« January 13th Bible in a Year Readings | Main | January 15th Bible in a Year Readings »

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Genesis 30:1-31:16

I think today’s Old Testament reading is not only funny, but also shows us how human nature is the same yesterday and today. And boy or boy isn’t Jacob a wimp! And the goings on between Leah and Rachael, with a dash of two hand-maidens would probably fill up a years worth of programming for Jerry Springer, Oprah and Judge Judy, something for everyone. I think the reason we find this episode funny is that we recognize their behavior in either ourselves or other folk that shall remain nameless to protect the innocent and the guilty. Woman for ages have been trying to secure the love, affection and support of a man by way of children. It did not work then and it sure aint’ working today.

On my first read-though this morning I had wanted to post up about Jacob and how exemplary of husband he was, taking responsibility for his actions, NOT! But, when I read this through a second, then a third time something else caught my eye that totally sobered my train of thought. Both Rachael and Leah were bitter about how they were married off. The writer of Proverbs stats in the 30th chapter that there are four things that make the earth tremble, one is an unloved woman when she marries or an unloved married woman [Prov. 30 21-23 (depends on the translation)]. So you have a woman that was given as a “Booby” prize by her father (who wants to be second choice, you have another woman who was the first choice but became the second choice in the marriage ceremony. She did not even get a party. Neither were happy campers and resented what their father did. This is documented by the last couple of verses in today’s passage:

14Rachel and Leah said, "That's fine with us! There is nothing for us here--none of our father's wealth will come to us anyway. 15He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. He sold us, and what he received for us has disappeared. 16The riches God has given you from our father are legally ours and our children's to begin with. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you."

There father had sold them for his benefit. Abraham and Isaac had offered up their wives out of a perceived fear that a ruling king would desire them for their beauty and kill them. Although not as overt as Abraham and Isaac, Laban married off his daughters in a sale that benefited him financially, what a lovely man. Unlike us, God gave His Son to bring us back to Him. We have this tendency to give up the ones we proclaim we love to benefit self. God love, so He gives. We lust so we can get. Love desire to benefit others at the expense of self. Lust desires to benefit self at the expense of others.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

Excuse my ignorance but what are biblical fiction books? I always equate biblical with truth. Can you give me an example please. Thank you. I love your ministry and plan to support it. — Helene

Best Christian fiction-Randy Alcorn’s SAFELY HOME. I’ve read it 3x. You will love it, all regarding the Chinese church and persecution there….

This is such a short but fascinating section of the bible. The best portion of Genesis. God is good and he has a plan for his people. Jacob is ready to go home where God destined his family to take over. Retrieve his birthright!

The comments to this entry are closed.

Subscribe to receive daily blog posts via email:


  • Enter your Email:

February 2025

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28