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Genesis 50 - Déjà vécu

This chapter brings it all back around to the beginning. Because in the beginning mankind had everything he needed. However Adam and Eve sinned and then tried to cover it up by lying to God. They paid the price for their sins, yet redemption and restored fellowship was promised to them.

In today's concluding chapter of Genesis I see this all repeated.

The children of Israel are living in a good land. However, they are about to repeat their old sins.

Genesis 50:15-16 But now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became afraid. "Now Joseph will pay us back for all the evil we did to him," they said. So they sent this message to Joseph: "Before your father died, he instructed us...

Israel gave no such instruction. They were lying.

Four hundred years of bondage are about to start. The children of Israel were not ready to take possession of Canaan.

Genesis 50:25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, "When God comes to lead us back to Canaan, you must take my body back with you."

There is a promise of deliverance - no wavering here. Joseph uses the word "when", not "if".

Yes, the situation certainly is déjà vécu, for what is being done and heard has happened before. Amazing how often this theme is repeated in scripture...

Heavenly Father, please help us to realize that Jesus broke this sequence of events in our lives. We are no longer bound to déjà vécu. May we live like the victorious children of the King that we truly are. In Jesus' name, Amen.

End the cycle. Jan
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Genesis 49 - Unfair?

I don't know about you, but I don't think I would want the following blessings.

Genesis 49:3-4 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

Reuben, you get nothing! And to top it off, your sin is exposed. Therefore, you and your descendents will be common, no longer excellent.

Genesis 49:5-7 "Simeon and Levi are brothers- their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

Simeon and Levi, you are brutes that I don't even want around - your tempers are curses. You and your children will be spread out like too little butter over bread. There won't be enough of you to make a good sandwich.

Was Israel unfair? No.

Genesis 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Each received what was "appropriate to him".

Lord, may we not pollute ours and our children's future. Give us wisdom and forbearance. In Jesus' name, Amen.

p.s. Levi redeemed themselves when they stood with Moses in the desert against the rebellion.

Live wisely! Jan
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Genesis 48 - Blessing Aborted

Israel blesses the sons of Joseph. In fact he adopts them as his own and tells Joseph that any more children that he has can be his own descendents, but Ephraim and Manasseh are his (Israel's) descendents.

Genesis 48:5 Now I am adopting as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will inherit from me just as Reuben and Simeon will.

Actually they didn't inherit just as Reuben and Simeon. They inherited in their place.

1 Chronicles 5:1-2 1The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father's concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogy as the firstborn son. It was the descendants of Judah that became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Israel did not forget Reuben's sin with his concubine. Nor did he forget that both Reuben and Simeon lied about Joseph. God had clearly elevated Joseph above his brothers. Israel was going to ensure that he did likewise.

Ephraim did indeed become larger than Manasseh. His tribe was often synonymous with the larger Northern Tribes of Israel - called Israel. I suspect that elevating him to the "firstborn" position gave him an over inflated sense of self.

At the time of the Exodus Ephraim appears to have been numerically one of the smaller tribes - 40,500 warriors, compared to 74,600 for Judah.

For the answer as to why, I consulted Jewish history (from the Jewish Encyclopedia).

The tribe of Ephraim miscalculated the time of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, and left the country thirty years before the appointed time. They were met by a hostile host of Philistines, who offered them battle, in which the Ephraimites lost 30,000. Their bones were strewn in heaps along the roads. According to the "Sefer ha-Yashar", this event took place in the 180th year after the Israelites went to Egypt, when 30,000 infantry from the tribe of Ephraim left Egypt. The battle was waged near Gath. Because they rebelled against the word of God in leaving Egypt before the end of the captivity destined by God had arrived, all except ten were slain. The ten men who escaped from the battle returned to Egypt and related to their brethren what had happened to them. Ephraim, who was still alive, mourned over them many days. That the children of Israel might not see the bleached bones of the slain of Ephraim and return to Egypt, God led them to Canaan by circuitous ways

Zeal and repeated unrepentant sin were a pattern for this tribe and eventually they fell from God's grace to the point that they are not even numbered with the 144,000 in Revelation.

Psalm 78:9-10, 67-68 The warriors of Ephraim, though fully armed, turned their backs and fled when the day of battle came. They did not keep God's covenant, and they refused to live by his law.

...But he rejected Joseph's descendants; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. He chose instead the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.

Hosea 5:9,11 One thing is certain, Ephraim (Israel): When your day of punishment comes, you will become a heap of rubble. ...The people of Ephraim (Israel) will be crushed and broken by my judgment because they are determined to worship idols.

They were rejected by God.

Blessings or cursings. They can be bestowed. But if we live up to them is our choice.

A causeless curse will not stick. Neither will a unlived blessing.

Heavenly Father thank You for Your mercy. May we seek Your blessings and live right. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be blessed. Jan
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Genesis 47 - Pharaoh-Cycle

I see a familiar progression in this chapter. Look at these passages.

It starts out with a perceived or genuine need - in this case a genuine need of hunger. The people do the easy thing, buy food with their money.

Genesis 41:55-56 Throughout the land of Egypt the people began to starve. They pleaded with Pharaoh for food, and he told them, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you." So with severe famine everywhere in the land, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians.

Then it gets worse, dependency begins. They have no other way of filing their need and all of their money is gone.

Genesis 47:15-16 When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, they came to Joseph crying again for food. "Our money is gone," they said, "but give us bread. Why should we die?"

"Well, then," Joseph replied, "since your money is gone, give me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange."

However, filling up on this things of the world always leaves you empty when it is used up. They needed more the following year. But they had nothing material left to sell.

Genesis 47:18-19 The next year they came again and said, "Our money is gone, and our livestock are yours. We have nothing left but our bodies and land. Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we will then become servants to Pharaoh. Just give us grain so that our lives may be saved and so the land will not become empty and desolate."

Nothing else mattered any more. They sold themselves and their birthrights in order to preserve their lives.

Genesis 47:21 Thus, all the people of Egypt became servants to Pharaoh.

It looks to me like the Addictive Cycle. At the first stage you take or do something because it is needed to achieve pleasure or a high. In the case of narcotics, it could start out as a genuine need to deaden the pain from an illness. However once the illness passes, you keep taking it. This brings you into the second stage. You take something to help you feel normal. And in the last stage you take something just to keep from feeling pain. You slowly work your way down to depending on the thing that once was used to bring you relief or pleasure. It becomes your master.

In the Egyptians' case they were alleviating their hunger, but they couldn't stop. They had to keep coming back to Joseph for more. Eventually it cost them their very freedom.

Heavenly Father, may we be cautious of the bargains that we engage in. Some may prove to be more costly in the long run than we should be willing to pay. May we have the foresight to see the danger and choose another path. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Don't ride this cycle. Jan
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Genesis 46 - I smell something familiar

Shepherds stink. I mean the smell can be overpowering. It is due to their constant exposure to oily matted sheep skins. Only when sheep wool has been washed, bleached and prepared, is it suitable for wearing. Yet, not only did the sheep skin stink, there is also the issue of sheep droppings. Get a large enough flock together and you can tell they are nearby from quite some distance. As a result, shepherds and their flocks were not exactly welcome near residential areas.

With some fanfare and celebration Joseph's family of 66 shepherds enters Egypt. The Egyptians worshiped cows to some degree, but they hated shepherds. What does Joseph do? He lies to Pharaoh and tells his family to do likewise.

Genesis 46:31-34 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I’m going to Pharaoh to tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds. They take care of livestock. They’ve brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ Now, when Pharaoh calls for you and asks, ‘What kind of work do you do?’ you must answer, ‘We have taken care of herds all our lives, as our ancestors have done.’ You must say this so that you may live in the region of Goshen, because all shepherds are disgusting to Egyptians.”

He tells Pharaoh that they keep 'livestock', not sheep. This smells familiarly rancid to me - the smell of deceit. Ah yes, there it is, the familiar smell of generational sin continuing down the family lineage.

I wonder what would have happened if he'd simply told the truth? After all, he was the second most powerful person in all of Egypt. What would they do to him? There was still five more years of famine to come. We may never know.

Heavenly Father, please give us the grace to speak truthfully and deal honestly with all that we encounter in life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Smell clean before God. Jan
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Genesis 45 - And then...

This story has a very interesting transition in it. Joseph finally breaks down and reveals himself to his brothers. They are speechless. What do you say to the man that you'd sold into slavery? However, after a short while he manages to convince them of his intentions, and that God was the one that sent him to Egypt - not their maleficence.

Genesis 45:15 Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and then they began talking freely with him.

Imagine the questions, the desire to ask for forgiveness, the awe; all bottled up since they didn't know Joseph's intentions or attitude. And then, notice the words, "and then". And then the flood-gates opened. They began talking freely; the brothers communicated, probably the first time ever. What a joyful reunion that had to have been!

Thank You Father for Your grace and that we are no longer enemies and strangers to You. We can come freely and talk. What a gift. In Jesus' name, Amen.

And then... Jan
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Genesis 44 - Bound Up

A widely known fact is that an emotional shock such as the death of a family member, can cause a heart attack and sudden death.

In February of 2005 the Associated Press ran an article headlined, "Loss of Loved One Really Can Cause Broken Heart". Between 1993 and 2003 Doctors studied emergency room patients and came to the following conclusion.

"A tragic or shocking event can stun the heart and produce classic heart attack-like symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs."

Now let's look at today's reading. Judah, speaking to Joseph (not knowing it is him), says the following.

