Very Late Post

We had some more medical drama on Monday, my brother in law had a 15 hour surgery a couple of weeks ago to remove a cancerous tumor. He became short of breath Monday, turns out he had multiple blood clots in both lungs and a saddle clot in the bronchial tubes as a result of the surgery. Because of the surgery, the doctor could not treat them in the normal manner. The doctor wheeled Hal from his office to the ER. Hal has since been moved from ICU to a regular room and may be home tomorrow. As a result of all this, I forgot to post my week's thoughts on the Psalms we read.

Psalm 83:4 "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation,that the name of Israel be remembered no more." --- we still see people with the same intent today and Israel was not a nation for many, many years...astounding...

Psalm 83:18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. --- I pray those who hate Israel and the Lord, find out He is Lord before it's too late for them.

Psalm 86:10-13 I think these are some of the greatest words ever spoken to us by God:

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. --- one day I will really remain/abide/rest in Him while still on earth...John knew how to really rest in Him...I want that too...

Psalm 98:1-2 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. --- I really believes this proves He makes Himself known to all people...because His mercy is too great not to reveal Himself to all people.

Psalm 121 - Dad's fav...ready it cried...love it, cannot discuss it yet...

Psalm 143:1-2 O LORD, hear my prayer,listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. --- comforting words to me, I fall short, we all fall short...Jesus makes us righteous, it's not something we can achieve on our own.

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will,for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. --- my prayer for myself

Psalm 144:1-2 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. --- He has prepared me, why do I constantly try to do it my way instead of His way???

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. ---Who do I fellowship and keep company with???

Psalm 36:5-6 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. ---One of my Siesta Memory Verses

Psalm 37:4-7 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD;trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. ---Words to live by - Delight in Him!!!

Psalm 39:1 I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence." --- how many times have I told myself to keep my mouth shut and not involve myself in a conversation only to open it and speak....I would be rich if I had a dime for every time I did it...

Psalm 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. ---In Jesus we have the Rock, a firm place to stand...

Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. --- our future home...with God

Psalm 73:2-5 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. --- how many Christians have felt like this at one time or another?

Psalm 84:1-2 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. --- I am singing...

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory,because of your love and faithfulness. --- Oh yes Lord, may the glory always ALWAYS be Yours, may we never seek it for ourselves.

Psalm 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens. ---this verse thrills my spirit man.

Psalm 19:1-3 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. --- One of my Siesta Memory Verses

Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. --- as a teen, I purposely misconstrued this verse to further my bad behavior...

Psalm 27:1, 4 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?; One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. --- I love these verses...

Psalm 29:11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. --- my 1st Siesta Memory Verse of the year...

Blessings to all of you!

WOW

So much to say, so little time...

In the psalms we read last week, we read the words: Fortess, Rock, Shield, Vindicate, Hear me several times. When something is written in the Word more than once, I feel we need to pause on it.

In today's world we hear people try to find vindication through many means but rarely through the Lord. We hear people air dirty laundry on talk shows in an attempt to sway people to their side.

David knew to ask the Lord for vindication and so should we. Even if we never see vindication here on earth, it is He Who vindicates us, He knows the truth.

David experienced all kinds of situations in His life...and he knew Who to address for help. I pray I seek the Lord 1st always and not as plan B.

I leave you with these words:
Psalm 35
Of David.
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.

3 Brandish spear and javelin [a]
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."

4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.

5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away;

6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,

8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and delight in his salvation.

10 My whole being will exclaim,
"Who is like you, O LORD ?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them."

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.

12 They repay me evil for good
and leave my soul forlorn.

13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14 I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.

15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.
They slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked [b] ;
they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise you.

19 Let not those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
let not those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.

20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.

21 They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we have seen it."

22 O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent.
Do not be far from me, O Lord.

23 Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;
do not let them gloat over me.

25 Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!"
or say, "We have swallowed him up."

26 May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27 May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, "The LORD be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of his servant."

28 My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of your praises all day long.

Psalm 51 & Psalm 105

Last week we heard David's words as he praised the Lord for delivering him from Saul's clutches. A beautiful psalm filled with joy and praise. David had a mountaintop experience. This week we read Psalm 51...David, like us came back to the real world and was no longer on top of the mountain...we come back from retreats standing on the mountain...we experience answered prayer and we are on top of the mountain...and then we may not be home for 5 minutes and we have sinned and are amazed we are standing in a valley...

David cries out to the Lord for forgiveness, he commited adultery and murder, we may say I WOULD never do that...well it doesn't matter because sin is sin is sin is sin, we do commit sins just not murder and adultery...

In Psalm 51 we see David's heart cry...every verse is so rich, David cried:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Can you imagine being cast from the presence of the Lord? Can you imagine losing the Holy Spirit? Thankfully through the Blood of the Lamb, confession and repentence we are not cast from the presence of the Lord, we do not lose the Holy Spirit.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

The Lord does not want Old Testament sacrifices, He wants us to remain humble, He wants our hearts to remain soft and tender towards Him and others. We cannot afford to get into the self mode and live for ourselves and not for Him.

In Psalm 105, we see the praise once again, just as David was restored, we are restored through the Blood of the Lamb...we are New Covenant Girls!

1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

4 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

David restated the facts, God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he listed the deeds the Lord had done in Egypt, He talked about the Lord giving Israel the Promised Land, and ended with praise. A great way for us to pray. Confessing what the Lord has done for us as we pray builds our faith.

Let us praise the Lord!

Ps 18

This is not exactly the post I intended, for the 2nd time in a little over a week, we have had such heavy rains (over an inch an hour) that the gutters and drains could not keep up with it...water rose over the threshold and came into our sun room. Clorox is my friend. This time it did not cover the baseboards but it created quite a mess.

David's sense of timing and what needed to be done always amazes me. In I Sam 26 we read:

So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.

Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice."

But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go."

So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.

I think in my zeal, being caught up in the moment, or doing my will in Jesus' Name, I would have done the thing and "finished" the job. David is filled with the Lord's wisdom and stops Abishai from killing Saul.

The text this week shows us so much. I want to share a few verses from PS 18 which struck me, I am using the Holman Bible:

32 God—He clothes me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer
and sets me securely on the heights.

34 He trains my hands for war;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand upholds me,
and Your humility exalts me.

36 You widen [a place] beneath me for my steps,
and my ankles do not give way.

37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.

38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet.

39 You have clothed me with strength for battle;
You subdue my adversaries beneath me.


As New Covenant people, we see the correlation between these verses and the verses describing our armor in Eph 6. We are at war and He prepares and clothes us.

Also in Psalm 18, these verses grabbed me:

1 I love You, LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.

3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I was saved from my enemies.

Easter

Due to extra church services, family illness, and a trip to the ER in another town yesterday because my husband's 89 yr aunt was injured in a fall, I am behind in readings and posting.

I will be caught up hopefully by Wed or Thurs. and will have the posts up.

