I am Nothing, without God Blog

10/19/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 48-50

Chapter 48 starts off with Joesph visiting his father Jacob with his two sons because he had been told his father was sick. It went from a visit to Jacob doing the traditional blessings on all his sons and passing away.
Jacob expresses his gratitude to God again for allowing him to see his son Joesph and being blessed to see Joesph's sons. He then puts Joesph's sons to the status of being Jacob's sons. Basically giving Joesph the double portion blessing that traditionally would have gone to the first born Reuben.
Jacob blesses Ephraim over Manasseh even though he is the youngest. I find that interesting because Jacob was the youngest, even though it was by deceit, received the firstborn blessing too. While thinking about that Matthew 20:16 came to mind, "So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen."
Jacob also gives a mountain slope that he had taken from the Amorites to Joesph instead of his brothers.
Chapter 49 Jacob blessed his sons according to how they had acted in the past and with a predictive element of their futures. I believe he was lead by God for these since only He knows what is to come.
Judah and Joesph get the longest blessings, which shows that Jacob believes that these two sons have important futures and so do their descendants. The Ephraimites do end up as one the leading tribes of Israel till they are rejected by God in favor for Judah. From Judah comes David and most importantly Jesus!
During Reuben's blessing Jacob explains why he lost the firstborn blessing. Reuben had slept with one of Jacob's servant wives.
Simeon and Levi's doesn't really sound like a blessing for them but more protection for others. Because of their anger and wrath they are to be divided and scattered as to not attempt to dominate the rest. This comes true for both tribes. The Levites end up with 48 cities distributed throughout all the tribes. The Simeonites get land within one taken by Judah.
Chapter 49 ends that right after the blessings Jacob tells them where he wants to be buried and then dies.
Chapter 50 isn't that long but there are three parts to it. The first being the burial of Jacob. They had him embalmed by Egyptian physicians in order to be able to make the journey to the burial site. It's believed they used physicians instead of the normal priests to show the it wasn't about the Egyptian religion.
To show just how high esteemed Joesph was in Egypt the funeral procession for his father was comprised of a large number of prominent Egyptian officials.
Now that Jacob was dead Joesph's brothers feared he hadn't really forgave them and was going to do something evil to them. They sent a messenger since they were too chicken to face him directly and lied saying their father said to forgive them. Joesph was kind to them and said while they were acting evil, God had it work for good.
Chapter 50 and the end of Genesis concludes with the death of Joesph. He made his family swear they would take his bones with them when they were called to the promised land by God. Moses does end up fulfilling that promise. Joesph is 110 years old when he dies and is embalmed. Him and his father are the only two that are mentioned in the Bible being embalmed.

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10/15/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 46-47

Chapter 46 begins with Israel and his whole family headed for Egypt. It doesn't say he was apprehensive of the move but God coming to him in a vision and reassuring him to go and saying He would go with him implies it. He was probably hesitant since God had told Isaac not to go to Egypt during a previous famine.
Israel reuniting with his son Joesph obviously was a very emotional moment. He had thought his son was dead for years now he gets to embrace him. God gets just as emotional with such joy when we turn from our dead lives and accept Jesus to begin living eternal lives with Him!!
The famine was so bad people spent all their money, traded all their livestock and eventually even sold their land and freedom. Some may say Joesph was being harsh to them but he was keeping the peace and giving them food. They didn't seem upset in 47:25 they say "You have saved our lives." They seem grateful for the fact he didn't let them starve to death.
After living in Egypt seventeen years, Jacob was close to death and had Joesph swear to bury him where his fathers were back in the land of Canaan. Joesph agreed to do so.

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10/13/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 40-45

God shows Joesph favor through all the crappy circumstances he keeps getting put in. Being in prison he was ale to interpret dreams for two of Pharaoh's royal attendants. Two years later he was given the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh's dreams because the cupbearer remembered he had interpreted his correctly.
This is yet another example of learning to be patient waiting for God's timing. While in the moment it may seem like God had forgotten you He hasn't!! He is just waiting for the perfect timing! Joesph did that and look how it worked out for him. He goes from being in prison to being second in command of all of Egypt.
God our provider! Looking again at the big picture of all that happens with Joesph if he hadn't gone through it and got where he was potentially his family and many, many others would have starved to death during the famine!!
Joesph could have held a grudge and hated his brothers for what they did but by his actions you can see he loved them. He remembers those first dreams he had and can see how God was it all out for the good of all. He even tells his brothers to forgive themselves.

