Day 3 ~ Jacob & Esau

For those 50 or so of you who attended the worship ministry kickoff last evening, I did not wake up with my cup full. I was in a foul mood. After some prayer and following some advice from my husband, I finally shook the majority of the "badittude" by noon. On Thursdays, I go help teach the first grade computer class, and I whipped thru McD (chastise me later), and went the cheap route with a snack wrap. Easy to eat and drive with. I decided to try the "pay it forward" thing that the speaker from last night's video suggested to further improve my coutenance. After all, I was entering a computer lab with 24 six year olds, and would need to keep my composure. My total was about $3. The hungry guy behind me was $11.10. Geez, what did he order. Oh well, bet he was surprised. I wish I would have had one of those "simple act of kindess" cards from the KIP table on me to pass via window #3 to the guy in the black truck.

Ah, my favorite verse so far, as it is very applicable to my daily conversation with my daughter: Genesis 27:8 "Now therefore my son [daughter], obey my voice according to what I commanded you." That is priceless. I was tempted to stop there, but I need to get through chapter 36.
Here we go with my observations:

• Doesn't the story of Jacob stealing the blessing remind you of Little Red Riding Hood?


• Esau tries to gain a bit of favor by marrying from the family line (instead of the foreigners, confirmed in 36:1).


• Promise of a great nation passed on to Jacob by God


• I find it interesting that the children of the "unloved" wife, Leah, become the most prominent in the twelve tribes. It appears that the order in which God favored the mother of Jacob's children was Leah, Rachel, then the maids.


• Leah's offspring Levi's tribe became the intercessors for the entire nation; Judah would be the branch to bring forth the "Lion of Judah," Jesus. Rachel may have been pretty, but God favored Leah.


• If I remember correctly, the tribe of Gad, who's name means "troop comes" was given land on the east of the Jordan river, made to fight with everyone else on the west side of the Jordan, then able to return to their territory. Guess he was well named.


• Speaking of names...many more choice ones to chose from!


• 11 kids in 14 years by four women. I'm still not grasping the "rules of engagement" so to speak. I appears to be okay for Jacob to have kids with two wives and two servants of his wives, but apparently it is out of bounds for a son to canoodle with his father's baby mamma (Bilhal, 35:22). I wonder how this might show up as a consequence later. It seems a bit weird just to drop it in and then have no follow up.


• Jacob knew a thing or two about genetics. And possibly aphrodesiacs (mandrake and almond tree rods? do they run really tacky commercials about this stuff on late-night cable?)


• Idols. Rachel stole some from her dad. Jacob made the family clean them out in chapter 35. He wasn't doing a very good job ~ and this is before the chosen people starting mixing much with the uncircumcised.


• Jacob knew that God spoke to Laban (31:42). How? If he was so close to God (who spoke to Jacob many times) why were there issues with household idols in Jacob's family.


• Now, why was it that Jacob stayed with Laban if he kept getting ripped off? Oh yeah, his brother had said he would kill him because of the two-time double crosser's trickery. Now that he's flown the coop, Jacob starts singing a very sweet, subservient tune to Esau. Which seems to work. For now. Not long from now, Israel and Edom would butt heads many times as enemies.


• Did you know that Jews didn't eat hip meat because of Jacob wrestling with a "Man" and getting his hip dislocated? One of may really odd rules to follow...numbers more to come. Numbers...get it?


• Was the "Man" God? Jesus? Jacob thought it was God (32:30). God renames him Israel. But it doesn't look like Jacob got it, because God had to remind him of his new name again in 35:9.

Okay, the distractions are getting to me. Grace - you know that is gonna happen. The neighbor's stray cat that has taken to living on my back porch sanctuary, where I am trying to read tonight because the weather is so pleasant. A squirt gun unloaded on him during the course of about 5 minutes has held him at bay. Thanks to neighbor "Dr. Julie" for deworming/defleaing and giving the varmit a vaccination. But now, believe it or not, a chainsaw. Give me strength, Lord.

imagine me wet and running away

Note to self #3: keep a squirt gun on the table on the back porch.

• The man who defiled Dinah was more honorable than all in the house of his [uncircumcised] father (34:19). Doesn't say much for that clan. Did you see that coming? (34:25) I wonder if Dinah knew about it or if she was freaking out because they already handed her over to them (34:26). God confirms that they better get out of dodge, and puts a shield around them as they - yet again - wander from place to place.
• A somewhat lengthy lineage of the Edomites, decendants of Esau, is recounted in chapter 36. The brothers' lines will become perpetual enemies. Edomites lived south of the Dead Sea along the chief trade route to the gulf of Agaba, where Eqypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudia Arabia come together. Archaeologist will/have probably found stuff with these names of Chiefs on them, which will further prove the truth of the Bible.

Maybe tomorrow I'll wake up with my cup at least half full. I'm irritated (but not surprised) that I got in such foul spirits only 2-1/2 days into a spiritual challenge. Tomorrow is another day, and then a three-day weekend!! Hope it stays under 90 degrees, and you are keeping up with the challenge, or ready to begin on September 2.