Hope everyone had a truly blessed Easter.

Post

My post will be up tomorrow. I slept most of Sunday afternoon instead of posting. Sorry for the delay.

Week 13, Deut. 29 - Joshua 19

When God promises us something, He means it - He does it. He promised the Israelites they would live in the land He gave them, the Promised Land. They had to follow Him to get there. It can be sooo difficult to follow Him, we usually begin the journey following Him and then somehow we decided consciously or unconsciously to take the lead and it is a disaster until we repent and follow Him.

In the story of Rahab and the spies, we see a visible sign of the covenant yet to come, the scarlet cord - a visible and physical symbol of God' protection and deliverance. The scarlet cord worked, but how much more we have in the Blood of Jesus - our Messiah, our Deliverer, our Healer, our Passover Lamb, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.

Let's give Him some praise!

Week 12, Deut 8 - Deut 28

So much of this week's readings concern knowing what the Lord said to the Israelites, reminding them to obey His commandments, and remove what is evil from their sight.

Chapter 8:1-3

"You must carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land the LORD swore to your fathers. Remember that the LORD your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

The Lord led us out of the wilderness into the promised land, we cannot possess what He has for us and continue to willfully sin at the same time. When we possess what He gives us, we are able to bless and advance the Kingdom. It's hard to be a blessing when we are dwelling at the bottom of the pit. When we possess the spiritual blessings He has for us, our prayer lives are empowered, our spiritual walks become more bold. In verse 4 we hear the very words Jesus uses as satan tempts Him, man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Chapter 9, when the Lord leads us across the Jordan, He goes before us, He is our banner, Jehovah Nisi, He takes care of the obstacles for us. We must follow Him, not take the lead in our rush to do things.

Verses 26 & 27,

26 I prayed to the LORD: Lord GOD , do not annihilate Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a strong hand. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Disregard this people's stubbornness, and their wickedness and sin.

This is the 1st time I noticed the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham are the Lord's inheritance. You and I are heirs of Abraham - we are His inheritance.

Chapter 10:9

For this reason, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God told him.

WOW - The Levites inheritance is the Lord. That's an inheritance!

verses 12 - 22:

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the LORD's commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good. The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the LORD your God, as does the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD was devoted to your fathers and loved them. He chose their descendants after them—[He chose] you out of all the peoples, as it is today. Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don't be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreign resident, giving him food and clothing. You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. You are to fear the LORD your God and worship Him. Remain faithful to Him and take oaths in His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome works your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt, 70 people in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.

The passage really sums up much of what the Lord wanted to instill in His people.

Chapter 11:13-21

"If you carefully obey My commands I am giving you today, to love the LORD your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land in season, the early and late rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil. I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied. Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the LORD is giving you. "Impress these words of Mine on your hearts and souls, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your fathers.

What more needs to be said about living for the Lord? He meets every need of His people as long as they serve Him. This passage further convicted me to hide more of His word in my heart. As a side note, much of what we read, makes it very clear the Promised Land was given by God to the Israelites. The land is theirs...I cannot help but wonder if God will bless countries whose governments advise Israel to carve up their land and give a portion to other people...

Chapter 12

The Lord is so clear about removing idols from our life. He wanted the Israelites to destroy the places in which idols were worshiped.

Chapter 14

11 "You may eat every clean bird, 12 but these are the ones you may not eat:
the eagle, the bearded vulture,the black vulture, 13 the kite, the various kinds of falcon, 14 every kind of raven, 15 the ostrich,the short-eared owl, the gull,
the various kinds of hawk,16 the little owl, the long-eared owl,the white owl, 17 the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, 18 the stork,the various kinds of heron,
the hoopoe, and the bat. 19 All winged insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten. 20 But you may eat every clean flying creature.

I gotta say - Not a problem.

The chapter goes on to remind us to give Him our tithe and to take care of those in need.

Chapter 15 - every 7 years debts are cancelled, can you imagine if the world operated like this today! Again His word tells us to help the poor.

Chapter 17 - we read about requirements for a king, after reading this passage and knowing the kings in Israel's future, we know many of them did not fit the bill:

14 "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, take possession of it, live in it, and say, 'We want to appoint a king over us like all the nations around us,' 15 you are to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people. 16 However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the LORD has told you, 'You are never to go back that way again. ' 17 He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won't go astray. He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself. 18 When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes. 20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue ruling many years over Israel.

Chapter 18

9 "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations. 10 No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, 11 cast spells, consult a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquire of the dead. 12 Everyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable things. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do this.

Not so long ago these practices were done in secret in America, now it's done right out in the open. This is no laughing matter to the Lord.

This week ends with us reading Chapter 28, blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The Lord wants so much to bless us so we can be a blessing. Let us really search our hearts this week and determine what we need to do to grow in Christ and let go of in our lives.

Week 11, Numbers 25 - Deut. 7

Numbers 25:

The Israelite men begin to sin with Moabite women and worship their idols. To me this is a lesson in letting the world around us creep into to our lives, 1 step at a time. The Lord became very angry and told Moses they must be killed and be exposed in daylight. 24,000 died. This type of sin must have been very out in the open because we see an Israelite man bringing a woman into camp:

6 Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; 9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

10 The LORD said to Moses, 11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

All it took was 1 man being zealous for the Lord's honour to turn His wrath away from the people. We never know what a difference one more prayer makes, what a difference 1 more person interceding makes. Keep praying, keep interceding - all it takes is 1 person.

Chap. 27: So many times I hear God doesn't care for women, He was indifferent to them through out the Old and New Testament. Of course I disagree with this wholeheartedly, in verse 1, we see He cares very much:

1 The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They approached 2 the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, 3 "Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. 4 Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives." 5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD 6 and the LORD said to him, 7 "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them.

Chap. 30 - The Lord has a lot to say about vows, vows no longer seem to mean much in society.

Chap 35:6 - The Lord always provides refuge, even when we sin:

6 "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.

Deut. 1-4 The recent history of the Israelites is reviewed, we see over and over again, the Lord calls us to be an obedient, holy people.

Deut. 5:

6 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

7 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me.

8 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

11 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

12 "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

16 "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

17 "You shall not murder.

18 "You shall not commit adultery.

19 "You shall not steal.

20 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

21 "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Reading the 10 Commandments makes us think it's so simple - I would never murder anyone, I would never cheat. Maybe those are not the sins we commit or ever will commit, but we are people and we commit sins. I have to repeat my motto: I am so glad I am a New Covenant Girl, that Jesus paid the price for me, by the shedding of His blood, our Father resurrecting Him from the grave for us. Live it out, walk by faith not sight, use your sound mind, do not let fear control your life - we are not a bunch of nothings, we are Blood bought, saved, transformed Daughters of the King!

Week 10, Numbers 7 to 24

Sorry this is a week late. I make notes in a spiral notebook and then post my thoughts. The notebook is MIA, I am bummed. I gave up and began using a new notebook, so I should find the lost notebook tonight after work...

