Author Archives: WhittleThinker

Esau’s Descendants (Gen 36)

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Bible Summary:

Esau, also called Edom, had three wives: (1) Adah who gave him Eliphaz and six grandsons, (2) Oholibamah who bore him Jeush, Jalam, Korah, and (3) Basemath, daughter of Uncle Ishmael, who gave him Reuel and four grandsons.

All Esau’s sons and daughters were born in Canaan. But, Esau moves his family to Edom when the land can no longer support his family and Jacob’s.

My Thoughts:

Genealogy: In biblical times, a man’s lineage was his most important contribution. Historically, large families were the norm across the world when more hands were needed on the farm. Today, families continue to shrink as the world moves to expensive city life.

Curiously, each person’s family tree branches out towards descendants and also back through ancestors. With so many branches, we all must be related somehow? I could be your cousin, 200 times removed!

Over-Population: At the time of Jacob and Esau, only 20 million people lived around the entire world (see middle of the Wikipedia World Population page), so it was easy to pick up and move when an area got crowded. With 7 billion people on the planet today (actually on 10/31/2011), it is getting much harder to find new ground.

Footprints in the Sand

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One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there was only one.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there has only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one
set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

– Mary Stevenson

Jacob Loses Two Loved Ones (Gen 35)

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Bible Summary:

God tells Jacob to move south to Bethel and worship Him there. Jacob tells his family to discard their foreign gods before they leave. Even though Jacob’s two sons killed all the men of Shechem, the people near there are too frightened to pursue them.

Later, Jacob leaves Bethel and heads south to visit his father Isaac in Hebron. Jacob’s wife Rachel dies along the way while giving birth to Benjamin. She is buried beside the road in what later becomes Bethlehem. Isaac lives to 180 and is buried by his sons Esau and Jacob.

My Thoughts:

Perseverance: Jacob endures many hardships: 20-years of labor for his uncle, fear of his brother’s 400 man army, his daughter’s rape, and now the loss of his wife Rachel and father. Jacob perseveres through it all with help from God in response to his faith in Him. When times are tough, talk to God. He will help you through. He does love you.

Loss of a Loved One: The hardest thing in life is to lose a loved one, especially unexpectedly. All of a sudden, life moves in slow motion. You are numb and looking for answers. What could I have done? How could I have better spent my time with them? Slowly things become easier as you carry on. In time, you start to feel again, you start to laugh again, and eventually you become you again. Hang in there until you are you again! God bless!

Jacob’s Daughter (Gen 34)

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Bible Summary:

Jacob’s only daughter Dinah is raped by Shechem, the son of chief Hamor. Shechem then tells his father he wants to marry her. Hamor and Shechem bargain with Jacob and his sons for Dinah. Jacob’s sons require Hamor to circumcise all his males. Hamor agrees and gets approval from the townspeople to allow intermarriage by saying the Hivites could gain all the Hebrew wealth.

After all Hamor’s men are circumcised, Jacob’s sons Levi and Simeon avenge their Dinah’s disgrace by killing all the men of the village, including Hamor and Shechem, and taking all their possessions, women and children.

Jacob chastises Levi and Simeon for igniting a potential war with the other people of the area that could destroy his whole family. They reply, “We cannot let our sister be treated like a common whore.”

My Thoughts:

Revenge: Jacob seems more concerned about the repercussions against his family then the fact that his sons just killed all the men in the village. He understands that revenge is circular. Feuds can last for years or centuries.

Decisions: The story illustrates the difference between two decision-making styles. Jacob is more of a chess player, looking at everything at stake and the potential outcomes before acting in comparison to his reactionary sons who put the whole family in danger. It was a lot different back then with no laws, police or courts to settle issues like this and meter punishment.

Rape: After 4000 years, rape is still prevalent today. The United States is 6th in the world with 1 in 6 women having experienced at least an attempt (see Wikipedia Rape Statistics). Rape is never right, but I wonder if rates are higher in the U.S. because of suggestive TV shows, movies, and women’s clothing.

To Women: I am sure you have heard many times the defenses against UNknown attackers (take self-defense classes, carry pepper-spray, travel in groups at night, etc.), but be sure to learn what to do against KNOWN attackers.

Boyfriends are the hardest to deal with since so many other thoughts and emotions will distract you. Don’t be forced, bullied, or humiliated into doing it. If you do not want to have sex, you do not have to have sex. Say “no”, yell or scream “stop”, stand up and leave. If necessary, hit, slap, or kick him or lock yourself in the bathroom and call for help.

You may feel embarrassed, concerned about what your friends will think, or worried about how you are going to handle your relationship with him later. All this pales in comparison to what you will feel if you allow him to have sex with you unwillingly. It will affect the rest of your life. Be strong!

If he won’t listen about your wants and needs then he isn’t the right guy for you anyway. Don’t worry about losing him; you WILL find a nice guy. You are a beautiful person and you deserve better.

To Men: when a woman says “no” she means “no”. Respect her and yourself. Go for a long run, swim, or bike ride. Come back and talk to her. Let her know you will wait until she is ready.  You be strong too – in this way.

Jacob Meets Esau (Gen 33)

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Bible Summary:

As Esau and 400 men approach, Jacob divides his family by the concubines first, then Leah, and finally Rachel and Joseph. To Jacob’s surprise, Esau runs up and hugs and kisses him. They both cry tears of joy.

Esau questions Jacob about the group of servants he met earlier. Jacob admits it was to gain his favor. Esau tells him to keep the animals since he has enough, but Jacob urges Esau to keep them.

Esau urges Jacob to leave for Edom. Jacob tells him to go ahead since they will be slow with the kids and animals. Esau leaves and Jacob goes to Sukkoth instead. Jacob finishes his journey back at Shechem in Canaan, buys a field for his camp for 100 silver pieces, and erects an altar to the God of Israel.

