31st Week - Genesis 24-28 (Click on Title for Video Intro)

 Click on Title for Video Introduction

Monday, Genesis Chapter 24

Genesis 24

Verse 67b

Tanya Ruden

August 4, 2006

Verse 67b:  So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

THOUGHT

It is hard for me to parallel this story to anything in today’s day and age.  I often wonder if this type of arrangement was strange to people back then or if it was normal.  I mean can you imagine if your daughter was approached to leave with someone you didn’t know, to be with someone you had never met, in a far off place? I would FREAK! 

There are a couple of things I want to discuss about this chapter.  Frist-I respect how Abraham was determined to find a wife for his son from ‘his people’. I think this teaches us an important point about choosing our spouse. It reminds us we need to find someone like us - not someone we can change to be like us.  What priorities that are important to you are for you to choose, but I think it would be things like – Christian values and faith, commonalities, similar family relationships, etc.  

Second - I can’t help but admire Rebekah’s faith or maturity. Can you imagine doing your daily chores, and in an instant your life changing?   You are leaving home for good, for the rest of your life, with complete strangers? There cannot be a thought of turning back. She didn’t even want to stay another 10 days to say goodbye.  I wonder what her personality was like. Do you think she was one of those people who was ready to see the world, explore, leave home or was this experience way out of her comfort zone?  Was she nervous and scared? Did she need to leave before she changed her mind?  I hope, no matter which it was, she felt led by God to leave to be with Isaac. 

The other thing I like about this story is the ending (the verse above). Isaac loved her. It wasn’t just an arranged marriage without feeling.  It was truly like God blessed this union before it happened.  It is never too early to pray about mates for those we love. God could be planting feelings in a little boy’s heart for my girls, and they will not meet for 20 years! God truly blesses every relationship in our lives.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, we thank You for love between men and women. We thank You for the hand You have in making that love apparent and meant to be.  Help us to pray for those relationships before they are something deeply desired and before they may even be thought of. Also, help us to always keep You involved in those relationships, knowing that without You those struggles we face soon turn south without Your help and guidance. AMEN

Tuesday, Genesis Chapter 25

Genesis 25

Delores Little

August 7, 2006

THOUGHT

This chapter deals with Abraham getting married and having 5 more children by Keturah.  While he was alive, he sent them off with gifts, and they went east. Abraham lived to be 175 years old and died. His sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him. Ishmael had 12 sons and lived near the border of Egypt. They had hostility toward each other.  Isaac was 40 when he and Rebekah got married, and 20 years later they had the twin sons. Isaac had prayed for her to have children as she was barren.

In verse 23, the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Esau was red and hairy, and Jacob was not. Esau was a skillful hunter, and Jacob was a quiet man.  Isaac favored Esau and loved him while Rebekah loved Jacob.

Now the verses that came out to me were 29-34.  Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)  Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”  “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said, “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first,” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

First, I think Rebekah had to have told Jacob about what God had said to her, “The older would serve the younger.”  That is one reason he asked for the birthright, but also shows us how little Esau thought of his birthright.  Most of us would have shared our food with the other, but Jacob didn’t. Was he getting ahead of God’s will here?

Second, I have thought of my birthright for many years.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord, that is our birthright.  We are with Him and now have the free choice to accept it or reject it. Praise God we accept it. May we always stay true to it the rest of our lives.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the birthright into Jesus for us. May we always be so thankful for it.   In Jesus Name. AMEN

Wednesday, Genesis Chapter 26

Genesis 26

Verses 23-24

Delores Little

August 8, 2006

Verses 23-24z:  From there he went up to Beersheba. That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I AM the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I AM with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

THOUGHT

In this chapter we find Isaac telling the men of the place he was at, that Rebekah was his sister. He truly lied as she wasn’t, and though Abraham did the same with Sarah, she truly was his half-sister. 

We know Isaac prayed to God for he asked for children in the last chapter, This is the first time God appeared to him and gave him the same message he gave his father before Isaac was born.

What does this teach us today?

