Genesis 21-30

ello!  Sorry for my late start once again -- I promise it'll get better! I just spend 2 hours on chemistry, and my brain is fried, so, once again, there'll be very little commentary -- very sorry. 

Genesis 21

vs 1-5: Isaac is born and circumcised when Abraham is 100.
vs9-11:  Hagar and Ishmael mock him; Ishmael won't be heir with Isaac.
vs 12-21: Hagar and Ishmael leave and live in the wilderness.
vs-22-32: Abraham and Abimelech argue about some wells; Abraham sends lambs as a witness that it's his well.
vs 33-34: Abraham plants a grove in Beer-sheba, and prays to God.

This is a great example of how God keeps his promises to us.  It would've been very easy for Sarah and Abraham to doubt that God would ever give them a son, and yet He still did!  It's also a great example of faith in God -- they had to believe; also, at the end, Abraham worships God -- evidence of his belief in him.

Genesis 22

vs1-14: Abraham commanded to sacrifice Isaac; he agrees, and goes to the mount; right before he kills Isaac, the Lord intervenes, and provides a ram.
vs15-20: The Lord renews his covenant with Abraham; they go back home.
vs20-24: Abraham's relative Milcah bears children; they are listed. 

Wow!  What kind of faith would it take to sacrifice your only son, who is the only way that God's promises to you will be fulfilled?  Plus, Abraham had waited sooo long for a son, and to be required to sacrifice him.....wow!  I'm not sure I could do that....it's amazing how much faith he had.  Talk about doing hard things (see Alex and Brett Harris's book, Do Hard Things)....It also shows that the Lord will come through for us, if we are willing to do ALL that he commands us.

Genesis 23

vs 1-2: Sarah dies at 127.
vs 3-16: Abraham buys a grave for her from Ephron, the son of Zohar; Ephron's willing to just give a field to Abraham, but Abraham insists on buying it.
vs 17-20 -- Sarah is buried in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre; or Hebron.

Aww...sad!  Abraham must've been really sad when Sarah died...especially since it was probably soon after he'd almost had to kill Isaac.  I thought it was interesting that Abraham insisted on paying for the field....I wonder why?

Genesis 24

vs 1-67: Long chapter, but well known story -- Abraham is old, so he tells his servant to make sure that Isaac doesn't marry outside the church.  His servant goes to Abraham's family, and asks the Lord to let him know who Isaac should marry -- she'll be the one who gives both him and his camel drink.  It turns out to be Rebekah, Laban's sister.  The servant explains everything, and asks if Rebekah can go back with him.  She agrees, and sees Isaac meditating as they approach the house.

I love Genesis!  It's full of soo many examples of faith!  Abraham had faith that his servant would find a good wife for Isaac; the servant had faith that the Lord would reveal to him who Isaac should marry.  However, I'm mainly impressed with Rebekah -- here comes this strange person, saying that his master wants to find someone for his son to marry, and wants her to go back with him, probably a long way.  It would take soo much faith to leave her family, and create a whole  new life with someone she'd never met.  I don't know if I could do that.....I wish I could have that kind of faith.  One other interesting thing -- I  thought it was interesting that Isaac had gone out to meditate -- show's that meditation might have a spiritual root -- maybe I'll have to try meditating more often....

Genesis 25

vs 1-5: Abraham marries again and has more sons
vs 6-11: Abraham gives everything to Isaac, and sends the sons of the concubines east; after Abraham dies, the Lord blesses isaac.
vs 12-18: seed of Ishamel is listed 
vs 19-23 -- Rebekah was barren; Isaac prays for her; she has twins.
vs 24-28 -- Jacob and Esau are born; Esau's a hunter, and Jacob a plain man.
vs 29-34 -- Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for pottage, and thus despises his birthright.

An instance of when God blesses the righteous -- He blessed Rebekah with twins.   I do wonder why Esau despised his birthright.  He would've gotten a double portion of the inheritance, and would've had to take care of his mother.  I wonder if he just didn't want the responsibility....

Genesis 26

vs 1-33: famine in the land; Isaac follows Abraham's example and says that Rebekah is his sister when forced to go to Gerar; they figure out that she's his wife; Abimelech and Isaac's servants argue about wells; they make an oath not to hurt each other.
vs 34-35: Esau marries Judith and Bashemath, the Hittites, thus grieving his parents. 

