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to
you, my son." Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and
looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.” (NIV)
Joseph was still trying hard not to give himself away to his brothers. Instead of
asking what was really on his mind, he made small talk and asked how they were
first. After that he got around to a more important question, how his father was.
At last he finally got to what was really most important on his mind, being
introduced to his younger brother.
Considering that Benjamin was his full blood brother and not a half-brother must
have made them feel close. When you take into consideration how much competition
was going on in the family, I am sure that situation made Joseph feel that much
closer to Benjamin.
It had been so long since he has seen Benjamin that he was overcome with emotion
and had to leave the room. How closely connected are we to our siblings (if we
have them) or family members? When we get together do we feel pleased to see them
or are there unresolved issues in the way still? Let us work to rid ourselves of
issues that separate us from our family and from our God.
Testing Family Members.
Genesis 43: 31-34 “After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling
himself, said, "Serve the food." They served him by himself, the brothers by
themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians
could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. The men had been
seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest;
and they looked at each other in astonishment. When portions were served to them
from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's.
So they feasted and drank freely with him.” (NIV)
Here we find evidence that the Egyptians had some prejudice against the Hebrews
because it was ‘detestable’ to the Egyptians to eat with them. I don’t know why,
maybe they had bad table manners. We know that by the Book of Exodus this
prejudice became ruthless.
By now Joseph must have had an clear understanding that his father had treated
better than the rest of his brothers and that is why he ended up being sold as a
slave by them. In blessing Benjamin five times greater at this meal, Joseph was
testing his brothers to see how they’d react to Benjamin’s preferential treatment.
Apparently they didn’t complain about it and passed the test because the story
doesn’t record a negative reaction. On the other hand, they may have been use to
rationing their food for so long (because of the famine) that their portions
looked huge, so they didn’t notice Benjamin’s as being any larger.
I’m not advocating that this story is telling us to continually test our loved
ones to see if they really love us or not. That would be detrimental. Joseph had
some really dangerous brothers when he was younger and I believe that in his case
that Joseph had a legitimate reason to be very cautious.

It may be Wise at times to keep One’s Thoughts to Oneself.
Genesis 44: 1-13 “Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:
"Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's
silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of
the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as
Joseph said. As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their
donkeys. They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go
after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, `Why have
you repaid good with evil? Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses
for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.' " When he caught up with
them, he repeated these words to them. But they said to him, "Why does my lord say
such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even
brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths
of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? If
any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will
become my lord's slaves." "Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say.
Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free
from blame." Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with
the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. At this, they tore their
clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.” (NIV)
The brothers must have felt devastated when the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack
and they all had to turn around and head back to Egypt. They probably figured
that they were going to Egypt never to return to home and loved ones again. One
would guess that with a family as large as theirs, that one whole generation
wouldn’t that easily come to an end. Yet in their case that was what looked like
was going to happen.
I would think that after finding all their silver returned to them in their sacks
of grain on the previous trip that they would be hesitant in boasting that nothing
could possibly be found in their possession this time. For them to declare to
kill the one found with the cup and let the rest of us become slaves was foolhardy
even if they might have figured that it would be the eventual result. Personally
I wouldn’t want to give those with power over me any bad ideas.
Even today we declare many statements that we should not. At work there are those
that state bluntly that is ‘such and such’ happens I’ll quit. In our marriages
many will declare that if their spouse does ‘such and such’ that the marriage is
over. In our personal lives we will even say that if ‘such and such’ happens I’ll
kill myself. We back our co-workers, bosses, loved ones and even ourselves in a
corner when we say such things. Sometimes it is wise to just keep silent.
Responding to Corruption.
Genesis 44: 14-34 “Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came
in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, "What
is this you have done…?" "What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "…How can
we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my
lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." But
Joseph said, "…Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.
The rest of you, go back to your father in peace." Then Judah went up to him and
said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord…Now then, please
let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the
boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not
with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father." (NIV)
Judah ‘put his money where his mouth was’. He honestly requested to take
Benjamin’s place as a slave so that Benjamin could return to his father and that
his father would not suffer the boy’s loss. Judah had changed (as well as the
rest of his brothers). His father now showed the same kind of favoritism to
Benjamin that he had once showed to Joseph, yet Judah did not have the same ill
will towards it that he had once had. Judah was willing to let this favoritism
continue and sacrifice his freedom to insure that it did continue.
Favoritism surrounds us today in many forms. We find it in our families, we find

