Genesis 32-34 Friend or Foe?

Psalm 7:1-5, 8 A Plea From Pure Heart and Hands

7:1 "Yahweh, my God, I take refuge/have put my trust in You. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, 2 lest they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands, 4 if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, if I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary), 5 let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah...8 Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples. Judge/vindicate me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me.“

Observation: Psalm 6 (last post) asked God for help while reaping consequences of one's sin. In Psalm 7 the person is persecuted without cause. Note the four things this guy didn't do (with four consequences).

Application: When difficulties arise, you don't want them to be through your fault. That way you can confidently look to see how God plans to bless you through the tough time. Can you make the appeal of verse 8?

Prayer: O Just Judge of the Universe, help me always be in a place where You can bless me, even if that means suffering for doing what's right. Amen.

Proverbs 2:14-17 Rejoicing in Evil

2:14 “(10 wisdom...knowledge...11 discretion... understanding will keep you, 12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men 13 who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness) 14 who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil; 15 who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths“

Observations: 2:14-17 The fruits of Proverbs, wisdom ...understanding, are designed to deliver the one who develops them from evil and evil men (and evil women in the next verses). The author describes the characteristics of the evil men, who haven't changed in thousands of years. They are those who left the light to slither in the dark. Their joy and delight is not just in acts of evil, but in the fact that it is perverse. Pushing the envelop for the sake of rebelling against civilization-building norms is the essence of perverseness. Their highest good is bad. Their value system embraces that which contributes to their temporal happiness and eternal demise. Perhaps they never walked far enough along the path of uprightness to experience it's benefits, or perhaps their lust for the temporal has blinded them to their condition and fate.

Application: Those who have trained themselves to develop wisdom will not walk with those headed to destruction.

Prayer: Lord, help me embrace Your values and paths, and deliver me from those who rejoice in evil and value perversity. Thanks. Amen.

Genesis 32–34 Friend or Foe?

Genesis 32 Praying and Wrestling with God

32:1 "Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's army." 3 Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau 5...I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'" 6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "...he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him." 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. 9 Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,' 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses (hesed loyalty), and of all the truth (faithfulness), which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children. 12 You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.'" 
13 He lodged there that night, and took from that which he had with him, a present for Esau, his brother: 20...For, he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me."  
24 Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. 25 When he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled. 26 The man said, "Let me go, for the day breaks." Jacob said, "I won't let you go, unless you bless me." 27 He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 He said, "Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." He said, "Why is it that you ask what my name is?" He blessed him there. 30 Jacob called the name of the place Peniel for, he said, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." 31...he limped because of his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Israel don't eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip."

Question: Jacob is a guy who's been incredibly blessed by God; he knows it, and everyone knows it. God guides him directly; angels appear to him; and he and God roll around in the dirt together. Yet he can't trust God to protect him from his big hairy brother.

What is Jacob's problem? (It's a problem faced by a lot of self-sufficient, hard-working types. Think about it, then check out the Application below.)

Observations: 32:9-11 In his first recorded prayer, Jacob does well to remind himself (and God) that he is in this situation because of obeying God in returning. A little humility and reminding God of His promises probably don't hurt either.

32:24 Whatever is going on here, Jacob was persistent, and got: blessed, a new name, and a limp. He says his opponent was God.

32:28 Jacob (supplanter-who takes the place of another by force or treachery) gets a new name Israel (struggles with God).

Application: Failure to depend daily upon God results in panic when facing problems beyond our strength.

Prayer: God, help me walk with You every day, so the stormy times will be a walk in the park. Amen.

Genesis 33 Peace with God...then Man

33:1 "Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. 4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, "Who are these with you?" He said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."10 Jacob said, "Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." He urged him, and he took it. 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his  livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth (Booths) 18 Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city. 19 He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. 20 He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel."

Observations: 33:10 It's better to have God pleased with us, than be pleasing to man.

Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways please Yahweh, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

33:20 El Elohe Israel = The Mighty God of Israel. Altars were for making sacrifices, in this case, of thanksgiving.

Application: It's good to regularly remind ourselves of God's mighty help and protection. A heap of stones or a journal or diary is preferable to a limp.

Prayer: Mighty God of Israel, may I be pleasing in Your sight every day. Amen.

Genesis 34 Violations

34:1 "Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. 3 His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. 4 Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this young lady as a wife."

7 The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; a which thing ought not to be done. 8 Hamor talked with them, saying, "The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it."

