"'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will the give Pharaoh the answer he desires.'"
-Genesis 41:16
I decided to combine both of last week's Genesis Bible Studies into one reflection, because I have been fairly busy. Genesis 37-41 describes Joseph's story. Joseph is favored by his father Jacob, and is spoiled by Jacob. The most obvious evidence of this is the ornamented robe that Jacob gives to Joseph to wear. Joseph's brothers start to despise Joseph, because their father favors Joseph the most. Joseph tells his brothers and parents of a couple dreams that he has, in which he rules over them. The brothers and even Jacob laugh at these dreams, because they don't take Joseph seriously. After telling his brothers these dreams, they begin to hate him even more. Thus, when they are in the field working, they plan to kill Joseph.
One of the brothers, Reuben, tries to convince them not to kill Joseph. While the brothers are still bloodthirsty, they agree not to kill Joseph. Instead, they decide to sell him as a slave to Egypt. They lie to their father Jacob by saying that Joseph has died. Jacob is in great anguish, because he thinks that Joseph was killed by a wild beast.
Joseph becomes a slave for Potiphar, an Egyptian. Joseph does his work well, which catches the eye of his master Potiphar. Potiphar decides to put Joseph in charge of the household, because Joseph was a trustworthy servant. Potiphar isn't to only one to notice Joseph, however. Potiphar's wife sees that Joseph is handsome, and tries to sleep with him. Joseph refuses, because he doesn't want to betray the trust of his master and of God. Potiphar's wife gets mad at Joseph, so she convinces Potiphar that Joseph raped her, which causes him to be thrown into prison.
In prison, Joseph has a similar experience to the time he was in Potiphar's house. The warden of the prison puts Joseph in charge of the prisoners. One day, Joseph sees that two prisoners are downcast- the cupbearer and baker. Joseph asks them what is wrong, and they reveal to him that they have had dreams that they cannot understand. Joseph agrees to help them interpret their dreams, through God's help. The interpretations of Joseph's dreams come true, but the cupbearer forgets about Joseph.
A while later, Pharaoh has some dreams that he cannot interpret. The cupbearer finally remembers Joseph, and tells Pharaoh of Joseph's ability to interpret dreams. Pharaoh tells Joseph of his dreams, and Joseph interprets them, again with God's help. The dream's interpretation is that Egypt would be in abundance for seven years, followed by seven years of famine. Joseph also suggests that someone save food in the time of abundance, so that in the time of famine there would be food to eat. Pharaoh agrees, and puts Joseph in charge of Egypt. In fact, Pharaoh makes Joseph the most powerful person in Egypt, with the exception of himself.
A lot of events have happened in these passages, but I see some common themes. One thing is that even when we do God's work, we may still be treated unjustly. Joseph worked well while in Potiphar's home and in prison, but he still was mistreated by people. Jesus says in Matthew 10 that "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." In other words, following Jesus may not lead us to worldly success. Many times, we will be hated by the world, but God has greater plans for our life.
Another thing I learned is that if we are faithful to God, He will be faithful to us. Joseph was mistreated for many years, but he remained faithful to God. When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, they took his robe from him. When Joseph was made second in charge by Pharaoh, Pharaoh gave him a robe to wear. Thus, through Pharaoh, God restored Joseph. God was faithful to Joseph because Joseph was faithful to Him. It is very hard to remain faithful to God in difficult times, but He is faithful to those who follow Him. If we hold onto God's faithfulness, we can also live as Joseph did.
-Smart
Jacob Returns to Bethel (Genesis 33-35)
"Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel."
-Genesis 35:14-15
So this post is actually based on last Thursday's passage, not today's, I've just been running behind because I've been busy with a lot of things. Again, this post is going to be a bit shorter.
A couple things happen in Genesis 33-35. To start, Esau proposes that Jacob leave with him to Seir. Jacob perhaps still doubts Esau's good will towards him, so Jacob refuses Esau's offer to go with him. Instead, Jacob again deceives Esau, and goes his own way. Jacob goes to another land, Shechem. While he and his family are there, Jacob's daughter is raped by Shechem (which is a person's name as well as the place). When Jacob's sons find out about this, they take revenge on the people of Shechem by killing some of the men. This forces Jacob to leave the area.