it in our governments and we find it in our work place. The question is “How will
we react to it?” Will we in turn respond with evil for this unfairness or can we
rise above it? If our family, our government or our work place has corruption in
it, do we respond by becoming corrupt also? Do we give up eternal life because of
it?
Surprise, Surprise, and Surprise.
Genesis 45: 1-3 “Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his
attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no
one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly
that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. Joseph said
to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were
not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.” (NIV)
When Joseph was convinced that his brothers had changed, that their characters
were generally more loving and could be trusted, he exposed his true identity to
them. The story records that he was very emotional which assures the reader that
he was not just a little cautiously happy to see them but that he was extremely
happy to be reunited with them.
Joseph was still not completely convinced that his brothers were telling him the
whole truth. Once he identified himself, he wanted to confirm that his father was
really still alive.
I can imagine that Joseph’s brothers would have been terrified of him now
considering that they were scared of him before he announced that he was their
brother. I’m not sure if I’d be pleased to find out that a brother of mine that I
had sold into foreign slavery was now the second most powerful man in the known
world. I’d be afraid for my life…very afraid.
It was God’s Plan.
Genesis 45: 4-15 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me…I am your
brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do
not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives
that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the
land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God
sent me ahead of you to…save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was
not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his
entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father…You shall
live in the region of Goshen and be near me--you, your children and grandchildren…
and all you have. I will provide for you there…Otherwise you and your household
and all who belong to you will become destitute."…Then he threw his arms around
his brother Benjamin and wept, and…he kissed all his brothers and wept over them.
Afterward his brothers talked with him.” (NIV)
First off I’d like to point out that by hiding his identity and observing his
brothers in secret, Joseph realized that his brothers were now ‘distressed’ and
‘angry’ with their decision years ago to sell him into slavery. They had truly
undergone a change in their characters while he was away in Egypt. This
definitely made it safe for him to invite them under the shelter of Egypt’s
borders. It wouldn’t have been wise to invite evil relatives into Egypt
considering his position of leadership.
Next Joseph reassured them that his being sold into Egyptian slavery was God’s
doing and not theirs. His understanding was that God did it to save their family.
Personally I’m not sure that it happened the way that Joseph saw it. Yes, God
could have influenced his brothers to mistreat him and sell him into slavery. Yet
again, maybe God intervened in their plans to murder Joseph and gave them the idea
to sell him into slavery instead. My opinion is that God took a bad situation
(Joseph being sold as a slave) and turned a bad event into something advantageous.
I don’t see God responsible for ‘every’ single bad thing that happens on Earth. I
see God transforming bad events that happen to us (in our sinful environment) into
positive outcomes.
Gifts and a Warning.
Genesis 45: 16-24 “When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers
had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph,
"Tell your brothers, `Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan,
and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of
the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.'…Take some carts from
Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come…" So the
sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he
also gave them provisions for their journey. To each of them he gave new clothing,
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.
And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of
Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for
his journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to
them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" (NIV)
I wonder if this Pharaoh was ever aware that Joseph and his father Jacob (Israel)
were direct descendants of a family that a previous Pharaoh had run out of Egypt
during an earlier famine (Gen.12: 10-20).
It is interesting that Pharaoh specifically mentioned for Joseph’s brothers to use

of some of Egypt’s carts. Using the carts must have been a luxury to have while
moving a long distance. The carts were probably considered the limousines and the
moving vans of their day.
I think it was quite humorous that after giving Benjamin and his father valuable
gifts that Joseph warned his brothers not to quarrel on their way back home.
Definitely his brothers had overcome much of their jealous tendencies, but he
probably suspected that they still had a ways to go yet.
Good News, Confession and Death.
Genesis 45: 25-28 “So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in
the land of Canaan. They told him, "Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of
all Egypt." Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him
everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to
carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, "I'm
convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."
(NIV)
I don’t know how I would react if I had a child who I believed was dead for years
and suddenly learned that he or she was now a leader in a foreign country. I
guess that if the rest of my children said it was so and a (foreign) state
limousine was waiting outside my home to take me to a state jet to travel to see
them, I guess I’d be pretty convinced it was so.
I would guess that this would be the time that Joseph’s brothers would have had to
tell Jacob (Israel) of their cruel act of selling Joseph into slavery. I would
suppose (at this moment in the story) that Jacob was more joyful to hear that
Joseph was alive then angry with what his sons had done to Joseph.
My last observation would be on Jacob’s comment about being able to see his son
before he died. As we get older, planning twenty or thirty years into the future
isn’t realistic anymore. Our eventual death becomes more and more apparent to us
because we start running out of time. Our plans eventually are viewed in the
context of what we are going to do before we die. Our relationship with God is
our only hope of surviving past death.
Beersheba and Church.
Genesis 46: 1-4 “So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached
Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to
Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied.
"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to
Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with
you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your
eyes.” (NIV)
Beersheba was a special place to Jacob (Israel) and his family. Both his father
Isaac and his grandfather Abraham made treaties with King Abimelech at this spot.
Abraham planted a tree here and Isaac dug a well here. The most significant thing
about this place is that Jacob’s father Isaac talked to God at Beersheba. I
believe that Jacob did not wish to leave and go to Egypt without God’s permission
or blessing. He most likely came to worship at Beersheba in hopes that God would
give him direction.
Jacob went to Beersheba to worship God. Why do we go to church? Do we go there
to worship God? Is church as meaningful to us as Beersheba was to Jacob? When we
worship God do we expect Him to respond to us? What do you expect out of your
church worship and your individual worship time?
The Children of Israel.
Genesis 46: 5-27 “Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father
Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to
transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they
had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. He took
with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters--all
his offspring…All those who went to Egypt with Jacob--those who were his direct
descendants, not counting his sons' wives--numbered sixty-six persons. With the
two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family,
which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.” (NIV)
Went Jacob (also named Israel) settled in Egypt, he had seventy blood relatives.
That is a lot of offspring! That number does not include his son’s wives and all
his servants. When Jacob moved into Egypt, it was an event (well maybe a minor
event). I can imagine two Egyptians talking. One asks, “Who are all those
people?” The other replies, “Those are the Children of Israel!”
Privilege, Respect and a Dream.
Genesis 46: 28-30 “Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions
to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made
ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared
before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Israel
said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are
still alive." (NIV)
I wonder if it was because of Judah’s request to become a slave in place of his

