While Joseph was in the king’s prison, the chief butler and the chief baker of the Egyptian king offended him. Due to Pharaoh’s anger, he had them thrown into the prison where Joseph was. The captain of the guard put them under Joseph’s responsibility. Some Bible versions say that Joseph served them, others say that he attended to them; he took care of them; or even stated that he became their personal attendant. It all sounds like Joseph became their servant. First of all, I wonder what the butler and the baker did to make the king throw them into prison. Secondly, it must have been nice to go to prison and to be given a servant. This sounds like prestige in prison. They all were in prison for a good while.

One night, both the butler and the baker had troubling dreams. Each of the dreams had its own interpretation. The next morning, Joseph noticed that they were sad. So, he asked them, “Why do you look so sad today?” So they told him that they both had dreams, but there was no one to interpret them. One Google source indicated that dreams were very important in the Egyptian culture and the butler and baker were referring to “dream specialists” when they said no one was there to interpret the dreams. Thus Joseph’s statement, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” Joseph was confident that God would reveal the meaning of the dreams to him.

The Butler’s Dream – There was a vine before him that had three branches; it was as though it budded. It blossomed and its clusters had ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh’s cup was in his hand. He took the grapes and pressed them into the cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. Joseph’s interpretation was that the three branches represented three days. Within three days Pharaoh would “lift up” his head (pardon) and restore him to his position. He would assume his duties as chief butler just as he had done previously. Joseph asked the butler to “put in a good word for him” to Pharaoh so that he could get out of prison. He pleaded his case by stating that he was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews and he had not done anything for him to be put into the dungeon.

The Baker’s Dream – When he saw that the interpretation of the butler’s dream was good, he told Joseph his dream. He said that he was also in his dream and there were three white baskets on his head. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh. The birds ate them out of the basket on his head. Joseph’s interpretation was that the three baskets represented three days. Within three days, Pharoah would “lift off” his head (kill) and hang him on a tree. The birds would eat his flesh. I’m sure this interpretation must have terrified the baker and he had three days to think about it.

On the third day, Pharoah celebrated his birthday and had a feast for all of his servants. He presented the chief butler and the chief baker publicly among his servants. Pharaoh restored the chief butler to his position and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. He hanged the chief baker just as Joseph interpreted. After being restored to his position, the chief butler forgot all about Joseph. Keep in mind, God’s timing is always perfect. So, the restoration to his position, was not the right time for the butler to remember and mention Joseph to Pharaoh.

Dreams are mentioned throughout the Bible. Do you pay attention to your dreams? Or do you just “pass them off” by saying, “it was just a dream”? Dreams can be warnings, prophetic, reflect God’s presence in your life and even give you revelation about issues that may be clouded in suspicion.

Below is a review of dreams since we started our Biblical Journey.

In Genesis 20, God gave Abimelech a warning in a dream about giving Sarah back to Abraham. In Genesis 28, Jacob had a dream about God’s presence in which angels were ascending and descending on a ladder. In Genesis 31 there’s a combination of a warning dream and a reflection of God’s presence. Jacob dreamed about the flocks (streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted). God told Jacob that He saw all that Laban was doing to him and told Jacob to leave that land and return to the land of his family. Also in Genesis 31, God warns Laban about how to treat Jacob when he caught up with him. Joseph’s dreams in Genesis 37 are prophetic as we will see as we continue on this journey. In the New Testament, Matthew 1:20, Joseph has a dream of revelation where an angel of the Lord tells him not to be afraid to make Mary his wife because the child she’s carrying is of the Holy Spirit. So, dreams are very prevalent in the Bible.

Our next stop is Genesis 41.

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Joseph was taken down to Egypt. The Ishmaelites sold him to an Egyptian officer of Pharoah, who was the captain of the guard, by the name of Potiphar. The Lord made Joseph successful in the house of his Egyptian master. Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made him very prosperous in all that he did. Do people see God’s favor in your life? Can you see God’s favor in the lives of others? Joseph found so much favor in Potiphar’s sight that he made Joseph the overseer of his house. All that he had, Potiphar put it under Joseph’s authority. So, of course, Joseph served him faithfully. Under Joseph’s authority as overseer of Potiphar’s house, God blessed his house tremendously for Joseph’s sake. All that Potiphar had in the house was blessed and all that he had in the field was blessed too. Potiphar trusted Joseph so much that he did not know all that he had except for the food he ate. I imagine that Potiphar was aware of all of his “assets” prior to buying Joseph, but now it seems that he doesn’t even know how much God had blessed him since “the purchase”. Has anyone ever trusted you that much? Have you ever trusted someone in your life so much that you would not question anything they did on your behalf?

