Tag Archives: Jehovah

Genesis, chapters 36-39

~Genesis 38:26

Then Judah examined them and said: “She is more righteous than I am…”

Judah was pretty set on executing his twice-widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar, when he found out she had prostituted herself (Gen. 38:24).

After her second husband died, he deceitfully promised her she could marry his third son once he was old enough (Gen. 38:11).

This was a common Hebrew practice, termed “brother-in-law marriage,” realized to preserve the first husband’s lineage (Gen. 38:8; Deut. 25:5,6). This arrangement also served to provide materially for women who otherwise might end up in dire poverty.

But when Judah’s son came of age, Judah was afraid he would also die so he did not keep his promise to Tamar.

When she realized she had been lied to, she disguised herself as a prostitute and had sexual relations with Judah, who by then was also a widow (Gen. 38:14-16).

Tamar was cunning enough to ask him for some of his personal belongings which she later used to hold him accountable for his actions (Gen. 38:18,25).

The lesson I wish to point out is that although Judah had acted shamefully, he readily admitted he had been wrong.

Judah was a prominent man, eventually receiving his father’s blessing. This was a privilege since only one of his father’s 12 sons could become an ancestor to the Messiah (Gen. 49:10).

Even so, he did not use his influence to hide his error or to crush the woman who brought it to light, thus setting an example for future leaders who likewise make grave mistakes.

Genesis, chapters 32-35

Genesis 33:4~

E′sau ran to meet him, and he embraced him and kissed him, and they burst into tears.

When Esau last saw Jacob, he had plans to kill him (Gen. 27:41).

20 Years later, as described in the above passage, his heart has been softened.

He has taken on a more spiritual approach to life.

This teaches me that people can change for the better.

It is wrong to give up hope on someone without giving them time to reflect on their own actions and see the negative consequences of their bad decisions.

Usually it’s those closest to us that let us down. A family member or a best friend who was like a sister or brother.

God doesn’t give up on people from one moment to the next. He patiently waits for them to repent (2 Pet. 3:9).

And if we want to truly change, then it is imperative to ‘clothe ourselves in humility,’ as in the case of Esau (Col. 3:12).

Genesis 35:8~

Later Deb′o·rah, Re·bek′ah’s nurse, died and was buried at the foot of Beth′el under an oak. So he named it Al′lon-bac′uth [meaning: tree of weeping].

I had never taken this passage into account.

According to a Bible encyclopedia, Deborah lived for about another 125 years after Rebekah and Isaac married (it-1 p. 600).

She had left everything behind to accompany Rebekah south into a new family and new lifestyle, for Isaac’s household dwelt in tents.

In all this time she became a part of their family and they were moved to heartfelt grief upon her death.

I am touched by the inclusion of this small but telling detail in the Holy Scriptures.

In a book that selectively lists ancestries and important dates to provide historical proof and context, the fact that God included this about Deborah, a humble servant, tells us how much he values the lives of those who render sacred service toward Him (Matt. 10:29-31).

Bible map Patriarch's travels

Genesis, chapters 25-28

Last week’s reading taught me about resolving conflicts through faith and mildness.

In Genesis ch. 26 verses 16 & 17, we see how the Philistines grow afraid of Isaac due to his ever-growing prosperity and so their king asks him to leave.

A·bim′e·lech then said to Isaac: “Move from our neighborhood, for you have grown far stronger than we are.” So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the valley of Ge′rar and began dwelling there.

As Isaac’s servants are working hard digging up his fathers’ old wells which the Philistines had stopped up, they find a new well.

And the shepherds of Ge′rar began quarreling with the shepherds of Isaac, saying: “The water is ours!” So he named the well E′sek [meaning: contention] because they had quarreled with him (Gen. 26:20).

Isaac decides to move on and they look for another well.

And they started digging another well, and they began quarreling over it also. So he named it Sit′nah [meaning: accusation] (Gen. 26:21).

Again, instead of arguing with the Philistines, Isaac moves his men elsewhere. This time he is successful.

Later he moved away from there and dug another well, but they did not quarrel over it. So he named it Re·ho′both [meaning: broad places] and said: “It is because now Jehovah has given us ample room and has made us fruitful in the land,” (Gen. 26:22).

As a result, the Philistine king who had kicked him out now seeks him out to form a pact of peace between them.

At this Isaac said to them: “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hated me and sent me away from your neighborhood?” To this they said: “We have clearly seen that Jehovah has been with you. So we said, ‘Let there, please, be an oath of obligation between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you that you will do nothing bad to us just as we have not harmed you, seeing that we have done only good to you in that we sent you away in peace. You now are the blessed of Jehovah.’” Then he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. In the morning they got up early and swore an oath to each other. After that Isaac sent them away, and they went from him in peace (Gen. 26:27-31).