In chapter 7, I find the various items which are offered to the Lord quite interesting. So different than what we offer today.

Chap. 8 - the Levites are set apart from the rest of Israel. They are consecrated to the Lord and are to live a holy life; just as Christians are set apart, we are in the world but not of the world. Can people see the difference in us? We are not to be self righteous or legalistic, but a loving, holy people. We are a part of the Body of Christ, not The Holier Than Thou Club.

Chap. 9 - The Israelites would encamp and set out according to where the cloud was located. They had an outward and visible sign of the Lord's will for them. Part of me thinks wow, what if we had that, the other part knows even with the glory cloud, we would still sin, still get it wrong, etc.

Chap. 10 - The Lord tells the people what the sounds of the trumpets mean, they knew if the leaders were being called, if the entire community was being called, if they were going into battle. Just think, if we are alive the day Jesus returns, we will hear the trumpet and know what it means.

Chap. 11 - No matter how much the Lord does for us, we have human moments and grumble and complain just as the Israelites did. It is an easy habit for humans to develop. Search your heart and make sure you are not a murmurer or complainer, so fall into it in the disguise of always being right.

In verses 10-12, we have the people saying they would rather be slaves in Egypt. It's hard for us to imagine. Many of us have remained in a bad situation in life because it's familiar. Humans are humans, it is hard to imagine being of the mindset being a slave in Egypt beats the glory cloud of the Lord and having our meals provided by Him.

Chap. 12. - Moses interceded on Miriam's behalf. She spent 7 days outside the camp, the people did not move on till she was brought back. I think her experience would be very humbling.

Chap. 13 - Moses followed the Lord's instructions and sent men into the Promised Land to explore. Caleb wanted to take possession, other men did not because the people of Canaan were of great size. How many times do we know God has promised us something and we look around and see problems of great size and do not follow through with what the Lord has for us?

Chap. 14 - 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."

Moses and Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb were wise men, they knew what to do, get on their faces and pray. The key phrase is: If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us. It's all about pleasing Him and letting Him lead us.

Chapters 15-19 contain material which I think describes humans - fear, pride, doing it our way, mumbling, complaining, etc. I am so glad we drink of the Living Water.

Chap 20: 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"

Again the people preferred bondage, again Moses and Aaron fell face down before the Lord. How often are we steps from the Promised Land and miss it because our faith wavers?

Aaron dies...he has been a part of our readings for so long, it's like saying goodbye to a friend. We see a man who in his humanness messsed up years ago with the golden calf incident become a mighty man of God who interceeded for his people and really served the Lord. We get to see a man become a spiritual giant...

Chap. 21- The Lord gives the Canaanites over to Israel, but in verses 4 & 5 we come to the What's Wrong with Those People Category for 100.00 Alex:

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, [a] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"

The people repented quickly this time and Moses interceeded for them. To me this is a lesson on not only our own behavior but possibly how long we may need to interceed on behalf of a lost loved one or over a situation.

Chap. 22- 24, we read the account of Balaam and his donkey, Balak being clueless as to the things of the Lord. Balaam's donkey filled Balaam in on the Lord's will, Balak seemed genuinely astonished Balaam would not curse the people.

I would not be telling the truth if I did not admit I am glad we are nearing the end of Numbers, but in reading the book - I am reminded how easily we can ignore God and fixate on what we think the problem is.

Week 9, Lev 18 - Numbers 6

Can I just say among friends, I am glad to be out of Leviticus. I talked to the Lord about it, told Him - Sorry, I am so tired of this book, though I am thankful for the theme of holiness and being reminded frequently to keep the Sabbath. Anything He repeats is important.

As I read Leviticus 18:1-4, The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.

Holy Spirit, please convict me of any sin I have let creep into my life that is a part of the American culture. I want to confess my sin and repent.

Lev 19:9-10, " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

As money grows tighter, I must remember those who need help and continue to give to food pantries and other ministries who help in my community.

Lev 19:30 - " 'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD...another verse pertaining to the Sabbath and the Lord mentions reverence for His sanctuary. It saddens me, the church I have attended for over 20 years is a gab fest before the service. No longer an atmosphere of prayer before the service.

Lev 23:3 " 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. - The Sabbath is a big deal to the Lord. It should be a big deal to us. Jesus mentioned it as well.

Lev 26:2 " 'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

Lev 26: 11-13 11 I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

Skip ahead to Rev 21: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." - Imagine the day the dwelling of God is with men, we will be His people and He will be our God!

We get to the first few chapters of Numbers, God is so in the details, He even tells the tribes how to set up their camps in Chapter 2...He is involved in the details of our lives too, He wants only the best for us.

Numbers 5:11-18 - The Jealousy Ritual, I have to say it again, I am so GLAD I am a New Covenant Girl! Praise You Jesus for being my scapegoat, my atoning Lamb!

Numbers 6:24-26 - What a blessing...

" ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

Week 8, Exodus 39-Leviticus 17

How is the world is week 8, 2009 over? I cannot believe it.

I love Ex 40:34 - Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

I so want my heart to be God's tabernacle and be filled with His love. I want people to see Jesus in me, not Annette.

As we read through Leviticus and learn about the precise detail God has for the priestly garments, the ceremonies required, and the various types of offerings, I am so thankful Jesus is my sin offering. He took my sins and infirmities and saved me. I am so thankful the Lamb of God saved us...

Thank You Lord for Your Word and the theme of Leviticus - holiness - You want us to be Your holy people. May I become the holy child You have called me to be.

Week 7 - Exodus 22-38

As I read chapter 22, I am struck by how clear God's laws are, very black and white, certainly something we do not today in the world and sometimes even in the church.

Verse 28 really convicted me: 28 "You must not blaspheme God [k] or curse a leader among your people.

I know between 1992 and 2000 I rarely prayed for the president, but I sure complained about him. Whether my candidate is elected to the office of president or not, as a Christian I am called to pray mightily for the president. I prayed mightily for President Bush, who knows how President Clinton's years in office would have been if I had earnestly prayed for him. I have numerous friends who say the same thing...

Verse 29 really touched me as well:

"You must not hold back [offerings from] your harvest or your vats. Give Me the firstborn of your sons.

Chapter 23: 19 "Bring the best of the firstfruits of your land to the house of the LORD your God.

Do I bring Him the best of the firstfruits of everything He has given me?

Verse 24:You must not bow down to their gods or worship them. Do not imitate their practices. Instead, demolish them and smash their sacred pillars to pieces.

Have I let any ungodly practice creep into my life because of cultural influences?

Chapter 24: The Lord is so precise in the details He gave to the Israelites, He continues to be percise as He discloes the Covenant Ceremony to them.

Verse 8: Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you concerning all these words."

Those words are so dear to me, as I think of the Blood of Jesus being shed for me.

Verse 12: The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commands I have written for their instruction."

