Second Bible Read Thread

[SarahsKnight]

Day 24: Feb 20

Genesis 35 through 37

 

[NurseAbigail]

Chapter 31 => Yeah, Jacob may be the father of the twelve Israelite tribes in the OT, but he's one to talk about being deceived and manipulated (to Laban), right? Am I the only one who thinks Jacob kind of had a taste of his own medicine when Laban made him work an extra seven years for Rachel after tricking him into marrying Leah?

I remember a sermon at my home church in Magnolia once about how there is some indication that Leah was the better woman of the two daughters of Laban despite appearances (she is described as having "weak eyes" in Genesis while Rachel apparently turned more heads with her beauty). I honestly don't remember the Scriptural reasoning here on why, as this sermon must have been way back when I was in college, but at the very least it does seem apparent in Genesis that Jacob's desires were a bit shallow, his wanting Rachel, and seemingly throwing Leah aside and ignoring her for a time after he realized he'd been duped by Laban and married her instead of Rachel. And Rachel does seem to have misplaced jealousy for her older sister when she sees that God hears Leah's distress and gives Leah not one but FOUR children, before Rachel or either of the sisters' two maids Bilhah and Zilpah can. I like how the twelve children of Jacob are presented to us in chapter 31, that he bore with Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah, who become the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. For some reason, I kind of like the names Reuben and Dinah best.
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Day 23: Feb 19

Genesis 32 through 34

Omgeee! This scripture is so timely! I was reading about Leah just last night and there are so many points to cover it's so profound!

Here's some quotes from the book I was reading...
"And not did Lead live with that hurt, but she was probably reminded daily of how she was second best to her beautiful younger sister."

"Perhaps day after day she heard of all the reasons her husband would rather be with Rachel than with her."

And this...
"We're told in the Bible that God saw that Leah was unloved, so He allowed her to conceive a child (Gen 29:31). When Leah bore her first son, she said, "It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now." But Jacob's love didn't follow. So Leah had another son. And another. After bearing that third son, she again hoped that would do the trick, saying, "Surely my husband will love me now." But still, he didn't. After giving Jacob a fourth son, and seeing that her husband still favored Rachel, Leah simply said, "This time I will praise the Lord" (Gen 29:35).
I love how Leah's focus finally shifted. No longer did she seek after her husband's love; instead, she looked to the Lord who loved her. (And, incidentally, it was the fourth son, named Judah, that God chose as the bloodline through whom His Son, Jesus, would eventually be born. Could it be that God's reward followed when finally Leah gained her focus?)"

And best part is...
"And unlike Rachel, Leah became devoted to her God rather than the wooden objects her father had taught her to worship."

In fact, it was Rachel and not Leah who took the family idols with her when they had to move.

Just amazing how God redeems and how when You love and put Him first, He knows how to deliver! Man!!! I'm just amazed!

 

[SarahsKnight]

And best part is...
"And unlike Rachel, Leah became devoted to her God rather than the wooden objects her father had taught her to worship."

In fact, it was Rachel and not Leah who took the family idols with her when they had to move.

I was wondering what the Book meant by "household objects" when it said Rachel took them from Laban's household before Jacob and his wives and children were leaving Laban. But I did not think anything of it until you brought this up just now, Abigail.


.... And hey, I'll bet Leah was beautiful to look upon in her own way.

 

[TheGirlOnFire]

I was wondering what the Book meant by "household objects" when it said Rachel took them from Laban's household before Jacob and his wives and children were leaving Laban. But I did not think anything of it until you brought this up just now, Abigail.


.... And hey, I'll bet Leah was beautiful to look upon in her own way.

There is a great book called red tent and it’s based on this story. - fiction (but very well researched and written)

The objects would have been religious statues of mini gods etc

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 25: Feb 21

Genesis 38 through 40

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 26: Feb 22

Genesis 41 and 42

 

[SarahsKnight]

In Genesis 41, I wonder if there is any significance to who Joseph took as a wife, or her name Asenath.

According to biblestudytools.com, her name means "gift of the sun-god". Well, I suppose in a way she was given to Joseph by Pharaoh's favor, after God enabled Joseph to correctly Pharaoh's dreams and thus save the population of Egypt from perishing during a time of famine.

I also wonder who Asenath's father Potiphera is in detail. But so far we are just given his name, where he's from (my MEV Bible calls the place "On", but in a footnote says that On is also called Heliopolis), and that he is a priest.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 27: Feb 23

Genesis 43 through 45

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 28: Feb 24

Genesis 46 and 47

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 29: Feb 25

Genesis 48 through 50

 

[Multifavs]

I'm glad I have gotten to read the whole Book of Genesis!

 

[SarahsKnight]

I'm glad I have gotten to read the whole Book of Genesis!

And what a way to end it, too, huh? Like the ending of the first book in an epic series or something, with Jacob (Israel) uniquely blessing each of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel before breathing his last and being buried in the same location as his own ancestors - Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and I think Jacob's wife Rachel also.

For a while I had wondered why for Simeon and Levi, Jacob's "blessing" had seemed rather harsh. If you will recall Jacob's words were these:
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; Weapons of violence are their swords.

6 O my soul, come not thou into their council; Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hocked an ox.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

Then it struck me that Simeon and Levi were the ones who took particularly bloody revenge for their sister Dinah's being (to put it delicately) dishonored by Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite. Don't get me wrong, it was nothing short of a crime to do what he did to Dinah, but Simeon and Levi not only killed her rapist, they also slaughtered every man in Hamor's city just for being associated with Shechem, and took the women and children as slaves, as property. Jacob's reaction to this was certainly not one of pleasure; perhaps he thought Simeon's and Levi's revenge tactic to be an injustice.

Scripture does not say, but for all we know Simeon and Levi may have been the two most outspoken brothers about killing Joseph for his dreams that he would rule over them (which later came true in Egypt, as we found out, although Joseph was gracious and benevolent to his brothers as his servants). They may have always been men of violence who rashly think to resort to the sword before anything else whenever conflict arises in their lives.

 

[Multifavs]

And what a way to end it, too, huh? Like the ending of the first book in an epic series or something, with Jacob (Israel) uniquely blessing each of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel before breathing his last and being buried in the same location as his own ancestors - Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and I think Jacob's wife Rachel also.

Yes, it did feel like part of an epic series, didn't it? We went through the lives of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and what they faced.

Thanks to you for helping me to remember to read the entire Book. It was good!

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 30: Feb 26

Exodus 1 through 3

 

[SarahsKnight]

Apparently the new ruler in Egypt is not as kindly toward Jacob's people as the Pharaoh of Joseph's time was. Instead, the Hebrews became so numerous (as per God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would be so) that the current Pharaoh instead refuses to acknowledge their God as the previous one did, and resorts to enslaving them all out of fear.

But as we are about to see with the present ruler of Egypt, and another example later in the Gospels when our Redeemer comes into the world, ever-paranoid and suspicious kings with delicate egos do not enjoy the blessing of a lengthy and productive time on the throne.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Okay, sorry, everyone. I guess I forgot to hit the reply button when posting Day 31's reading 20 hours ago, before shutting down for the night, but here it is now. Moses and Aaron about to get up in Pharaoh's grill:

Exodus 4 through 6


Also, while I am here, allow me to post Day 32's reading, for Feb 28.

Exodus 7 through 9

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 32: Mar 1

Exodus 10 through 12

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 33: Mar 2

Exodus 13 through 15

 

[SarahsKnight]

Day 34: Mar 3

Exodus 16 through 18

 

[Multifavs]

These chapters of Exodus really show how nothing is impossible with God. He performed miracles to save His people through Moses and Aaron.