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.