|
For Week #1 and Week #2 Study Guide Information
For Week #5 and Week #6 Study Guide Information
For Week #7 and Week #8 Study Guide Information
Week #4
Day 1 -- The Death of Sarah and the Marriage of Rebekah and Issac
(Genesis 36:1 -- 37:36; Psalm 17; Proverbs 3:33--35)
36 This chapter details the descendants of Esau and the ruler's of Edom. Just like the splitting of
ways between Abraham and Lot; Jacob and Esau must seperate in order to find sufficient land
to graze for their heards.
36:1 "Esau, that is Edom" -- Reddish rock formations, primarly sandstone, are conspicuous in the
territory of the Edomites, located south and southeast of the Dead Sea.
36:8 "Esau settled in the Hill country of Seir" -- Another name for Edom. The word itself is related
to the Hebrew word meaning "hair," a possible meaning also for the name of "Esau". Esau's clan
must have driven away the original Horite inhabitants of Seir.
36:11 "Eliphaz: Teman" One of Job's friends was named Eliphaz the Temanite, and Job himself was
from the land of Uz. Thus Job probably lived in Edom.
37:2 "a bad report" -- possibly they were lazy or not fullfilling their duties and obligations."
37:2 "Jacob loved Joseph" -- Jacob's deep love for Rachel passes on to her son Joseph. Jacob gives
to him a "richly ornamented robe", which displayed his favortism and love.
37:4 "his brothers hated him..." -- jealousy is a powerful emotion that leads to hatred and
bitterness. Joseph experiences this type hatred and unkindness from his brothers just because
his dad loved him more.
37:5--11 Joseph has two dreams or visions that serve as a prophecy for future events. Both dreams
will foresee the time when Joseph will come into power in Egypt during a time of sever
drought in Israel. Joseph's brothers and eventually his father will come and bow down
before the brother whom they believed to be dead. Notice how God will use dreams and
visions to direct the course of future events.
37:17 “Dothan” – Located about 13 miles north of Shechem, Dothan was already an ancient city by
this time.
37:19 “dreamer” – The Hebrew for this word means “master of dreams” or “dream expert” and is
here used with obvious sarcasm.
37:21 – Reuben because his Jacob’s firstborn attempts to rescue his brother by making the suggestion
that he be thrown in the cistern rather than killed. Reuben wants to have to time to
rescue his kid brother so his father will not be distraught or angered.
37:25 “Ishamaelites” – These various tribal groups were interrelates, since Midian and Medan, like
Ishmael, were also sons of Abraham.
“balm” – an oil gum, with healing properties, exuded by the fruit or stems of one or more kinds
of small trees. The balm of Gilead was especially effective.
“myrrh” – probably to be identified with labdanum, an aromatic gum exuded from the leaves of
the cistus rose. Its oil was used in beauty treatments, it was sometimes mixed with wine and
drunk to relieve pain. As a gift for a king, myrrh was brought to Jesus after his birth and
applied to his body after his death.
37:25—35 Reuben’s desire was to spare his brother’s life by rescuing him from the cistern. Judah
however was not only jealous but also desired to gain a profit from his brother’s
misfortune. He convinces his other brothers to sell Joseph to the caravan of traders
heading to Egypt for twenty shekels of silver. When Reuben discovers that his brothers
have altered the plans he is worried about what how is father will react. The brothers
than conceive a plan to make it look like Joseph was killed by wild animals. They spread
goat’s blood all over his beautiful coat that has been ripped and shredded. Jacob takes
the news of Joseph’s death hard and will not be comforted by his family.
37:35 “Sheol” – a general term to used to describe a place of death. Jewish culture did not have
a real defined understanding of the afterlife, so “sheol” became an all encompassing
expression for life eternal.
37:36 “guard” – The Hebrew for this word can mean “executioners” (the captain of whom was in
charge of the royal prisoners) or it can mean “butchers” (the captain of whom was the chief
cook in the royal court)
Day 2 -- Judah and Tamar; Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
(Genesis 38:1 -- 39:23; Psalm 18:1--11; Proverbs 4:1--6)
38:1—30 The story of Judah and Tamar shows how God’s chosen people can be deceived and
and overcome by sexual sin. Judah’s sons have inherited their father’s wickedness and
God destroys them for it. Tamar is made promises that are not kept, thus she takes
matters into her own hands. Through it all this family will be the ancestors of King
David and Jesus Christ.
38:1 “Adullam” – a town southwest of Jerusalem
38:2—5 Judah leaves his family to spend time with his friend Hirah. There he meets a girl from
Canaan and has three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah.
38:5 “Kezib” – located three miles west of Adullam. The “men of Cozeba” were descendants of
Shelah son of Judah. The Hebrew root of the name means “deception”, a theme
running throughout the story of Jacob and his sons.
