Genesis 35 - 37 (24th Jan) - Ivy

GENESIS 35

Jacob’s sons got into trouble by standing up for their sister. God spoke to Jacob and said ‘Go up to Bethel and settle there…’ Bethel means house of God. So Jacob recognized the voice of God whom spoke while he fled from his brother. Jacob obeyed God and told all the women and children whom Simeon and Levi brought back from the Canaanites and Perizzites to ‘get rid of their foreign God’ they have with them, purify themselves and change their clothes.

Pause for reflection: Have you ever heard people say ‘Why you Christians so ‘selfish’ worship only one God?’ I was only able to answer this question after knowing God from the Old Testament. We can see that this characteristic of God is consistent throughout the entire bible. God requires us to worship Him only (no other gods) and to purify ourselves by surrendering their old self for new (change their clothes). My answer to the above question is, God is our God of all, provide ‘one-stop service’, like hypermarket everything can get, why do we need to ‘shop around’?

Is it time to surrender other ‘gods’ (habits/sins)? Have you been shopping around and seeking answers from other sources and not God?

The women and child from Canaanites and Perizzites obeyed and gave up their foreign God and Jacob had them buried under ‘oak at Shehem’. Notice this verse ‘Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.’ As they surrendered their foreign gods, God intervened and protected them from harm. So cool!

Again, it was mentioned ‘it was there (Bethel) that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother’. Seems like Jacob had his encounter with God at Bethel. Fell in love with God there. Where and when did you fall in love with God?

God gave Jacob a new name. Instead of being called the deceiver, he is now called Israel which means ‘he struggles with God’. God also begun His personal relationship with Jacob and confirm from this chosen son of Issac the covenant promises made to Abraham in (17:1-8). God once again told Jacob to be fruitful and multiply. Just like what pronounced in the beginning (Gen 1:28) and to Noah after the flood (Gen9:1,7) God’s blessing on the human race would be fulfilled in the through Jacob and his offerings.

Then Jacob went drinking (lim jiu) and fellowship with God. So intimate!

Rachel then died at child birth and name her son Ben-Oni which means son of my trouble. But his father named him ‘son of my right hand’ or ‘son of the south’. Good choice. Reminds me of Jabez.

Summary of Jacob’s sons (total 12):

Leah bore 6 sons with Jacob: Reuben (first born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.
Rachel bore 2 sons with Jacob: Joseph and Benjamin.
Rachel and Leah’s maid servant each bore Jacob 2 sons : Dan, Naphtali, Gad & Asher.
Issac lived 180 years and Esau and Jacob buried him.

GENESIS 36

Summary of Esau family
- 5 wives
- 5 sons (not all wives gave birth)
- God also blessed Esau that ‘heir possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock’
- I was trying to count the grandsons….lost count. Someone can volunteer to do the maths. =P

Notice 36:11 Eliphaz Teman. One of Job’s friend was named Eliphaz and Temanite (Job2:11) and Job himself was from the land of Uz. Thus Job probably lived in Edom.

So okay…a lot of names…. Chapter 36 ended with ‘Esau the father of the Edomites’.

GENESIS 37

Joseph, Jacob’s favourite son. Tell tales on his brothers. ‘Howe lian’ or low EQ?

In his generation he represented Israel (more than others) – as a people who struggled with both God and human and overcame and as a source of blessing to the nations. It is moreover through the life of Joseph that the covenant family in Canaan becomes an emerging nation in Egypt, thus setting the stage for Exodus.

Joseph innocently told his dream to his siblings and caused them to be upset and unhappy. Sounds arrogant to me. But he got rebuked by his dad the 2nd time ‘his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.’ - A hint that Jacob later recalled Joseph’s dreams when events brought about their fulfillment.

Joseph’s brothers plot against him. They wanted to kill him initially but Reuben tries to rescue him. As big brother (firstborn) he probably felt he should be responsible. So they tore Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped his clothes in the blood. The brothers then took the stained robe to bluff their daddy that their brother was eaten by a ferocious animal. If it were today, with forensic science, they will need to be smarter hor?

This part is drama. Picture this:
Jacob TORE his clothes and put on the uncomfortable sack cloth. He also refused to be comforted by his sons and daughters. He wept for Joseph. This shows that he is really really upset.

Meanwhile, Joseph is being sold to Potiphar (or popiah?). The people of Arabian Desert were long involved in international slave trade. Mai zhu zai. From favouritism with daddy to being slave, see how Joseph overcame all obstacles later.