Can you imagine hearing the audible voice of Yaweh saying Come up to Me on the mountain...it doesn't matter what words finish the sentence...Come up to Me...thankfully we can come up to Him in worship and prayer.

Chpater 25: 1 The LORD spoke to Moses: 2 "Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone whose heart stirs him [to give]. (A) 3 This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red (B) and manatee skins; [a] acacia wood; 6 oil (C) for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx [b] along with [other] gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.

I am astounded at the variety of items the Israelites were asked to put in the offering. As we give our tithes, we must remember the Lord may have a variety of things for us to offer on top of our tithe and the items may change with seasons if life.

Chapter 26: I am also amazed by the instructions pertaining to the curtains. It is hard for me to envision the magnitude of the project, so different than my great-grandmother's quilting circle.

Chapter 27: We learn about the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Courtyard, the Lampstand and Oil.

Chapter 28: We read about the priestly garments, verse 4: These are the garments that they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a specially woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they may serve Me as priests.

I realize I am not a Levite, but I am called to ministry as a Christian. Am I wearing holy spiritual garments? Do I put on love as instructed in the New Testament? Am I wearing robes of righteousness...what about my armor?

The ephod and breastpiece: the work the Lord asked them to do is amazing...the gems and percision required.

verse 29: "Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the LORD.

Aaron was to carry the Names of Israel's sons over his heart just as I am to carry the Name of God' Son on and in my heart as I make decisions and petition our Father with prayer.

Verse 36: You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave it, like the engraving of a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD

A great reminder for me to live a life consecrated to Him.

Chapter 29: I must repeat myself...after reading the detailed instructions about Aaron and his sons being consecrated - I am so glad to be a New Covenant girl!

Chapter 30: In today's world many people do not think about things which are sacred, but as Christians we should. The chapter is full of things which were sacred to God.

Chapter 31: 1 The LORD also spoke to Moses: 2 "Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft 4 to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft. 6 I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be with him. I have placed wisdom within every skilled craftsman in order to make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on top of it, and all the [other] furnishings of the tent

When the Lord calls us to do something, He will give us the wisdom we need just as He did with the craftsmen He called.

Verse 13: "Tell the Israelites: You must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the LORD who sets you apart.

In what way do I observe the Sabbath? Do I attend church and then fill the day with activity or give it to Him? (Honestly - I would have to say a combination of both many Sundays.)

Chapter 32: This falls back into the What is wrong with these people category:

1 When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god [a] who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don't know what has happened to him!" 2 Then Aaron replied to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring [them] to me."

The scene chills me, shows me how easy it is to fall into idolatry.

Verse 8:They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, 'Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Chapter 33: But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way." 4 When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn't put on their jewelry.

How many times has the Lord not been able to go with me because of sin I have let into my life?

Verse 19-23:He said, "I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." 20 But He answered, "You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live." 21 The LORD said, "Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen."

Can you imagine the awe of this conversation with Yaweh?

Chapter 34: such beautiful words found in verse 6: Then the LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth,

Verse 8: Moses worships Yaweh and intercedes for the Israelites...oh how I need to intercede for people, my prayer life has been all about family and self since my father died. My mother and I still need prayer, but I need to be in prayer for other people as well.

Verse 12: Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise, they will become a snare among you.

Through business or social connections, have I made a "treaty" with anyone that is displeasing to the Lord?

Verse 35: and the Israelites would see that Moses' face [i] was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil over his face again until he went to speak with the LORD.

Oh that Jesus would radiate from my face and speak to non believers and people who need to rededicate themselves to the Lord.

Chapter 35: Moses tells the people what the Lord commanded.

Chapter 36:5 and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the LORD commanded to be done."

Can you imagine if the entire Body of Christ gave in this manner?

Chapter 37 & 38 - believe it or not, I have nothing to add...

Week 6 Part 2 - Exodus 15-21

In Chapter 15:1-18, the Israelites reiterate everything the Lord has done for them as they praise Him. I think this is a valuable example to us, as we praise or pray – we can build our faith by reviewing what He has done for us. We see another 1 of His names: The Lord Who Heals – Jehovah Rapha…glory to Him.

Chapter 16: 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!" Do you ever want to say what is wrong with these people until you realize we’ve all been those people at 1 time or another.

Verse 10: 10 As Aaron was speaking to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there, in a cloud, the LORD's glory appeared. I hope to witness His glory cloud some day – wouldn’t it be great if it happened in church!

Chapter 17: 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" They were back to thinking Egypt was better…Moses was afraid they would kill him, I know they were human and we are human, but it is hard to imagine their fear knowing what they witnessed the Lord doing for them since they departed Egypt. In verse 15: We see His Name – The Lord is My Banner – Jehovah Nisi…remember He goes before us in battle.

Chapter 18: Moses has a family reunion, I really never think about his family. Jethro gives Moses some wise advice which he takes:

19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. 20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place [them] over the people as officials of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear [it] with you. 23 If you do this, and God [so] directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied." We cannot do it alone and if we think we can, the Lord cannot use us in ministry.

Chapter 19: God tells how He brought the people to Him, to be His people, His holy nation, this convicted me to be in earnest prayer again for Israel.

Chapter 20: The 10 Commandments – I am using the Holman Christian Standard Bible for this study, I wanted to use a version I have not read in the past. I found this a fresh way to look at verse 7: Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will punish anyone who misuses His name. Lord, Your name is misused in songs, conversation, TV shows, and movies. Please forgive us. Convict people as they misuse Your Name. I am so thankful You have a name which is not known on earth and cannot be profaned here.

Chapter 21: I must say once more, I am so glad I am a New Covenant Girl! Can you imagine trying to live by all these laws when you would have to make a sacrifice every time you sinned. A lamb or bird would die. We’d go broke trying to buy unblemished lambs. I am so thankful I am redeemed by the Blood of Jesus.

Week 6 Exodus 1-14 Part 1

In Ex. 1 we find the Israelites in Egypt, they have prospered since the deaths of Joseph and the former Pharaoh. The new Pharaoh decides they are too numerous and may join Egypt’s enemies in war against Egypt.

10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."

Can’t you just imagine the enemy whispering in Pharaoh and his advisers’ ears?

11 So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor.

If we listen to satan when he whispers in our ear, he become our taskmaster and oppresses us.

In Ex 2, we get our 1st glimpse of Moses the man when he kills an Egyptian who is beating a Hebrew slave. Sometimes I have trouble seeing what the Bible has to say about Moses because I imagine Charlton Heston. Moses had been raised in the palace, but he knew he was a Hebrew. He was frightened he would be killed for killing an Egyptian. He fled to Midian. He assisted the priest of Midian’s daughters at the well.

19 They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock."

The 2nd time we see him as someone who rescues people. I have to ask myself do I see the downtrodden, those who face injustice, or do I turn a blind eye?

23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out; and their cry for help ascended to God because of the difficult labor. 24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God saw the Israelites, and He took notice.