Genesis 44:30-31 "And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father's life is bound up in the boy's life. When he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We will be responsible for bringing his gray head down to the grave in sorrow."

Judah understood that the grief Jacob would experience would overwhelm him and death would likely result.

Genesis 44:33-34 "Please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I cannot bear to see what this would do to him."

It is clear that Judah loved his father, he was willing to ransom his own life to preserve that of his father. What a change from a man that agreed to the treachery that was done to Joseph a decade earlier!

Heavenly Father, thank You that if we allow it, wisdom will come with age. Help us learn our lessons with grace. May we be agents of healing in a dying world. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 43 - All about me

Jacob, who started out as a deceiver, and now is a prince among men appears to me to have gotten comfortable in his old age. He has stopped trusting God for his needs.

Genesis 43:2 When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, "Go again and buy us a little food."

I have not seen this man pray about, or inquire of the Lord, as to what he should do. Instead he looks for the world's way first. It is as if his relationship with God stopped at Bethel in chapter thirty five when he blessed him once again. His life has become about him and not serving the Lord.

Genesis 43:6 "Why did you ever tell him you had another brother?" Jacob moaned. "Why did you have to treat me with such cruelty?"

It is all about him - never mind the fact that Simeon is still locked up in the dungeon and everyone else in his clan will starve. Finally he relents and gives this half-hearted acknowledgement of God.

Genesis 43:14 May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, that he might release Simeon and return Benjamin. And if I must bear the anguish of their deaths, then so be it."

What whining! Perhaps he'd like some cheese with it. Finally, three chapters later he acknowledges God, but only after hearing about Joseph being alive.

How often do I live my life that way? I go about my daily business and forget to give thanks and praise to the One that make everything in my life possible much more often than I'd like to admit. It is so easy. When things are going well we get self reliant. I love these words of wisdom.

Proverbs 30:7-9 O God, I beg two favors from you before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.

Thank You Father that You provide me with everything I need. Even enforced rest. May I always remember to give you praise and thanks during plenty and during dearth. In Jesus' name, Amen.

It is all about Jesus. Jan
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Genesis 42 - Toasted Reuben

In an earlier dBrag I'd mentioned the horror and pleading that must have occurred when Joseph was being sold as a slave. In this chapter his brothers confirm that account.

Genesis 42:21 Speaking among themselves, they said, "This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldn't listen. That's why this trouble has come upon us."

However, it also shows that Reuben was more righteous that the rest. Look at his further response.

Genesis 42:22 "Didn't I tell you not to do it?" Reuben asked. "But you wouldn't listen. And now we are going to die because we murdered him."

He had not participated. He had put him in the abandoned well with the intention of rescuing Joseph. He wasn't even there when Joseph was sold. But it is evident that he has repented of his participation because now he has numbered himself with his brothers as a co-murderer.

When they return home and tell their father what happened, it is Reuben who again further demonstrates his repentance and willingness to do whatever it takes to do what is right.

Genesis 41:36-37 Jacob exclaimed, "You have deprived me of my children! Joseph has disappeared, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!"

Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. I'll be responsible for him."

Reuben was truly changed. In the next few chapters it becomes plain that Judah likewise was changed. Yet, I imagine they paid a terrible guilt price for most of their lives. One thing Satan will not pass up is an opportunity to condemn someone. He definitely had dirt on them. Every day he probably popped Reuben, Judah and the rest, into the GuiltMaster Toaster Oven for a fresh dose of searing.

Thank God that we don't have to live with condemnation. We have a glorious promise in Christ Jesus that it will not stick. That oven will not turn on. We are justified because of Him.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of eternal life, and the gift of a clean conscience. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In Him you are righteous. Jan
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Genesis 41 - Promotion

In reading about Joseph's meteoric rise from a slave in a dungeon to vice-pharaoh of Egypt, I was reminded of the following verse.

Psalm 75:6-7 For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another.

Joseph's story is a perfect example. In the verses below he starts out in this chapter in prison.

Genesis 41:14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was brought hastily from the dungeon. After a quick shave and change of clothes, he went in and stood in Pharaoh's presence.

Then just twenty six verses later - in only a few minutes - he is a prince.

Genesis 41:40-41 I hereby appoint you to direct this project. You will manage my household and organize all my people. Only I will have a rank higher than yours."

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt."

Can you imagine how his head must have been spinning? In the morning he was picking maggots from his bread, and now he can have anything his heart desires.

God had counted him worthy. In his time of trial and hardship he had learned his lessons and now it was time for him to begin his service to the Lord.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Heavenly Father, may I not need to have my lessons be as painful as Joseph's. Please give me the wisdom and the perseverance to get them right the first time - for my sake and my family's. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be humble, Jan
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Genesis 40 - Serving self or others?

In this chapter Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's Chief Cup Bearer and Chief Baker. Their dreams, although similar, have very different meanings. For one it means life, for the other dead. Why?

I have heard this explained thusly. The Cup Bearer served the king, or Pharaoh. However the Baker served himself, and once he was served, then he served the king - Pharaoh. You see, the Cup Bearer is the official taster. If the wine or food is poisoned, he would be the first to know, and therefore give his life in service to his king. The Baker however, makes bread for eating. He satisfies his stomach and Pharaoh's. There is no self-sacrifice involved.

Look at the dreams of these men.

Genesis 40:9-11 The cup-bearer told his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a vine in front of me. It had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes. I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into it. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

This man had to do something in order to serve Pharaoh. His offering was not just presented to him. He watched it form, then he worked, he was at his post since he had Pharaoh's cup, then he served. It cost him effort.

Genesis 40:16-17 When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too. "In my dream," he said, "there were three baskets of pastries on my head. In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them."

This man did nothing to make or obtain the intended offerings for Pharaoh. It cost him nothing, he put out no effort, and his offering was stolen.

Look at the words of King David.

1 Chronicles 21:24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying what it is worth. I cannot take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not offer a burnt offering that has cost me nothing!"

That which costs us nothing is not worthy of being offered to our King - nor was it worthy of being offered to Pharaoh. Let us be sure that when we offer praise to God that it is truly coming from within us and is a genuine offering of all that we are and have.

Serve Him. Jan
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Genesis 39 - Blessed Remoras

A Remora is a fish that has a flat spot on the top of its head by which it fastens itself to a larger fish such as a shark; or sometimes even a sea turtle. The Remora then enjoys a free ride; going where the larger fish goes, and benefits from any food bits that don't quite make it into the mouth of the larger fish.

Genesis 39:2-5 The LORD was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. So Joseph naturally became quite a favorite with him. Potiphar soon put Joseph in charge of his entire household and entrusted him with all his business dealings. From the day Joseph was put in charge, the LORD began to bless Potiphar for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs began to run smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.

Genesis 39:22-23 Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully.

In a sense Joseph's masters in this chapter are Remoras. They have done nothing to deserve God's blessings, but because of Joseph they prosper.

We as Christians often times are blessed by our Lord to excess. Let us be sure that we allow the scraps to fall to the Remoras in our lives. They need to see that we have a source of blessing, and we must encourage them to hang on while we bring them to that source.

Lord, thank You for giving good gifts to Your children. May we share them with those in need. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Lord, bless the Remoras. Jan
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Genesis 38 - Onanism

I find two things of particular interest in this chapter. The first is from these verses.

Genesis 38:1-2 About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he visited a man named Hirah. 2There he met a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her.

Genesis 38:6 When his oldest son, Er, grew up, Judah arranged his marriage to a young woman named Tamar.

It looks to me like the text is showing that Judah left his father's household without his father's blessing. The reason I say that is because his marriage was not arranged or formalized by his father. However, I see that Judah's son Er did have his marriage arranged by his father.

Also in this chapter is the account of Judah's son Onan. In our local area there is a Catholic radio station that regularly airs a commercial condemning artificial contraception, somehow basing it on this account. However there was nothing "artificial" about this act by Onan; in fact it is "natural" contraception. Coitus interruptus (or Onanism) and the rhythm method have been practiced ever since mankind figured out where babies came from.

Genesis 38:8-9 Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "You must marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. Her first son from you will be your brother's heir."

But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with Tamar, he spilled the semen on the ground to keep her from having a baby who would belong to his brother.

As a result of his actions Onan was killed by God. However, he was not judged by God for spilling his seed. He was judged because he disobeyed his father's instructions and God's laws. To say it was because his semen was on the ground instead of in the woman would mean that any man or boy that ever had a nocturnal emission should be dead.

Heavenly Father thank You that You give us instructions for life. We know that if we obey Your laws and decrees that You will bless us; perhaps in this life and certainly in the next. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 37 - Rotten Apple

On sailing ships they would have barrels full of apples. They needed to be constantly watched because one bad apple would quickly putrefy and spread the rottenness to others. They were inspected daily, and the spoiled ones were removed.

Joseph was apparently a spoiled child, a tattle tale, and lacked the wisdom to keep his mouth shut.

Genesis 37:2 This is the history of Jacob's family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.

The rottenness spread amongst the others.

Genesis 37:4 But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father's partiality. They couldn't say a kind word to him.

He rubbed it in even further by relating his dreams to them - dreams that showed he would one day rule them.

Genesis 37:8 "So you are going to be our king, are you?" his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he had said.

This is not some petty sibling rivalry going on. Joseph was 17, his oldest brother Reuben was about 29, while Zebulon, his youngest brother, would have been about 23. So for most of their lives, these men would have seen the inequity of how their father treated Joseph vs. them. They were all roughly the same ages with about a 10 year spread between them. Reuben the oldest would have had at least 12 years with his father without having to compete with Joseph for his father's affection and attention. This fact will be important in a moment.