brother Benjamin (Gen. 44: 33, 34) that Jacob gave Judah the privilege of going to
the palace and asking Joseph for directions. He was probably given the privilege
of going in his father’s place as head of the family.
Another perspective could be that Jacob did not go to the palace to ask for
directions so that he would not have to go to his son but that Joseph would have
to come to his father for their reunion. All in all Jacob was probably doing his
son a favor in giving Joseph a chance of showing his father respect before all
Egypt. The second most powerful person in the land is coming to present himself
before his father.
Everyone may have something that they would like to accomplish before they die.
It could be realistic or unrealistic. For Jacob (Israel) what he most wanted to
do was to see his beloved son Joseph one more time before he died and tell him how
much he loved him. Unlike many people with their wishes, Jacob got his. The
question must be asked, “What do we wish to do most before we die?” What are we
doing to accomplish that dream?
Manure and Menial Labor.
Genesis 46: 31-34 “Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household,
"I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, `My brothers and my
father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The
men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks
and herds and everything they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, `What is
your occupation?' you should answer, `Your servants have tended livestock from our
boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the
region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians." (NIV)
I’ve never come across this question before. Why did the Egyptians find the job
of being a shepherd detestable? The King James Bible uses the word ‘abomination’.
Apparently there was something undesirable about caring for animals. I get the
feeling that the Egyptians (at this time in history) all desired to be high-class
city dwellers and didn’t want to get their hands dirty with menial labor.
Personally I am a little sympathetic with their view if that was really their
objection. I’ve never been too keen on shoveling manure. Even when I had a pet
dog I really didn’t like the task of scooping up dog poop every single day.
Although my father was raised on a farm, he didn’t pass on the love of animal care
to me.
Although I have artistic skills and have painted pictures most of my life, I’ve
made a living working as a custodian doing janitorial work. I’ve scrubbed floors
and cleaned toilets most of my life. When I had to go out looking for work, I
didn’t identify myself as an artist because my family would have starved. I never
really enjoyed being a custodian but I had a lot of experience as one and
employers love workers with experience (I was good at my job too). Although
Joseph’s brothers surely had other skills that they were more proud of, Joseph
wanted them to be sure to identify themselves as shepherds to be assured that they
would be sent to where the best land was in Egypt, the land of Goshen. Sometimes
we have to set our egos aside.
Compliment or Not?
Genesis 47: 3-6 “Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your
servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." They
also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe
in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your
servants settle in Goshen." Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your
brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father
and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if
you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own
livestock." (NIV)
Since the job of shepherding animals was “detestable” to the Egyptians, I wonder
if Pharaoh’s request for Joseph to place some of his brothers in charge of
Pharaoh’s livestock was a compliment. They ended up settling in the best land in
Egypt but their occupation was not the best occupation as seen through Egyptian
eyes. If all of Joseph’s family and their descendants ended up willing to do
‘all’ of the Egyptian’s dirty work (as the years went by), then I can see how they
would end up in a position to be perceived as second class citizens and people to
be enslaved.
So Little Time.
Genesis 47: 7-10 “Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before
Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" And
Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My
years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the
pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his
presence.” (NIV)
When I was younger, time seemed to drag and some days seemed to go on forever.
Now that I am older, days speed on so fast that on day seem to overlap the
previous one. I get the feeling that adults find that there is never enough time
to accomplish all the things that they wish to do. Jacob was one hundred and
thirty years old and felt that he had he had live a short life so far.
I believe that the phrase “pilgrimage of my fathers” refers to Abraham and Isaac
and God’s promise to make their family line a great nation. This promise had
played out for quite awhile now and Jacob’s life was just another small chapter in
God’s plan.
What are we doing with the time allotted to us? We have so little of it to spend.
Are we spending any of it with God? Are we spending time on unimportant trifles
or on what is truly important?
Exotic Vacation.
Genesis 47: 11, 12 “So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and
gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as
Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his
father's household with food, according to the number of their children.” (NIV)
Joseph provided food and shelter in Egypt’s most desirable area during the famine.
Today in many ways we’d call that a “paid vacation” in an exotic location. Of
course they still had to supervise their servants who cared for their flocks.
Blatant Government Corruption
Genesis 47: 13-25 “There was no food, however, in the whole region because the
famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph
collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for
the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. When the money
of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said,
"Give us food…Our money is used up." "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph…So
they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food…they came to him the
following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that…there is
nothing left…Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will
be in bondage to Pharaoh…" So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh…The
land became Pharaoh's, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of
Egypt to the other. However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they
received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment
Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. Joseph said to the
people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed
for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of
it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as
food for yourselves and your households and your children." "You have saved our
lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in
bondage to Pharaoh." (NIV)
I am unsure if it was Pharaoh’s idea or if it was Joseph’s idea, but I believe