God took notice of His people, such beautiful words. Just because we think we are not hearing from the Lord does not mean He does not hear us or notice us. He does. God is never late.

Ex 3 Moses is shepherding the flock…a picture of what he is about to do with God’s people, a symbol of what Jesus does for us.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you witnessed the burning bush as Moses did? I wonder would I be in awe or would I throw water on it trying to extinguish the fire?

11 But Moses asked God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

How many times do we cry out use me in ministry Lord? Only to say – Lord you can’t mean me. Surely You don’t want me to do that. I mean come on, this is totally out of my comfort zone…I don’t want to return to Egypt. Of course we just need to remember He is with us because He sent us. 14 God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." I think verse 14 is 1 of the most powerful verses in the Bible. I Am has sent me to you. Let it resonate for a minute. I want to worship Yaweh as I type!

18 They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. A reminder, we need to be prayed up before we embark on something for the Lord and fasting may be in order as well.

Ex 4: 10 But Moses replied to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant —because I am slow and hesitant in speech." How often have I asked the Lord to send someone else?

31 The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had paid attention to them and that He had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. We need to remain in worship as the Lord sends us out into the world.

Ex 5: 2 But Pharaoh responded, "Who is the LORD that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and what's more, I will not let Israel go." Pharaoh certainly came to know Yaweh, didn’t he!

22 So Moses went back to the LORD and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all." How I can identify with Moses, it’s all about God’s timing and not mine…sometimes we feel foolish while waiting because we do not see the big picture, we are in the minute unlike our God.

Ex 6: 1 But the LORD replied to Moses, "Now you are going to see what I will do to Pharaoh: he will let them go because of My strong hand; he will drive them out of his land because of My strong hand." 2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, "I am Yahweh. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them.

Powerful words, gives me Holy Ghost chill bumps. God is more than able to do what He says He will do.

6 "Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. Have I been dwelling in Egypt? Am I a slave to anything other than Christ? If the answer is yes, I need to remember – Yaweh delivered me from Egypt and forced labor. I am a blood bought, free woman in Christ Jesus!

9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor. Have I been so broken, so exhausted, I have not listened to God’s message in a sermon or in the Word?

Ex 7: 5 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out My hand against Egypt, and bring out the Israelites from among them."

Lord, I always want to know You are Yaweh, I pray my country knows You are Yaweh before You have to stretch Your had over us.

Ex 8 – 11 We come to the plagues, makes me shudder when I read them. How often have I opened the doors to “plagues” in my house because I did not surrender to the Lord or I have prayed Annette’s will in the Name of Jesus.

Ex 12 – The Passover – what words can describe the Passover experienced by the Israelites? We are so fortunate to be New Covenant girls. Do we expect to meet our Passover Lamb when receiving Communion, or is it a tradition?

Ex 13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, "The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war." 18 So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation. How often do we think about turning around and living in the past?

Ex 14: 4 I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this. Do I give the Lord glory or seek it for myself?

Egypt is starting to look good again, bondage no longer seems like a bad thing to them:

11 They said to Moses: "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn't this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

31 When Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses. - May I believe by faith and not depend on sight!

Post - Week 5

I have done all the readings...am behind w/ the post...hope to have it up tomorrow...here's part of it:

Job 20: Zophar responds to Job:

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite (replied: 2 This is why my unsettling thoughts compel me to answer, because I am upset!

How often have I responded because I am upset? Did I count to 3, think to remain silent, or decide I must respond because I was right!

3 I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding makes me reply.

And there you have Zophar in all his humanity – all my understanding makes me reply. I will be judged for my words one day, Lord have mercy on me.

Job 21: Job responds to Zophar:
2 Pay close attention to my words;
let this be the consolation you offer.
3 Bear with me while I speak;
then after I have spoken, you may continue mocking.
Job wanted to make his point without interruption, how many times have I tried or succeeded in interrupting someone based on my understanding and what I assume they will say? I understand Job’s frustration with his friends and his current situation. Still he does not curse God. In verse 34, Job really hits his point home:
34 So how can you offer me such futile comfort?
Your answers are deceptive.
Job 22, our friend Eliphaz weighs in again. Eliphaz thinks because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but Job was far from thinking so. What Eliphaz says, is unjustly applied to Job, but it is very true, that when God does us good it is not because he is indebted to us…many times our words can be correct but our hearts are all wrong when we speak.
2 Can a man be of [any] use to God? Can even a wise man be of use to Him? 3 Does it delight the Almighty if you are righteous? Does He profit if you perfect your behavior? 4 Does He correct you and take you to court because of your piety?
I am skipping down to verse 21 now, Eliphaz wrongly assumes that Job had not really known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good to a new believer, but not to Job. Let us mind our words regarding our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we are in a season of suffering, let’s me mindful of Job and remain focused on the Lord.
Job responds to Eliphaz in Chapter 23, he admits to bitter complaints:
3 If only I knew how to find Him, so that I could go to His throne. 4 I would plead my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would learn how He would answer me; and understand what He would say to me. 6 Would He prosecute me forcefully? No, He will certainly pay attention to me.
Job goes on to say in chapter 24:
22 Yet God drags away the mighty by His power; when He rises up, they have no assurance of life.
23 He gives them a sense of security, so they can rely [on it], but His eyes [watch] over their ways.
24 They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and shrivel up like everything else. They wither like heads of grain.
25 If this is not true, then who can prove me a liar and show that my speech is worthless?
When it’s all said in done, seasons in life may have been hard, evil people may seem to skip through the tulips, but the Lord knows and sees all. He will judge and His judgment is righteous and just.
Bildad has a few words in chapter 25:
Dominion and dread belong to Him, the One who establishes harmony in the heavens.
Can His troops be numbered? Does His light not shine on everyone?
How can a person be justified before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
If even the moon does not shine and the stars are not pure in His sight,
how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!
Thankfully though born of a woman we are made pure through Jesus Christ, we are cleansed from our sin and made righteous when we make Jesus our Lord and Saviour all because He was born of a virgin.

Week Four, Genesis 43-50, Job 1 - 19

1 Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 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."
3 But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' "

6 Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?"

7 They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"

8 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. 9 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.

Jacob was so worried about Benjamin due to past experiences in his life. Somehow in my head when I read: why did you bring this trouble on me, I hear it spoken in the accent of an old, Jewish man. Then I imagine a man who is set in his ways. I wonder then how set in my ways am I? Do I carry negativity from past experiences with me or do I view the future through the lens of the Gospel? I love the fact that Judah guarantees Benjamin's safety, just as one of his descendant's Jesus Christ of Nazareth guarantees to never leave us or forsake us.



14 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."

Jacob prayed before they departed and ended his prayer declaring he was bereaved. I can't imagine his anxiety and worry, but I want to follow his example and pray.

30 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...when I read this, the girl in me was screaming - tell them who you are, but it's about God's timing, not my own.