Joseph was a very handsome young man. Potiphar’s wife saw how good looking Joseph was and decided that she wanted to have an affair with him. She was brazen enough to demand that he have sex with her. Joseph, being a man of integrity, refused. He reminded her of how much Potiphar trusted him to the point that there was no one greater in the house than himself. Joseph told her that the only thing that Potiphar had kept from him, was her because she was his wife. Then, here is the “kicker”, Joseph said, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Joseph’s greatest concern was not what Potiphar would think or do. He was more concerned about committing such wickedness and sinning against God? If we all thought like Joseph, there are a lot of sins we would have never committed! This woman was relentless in her pursuit of Joseph. Everyday, she was coming on to him, but Joseph, being that man of integrity, did not give in to her persistence to have sex with her. One day when Joseph went into the house to do some work and none of the men of the house were on the inside, Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph’s garment to try to make him have sex with her. In resisting her advances, he ran outside, but she managed to hold onto his garment. When she saw that she still had his garment, she called the men of the house and told the lie that Joseph tried to rape her and she cried out in a loud voice and when she did that, he fled, leaving his garment. Of course, it was the other way around; in actuality, she tried to rape him. Have you ever been falsely accused by the person who actually committed the offense? She held onto the garment until her husband came home and told him the same lie. Each time she told the lie, she made sure to state that Joseph was the Hebrew that Potiphar brought among them. When she told the lie to the men of the house, she said that Joseph was the Hebrew brought “to mock us” (Verse 14). Was she trying to incite the men to harm Joseph because he rejected her? When she told the lie to Potiphar she said “to mock me” (Verse 17). Of course, she had to make the lie more personal to her husband to incite anger in him. She achieved her goal, because when Potiphar heard the lie, he got very angry. Potiphar was so angry that he had Joseph put into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. So, this innocent man of integrity, is now in prison.

First, the pit and now the prison – The Lord was with Joseph, even in prison. He showed Joseph mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. When God’s favor is upon you, it is with you wherever you end up and through whatever you may have to endure. So, don’t get discouraged in the midst of the trials and tribulations you may have to face. Satan’s antics cannot and will not stop what God has planned for your destiny. The keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all of the prisoners. Whatever they did in the prison, it was under Joseph’s management. The head prison guard did not even check into anything that was under Joseph’s authority because the Lord was with him. God, again, made all that Joseph did, prosperous. Remember Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Do you love God? Joseph did. Are you one of “the called according to His purpose”? Joseph was.

As we journey on, we will see God’s purpose for Joseph being in Egypt and all that he had to endure. Next stop – Genesis 40.

To God Be The Glory!

At one point, Judah left his brothers to visit his friend, Hirah, an Adullamite. While there, he met Shua’s (a Canaanite) daughter. He married her and consummated the marriage. She conceived and gave birth to a son, which was named Er. She conceived again and had another son and named him Onan. Judah’s wife conceived a third time and had another son and named him Shelah. They were in Chezib when Shelah was born.

Judah got a wife for Er whose name was Tamar. Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord and the Lord killed him. Wow! A person has to be extremely wicked for the Lord, Himself to kill them. Judah told Onan to marry Tamar and have a child to raise up as an heir to his brother. A couple of scriptures that address this practice are Deuteronomy 25:5-10 and Matthew 22:23-28. Onan knew that the heir would not be his. So, when he was intimate with Tamar, rather than emitting the sperm inside her, he emitted on the ground so he wouldn’t give an heir to his brother. This action displeased the Lord and therefore God killed him too. Onan’s actions make me wonder about his relationship with his wicked brother, Er. Or was he just being selfish? Also, since Judah’s name means “praise” (Genesis 29:35), it’s amazing that two of his sons were killed by the Lord because of wicked and displeasing actions. Judah told Tamar to go back to her father’s house and remain a widow and when his third son, Shelah, became of age, she could marry him, lest he should die like his brothers. So, Tamar went back to her father’s house. Now, it’s up to Shelah, to raise an heir unto his brothers, once he’s old enough.