that selling the people’s food back to them was very unfair. During the seven
years of plenty, a fifth of the people’s harvest was taken from them (Gen. 41:34-
36). The people should have only been expected to pay the administration cost.
The cost of collecting, storing and then redistributing their own food should not
have bankrupted Egypt’s population when it was sold back to them. The people may
not have complained because when you are starving you are not going to hassle with
the only person who can save your life. This was not right! The citizens of
Egypt were taken advantage of. This looks like a clear case of blatant government
corruption.
I Cross My Heart and Hope to Die.
Genesis 47: 28-31 “Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life
were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he
called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes,
put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and
faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me
out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." "I will do as you say," he said.
"Swear to me," he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he
leaned on the top of his staff.” (NIV)
A lot of us are choosy about where our remains will be located after we are dead.
Apparently Jacob (Israel) wanted to be buried with family. Having Joseph, the
second most powerful man in the land, promise to bury him in a certain spot, Jacob
probably figured that his request would be carried out.
Placing one’s hand under a person’s thigh while making a promise must have
signified that this was a serious promise. Jacob’s grandfather Abraham used it
(Gen. 24: 1-4). It was probably similar to the oath I remember as a child, “I
cross my heart and hope to die!”
Jacob Adopts Joseph’s Two Sons.
Genesis 48: 1-6 “Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took
his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, "Your son
Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. Jacob
said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and
there he blessed me and said to me, `I am going to make you fruitful and will
increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give
this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.' "Now then,
your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as
mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any
children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they
will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.” (NIV)
Jacob (Israel) reassures Joseph and Joseph’s two sons of God’s promise. Even
though Jacob and all of his sons were in a foreign land and doing pretty well, God
had promised to make the family a great nation and a specific land was given to
them. Basically Jacob is saying to Joseph, “We have a God given future and our
stay in Egypt is only temporary.”
Jacob wants to make sure that Joseph’s two sons are part of God’s promise to him,
so he adopts Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as his own. You could say that
at this time there were not twelve (12) tribes of Israel but fourteen (14) tribes.
Later when the twelve tribes are listed in chapters one and thirteen in the book
of Numbers, we find two of Jacob’s sons, Levy and Joseph, missing. The two tribes
of Manasseh and Ephraim ended up representing Joseph and the tribe of Levy ended
up serving God as priests. In fact God claimed the tribe of Levy as His own
(Numbers 3: 11-13).
Shepherd and Angel.
Genesis 48: 15, 16 “Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my
fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to
this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm--may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and
may they increase greatly upon the earth." (NIV)
Considering that Jacob had been in the business of being a shepherd all of this
life, he knew what he was saying when he referred to God as being his shepherd.
Jacob had cared for his flocks, making sure that they were healthy, fed and
protected, and Jacob acknowledged that God watched over him the same way.
It is my understanding that the word ‘angel’ means ‘messenger’. Truly Jacob knew
that God existed because he had received messages from God. Not only had he had
personal contact with God but also had his father and his grandfather.
For the Christian today, God is still actively watching over us whether we are
aware of it or not. If we have seen evidence of God’s shepherding presence, let
us respond to Him with gratitude. Although we may not have experienced a face to
face encounter with God, we can find much needed comfort and encouragement from
God’s messages and wisdom that are left for us in the Bible.
“Nothing is Guaranteed but Death and Taxes”.
Genesis 48: 10-19 “Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could
hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him…And Joseph took both of them,
Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward
Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his
right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing
his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the
firstborn…But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will
become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother
will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations."
(NIV)
Apparently when the firstborn was blessed and given the greater blessing, the
father’s right hand was used to do this. I do not know if God had directed Jacob
to switch the greater blessing to Joseph’s youngest son or if Jacob had made this
decision on his own. It is interesting to note that it was Jacob who received the
firstborn’s blessing from his father although he was the youngest.
Like Joseph’s firstborn, Manasseh, we may expect our lives to unfold one way and
yet they unfold another. All I can say is that we have to depend upon God to get
us through those times. “Nothing is guaranteed but death and taxes.”
Conflict, Acquired Land and Inheritance.
Genesis 48: 21, 22 “Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will
be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you, as one who
is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my
sword and my bow." (NIV)
I would suspect that Jacob (Israel) had already at some previous point in his life
divided all his land among his eleven (11) sons believing that Joseph was dead.
Maybe after this distribution of land Jacob had an armed conflict with the
Amorites. This conflict made it possible for Jacob to deed this newly acquired
land to Joseph. I don’t believe the details of this conflict between Jacob and
the Amorites are found recorded in the book of Genesis.
Knowing the Future.
Genesis 49: 1, 2 “Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can
tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, sons of
Jacob; listen to your father Israel.” (NIV)
Jacob (Israel) was close to death. Sometime after he had adopted and blessed
Joseph’s two sons, he called his sons together to bless them. Jacob’s blessings
were going to give them some insights into what their futures were going to be.
Even though the book of Genesis does not record it, I believe that sometime before
calling his sons together, Jacob must have had an encounter with God and God
revealed to him something of the future.
It is possible that Jacob knew his sons well enough that it was possible for him
to have a pretty good idea as to what paths his sons would take in life after he
had died and his blessings reflected that insight. At 55 years old, I have a
pretty good idea where my established character will lead me and I am not
comfortable with that vision. It is one of the many reasons that I desperately
feel my need for God’s wisdom, power and guidance in my life.
A question we can all ask ourselves is, “What is the probable course of my life
and do I want God in my life to change it?” If we need some assistance, we can
ask our parents for some insight, if we are blessed to still have them with us.
Constant Turmoil and Failure.
Genesis 49: 3, 4 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my
strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you
will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and
defiled it.” (NIV)
I am sure that as a father Jacob was proud and joyful when his first son was born.
He probably saw it as an indication that he would have many more sons and a
successful family. When Jacob referred to Ruben as his “might”, he was probably
referring to the fact that as the oldest son Jacob relied upon him a lot to get
things accomplished in the family business. Reuben was strong and dependable.
Jacob probably viewed him as his ‘foreman’ or his ‘sergeant’.
Despite his good qualities, Jacob describes Reuben as being “turbulent” and he
foretold that Reuben’s success in life was not going to continue. The ‘good
times’ were over! I’ve had acquaintances similar to Reuben. With a person like
this, no matter where they are or what circumstances they are in, there is always
some kind of an uproar when they are around. They seem to be able to cause stress
for everybody. For example, when Reuben had sex his father’s concubine, I am sure
that caused a lot of ‘turbulence’ in the family (Gen. 35:22).
Turbulent people seem to do well during the first part of their life but the
emotional turmoil and drama that follows them where ever they go eventual catches
up with them. Failure ‘dramatically’ strikes in at least in some portion of their
life. Their career falls apart, their marriage fails, they find themselves
isolated without friends or even family, etc. Our lives are reliant upon other
people and other people normally will only put up with constant turmoil for
awhile.
Here Today and Gone Tomorrow.
Genesis 49: 5-7 "Simeon and Levi are brothers--their swords are weapons of
violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for
they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be
their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.” (NIV)
Simeon and Levi were cruel men who were easily angered. They were the two
brothers who killed all the men in the city of Shechem (Gen. 34:25). Apparently
their violence and cruelty extended to animals also. These would be two people
who you would not want to accidentally offend or be neighbors with, if you did it
would be at your own personal risk. Although Jacob’s offspring would become a
great nation, Jacob foretold that Simeon and Levi’s family lines would eventually
be absorbed by this nation and become indistinct.
Anger and cruelty are not Godly virtues, let us beware of these character traits
developing in our lives. They ruin relationships and are easily embraced by both
men and women. Anger and cruelty can be displayed not only in our actions but
also in our words.
“The Scepter will not Depart”.
Genesis 49: 8-12 "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the
neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you…Like a lion he
crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him? The scepter will
not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes
to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his
donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in
wine, his robes in the blood of grapes…” (NIV)
I claim to be neither a scholar of world history nor Biblical prophecy. Therefore

