BSF Genesis – The Notes are Good

BSF Genesis: Week 31, Day 5

Questions:

11.
God will come to your aid and be true to promise ==> go home

12.
a.
God will come to aid, take my bones

b.
Ex 13:19 Moses took Joseph’s bones, Joshua 24:34 Joseph buried in the cave in Canaan

13.
God will come to your aid

My Daily Journal:

I know many people find comfort in the words of Genesis 50:24 that God will come to your aid. But, as a husband, father and provider to my family, church and community I find special promise in these words and a comfort, a real lifting of a burden through these words.

I want to provide for those I love. I want to protect them and care for them. I want to serve them and model the love of God to them. But how do you continue to do that after you die. There is, obviously, financial planning that should take place and seeds that are planted throughout the years, but how can you possibly know if the best laid plans will be enough?

But, the reassurance that God will come to their aid is a huge relief. And, as it was when the Holy Spirit was sent after Christ left, this verse tells me that there is actually a special outpouring of blessing that God will send to the ones I love and care for to specifically fill the void that would otherwise be present with my inevitable passing some day. What a powerful and reassuring promise!

BSF Genesis: Week 29, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
a.
66, plus his family = 70

b.
God’s covenant was with them too, the promise to take them there and bring them back – the entire house of Israel

c.
Name written in heaven in the book , in the book of life that will be opened on judgment day

6.
a.
So they could survive the famine. So they could be one nation and one people. So they could be reconciled and restored as a family.

b.
Goshen was the best part of the land of Egypt for raising livestock. It was the area for livestock and their shepherds. The Egyptians found this a detestable occupation and so did not cross-marry with them (preserving them as a unique people)

7.
Not constrained by current societal custom. Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews, yet Pharaoh put one in charge of all food supply. Welcomed Joseph’s family and gave them his herds to tend. Despite them working in an occupation Egyptians detested, Pharaoh accepted blessing from Jacob

My Daily Journal:

The list of names in Genesis 46 in light of the passage in Revelation 20 has some interesting depth. First, is the question of is this an all inclusive list of names. Second is why, if they were so good with counting sheep, is their math so bad. Third, and most importantly, is, why is this here and who cares.

We know from verse 26 that this is not everyone because it does not count the sons’ wives.

In terms of the count – I can’t make it exact. Dinah might be the missing person in the list to get to 66, since Er and Onan were dead. I’ve included the list below – if anyone has a better idea, let me know. Some things we just might not know. Like, what was going on that Jacob had all these boys and only Dinah and Serah listed as daughters? Exodus 1:5 says he had 70 children in total, replacing Joseph with Ephraim and Manasseh and including Dinah in the list does equal 70.

But the really important question is the final one. Why is this here? There are many reasons. Genealogy creates relevance. This is a real account of real people. But I think it is deeper than that and helps clear up something from the Revelation passage. Rev 20:12 says, The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. That can be troubling to people. Is it faith or works? How does this fit?

This is where the Genesis 46 passage becomes a key. What do all these names in print have in common? Not what they did (although we have written accounts of some of that throughout Genesis). They are listed here because of the family to which they belong. In the same way, we can have confidence in the book of life not because of what we do or don’t do but because we have been adopted to be brothers with Christ. I picture a cross reference (no pun intended) index for all believers’ names in the book of life – an asterisks that says simply, “see Jesus”. In the same way that we discussed last week Joseph giving all the glory to God, Christ paid the price in full for all of the “good works” that we are incapable of doing to be perfect in judgment.