Isaac’s mildness is blessed again as while this is happening, his servants find yet another well.

On that day the servants of Isaac came and reported to him about the well that they had dug, and they told him: “We have found water!” (Gen. 26:32).

From this I see that when we make a genuine effort to foment peaceful relations with others, even when we know we are right and they are wrong, God does not abandon us and continues providing for our needs.

Genesis, chapters 21-24

Genesis 24:17-20

At once the servant ran to meet her and said: “Please give me a little sip of water from your jar.” In turn she said: “Drink, my lord.” With that she quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she finished giving him a drink, she said: “I will also draw water for your camels until they are done drinking.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the drinking trough and ran again and again to the well to draw water, and she kept drawing water for all his camels.

This passage is about Rebekah and the time Abraham’s servant traveled approximately 500 miles (800 km) to meet someone like her.
Earlier, Abraham’s servant had prayed to Jehovah God that the woman who might offer him a drink of water and also water his camels should be the woman divinely indicated to marry Abraham’s son, Isaac (Gen. 24:12-14).
Rebekah was unaware of this prayer when she carried out this laborious yet hospitable task.
She was also unaware that the man was a servant of Abraham, a relative of hers. This would make him a worshiper of the same deity as her family’s.
What struck me as interesting though is that Rebekah herself had servants- at least two (Gen. 24:61).
Even so, she was not stuck-up or lazy. She carried her own weight and had a kind serving attitude toward others.
Certainly she deserved to partake in the divine covenants, as she was a fine example of what a potential wife should look like.

Genesis 24:57,58

So they said: “Let us call the young woman and inquire of her.” They called Re·bek′ah and said to her: “Will you go with this man?” She replied: “I am willing to go.”

I want to include this other point because I recently read a series of articles that talked about forced marriage of women, often times minors, and how their families go so far as killing them when the brides refuse to uphold the arrangements.

It is striking that around 4,000 years ago women like Rebekah who belonged to her culture enjoyed a right denied to some modern women today.

Genesis, chapters 17-20

The point I’d like to highlight from my reading last week is the story of Lot as related in Genesis ch. 19.
Lot did not have an easy life. His is basically a riches to rags story.
In ch. 13 we see he is so financially prosperous that he needs to separate his livestock and herders from Abraham’s in order to conserve the peace between the two households.
However in ch. 14 he and his entire household are kidnapped.
By the time we get to ch. 19, he is living among the lawless people in the insecure town of Sodom.
When two angels come to avert him of the oncoming destruction, he goes to warn his daughters’ fiances who do not take him seriously (Gen. 19:14).
His wife evidently has a predominantly materialistic inclination, which ends up costing her her life (Gen. 19:26).
And once they are “out of danger” dwelling in a cave, his daughters get him drunk and rape him (Gen. 19:30, 33-35).
Even though Lot was not respected by those around him, 2 Peter 2:7-9 demonstrates he had God’s approval by qualifying him as someone “righteous” and as having “godly devotion.”
This demonstrates that the hardships we face in our lives are not an indication of God’s neglecting us, but rather opportunities for us to exercise our faith in him.

Genesis, chapters 11-16

Genesis 14:11-16~

Then the victors took all the goods of Sod′om and Go·mor′rah and all their food and went on their way. They also took Lot, the son of A′bram’s brother who was dwelling in Sodom, as well as his goods, and they continued on their way.
After that a man who had escaped came and told A′bram the Hebrew. […]
Thus A′bram heard that his relative had been taken captive. With that he mobilized his trained men, 318 servants born in his household, and went in pursuit up to Dan. […]
He recovered all the goods, and he also recovered Lot his relative, his goods, the women, and the other people.

What I learned:

In this passage, the loyalty of Abram (later Abraham) is center stage as he valiantly steps up to the plate in the search and rescue of his relatives who were being held hostage.
Although it had been Lot who had decided to move his household into the area that wound up being a war zone, Abram pro-actively and without any self-interest or hesitation resolved to organize a campaign to save them.
Abram’s loyalty reminds me of the loyalty God feels for us when we are in trouble and out of options.
“Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.”
(1 Chron. 16:34).
He is also a God of action, and even when someone falls into the most helpless of states- that is death- he promises to raise them in the resurrection.
“Your dead will live…” (Isa. 26:19).

Genesis, chapters 1-5

Gen. 2:19~

Now Jehovah God had been forming from the ground every wild animal of the field and every flying creature of the heavens, and he began bringing them to the man to see what he would call each one; and whatever the man would call each living creature, that became its name.

What I learned:

When God delegates a task, he provides the person with the necessary resources for the task to be accomplished.

He is also flexible in allowing the person to take creative liberties and supports the person’s decisions regarding the task.

Being trusting and supportive are qualities worthy of imitating.