What I learn from this part of the passage is that we cannot go against God's will without consequences. When Jacob deceived Esau, he was actually going against God's will. God wanted Jacob to return to his hometown with Esau, but for some reason Jacob did not trust Esau. Jacob's decision to go to Shechem led to the rape of his daughter and the killing by his sons. Thus, God's will was completed anyway, because Jacob had to leave to his hometown. God is sovereign, and we cannot do anything to disrupt his plan.
After leaving Shechem, Jacob heads toward Bethel, where he previously built an altar. Before he arrives there, he tells his family to rid themselves of any idols. When they arrived, Jacob built another altar and poured a drink offering on it. He remembered God's goodness in his life, and he wanted to thank God for all that He had done. Here we see that Jacob matured in his faith, and he now puts his trust in God, not in himself. If we have the same attitude as Jacob, God is sure to bless us, as He blessed Jacob.
-Smart
-Genesis 35:14-15
So this post is actually based on last Thursday's passage, not today's, I've just been running behind because I've been busy with a lot of things. Again, this post is going to be a bit shorter.
A couple things happen in Genesis 33-35. To start, Esau proposes that Jacob leave with him to Seir. Jacob perhaps still doubts Esau's good will towards him, so Jacob refuses Esau's offer to go with him. Instead, Jacob again deceives Esau, and goes his own way. Jacob goes to another land, Shechem. While he and his family are there, Jacob's daughter is raped by Shechem (which is a person's name as well as the place). When Jacob's sons find out about this, they take revenge on the people of Shechem by killing some of the men. This forces Jacob to leave the area.
What I learn from this part of the passage is that we cannot go against God's will without consequences. When Jacob deceived Esau, he was actually going against God's will. God wanted Jacob to return to his hometown with Esau, but for some reason Jacob did not trust Esau. Jacob's decision to go to Shechem led to the rape of his daughter and the killing by his sons. Thus, God's will was completed anyway, because Jacob had to leave to his hometown. God is sovereign, and we cannot do anything to disrupt his plan.
After leaving Shechem, Jacob heads toward Bethel, where he previously built an altar. Before he arrives there, he tells his family to rid themselves of any idols. When they arrived, Jacob built another altar and poured a drink offering on it. He remembered God's goodness in his life, and he wanted to thank God for all that He had done. Here we see that Jacob matured in his faith, and he now puts his trust in God, not in himself. If we have the same attitude as Jacob, God is sure to bless us, as He blessed Jacob.
-Smart
God wrestles with Jacob (Genesis 32-33)
"Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."
-Genesis 32:28
Before I begin, I want to let you know that this week I'm going to write shorter reflections because I am busy working on a message. In Genesis 32-33 Jacob prepares to leave for his hometown. He is very fearful because he thinks Esau is still angry at him, which is very possible. Jacob deceived Esau twice, stealing the birthright and Isaac's blessing. Jacob tries to devise a way to avoid being killed by Esau. Jacob is so scared he prays to God, but even after praying, he still tries to pacify Esau's anger with many gifts.
In the night, Jacob finds himself alone. A man approaches him, who we know is God, and wrestles with Jacob. God wrestles with Jacob for so long the sun starts to come up. Jacob is able to convince God to bless him, by holding on to God tightly during the wrestling match. God blesses Jacob, changing his name to Israel. As Jacob meets Esau, he is surprised to see that Esau welcomes him with open arms. God protected Jacob by not letting Esau do any harm to him.
The most significant thing I learned in this passage is how God met Jacob. Jacob was a deceiver and continually had struggles in his life. When Jacob was backed into a corner, he always tried to find a way out in his own strength. A question that was brought up in the study was "Why did God meet Jacob by wrestling with him?" The answer is that God wanted to reveal Jacob's flawed thinking. By wrestling with Jacob, God revealed Jacob's self-dependence when struggling with people, Jacob's insignificance in comparison to God, and Jacob's inability to surrender to God. Up till now, Jacob always tried to gain blessings by his own hand. By wrestling with Jacob, God showed him that true blessing comes from God, not from man.