—————————–

	Jacob
1	Reuben		1	1
2	Hanok		2	2
3	Pallu		3	3
4	Hezron		4	4
5	Karmi		5	5
6	Simeon		6	6
7	Jemuel		7	7
8	Jamin		8	8
9	Ohad		9	9
10	Jakin		10	10
11	Zohar		11	11
12	Shaul		12	12
13	Levi		13	13
14	Gershon		14	14
15	Kohath		15	15
16	Merari		16	16
17	Judah		17	17
18	Er	Dead		18
19	Onan	Dead		19
20	Shelah		18	20
21	Perez		19	21
22	Zerah		20	22
23	Hezron		21	23
24	Hamul		22	24
25	Issachar		23	25
26	Tola		24	26
27	Puah		25	27
28	Jashub		26	28
29	Shimron		27	29
30	Zebulun		28	30
31	Sered		29	31
32	Elon		30	32
33	Jahleel	33 in all	31	33
1	Gad		32	34
2	Zephon		33	35
3	Haggi		34	36
4	Shuni		35	37
5	Ezbon		36	38
6	Eri		37	39
7	Arodi		38	40
8	Areli		39	41
9	Asher		40	42
10	Imnah		41	43
11	Ishvah		42	44
12	Ishvi		43	45
13	Beriah		44	46
14	Serah	sister	45	47
15	Heber		46	48
16	Malkiel	16 in all	47	49
1	Joseph	In Egypt		50
2	Manasseh	In Egypt		51
3	Ephraim	In Egypt		52
4	Benjamin		48	53
5	Bela		49	54
6	Beker		50	55
7	Ashbel		51	56
8	Gera		52	57
9	Naaman		53	58
10	Ehi		54	59
11	Rosh		55	60
12	Muppim		56	61
13	Huppim		57	62
14	Ard	14	58	63
1	Dan		59	64
2	Hushim		60	65
3	Naphtali		61	66
4	Jahziel		62	67
5	Guni		63	68
6	Jezer		64	69
7	Shillem	7	65	70

BSF Genesis: Week 26, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

9.
a.
He had created the divide through his favoritism. He pledged to mourn until he died

b.
Until this had occurred the Isrealites would not have survived the famine because without Joseph in Egypt they would not have had access to food. In Egypt the flourished for many years, became enslaved, then were set free by God.

10.
thrown in well, clothes stolen, sold into slavery, sold to Potiphar, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, imprisoned, promised to be remembered by cupbearer but forgotten, 2 years pass,

11.
favored in Potiphar’s house, put in charge, fortitude to not sleep with Potiphar’s wife, God with him in prison, put in charge of prisoners, ability to interpret dreams, survived dungeon, honored by Pharoah

My Daily Journal:

I think we see the years of craftiness and cunning that characterized Jacob’s life fully on display with Reuben and Judah. Their over-arching desire was to “fit in.” To fit in with a group, especially one with a moral compass that would conclude that it is a good idea to murder their own brother, means you have to shave a bit off the edges. Think of it literally. We are a stone crafted by the Master, square and true, finely measured. But, that stone won’t fit in with a bunch of crooked other stones. There are three choices: either help the other stones get straight with God, find other stones to connect with or start shaving off bits and pieces of your own self to fit in.

Reuben and Judah both made weak attempts to save Joseph. Both helped keep him from death. But neither still had the moral character, the true shape that matches the cornerstone of the church, that enabled them to stand up to the wrong thinking and action of their brothers. That would have meant they didn’t fit in, just like Joseph didn’t, and we see how that went.

But Christ did not do that. He shaved off nothing. He did not conform to the world, and it hated Him for it. He did not try to fit in with the vision that the religious leaders had, He stayed true to the task the Father had charged Him with.

Fitting in is only a good thing when those who you are trying to fit in with are true and level.

BSF Genesis: Week 25, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

9.
a.
Go up to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar to God

b.
… I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord[f] will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

c.
Settle in a place with other believers and demonstrate daily worship to God.

10.
a.
get rid of foreign gods, purify yourself, change your clothes, come, let us go (including rings in their ears)

b.
purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and soul; put off old self, put on new; walk in light not darkness, confess our sins; love God and carry out his commands

c.
Things we find of high monetary worth but that do not bring glory to God. Things that may lead others away from God. Things that take our time and attention away from God

My Daily Journal:

My family and I have made a number of trips recently to a couple of the nearby Amish communities. My wife has taken up quilting and enjoys the materials, supplies and ladies she has met in the communities. The Amish bulk stores are also amazing places for a gluten-free household.