Eventually, Judah’s wife died. After Judah’s time of mourning was completed, he and his friend, Hirah, went to his sheepshearers at Timnah. Tamar was told that her father-in-law was going to Timnah to shear his sheep. So, Tamar took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself up and sat in an open place on the way to Timnah. She did this because she saw that Shelah was grown, but she wasn’t given to him as a wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because he couldn’t see her face since it was covered. So, not knowing this was his daughter-in-law, he solicited her services for sex. She asked him what would he give her for payment. He said that he would give her a young goat from his flock. So, she wanted to know if he would give her something as collateral until she got the goat. Judah asked her what did she want as collateral and she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He had sex with her and she got pregnant. After she left him, Tamar put back on her widow’s garments. Judah had Hirah to take the young goat to the prostitute so that he could get back his items. However, Hirah could not find her. He asked the men of that place about the prostitute that was by the side of the road. The men said that there was never a prostitute there. Hirah returned to Judah and told him that he could not find the prostitute and the men said that there wasn’t a prostitute there. So Judah said to let her keep the items he gave her because if they kept looking for her, then people would start laughing at them. He said that he tried to keep his part of the agreement, but she couldn’t be found. Judah was willing to keep his word to a prostitute, but not keep his word to his daughter-in-law, not knowing she was one in the same. I wonder why he did not have Shelah marry Tamar. Could it have been that Shelah didn’t want to marry her because she could have been a lot older than him?

About three months later, Judah heard that Tamar got pregnant while prostituting herself. So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” When Tamar was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, Judah, saying that the father of her baby is the owner of these items – the signet, cord and staff. Judah acknowledged that the items belonged to him. He also said that Tamar was more righteous than he was because he did not give her to Shelah as wife. He was never intimate with Tamar again. Judah said that Tamar was more righteous than he was; she pretended to be a prostitute and tricked her father-in-law into having sex with her. All Judah did, besides soliciting a “hooker”, was not keep his word. Some people would say that what Tamar did was worse than what Judah did. Man puts “degrees” on sin, but God sees sin as sin. There is no big sin and no little sin to God. Also, let’s remember that Judah’s name means “praise”. Do you know what your name means? Assuming that your name has a positive meaning, do you always live up to your name? Remember, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Tamar gave birth to twins. As the twins were being born, one of them put out his hand and the midwife put a scarlet thread on his hand to indicate that he was the first one born. The baby drew back his hand and unexpectedly, the other baby came out first. The midwife said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore, his was named Perez, which in Hebrew means “breach or breakthrough.” Afterwards, his brother who had the scarlet thread on his hand was born. He was named Zerah, which means glowing, dawn, among other meanings. Googled, of course. This also means that Perez now receives the benefits of being the first born, the birthright.

Next stop – Genesis 39

To God Be The Glory!

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Jacob lived in Canaan where his father, Isaac, was a stranger. Verse 2 states, “This is the history of Jacob”, then it proceeds to talk about Joseph. One day when Joseph was 17 years old, he was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. These are Rachel and Leah’s maidservants that they gave to Jacob when they were having the “baby wars” in Genesis 30. So, that means Joseph was with Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. Joseph gave his father a bad report about his brothers. That makes me wonder, what did they do? Joseph seems to be a snitch. As the saying goes, “Snitches get stitches”.

Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Parents having favorites among their children is asking for nothing but trouble and strife among siblings. Israel also made Joseph a tunic of many colors. When his brothers saw that Israel loved Joseph more than any of them, they hated Joseph and did not speak to him kindly.

Joseph told his brothers about a dream that made them hate him even more. The dream was that they all were binding sheaves (bundles of grain stalks) in the field. Joseph said that his sheaf arose and stood upright. His brothers’ sheaves also stood upright, but their sheaves bowed down all around his sheaf. So his brothers asked him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated Joseph even more because of the dream and what he said.

Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. In this dream, the sun, moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to him. This time Joseph told his father and his brothers. Israel rebuked him by asking, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” Joseph’s brothers envied him, but Israel kept the matter in mind. Have you ever shared a dream or your life’s dream (goals) with someone and all you got back was negativity? Unfortunately, just as with Joseph, some of the biggest “dream killers” in your life will be those who are closest to you – family and friends. Why? Because they feel that “they know you” and you can’t possibly achieve that dream or there could even be some jealousy. When God has given you a dream, vision, assignment (whatever you wish to call it), don’t let the haters discourage you from pursuing your dreams and/or fulfilling God’s call on your life. Sometimes, it might be wise to not share it and let the manifestation come from God. Next, why did Israel ask Joseph “Shall your mother and I…bow down to the earth before you?” Rachel, his mother is already dead. She died in childbirth when Benjamin was born (Genesis 35). So, I googled. One source indicated that the sun and the moon were Israel and (possibly) Leah, because she probably took on the role of raising Joseph after Rachel’s death. Or, the reference to his mother by Israel was abstract in nature, hinting that Joseph’s dream indicated that Rachel will rise from the dead to bow down to him. Of course, the suggestion is that the eleven stars represented his brothers.

Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem to feed their father’s flock. Israel sent Joseph to go check on them and bring back word to him about their welfare. So Joseph left the Valley of Hebron and went to Shechem. Joseph met a man while he was wandering in the field. The man asked Joseph, “What are you seeking?” Joseph told him that he was looking for his brothers and asked the man to tell him where they were feeding their flocks. That was a great assumption on Joseph’s part to expect this stranger to even know who his brothers were and to know where they were headed. This goes to show that when God is orchestrating your destiny, He will put the right people along your path. The man told Joseph that he overheard them say that they were going to Dothan. It was, indeed, in Dothan where Joseph found them. When they saw Joseph coming from afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired to kill him. Maybe they knew it was him because of the brightly colored tunic Israel gave him. They said to each other, “Look, this dreamer is coming!” They decided that they would kill Joseph and toss his body into a pit. Then they would say that a wild beast devoured him. They said, “We shall see what will become of his dreams!” Be careful, your haters will even try to kill you because of your dreams. It may not necessarily be a physical death as Joseph’s brothers were plotting, but they may try to kill you by the harsh and derogatory words they speak. Reuben heard them and was not in agreement with the plan to kill Joseph. He suggested that they not kill Joseph, but to cast him into a pit in the wilderness. Reuben’s plan was to rescue him from the pit and take him back to Israel. When Joseph reached them, they took off his tunic of many colors and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty and had no water in it. Afterwards, they sat down to eat. They saw a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels, spices, balm and myrrh. The Ishmaelites were on their way to Egypt. These Ishmaelites would have been “distant” relatives to Israel and his sons, because Ishmael and Isaac (Jacob’s father) were brothers. Judah asked his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?” He suggested that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites rather than kill him. The other brothers listened to Judah. The Midianite traders passed by and they pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver and they took Joseph to Egypt. Verse 28 refers to the people to whom Joseph was sold as Midianites and Ishmaelites. So, were they the same people? So, yes, I googled. One source, said that they are the same and cited Judges 8:24, which upon reading, I questioned the accuracy of the statement. Another source shows the Midianites as the descendants from Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2), which would also make them relatives of Jacob. Reuben returned to the pit and Joseph was not there and in anguish, Reuben tore his clothes and cried out that Joseph was gone and now what was he going to do? I’m guessing that since Reuben was the oldest son, he felt a sense of responsibility for Joseph. My question is, “In the midst of all of the conspiring to get rid of Joseph, where in the world did Reuben go?” They decided to kill a kid of the goats and dipped Joseph’s tunic in it. Then they took the “blood-dipped” tunic to their father and said that they found it and asked him if he thought it belonged to Joseph. Israel recognized the tunic and formed the conclusion that Joseph was devoured and torn to pieces by a wild animal. In anguish Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his waist and mourned for Joseph many days. Obviously, after the brothers told Reuben that they sold Joseph, he must have agreed with his brothers to present this lie to their father. These are some cruel brothers! Israel refused to be comforted by anybody, including all of his sons and daughters, which seems to indicate that he eventually had more daughters in addition to Dinah. Israel stated that he would go to his grave mourning for Joseph. Thus he wept for Joseph.

The Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

We’re headed to Genesis 38 for the next stop on this Biblical Journey.

To God Be The Glory!

Below is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom. Esau married two Canaanite women – Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite and Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite. His third wife was Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth. In Genesis 26:34, it states that the first two wives’ names were Judith (daughter of Beeri the Hittite) and Basemath (daughter of Elon the Hittite). In Genesis 28:9, the third wife was Mahalath (Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth). So because of the different names of Esau’s wives from Genesis 26, Genesis 28 and now Genesis 36, I googled. Of course, there are different commentaries regarding Esau’s wives – from the number of wives to the women being the same, but are being referred to by different names. The site that said Esau had four wives indicated that Judith is not mentioned in Genesis 36 because she did not have any children for Esau and Genesis 36 is Esau’s genealogy. I’m guessing that wife number 3, referred to as Mahalath in Genesis 28 and as Basemath in Genesis 36 are the same person, because the description in both chapters refer to her as Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth. So, my concluding comments on the names are 1) a lot of people are referred to by different names – myself included and 2) a lot of people in the world have the same name. Therefore, I will use the names given in Genesis 36.

Adah’s son was Eliphaz. Eliphaz was the father of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz and Amalek – his mother’s name was Timna. She was the concubine of Eliphaz.

Aholibamah’s sons were Jeush, Jaalam and Korah.

Basemath’s sons were Reuel, Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah.

Esau took his wives, children (sons and daughters) and all of those of his household, as well as all of his animals (including cattle) and the possessions he gained in Canaan and moved away to a far country from Jacob’s presence. The possessions they both had was too great for them to dwell together and the land where they were strangers could not support them and all of their livestock. Esau dwelt in Mount Seir and he is also the father of the Edomites.

In verses 15 through 18, Esau’s sons are referred to as “Chiefs”. Verse 16 refers to Chief Korah and Chief Amalek as being among the sons of Adah. However, in Verse 14, Korah is listed as Aholibamah’s son and Verse 12 says that Amalek is the son of Eliphaz and Timna. So, Amalek is Adah’s grandson, which places him on the same “branch” of the family tree. Chief Korah being placed on that branch caused me to google. On quora.com, the writer believes that this is a scribal error. Of course, Verse 18, places Chief Korah on the proper branch.

Esau and his family had to defeat the current occupants of Mount Seir and Verses 20 – 28, proceed to name the Sons of Seir, the Horite. These sons are named as “Chiefs” of the Horites later in the chapter.

1. Lotan – His sons are Hori and Herman. Lotan is also the brother of Timna. Is this the same Timna who is Amalek’s mother, Eliphaz’s concubine?
2. Shobal – His sons are Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
3. Zibeon – His sons are Ajah and Anah. This is the Anah who found water in the wilderness as he pastured his father, Zibeon’s, donkeys. Anah’s children are Dishon and Aholibamah.
4. Anah
5. Dishon – His sons are Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran.
6. Ezer – His sons are Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan
7. Dishan – His sons are Uz and Aran

So, I googled and I googled and saw a lot of commentaries about Anah, some of which suggested that the “Anahs” mentioned in this chapter are the same person. One comment was that Zibeon was Anah’s brother and father. Then there’s the suggestion that Anah is a woman in Verse 2, or that could have been a copyist’s error. Some versions of the Bible resolve that issue by saying “….and granddaughter of Zibeon.” The Amplified Bible says, “….son of Zibeon.” In Verse 2, Zibeon is referred to as a Hivite and in Verse 20 as a Horite. So are, Hivites and Horites the same people as suggested by one Google source? Or is this potentially another copyist’s error as suggested by another Google source?

The land of Seir became known as the land of Edom after the conquest of Esau’s family.