Jacob sends Joseph quite a distance to check up on his brothers. I can just hear them now, "Here comes the spy!"

Genesis 37:18 When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance and made plans to kill him.

I can't imagine the hate that must have been seething in order to generate such a response. However a cooler head prevailed. It was Reuben's. He was affirmed as a child and had some more years of wisdom under his belt.

Genesis 37:21-22 But Reuben came to Joseph's rescue. "Let's not kill him," he said. "Why should we shed his blood? Let's just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch him." Reuben was secretly planning to help Joseph escape, and then he would bring him back to his father.

However, God had other plans. He needed to change Joseph's character. He needed to be broken of his haughtiness. In a moment when Reuben wasn't in the camp, Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave.

Genesis 37:28 So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelite traders took him along to Egypt.

Think for a moment what this sanitized account above must have really been like. Joseph was conscious. He was aware of what was happening. He was going from favored son of a prince to a property. He was now a thing. He screamed, pleaded, begged, bargained, and his brothers ignored his cries. The spoiled apple was removed from the barrel. He was gone.

James speaks about the power of the tongue in this way.

James 3:5-6 So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

Joseph had to endure 13 years of testing, trial, and refinement in the crucible of Egypt before God could use him and his tongue for His purposes.

Heavenly Father, please give me wisdom with my two sons. Help me to not be partial but to treat each fairly according to the bent that You have designed in them. Help me to raise princes among men. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Don't grow rotten apples. Jan
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Genesis 36 - Mehetabel daughter of Matred

If you look long enough you can find a whacko that will espouse that just about anything can be proved in some manner from the Bible or from a revelation from a divine or unworldly source. I was intrigued by the reference to a woman in the kingly lineages toward the end of the chapter.

Genesis 36:39 When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad became king; the name of his city was Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-Zahab.

In researching that reference I ran across this particular missive. (Please note that the comments below do not reflect my beliefs in any form whatsoever, in fact they are probably not even those of a sane individual.)

UFO-Propulsion in the Bible The word is Matred, Mem Tesh Resh Daleth, which means propulsive, drive, or drive on, and, unlike the name Jeshua, which occurs 100 times, it occurs only one place in the Tanach that we know of, namely Genesis 36:39. The seven names of that verse constitute a genuine archetype: Baalhanan, Beth Ayin Lamed He Nun Nun, which means possessor of grace. Achbor, Ayin Kaph Beth Vav Resh, which means mouse, to bore or dig (as in quantum tunnelling), and stealthy (as in UFO's). Hadar, He Daleth Resh, which means honor. Pau, Peh Ayin Vav, which means screaming or crying. Mehetabel, Mem He Jod Tesh Beth Aleph Lamed, which means What?, How?, When?, or Why? Matred, Mem Tesh Resh Daleth, which means propulsive, drive, or drive on. Mezahab, Mem Jod Zayin He Beth, which means Who? So, it is apparent from the meanings that Mezahab-Mehetabel constitute a Subject-Superject and Matred is a quantum System of Objects arising from the concrescence of the Subject. The notion of making the System intermediate between the Superject and the Subject, in the way that is done here, seems to be the biblical key to the propulsive systems of the stealthy UFO's. This verse, Genesis 36:39, is the propulsion attribute of God. Each verse is apparently an attribute in the sense of the God of Spinoza, defined as Substance consisting of infinite attributes, each one of which expresses eternal and infinite essence. Moreover, I will now declare this to be the 33 letter name of God. All the names except Pau, which is the name of a city, add up to 30 letters, and the 3 letters of Pau represent the 3 years of the ministry of Jeshua, the Moshiach. http://www.geocities.com/saint7peter/UFOpropulsioninthebible.html

Huh? Can you hear the tune "They're coming to take me away..." playing in the background? But wait there is more! How about the following from the Kabbalah sect of Jews.

This is the account of Lilith which was received by the Sages in the Secret Knowledge of the Palaces. The Matron Lilith is the mate of Samael. Both of them were born at the same hour in the image of Adam and Eve, intertwined in each other. Asmodeus the great king of the demons has as a mate the Lesser (younger) Lilith, daughter of the king whose name is Qafsefoni. The name of his mate is Mehetabel daughter of Matred, and their daughter is Lilith. (From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith)

Um, yeah right. Good luck with that, enjoy your demonic revelations. I'll stick with God thank you.

Heavenly Father, Your Word reveals Your character, knowledge, wisdom, and sometimes just arcane data. May we be wise enough to not dig for things that are not there. In Jesus' name, Amen.

When you hit bottom, stop digging. Jan
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Genesis 35 - Lessons in Distance

Sometimes our choices cause us extreme hardship. It doesn't mean that God's love for us has diminished, but now He must take us through wanderings and rough roads that will change character and attitudes if we are to be truly useful to Him.

Jacob made some poor choices, as a result of them he was forced to undergo great journeys and tests before returning to the land of his birth and his family. The distance that he initially fled, from Bethel to Haran, was hundreds of miles and would have taken months of travel time. It took even more so upon his return with all of his flocks, wives and children.

For a perspective of the distance, check out this map from ChristianImageLibrary.com.

As I've seen from my own experience though, sometimes it is necessary to have some distance between relatives. It lessens the memory of past offenses, and encourages remembering what was good between us.

In today's chapter it is evident from the last few verses that the rift between Jacob and Esau has been mended. The two men are now 120 years old, and together they bury their father.

Genesis 35:27-29 So Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham had also lived. Isaac lived for 180 years, and he died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. Then his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

Sixty plus years of Jacob being apart from his family finally ended. I imagine that the reunion was a great celebration. Middle Eastern families are quite tight knit and I'm sure that the return of Jacob was momentous in the life of Isaac. However, I'll have to wait until I see it on the big-screen in Heaven to be sure.

Heavenly Father, may I not need to wander rough roads. Please help me to get it right the first time. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Lesson learned, Jan
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Genesis 34 - Dinah

This chapter is one of those that proves the Bible is written by God and not men. Otherwise the shameful incident of Simeon and Levi murdering an entire town's worth of people would never have been recorded. As the direct blood brothers of Dinah, the responsibility to defend her and her honor befell Simeon and Levi.

Genesis 34:1 AND Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the native girls.

Why was Dinah there alone in town in the first place? And what was the actual crime?

According to Flavius Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, "Now as the Shechemites were keeping a festival Dinah, who was the only daughter of Jacob, went into the city to see the finery of the women of that country." (Ant., 1, 21, 1) Dinah wanted to be like the women of the land. She was aligning herself with them.

Genesis 34:2-4 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and defiled her. And his soul longed for Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl, and spoke kindly to the girl, and won her heart. And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Get me this girl to wife. (Peshitta - Lamsa Translation)

In the nomadic culture of the time an accepted method of obtaining a wife was to find a young unaccompanied woman and claim her as your own. It was not the preferred method, but was accepted. The words "his soul longed for" or "clave for" in other translations is the exact same word used in Genesis 2:24 when talking about marriage; "A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife".

Hamor and Shechem, following ancient traditions (affirmed by God in Deuteronomy) negotiate for Dinah to be given to Shechem.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

Genesis 34:8-12 And Hamor spoke with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; give her to him in marriage. Intermarry with us, and give your daughters to us in marriage, and take our daughters to you, And dwell with us; behold, the land is before you; dwell and trade in it and inherit in it. And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find mercy in your presence, and whatever you shall ask of me I will give. Ask me as much as you wish, both dowry and gifts, and I will give you according as you shall say to me; but give me this girl to wife.

The actual text is ambiguous as to if Dinah was a willing participant with Shechem. What it indicates is that a virgin had sexual relations without a proper marriage transaction having occurred first. However, whether or not Dinah was a willing or unwilling participant, the reality is that she was now, according to the traditions of the land, the wife of Shechem. She was even living in his house.

Genesis 34:26 And they (Simeon and Levi) slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

Simeon and Levi did indeed "defend" Dinah's honor. But in doing so these hotheads paid a huge price for compounding a sin that Shechem had already atoned for. Additionally, their "justice" robbed their sister of the possibility of being married and bearing children. Look at their "blessing" that Jacob their father gave just prior to his death.

Genesis 49:5-7 Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of anger are in their nature. I never agreed to their counsels; nor did I lower myself to sit in their assembly; for in their anger they slew men and in their rage they destroyed a town wall. Cursed be their anger, for it is raging: and their wrath, for it is fierce; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

This is played out when Joshua divides up the promised land.

Joshua 19:1 AND the second lot came forth for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families; and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.

Simeon's inheritance was divided up within the borders of Judah's. They did not receive territory of their own. Likewise, Levi's inheritance was a few priestly cities. However, unlike Simeon, their inheritance was honorable due to their redeeming pious act in the desert.

Exodus 32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

Heavenly Father, may we not give vent to our anger. Give us the wisdom to pause and reflect before taking any actions. Your word clearly tells us that our wrath does not do Your work. Help us to not be rash. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 33 - Principles of Sentient Life

My wonderful bride bought the entire TV series Babylon 5 for me on DVD a few years ago. It is a very well made science fiction story that unfolds over five years. It was written as a story with a definite start and finish.

One of the series' alien races, the Mimbari, are the enlightened mystics. They have developed something called the Principles of Sentient Life; or what defines a being as being sentient. They only reveal the third one in the series, it is "the capacity for self-sacrifice: the conscious ability to override self-preservation for a cause, a friend or a loved one."