Gen 45 - Joseph finally reveals who he is. We have all seen dramatic reveals on various TV shows, however I don't think they compare to this one. He also lets his brothers off the hook very quickly in verse 5: 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. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.


24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" I am always tickled by this verse, even though he had been gone from his family for many, many years - he still knew his brothers.

Gen 46: Israel/Jacob knew to offer sacrifices to the Lord as he journeyed to Egypt, I have said it before and I will say it again, how much better would situations be if we prayed and praised before entering a difficult meeting, a crowded discount store, the post office, etc:

1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"
"Here I am," he replied.

3 "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. 4 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."

Can you imagine the love that flowed freely when Israel and Joseph saw each other and embraced, if only my heart was so thrilled when I saw my family and when I approach the Lord in prayer or in His word.


33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' 34 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."

The Egyptians found shepherds detestable, just as so many find the Shepherd detestable today. Lord, please turn the hearts of Your lost sheep to Jesus - our Shepherd, may they know His voice!

Gen 47: 9 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." 10 Then Jacob blessed [b] Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

Jacob blessed Pharaoh...it seems Pharaoh received the blessing. Do I bless people where ever I go, is Christ evident in me? Do I offer silent prayers for the cashiers, the stockers, other shoppers?

As the famine increased, the people depended on the govt. Do I depend on the govt. or the Lord in lean times?

Gen 48: Jacob recounts to Joseph what the Lord did for him. We should do that too. We need to remind ourselves how God has blessed us and always will bless us. Jacob claims Joseph's sons and blesses them:

15 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,

16 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."

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

19 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." 20 He blessed them that day and said,
"In your [c] name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' "
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 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. 22 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."

Gen 49: Jacob gathers his sons around and speaks his last words to them. I would hate to be on the receiving end of some of them. 49:10 has some of the dearest words ever, the promise of the Messiah:

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.

Gen 50: Jacob was mourned in Egypt and buried in Canaan. After Jacob dies, his brothers begin to wonder if Joseph held a grudge against them...probably all those years of living with a lie had taken a toll of them:

15 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?" 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 '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.

Joseph assured them all was forgiven. The last we hear of Joseph he assures his family that God will aid them and he asked his bones not be left in Egypt. I will miss the Patriarchs along with their drama, dysfunction, love, and seeking the Lord, I can so relate to imperfect families by looking in the mirror at my own face.

Job's portfolio and life is laid out before us. His children loved to banquet and took turns throwing them. I wonder if that is similar to living off a trust fund today? Did they think they could live off their father's spiritual blessings and inherit eternal life through him instead of believing Messiah would come?

1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.

The angels present themselves to the Lord for an accounting and satan joins them:

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Satan mocked God, he tried to induce God into striking everything Job had.

In verse 22 we have such a holy witness: In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. I don't think I have blamed God for things, I certainly hope I never do. I know we have all heard people blame God for various situations and events, but He is not the author of evil, sickness, or disease. He is the Father of Lights, every good and perfect gift comes from Him.

In chapter 2 of Job, we see satan is still at it:
1 On another day the angels [a] came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."

4 "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

9 His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

10 He replied, "You are talking like a foolish [b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job still retains his integrity after losing family, livestock, and health. Job's own wife wanted him to curse God. Can you imagine living with a spouse who wants you to curse God! Job's 3 friends arrive and the visit begins so well, 7 days and nights no one spoke. Imagine the power of the silence.

In chapter 3 Job curses the day he was born, yet his did not curse God. We can only imagine the physical and emotional pain he suffered at this point. In Chapter 4 & 5Eliphaz speaks, I chose a couple of verses to post:

6 Should not your piety be your confidence
and your blameless ways your hope?

7 "Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
Where were the upright ever destroyed?

8 As I have observed, those who plow evil
and those who sow trouble reap it.

So in effect he is blaming Job for his distress. He would have been better served to keep his mouth shut. We don't know why people suffer, after all we all sin. Eliphaz sounds so concerned at 1st...I shudder to think of horrible words I have uttered in all sincerity in love and truth to people over the years. In chapters 6 & 7, Job responds to Eliphaz:

10 Then I would still have this consolation—
my joy in unrelenting pain—
that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.

11 "What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?

12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?

13 Do I have any power to help myself,
now that success has been driven from me?

14 "A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends,
even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

We must put our confidence in the Lord and not men, not even our friends.

Chapter 8 Bildad says: 2 "How long will you say such things?
Your words are a blustering wind.

3 Does God pervert justice?
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?

4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.

5 But if you will look to God
and plead with the Almighty,

6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf
and restore you to your rightful place.

Does anyone wonder if the phrase with friends like that who needs enemies orginate in the days of Job? Bildad was not the least bit encouraging. He did not pray for Job. He stated his opinion - Oh Lord, forgive me for the times I stated my opinions when I should have been in prayer for someone.

Chapters 9 & 10 Job responds to Biddad, he began to talk about God and His wisdom and quit complaining. During hard times, I want to remain focused on the Lord, I want to truly examine my heart and repent from sin and cast it out of my life. I want friends to pray for me, I don't mind godly counsel, but I don't need the blustery speeches of a Bildad or Bildadene in my life!

In chapter 11, we hear from Zophar, 2 "Are all these words to go unanswered?
Is this talker to be vindicated?

3 Will your idle talk reduce men to silence?
Will no one rebuke you when you mock?

4 You say to God, 'My beliefs are flawless
and I am pure in your sight.'

5 Oh, how I wish that God would speak,
that he would open his lips against you

6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,
for true wisdom has two sides.
Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.

What a way to talk to your friend, I don't see truth and love here...to me Zophar comes across as a pompous man - Lord help me, do I come across as a pompous woman...I never want to be pompous or a know it all.

In chapter 12, Job got his grit back, he says in the following verses:

4 "I have become a laughingstock to my friends,
though I called upon God and he answered—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless

13 "To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
Job 13
1 "My eyes have seen all this,
my ears have heard and understood it.

2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty
and to argue my case with God.

4 You, however, smear me with lies;
you are worthless physicians, all of you!

5 If only you would be altogether silent!
For you, that would be wisdom.

20 "Only grant me these two things, O God,
and then I will not hide from you:

21 Withdraw your hand far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.

22 Then summon me and I will answer,
or let me speak, and you reply.

Oh Lord, may I be concerned with Your opinion and Your words, not the things of this world or popular opinion...but You Lord.

Job and his friends continue the discourse through the rest of the readings for this week. Job suffered mightily, but he never blamed the Lord, I so want to be a women who never blames the Lord. Here are a few verses which really touched me:

My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.

Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?

I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Week 3 - Genesis 29-42

Blogger had a couple of problems last night and ate part of this post. Spell check was not working and I tried to "unbold" words I wrote and blogger would not make corrections. Please do not think I am so puffed up w/ pride that I must type my words next to God's words in bold print!