Not much to say.....other than: don't follow Esau's example! Marry within the covenant -- you'll receive much more blessings.  If you marry outside the church, you don't get to be married for eternity, and you lose the chance to become like God, unless your spouse eventually joins the church, and you're married in the temple.

Genesis 27

vs1-46: Jacob receives Esau's blessing from Isaac -- Rebekah tells Jacob how to trick his father into thinking that he's Esau -- Esau is angry, and begs his father for a blessing.  After his, he hates Jacob, and tries to kill him; thus, Jacob flees, at the urging of Rebekah.

I've always thought this was an interesting story.  God had told Rebekah earlier that Jacob would be greater than Esau, but I wonder how He felt about Rebekah encouraging Jacob to deceive his father.  It seems like He'd look down on that.  If it was meant to be, surely it could've happened in another way that didn't require deceit.....of course, there is the story of Nephi and Laban(1 Nephi, in the Book of Mormon) -- the only way for Nephi to get the plates was to kill Laban -- by killing one, he saved a nation, and made sure that his seed would have the word of God.  Still.....

Genesis 28

vs 1-5: Isaac talks to Jacob before he leaves, and makes him promise not to marry a Canaanite; he goes to Laban, Rebekah's brother.
vs 6-9: Esau marries a Canaanite, just because he saw that it displeased his father.
vs10-15: Jacob's ladder -- he sees it as he journeys to Haran; angels go up and down it from heaven; God promises to multiply his seed; God will not leave Jacob until He's done all that He's promised him. 
vs16-22 - Jacob realized the Lord is in that place, and he builds a pillar; the place was called Luz, now Jacob calls it Bethel.  Jacob promises to give the 10th part of everything he has to the Lord, if the Lord will be with him and let him come back to his fathers house.

This chapter is very interesting -- on the one hand, you have Esau, who chooses to wilfully be disobedient, and then Jacob, who see's a ladder with angels on it.  I think God must've been really displeased with Esau -- why would he be so wilfully disobedient?  That's defiance to the extreme!  I love the story of Jacob's ladder; vs 22 is very interesting -- It looks like this is where the law of tithing is first instituted -- that's way cool!  I didn't know we actually had a record of when that law was instituted....awesome!

Genesis 29

vs 1-35: Jacob comes to Laban's house; sees Rachel, and agrees to serve Laban for 7 years so he can marry her.  After 7 years, Laban gives Jacob Leah instead; after a week, he gives Jacob Rachel as well, but Jacob has to serve another 7 years.  Leah's handmaid is Zilpah, and Rachel's is Bilhah; Leah bears 4 sons -- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

Aww...talk about a romantic story!! Jacob must've reallly loved Rachel, if he was willing to spend 14 years serving Laban, just so he could marry her.  I probably would've given up 1/2 way through the first seven years, and tried to find someone who was less valued by her father.  Still....it shows how much he thought Rachel was worth.  I would hate to have been Jacob when he realizes that Laban tricked him at first -- I would be so mad.  It shows great faith on Jacob's part, to not really be angry, but to accept it and do what he has to in order to get Rachel.

Genesis 30

vs 1-13:Rachel's barren, so gives Jacob Bilhah, who bears Dan and Naphtali; Leah gives Jacob Zilpah, who bears Gad and Asher. 
vs 14-21 -- Rachel wants mandrakes -- agrees to let Leah lie with Jacob in exchange for them; Leah bares Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter Dinah.
vs 22-24: Rachel is blessed with a son -- Joseph.
vs 25-36: Laban and Jacob make a deal -- Jacob gets all the ringstraked, etc cattle, and Laban the unblemished ones; Jacob still takes care of all flocks.
vs 37-43: Jacob uses rods of green poplar, hazel, and chestnut trees to make sure that he gets the healthier cattle.

Not much to say.....whenever I read 37-43, I always think that Jacob must've been really smart -- how would he know that these rods would cause the cattle to be speckled, etc?  God must've blessed him -- shows how God will bless the righteous. 

Well, until tomorrow, Praise His Name!