God doesn't have a formula when dealing with us. He met Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in different ways. God knows our character, and He knows how to meet us where we are. Let us pray that we can surrender to God's will and receive true blessing from Him.
-Smart
-Genesis 32:28
Before I begin, I want to let you know that this week I'm going to write shorter reflections because I am busy working on a message. In Genesis 32-33 Jacob prepares to leave for his hometown. He is very fearful because he thinks Esau is still angry at him, which is very possible. Jacob deceived Esau twice, stealing the birthright and Isaac's blessing. Jacob tries to devise a way to avoid being killed by Esau. Jacob is so scared he prays to God, but even after praying, he still tries to pacify Esau's anger with many gifts.
In the night, Jacob finds himself alone. A man approaches him, who we know is God, and wrestles with Jacob. God wrestles with Jacob for so long the sun starts to come up. Jacob is able to convince God to bless him, by holding on to God tightly during the wrestling match. God blesses Jacob, changing his name to Israel. As Jacob meets Esau, he is surprised to see that Esau welcomes him with open arms. God protected Jacob by not letting Esau do any harm to him.
The most significant thing I learned in this passage is how God met Jacob. Jacob was a deceiver and continually had struggles in his life. When Jacob was backed into a corner, he always tried to find a way out in his own strength. A question that was brought up in the study was "Why did God meet Jacob by wrestling with him?" The answer is that God wanted to reveal Jacob's flawed thinking. By wrestling with Jacob, God revealed Jacob's self-dependence when struggling with people, Jacob's insignificance in comparison to God, and Jacob's inability to surrender to God. Up till now, Jacob always tried to gain blessings by his own hand. By wrestling with Jacob, God showed him that true blessing comes from God, not from man.
God doesn't have a formula when dealing with us. He met Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in different ways. God knows our character, and He knows how to meet us where we are. Let us pray that we can surrender to God's will and receive true blessing from Him.
-Smart
Jacob Builds His Wealth (Genesis 30-31)
"I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land."
-Genesis 31:13
On Thursday we learned about Jacob building his wealth. Last time we learned about Jacob finding his wives and having children. Now Jacob is starting to settle down, having finished working fourteen years for Laban to get Rachel as his wife. Jacob wants to return to his homeland along with his family. This is a natural thing for Jacob to do, since he has been away from his hometown for fourteen. However, Laban saw the value of Jacob's work, and he asked Jacob to stay and work for him. Remember that Jacob was cheated by Laban, when Laban gave him Leah rather than Rachel. Jacob had every right to decline Laban's offer to work for him. Without even consulting God, Jacob agrees to work for Laban, in exchange for some flocks.
Jacob proposed that his wages should be every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. Laban agreed, but then tried to cheat Jacob again. Laban removed all of the animals that would have been part of Jacob's wages, to make sure that Jacob wouldn't be able to breed the speckled and spotted goats. Laban again tries to cheat Jacob of the agreed contract, revealing that Laban truly has little regard for Jacob. Even though Laban tried to reduce Jacob's flock, Jacob still was able to breed the goats and lambs. Jacob worked diligently to take care of the flocks, and God rewarded him by giving him many strong speckled and spotted goats.
After working for Laban a couple years, Jacob receives a message from God telling him to leave to his hometown. It is revealed that Laban changed Jacob's wages ten times, to try and take advantage of Jacob. Jacob finally recognizes that God has been watching and protecting him in his times of struggle. Jacob decides to obey God, and he leaves to his hometown, without telling Laban. Laban pursues Jacob, but is warned by God not to say anything to Jacob. Laban reaches Jacob, and they make a covenant with each other.
So what can be learned from this passage? One thing that I see is that God was faithful to Jacob. Even though Laban tried to take advantage of Jacob many times, God never let Laban be successful. Jacob was able to greatly increase his flocks because of God's grace. God also taught Jacob resilience, by making him work with Laban for many years. While the work was tiring, God never let Jacob get overburdened. I am reminded of the verse in 1 Corinthians, "And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear". God never put Jacob through anything he could not bear.
