The Dreamer (Gen. 34-40)

Since I didn't get to write a blog yesterday, I'm going to squeeze these readings into one and focus on the key passages.  The only daughter of Jacob that we are told any specifics about is Dinah, although Gen. 37:35 implies that he had more than one daughter.  Dinah was born of Leah, and she was apparently rather beautiful--no "weak eyes" like her mother.  This daughter caught the eye of the son of the prince of the land, and he became consumed with longing for her.  He gets things rather backwards and acts upon his longings before asking her hand in marriage.  Not a smart thing to do to a girl who has 11 brothers.  As God says in verse 7, "...for such a thing must not be done."

As you know, this young man Shechem learned his lesson, and all the men of his land along with him.  Nothing like taking the whole city down with you in your inability to control your desires!  Jacob reprimands his two sons Simeon and Levi for doing such an evil thing, because revenge is not our job but the LORD's (Gen. 32:35).  He is concerned about the trouble this will bring upon him and his people.  When we come to chapter 49 in a few days and Jacob is blessing each of his sons before he dies, you will see how their sin in this incident plays into their blessing (or curse) at the end of their father's life.

Read Gen. 35:1-15 again.

1. To where does God tell Jacob to go in v. 1?
2. What was the significance of this place?  (see Gen. 28:10-22)
3. Have you ever revisited a place in which you encountered God and He did something significant in your life?  If you have, write about it.  What was it like to go back there and remember what God had done in your life at that time?  How different of a person were you in going back than at the time of that original encounter?  What a time of worship such an experience can be!  If you haven't done this, keep this concept in mind...I have a hunch you will have the opportunity to erect some memorial stones this year on your journey with God.
4. What did Jacob tell everyone in his household to do?  How does Jacob describe God in v. 3?
5. What did God do to the peoples of the lands through which they were journeying back to Canaan in v. 5?
6. In verses 9-15, what does God do, and what does Jacob do?

In verses 16-21, Rachel gives birth to another son, but she dies in child-birth.  Benjamin is now Jacob's youngest son, brother to Joseph by the same mother--the wife whom Jacob loved.  This relationship will come into play when Joseph's brothers come to Egypt for grain in tomorrow's readings.

Take note of verse 21.  I love firsts!  This is the first time Scripture refers to him as Israel rather than Jacob.  We will see both names used for him throughout the Bible, but it seems that he is referred to as Israel when he is representing God's people.  Try to notice as you read and see what you think.

In verses 23-26 we get a re-cap of which sons were born to which wives, and now Jacob has 12 sons.  These are not the exact 12 tribes of Israel, as you will find out in a few days.  But we'll wait till we get there to cover that.  At the end of ch. 35, Isaac dies and is buried by his two sons Esau and Jacob.  I love the wording used for both Abraham's death and now Isaac's:  "...he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days."  I want to be "full of days" when I die, how about you?  Not just mindless, meaningless time spent here on planet earth, but "full" days of walking with the Lord and doing His will.  And I definitely want to be "gathered to my people" in God's Kingdom!

^"By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau." (Hebrews 11:20)  That's all we read about Isaac in the "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11.  Dear sister, especially fellow moms, I believe there's a message for us in that.  If you are a parent, some of the most significant work you do for the Kingdom of God is raising those children to live for Him and His glory, carrying on the work begun for God in previous generations. 

If you recall, it wasn't really Isaac's idea to give Jacob the first-born blessing.  He was tricked into it by his wife and son.  Yet he didn't go back on what he had said and change the blessing, thus God commends Isaac for this in Hebrews.  Isaac went with it and trusted that God had allowed him to do that for a reason and would bring good from it.  Will you trust what God allows, believing He can bring good out of it?  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8:28, ESV)

We read in Gen. 36 that God blessed both Jacob and Esau so much that they had to go separate ways, just as Abraham and Lot had to do.  Jacob, of course, stayed in the land of Canaan because God had promised him that land.  We also learn in verse 31 that kings reigned from Esau's descendants before the nation of Israel ever had kings of their own.  God was their only king for many years, until the time of Samuel the prophet, when Saul became the first king of Israel.