This sounds familiar doesn't it? It should. Jesus said something nearly identical.

John 15:13 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

In today's reading I see that Jacob has matured from the deceiving usurper looking out for only his own benefit. Twenty years of experience and wisdom had changed him. Look at what he does when he sees his brother Esau approaching with an army of 400 hundred men.

Genesis 33:1-3 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

He put those he valued most behind him. He went first and bowed down low. In that position Jacob was as vulnerable to attack as a person could possibly be. Yet he did it voluntarily. He was willing to lay his life down for those he loved.

His brother Esau demonstrated what is obviously another Principle of Sentient life; the ability to forgive a wrong. He accepted his brother with open arms, wanting nothing other than his fellowship restored.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You demonstrated both principles on our behalf. Your Son Jesus did in fact lay His life down for us, and in doing so we received forgiveness for our sins.

Prove you are sentient! Jan
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Genesis 32 - Not Worthy

In the 1990's Saturday Night Live's Dana Carvey and Mike Myers created a cultural icon with their Wayne's World skit. It was so popular that it spun off into its own feature length movie. The skit and movie was about two wanna-be rock stars that had their own public access TV program called Wayne's World. One of their catch phrases was, "We're not worthy." whenever they found themselves in the presence of greatness - as they defined it.

There is however one greatness that none of us is worthy of no matter what our lofty position may be, or what we may have accomplished in life. That is God and His blessings. Jacob clearly recognized this.

Genesis 32:10 I'm not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown me. I only had a shepherd's staff when I crossed the Jordan River, but now I have two camps.

No, we're not worthy. But God is faithful and loving. He sacrificed His most precious gift for you and me. I came into this world with nothing, and shall leave with only those souls that I've influenced to accept Christ. No matter how little or great my worldly successes may be, they will never amount to the cost that He paid for me.

Thank You Father that it is not about me being worthy, it is about Your Son Jesus - and He is worthy. In His name I pray, Amen.

He is worthy! Jan
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Genesis 31 - God will see it

When L'Enfant designed Washington D.C. he included plans for a church that would be "open to all".

On September 29, 1907, the foundation stone was laid for the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, or as it is more commonly known, the Washington National Cathedral. President Theodore Roosevelt and the Bishop of London spoke to a crowd of ten thousand gathered to witness the event. The stone itself came from a field near Bethlehem and was inset into a larger piece of American granite. On it was the inscription: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Finally, on September 29, 1990 the west towers were completed. It is a project that took exactly 83 years to the day to finish. However, as early as 1912 parts of the cathedral were finished, and services have been held continuously since.

Below are some facts from the Cathedral's web site.

• It is the sixth largest cathedral in the world.
• More than 150 people are interred in the Cathedral, including Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller.
• Darth Vader's helmet is one of the grotesques.
• The principal building material of the cathedral is Indiana limestone, chosen because it is superior for both construction and carving.

The last item brings me to my main point.

Legend has it that one of the early stone carvers was laboriously working on the back side of a statue that would be placed high in the cathedral. A passer by asked him why he was working so hard on it since it would be completely out of anyone's sight. The stone carver's reply was, "God will see it."

In today's bible reading, I see that Jacob sneaks away from Laban with his entire fortune and family. Laban catches up with him, furious at being treated that way. However, God had warned him not to do any harm to Jacob. In obedience Laban has Jacob make a covenant with him. It is a mutual non-aggression pact, but that is not all.

Genesis 31:49b-52 Laban said, "May the LORD keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this treaty when we are out of each other's sight. I won't know about it if you are harsh to my daughters or if you take other wives, but God will see it. This heap of stones and this pillar stand between us as a witness of our vows. I will not cross this line to harm you, and you will not cross it to harm me.

I find it interesting that the covenant also provided for Laban's daughter's welfare. For if Jacob mistreated them or married other wives, displacing them, God would see it.

May we be ever mindful like the cathedral stone carver, that whatever we do, little or large, God will see it.

Heavenly Father, please give me the grace to live in integrity before You. For ultimately Your evaluation of me is the only one that counts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You're being watched. Jan
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Genesis 30 - God Remembered

I have no great wisdom or anecdotes for this chapter. I just find the following verse to be comforting.

Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel; he answered her prayer and made it possible for her to have children.

God remembered. He does not forget us.

Thank You Lord that You do not forget Your children. In Jesus' name, Amen.

He will answer. Jan
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Genesis 29 - Age Old Story

It is simply amazing how many people have the course of their lives altered by alcohol. A blood alcohol level of 0.07 to 0.12, among other things, produces,  impaired hearing and vision; feeling of elation; increased confidence; and distinct impairment of mental faculties and judgment. Yet, in the average man, this level of intoxication can be achieved with as little as five drinks of the right alcoholic beverage.

Genesis 29:22-25 So Laban gave a wedding feast and invited everyone. But that night, instead of Rachel, he took Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had intercourse with her...  Not until the next morning did Jacob discover that it was Leah. He went to Laban and said, "Why did you do this to me? I worked to get Rachel. Why have you tricked me?"

I would say that Jacob had imbibed a bit too much at his wedding feast. He was so drunk that he couldn't even recognize the woman that he was in bed with!

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

It appears that Jacob had a true moment of stupidity here. He allowed himself to be mocked. It is an age old story, drink too much and regret it in the morning.

Heavenly Father, help us to make wise choices about what we put into our bodies. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be ye sober... Jan
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Genesis 28 - Obedience

Presently in my men's group we are going though the book and teaching series, Under Cover, by John Bevere. This study shows that we are under authority, and should obey the authorities that we are subject to unless they ask us to sin or are in open sin themselves.

Jacob was a son that obeyed his parents. Esau witnessed this when Jacob escaped his wrath by going to Paddan-aram.

Genesis 28:7 He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram.

However, Jacob was a bit too obedient in at least one incident. Rebekah, his mother, told him to lie and deceive his father.

Genesis 27:8 Now, my son, do exactly as I tell you.

Genesis 27:13-14 "Let the curse fall on me, dear son," said Rebekah. "Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats." So Jacob followed his mother's instructions, bringing her the two goats. She took them and cooked a delicious meat dish, just the way Isaac liked it.

Jacob obeyed his mother and received the blessing of his father. In doing so, he had lived up to his name. Through deceit he had supplanted his brother, circumvented primogeniture and insidiously elevated himself to a place that was not originally meant for him. Or was it?

To answer that question I must go back two chapters to just prior to Jacob and Esau's birth. Look at what the Lord said about them to Rebekah.

Genesis 25:23 And the LORD told her, "The sons in your womb will become two rival nations. One nation will be stronger than the other; the descendants of your older son will serve the descendants of your younger son."

I wonder if God was merely announcing what would happen, or if the events that transpired with the birthright and the stew were His design? I suspect that it was an announcement, because the Lord does not ask people to sin. If Jacob had not engaged in deceit, God would have found some other way to fulfill his destiny. Of that I am certain.

Father, thank You that if we are faithful to obey those over us, You will bless us. Help us to recognize those rare occasions when we shouldn't obey but respectfully decline. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Obey God. Jan
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Genesis 27 - Iniquity of the Fathers

I noticed something while reading this chapter. It is the fulfillment of something that I see God promising in the following verse.

Numbers 14:18 'The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.'

We see that Abram practiced deceit on two separate ocassions claiming that Sarai was merely his sister.

Genesis 12:13 But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life."

Genesis 20:2 Abraham told people there that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. So King Abimelech sent for her and had her brought to him at his palace.

This exact sin is repeated by his son Isaac.

Genesis 26:7 And when the men there asked him about Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to admit that she was his wife. He thought they would kill him to get her, because she was very beautiful.

Now let's move forward to Jacob, Isaac and Rebekah's son.

Genesis 27:18-19 Jacob carried the platter of food to his father and said, "My father?" "Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it Esau or Jacob?" Jacob replied, "It's Esau, your older son. I've done as you told me. Here is the wild game, cooked the way you like it. Sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing."

Clearly Jacob lied to his father. This would be the second generation from Abraham to practice deceit.

Jacob had twelve children. How did they fare?

Genesis 34:13 But Dinah's brothers deceived Shechem and Hamor because of what Shechem had done to their sister.

But this is only the start, they keep going.

Genesis 37:31-33 Then Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped the robe (Joseph's) in its blood. They took the beautiful robe to their father and asked him to identify it. "We found this in the field," they told him. "It's Joseph's robe, isn't it?" Their father recognized it at once. "Yes," he said, "it is my son's robe. A wild animal has attacked and eaten him. Surely Joseph has been torn in pieces!"

Welcome to the fruit of iniquity, three generations of deceit lies and pain. It didn't stop there either, but this is enough to get the point across. Generational sins and curses are quite real. Thankfully our Lord came to proclaim liberty to the captive!

Heavenly Father, please help us to get it right. Help us to confess, forsake and break any generational curses and sins that we may be harboring in us or our families. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Break the curse. Jan
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Genesis 26 - PDA

In our acronym happy society we have one for pretty much everything now. It is important to know the context of the acronym in order to ascertain its meaning. For instance, if you are in a bank, a CD means Certificate of Deposit. But, if you are in a music store it means Compact Disk. Most commonly we find that acronyms are three letters long such as DVD, which has two meanings, it is Digital Video Disk or Digital Versatile Disk. PMS can mean hide, the next week is going to be weird, or it could mean Professor of Military Science. In fact there are a possible 17,576 three letter acronyms, and most are used for multiple meanings. As my friend Mike says, "AFE." or Acronyms For Everything.