On a recent trip we checked out a book on CD from the library called House Calls and Hitching Posts: Stories from Dr. Elton Lehman’s Career Among the Amish. In the book, the author relates a story about what makes the Amish people unique:

Some years ago a group of 52 people chartered a bus and came to Holmes County to see the Amish. They had arranged to have an Amishman meet them and answer some of their questions. The first question was, “What does it mean to be Amish?” The Amishman thought a bit and then he asked a question of his own. “How many of you have TV in your homes” Fifty-two hands went up. “How many of you feel there are things on the TV that are inappropriate or un-Godly?”, again almost all of the hands went up. “How many of you believe that time spent watching TV is normally not time spent honoring God?”, every hand. “Now, how many of you feel that perhaps you would be better stewards of the faith if you spent less time watching TV in your homes or didn’t watch it at all?” Again, fifty-two hands went up. “All right. Now, how many of you are going to go home and get rid of your TV?” Not one hand went up! Now that is what it means to be Amish. As a church, if we see or experience something that is not good for us spiritually, we will discipline ourselves to do without.

I am not advocating we all convert to become Amish, but there is a strong lesson in living a life that has the discipline to separate ourselves from the things that do not bring honor to God. We see this same example in those who take a vow of poverty for faith, who give up comfort and convenience to become missionaries in a foreign land and those who commit their lives to be the hands of God to the sick and needy. We also see it in the daily lives of people in our faith community who live as aliens in a foreign land, focusing on the eternal. These people stand out because they stand up for doing right for God. Which community do we want to fit in to? A community of Shechem or a community of the angels and saints?

BSF Genesis: Week 23, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

6.
a.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Isaachar, Zebulun, (Dinah), Joseph, Benjamin

b.
God’s love for us is not based on anything we do or earn, but it is an outpouring from him. When we model love differently, we do not follow the example of the creator

c.
Each time she bore a son she praised God for his comfort in what was really paining her heart. We need to do so joyfully.

7.
a.
Her husband’s love and to not live in the shadow of her younger sister. I think so because she was buried in the tomb of the patriarchs, with her husband, and her family

b.
Jesus was born through the tribe of Judah, Leah’s 4th son

c.
God is a long term thinker and giver. We grow impatient in a few minutes or hours, God looks to eternity

My Daily Journal:

I found the change in Leah’s naming of her sons to be very interesting. Leah saw each of her sons as a gift from God. She praised him and honored him for who he was and for giving her these gifts. But we see the way she planned to use those gifts change with each child.

The gift of Reuben was like a bargaining chip to gain the love of her husband. The gift of Simeon and Levi were the same. Surely my husband will love me now.

These gifts were like many of us see good deeds today. Surely this buys me favor with others. Surely this will enable me to deserve what I desire and don’t have today.

But then, with Judah, something changes. The gift of the child is no longer something thought of as a tool or token to gain the loving relationship of a distant human. Everything in the naming of Judah had to do with the relationship between Leah and God. “This time I will praise the Lord.”

Is it any wonder that it was through this son’s descendents that God sent His own son? What gifts from God am I trying to leverage into something I want from someone else instead of appreciating them as gifts from the one who loves me unconditionally and gives me everything?

BSF Genesis: Week 22, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

10.
He took Jacob away from Rebekah to the land of her kin, where he lived and worked for 14 years. Jacob lived in fear of returning because of the anger of his brother. He toiled as a servant to earn his wives, even though his father had ample resources to provide sufficient means (as had been the case with Rebekah).

11.
make you fruitful and increase your numbers, community of peoples, give you and descendants the blessing given to Abraham to take possession of the promised land

My Daily Journal:

This may come up in the next couple of weeks’ lessons, but one of the things that struck me was that Jacob left with the blessing and little or nothing else. He was sent back to Rebekah’s family to secure a wife. But unlike the servant that was sent for Isaac, he didn’t go with 10 camels carrying jewelry and riches to bestow on the family or his future bride.