Genesis 37 is when the story of Joseph begins to get interesting, leading us into the next phase of Israel's history.

1. How old was Joseph when these events began to happen?  (v. 2)
2. What did Jacob do that caused much conflict between Joseph and his 10 older brothers (who were all grown men by now)?
3. What stupid thing did Joseph do in vv. 5-9?
4. The brothers were naturally angry and jealous, but what did Joseph's father Jacob do in v. 10 and then at the end of v. 11?

You know the story.  The spoiled younger brother goes to check on his older brothers (what was Jacob thinking?), wearing his colorful coat, of course.  This one is so full of drama, it has even made its way onto the Broadway stage.

The brothers plot to kill him, but the oldest brother Reuben shows some maturity and keeps them from spilling his blood.  His plan is to take Joseph back to his father after teaching him a lesson in humility.  But then he does a foolish thing and goes off on his own long enough for the other brothers to sell Joseph into slavery...to Ishmaelites at that.  This is a key moment in Israel's history, bringing to pass the prophecy God spoke to Abraham in Gen. 15:13-16.

But let's not skip over the brothers throwing Joseph into a pit.  Now that's enough fodder for a whole lesson in itself.  Ever been "thrown into a pit" by people you thought you could trust, maybe even your own family?  Was it partly your own fault because of your arrogance or another sin, like Joseph?  Here is where I am going to highly recommend Beth Moore's book Get Out of that Pit.  Whether you slipped in (on your own), jumped in (on your own), or were thrown in (by others), your Redeemer and Deliverer can pull you out.  But He alone can get you out of that pit.

God got Joseph out of the pit.  It didn't look too promising at first, as he was sold into slavery, but remember God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called accoring to His purposes (paraphrase of Rom. 8:28).  All this evil God allowed to be done to Joseph makes perfect sense when we arrive at the end of Genesis, and especially when we see the ultimate fulfillment in Christ.  Please know for certain that God does not cause evil--our own sin causes that.  But He will allow it when He can use it to raise up a person for His glory.  (We will get heavily into this in next week's readings in Job.)

1. Whose idea was it to sell Joseph? (v. 26)
2. Where did the Ishmaelites take Joseph? (v. 28)
3. What did Reuben do when he saw that Joseph was gone? (v. 29)
4. What did the brothers do to explain this to their father Jacob?

Read Gen. 36:35.  I wonder what was going on in the minds of Jacob's sons as they sought to comfort their father.  Guilt, perhaps?  I hope so.  They got to live with this guilt for many years, too.  Oh the regrets of rash behavior in a moment of anger!  But none of them were man enough, or humble enough, to confess what they had done to their father. 

We can relate, right?  Sometimes we are not humble enough to confess what we've done to our Father.  We think the person was getting what they deserved.  Dangerous ground, dear friends.  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  (Luke 6:37)  Withholding forgiveness is just not worth it, and Joseph understood this.  That's why his story is the one full of God's blessings and prosperity, not his brothers'.

We've seen the sin of Simeon and Levi's anger at Shechem, we watched Reuben unsuccessfully try to save Joseph, and now we watch Judah commit a disgusting sin with his daughter-in-law.  The encounter between Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 is a disappointing one, but it is also an important one to remember. 

• Turn to Matthew 1.  In verse 3, whose name do you find in the geneology of Christ?

Only four women are mentioned in Jesus' lineage, and all of them have somewhat scandalous stories.  Tamar prostituted herself to deceive Judah, Rahab was a prostitute and a Gentile (not of the Hebrew nation), Ruth was a Moabitess (i.e. a Gentile) and she laid down at Boaz' feet hoping he would take her as his wife, and Bathsheba was brought into King David's chambers to have relations with him while she was still Uriah's wife.  How's that for the Holy Child's female ancestors?

Why did God include these women's names in Matthew's account of Christ's lineage?  Could it be that God wants us to realize that He can take a messed up life, one of a former pit-dweller, and use it for good and for His glory?  I personally think so.  Like Jesus, you may have some scandalous stories in your ancestry.  But just like Jesus, that doesn't have to be the end of the story.  God can redeem anything and anyone.  I praise Him that He does and that He redeemed me!