the statements that I make below are only those of an amateur and not ‘carved in
stone’.
Of all the tribes of Israel (Jacob), only Judah has survived as a distinct group
and the Jewish nation remains today. It is possible that the phrase “until he
comes…” refers to the Second Coming of Christ. If this is correct, the Jewish
nation shall continue to exist as a nation until the end of this world as we know
it.
Apparently the reference to Judah being tethered to the choicest wine branch means
that the nation will also continue to prosper until ‘the end’, even if it’s
prosperity is dependant upon it’s connection to another nation(s). At this time
‘as I understand it’, the United States and Israel are pretty close partners in
the political world and Israel receives quite a bit of financial aid and support
because of it.
Living on the Coast.
Genesis 49:13 "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his
border will extend toward Sidon.” (NIV)
Considering the negative predictions that his father gave to his brothers Reuben,
Simeon and Levi, I bet you that Zebulun was relieved that what his father foretold
about his future was ‘short and sweet’.
I wonder if Zebulun’s interest in the ships and waterborne commerce started after
his move to Egypt and Egypt’s location on the Nile River. At least somewhere
along the line Zebulun or his offspring became interested in the seashore and
ships. I’ve spent sometime on the California coast and can attest to it’s allure.
I found living on the coast is very enjoyable.
Compromise and Slavery.