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10/8/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 37-39

Joesph was Jacob's favorite because he was from Rachael who he loved and wanted to be married to from the start. This of course made all Joesph's other brothers jealous, then to make matters worse Joesph wearing the special robe from his father tells the brothers about dreams he had. These basically were interrupted that they would bow down to him. I don't feel like Joesph was bragging or trying to cause jealousy. He was excited about what God showed him and wanted to share it with his family.
Fratricide to me is a depraved and heartbreaking act since the fall. I don't always get along with my sister but I don't want her dead let alone want to kill her by my own hand. But that's exactly where jealousy drove them to want to do. If it wasn't for the first born Reuben stepping in which his motives are unclear why, they would have killed him.
God had different plans though and if you look at this whole story you can see repeatedly where something that was meant for evil against him God used to bless him. God still does this today for His children because He loves us so much!
Judah either by greed or trying to show mercy without letting his brothers realize it suggests making a profit for selling Joesph versus killing him.
Jacob's grief was so much for the loss of Joesph he says he would grieve till he died basically. "Sheol" is the proper name for the place people go after death. Having had three miscarriages, two after the eighteenth week mark I can sympathize with him. There are still days I grief for them.
Chapter 38 seems so random interrupting the story of Joesph to tell about Judah and his sons, especially the unusual birth of a set of twins, but nothing is really random with God. It's actually a very important part because it tells of about how the bloodline of Judah continued. The significance of the birth of Perez is that Jesus came through that bloodline. God sees the complete picture always!
In chapter 39, Joesph's pureness is a big contrast to what happened in chapter 38. Refusing to commit adultery he end up falsely accused and imprisoned.

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10/5/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 32-36

Chapter 32 begins with Jacob worried about meeting his brother Esau after 20 years thinking he might still have a grudge against him. Jacob does some things in the natural like split up his blessing from God into two camps because of his fear. However, the best thing he did and something not really seen him do in the past is pray to God for His help. Seeking God will always be the best thing one can do.
Jacob is going to see his brother the next day but instead of getting a restful night of sleep, he spends all night wrestling with God. In doing so Jacob leavened the importance of God's blessing and it marked the end of his constant strife with others.
Chapter 33 Esau ran to meet Jacob which wasn't custom for men to run like that. It was a symbol of how Esau had no animosity towards him and was truly glad to see his brother again. Jacob still didn't trust him though so, he lied about following him to a different location.
The end of chapter 33, Jacob builds his first altar to God, previously he only built pillars. He named it El-Elohe-Israel which means God, the God of Israel. This is were Jacob who after the wrestling with God, God was renamed to Israel really commits to worshipping the Lord.
Chapter 34 one of Jacob's daughter is raped and while that is a horrible thing what two of Jacob's sons did in order to revenger her was overboard. It also risked the safety of Jacob's whole family. God protects them though.
God tells Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar to Him. Jacob gets everyone in his household to put away all foreign gods and serve just the Lord before they start the journey. It shows how committed to just worshipping God he was.
During the journey God blessed Jacob and confirm that his new name is Israel.
Rachel dies giving birth to her second son which Israel name Benjamin.
Jacob/Israel did at least get to see his dad one last time before Isaac died at 180 years old.
Chapter 36 are the descendants of Esau also known as Edom after he sold his birthright for red stew. So they are the Edomites.

