Sunday, January 10, 2010

January Ninth

I am sitting here in Sugarloaf CA. It is a little town just east of Big Bear. My husband and I woke up at 4:45. The air is crisp and it is cold. I love this because I do not get this at home. I am searching for the cozy socks my Secret Santa gave me for Christmas. We lit the fireplace turned on the heater. We are waiting anxiously for our coffee. It is still very dark.
Now at 6:31 (yes with my husband next to me (and having to refill the tiny coffee cups over and over) I tend to blurt out my questions to him and then…debate them. ) I just watched dawn. It was the most amazing blue deep but not dark through all the pine trees. Now it is a light blue, more transparent.
I am in Heaven. I love dusk and dawn. My favorite parts of the day. Mostly dawn. It feels like I am the only person around and it is a new beginning and it is peaceful. Add the fireplace and my husband next to me and the kids sleeping upstairs. There is the perfect amount of snow outside. Enough for play and atmosphere but not enough to prove to my husband that I do have 4wd skills.

I was filled with questions on todays study. I am trying not to ask over and over.
Esau sells his birthright
Why would Esau sell his birthright for soup? Couldn’t he just go to another tent and say do you have anything to eat? What is the birthright? How can Jacob just aquire it?
Isaac deceives Abimelech
(insert sarcasm) Really Abimelech. Have you never heard of “Fool me once shame on you fool me twice, three, four plus times shame on me”. The same deceit too. Come on the ole’ she’s my sister trick.
Conflict over water rights
Treaty with Abimelech
When did polygamy become illegal and considered….wrong?
Jacob steals Esau’s Blessing
In Genesis 25:27-34 I am really confused. I thought that Jacob already bought Esaus’s birthright?
Is this different than the blessing that Isaac is giving to Jacob? I at first thought come on how could he not tell the difference between the 2 brothers but it does seem Isaac questions it and expresses his doubts and they overcome them all.
If Isaac has to honor the blessing even with the deception ? Why then in Genesis 27:13 Why when Jacob is worried about being caught , was Rebekah lying when she said “let the curse fall on me”.
Jacob flees to Paddan-Aram
Why in Gen 28;1 Why did Isaac bless Jacob again. Did he just accept that Jacob deceived him and continues with it?
Thanks for Reading. I can’t wait to hear/read your thoughts.

2 comments:

Allison said...

Esau gives up his birthright
Old Testament law states that the eldest son receives a double inheritance (Deut 21:17) Esau was never really interested in the birthright from the beginning.

"Jacob knew that the birthright was valuable and he wanted it. Passages like Deuteronomy 21:17 and 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 tell us the birthright involved both a material and a spiritual dynamic. The son of the birthright received a double portion of the inheritance, and he also became the head of the family and the spiritual leader upon the passing of the father. In the case of this family the birthright determined who would inherit the covenant God made with Abraham, the covenant of a land, a nation, and the Messiah." - From David Guzik's commentary on Genesis 25

Abimelech
This is not the same one as before. This would have been the son of the one that Abraham and Sarah encountered.

Blessing
Issac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob. Issac knew that God wanted Jacob to receive the blessing (Genesis 25:23) yet, he didn't want to give it to him.

"Strangely, Isaac insisted on giving the blessing to Esau, the one God did not choose, who despised his birthright, and who has married pagan wives. It seems Isaac plainly operated in the flesh here, thinking only of the good food he received from Esau’s hunting." - From David Guzik's commentary on Genesis 27

Blessing again?
Issac blesses Jacob after resigning himself to the fact the God chose Jacob to carry on the promise of Abraham. No, Jacob wasn't worthy, but neither was Esau. The instruction to take a wife that was NOT foreign was important since the line of the Messiah would come from Abraham's descendants.

Unknown said...

Thanks Allison!!
You are such a blessing. I have such a long way to grow. I have had such a long up and down relationship with God that I am so surprised how naive I am. I am so excited learning more and more.
I really love this blog because when I am at church service I really want to raise my hand during the sermon and ask questions.(yes Jared laughs at me coz I always whisper questions at him and he hush's me :) ) So this is giving me just that.