Bible notes

Here are short notes on my devotional reading the last week or two.

Gen 15:6-8 - Ab's faith is noted by Paul in Romans 4, and it's a hallmark both for defining his life personally, and for our doctrine of justification by faith.  But Abram was obviously impatient and uncertain, too (Gen 15:2 and 8).

Gen 16 - the Israel-Ishmael feud began with Sarai's lack of faith, like Eve in the Garden.  Ab "heeds the voice" of Sarai, as Adam did (Gen 3:17; 16:2).  Hagar gloats.  Sarai mistreats her.  Both are at fault, but the most seems to go to Ab and Sarai.

Gen 17 - God renews and develops His covenant with Ab and his family, giving the sign of circumcision, even after they had messed up badly.

Gen 18 - God deals with both His people (promising Isaac) and His world (judging Sodom).  Ab intercedes between them, with Lot in Sodom.

Gen 19 - Lot's wife a pillar of salt: connect with the next episode.  Her daughters want to continue their line at all costs!

Gen 20 - sometimes those without knowledge of God are wiser than God's people.

Gen 21 - Ab has to put all his eggs in the "baby-Isaac" basket, when he had a stronger, older son Ishmael already.  God chooses the weak to shame the strong.

​Gen 22 - God will often give what you’re grasping after you give it up.

Gen 23 - Ab takes an opportunity at the death of his wife to obtain a bit of land in Canaan.

Gen 24 - Abraham obtains a wife for Isaacs.  This is the long, center chapter of Genesis.

Gen 25 - Abraham's other children are catalogued.  Esau's unworthiness to inherit the blessing.

Gen 26 - Isaac learns like Abrham, that pagans can be more virtuous than you think.

Gen 27 - Jacob steals the blessing with Rebecca's help, and Isaac's passive acceptance.

Gen 28 - Jacob goes to Laban to avoid Esau.  God affirms His blessing on him with the ladder dream.

Gen 29 - loving Rachel, the decever is deceived - serves 14 years for Leah and Rachel.

Gen 30 - using sinful rivalry, God multiplies Jacob's family and flocks.

Gen 31 - Jacob painfully disentangles himself from Laban.

Gen 32 - Jacob tries to manage his encounter with Esau, but God makes him vulnerable.  He wrestles with Jacob and leaves him with a limp.

Gen 33 - Jacob meets Esau, afraid he will be hostile, but he is not.  Sometimes the offender is more scarred by past sins than the offended.  Esau seems to expect Jacob to live near him, but Jacob tricks him again, to go somewhere else.

Gen 34 - Jacob's daughter is raped by a prominent neighboring Philistine.  Jacob's sons deceive as Jacob did, and take violent vengeance.  What would justice have been?  How do we live among unbelievers?  With hostility, deceit, and violence?  Willing to compromise true justice?