There were kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel. Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah. After Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned. After Jobab’s death, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned. When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned. The name of his city was Avith. When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned. Samlah dies, then Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigns. After Saul’s death, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned. When Baal-Hanan died, Hadar reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

Verses 40 – 43 list another set of Chiefs of Esau (Edom). They are Timnah, Alvah, Jetheth, Aholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel and Iram. These are chiefs according to their families and dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.

In this chapter, there are a number of issues that can be attributed to being scribal errors, including some I did not mention. Keep in mind that those who transcribed the Bible from its original languages were human beings capable of making mistakes. Just because the different commentaries on any part of God’s word can be confusing, remember, God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). None of these possible “scribal errors” has an effect on the Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. In all of my Google searches, I am just trying to get understanding. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding.” So, I am wise enough not to believe everything I find through googling. Remember God’s Word is living and powerful….(Hebrews 4:12). We must make sure that we have a personal relationship with God and are not just readers of His Word.

The next stop is Genesis 37.

To God Be the Glory!

God told Jacob to go to Bethel and live there. He also told him to make an altar to Him there. Many translations has God speaking of Himself in the third person in the first verse. For instance, The New King James Version (NKJV) reads, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” Jacob told his household and all those with him to put away their foreign gods, purify themselves and change their garments. These foreign gods would include the idols that Rachel stole from her father’s household too (Genesis 31:19). Then he told his family and all of those with him that they were going Bethel where he would make an altar to the God, Who helped him in his day of distress and has been with him in the way which he has gone. Do you have the testimony of knowing that God helps you in distressful times and that He is always with you? They gave Jacob all of their foreign gods and the earrings in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree by Shechem. They started out on their journey and the terror of God was upon all the cities around them so much so they did not pursue them. Have you ever experienced God’s favor in your life in the presence of potential enemies? With God as your Protector, no harm can befall you. They arrived in Luz, also called Bethel, in the land of Canaan. Jacob built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, which means House of God, because that’s where God appeared to him when he was fleeing from Esau.

First Sorrow – Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, died and was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. The name of the area was called Allon Bachuth, which means the oak of weeping (Googled, of course). This is Verse 8, which seems to be somewhat out of place in this chapter. So, I googled some more. There are a number of commentaries regarding this verse. Many think this is the nurse that went with Rebekah in Genesis 24:59 when she was taken to marry Isaac. Suggestions were made that Deborah was with Esau when he and Jacob met again in Genesis 33 and she decided to stay with Jacob. What would have been the reason for her to travel with Esau at this time? This could mean that Rebekah had already died. Others suggest that Deborah’s death is mentioned because the writer is talking about Bethel and this is just a side note. So, there is some significance that Deborah is named and her death is noted. What caught my attention is that Deborah is mentioned by name and there are a number of women in the Bible whose stories we know, but they are not named. For instance, the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), the woman caught in adultery (John 8), the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8) and the widow with the two mites (Luke 21). Each of these are in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, the widow with the two sons and the flowing oil (2 Kings 4) and the woman who had a room built for the prophet, also in 2 Kings 4. Whatever the reason, we get to know that Rebekah’s nurse’s name was Deborah.

God appeared to Jacob again, after he left Padan Aram and blessed him. God also reiterates to Jacob his name change to Israel. He said to Jacob, “I am God Almighty”. He told Jacob to be fruitful and multiply because a nation and a company of nations shall come from him and kings shall come from his body. God told Jacob that the land that He gave to Abraham and Isaac will also be his land and his descendants after him. Then God ascended from that place where He spoke to Jacob. Then Jacob set up a pillar of stone where God talked with him. He (Jacob) poured a drink offering and oil on it. Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel.

They left Bethel and went towards Ephrath. When they were just a little distance away from Ephrath, Rachel went into hard childbirth labor. The midwife comforted her by saying that she will have this son too. As Rachel was dying, she said that this son’s name is Ben-Oni, which means “son of my sorrow”, but Jacob called him Benjamin, which means “son of the right hand”. Rachel was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set a pillar on her grave (a tombstone) which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day – Second Sorrow. Google source states that “to this day” refers to the day the scripture was written. Then Israel journeyed and settled beyond the tower of Eder.

