Genesis 42-50

Genesis 43
v. 32 - Interesting seating arrangements: Joseph at a table by himself; his brothers at a table by themselves, and the Egyptians at another. The Egyptians could not sit with his brothers because "that was an abomination to the Egyptians" – something like the Jews and Gentiles.

Genesis 44-46
44:17 - Since he could "practice divination," did Joseph know what his brothers' reaction would be when he threatened to keep Benjamin as a slave?
44:33 - Judah – the ancestor of the Sacrificial Lamb – offers himself as a slave in place of Benjamin.
45:4 - After he identifies himself, Joseph tells his brothers to come closer. Apparently, he had been keeping his distance – eating at a separate table, for instance.

The number of times, that I count, that Joseph's brothers bowed down to him, fulfilling the prophetic dreams of his youth:

1. 42:6 - When they first met him;
2. 43:26 - When they returned with Benjamin;
3. 44:14 - When they were accused of stealing, only this time they "fell to the ground before him."

46:21 - They had referred to Benjamin as a "boy" (44:30), yet he was the father of 10 children. Did they call him a "boy" because he was the youngest?

Genesis 47-50
47:26 - Pattern for the IRS? 20% of all income to the Pharaoh – as slaves – because they owed their lives to him.
49 - This might make an interesting study – to look at Jacob's blessings of his sons and to see how their lives fulfilled his prophecies of them. It might make it easier to interpret what they mean.
50:3,7 - The Egyptians showed great respect to Israel in his death – because of their great respect for Joseph.

Genesis 31-41

(I seem to have taken no notes on Genesis 31-34 a year ago when I wrote these. See introductory comment on Genesis 18-25.)

Genesis 35-36
35:8 - Death of Rebekah's nurse. Is Rebekah still living? Don't remember an account of her death.
35:29 - Death of Isaac in Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had lived before, and where Abraham and Sarah were buried (23:19; 25:10)
36:1 - Esau's wives and sons born in Canaan: Adah - Eliphaz; Oholibamah - Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; Basemath (Ishmael's daughter) - Reuel. Esau moved away from Jacob because their possessions were so great. He settled his family in the hill country; his family became Edom.

Genesis 37
v. 2 - Joseph was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah - his father's "wives" -- actually, originally his wives' handmaids. Could this have affected their attitude toward him? They were half-brothers, and their mothers were not sisters, as would have been the case with Reuben and Judah.
v. 3 - Jacob loved Joseph best because he was "the son of his old age."
v. 26 - It was Judah's idea to sell Joseph for money. Judah – the earthly ancestor of Christ – who would later also be betrayed for money. Also, this act puts an Israelite in Egypt, which would later be the salvation for the Israelites. Is it providential that it's Judah who suggests it?

Genesis 39
v. 3 - Success breeds success. Potiphar was impressed with Joseph's prosperity. That is what indicated to Potiphar that God was with Joseph. He also saw that Joseph achieved it honestly; he trusted him completely – until his own wife accused Joseph of impropriety (v. 19). Oh, the wiles and power of a ruthless woman!
v. 21 - In contrast, God was faithful. "But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love." (NRSV)

Genesis 40-41
Joseph's ability to interpret dreams that was so annoying in his youth now becomes his salvation in Egypt – and ultimately the salvation of his family.
41:34-36 - The value of an emergency fund? In this case, 20 percent! And, according to 41:57 -- there would be enough in this emergency fund not only to take care of Egypt's needs during the famine, but people from many other countries as well. A lesson here? We save not only for ourselves, but others as well.
41:39 - Pharaoh respected Joseph because he was guided by God.

Genesis 26-30

Genesis 26:8
Isaac was seen "fondling his wife Rebekah" after telling the Philistine king Abimelech that she was Isaac's sister. Apparently he still showed affection toward his wife, even after their sons were grown.

Genesis 27 Observations

• vv. 18, 31 - The ease with which the people of old made food from scratch. Rebekah seems to quickly fix a meal from two kids; Esau hunts, cleans and cooks the food for his father. Reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah's hospitality for the 3 messengers of God. How did they manage to wait for as long as it must have taken to prepare that food? It must have been very tough and gamy.
• v. 25 - Isaac couldn't tell the difference between goat and wild game. Had age dulled his sense of taste, too?
• v. 39 - Why did Isaac pronounce a curse on Esau instead of a blessing? Was that all he had left?
  