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9/21/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 29-31

First thing I noticed in these chapters is that Jacob never seemed or prayed to God for direction on any matter. In chapter 31, it says the Lord spoke to him and told him what to do. Jacob had God's favor in the 20 years before that but things were I believe more difficult and he had to work much harder than he probably would have if he had been seeking God more. I am not saying life is super easy if you do seek God for direction. there will still be challenges and such. but I have found the more I seek God the better things are. Yes there are struggles but you can have peace during them that God is working it out.
It's ironic that Jacob who deceived his dad into giving him the first born blessing, now gets deceived by his uncle to take the first born daughter.
This multiple wives situation is yet another example of why God said one man and one woman for marriage. The house was divided with hatred and envy. Despite that God did bless both sides with kids. In His timing, He even takes Rachaels's barren womb and opens it to give her a son, Joesph.
Another way you can see how God's favor was on Jacob was that even though Laban tried to cheat him into not getting any of the flocks of livestock God blessed Jacob with the strongest of the flocks. I would like to not that Jacob thought he was causing it to happen by laying out the bark but in reality it was God. How many times do we try to take credit for what God has done in our lives? But when things don't go right we are quick to blame the devil for it. We need to be more thankful to God and what He does for us!

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9/17/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 26-28

In chapter 26, God promises Isaac the same thing he promised his father Abraham. The Lord would bless him, multiply his offspring, and that all nations all be blessed by on in his offspring. This was foretelling of Jesus again.
Isaac like his father lacked faith that God would keep him safe because of his wife's beauty and told the same lie his dad did claiming his wife was his sister. This time however no one tried to take his wife before they were found out at least.
God blessed Isaac so much that the Philistine king asked him to leave his land. After a while though the king realized how blessed Isaac was becoming that he wanted to make a treaty with him. He probably feared Isaac could come take his stuff if God was for it.
I noticed this trend of God blessing His people abundantly and the Bible basically says cause they had His favor/love. What I don't get is people nowadays bashing men and women of God for being blessed abundantly with money and such. Clearly time and time again God prospered those faithful to Him. Yes some may abuse the system but that doesn't mean everyone does. Be grateful for what you have yourself. Don't be envious or jealous either. You don't know all the circumstances for their life or your own even. But God does and trust in Him to provide for all your needs. In the end, no one is taking any of the material things with them when they die.
In chapter 27, Rebekah has Jacob deceive Isaac in order for him to get the blessing that Esau was supposed to get. In the blessing it says, "Be lord over your brothers." which is a way of fulfillment to what God told Rebekah while she was pregnant, "the older shall serve the younger." God knew what was going to happen and even though He doesn't like deceit this just shows God can use anything and turn it to work for His good.
Jacob in chapter 28 while fleeing his brother's wrath/going to find a wife, he has an encounter with God in a dream. During the encounter God confirms the pass of the promise He made to Abraham and then Issac to Jacob. When Jacob awoke he was amazed by what happened and builds a pillar instead of an altar like the people of the past. In combination with the fact he puts a condition of what God has to do for him in order for the Lord to be his God shows he didn't have the trust/faith in God like his father and grandfather did.
Chapter 28 ends with Jacob saying, "And of all you give me I will give a full tenth to you." This is the second mention of a "tithe", but if you noticed just like the first time it was something the person was felt lead to do. They weren't told or forced. They gave freely and with a grateful heart! God doesn't need it but He does use it to bless you and others.

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9/12/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 20-22

Chapter 20 again shows Abraham's lack of faith in God to protect him by having Sarah say she is his sister, which was a half truth but still wrong. Especially, since he had a promise from God she was going to get pregnant soon and have his son. God had to step in again to fix the mess Abraham had made.
Abraham is the first prophet mentioned in the Bible and it says how he could pray/intercede on one's behalf.
Ishmael mocked Isaac when he was a toddler. Sarah saw it and wasn't happy at all about it. Sarah wanted him and his mother casted out, Abraham was sad about it, but God told him to do as Sarah asked. He did this because the promise of the savior was to be through the offspring of the child God had promised not the one that Abram and Sarai tried to fulfill it with originally. Also as mentioned in the New Testament the offspring needed to come from the free woman not the slave woman.
God didn't turn his back on Ishmael and his mother though. He kept His promise to her to protect them and make him a great nation. God never leaves or forsakes us just because things might not be how you thought or things are rough, God has you and a good plan for you.
Chapter 22 talks about God testing Abraham by telling him to sacrifice Isaac. I think the story really shows how Abraham has grown in his faith/trust in the Lord. As shown in previous chapters Abraham's faith wavered when his life was possibly on the line, yet here he doesn't waver. Some may say well it was the son's life not his own but as a parent there is this built in instinct to protect your child. Verse 8, "Abraham said, 'God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering' " Abraham was speaking out his faith that God would provide, which He did and always will do.