In Genesis 39 we watch as Joseph's story continues to unfold.  He is now in the service of Potiphar, and it is very apparent the LORD is with Him.  We read that the LORD blesses Potiphar because of Joseph.  But then his wife has to go and mess it all up, because apparently Joseph is rather handsome.

1. What did God do to redeem this wrong done to Joseph?  See vv. 21-23.
2. Then what happens in ch. 40 with the cupbearer and the baker?
3. To whom does Joseph give credit/glory in verse 8?
4. What does he ask of the cupbearer in v. 14?  Did he?  (v. 23)

Not only does God give Joseph dreams, as he did at the beginning of our readings, but now the LORD grants him the ability to interpret dreams.  This was only possible because Joseph knew that the interpretation came from God and not himself.  No wonder God kept blessing Joseph and everyone for whom he worked!  Joseph's life was a testimony of God's glory.  And it's about to get even better in the next chapter.  We'll talk about that tomorrow.  Let's end with Joseph's testimony to God's goodness.

His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.  (Gen. 39:3)  So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.  (Gen. 39:6)

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  (Gen. 39:21)  The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.  (Gen. 39:23)

A Limp, a Humbled Spirit, and a New Name (Gen. 30-33)

Are you completely riveted by Jacob's story?  His is a powerful one--lots of lessons we can take away from the chapters of his life.  In today's readings, we watched as God finally opened Rachel's womb to bear him a son, Jacob flee from Laban and return to the promised land, Jacob wrestling with God and receiving a new name, and then the patriarch humbly coming to his brother Esau for reconciliation.  What a section full of beauty!

Genesis 30 began with Rachel being envious of her sister Leah (that was probably a first--tables turned), and in frustration trying to get Jacob to do something about it.  She's rather dramatic, too.  "Give me children, or I shall die!"  I guess us girls can get that way when we are jealous or bitter.  Not a good or godly place for a woman to be.

Jacob naturally gets angry with her and points out that only God can give or not give children.  So, she gives her maidservant to him to bear some children for her.  That seems to work, so Leah takes the challenge and does the same.  Pretty soon we learn how one man can have 12 sons.

1. I love verse 22.  What does it say? 
2. What does Laban recognize about Jacob in verse 27?
3. What are God's instructions to Jacob in Gen. 31:3, 13?
4. What really foolish sin does Rachel commit in Gen. 31:19?  Why do you think she did this, since she seemed to believe in the one true God?

When Laban catches up to Jacob, he tries to paint Jacob as the one in the wrong and himself as the good guy.  Remember, Laban does not only worship God, but the gods of his land, too.  Yet he recognizes that Jacob's God has blessed him on Jacob's behalf.  When I read his words in Gen. 31:26-28, all I can think is, "Yea, right."  But what Laban has witnessed of the power of Jacob's God, and the dream he had of God speaking to him, have put some fear of the LORD into him, thankfully.

1. Notice what Jacob calls God in Gen. 31:42:  "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the __________________________ had not been on my side...."  What a powerful name!  Jacob seems to be intent on putting the fear of God into Laban's heart!  What did he tell Laban God had done to him in his dream?
2. Notice verse 53 also.  What does Laban call God?  Wait a minute...there's a different name in there than what we are used to!  See if you can go back and remember who Nahor was...and why Laban would include his name here (hint:  Genesis 11).

In chapter 32, we come to a huge turning point in Jacob's life and the history of God's chosen people.  This is evident right away with verse 1.

1. What happened in verse 1?  Can you even imagine what that experience must have been like?  I think we would have responded as he did in verse 2.
2. Take special note of how Jacob refers to himself over and over in this chapter and the next when it comes to encountering his brother, Esau, whom he cheated out of the firstborn blessing and took advantage of to get the firstborn birthright (i.e. not a very humble heart towards his brother in his younger years).  What does his heart condition seem to be now?  Find the words he uses regarding himself and Esau in verses 4, 5, 10, 18, 20.  (There's more in the next chapter, but stay here for now.)