Jacob proved that he was a hard worker. When he worked for Laban, he did so with great diligence. Laban tried to take advantage of Jacob's good work. Contrary to Laban, God saw Jacob's good work and rewarded him with great wealth. God sees when we work diligently for Him, and He will surely reward us. Even if times seem tough, if we work for God, He will be faithful. God loves us so much, and while it may seem like He is allowing us to go through difficult times, we can take assurance that He is doing all things for our good.
-Smart
-Genesis 31:13
On Thursday we learned about Jacob building his wealth. Last time we learned about Jacob finding his wives and having children. Now Jacob is starting to settle down, having finished working fourteen years for Laban to get Rachel as his wife. Jacob wants to return to his homeland along with his family. This is a natural thing for Jacob to do, since he has been away from his hometown for fourteen. However, Laban saw the value of Jacob's work, and he asked Jacob to stay and work for him. Remember that Jacob was cheated by Laban, when Laban gave him Leah rather than Rachel. Jacob had every right to decline Laban's offer to work for him. Without even consulting God, Jacob agrees to work for Laban, in exchange for some flocks.
Jacob proposed that his wages should be every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. Laban agreed, but then tried to cheat Jacob again. Laban removed all of the animals that would have been part of Jacob's wages, to make sure that Jacob wouldn't be able to breed the speckled and spotted goats. Laban again tries to cheat Jacob of the agreed contract, revealing that Laban truly has little regard for Jacob. Even though Laban tried to reduce Jacob's flock, Jacob still was able to breed the goats and lambs. Jacob worked diligently to take care of the flocks, and God rewarded him by giving him many strong speckled and spotted goats.
After working for Laban a couple years, Jacob receives a message from God telling him to leave to his hometown. It is revealed that Laban changed Jacob's wages ten times, to try and take advantage of Jacob. Jacob finally recognizes that God has been watching and protecting him in his times of struggle. Jacob decides to obey God, and he leaves to his hometown, without telling Laban. Laban pursues Jacob, but is warned by God not to say anything to Jacob. Laban reaches Jacob, and they make a covenant with each other.
So what can be learned from this passage? One thing that I see is that God was faithful to Jacob. Even though Laban tried to take advantage of Jacob many times, God never let Laban be successful. Jacob was able to greatly increase his flocks because of God's grace. God also taught Jacob resilience, by making him work with Laban for many years. While the work was tiring, God never let Jacob get overburdened. I am reminded of the verse in 1 Corinthians, "And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear". God never put Jacob through anything he could not bear.
Jacob proved that he was a hard worker. When he worked for Laban, he did so with great diligence. Laban tried to take advantage of Jacob's good work. Contrary to Laban, God saw Jacob's good work and rewarded him with great wealth. God sees when we work diligently for Him, and He will surely reward us. Even if times seem tough, if we work for God, He will be faithful. God loves us so much, and while it may seem like He is allowing us to go through difficult times, we can take assurance that He is doing all things for our good.
-Smart
Jacob Builds his Family (Genesis 29-30)
"She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, 'This time I will praise the Lord.' So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children."
-Genesis 29:35
Yesterday at the Genesis Bible Academy I was designated to give a testimony on the passage. To save myself some energy, I decided that I would just post my testimony instead of writing a reflection as I normally do. I hope you enjoy it.
Genesis chapters 29 and 30 present a very interesting story. When I first read the chapters, I didn’t even really know what I should focus on. Chapter 29 talks about how Jacob searches for a wife after being sent out by his parents. Jacob finds his uncle Laban, and decides to live with him. Jacob sees that Laban’s daughter Rachel is very beautiful, and he wants to marry her. Laban sees Jacob’s desire for Rachel, and decides to use it as leverage. This is similar to when Jacob saw Esau’s desire for food, and used it as leverage to get the birthright. I guess it’s true; what goes around comes around. Jacob works for Laban for seven years, only to find that Laban gives him Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob demands an explanation, only to get a lame excuse from Laban. Laban then makes Jacob work another seven years to have Rachel as his wife. I don’t know about you, but if I were in Jacob’s situation, I would just cut my losses and take Leah as my only wife. However, Jacob does agree to Laban’s terms, and works another seven years for Rachel.