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9/10/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 16-19

Chapter 16 starts off with Sarai and Abram(since he did agree to it) trying to fulfill God's promise on their own in their timing not God's. Basically like so many of us they got impatient and didn't have complete faith in God. For me personally I think that maybe the is one of the most difficult things is waiting on God's timing, even thought I know His plans always workout much better than my own.
Hagar, Sarai's servant shouldn't have looked down on Sarai just because she got pregnant. She took an already touchy situation and made it worse. She should have b been grateful for the privilege to have the opportunity to have a child.
Drama from taking on a second wife here and they complications from it , is why God wanted marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24) There are other instances in the old testament that a man has more than one wife and almost always there are issues because of it.
God being a merciful God takes the mess they made and make the best of of it. Verse 16:13, "...'You are a God of seeing,' for she said, 'Truly see I have seen him who looks after me.'" Just like with Hagar God is watching over you! He see what's going on and has plans to make it better. Remember Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Chapter 17 at ninety nine years old God changes Abram's name to Abraham to confirm the promos He gave him years prior that he would be the father of a multitude of nations. As the sign of this covenant every male had to be circumcised in other to be part of the blessings. It wasn't just Abraham's blood family but everyone in the household.
Some could take the next part of Abraham and Sarah having a child past the time of the natural bing able to have kids as God showing off. But when God does things like this it is more about making people truly understand how powerful God is and how much we really need Him.
I feel like there maybe some significance that God tells Abraham and Sarah that Issac will be born in one year, right before He has Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed.
Abraham I am sure is trying to save Lot but he also wanted to save everyone because if it was just about Lot he could have just asked God to spare Lot's family. God was will to spare the city even if they only found 10 righteous. God really doesn't want anyone to perish which is why He gives warning and is what we perceive at times as being slow to act, but 2 Peter 3:9 shows the reality that God is just being patient with us.

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9/7/2018 0 Comments

Genesis 12-15

The start of chapel 12 is God telling Abram the call on his life. That God is going to bless him to make a great nation and even more importantly 12:3 "...in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." God referring to Jesus Christ, Savior of the earth.
Abram went to Canaan just as God tells him, but when a famine comes he goes to Egypt. I read nothing that says God told him to. Abram also fears for his life and tells his wife to lie about who she really is. To me it seems Abram wasn't in God's will for his life and wasn't remembering what God promised him. How often do we do that also? We get caught up in the moment/situation and forget about the big picture. God keeps His promise even when it's us that cause our own mistakes. 12:3 "...him who dishonors you I will curse..." God curses the Pharaoh so he gives Abram his wife back. God protects and loves us no matter what.
Chapter 13 shares how God had blessed Abram's family so much the land where they were couldn't sustain all of it and strife was happening. To stop the strife they had to split ways. Strife isn't something you want in your life cause it's not healthy and if you are experiencing that with a person or people it's best to just split ways sometimes.
Lot picked what he believed to be the "best". Downfall to that was he settled to close to Sodom which, verse 13 says, "Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord." This probably contributed to him getting captured in the next chapter.
In chapter 14, after Abram gets Lot back he meets up with the king of Salem (the study notes says that it's possibly a shortened version of "Jerusalem") Melchizedek who was also a priest of God Most High. Verse 20, "And Abram gave him a tenth of everything." While giving had been mentioned before this is the first mention of a tithe.
Chapter 15 Abram questions God on what reward he will get due to the fact he was still childless. God tells him he will have his own son and his descendants will be as many as the stars in the sky. Verse 6, "Ad he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness." This verse is quoted four times in the new testament. Faith is so important! It was Abram's faith in God that made him righteous not any deed/work!

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Stephanie

This is my online journal of my observations and thoughts I have while reading thru my ESV Study Bible.

I have started at the beginning in Genesis and going to work my way through to Revelation.

If you have questions or want to discuss anything feel free to leave a comment or send me a message.

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Genesis 48-50

Genesis 46-47

Genesis 40-45

Genesis 37-39

Genesis 32-36

Genesis 29-31

Genesis 26-28

Genesis 20-22

Genesis 16-19

Genesis 12-15

Stephanie

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