1. Learn to wait upon the Lord’s timing and not ours.

2. His promises never fail to come to pass.

3. Seek His face daily.

4. We can hear Him speak to us if we just open our minds and heart every day and listen.

(A thought came to me when I took silk flowers out to my husband’s grave this spring.  For 4 years I have been looking for a grave marker that said husband on it and never could find one.   When I got home, the Lord said to me, “You will not find one as I’m your Husband now and Willie will never be ever again.  You are given in marriage in heaven. He will be the kids’ dad, but not your husband.”  I said, “Yes, Lord” and Praised His name. I already knew He was my husband before, but needed to be reminded of it again.)

I’m sure Abraham told Isaac about what God told him, but God Himself is now telling Isaac. God does that with us through the years we have on earth, and isn’t that wonderful?

Take the time and spend some quiet time with God.  Write down what He is telling you through His Word or just listen after prayer time. It can be awesome.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, forgive us of our sins. Open our hearts, minds and eyes to hear and see just what You have us to do every day. We love You and are so thankful that You gave us Your Word.  Help us see it in our lives.   Be with our service men and women and our president and his family, our friends and churches. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on every nation in the world and let them know You truly are King of Kings and Lord of Lord.  In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN

Thursday, Genesis Chapter 27

Genesis 27

Verses 11-13

Delores Little

August 9, 2006  

Verses 11-13:  Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.” His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.”

THOUGHT

Well this chapter again is full of things that cannot be pleasing to our Father, but they did happen. We see how Isaac wants to bless Esau, his oldest, which wasn’t supposed to be with the word God gave Rebekah when she carried the twins. After reading this chapter, you all know what happened. 

1. Jacob did what his Mother said to do.

2. Isaac knew the voice sounded like Jacob, but his smell and touch gave him the blessing after Isaac ate.

3. Jacob left, and his brother came and found out Jacob got the blessing.  Esau was broken hearted. Esau thought so little of his birthright in the first place, but now he felt like blaming Jacob for taking the birthright  that he gave to him of his own free will.

4. He was so angry he wanted to kill Jacob, and Rebekah heard of it and told Jacob to go to Haran.

5. She asked the curse to come on her and not Jacob (Tomorrow we will read where Jacob did leave, and he never saw his mother again alive.  I think that was the curse that came on her, and you will not hear of her death.  She is not written about in the next chapters, and it doesn’t even say when Isaac died. They were buried by each other. Gen 35:28)

Wouldn’t it have been interesting to see how God would have done this if they had just let Him?  We see how far Jacob comes when we get to Gen. 48:17-20. I feel he was listening to what God wanted and did it.

The Old Testament was written for us to see how we should live IF we do what God wants and not what we want.

In 1967 or 1968 I knew God ask me to wash our Pastors feet, and I got into the car to do so.  His wife made me so uncomfortable that I didn’t go through with it.  I felt some of the anointing of God come off me. I DID NOT OBEY GOD!!! I thought more of what they would think of me than what God asked me to do. That is just one of many times I so failed my Father. I’m really trying now not to, but oh how I need His help.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, how awesome You are. Help us daily to obey You rather than us understand it. Holy Spirit, teach us God’s Word and fill us up with it. Bless the Salt Shakers and families, and we claim every nation in for Jesus. In Jesus Name. AMEN

Friday, Genesis Chapter 28

Genesis 28

Verses 12-15

Delores Little

August 10, 2006

Verses 12-15:  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.  There above it 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. 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. 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.” 

THOUGHT

In this chapter Jacob is sent away to his mother’s brother, Laban, in Padden Aram to get a wife. He left, and Esau saw it didn’t please his dad.  Now God comes to Jacob in a dream in the above verses.  Notice the Lord was on top of the ladder along with the angels.  In my notes it says that this shows us that Jesus is the only “mediator between God and man”.  

John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” and 1 Tim. 2:5, For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.  In Heb.8:6, But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is Mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.  He was giving Jacob the same message He gave Abraham and Isaac and promised the land to him. 

In the 60’s I had a dream when we lived in Omaha that I saw this very large angel coming down.  When it hit the yard, he was more human size. He spoke to me in a language I didn’t understand.  When I told him I didn’t understand, he opened my understanding.  When I woke up, I never remembered what was told me. To this day I still do not understand what the dream was for.  It still remains in my mind even after 40 years.  Dreams are important and should be listened to.  

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, bless this day for us and teach us to listen to You, trust You, wait for You and obey You to do all things unto You. Praise and rejoice in the good and bad times and know You are in control. Thank You for all Your blessings and great love You shower on us daily. In Jesus Name.  AMEN