Today's readings from the Chronological Plan are from Genesis 32:1-35:27. Click here to read online.
Scripture - The passage that stood out for me today was Genesis 33:9 "Brother, I have plenty," Esau answered. "Keep what you have."
Observation - Even after Esau was betrayed by his brother Jacob, with Jacob returning begging for forgiveness with many many gifts, he had learned to be content and happy with what he had. He did not fester over what he had lost. Esau did have strong feelings of hurting and killing his brother and it was a long process for him. He overcame his bitterness, forgave Jacob and moved on.
Application - We cannot be content in our lives if we dwell on all those feelings that consume us. The enemy loves it when we are frustrated, feeling angry and cheated! How can we prevent this? How can we learn to be content? How can we get to a point where we KNOW something needs to change? We need to be honest with God about the way we feel. He knows this already. He knows what is going on in your heart. Sees it all. But we need to admit it to Him. We need to forgive those who wronged us, and hurt us. We need to concentrate on God's gift to us. SALVATION. Anything else is obsolete. Two hundred twenty goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams, thirty camels, forty cows, ten bulls, thirty donkeys - as nice as it sounds and as rich as one could be with all those animals, Esau had plenty.
Prayer - Lord, you know what is on my heart. You know what goes on in it and the thoughts that go around in my head. I pray that I can always come to you with those thoughts and feelings, no matter what circumstances may arise. Dear God, please help me to forgive those who need my forgiveness, whether they know it or not. You are an awesome God and I am so proud to be yours.
Any thoughts?
Tomorrow's reading is Genesis 36:1-19, 1 Chronicles 1:35-37, Genesis 36:20-30, 1 Chronicles 1:38-42, Genesis 36:31-43, 1 Chronicles 1:43 - 2:2. You can read the passages online by clicking here. If you find it to be distracting to flip back and forth so much - simply read Genesis 36 and then 1 Chronicles 1:35-2:2. If you'd prefer to read it this way online you can click here.
11 comments:
So true. Someone once said, "Happiness is not having what you want; it is wanting what you have." I think the same could be said for contentment.
What really struck me about this passage is, once again, the story of Dinah. This always sticks out for me. At this point, I don't believe God had specifically instructed Jacob's family that they were not to intermarry with other families, so a union between Dinah and Shechem would have been perfectly acceptable. Granted, it says "he violated her" but I don't really get the impression that it was necessarily against her will. To me anyway, it appears to be consensual premarital sex. It seems the man really loved her ~ I mean, seriously, he convinced all the men of his community to be circumcised for her!! (It seems it was also in part to solidify an alliance between Jacob and the Hivites, but still, it started with her.) He seemed very genuine about his feelings for Jacob's daughter and wanted to do everything he could to do the honourable thing and marry her.
But it seems Jacob's family learns well from their father in the deceit area. His sons carry on the family tradition in fine form, killing all the newly-circumcised men and then helping themselves to the dead men's wives, children, herds, and riches.
What I really found interesting is one of the brothers doing all the killing and plundering was Levi, the father of the priestly tribe. I think this is another example of God being able to use people with a checkered past to serve Him and bring Himself glory.
This article has a bit of a different take on it, I guess, though I'm still not convinced the marriage would have been against Dinah's will!
I think it's interesting though, that where the article cites the union between Dinah and Shechem to be unbiblical, the references given are all commands given long AFTER this incident.
That was beautifully worded PamJ! Every bit of it, so true. The one who doesn't forgive and holds bitterness is the one who has turned their power over to Satan. Forgiveness is so hard, but we must forgive as Christ forgave us.
That's right Kristi, it is SO hard to forgive in certain situations.
Good thoughts Tammi!
I think you have to be very discerning in the articles and commentaries that you read. They are man's interpretation of God's Word. Although sometimes they can help in understanding God's Word, they can also be very missleading, unfactual, or take the focus off the point God was making in His Word. Only God through the Holy Spirit can use His Word to show us what He would have us to know.
I take this passage just as it states...Dina was violated, and it was wrong. It wasn't just that she was God's chosen people, and he was not, but that he took her without being married to her and delt with her as a harlot. Even though Jacob was disgusted with his son's actions, he did not rebuke their response as to why they did it.