14..."We can't do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us. 15 Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised. 25 It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away. 27 Jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.

30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house." 31 They said, "Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?"

Observations: 34:1 Lesson to Exodus generation: Mingling and intermarrying with pagans leads to defilement.

34:2 Lesson to parents: If you don't take pains to parent properly, your children will cause you pain. Choose wisely. Shechem was another guy whose parents didn't train him to control his passions, and who consequently brought permanent pain to the entire family. Jacob had the same problem (in 34:30), and will be reaping the sorrowful consequences of failing to father properly for the rest of his life.

34:7-9 Hamor makes a tempting case for doing what “ought not to be done.” Separation from sinners is a condition of blessing.

34:24-31 Unfortunately revenge, not separation and purity was the motive for Simeon and Levi. They defiled themselves (losing out on blessing and getting cursed Genesis 49:5-7) by indulging their passion for revenge and honor, adding breaking covenant with Hamor to their sin.

Application: Master your emotions or they will master you.

Prayer: God save me from the folly of following my feelings unguided by Your Word. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God blesses His people (surprise, surprise); lets us reap painful consequences of independence; orchestrates and initiates circumstances beyond our resources because He desires us to live in dependence upon Him.

Us in a nutshell: We think everything depends on us (obedience and wise choices do); tend to follow our feelings, pleasing ourselves and others rather than God. Reap consequences, but are slow to learn.

Genesis 2 A Sovereign Ruler Sets The Rules

See the Introduction To Daily Truthbase Emails in the sidebar.

Psalm 1:1-6 The Blessings of the Righteous

1:1 “Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish."

Observations: 1:1-3 The person God blesses is the one who doesn't do what the bad guys do (become increasingly entrenched in the “wisdom” and ways of the wicked until one winds up scoffing at truth), but does what God wants him/her to do (meditate on His revealed will so they can do it). This is the person who is blessed, protected and prospered by God.

1:4-6 The wicked (the one who knows the law and doesn't do it - Psalm 50) is not protected and fruitful, sharing life with others, but is like the useless outer husk of wheat that can't beget life to anyone, and inherits the wind. Therefore (as a result of refusal to respond in submissive obedience to God's word) the wicked will be cast down in the day of judgment, and will not rejoice with the righteous over God's deliverance of them. The Lord knows/protects (Nahum 1:7 post) the paths of the righteous but the path of the wicked leads to pain and perishing.

Application: As you encounter God's word, think through implications for applications (=meditation) because God blesses those who do, but leaves the fools to their folly until judgment day.

Prayer: Lord, may the roots of my thinking and values go deep into Your word, so I may bear its fruit continually and experience the blessings You so graciously give to those who please You. Amen.

Proverbs 1:1-7 How Many Of These Benefits Do You Own?

1:1 “The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: 2 to know wisdom and instruction/correction; to discern the words of understanding; 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing: in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man: 5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel: 6 to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction."

Observations: Lots of people read some verses from Proverbs every day. A good idea. I wonder how many actually achieve the benefits listed above? Maybe verse 7 is the key to application.

Application: Proverbs was not just given to increase our knowledge, but to change our values and lives. Every week we should be able to point to instances of how Proverbs pointed us to the wise path.

Prayer: All Wise God, I praise You for providing what I need to keep my toes pointed on the wise path. Please correct my missteps by the instruction and correction of Your Word. Amen.

Genesis 2 A Sovereign Ruler Sets the Rules

2:7 "YAHWEH God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 15 YAHWEH God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.

16 YAHWEH God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."
18 YAHWEH God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." 21 YAHWEH God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 He made the rib, which YAHWEH God had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of Man." 24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.

25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

(Complete text at bottom under Digging Deeper.)

Observations: Genesis chapter 1 was the general account of creation, now chapter 2 zooms in to the specifics of humankind.

v15 Man was created to work (literally, “serve” – the essence of work) and had a job before the Fall (after he sinned it became more difficult).

vv16-17 "Every tree," "freely eat," "surely die." You'll need to note these for chapter 3. Minimizing God's blessings opens the door for discontent and eventual sin.