Genesis 49: 14, 15 "Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two
saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his
land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.” (NIV)
An alternate translation for “rawboned” in the NIV is “strong”. Apparently

Issachar and his offspring were capable of physically ‘getting the job done’ or
lending a needed hand when it came to hard brute force work, but only if it seemed
worth it. Issachar is probably similar to many of us, if the reward is desirable
enough; we’ll ‘roll up our sleeves’ and get to work.
I wonder if this statement suggests the tribe of Issachar’s motivation to yield to

Egyptian slavery. The pleasant comfortable Egyptian life may have seemed like a
reasonable compromise at the time for becoming ‘forced labor’. If that was the
case for Issachar and his offspring, then maybe we can be wary of the same
mistake. Compromise is dangerous. For example, compromising Godly moral values
can result in our becoming imprisoned and enslaved by sin, much like becoming
addicted to illegal drugs. Let us beware of what we are willing to sell our souls
for.
“The Bigger They are, the Harder They Fall.”
Genesis 49: 16, 17 "Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes
of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that
bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward.” (NIV)
When I read this a saying came to mind, “The bigger they are, the harder they
fall.” Apparently Dan and his descendents would not be afraid to take on people
and situations larger than themselves to demand compensation. The wording of the
text suggests that they would be successful at getting justice or ‘dealing out
justice’. Jacob was probably foretelling that Dan’s offspring were going to make
successful lawyers, vigilantes, patriots and terrorists.
Raiders, Food and Beautiful Children.
Genesis 49: 19-21 "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack
them at their heels. Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit
for a king. Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.” (NIV)
Jacob didn’t have a lot to say when he foretold the futures of his next three
sons, so I’ll comment on them all at one time. If I had to choose among the
three, I think I’d prefer to be a member of the tribe of Naphtali.
Gad was warned about a specific attack. I would guess that the saying “Forewarned
is forearmed” applies here. Most likely this raid was foretold so that Gad would
be ready for the attack in the future to minimize its devastation. I would guess
“he will attack them at their heels” could mean that Gad would run the raiders
‘out of town’ after their attempt.
Apparently Asher’s interest and ability in preparing meals would paid off ‘big
time’ in his future…that is if his customers are as rich as his food. I wonder
what his ‘signature’ meal was? Unfortunately it probably wasn’t pizza.
Naphtali was probably both athletic and graceful with beautiful children
(descendants).
Blessings and Protection.
Genesis 49: 22-26 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose
branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at
him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock
of Israel, because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty,
who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that
lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father's blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his
brothers.” (NIV)
Jacob foretold that Joseph would be prosperous in the midst of adversity. His
blessings and survival was dependent upon God, God the Shepherd, God the Rock, the
God of his fathers and God the Almighty. Blessings would come to Joseph from ‘the
heavens’ and from ‘the deep’. One could say that God was going to ‘sandwich’
Joseph with blessings and protection.
I find these examples of God heartening. God depicted as our shepherd is

