Genesis 37:25-36 ~ identified †

What the sons of Jacob saw.

Genesis 37:25-36

25 Then they sat down to eat.

And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.

26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh."

And his brothers listened to him.

28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?"

31 Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, "This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not."

33 And he identified it and said,"It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."

34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said,

"No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning."

Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Sat down to eat. Wow.

25 Then they sat down to eat.

The Sons of Jacob. Sons of Abraham. And Jesus cried out the rocks would praise Him if the children of Israel would not. Scripture repeats, as we read different and similar aspects of God. Joseph explains what God has told him in his dreams. And he is scorned and laughed at. Something we are familiar with during Pandemic brain. God picks Joseph up and moves him on. 

If you are critical of mankind - raise your hand. Yet, God sees this group of people and He says, "Save them." Something is going on only God can see. God is still saving the world. Today.

Joseph was placed in a hole in the earth, these easily collapse.

God kept Joseph safe.

If this was a day in our lives
If we look at this Genesis Chapter as a Snapshot of Real life and Real Time, and we were Joseph in the caravan - we would so want to know what happens next. Our lives - what is going to happen?


If we could speak to Joseph of Genesis 37 - Joseph was building his life. Because God was building Joseph's Life.

And if we could ask the first owner of Joseph as a slave - Potiphar was a Captain of Pharaoh's army. He was living in God's plan, but not knowingly.

And then we have the New Testament, a passerby is Theophilos.

Translated Latinized form of the Greek name Θεοφιλος (Theophilos) which meant "friend of God", derived from θεος (theos) "god" and φιλος (philos) "friend". In the New Testament, the evangelist Luke addresses his Gospel and the Book of Acts to a man named Theophilus.

We would find the first are last and the last first.  We might find Potiphar meeting Jesus in Eternity and finding this about Joseph.

1 Peter 1:12

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

We all serve God.

What God could see.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him, who is able, according to the power that is at work within us, 

to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine

Meanwhile, back with the Sons of Jacob...

The beginning of the multi-year drought in so many levels.

Reuben

Reuben was the only son of Jacob who was trying to trick his brothers into living righteously. 

He wanted to get the child, Joseph, back to his father Jacob/Israel. And Reuben found by not winning over grown siblings, he was now involved in a plot to keep their incredible cruelty from his father. The Light of Christ in Reuben intended goodness and found himself unable to let them all fall in front of Jacob. God tells us to Honor God first and live in the truth. 

With 10 men and all the hired workers, wouldn't a slave caravan head to Egypt? Why not look?

Reuben's 'mercy' is going to eat at Reuben in various ways. Eventually, Reuben is going to sleep with one of his father's wives.

Bilhah

Bilhah (בִּלְהָה‎ "unworried"), 

Unworried, Bilhah doesn't have a real root to cling to in her family life.  Laban's handmaid, given to Rachel as her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. Rachel failed at first to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob as a concubine to bear children. Bilhah gave birth to two sons, whom Rachel claimed as her own, naming the sons Dan and Naphtali. (The Tribes Dan and Naphtali are destroyed when Assyria invades Israel. To the horror of the other Tribes.) Genesis 35:22 calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh.

Bilhah, Hagar and Jacob's daughter Dinah reflected the culture.

 They aren't mentioned much, but overall, we assume Dinah died at a young age. Dinah was raped in an age injury could lead to death.

We see in movies all the time, time traveling - you don't show new technology to Stone Age dwellers. The Provident School is a marvelous educational system. Each grade level progresses in the history of man's development. This is an amazing educational tool. Reflecting on the human brain's ability to learn, just as the centuries and cultural tools teach. Wow. I'm overwhelmingly impressed with this idea.

Forget history rewriting or Judging Sanctimoniously about History. Mankind develops. It's a cultural process. Be gracious and kind in dealing with History and the ages. Be factual. Don't repeat the mistakes of History when Moses and Jeremiah said history would repeat, going with fake history re-checks, when the culture was clashing. Especially during Pandemic culture brain waves of tremendous stress and upset.

Jesus arrives and in John 4, He immediately deals with women and uplifts women. Even Rome began to see the changes quickly. Coincidentally, Rome began to allow women to own property and inherit just as Jesus was born. (During, Augustus' travel to Bethlehem get tax counted. Way to go Baby Jesus coincidental miracle!)