One of my personal favorites is PDA, which in the computer industry means Personal Digital Assistant. It refers to a hand held computer that can usually fit into your pocket. But in non-computer terms, PDA means Public Display of Affection. That brings me to today's reading.

Genesis 26:8-9 When he (Isaac) had been there a long time, King Abimelech of the Philistines looked out of his window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. Abimelech called for Isaac and said, "So she's really your wife! How could you say, 'She's my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "I thought I would be killed because of her."

Although Isaac wanted to, he could not hide his love for his wife. It was obvious to Abimelech that Isaac shared a more intimate relationship with Rebekah than merely brother and sister.

How many of us starve our wives for physical affection? PDA's (Public Displays of Affection) show the world that this woman belongs to me and she enjoys my touch.

An old man and wife were talking. She said to him, "Henry, you never tell me that you love me."

He replies, "That is not true. I told you 30 years ago on our wedding day. If anything changes, I'll let you know."

Show her you love her. Don't wait for her to announce that she is planning to be a DWF or DBF.

Heavenly Father, please give us the courage to show our wives that we love them - in public. They need to see it played out in public as well as private. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Love must be obvious, Jan

p.s. DWF is Divorced White Female, DBF is Divorced Black Female.

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Genesis 25 - Not much has changed

This chapter, among other things, lists the descendents of Ishmael. The closing remarks about them are below.

Genesis 25:18 Ishmael's descendants were scattered across the country from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. The clans descended from Ishmael camped close to one another.

But is this really all? No. The last phrase, "camped close to one another" has been footnoted as, "The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain". However, modern linguistics has determined the meaning. The corrected verse is below, from the God's Word translation.

Genesis 25:18 His descendants lived as nomads from the region of Havilah to Shur, which is near Egypt, in the direction of Assyria. They all fought with each other.

Not much has changed has it? They are still fighting one another. Arabs descended from Ishmael, Arabs descended from other children of Noah, all fighting amongst themselves and killing each other in the name of Allah and his supposed Imams.

What a shame that they don't live by the words of one they claim to revere as a prophet.

Matthew 7:12 Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:27-40 Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

If everyone lived this way, then all wars and conflicts would cease.

Heavenly Father, please open the eyes of my Muslim brothers. Help them to see Jesus as the only way, the only hope. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 24 - Marriage?

Abraham doesn't want his son marrying a pagan, so he sends for a wife from his God-fearing relatives. Their response upon hearing the intentions prove that they were just that - God-fearing.

Genesis 24:50-51 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed."

So Rebekah goes with Abraham's servant and becomes Isaacs' wife.

Genesis 24:67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.

Notice that there was no ceremony, no officiating. Isaac simply brought her home and consummated their relationship sexually. At that moment they became husband and wife.

I wonder how many people have multiple husbands and wives and don't even know it?

Heavenly Father, please help us to live our lives in a way that is above reproach. Help us to teach our children to wait for the right one and to wait for the proper time. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Waiting is good. Jan
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Genesis 23 - Zionism

Sarah dies at age 127. Abraham, recognizing that he is a stranger in the land that God has promised him, purchases a section of the countryside as a burial place for himself and his descendents.

Genesis 23:12-13, 16-18 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there."

Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants. So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre-both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field-was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.

Something that I've always found personally interesting is that a large portion of the land that present day Israel occupies was actually purchased in the 1800's and early 1900's by people wanting the Jews to return to their ancient homeland. The land was not stolen as many claim, it was legally purchased.

The following are excerpts from various internet web sources.

When Zionism had its first beginnings, in the early 19th century, there were about 200,000 Arabs living in all of the land, mostly concentrated in the countryside of the West Bank and Galilee, and mostly lacking in national sentiment. Palestine was, in Western eyes, a country without a nation.

About 1808, groups of Lithuanian Jews, followers of the Vilna Gaon (a famous rabbi and opponent of Hassidism) arrived in Palestine and purchased land to begin an agricultural settlement.

The first groups of immigrants who came to the land of Israel (it had no official name in the Ottoman Empire) with the idea of turning the land into a national home for the Jews are known as the "first Aliya." "Aliya" literally means "going up" and it is a term Jews have used for a long time for coming to the holy land. Beginning in the 1870s, religious and nonreligious Jews established several study groups and societies for purchasing land in Palestine and settling there. In 1870 the Alliance Israelite, an ostensibly non-Zionist organization, founded the Miqveh Yisrael agricultural school near Beit Dagan.

By the 1880s, the total population of Palestine was about 450,000. Jerusalem was a small town of 25,000 inhabitants, slightly more than half Jewish.

In 1882, the BILU (an acronym for "Beyt Ya'akov Lechu Venelcha" - House of Jacob let us go) and Hibbat Tziyon (love of Zion) groups were established. These and similar groups established a number of early Jewish settlements including Yesod Hamaalah, Rosh Pinna, Gedera, Rishon Le Tziyon, Nes Tziyonna and Rehovot on land purchased from Arab owners with the aid of Jewish philanthropists, chiefly Lord Rothschild. Joel Solomon led a group of orthodox Jews out of Jerusalem to found Petah Tikva in 1878.

Zionists purchased large tracts from landowners and subsequently evicted the tenant farmers. The former tenants, though they had received some compensation, continued to insist that the land was theirs under time honored traditions and tried to take it back by force. A notable case was Al-Fula, where Zionists had purchased a large tract of land from the Sursuq family of Beirut. Local officials took the side of the Arab peasants against the Zionists and against the Ottoman government, which upheld the legality of the sale.

By 1927, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), had in its possession some 50,000 acres of land on which 50 communities stood.

In 1928, planting began for Balfour Forest near Kibbutz Ginegar, and Mishmar HaEmek Forest. By 1935, JNF had planted 1.7 million trees over a total area of 1,750 acres.

Throughout this period JNF continued to reclaim land and drain swamps like those in the Hula Valley. At the end of 1935, after 15 years of tireless effort, JNF held 89,500 acres of land on which stood 108 communities. Most of the land was in the center of the country and in the valley regions.

By the time Israel became a state in 1948, JNF owned 12.5 percent of all the land of Israel on which 80 percent of Israel's population now lives.

Shlomo Gravetz of the Jewish National Fund says: "Throughout the history of land reclamation by Jews in Eretz Yisrael, the Arabs have always claimed that the Jews were throwing them off their land. In 1932 the High Commissioner appointed the Bentwich Committee to investigate these claims, and out of 700 purchases of Arab property, the committee did not find one case in which the Jews had acted immorally."

On May 14, 1948, the decision was made to proclaim Israel's independence and her Declaration of Independence was voted on at JNF headquarters in Tel Aviv. In May 1948 the Jewish population of the State of Israel numbered 650,000, scattered over some 305 towns. Two hundred and thirty three of these towns stood on JNF land.

Sources
http://www.mideastweb.org/zionism.htm
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_zionists_land.php
http://www.jnf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=history

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing Your chosen people to once again regain their homeland. May we, the wild ones grafted in, remember to pray for and encourage our Jewish brothers to recognize Jesus (Yeshua) for who He really is. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Jan
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Genesis 22 - Three Days

God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only remaining son. Then for three days he must contemplate what that means, how it will transpire, and why is God doing this.

Genesis 22:3-4 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

This three day time period comes up a lot in scripture. I suspect there is something significant there. I find a three day time period described in the bible over 100 times. There are periods for fasting, purification, traveling, waiting prior to invasion, waiting for God, and the time for Jesus' resurrection, just to name a few.

Heavenly Father, I don't know what it means. But thank You for the interesting tidbit. And thank You for providing an alternate sacrifice for Abraham. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Genesis 21 - Crying

Is there any sound more heart-rending than to hear someone crying in distress; especially if that someone is a child? There is something that just wells up inside of me when I do. I want to do something, anything, to right the wrong.

Now there is another kind of crying that is needed and good. That kind of crying is either over being caught doing something wrong and anticipating punishment, or after having been punished. That type of crying should be allowed to continue until there is a genuine repentance and desire to not repeat the offense.

I see from today's reading, that God himself hears our cries of distress.

Genesis 21:17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

God saw that an injustice was being performed. He cared for the well being of one that He'd promised to bless. Therefore He intervened.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You didn't leave us to die in the wilderness of our sins. Thank You that You heard us and gave us new life and hope; setting us on the right path, and giving us everything we need for our journey. In Jesus' name, Amen.

He hears. Jan
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Genesis 20 - Great Sin

This chapter is still over four hundred years away from when God will deliver His laws to man via Moses. Yet it is clear that a knowledge of what is and isn't sin exists.

Genesis 20:6,9 "Yes, I know you are innocent," God replied. "That is why I kept you from sinning against me; I did not let you touch her.

Then Abimelech called for Abraham. "What is this you have done to us?" he demanded. "What have I done to you that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? This kind of thing should not be done!

The Hebrew word for sin, khat-aw-aw, means exactly that, sin. It is also worthy to note that the sin isn't against Abraham or Sarah, it is against God Himself.

God makes it clear through the Apostle Paul that He has woven His laws into our very nature and the fabric of the world around us. All we need to do is be observant.

Romans 2:14-15 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.

Heavenly Father, may we not be ignorant of Your laws and Your ways. For we are without excuse, since Your creation reveals them to us. Help us to do what is right and just. In Jesus' name, Amen.