comforting because it illustrates that God is always watching out after us. He
always ‘has our back’. The image of God as a Rock declares that God is stable and
resilient. Probably a lot of us feel the need for stability in our lives. “Your
father’s God” reminds us that God is constant and real. We have a background (a
family history) with God and evidence (reassurance) that He is truly there
watching over us. God is ‘Almighty”. There is nothing that the Creator can not
accomplish for us. Hey, if He created the world, He is capable of accomplishing
our salvation…even in this sinful mess.
Devourer and a Plunderer.
Genesis 49: 27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder." (NIV)
I’m not sure that this is a positive prediction of Benjamin’s future. If I was
considering moving into a new neighbor and someone defined one of my next-door
neighbors in this way, I would be reluctant to settle my family there. I fear
that Benjamin was a spoiled child who grew up to be a spoiled adult and had
similar descendents. I fear that Benjamin was a person who determined to get what
he wanted and always wanted more. I’m not sure I’d like to be depicted as a
devourer and a plunderer. Benjamin sounded like a pirate.
Death and God’s Promises.

Genesis 49: 33 “When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew
his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.” (NIV)
A straightforward understanding of the text would suggest that ‘as soon as’ Jacob
finished blessing his sons and instructing them where he wished to be buried, he
laid back down into bed and died. I am fairly unfamiliar with the death and the
dying process and will not argue against this perspective. Yet it is possible,
considering that the stories in the Bible are in condensed form, that Jacob got
back into bed and died, lets say, several hours later.
God promised Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, his father Isaac and himself that the
family would become a great nation and yet Jacob nor his grandfather and his
father saw the promise come to pass. They all died having faith that God would
keep His promise, which we know that historically He did.
Every Christian dies with the promise from God that He will resurrect them and
bring them back to life at the Second Coming of Christ (John 14:3, Acts 1:9-11, 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18). Do we have faith in God’s promise similar to that of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? As we face death do we despair or do we trust that God
will keep His promise to us?
Soliciting a Court Official.
Genesis 50: 4, 5 “When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's
court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, `My
father made me swear an oath and said, "I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I
dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now let me go up and bury my father; then I
will return.' " (NIV)
Although Joseph was the most powerful authority next to Pharaoh in Egypt just
before and during the famine, after the famine we find that he could not address
Pharaoh directly. He had to solicit a court official to relay his request to
Pharaoh. It is possible that Pharaoh always had officials to isolate himself from
everyone, but I suspect that during the famine Joseph and Pharaoh were a lot
closer. As I see it, the famine was over and Pharaoh saw Joseph as not being as
important anymore to the country.
Joseph went from being the most important son in his father’s family to a
forgotten slave in an Egyptian prison. He then went from prison to the second
most important person in the country and surrounding countries. After the famine
was over Joseph probably found his popularity and power starting to fade again.
Through all of this, Joseph’s personal strength came from his relationship with in
God. No matter what our position is upon this earth, rich or poor, popular or
despised, powerful or lacking any authority, we all equally desperately need a
close relationship with God.
It’s Your Funeral.
Genesis 50: 6-9 “Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear
to do." So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied
him--the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt-- besides all
the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his
father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in
Goshen. Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.”
(NIV)
Considering Joseph’s rank among the Egyptians, it is not surprising that his
father’s funeral was a big event. Our own funerals are the only event that we
will all attend but will never be able to appreciate…because we are dead. I am
sure that Jacob never could have imagined that all the state officials and
dignitaries of Egypt would show up to his funeral the day that, as a young man, he
left home fleeing for his life in fear that his twin brother Esau was going to
kill him. It just goes to show that we never know how we’ll end up in life.
Currently I am caring for my father who is 88 years old. It is a full-time job.