My Thoughts:

Caution: Jacob still shows caution towards Esau even though the warm welcome, likely since Esau arrived with an army, and finds his own place away from Esau’s Edom.

Israel: It is weird that Jacob does not go by Israel after being renamed, except for the reference to God of Israel. It sounds like each tribe had its own god, like Laban’s, so did we just end up with our God because Jacob’s family wrote the stories? I guess we will find more as we continue.

Risk

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To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental,

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self,

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss,

To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
And the realist adjusts the sails.

– William Arthur Ward

Jacob Faces his Fears (Gen 32)

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Bible Summary:

On his return home, Jacob sends messengers ahead to tell his brother Esau how he had been delayed at Uncle Laban’s. The messengers return to warn him that Esau is on the way with 400 men. In fear, Jacob divides his people and animals in two, in hopes that one group might escape.

Jacob prays to God about his fear of Esau and reminds Him of His promise to keep them safe. Jacob sends hundreds of farm animals ahead as gifts to Esau in hopes of being forgiven for taking his birthright twenty years earlier. Later, he takes his wives, concubines, and eleven children across the Jabbok River to safety, and then returns alone.

A man arrives, wrestles Jacob until daybreak, and knocks his hip out of joint. Near daylight, the man asks to be let go, but Jacob demands to be blessed first. The man commends Jacob for successfully struggling with God and men, changes his name forevermore to Israel, and blesses him.

My Thoughts:

Fear: Jacob still fears Esau’s revenge for taking his birthright, even after twenty years in hiding at Uncle Laban’s. After bringing his family to safety, he fights his fears (the man) and wins. To honor this victory, the now bolder Jacob is renamed Israel.

Fear is everywhere today – in the news, on the streets, in our homes. We fear the shaky economy, losing our job, someone invading our home or stealing our car, “those people”, “that part of town”, getting cancer, failing, getting rejected, and so on.

But, fear is the only thing holding you back from a fulfilling and happy life. You need to put aside the fears you cannot control and push through the ones you can. Through repetition, the fear will diminish and soon disappear altogether.

Jacob Quarrels with In-Laws (Gen 31)

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Bible Summary:

Jacob realizes Uncle Laban and his sons do not like him for taking their wealth.  God tells him to return to Canaan, so Jacob complains to Rachel and Leah about their father’s attempts to cheat him out of his wages.  Jacob’s wives agree to leave since nothing is left to inherit and their father treats them like foreigners.  They leave in a hurry with all their animals and belongings.  Unknown to Jacob, Rachel steals Laban’s household gods.

A week later, Laban and his men catch up to Jacob.  In a dream on the way, God warns Laban not to threaten Jacob, but he feigns the hurt father who didn’t get to say goodbye and then confronts Jacob about the stolen household gods.

Jacob says he left in a hurry for fear that Laban would take his daughters back and challenges him to search for the household gods.  Laban unsuccessfully searches all the tents as Rachel hides the household gods in a camel saddlebag under her.

Jacob rants to Laban about hunting him down for no good reason, about giving him twenty good years of work, fourteen to win his daughters and six for his flocks, about suffering the heat of day, cold of night, and sleeplessness, and about incurring the loss whenever a sheep was killed or disappeared.  On top of that, Laban tried to change his wages ten times but was confounded by God each time.

Laban yells back that he owns everything, his daughters, their children, and all the flocks, but then agrees to a truce because there is nothing he can do.  Jacob can leave with everything after he agrees not to mistreat Laban’s daughters or marry another.  Laban and Jacob promise not to attack each other, then celebrate over a sacrificed animal.  The next morning, Laban kisses his family goodbye.

My Thoughts:

Appreciation: It’s easy to get lulled into the repetition of everyday life and forget to acknowledge or appreciate the people around you.  Laban learned this the hard way when his daughters and grandchildren suddenly disappeared one day over his son-in-law feeling cheated.  Be sure to appreciate those closest to you today!

Family Owned Business: Working with family can be very difficult.  The skills that made the business survive and thrive in the beginning, like minimizing expenses, can be a great area of contention when the expense is the other family member’s wage.  Many families struggle or even dissolve today over similar issues to this story.  And, it sure doesn’t help that Jacob is the son-in-law when there are other sons.  You might want to consider talking your kids into a different line of work.

Jacob Bargains with Laban (Gen 30: 25-43)

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Bible Summary:

After the birth of Joseph, Jacob asks his uncle Laban to let him return home to Canaan with his wives, children and earnings.  Laban asks him to name his wages.  Jacob says he has made Laban’s flocks prosper and does not want wages.  Instead, he would like all the black lambs and spotted and speckled goats.  Laban agrees.

Laban tries to trick Jacob, removes the blemished animals, and has his sons take them three-days journey away.  Jacob uses stripped tree branches to entice the remaining unblemished animals to mate, which results in streaked, speckled and spotted offspring. Furthermore, Jacob entices healthy animals to breed but not the weak.  Soon, Jacob owns all the healthy flocks and Laban is left with weak animals.  Jacob becomes very wealthy with many flocks, slaves, camels, and donkeys.

My Thoughts:

Smarts beat Tricks: I think the morals of this story are to be smart about your actions in life and that playing tricks on people will come back to bite you some day.  Jacob is very knowledgeable about breeding, which allows him to get his agreed wage after Laban tries to trick him.  Of course, you might say Jacob just “out-tricked” him.

Assets over Income: The most important lesson from this story is that assets are more important than income.  Assets, like the livestock of old, will continue to produce value for you long after the income is spent.  All the rich people of the world understand this rule and guard it with their life.  Why do you think there is an income tax and not an asset tax?