By the way, note that Sarah is still desirable at over 90 years of age! See my Genesis 12 dBrag for more on this topic.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 19 - Bad Choices

Lot's faith was not that of Abraham's. I've seen many times that a person is blessed, despite their behavior, because of their association with someone else that is righteous. It is sort of like a Remora catching food bits that don't quite make it into the Shark's mouth. They don't really deserve the food, they didn't work for it, but they get fed nonetheless because of their association with the one that did.

Genesis 13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, was also very wealthy with sheep, cattle, and many tents.

Lot had large herds, herdsmen, and therefore considerable wealth. But he chose poorly after he separated from Abraham.

Genesis 13:12 So while Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom, among the cities of the plain.

He got close to sin. He didn't engage in it himself. But he didn't distance himself either. The next time we hear about his residence, we find that he is now living in the city - not near it.

Genesis 19:1 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom, and Lot was sitting there as they arrived.

Associating with sin and sinners carries a price. Fortunately for Lot, he had a praying relative that saved his life. However, it did cost him everything he had.

The angels literally drag Lot and his family out of the city and point them to the mountains and tell them to go there for safety. Amazingly Lot has the audacity to argue with them about the destination!

Genesis 19:18-9 "Oh no, my lords, please," Lot begged. "You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die.

So they let him go to a town named Zoar. But, where do we next see this formerly rich, important man?

Genesis 19:30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.

He is where the angels told him to go in the first place, but now he is destitute, and hiding in a cave with his two daughters.

Lot paid a high price for his choices. May we not move next door to sin. May we not move in with sin, and may we not argue with the Lord's instructions. If we do, our downfall and those of our loved ones will result.

Father, please give me the grace and strength to live a life that is pleasing to You. May I shun evil and desire the good. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Genesis 18 - Singled Out

A man that was speeding along with the rest of traffic on his way to work, noticed a police car pull behind him and turn on his lights. Grumbling, the man pulled over and stopped. The officer stopped behind him and approached his car.

"Sir, license and registration." said the officer.

Handing them to the officer, the man questioned, "What did I do wrong?"

"Sir, you were going 70 in a 55 zone." replied the officer.

"But everyone else is going the same speed!" protested the man. "Why me?"

"Because," replied officer, "I picked you."

Judging from Abram's, now Abraham's, behavior in the past, there was nothing special about him. Yet God picked him. God chooses us not necessarily because of what we have done, oftentimes it is because of what God wants to accomplish through us.

Genesis 18:19a I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD and do what is right and just.

Just like Abraham was singled out, I have been singled out by God to direct my sons and their future families. It is my job to teach them to do what is right and just.

God has a job for me to do. He has the same job for you. Are you going to do it? Or are you going to protest that He should have picked another speeder on his way to destruction?

Lord, may we, with reverent fear, perform the task of raising children that will keep Your ways. Continue to teach us Your ways so that we in turn can teach them to do what is right and just. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God picked you. Jan
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Genesis 17 - You want me to cut off what?!

On the surface, this has got to seem like the weirdest ritual mutilation ever! I mean, God told Abraham to cut off a piece of his thingy!

Genesis 17:10-11 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised; the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off. This will be a sign that you and they have accepted this covenant.

Can you imagine the servants and hired workers being told they have to go through this "procedure" in order to be associated with Abraham's household? Imagine Ishmael, a thirteen year-old, being told by his father, "Now son, this will hurt - a lot..."

Genesis 17:24-27 Abraham was ninety-nine years old at that time, and Ishmael his son was thirteen. Both were circumcised the same day, along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants.

Ok, so he did it, obeyed God, and sealed his part of the covenant. But, is there any reason, other than religious, for undergoing this process? The answer is a definite YES.

Medical science has shown that men who have undergone this procedure have; reduced urinary tract infections, decrease in certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV, HPV, Chlamydia, Syphilis in the male and their partner(s), almost complete elimination of invasive penile cancer, and a decrease in urological problems in general. Wow!

God didn't have Abraham and his descendents do this to be weird, he did it for their health and well being.

In a spiritual sense, we sometimes need to cut things off that seem attached to us. However, if we are going to be healthy, they must go. Only then can we experience God's clear guidance and His blessing.

Thank You Father that as we learn more, we see that You were right all along. If there are things in our lives that must be removed, please give us the courage and strength to do it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Cut it off. Jan
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Genesis 16 - Wild Ass Man

This chapter has the story of Ishmael and his destined legacy. In regards to that story I find two things of interest to note. The first is related to this verse.

Genesis 16:11 And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard about your misery.

The Lord told Hagar, the mother, to name her son Ishmael (God Hears). However, who does the actual naming?

Genesis 16:15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael.

Abram did the naming! I find that intriguing. He named the boy what the mother was told to name him. Apparently he believed Hagar's tale of the angel meeting her and sending her back.

Now to the other interesting thing. (Bear in mind that this isn't an original thought of mine). What did God, through the angel, say Ishmael would be like?

Genesis 16:12 This son of yours will be a wild one free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers.

In the original Hebrew it literally says that he will be a Wild Ass (Peh-reh) Man (Aw-dam)!

Abram also knew of this apparent destiny for his boy. It is obvious that a change has occurred between chapter 16 and 21. Abram must have spent considerable time in prayer for and discipline with Ishmael. Look at the result.

Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said to God, "Yes, may Ishmael enjoy your special blessing!"

Genesis 17:20 (God speaking) As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will cause him to multiply and become a great nation. Twelve princes will be among his descendants.

Genesis 21:20-21 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran. He became an expert archer, and his mother arranged a marriage for him with a young woman from Egypt.

From this story, it is clear that a child's bent, or nature can be changed from bad to good. By the time he was a young man, Ishmael was no longer a Wild Ass Boy, he was now blessed by God's presence and became the Father of Princes.

Lord, may I as a parent cry out to You for grace for my boys. Help me to train them in the way that they should go. May they grow to be the men of God that You destined them to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Raise Princes, not... Jan
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Genesis 15 - Generation

How long is a generation? I've always heard that it is forty years. I'm guessing that this is in reference to the rebellious Israelites that were forced to wander in the dessert until they died.

Numbers 32:13 And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

However, it does not say that forty years is the length of a generation. It says that it how long they wandered until that generation died off.

I see in today's reading that God did define how many years is in a generation.

Genesis 15:13-16 Then the LORD told Abram, "You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, and they will be oppressed as slaves for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (But you will die in peace, at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, when the sin of the Amorites has run its course."

I clearly see this passage saying that four hundred years equals four generations.

If that is the case, look at this passage of scripture.

Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

Most Bible scholars that the event that started the count down was Israel becoming a nation again. The "all be fulfilled" is believed to be Jesus' return. Israel became a nation in May of 1948. So, if one generation is one hundred years, that would put the end date for Christ's return at 2048.

Recently in the news was a story about an asteroid named Apophis, about 500 yards wide, may hit Earth in 2036. Could this be the harbinger of some of the global disasters prophesied in Daniel and Revelation?

Heavenly Father, may we be always ready and watching for Your return. May we live our lives as to leave nothing undone. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 14 - King of Salem

In this chapter is the account of Abram's nephew, Lot, being captured by enemy forces. Abram mounts a rescue operation and despite long odds is overwhelmingly victorious. However, once he returns, a new player is introduced.

Genesis 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought him bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has helped you conquer your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

Who is this guy?

Melchizedek (Malkiy-Tsedeq) = my king is Sedek.

Ok that wasn't very helpful. But I see that two Hebrew words make up this compound name. What do they mean?

Ther first is Melek which simply means 'is king', as opposed to Malak which means 'to become king'. However the second part of the name, Tsedeq, or zedek in our vocabulary, that is the key.

Tsedeq means: justice, rightness, and righteousness. It is also related to: of Davidic king, and Messiah.

So this person is called King of Righteousness or King of Justice. his kingdom is Salem. So what is Salem?

Salem (Shalem) = peace, complete, safe, peaceful, perfect, whole, full, at peace.

Ok, so this person is the Righteous King of Justice from the Kingdom of Complete Safety and Perfect Peace. Do we know anyone that fits this description?

Lest you think I'm pulling something out of thin air. Look at this passage from the New Testament.

Hebrews 7:1-3 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Apparently Abram had an encounter with Jesus.

Lord, thank You for the fact that You you desire to bless us as you did Abram. May we be willing to give you our all, not just a tenth. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Shalom, Jan
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Genesis 13 - Quarrelling

My two boys seem to find way to quarrel about the most seemingly insignificant things. It could be about who got to sit in the "shotgun" seat last time in the car, or who's turn it is to feed the cats. Nevertheless, it is strife that just rankles my sense of peace. Abram and Lot experienced it in this chapter.

Genesis 13:8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers.

Yes strife does happen. Yet, sometimes it is not even due to any particular sin or error. It may be due to circumstances that go beyond our ordinary control. However, as a parent, my job is to teach those that God has entrusted to my care how to live, and how to live in harmony with others. I see Abram having to settle just such a quarrel in this chapter.

Genesis 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."

Abram settled the quarrel with humility. He let Lot choose first, to get the best piece of pie, the largest steak, or the shiniest marble. He followed a principle given to us by Jesus.

Matthew 23:12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Since he chose the humble path, God saw what was in Abram's heart and immediately thereafter rewarded Abram by revealing to him the extent of his blessing.

Genesis 13:14-17 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."

