Covered in the Love, Mercy
Reading Scripture helps us know God's Love. Every Bible verse is written for you. Jesus Christ is all mankind's Light. John 1!
1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying,
"If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 My father made me swear, saying, 'I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.' Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return." 6 And Pharaoh answered, "Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear."
10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians." Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim [mourning (or meadow) of Egypt]; it is beyond the Jordan.
12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
A man who wrestled with God, Jacob, wanted a blessing. Jacob should really, really, really, really, Really not have been named Israel. The man wrestled with God. So wrong. Look at Isaac and Rebekah. Prophetic child, prophetic marriage, blessed with twins. No concubines, no slaves told to bear children. Why isn't Israel Isaac instead of Jacob. Seems a reasonable question.
God felt Jacob was more interested in Him and in Blessing his children and grandchildren. Not just keeping the blessing to one son. Jacob felt he could make God's blessing go farther. More Love than the parents, who were uptight and critical. Sarcasm and unreasonable, lack of love and gracious direction sounds unreasonable isn't a sign of the Holy Spirit. Ignoring children to favor others. Well... we digress into all are flawed.
Sincere fight for faith: Jacob went out as a great man. His funeral astonishing the people, his neighbors in Hebron, he left during famine.
His tomb is the "second holiest site" for Jews (after the Temple Mount) and Christians and Muslims. All these faiths say by tradition the Cave of the Patriarchs is the burial place of three biblical couples: Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob and Leah.
Speaking of Genesis and Tombs...
Let's talk about the Reality of 2022 Halloween Season.
Today, the News showed photos of what looked like candy and is actually deadly Fentanyl.
What is frightening is an invasion on even casual opioid use.
Walls of Heaven