This struck me because it is one of the very difficult parts, in my opinion, of being a good parent. You want to protect and provide for your children, but to mature in their faith it has to be “their faith” not the faith of their parents. Mom and dad had plenty of resources they could have sent with Jacob. Isaac had inherited all the wealth of Abraham in addition to the prosperity God had given him (100 fold yields on crops). But, there came a time for Jacob to leave the tents he had been so content to hang around and he was sent on his way. Evidently, he didn’t even get to take a pillow with him on his travels.

I don’t think this is throwing him into a sink or swim situation. He wasn’t disowned or exiled. But to become the nation he was to become he needed the challenge of making it on his own (with God’s help alone).

BSF Genesis: Week 21, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
a.
Obeyed his father and mother

b.
swore oath to God, Built altar to become God’s house, tithed

c.
served 7 years for Rachel but seemed like only a few days because of his love for her

d.
God was with him, blessed him, protected him, took from those who cheated

e.
Prayed, trusted in God for protection and salvation

12.
a.
Faith – God rewards those who earnestly seek him

b.
Patriarch – the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Inheritence not only of father, but of God, chosen to be his own, a trasured possession

13.
What good is it to me, married pagan wives (to the grief of his parents) Polygamist, married a granddaughter of Ishmael because she wasn’t Canaanite.

My Daily Journal:

First, to clear something up (or not). My view on Esau’s marriage to the grand daughter of Ishmael is evidently different than many of the others in my discussion group based on answers. I saw it as just another knee-jerk response rather than a slap in the face to his parents. He learned they didn’t like Canaanite wives, so he was bent on marrying the first available non-Canaanite woman he could find. Who else was around but the descendents of Ishmael?

Second, and this is a special prayer request, this whole thing about spiritual inheritance is a very important message particularly for the kids in my group. I’m blessed to work with middle-school kids this year. The idea that their actions speak for more than just themselves is a very, very important concept and one, frankly, they don’t get. When God says, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this tells me that Jacob’s behavior, the way he is viewed by others, is not simply a reflection on him, but it is a reflection on his father, his grandfather and his God.

Is any less true for us? When we mis-behave or act inappropriately, what message does that send about my father, grandfather and God? When I look at my actions and decisions and behavior in that light, does it change the way I act.

In preparing for my lecture I made the statement “the choices we make reveal the person that we are. If we wish to be someone else, the path is simple… make different choices.” This isn’t meant to say that we need to rely on our own strength and judgment, but sometimes we make things out to be far bigger than they are. God has the strength to support us on any right path… but the choice is ours.

Am I looking at my immediate wants and desires, or am I looking at how my decisions reflect the character of my father, grandfather and God? I might have made a few better decisions in my life had I kept this in mind earlier!

Again, if you are reading this, I would ask your prayers for the delivery of this message to the middle school children, particularly the young men. I ask that their hearts be open to feeling the burden of this, not in a negative way, but in an empowering way. They have been gifted with a family name and a God who deserves their best behavior and their best decisions!

BSF Genesis: Week 21, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
a.
Isaac had a taste for wild game and Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the open country

b.
I don’t think God discourages a father’s love for a son. He probably would have preferred he loved both sons and wished the same for Rebekah.

c.
Discuss, pray and change

d.
Discuss, pray and change

6.
To be in charge of the household and resulting nation, a double share of inheritance, ultimately, the human ancestry of the Messiah

7.
a.
No

b.
No

c.
To be in charge of the household and resulting nation, a double share of inheritance, ultimately, the human ancestry of the Messiah

d.
God upheld the choice he made and kept him from receiving the benefits of the birthright. He did not look favorably on Esau or the sin that his descendents demonstrated.