Frequently he thanks me for tending to him his needs. At times I remind him that
he should thank himself because if he had not been a good father and had treated
me poorly, I would not be here caring for him now.
My point…how likeable are we really? Are we living our lives in such a way that
anyone will wish to attend our funeral? Have you ever wondered what they may say
about you at your memorial service…that is if anyone is willing to show up for it?
I Believe God is Capable of Tears.
Genesis 50: 15-17 “When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they
said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the
wrongs we did to him?" So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left
these instructions before he died: `This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask
you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating
you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your
father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.” (NIV)
Joseph had forgiven his brothers for mistreating him and selling him into slavery.
Although there is some evidence that he favored his little brother and father,
still he went out of his way to look after the welfare of his brothers and their
families, showing them that he loved them.
Personally I have a difficult time believing that Joseph’s father actually left
those instructions before he died. I think it was fabricated, a lie. I am sure
that the brothers were hoping that if Joseph believed that the request for mercy
came from his beloved father then Joseph would be more inclined to be merciful and
forgiving.
Whatever the situation leading up to this message, Joseph mournfully cried when he
received the their message. He truly loved his brothers and had forgiven them
years ago, yet for all his good intentions and efforts, his brothers still doubted
it.
Many Christians (myself included) have a lot in common with Joseph’s brothers.
When we ask God to forgive our rebellious actions, much of the time we are unsure
that we are forgiven. We have doubts and end up asking to be forgiven for the
same thing over and over again. This can in some situations go on for years. As
in Joseph’s situation, it’s got to be disappointing to God. I believe God is
capable of tears.
Being Harsh and Judgmental verses being Reassuring and Kind.
Genesis 50: 18-20 “His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.
"We are your slaves," they said. But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I
in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to
accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be
afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke
kindly to them.” (NIV)
I like Joseph’s attitude towards his brothers. Although he has great governmental
authority over them, he sees himself equal with his brothers. How many times have
we witnessed good intending Christians (or ourselves) acting as if they are
performing in God’s place? Sometimes our words and actions go too far, taking on
authority that only is God’s. We find ourselves becoming harsh, demanding and
judgmental with our fellow church members, our co-workers, our neighbors and our
family. Sometimes we mask our abuse under the veil of righteous indignation. Let
us be wary of taking God’s place.
Joseph still thought it necessary for the family to stay in Egypt because either
the famine was still taking place or the country was having a difficult time
recovering from the famine. Either way it still was not safe to leave the
protection of Egypt that Joseph was providing for the family.
Notice: It is more that likely that Jacob died shortly after he arrived in Egypt,
the famine was still happening and Joseph still had all of the power that Pharaoh
originally bestowed upon him, therefore my blog “Soliciting a Court Official”
written on 05-27-08 is very likely in error.
One last point, Joseph’s brothers were mistaken that Joseph could possibly hold a
grudge against them that prompted them to make their request for mercy. We all
make mistakes. We make them all the time. I would suggest that we act similarly
as Joseph did and act kindly and give reassurance to those who have done us wrong
and may be tempted to be apprehensive around us.
God Will Surely Come to Your Aid.
Genesis 50: 22-26 “Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He
lived a hundred and ten years…Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to
die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the
land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of
Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you
must carry my bones up from this place." So Joseph died at the age of a hundred
and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.” (NIV)
It looks to me like things had already started to go poorly for the children of
Jacob (Israel) even before Joseph died. Apparently the political and social
situation that had developed through their years in Egypt had now made it
difficult for the Children of Israel to leave, so difficult that it would take the
“aid” of God to get them out. The promise referred to is first found in Genesis
15: 13, 14. God told Abraham that his descendants would be “enslaved and
mistreated four hundred years…afterward they will come out…”
Like Joseph most likely we, who are living as I write this, will die before we see
God’s promise to us fulfilled. The promise I am referring to is the Second Coming
of Christ (John 14:3, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Similar to the
Children of Israel in Egypt, we are trapped in a sinful environment that we can
not get out of without the “aid” of God. Rest assured that God will keep his
promise and we will see the ‘Promised Land’.

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The Complete Collection

PERRY ‘CURTIS’ MCCLUSKY

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-08-07

A Plural God and A Plural Mankind.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-09-07

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-10-07

Creative God and Creative Mankind.

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The Original Diet.

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The End of Creation Holiday.

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Dust, Breath and Life.

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Mankind’s Original Employment.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-15-07

Temptation in the Garden.

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The Bonding of Marriage.

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Naming the Animals.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-18-07

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-19-07.

Lies and Half-Truths.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-20-07.

Naked and Exposed.

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Blame and Ignorance.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-22-07

The Reason why Bullies are Present.

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Desire, Pain and Power.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-24-07

Providing for the Family.

Throughout history, generally it has been the husband’s responsibility to provide

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-25-07

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-26-07.

The Tree of Life.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-27-07

Banished from the Garden.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-28-07

Sacrifices before the Time of Moses.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 09-30-07

Murder and Mercy.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-01-07

The City of a Wanderer.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-02-07

Cain, the Roll Model.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-03-07

In His Own Likeness.

Why am I settling for Less?

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-05-07

Labor and Painful Toil before the Flood.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-06-07

Be Content with Your Life Today.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-07-07

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-08-07

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Destroying the Animals.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-10-07

A Good Christian and a Good Neighbor.

Myspace Bible Journal Blog: 10-11-07

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