After finally marrying Rachel, Jacob must have felt relieved. He finally married the woman he loved dearly. He probably thought this was a great chance to settle down, have some kids, and enjoy life. However, in chapter 30, Jacob’s life gets a bit complicated. His wives Leah and Rachel start to compete with each other. They keep telling Jacob to sleep with them, or their servants, so that they can be the one to bear the most children. What’s funny to me is that Jacob never really argues with his wives; he just does what they tell him to do. I guess Jacob knew the secret to living a longer life as a married man.
One common theme in this passage and even throughout Jacob’s life is his struggles. Jacob struggles with Esau, with Laban, with his wives, and eventually with God. The Bible says that when Jacob worked for seven years it only felt like a couple days, but I know that working seven years must have been terrible. What is admirable about Jacob is that he was willing to go through so much struggle in order to receive Rachel as his wife. Even when he finally got Rachel as his wife, he still had struggles in his household when Rachel and Leah competed with each other.
In the spring of this year, I wanted to find an internship for this summer. I knew that since I was a junior, I needed to find an internship if I wanted to get experience in my field. I thought that since I had a decent resume, GPA, and favorable major, that finding an internship wouldn’t be too difficult. I applied to some places, thinking that I would hear back from some if not most of them. However, as time passed, I only heard back from one company. Despite only hearing from one company, I was optimistic because they asked me for an interview, and they seemed to have decent interest in me. I went for the interview, thought I did well, only to find out later that they didn’t want me. Now I started to panic a little bit, because my most promising opportunity ended up not working out. I started to apply to more internships, hoping that someone, anyone, would hire me. More time passed, but I still hadn’t heard back from any of the places I had applied. I thought I was doomed to never get an internship for this summer, which would really hurt my chances of getting a job after college. One day my professor sent an email to the class asking if any of us wanted an internship. I immediately responded to him and sent him my resume. Honestly, I didn’t think I had a chance at getting the internship because my classmates are all just as smart if not smarter than me. However, after a couple weeks passed, I was asked for an interview. I was extremely happy, and I prepared myself for the interview. After the interview was conducted, I thought I did pretty poorly. I was sure that there was no way they would hire me, since I’m sure other students were being interviewed. At this point, I decided that the best course of action was to pray. I prayed that God would grant me this internship. Only a couple days later, the company emailed me back and said that they would hire me for the summer. The last time I was as happy as I was then was probably when I was accepted into college.
So what does my story have to do with this passage? Like Jacob, I really wanted something. If you think about it, I’ve been working for more than 14 years to put myself in a position to get a job or internship, because that’s how long I’ve been in school. Like Jacob, I met disappointment. I didn’t get the first internship that I thought I would, just like Jacob didn’t get the wife he thought he would. However, like Jacob, God provided for me. God is so amazing, and I know that the only reason I got this internship is because of His grace. I still have many human struggles in my life. I’m not going to lie and say that knowing God gets rid of all of my struggles. I have many things that I struggle with that are not in God’s plan. However, as in Jacob’s life, God always finds a way to take my struggles and use it for His purpose. When Rachel and Leah opposed each other, God used their struggle to make the twelve tribes of Israel. My next biggest struggle is the Summer Bible Conference. I have the responsibility of giving the opening message, which coincidentally is about a passage in Genesis. I pray that I would struggle with God’s Word and that He would use my struggles for His plan.
-Smart
-Genesis 29:35
Yesterday at the Genesis Bible Academy I was designated to give a testimony on the passage. To save myself some energy, I decided that I would just post my testimony instead of writing a reflection as I normally do. I hope you enjoy it.