Next, in Gen. 32:22-32, we come to a very climactic event in Jacob's life and the nation that will come from him.  Notice the first five words of verse 24.  This is key.  I can't even begin to emphasize the importance of having time alone so that God can meet you and take you to a new place in your journey with Him.  This is HARD for women to do with all of the demands on our time.  That is exactly why it is absolutely so crucial!

I'm going to speak from very personal experience here.  I have a lot of "Mary" in me (if you've studied Mary and Martha, you get this), but when I am in "mom mode" I turn very much into a "Martha"--which goes against my natural personality and desires.  But something about raising children, managing a home and homeschooling can turn me into Martha lickity-split.  Yuck.  I hate that (although we read about a wonderful faith and relationship she had with Jesus as well...and somebody had to prepare the food for the Lord to eat!).

But I can very closely relate to the psalmist in Psalm 42:1-2:  "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?" (emphasis mine)  There is truly nothing I long for more when I wake up than my time with Jesus (and a good cup of coffee to help me wake up at 5am...but He's still #1).  Sometimes, however, I hear a pitter-patter down the hallway that tells me my longing might be delayed.  "When can I go and meet with you, Lord?"

I could sit and write like this about God's Word for hours, too, because I love His Word more than life itself.  I love sharing His Word and seeing others get excited about all the treasures to be found in it!

Well, back in 2004, I had been seeking God's will for my life because of some unrest in my soul.  I knew He was trying to tell me something, but I was having a hard time discerning what it was.  Then one night I couldn't sleep.  It was the middle of the night, and everyone was asleep, so I decided to take advantage of the quiet and go spend some time with God and His Word.  I had no idea I was about to "wrestle with God" most of the night.

I prayed earnestly, read eagerly, and sought the Lord's guidance, listening with all my might and hoping to hear an answer.  Tears flowed as I prayed and listened.  Prayed and listened.  Then God led me to open my Bible to His Word to me at that moment in that circumstance, and I no longer wondered--I KNEW.  As God changed Jacob's name to Israel after his wrestling experience that led him to cry, "Do not let me go until you bless me!", so God changed my entire world with this Scripture:

At the Potter’s House (Jeremiah 18:1-6)

 ¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ² “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” ³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
 ⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁶ “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.  (emphasis mine)

I knew exactly what God was telling me.  It was as if He had changed my name, just like He did Jacob.  He was ready to shape me into a new vessel for His purposes--and I needed to be very pliable and ready for change.  My whole focus in life changed from that point on.  I left my career behind, trusting God to provide as He used me to do His work.  And He has been incredibly faithful.  He always is!

What I want to leave you with as you read over chapter 33, Jacob's encounter with his brother Esau, is this.  Jacob was a completely different man now than the last time he saw his brother.  It was not so much all the wives, children, flocks, herds, servants and possessions that made him different.  What made him different was a humbled spirit.  Time walking with the Lord will do that to a person.

Maturity in our faith doesn't happen over night.  It is a process.  Sanctification is a process.  We must be willing to go the marathon of faith, not just a sprint to the finish line.  Jacob had been through a marathon with God.  His time serving Laban had changed him from a bratty younger brother wanting all the best in life, to a mature patriarch ready to lead God's people.  Sometimes the best thing that can happen to us is to not get what we want.  God does A LOT in the waiting.  Jacob believed in God's promises to his grandfather and his father, and now to him.  The "Fear of Isaac" was His God, and Jacob was a willing servant.

During that wrestling match, something else happened.  In addition to a new name, Jacob was also given a blow to the hip.

• What was he doing, according to Gen. 32:31, as he went to meet Esau?

Picture the scene.  Envoys with gifts to appease his brother, servants with humble words for Esau, and now here comes his younger brother, limping. 

The beauty of chapter 33 is the reconciliation that happens between these two brothers.  That's what our God is all about.  That's why He sent His Son, to reconcile us to Himself.  But it takes a broken spirit and a contrite heart...and sometimes a limp...to get us there.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart,
   O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)