Why is Bilhah unworried to change from Jacob to Reuben? It was probably the only decision she made for herself. However, Bilhah was placed in Jacob's family for some safety when Esau approached. In the front of an attack, as a barrier, from the people who would really matter.

Building Life as the Way and Truth is important.  

Bilhah as a real person, a Child of God finally has a choice. There was no way in God's Green Earth Bilhah was going to be allowed Reuben. Frankly, Bilhah, given the time and culture is lucky she wasn't stoned to death. But Bilhah needed wise internal and human counsel to not be just the temporary love interest and instead use the opportunity to support the large family. Bilhah hasn't chosen entirely wisely. And in this dysfunction, we find Mercy exists. Unnamed Mercy with some unpleasant consequences for the History of 3000 years. Family History.

Treating this as real History, remember the Mercy. This was an age where newborn human infants were flayed open on farming ground to pray for fertility of the crop and financial stability. Bilhah reflects people with a more generous nature. Recall with me, Bilhah is given to Jacob by his father-in-law Laban. Laban is just pretty generally a scumbag, deceiving manual family labor and daughter suppression, not caring slave giver and idol worshiper.

We remember Hagar.

But learn more layers and harm without living in truth, again, from Reuben and Bilhah.

Reuben receives a Blessing as part of the 12 Sons of Jacob from Jacob. But Reuben has significantly reduced his own blessings as his intentions fell again to what pleased Reuben and not placing God first.

 Reuben is a life lesson on - get out of trouble honestly as fast as possible.

It's ironic, the 10 sons of Jacob put Joseph in a hole that easily could have collapsed. And Joseph escaped leaving his brothers to dig their own hole.

Joseph

Captain Potiphar was a gift of God to Joseph. 

Joseph begins to live as his dreams were real and play out. Jacob always believed in God's blessing, Yet they lived in tents in the land only promised to them. Immediately life goes well for Joseph.

If his brothers could see him now. Ugh.

Seeds to Flower. Passion Vine ~ from the Passion of Jesus Christ to save us enduring the Crown of Thorns.


Genesis 37 is mourning.  

And in these brief verses, we have an analogy of  struggles as part of God's Plan. And see a little of what Jesus said in He goes to prepare a Place for Us.  Africa - Egypt. Where Eve's DNA is found to be true in our DNA today.  Jesus went to Egypt. God does not discount Egypt in Salvation. His Love flows over All.

Jacob continues his life he has built - with Grief.  Life continues.

Joseph goes on. Joseph is going to see Paradise. Joseph, in faith, plans exodus for his bones. Today, we see a little of what Jesus said about being with Him in Paradise. Genuine article faith.

Joseph has something. Something in common with us today. 

We are all destined to see God. To see Jesus Christ. Joseph has something in common with the other sons of Jacob.

Joseph has today.

We don't perfectly know our next step. Today, we have our children. Our spouse. Our health. Today we spoke with someone we love.

With Gratitude - Joseph can enjoy today. Did he? He focused on his job and found he did well. Joseph displays peace surrounded in what kills many voyaging this way. 1.1 million people perished in being marched off as slaves in Nebuchadnezzar II taking slaves. Joseph is displaying Gratitude. And this flourishes.

Galatians 5

For freedom Christ has set us free; 

stand firm therefore, 

and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Joseph did not function as a typical slave. He was elevated by his own personal, internal freedom.

Joseph has an internal faith belief in God as Goodness and Love.

Galatians 5

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Abba, Father God,

We ask You for Your Blessings - knowing Your Love, so we ask. 

More Life, More Love. More Heaven. Father, more help seeking You first.

We have seen someone we love today - we know Joy.

We have the Comfort You have put in our lives today - we know Peace.

We have Your Love - so we know we have experienced Your Patience.

We have done something today for someone else - we know Kindness in ourselves

 and from someone else teaching us kindness. Thank You.

We see Goodness is others. We have Goodness in us to see this.

We take care of ourselves and breathe care for the Holy Spirit in us.

 Love ourselves. Faithfulness.

Love another as ourselves - Faithfulness. Especially in Matrimony Vows. 

Honoring God in prayer. Faithfulness.

Gentleness - taking one more breath and considering before answering. Pause.

Self-Control is easier 

when we are Grateful for God and Today.

Knowing God's Law of Liberty - Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth. Loving Abba. Loving Jesus. Loving the Holy Spirit.

We ask this for the ones we Love. For the people - You have given us. Asking Jesus to bring us closer, The Spirit gives Life, and in this Life, we are asking Jesus to provide more Heaven on earth. 