God exercises His sovereignty by setting the rules, not micromanaging every decision and action.

v18 God always does what's good. God's rules, work and marriage are instituted by God for our good. Cf. Deuteronomy 10:13. Have a little faith that He knows what He's doing. If He said it, it will happen (cf. Genesis 1).

v24 Jesus views this as the definitive statement on marriage (Matthew 19:4-6). “Leave is a social/legal declaration of intent, leaving behind our old singular identity to form a new entity; “Cleave” is an emotional/spiritual bonding used of gluing two pieces of paper together, which rip each other apart if separated; “One flesh” is a physical/spiritual union of intimacy. Marriages should reflect the unity of God. Failure to fulfill the three responsibilities diminishes union and joy.

Questions: Did Adam trust and believe God? Do you?

Application: Do you view God's commands as helps or hindrances to your happiness?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me recognize and embrace Your goodness and wisdom in the circumstances of my life. I trust that You are infinitely good, and know best. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

Questions:

At what point does life begin? What differentiates us from pond scum?

Which came first man or animals?

Why the fashion blurb about their clothing (or lack thereof)?

Structure: A common literary technique is to move from the general overview to the specific details. These are not two different and contradictory accounts of creation as some people educated beyond their intelligence erroneously think. I attended a faculty orientation at a university where I teach and heard a philosophy professor relate how she would tell her students how the two different accounts showed the Bible was false. It's amazing that none of the greats of the Scientific Revolution, who were all Theologians, noticed what she was so clever to observe. Too bad she never had an English or History course. She might have learned something. The author is picking out pieces of the general overview in Genesis chapter 1 to develop specific themes in chapter 2. He is not giving a new chronology. If you were going to create a work of fiction which changes the world, you don't start off with such an obvious "error."

Lexical Light: v4 Yahweh is God's personal covenantal name when talking about His relationship with Israel; frequently translated LORD in capital letters. “Lord” (normal case as in Psalm 2:3) is adonay, a more general name for Master.

v23 ‘iysh=Man ‘ishshah=Woooohman! (Translations vary; laughter is a godly thing.)

Observations: v3 would have great significance for the Exodus audience, since the Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic covenant.

v6 a vapor canopy was the first lawn sprinkler system.

v7 “formed” is used of an artisan/potter designing a work of art. Add breath, and get life. Remove breath, and lose it. The Holy Breath in the New Testament might be worth thinking about here.

v9 Man's access to the tree of life indicates God's intent that man have life (and as Jesus said, have it abundantly, in John 10:10).

v16 note who gets the command.
v18 God is called our help/helper a number of times, ie, Psalm 33:20.

v19 naming things is a form of exercising dominion

v25 Nakedness is a key concept (you'll eventually know why). Hints: Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 4-5.

God in a nutshell: Sovereign ruler, concerned about what's good for us, who blesses and sets the rules, specifying consequences, which we are free to reap. Doesn't micromanage every decision, just like a sovereign king or nation establishes the rules and doesn't micromanage the decisions of the citizens.

Us in a nutshell: Dependent creatures, designed for intimacy, infused with God's breath. We're given commands with the expectation we would obey them. We have choice, but don't always choose wisely.

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net has Tools to Manage Your Work, and Relationships/Marriage under the TOYL materials.

There is a summary sermon called: Work: I Hate My Boss & My Railroad Train Pajamas but I'd suggest you dig deeper to learn how to do your Work As Worship. 

Truthbase.net has several Biblical and secular resources for developing relationships as God intended. Check out the series enhancing Gottman's “Seven Relationship Principles” from a Biblical perspective. All Truth is God's Truth, and we can gain insight in applying Biblical Truth from any source.

IF YOU'RE SINGLE, there are two key principles to practice:
Solomon, a guy who knew a lot about relationships thrice said: "Don't stir up or awaken love until the proper time" (Ecclesiastes 2:1). Paul said, in the context of relationships "don't defraud one another" (1 Thessalonians 4:1-4).
If you want a "Happily Ever After" fairy tale ending, learn what the other half is looking for by visiting the Sleeping Beauty or Prince Charming outlines on Truthbase.net.
Basing your life on the Truth found in Contentment: Lord of the Ringless will free you up to get the most out of your stay here on earth.

Genesis 2 (complete text)

Genesis 2

2:1 "The heavens and the earth were finished, and all their vast array. 2 On the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because He rested in it from all His work which He had created and made.

4 This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh* God made the earth and the heavens. 5 No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground, 6 but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8 Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

9 Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good. There is aromatic resin and the onyx stone. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon: the same river that flows through the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel: this is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.”

18 Yahweh God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”19 Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 He made the rib, which Yahweh God had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. 25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

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