Genesis 28

• v. 8 - Esau seems to be marrying a daughter of Ishmael out of spite. This, then, involves a joining of Ishmael and Esau – the rejected sons.
• v. 17 - After his dream, Jacob was afraid. I like his declaration (NRSV): "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
• v. 20 - Is Jacob's vow conditional?

IF God

• will be with me
• will keep me in this way that I go
• will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace

THEN

• the LORD shall be my God
• this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house
• of all that you give me I will surely give one-tenth to you.

Genesis 29-30
To be a usurper, Jacob seems a very patient man. He waits 7 years for Rachel, then seemingly without resentment, works for another 7 after he is deceived into marrying Leah instead. He does get angry with Rachel in chapter 30 when she blames him for not giving her children, but meekly (?) takes both handmaids at his wives' requests.

God's involvement in this childbearing saga is puzzling:
29:30 - "When the LORD saw Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." 30:17 - After Leah gave Rachel mandrakes in exchange for a night with Jacob, God heeded Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
30:22 - "God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her and opened her womb."

30:37-43
Jacob's way of bypassing Laban's effort to once again cheat Jacob out of that for which he had worked. This seems to be miraculous, yet God's hand is not mentioned in this account.

Genesis 18-25

Note: I have transferred the following notes from Pressing On, an MSN blog I started at the beginning of 2008, my first attempt at my Bible Reading Blog. As you can see, my intention was just to jot down things I hadn't noticed in previous reading or comments and questions I had about the text. As I progressed into the readings, I somehow couldn't resist outlining the text, which, of course, is why more than a year later I'm trying to finish Isaiah! I don't know what happened to Genesis 1-17, but I plan to fill in that gap as time permits.

Genesis 18
I didn't realize before that when Abraham was "bargaining" with God about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he was talking to Him face to face! I had read that one of the men was probably the Son come in the flesh (in the NSRV, it refers to Him as LORD), but hadn't realized that while the two angels went on ahead, He stayed back to talk to Abraham. Note that three messengers came to Abraham and Sarah, but only two angels went on to Sodom. The LORD "went his way."

Genesis 19
Ruth was a descendant of Lot by his oldest daughter.

Genesis 21:8-14
Sarah demanded that Ishmael be sent away after she saw Ishmael and Isaac playing together. She felt threatened by the situation. God seemed to agree with her, somehow, and instructed Abraham to do as Sarah wanted, promising that he would take care of Ishmael. How difficult it must have been for Abraham to obey! This was a son he had loved for 16-17 years. (He was 86 when Ishmael was born, 100 when Isaac was born, and this was after Isaac was weaned -- at maybe 2 years old?)

Genesis 21:15
Was Ishmael already weak from lack of water? He was a teenager at the time, yet the NRSV refers to him as a child, whom she could "cast" under a bush.

Genesis 21:17 and 22:15
The angel of God spoke to Hagar, in 21, and to Abraham, in 22, from heaven this time, instead of as a human messenger, like they appeared when the promise was made.

Genesis 23:13-16, then 24:2
Two oaths, or promises: The first, between Abraham and Ephron about the purchase of the cave of Machpaleh for Sarah's burial place – a covenant made in public to ensure its compliance. The next oath, or promise, in just a few verses, in chapter 24, was made very privately, and involved Abraham's servant putting his hand on the inside of Abraham's thigh as he made the promise concerning obtaining a wife for Isaac. God was also called in as a witness to this promise: "I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth...."

Genesis 24
A story of family, and the influence of wealth.

1. The servant's faith that God would help him find a wife for Rebekah;
2. Rebekah's helpfulness, in line with the servant's prayer;
3. Rebekah very forthcoming about her family after the servant gave her the gold nosering and 2 bracelets;
4. Her brother Laban's generosity -- also when he realized that the servant represented someone of great wealth;
5. Rebekah's family's desire to hold onto her a little longer, indicating their affection for her, yet they gave her the choice;
6. Rebekah's willingness to leave her family for the promise, maybe, of a new and exciting life elsewhere -- also the attraction of wealth, maybe;
7. The servant's generosity, even after the agreement was made, a sign of gratitude;
8. The sweet meeting of Isaac and Rebekah, and the satisfying conclusion: "She became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."

Question: Where was Bethuel, Rebekah's father, in this story?