I'm not backing their deceit and murder either, but consentual or not, what would we do if our 12-14 year old daughter was violated in this way? I see Schechem's actions as purely out of lust and not love. If he loved her, he wouldn't of violated her. I believe from these scriptures that he acted out of pure lust and then later fell in love with her. I can't hold a 12 year old girl accountable for her actions of this magnatude.
Thanks Pam. I find it so interesting that even though forgiveness is hard sometimes, the only person we're hurting by not forgiving is ourselves!
One of the many reasons I find Chapter 34 so difficult, is that it was preventable. Jacob was told by God to go back to Bethel. He started to go back, but then he lied to Esau (right after this beautiful reconciliation had just taken place) and went in the opposite direction and settled first in Succoth and then in Shechem - rather reminiscent of Lot settling near Sodom. And the consequences are huge!
His daughter is raped (or at minimum taken advantage of), and her brothers are outraged while their father remains silent, her brothers fight sin with sin and commit mass murder.
What's interesting is that originally the brothers are in the right, and Jacob is in the wrong. They are righteously angry at the sin that has been committed against their sister. BUT then they take matters into their own hands and exact vengeance, not retribution. This was not an eye for an eye by any means. This was revenge, extreme revenge.
And, interestingly as well, this is the only chapter in the entire Bible (other than Esther which has God's fingerprints all over it) that does not mention the name of God.
Another sin of Jacob - he didn't know about his sons planned deception (wonder where they learned that?!), and he was actually willing to go along with their plan and allow intermarriage with the daughters of this wicked city.
What a sad chapter.
Oh, and then, almost worse yet - when Jacob finds out what his sons had done, his response is all about him! They had ruined his reputation, they had made it unsafe for him, he was worried about his own skin.
But then we turn a corner! Perhaps these disastrous events allows Jacob to "hit rock bottom" so to speak. And he is finally at a place where he is again willing to listen to God when he again instructs him to go to Bethel. This time he obeys. And he goes to God in purity (getting rid of the idols in his camp), and God protects him on his journey, He blesses him and reminds of His promises.
It's also interesting that Rachel dies during childbirth after all of her jealousy over childbearing.
And then there is another incident of sin - Reuben sleeping with his father's concubine. It was likely an attempt to usurp Jacob's headship. And later on we are told that Jacob removes Reuben's rights as the firstborn. Interesting how Jacob's son tries to steal the headship role, just like Jacob had done with his brother all those years before.
Tammi - good point about Levi being involved in the massacre and how God works through us despite our sin.
I don't think Shechem loved Dinah at all, love doesn't violate someone. I think he was more obsessed with having her because she was beautiful and his people knew that God was with her family, he wanted in on a piece of the action. I think it was out of pure selfishness that he wanted to be circumsised.
One thing that stood out to me with Jacob and Esau is how he was trying to "buy" his brothers love and forgiveness with all the herds etc, when his brother had nothing but love and forgiveness for him WITHOUT those things. I don't know, I just really think Jacob is a bit of, well I just don't think that highly of him really. He is decietful, thinks of himself alot, disobeys God, gets his family into trouble with his actios. He bothers me...
I also thought it was interesting that it was all of Leah's sons who were the ones to do the murdering of Schechem's town.
Jacob offering him all those items could be two things - it could be him trying to buy his brother's love and forgiveness (bribing him kind of), or it could be seen as an act of retribution, trying to make up for what he had done and what he had stolen from him. I like to think it's the later, and that he is starting to grow in his faith. One step forward and two steps back it seems like.
Leah's sons - yes the two murders are Leah's sons - however they are also older. I don't think Joseph would've even been old enough to participate. And it says that the other brothers joined in on the looting and stuff afterwards.
I think Jacob sending the gifts first, was his way of showing that he knew he did wrong, and that things were different now. Kinda his way of not so much making up for what he did, but showing that he was sorry. Hoping that Esau would realize he's sorry and not kill him and his family.
I'm not pleased with Jacob's character on the whole either, but we are only shown several of the events in his life. There is a lot left out that we don't know about. I'm just glad that the brothers were reunited and that they both were so compassionate about that reunion!
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