Genesis chapters 29 and 30 present a very interesting story. When I first read the chapters, I didn’t even really know what I should focus on. Chapter 29 talks about how Jacob searches for a wife after being sent out by his parents. Jacob finds his uncle Laban, and decides to live with him. Jacob sees that Laban’s daughter Rachel is very beautiful, and he wants to marry her. Laban sees Jacob’s desire for Rachel, and decides to use it as leverage. This is similar to when Jacob saw Esau’s desire for food, and used it as leverage to get the birthright. I guess it’s true; what goes around comes around. Jacob works for Laban for seven years, only to find that Laban gives him Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob demands an explanation, only to get a lame excuse from Laban. Laban then makes Jacob work another seven years to have Rachel as his wife. I don’t know about you, but if I were in Jacob’s situation, I would just cut my losses and take Leah as my only wife. However, Jacob does agree to Laban’s terms, and works another seven years for Rachel.
After finally marrying Rachel, Jacob must have felt relieved. He finally married the woman he loved dearly. He probably thought this was a great chance to settle down, have some kids, and enjoy life. However, in chapter 30, Jacob’s life gets a bit complicated. His wives Leah and Rachel start to compete with each other. They keep telling Jacob to sleep with them, or their servants, so that they can be the one to bear the most children. What’s funny to me is that Jacob never really argues with his wives; he just does what they tell him to do. I guess Jacob knew the secret to living a longer life as a married man.
One common theme in this passage and even throughout Jacob’s life is his struggles. Jacob struggles with Esau, with Laban, with his wives, and eventually with God. The Bible says that when Jacob worked for seven years it only felt like a couple days, but I know that working seven years must have been terrible. What is admirable about Jacob is that he was willing to go through so much struggle in order to receive Rachel as his wife. Even when he finally got Rachel as his wife, he still had struggles in his household when Rachel and Leah competed with each other.
In the spring of this year, I wanted to find an internship for this summer. I knew that since I was a junior, I needed to find an internship if I wanted to get experience in my field. I thought that since I had a decent resume, GPA, and favorable major, that finding an internship wouldn’t be too difficult. I applied to some places, thinking that I would hear back from some if not most of them. However, as time passed, I only heard back from one company. Despite only hearing from one company, I was optimistic because they asked me for an interview, and they seemed to have decent interest in me. I went for the interview, thought I did well, only to find out later that they didn’t want me. Now I started to panic a little bit, because my most promising opportunity ended up not working out. I started to apply to more internships, hoping that someone, anyone, would hire me. More time passed, but I still hadn’t heard back from any of the places I had applied. I thought I was doomed to never get an internship for this summer, which would really hurt my chances of getting a job after college. One day my professor sent an email to the class asking if any of us wanted an internship. I immediately responded to him and sent him my resume. Honestly, I didn’t think I had a chance at getting the internship because my classmates are all just as smart if not smarter than me. However, after a couple weeks passed, I was asked for an interview. I was extremely happy, and I prepared myself for the interview. After the interview was conducted, I thought I did pretty poorly. I was sure that there was no way they would hire me, since I’m sure other students were being interviewed. At this point, I decided that the best course of action was to pray. I prayed that God would grant me this internship. Only a couple days later, the company emailed me back and said that they would hire me for the summer. The last time I was as happy as I was then was probably when I was accepted into college.
So what does my story have to do with this passage? Like Jacob, I really wanted something. If you think about it, I’ve been working for more than 14 years to put myself in a position to get a job or internship, because that’s how long I’ve been in school. Like Jacob, I met disappointment. I didn’t get the first internship that I thought I would, just like Jacob didn’t get the wife he thought he would. However, like Jacob, God provided for me. God is so amazing, and I know that the only reason I got this internship is because of His grace. I still have many human struggles in my life. I’m not going to lie and say that knowing God gets rid of all of my struggles. I have many things that I struggle with that are not in God’s plan. However, as in Jacob’s life, God always finds a way to take my struggles and use it for His purpose. When Rachel and Leah opposed each other, God used their struggle to make the twelve tribes of Israel. My next biggest struggle is the Summer Bible Conference. I have the responsibility of giving the opening message, which coincidentally is about a passage in Genesis. I pray that I would struggle with God’s Word and that He would use my struggles for His plan.
-Smart
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