While in that land, Reuben laid with Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant. Jacob heard about it. This means that Reuben had sex with the mother of two of his brothers, Dan and Naphtali. What in the world was he thinking when he did this? Third Sorrow – Jacob’s oldest son had sex with one of his concubines.

The twelve sons of Jacob are as follows:

Leah’s sons – Reuben, the first born, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

Rachel’s sons – Joseph and Benjamin

Bilhah’s (Rachel’s maidservant) sons – Dan and Naphtali

Zilpah’s (Leah’s maidservant) sons – Gad and Asher

They all were born to Jacob while he was in Padan Aram.

Then Jacob came to where Isaac was at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (Hebron). This is the land where Abraham and Isaac dwelt. Isaac lived to be 180 years old. He died an old man and was buried by his sons, Esau and Jacob. Fourth Sorrow

We journey to Genesis 36 next.

To God Be the Glory!

Jacob and Leah’s daughter, Dinah, went to visit some women in the land. When Shechem, a prince in the country and also the son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he took her and raped her. He was strongly attracted to Dinah and fell in love with her and wooed her. Shechem told his father to get Dinah for him as a wife. Jacob heard about Shechem raping Dinah, but he held his peace until his sons came back from the field tending the livestock. Hamor met with Jacob to speak with him about the matter. When Jacob’s sons returned and heard the news, they were grieved and very angry because this was a very disgraceful situation. Hamor spoke up and told them that Shechem was in love with Dinah and wanted to marry her. He also stated that he would like for their daughters and sons to be able to intermarry. He thought that they all would be able to dwell peacefully in the land and Jacob’s family could trade and get more possessions in it. Then Shechem speaks to Jacob and his sons asking to find favor with them and whatever they wanted, he would give it to them. So, obviously when Hamor went to see Jacob, Shechem went with his father. Shechem was willing to give them whatever dowry and gifts they wanted as long as he could marry Dinah.

Jacob’s sons responded to Hamor and Shechem deceitfully because Shechem defiled Dinah. Here is that family trait of deception again. Are there any traits, good or bad, that run in your family from generation to generation?

Jacob’s sons told Hamor and Shechem that they could not give Dinah to Shechem in marriage because it would be a reproach to give their sister to an uncircumcised man. However, they gave them the condition that if all of their men were circumcised like they are, then they could intermarry and dwell together as one people. If they did not agree to this condition, then they would take Dinah and leave. Hamor and Shechem were pleased with these words. Shechem did not hesitate to do this because he wanted Dinah just that much. Shechem was more honorable than all of his father’s household. That’s a scary thought – the most honorable or admired person in the household is a rapist. Is there someone that you know that everyone admires, but something in your spirit doesn’t feel right about that person? It could be someone on your job, in your church, or even in your family. The Bible speaks of the gift of discernment in 1 Corinthians 12:10. So, that “gut feeling” you may have about someone (good or bad), trust it and don’t let anyone manipulate it. The majority isn’t always right.

Hamor and Shechem went to the men of the city and spoke well of Jacob and his family, saying they were peaceful men and they should be allowed to dwell and trade in the land. The land was large enough to accommodate all of them. They encouraged the men to agree and they could marry their women and vice versa. Then they explained the condition that all of them would have to get circumcised. They even presented the men with the argument that all of their livestock and property would belong to them if they consented to let Jacob and his family dwell with them. So all of the men agreed to get circumcised. On the third day, when all of the men were in pain, Jacob’s sons/Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi took swords and came boldly in the city and killed all of the men, including Hamor and Shechem and took Dinah from Shechem’s house. They plundered the city too, all because Dinah was raped. They took all their wealth including their sheep, oxen, donkeys, all that was in the city and field and even all that was in their houses. They took their children and wives as captives also.

Jacob told Simeon and Levi that they have given him a very bad name among the people in the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, by their actions. If these people decided to unite against them to kill him and the family, they would surely be destroyed because in comparison, they were few in number. Simeon and Levi’s response was “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?” They felt that Shechem should not get away with what he did to Dinah. Have you ever known, perhaps in grade school, the family with a large number of children and if you got in a fight with one of them, you almost had to fight the entire family?

In the midst of all this drama, I wonder how Dinah felt about the situation.

The next stop is Genesis 35.

To God Be the Glory!