Gen 29: Jacob resumes his journey and meets shepherds at a well who know Laban and his family. When Rachel brings Laban's flock to the well Jacob kisses her and introduces himself. She runs home to tell Laban. After Jacob had been there a month, Laban proposed Jacob work. I wonder if he was still a homebody hanging out at the tents cooking stew?

Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah had delicate eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, "I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." 19 Laban replied, "Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me." 20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her." 22 So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast. 23 That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave. 25 When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Wasn't it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?" 26 Laban answered, "It is not the custom in this place to give the younger [daughter in marriage] before the firstborn. 27 Complete this week [of wedding celebration], and we will also give you this [younger] one in return for working yet another seven years for me."

Jacob had been deceived by his father-in-law. The bitter irony of it all. He was married to Leah and he did not love her. I cannot imagine being in her shoes. Jacob reaped what he sowed, just as I do. Jacob worked 7 more years and married Rachel.

Leah was unloved, one sister favored over another, the Lord saw Leah was unloved and opened her womb. Leah knew her children were a result of crying out to the Lord and she named them accordingly:

Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now." She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The LORD heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.

Gen 30: Rachel is upset she has no children and demands Jacob give her children which angered Jacob, he asked her if he was in God's place. Rachel comes up with a plan, she decides Jacob should sleep with her slave:


Then she said, "Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she'll bear [children] for me so that through her I too can build [a family]." So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son," and she named him Dan. Rachel's slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, "In [my] wrestlings with God, I have wrestled with my sister and won," and she named him Naphtali.

Leah decides she must compete with Rachel and have more children; she too has a plan:

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" and she named him Gad. When Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah said, "I am happy that the women call me happy," so she named him Asher.

The next section has always bothered me, maybe this type of thing was common in their day, the sisters decide who Jacob will sleep with over Rachel's desire for mandrakes. Leah accuses Rachel of taking her husband. Can't you imagine the anger and venom caused by the hurt and rejection? People who are wounded emotionally whether real or imagined tend to lash out. I think we see this with Leah. Through Laban, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel - we see how God works out His plan even when we manipulate, plan, scheme, lie - in other words sin...

But Leah replied to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes?" "Well," Rachel said, "you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Jacob slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar. When Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. "God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons," and she named him Zebulun. Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah. Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my shame." She named him Joseph: "May the LORD add another son to me."

What did Jacob think if anything when his wives struck this bargain? More sons were born and then Rachel bore Joseph. The family dynamics of a favored child will once again come into play. Jacob is ready to take his wife, children, slaves, and belongings home. Laban does not want him to leave. I was always curious about verse 27 But Laban said to him, "If I have found favor in your sight, [stay.] I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you." We know through out the Bible divination is an abomination to the Lord, if Laban knew the Lord was with Jacob and blessed Laban because of Jacob, why didn't he choose to serve the Lord? I suppose it's the same reason I have turned from the Lord and sinned when I knew I was sinning going into it. Does anyone else find this curious?

Jacob and Laban made an agreement about the livestock and Laban moved his flocks. Jacob remained with part of Laban's flocks:

Jacob then took branches of fresh poplar, almond, and plane wood, and peeled [the bark], exposing white stripes on the branches. He set the peeled branches in the troughs in front of the sheep—in the water channels where the sheep came to drink. And the sheep bred when they came to drink. The flocks bred in front of the branches and bore streaked, speckled, and spotted young. Jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks face the streaked and the completely dark sheep in Laban's flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and didn't put them with Laban's sheep. Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs, in full view of the flocks, and they would breed in front of the branches. As for the weaklings of the flocks, he did not put out the branches. So it turned out that the weak sheep belonged to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. And the man became very rich. He had many flocks, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.

Gen 31: Of course this leads to trouble with Laban's sons, they are concerned about their inheritance and Laban's attitude changes. The Lord sends Jacob back to his father's land.

25 When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his brothers also pitched [their tents] in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war! 27 Why did you secretly flee from me, deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and lyres, 28 but you didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly. 29 I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me: 'Watch yourself. Don't say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' 30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father—but why have you stolen my gods?" After Laban was warned by God not to say anything good or bad to Laban, it seems to me he said an awful lot. He would have sent them away with joy and singing, tambourines, lyres, he mentioned he didn't get to kiss the grandbabies or daughters goodbye. He then tells Jacob he acted foolishly. And lastly, he wants to know why Jacob stole his gods...It's not in Scripture, but I don't think this little talk was plan A. I think he felt Jacob had cheated him and he was on a mission to get what he thought was his back. When we feel wronged do we set out to make it right one way or another without praying? Do we call everyone we know until we find someone to agree with us? Or do we trust in the Lord and let Him handle it?

Jacob was afraid, still hard to believe he lived in fear considering his relationship with the Most High God and he had no clue Rachel had stolen the gods:

31 Jacob answered, "I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 If you find your gods with anyone [here], he will not live! Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen [the idols]. Rachel hid them, Laban did not find them. Finally Jacob is incensed and he confronts Laban about working for him for 20 years and the wages changed 10 times. Laban responds with it's all mine. No matter what the cause is, this passage reminds me how painful most separations are. Children move out, parents die. We know we will see them again, but it's still painful. Laban and Jacob hammer out a covenant and then sit down to dinner. Reminds me of the Barones on Everybody Loves Raymond. High emotions one moment and a family meal the next.

Gen 32: Jacob sends messengers to Esau. 1 of my sister-in-laws did not speak to several family members for years. 1 day some of them received a Christmas card in the mail with a little note as if it had been a week since their last conversation. Jacob had to do something bigger than a note. He really wanted to prepare Esau for his return and seek favor:

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He commanded them, "You are to say to my lord Esau, 'This is what your servant Jacob says. I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves. I have sent [this message] to inform my lord, in order to seek your favor.

Jacob was afraid and greatly distressed. Can you imagine a reconcilation after getting your brother's birthright and his father's blessing? Did Esau remain angry and let the anger build all these years? Or had he forgiven? Did Jacob admit his part in the problem or was he frightened his big brother would snap him in 2? Was Esau now sorry he married the Hittites and the Canaanite? So much water under the bridge. Jacob divided his people and flocks into 2 camps so 1 could escape if Esau and his army attacked. He then did what we tend to do last sometimes, he prayed:

9 Then Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, 'Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper, ' 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. 12 You have said, 'I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.

By verse 19, we see Jacob wants Esau's forgiveness.

19 He also told the second one, the third, and everyone who was walking behind the animals, "Say the same thing to Esau when you find him. 20 You are to also say, 'Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.' " For he thought, "I want to appease Esau with the gift that is going ahead of me. After that, I can face him, and perhaps he will forgive me."

This is not theological, like most of what I post, it's something that struck me. As Jacob wrestled with the angel, he was tenacious which is something we should be as we face situations. We should be contenders in prayer.