Prior to this Abram knew that God promised to make him a great nation, and that the entire world would be blessed by his descendents, but that was all. Now Abram was permitted to know the extent of his possession, influence, and the quantity of his posterity. I believe the reason was because he'd demonstrated to God that he was indeed a man that was worthy.

Thank You Father for the examples from Your word. May we be willing to give up our rights. Because nothing we give up here can compare to the rewards You have in store for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The meek will inherit... Jan
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Genesis 12 - Princess

The word Sarai means princess. I wonder if Terah, her father, was some form of royalty, or was it merely a title he gave his daughter because of his love for her? No matter the title, apparently she turned out to be a stunning woman. Look at this passage.

Genesis 12:11-14 As he was approaching the borders of Egypt, Abram said to Sarai, "You are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife. Let's kill him; then we can have her!' But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life."

And sure enough, when they arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of her beauty.

Here's something we don't think about much. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran for Canaan with his wife (who was also his half-sister) Sarai. But how old must she have been? I find in Genesis 17:17 that she was only 10 years younger than him, yet this woman that was over 65 years old was considered very beautiful and desirable by all that saw her.

What a world that must have been; still relatively free from genetic defects and the cruel effect of sin upon our aging process. Imagine what God's original design was for us. We were never meant to get old, wrinkled and die. Beauty was not supposed to fade, only deepen as time passed on; unnoticed.

There are however, some rare beauties in this world that seem to never age. I'm blessed to be married to one. My bride Pam looks the same now as she did when she was attending Florida Beacon Bible College. Like Abram, I am a blessed man. Not only do I have a bride that is beautiful to behold. But she is one that is a delight to be around. My princess brings joy to my life as well.

Thank You Father for my bride. She truly is a blessing from you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Shalom, Jan
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Genesis 11 - Ziggurat at Marduk

Ok, Jan's lost his mind. What is Marduk?

Let's take a look at some history.

Ancient Babylon was a huge city. In 440 BC historian Herodotus wrote that the city's outer walls were 56 miles long, 80 feet thick, and 320 feet high. Most likely an exaggeration of proportion since archeologists now estimate the walls to have been only 10 miles long, but still giving a good idea of its immensity. Due to its size the city was divided into districts. One such district, centrally located, was named Marduk. Within Marduk was the temple of Etemenanki. It was built in manner of a ziggurat, which meant that it was a tiered structure, with each successive tier smaller than the one below it. Etemenanki had seven tiers and reached a height of over 300 feet.

Ancient temples were usually built upon the ruins or foundations of previous temples. It has been discovered that just such a thing occurred at Marduk. Archeologists are not sure how many foundations there are, nor how old they are. However, based upon its apparent age and location, this particular ziggurat has been popularly referred to as the Tower of Babel.

Below is an artist's rendition of what it would have looked like.

Genesis 11:4-9 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel--because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

It is entirely possible that this is the very spot where language first began. Cool, huh?

Now a story about language.

Some time in the summer of 1970, on a park bench in Moscow, sat an old man named Josef. His head was down, intently studying a book so closely that his nose practically touched the pages. The man was oblivious to all around him until he noticed, under the bottom edge of his book, the spit-shined boots of a Russian army officer standing in front of him. He looked up to see a quizzical sneer on the officer's face.

"Old man, vat are you readink?" asked the officer.

"I am studying Hebrew my friend." was the reply.

"Vy. You are too old to effer go to Eez-rael. Vy bodder?" asked the officer.

"Ah, but you see" said the old man, "I believe that they speak Hebrew in Heaven, and I want to be prepared for when I get there."

"Vell, what if you don't go to der, vat if you go to da odder place?" countered the officer with a smirk.

The old man smiled and replied. "Oy, that is no problem either my friend. For as you can see, I already know Russian."

Thank You Father that You have given us the ability to be polyglot, that other languages do not need to be eternally foreign to us. May we learn and spread Your word. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Genesis 10 - Peleg

An interesting reference pops up in this chapter. It is to a guy named Peleg, which means division. There are a couple of variants in the way the verse about him is translated, below are both versions.

Genesis 10: 25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

Genesis 10:25 Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg "division" for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups and dispersed. His brother's name was Joktan.

If you were to look at the Hebrew words that were used in the text, you would see that the first translation is more accurate. The second one assumes that the facts in the next chapter regarding the tower of Babel are what is being referenced regarding the division in this verse. That may be so, but it is not stated in the text. However, what if it isn’t? What if it is referring to an entirely different historical occurrence?

Have you ever heard of the super-continent referred to as Pangaea? At some point in history the earth had only one continent. We know, based upon the fact that we now have seven continents, that a division occurred. What if this is the division that is referenced regarding Peleg?

This would not have been a fast process by any means. But it certainly would have been evident to the denizens of the planet. Now let’s jump ahead to the next chapter for a moment. When God created language divisions at the Tower of Babel, people went to different places. Places where they could understand each other. What if each people group settled in one of these emerging continents? It would explain a lot wouldn’t it?

No matter what actually transpired, we know that God’s word is a reliable and accurate source of not only moral truth, but history as well.

On a side note, only two people in this chapter got a special mention. One was Nimrod. He was referenced because of his re-introduction of violence and oppression to the human race. In an earthly sense, he is the father of evil.

Peleg is the other person with a special mention. Why? It is because he is one of the direct ancestors of the Hebrew nation. It was through his descendents that we got Abraham. He was a father of the chosen people. What a contrast to Nimrod!

Thank You Lord that You hide truth in plain sight in Your word. All we need to do is be willing to seek it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 9 - Rainbow

In my dBrag regarding the first chapter of Genesis, I elaborated on the "water canopy" that must have encircled the earth. Today there is further evidence that indeed the earth did have a water canopy of some sort above the land.

Genesis 9:11-17 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

Obviously this is the first time a rainbow has been seen. Otherwise it would not have been something unique for God to announce as a sign. I see in Genesis 2 that It had not rained on the earth prior to the flood.

Genesis 2:5b-6 For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.

Apparently a heavy dew or fog would arise in the cool of the morning, which was sufficient to water the earth so that things could grow. However, even with the mist there was no rainbow. The water canopy prevented it. I believe that is because the earth had muted indirect sunlight until after the flood; hence the dramatic lowering of lifespans afterward. Without the water canopy's protection, cosmic radiation and space borne illnesses wreaked havoc with mankind.

Now that the water canopy was gone, the earth underwent a climate change and started to produce rain. Since sunlight was now streaming down unfettered at full strength, whenever it rained a prismatic effect resulted, producing a rainbow.

Thank You Father that Your word contains the answers if we'll only take the time to look. And thank you for rainbows, they are amazing works of art. In Jesus' name, Amen.

He keeps His promises. Jan
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Genesis 8 - Lifting the curse.

In the last few verses of this chapter are words that I hadn't noticed before. I believe that they directly tie in with something three chapters ago.

Genesis 8:21-22 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

God said that the earth would no longer be cursed. Look at what Lamech, Noah's father said about him at his birth.

Genesis 5:28-29 When Lamech was 182 years old, his son Noah was born. Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, "He will bring us relief from the painful labor of farming this ground that the LORD has cursed."

God never said that He would curse the ground for eternity. He said that it would be for Adam and Eve's lifetimes.

Genesis 3:17-19 And to Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit I told you not to eat, I have placed a curse on the ground. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. All your life you will sweat to produce food, until your dying day. Then you will return to the ground from which you came. For you were made from dust, and to the dust you will return."

Adam died about 126 years prior to Noah's birth. It is entirely possible that Eve was still alive until Noah's birth. Lamech was alive for 56 years before his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Adam died. Lamech would have known first hand from Adam that the curse was due to expire. That is why he named Noah, relief or comfort.

As is evident from God's word in today's chapter, the curse on the ground was indeed lifted subsequent to the flood, perhaps not globally, but certainly in the rich farm lands of the Mesopotamian valley where Noah and his family ended up.

Thank You Father that You bless those that seek You. May we seek You with all of our hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

He brings relief. Jan
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Genesis 7 - Global deluge? If so, why?

In this chapter I find the account of the Noah Flood where all land-based air-breathing creatures were drowned, save eight people and the animals on their massive boat.

Genesis 7:11-14, 23 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings.

...Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

Nice story, but is there any evidence? The answer is a resounding YES! In fact there is much evidence. However I'm going to look at just one that has only recently come to light.

Human beings reproduce by the union of male sperm with a female egg. All female eggs contain X chromosomes. Male sperm contain both X and Y chromosomes. If the union of the egg and sperm is XX then the result will be a baby female. Conversely, if the result is XY then the result will be a male. Here's an interesting fact, male Y chromosomes hardly ever change. If you look at the genetic structure you can trace paternal lineage. On the female side, both sperm and egg contain mitochondria, however during fertilization the male mitochondria are discarded, only the female contributed ones remain. Thus female lineage can be traced by looking at the genetic structure of mitochondria.

OK, so why bring this up? Because studies have been (1987 and 1995) done that attempt to extrapolate from the variations in genetic structure, exactly how far back you need to go to reach a common ancestor.

However evolutionary scientists were stumped by one fact. Their research showed that the female lineage extended much further back to a common ancestor than did male lineage. How could females have come into existence centuries before men?

If you believe in the Genesis flood then it all makes sense. You see, Noah and his sons all shared a common grandfather on the male side. Their wives however most likely did not share the same grandmother. Thus you need to go back much further into their lineage to find a common ancestor; perfectly matching up with what science has revealed. Cool Huh?

