March 16, 2011
What's So Good About Mandrakes?
Genesis 30:14-16 Rachel wanted some of Leah's mandrakes, so Rachel traded the privilege of sleeping with Jacob in order to get some of Leah's mandrakes!
Jacob Paid For His Deception
(1) he never saw his mother after he fled (to escape from Esau)
(2) Esau wanted him dead
(3) Laban, his uncle, deceived him
(4) his family life was full of conflict
(5) he was exiled for years from his family
Jacob would have received the birthright by the promise of God (25:23)... didn't need to scheme w/ Rebekah.
(2) Esau wanted him dead
(3) Laban, his uncle, deceived him
(4) his family life was full of conflict
(5) he was exiled for years from his family
Jacob would have received the birthright by the promise of God (25:23)... didn't need to scheme w/ Rebekah.
Jacob's Ladder
- Genesis 28... After Jacob "steals" Esau's blessing from their father Isaac, Jacob flees from Esau... Jacob has a dream about a ladder and resolves to follow God... Not sure why this is so famous...
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it[c] stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[d] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel,[e] though the city used to be called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD[f] will be my God 22 and[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it[c] stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[d] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel,[e] though the city used to be called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD[f] will be my God 22 and[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
Quarreling About Wells
Abraham vs. Abimelech
Genesis 21:22-34 I don't understand what happened. Abimelech took some of Abraham's wells, then Abraham confronted Abimelech. Then Abraham gave Abimelech some animals to commemorate the fact that new wells were dug that belonged to Abraham (or maybe reclaiming the old wells)? The animals were part of an oath. I think it makes more sense for Abimelech to be giving animals to Abraham, in apology for having seized wells that belonged to Abraham...? Oh well...
Isaac vs. Philistines (same Abimelech?)
Genesis 26:15-33 Philistines stopped the wells that Abraham's servants had dug. Isaac redug those wells and also dug new ones. So the same Abimelech and Phichol made an oath with Isaac (Abimelech and Phichol made an oath with Abraham in Genesis 21). The oath with Isaac is that Isaac would not harm them, as opposed to the oath with Abraham which was that Abraham gave them animals and claimed the wells as Abraham's. That's my understanding...
Genesis 21:22-34 I don't understand what happened. Abimelech took some of Abraham's wells, then Abraham confronted Abimelech. Then Abraham gave Abimelech some animals to commemorate the fact that new wells were dug that belonged to Abraham (or maybe reclaiming the old wells)? The animals were part of an oath. I think it makes more sense for Abimelech to be giving animals to Abraham, in apology for having seized wells that belonged to Abraham...? Oh well...
Isaac vs. Philistines (same Abimelech?)
Genesis 26:15-33 Philistines stopped the wells that Abraham's servants had dug. Isaac redug those wells and also dug new ones. So the same Abimelech and Phichol made an oath with Isaac (Abimelech and Phichol made an oath with Abraham in Genesis 21). The oath with Isaac is that Isaac would not harm them, as opposed to the oath with Abraham which was that Abraham gave them animals and claimed the wells as Abraham's. That's my understanding...
Homosexuality Condemned in the Bible
- Genesis 19:23-29 (in response to Genesis 19:5): Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.... Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people.
- Lev 18:22,29; 20:13: If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
- Rom 1:26-27: Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
- 1 Cor 6:9-10: Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
- 1 Tim 1:9-11: We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
- Lev 18:22,29; 20:13: If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
- Rom 1:26-27: Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
- 1 Cor 6:9-10: Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
- 1 Tim 1:9-11: We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
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