26 Then He said to Jacob, "Let Me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me." 27 "What is your name?" the man asked. "Jacob!" he replied. 28 "Your name will no longer be Jacob," He said. "It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed."
Jacob - now Israel prevailed in his struggles with God and men. When we are contending for ourselves or loved ones or a situation, we must remember through Jesus we prevail.

Gen 33: Jacob wanted to prepare Esau for his return, he didn't know what to expect from his brother. We find out in verse 4: But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept. There was love...what a beautiful image, these 2 men hugging and weeping. Imagine how much more our Lord loves us, and how much hugging and weeping there is when we return to Him after a season of separation.
Jacob decided he better pave the way for his return, in verse 8:So Esau said, "What do you mean by this whole procession I met?" Reminds me of people trying to get their act together before they make Jesus their Lord and Savior. To find favor with you, my lord," he answered. 9 "I have enough, my brother," Esau replied. "Keep what you have."

In verse 11 Jacob witnesses to Esau about what the Lord has done for him: Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need." So Jacob urged him until he accepted. After all this time it seems Esau was not a good receiver. I think of the times I have been a better giver than receiver. The Lord cannot bless us if we are not open to receive. He cannot communicate with us if our ears won't receive His words. I love verse 20: And he set up an altar there and called it "God, the God of Israel."

Gen 34: Shechem raped Dinah and her brothers avenged the act by deceiving Shechem, his father, and all the able bodied men of the city into being circumcised and then killed them as they recuperated. They plundered the city. All of this worried Jacob: 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me, making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed." This is not 1 of my favorite passages by any stretch of the imagination, but it speaks to me because after walking with the Lord all this time, Jacob was worried, he still experienced fear.

Gen 35: God said to Jacob, "Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau." Jacob arrives in a new place and builds an altar following God's instruction, note to self - Annette follow God's instructions. Verse 2: So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone." 4 Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem. 5 When they set out, a terror from God came over the cities around them, and they did not pursue Jacob's sons. Have I rid myself of all idols? Does my spiritual as well as physical house need a good cleaning? Jacob tells his family God has been with him everywhere he has gone. Do I remember God is with me?

Gen 36: The genealogy of Esau. I skimmed it, nothing spoke to me, it could be because I had nto had any coffee yet and was in a mood, it was the morning after the doctor almost killed my father and I was working on forgiveness. Esau and Jacob separate.

Gen 37: Jacob/Israel stayed in the land where his father stayed - Canaan. In verse 3, we discover Joseph is the favored son which leads to problems with his brothers. Are you glad your are God's favorite daughter! I know I am glad I am His favorite daughter.

5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 "Are you really going to reign over us?" his brothers asked him. "Are you really going to rule us?" So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me." 10 He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him. "What kind of dream is this that you have had?" he said. "Are your mother and brothers and I going to bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter [in mind].

Can you imagine the brothers' jealousy? They probably talked while they were out in the fields and became more jealous and angry by the minute. I wonder if Joseph was a bit of a macho teen and made it worse - many 17 year old boys can make things much, much worse...

19 They said to one another, "Here comes that dreamer! 20 Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!" We see what jealousy unchecked can do, his brothers go from being jealous to plotting murder. They settle for selling Joseph into slavery. Many times we commit one sin and it turns into many sins. What a snowball it can become and like Joseph we are in a pit, a spiritual pit.

Gen 38: As a New Covenant girl, the passage about Judah, his sons, and daughter in law contains a few things that are really hard. First let me say, I know the Lord God is just in all His decisions. I know He has never made a mistake, but to me this is hard to read:

6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the LORD's sight, and the LORD put him to death.8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and produce offspring for your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was evil in the LORD's sight, so He put him to death also.

So as I ponder this, I must say I take away from this - the wages of sin are death, I am keeping short accounts with the Lord, do I confess my sins and do I repent...

Judah made a deal with Tamar to marry his younger son Shelah when he was an adult. Apparently Judah forgot about Tamar because Shelah grew up and Tamar was still clothed as a widow. She decided to veil herself and wait for her father in law. Her appearance was that of a prostitute. Tamar slept with Judah and conceived twins. The Bible does not indicate they married.

Gen 39:1 Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian [named] Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph,and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. v 5: From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house because of Joseph.

The Lord can bless us and we can bless because of Him where ever we are planted, no matter what the economy is doing, no matter what is going on in the world. Stay focused on Him. God is God, He has plans to prosper us and not harm us.

10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her. 11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants was there. 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, "Sleep with me!" But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. 13 When she realized that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14 she called the household servants. "Look," she said to them, "my husband brought a Hebrew man to us to make fun of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me screaming for help, [h] he left his garment with me and ran outside." 16 She put Joseph's garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: "The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to me to make fun of me, 18 but when I screamed for help, he left his garment with me and ran outside."

Potiphar's wife was humiliated and then retaliated. What foolish things have I done to save face? When I was a teen my motto was don't get mad, get even. I am so glad I have progressed from that mentality. The Lord was blessing Joseph, the enemy was scheming against him. We must wear our armor and be aware of the prowling lion.

Gen 40: The Lord blessed Joseph in prison. He was the cupbearer's and chief baker's personal attendant. With the Lord's help, he interpreted dreams for them. The cup bearer promised to tell the king about his situation and forgot all about Joseph. Reminds me of the time people have stopped me and asked for prayer, I didn't write it down when I got home and forgot about them for days.

Gen 41:1 Two years later Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,2 when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4 The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, full and good, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven full, good ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.

For 2 years Joseph sat in prison, I believe it was a season of preparation for him. He was brought from the dungeon, cleaned up and brought before Pharoah. Joseph did not pretend to interpret the dreams in his own strength, he gave credit to God. Once again a person who had no knowledge or very little knowledge of the Hebrew God, knew it was truth. Why do we know He is God and not always follow Him and serve Him! Egpyt prepared for the famine during a time of abundance. I think being in the Word and memorizing Scripture during a time of peace (abundance) prepares us for any famine (spiritual or real) which may occur.

Gen 42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen," he went on, "I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die." 3 So 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, "Something might happen to him."

Do you have a picture of the brothers sitting around looking at each other - murmuring and complaining? I know I have done that with Christian sisters in the past and will probably do it again, though I sincerely hope I do not. Jacob is fearful for Benjamin and keeps him at home.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, "I fear God—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest men, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain [to relieve] the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won't die." And they consented to this. 21 Then they said to each other, "It is plain that we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us." 22 But Reuben replied: "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen. Now we must account for his blood!"
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man's money to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.

Do you ever wonder if they discussed what they did to Joseph or just buried it deep inside. Had Reuben said for years I told you not to harm him? Were any of them ever at the point of spilling the beans and telling their father the truth?

Not to negate the pain of losing a child, but I find this statement of Jacob's to be a bit of an exaggeration: 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!" Do I carry pain around instead of giving it to the Lord? He cannot heal me, my emotions cannot be healthy as long as I drag stuff around with me.