My Daily Journal:

My wife pointed out how silly it was that Esau was fixated on Jacob’s soup in relationship to what other meals would have been available to him. Think of it this way. Assuming the brothers were at least 15 years old, their grandfather would have now died, leaving EVERYTHING, to their father. We know Abraham had vast wealth and servants. He had 318 fighting men in his household years earlier and had continued to prosper since. Isaac had inherited all of his possessions (not withstanding some gifts to other children). That would have put Isaac’s wealth on par with any king of the day, making Esau and Jacob the equivalent of Princes. Esau, as the oldest and holder of the birthright would have received a 2/3rds share of everything belonging to his father. That meant that any tent he approached and requested food would have recognized him and whose family he was, not to mention they would have had a 2/3rd probability of working for him in the future. Do you think they might have given him something more than bean soup to eat???

Secondly, I was convicted by the fact that God uphead the boneheaded choice that Esau made, despite how insulting it was to the Lord. This should make any of us think twice about any decisions and commitments we make to others. One of the childrens’ leaders, a few weeks ago, discussed the idea of SHALT (as in SHALT Not). It is unwise to make a decision when you are Sad, Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Anytime we are faced with making a decision or commitment it is wise for us to self-assess if we fall under any of the SHALT temptations and delay the decision. Whatever you bind together will be bound and whatever you loose will be loosed. These are very important words to remember with lasting consequences!

BSF Genesis: Week 20, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

9.
a.

Riches. Planted crops and reaped 100 fold.

b.
So many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines became envious

c.
Philistines stopped up the wells that Abraham’s servants had dug. As he dug new wells they quarreled with him.

d.
He moved on. He had faith that God would provide.

e.
Each time he moved they found more water. When he reached Rehoboth there was no more quarreling and Isaac praised God and gave Him the credit and glory as well as confidence in His promise to flourish in the land

10.
a.
The king of the Philistines sought out Isaac for a peace agreement because he recognized that God was with Isaac

b.
By living a life dedicated to pleasing the Lord I need not worry about enemies or the enemy.

My Daily Journal:

I recently read a very interesting business book called Abundance by Steven Kotler. One of the key premises of the book is that so much of our thought and social policy revolves around a theory of scarcity. However, historically, time and again, technology innovations have drastically changed the situation at the point where scarcity would have become a problem. An example he uses is London at the turn of the century. They were facing a major problem in regard to the amount of horse manure crowding the streets of London and were looking at regulation and policies to address this problem. However, within a very short period of time, the problem went away as horses were replaced by automobiles.

Don’t we do the same with God? We would think, “that is my well, my father’s servants dug that well, I need to fight for my rights to that well, finding water can be hard and I have all of these animals to water.” But, instead Isaac sees the solution differently. He doesn’t look at the scarcity of wells, but at the abundance of God to provide. He doesn’t just sit back and wait for God to fix things, he moves, he and his servants dig, they work and pray.

Isaac could fight the philistines. He could take his case to the king and force him to alienate one group or the other through his decision. But by relying on God’s abundance, he not only finds water, but also forms an even stronger relationship with men who otherwise would be his enemies.

BSF Genesis: Week 20, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.

6.
Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the open country and Isaac had a taste for wild game. It is good to have pride in our children and their interests and share their passions. It is wrong to love one child over another.

7.
Famine: Do not go down to Egypt, I will be with you and bless you, I will give all these lands and confirm oath to Abraham, through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed

8.
a.
Lied and said his wife was his sister

b.
Confession of wrong. To have recognized that the weakness of the father can often be the weakness of the son.

c.
Be honest with them about the dumb things I have done in my life. Recognize and confess those things that did not bring glory to God as wrongs so as they follow my footsteps, they are the footsteps on the right path.

My Daily Journal:

While Isaac repeated some of the sins of his father, it appears he also learned from some as well. We know that Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife to have children. That was important and good. But as importantly and as good is the fact that the two of them waited 20 years.

They desired children. They prayed for children. But they waited for God’s timing and didn’t take matters into their own hands. There was no Hagar solution.

Additionally, there was one other fact that I missed the first times I read this through. Abraham would have been alive to see his grandsons:

Isaac was born when Abraham was 100
Jacob and Esau where born when Isaac was 60 (Abraham 160)
Abraham died at the age of 175
When Abraham was buried by his sons, his grandsons would have been about the same age Isaac was when Abraham was called to sacrifice him.