Now as to why. This is pure conjecture based upon this verse from the previous chapter.

Genesis 6:2,4 some of the heavenly beings saw that these young women were beautiful, so they took the ones they liked.

In those days, and even later, there were giants (Nephilim) on the earth who were descendants of human women and the heavenly beings. They were the great heroes and famous men of long ago.

If this translation is true, it shows that a corruption had been introduced into the human genetic code by the demons inhabiting the realm of earth. If Christ was to be fully human and fully God, he had to be pure human, not diluted with demonic DNA. God wiped out all that were corrupted. However,  one of the wives on the ark apparently carried some trace of this DNA because later we again  find Nephilim in the promised land.

Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants (Nephilim), the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

What does God command of the Israelites when conquering the promised land? He told them to wipe everyone out - to leave nobody alive. Very likely it was to purge what remained of the impure genetic code in the world. After all, the Son of God had to come from pure human stock; no demon blood allowed.

So, there you have it, the what and the why. Yes, the flood did indeed happen. Genetics proves it. Additionally, that very same genetics is why the flood happened; to purify God's human creation.

Blessings to you, Jan
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p.s. For further study on this subject you can go to the following web sites.

• http://s8int.com/WordPress/?p=251
• http://www.creationists.org/patrickyoung/article05.html
• http://www.thepropheticyears.com/reasons/aliens.HTM
• http://www.ldolphin.org/genome.html
• http://www.imao.us/cgi-bin/monkeystuff.cgi?entry_id=6367
• http://www.ramsdale.org/dna13.htm

Genesis 6 - Timing

While attending St. Petersburg College I participated in a Creation vs. Evolution panel debate as part of my speech class. I believe that there were six people on each side. I remember one girl in particular. She was a high school student taking college classes. I could tell that her religious beliefs bordered on Atheism. She opened her comments with something to the effect of the following.

"How can you believe in the flood of Noah? He would have had to have been the greatest animal trapper of all time to collect all of the animals on the earth." She went on to spout more nonsense about the size of the ark and the "raging salty seas".

When my turn came for opening comments. I so blew her out of the water with facts from the bible and modern science that she didn't talk the rest of the debate. One of the verses was the one below.

Genesis 6:20 Pairs of each kind of bird and each kind of animal, large and small alike, will come to you to be kept alive.

I find it amazing that God caused all of these animals to come to Noah. Can you imaging the chaos his neighbors must have experienced? You're neighbor Bob, working on your fence, and a pair of California condors fly overhead and leave a deposit, followed by two Rhinoceroses, some Tigers, a few Elephants, topped off by Crocodiles. You'd think that you were hallucinating or had too much to drink the night before! And this would have gone on for days, weeks, or months!

Now, I truly believe that God timed the animal's journeys so that they would arrive at the ark within a very short time of departure. Otherwise Noah would have to have fed them in addition to building, which was a Herculean task in and of itself.

Thank You Father that You cause all things to work for the good of them that love You, to them that are called according to Your purpose; even the arrival of animals. In Jesus' name, Amen.

His timing is best. Jan
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Genesis 5 - Snatched

We all seen the stories on the news or in the newspaper about divorced or separated parents that snatch their children from the other spouse. Most often they do it because of some fear, real or imagined, that the children are in some danger. According to researchers, there are somewhere around 300,000 family abductions per year in the USA alone! That's a lot of kids. However, the majority of them are found and returned.

But let's return to the reason. If a child truly is in danger in their current custody situation, and the authorities are not helping, then I personally feel that having a loving parent remove them from the situation is morally justified.

Genesis 5:21-22 When Enoch was 65 years old, his son Methuselah was born. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived another 300 years in close fellowship with God, and he had other sons and daughters.

Now imagine how God must have felt about Enoch. This man lived in close fellowship with God. This is not said or Adam, Eve, or any other descendent up to this point. In fact in only a few hundred years from Enoch's time on earth, people had become so corrupt that God decided to wipe the whole lot out.

Genesis 6:5-7 Now the LORD observed the extent of the people's wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil.

So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart. And the LORD said, "I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created. Yes, and I will destroy all the animals and birds, too. I am sorry I ever made them."

Enoch must have been living amongst some pretty depraved people. Their lifetimes were hundreds of years. Imagine the evil that a person could experiment with if they had that much time.

Genesis 5:23-24 Enoch lived 365 years in all. He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life. Then suddenly, he disappeared because God took him.

God had enough. Enoch was His child and He was in danger. He snatched him away.

Lord, I wish that I had such a relationship with You that You desired my presence and protection as You did Enoch. All I can pray and ask for is that I walk in a manner worthy of the Love that Jesus showed when He died on the cross for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Walk with God. Jan
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Genesis 4 - Call on the name...

I've often wondered what the following scripture meant.

Genesis 4:26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.

Digging into the Hebrew words sheds quite a bit of light on it.

• Name(d) = Shem = name, reputation, fame, glory. It comes from the word Suwm, to place, set or appoint.
• Men Began = Chalal = to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin. Note that begin (began) is the last translation. It closely relates to Chalaw, to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
• Call = Qara = to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim. It is nearly identical to Qara, to cause to meet or encounter.

I think the Young's Literal Translation got this one correct.

Genesis 4:26b  ...then a beginning was made of preaching in the name of Jehovah.

It took only one generation for the first death to happen, and that first death was a murder.

2 Corinthians 6:15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

Mankind's communion with God was broken and people turned their backs on God. Hence the word, Chalal. They were profane, polluted and defiled. They needed to hear about God, who He was, what He did, and that a relationship with Him was to be desired (Qara). This was needed so that Chalaw could become evident and change could result. Apparently during the time of Enosh this became important again and God's fame, glory, and reputation (Shem), began to be proclaimed (Qara).

Heavenly Father, may I not hesitate to proclaim Your glory and fame to this equally corrupt and dying generation. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Qara! Jan
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Genesis 3 - Adam's Consequence

What happened to Adam as a result of his sin?

Genesis 3:23-24a therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man;

I find this fascinating. Look at these two words in the original Hebrew.

• Man = Adam (Hebrew).
• Ground = adamah (Hebrew).

I've never noticed that before. He was named for the very place he came from. The other thing that I never noticed was the following phrases.

"Sent him forth" and "Drove out the man" This is a twofold act that I see described in the following verse.

Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,

Look at the Hebrew words used in the Genesis passage and in the Deuteronomy passage.

• Send him forth = Shalach
• Drove out the man = Garash
• Divorce = Ker-ee-thooth
• Sends her out = Shalach

Don't quite see what I'm getting at do you? I'll list some more definitions for the word Garash that should clear it up. The definitions are; to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, and cast up.

The prescribed Hebrew legal method of divorce, taken from Deuteronomy 24:1, is for the husband to provide a certificate of divorce (right to remarry) and then to expel or cast-out the woman. Note that both steps are required for the divorce to be legal.

When a woman was divorced, more often then not, she returned to where she came from; her father's home. This is amazing to me. Where was Adam cast out to? To where he came from!

God didn't just kick Adam out of the garden, He divorced him for the breaking of his communion with God!

Thank You Father that despite it all, You still love and care for us. May we return Your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Genesis 2 - Not Good

I've commented on this before, but I find something absolutely amazing in this chapter. God has just created the Universe and everything in it; all of the animals, trees, and so on. After each item in creation He proclaims that it is good. In the end He says that the sum of His work is very good. Now I come to the next chapter and find the following verse.

Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him."

God is the one that made Adam and all of his surroundings. Yet God states that the present condition of Adam is not good. Wow! God made something not good. Ponder that for a moment.

God then brings all of the animals to Adam to see if one of them would be suitable.

Genesis 2:20 So the man named all the domestic animals, all the birds, and all the wild animals. But the man found no helper who was right for him.

Of course God knows they are not "right for him", but Adam needed to see that they were not suitable. He needed to know in his own heart that God was about to create something unique and wonderful, yet familiar; designed to bless him.

Genesis 2:23 "At last!" Adam exclaimed. "She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of a man."

You can almost hear Adam say, "Now that's goooood!"

Heavenly Father, may those of us that are married regard our wives in the joyful manner that Adam regarded his. May we always remember that she is flesh of our flesh. May those that are not, remember to pray for and encourage those of us that are. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now it is good. Jan
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Genesis 1 - Firmament

In the King James Version of the bible this chapter has a neat rather old word, firmament. But what does it mean?

Firmament
from the Vulgate firmamentum, which is used as the translation of the Hebrew _raki'a_. This word means simply "expansion." It denotes the space or expanse like an arch appearing immediately above us. They who rendered _raki'a_ by firmamentum regarded it as a solid body.

Easton's Bible Dictionary 1897

The part of this that intrigues me is, "regarded it as a solid body." Let's look at the actual passage it comes from.

Genesis 1:6-7 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

Many scholars say that this describes a "water canopy" surrounding the earth. The theory is that it was there until the Noah flood. Prior to the flood having a layer of water vapor surrounding the earth would have resulted in a higher atmospheric pressure upon our bodies. Coincidentally the human body has about one extra pint of blood in it; which would not have been extra, but quite needed to compensate for increased atmospheric pressure.

Additionally, many scientists now believe that viruses are partially space borne. That is, they come from outer space. The water canopy would have trapped them, and prolonged time in the water vapor would have killed most of them prior to them ever reaching earth. If you need proof, just look at how closely our returning space craft are sanitized prior to handling.

Thank You Father for building such an amazing planet for us to live on. May we be better caretakers than we have been. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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