More Life for the people who call upon Jesus. For our Nation. For Peace.

Jesus for Elliott and his increasing good cell count

and the end of his tumor. Thank You, Jesus. Life.

In the Highest Name of Jesus, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

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Luke 1 ~ The Lord has done for me, He looked upon me

 

Cowboys & Aliens (2011) 

Meacham : No, no, no. Not your fault. You'll get her back. You're setting things right. Just got to have faith. That's all. 

Doc : Faith. Yeah. God's been real swell to me. I don't mean no disrespect, Preacher, but either he ain't up there or he don't like me very much. 

Meacham : Surely you don't expect the Lord to do everything for you, do you, Doc? You got to earn His presence. Then you got to recognize it and then you have to act on it.

Luke 1

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.


5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,  of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 

21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”


26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 

29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 

30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.


39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever."


56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.


57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 

61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 

63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” 

And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

71 That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Jesus tells us John 5:17
Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

When we Trust in God, we can go forward. 

We believe all things work together for Good for those who Love the Lord and work according to His Promises.

Exactly in the Center of God's Exact Plan:

God's Son being Born is Surrounded by Difficulties

God's Perfect Plan of Salvation

is extremely uncomfortable to almost everyone

connected to the Birth of Jesus.

And an unwed mother giving birth in a barn

 by the mercy of a man born to the Kings of David's Line.

Hearts and Flowers aren't seen

Yet Love grows and grows

and Scriptures bear witness

to the Love found in Joseph and Mary's Home and Family Life.

Jesus, in John 6, 

displaces time and space and the boat is 13 miles across

the Sea of Galilee - Immediately.

The Exodus - was not as fortunate.

Walk the Journey.

Israel, known as Judea 

wasn't all sunshine and Olive Tree Groves

God's Anointed Nation

Mark begins with the grown men, Jesus and John are hard at work doing the Will of God surrounded by the impossible, the improbable and the Historically accurate Magnificence of God. A taming of the wilderness.

Look across the sea

John tells us of John's understanding having been an eyewitness to Jesus. 

Jesus is the Light of the world. For believing Christians - we understand the truth of Scriptures. 

I sat with two believers who questioned all of this today to watch Morgan Freeman narrate a day of God testimonies. One of the questioning believers knew the Israeli History Professor on the television program from actually meeting her at the Sea of Galilee.

 The 400 A.D. Sea of Galilee Synagogue as a historical representation of Alexander the Great's prophetic works described by Ezekiel 500 B.C., 200 years earlier.

Both the questioning Children of God sat and carefully listened. 

This began with a man who had been saved after drowning for 18 minutes and he gave testimony to the Light. He found in the ocean a Stained Glass window of many colors coming closer and closer and finally all the colors converged and the man who had drowned found the Light was Home and Father. A Relationship beyond all relationships he had known. As our Father told him it was not his time - the ship wreckage slammed him in the back and his unconscious body coughed. He became alive and able to find the surface.

John is explaining in Words what God is telling us.  

God is always God Triumphant. God would not give us the Wonderful Jesus without ensuring the Victory of God. John has marvelously explained. John is the eyewitness who could never leave Jesus Christ.

Watching the two questioning believers riveted on the Words of God and the Testimony to Him.

Very gratifying to see God's Word holds such interest.

From Genesis to Revelation - we find God has arranged Life to bring His Plan and His Word to His Victory. Our Destination is - Victorious Father God. Life. The Goodness of God.

John 1

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him,

and without him was not anything made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Abba, Father God,

When we pray for Jesus to dwell in us,

we seek You first, God

and we allow, "Thy Will be Done."

All of God's Righteousness and Abundant Willingness

is appreciated. We have prayed over all things, we didn't even know about

in Trusting God's Will.

Giving God our Best Portion First,

The People we Love

Praying God to fill them with His Comfort,

Filled in His Mercy

and Love.

We have cast all our cares on Father God, Who cares for us.

We have lifted up all the various worries for this life,

our Nation, the Agenda of Authority, The Church and Her Victory in Jesus Christ.

We have lifted up to Jesus the USA Senate and Donald Trump

We have lifted up Schools

We have lifted up Employment. Jobs. Health. Vaccinations.

In our Father God's Willingness.

We have believed God and Trusted Him.

We will seek God first. 

For Elliott, Healing.

For all of the people we pray for.

In Jesus' Highest Name,

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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