38:7 – 30 When Judah’s firstborn son Er dies he leaves Tamar a widow. It was customary during that
time that if a man dies his brother would take his wife and sleep with her so that she may
have children. It because Onan’s responsibility to carryout this custom but he is too keen
on the idea, so during intercourse he relieves himself on the ground so Tamar can’t
conceive a child. This doesn’t sit to well with the LORD so he put’s Onan to death. Judah
makes a promise with Tamar that when Shelah is old enough she can return to him. So
Tamar goes and lives with her father, but Judah never follows through with his promise
Tamar like most women takes matters into her own hands. She pretends to be a prostitute
and Judah hires her for sex. As a down payment for her services he gives her some
personal items and then later he will give her a young goat. Well Tamar gets pregnant
with her father-in-laws child and returns home as widow once again. When word gets
out that she’s pregnant Judah wants to have her burned at the stake. He confronts her
and she pulls out the chord, rope, and the staff which all belong to Judah the father
of her child. Judah has no choice but to let her live and she gives birth to twins. What
is incredible is that Perez will become the head of the tribe of Judah that will give birth
to both King David and eventually Jesus of Nazareth.
39 Despite being a slave in a foreign land Joseph is blessed by the LORD. He becomes prosperous
and eventually will gain a status as Pharaoh’s second in command. Not bad for a Jewish boy
who was left for dead, sold into slavery, accused of sexual assault, and thrown into prison.
39: 2—6 God had made a promise to Jacob that those who blessed him would be blessed. We see the
evidence of that promise her as Joseph his son is blessed by Potiphar and thus all of Egypt is
blessed.
39:6—20 While serving in Potiphar’s home, Joseph becomes responsible for the day to day affairs of
running the home. During this time Potiphar’s wife takes a liking to Joseph and attempts to
seduce him. Joseph rejects her advances, but she is persistent. Joseph finds himself all
alone with her in her bedroom, and she grabs his cloak and he runs out of the house naked.
Of course Potiphar’s wife feels scorned and rejected so she makes up a lie and has Joseph
thrown into prison. But God still watches over Joseph and he flourishes even while in prison.
Day 3 -- The Cupbearer and the Baker; Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
(Genesis 40:1 -- 23; Psalm 18:12--24; Proverbs 4:7--10)
40:5 The cupbearer and the baker of the Pharaoh were thrown into prison and found themselves
under the supervision of Joseph. One evening they each had a dream that apparently left them
dejected. In the ancient Near East it was believed that dreams had specific meanings and that
proper interpretation of them could help them dreamer predict his future. God was beginning to
prepare the way for Joseph’s rise in Egypt.
40:8 “interpretations belong to God” – God has the ability to interpret dreams and use them for the
benefit of God’s people. Both Joseph an Daniel are given the ability to interpret these visions
which provide an opportunity to gain status in the midst of captivity. Dream interpretation is
not a common experience and therefore we should not expect this to be a regular part of our
Christian life.
40:9 – 23 Joseph’s interpretation of the two men’s dreams are pretty self-explanatory. The chief
cupbearer is restored to his position and the baker is killed. I wonder why the chief
cupbearer forgot to remember Joseph upon his being freed from prison. Of course all
we have to do is look at how often we forget the work of God in our own lives.
Day 4—Pharaoh’s Dreams
(Genesis 41:1-40; Psalm 18:25—36; Proverbs 4:11—13)
41:1—7 Pharaoh’s dream foresees the upcoming seven years of blessing and seven years of famine.
God paints the picture for Pharaoh two different ways to emphasize the importance of
these dreams upon the land of Egypt.
41:8 “His mind was troubled” – Just as the cupbearer and the baker were distressed by their
dreams, Pharaoh is troubled by his dreams. He seeks help from magicians and wise men who
claimed to have the ability to interpret dreams because the possessed supernatural/occult
power. In the ancient Near East, dream interpretations were sought form experts who had
been trained in techniques and methods of the day. Both the Egyptians and Babylonians
compiled what are called “dream books,” which contain sample dreams along with a key to
their interpretation. Though some of the interpretations in the biblical accounts may seem
obvious, dreams often depend on symbolism, and the symbols might not stand for what is
most logical.
41:9 “I am reminded of my shortcomings” – the chief cupbearer acknowledges his failure to
remember Joseph upon being released from prison two years ago. Sometimes it takes us
along time to acknowledge our failures and mistakes, but as the cupbearer shows it is
never to late.
41:16 “I can’t do it…” Joseph illustrates the proper attitude that we should all have in relation to
God’s blessings and gifts in our lives. You and I have nothing to give or offer this world
expect that which God gives through us.
41:27 “seven years of famine” – Long famines were rare in Egypt because of the regularity of the
annual overflow of the Nile, but not uncommon elsewhere.
41:32 “The reason the dream was given…” Joseph explains to Pharaoh that the purpose of two
dreams illustrating the same event is to show that these events have been firmly decided by
God and thus will not change. God does the same thing for John in the book of Revelation by
giving three sets of visions all describing similar events to highlight the necessity and
decisiveness of the End Times.
41:33—36 Joseph offers a plan to Pharaoh for handling the oncoming famine which puts Joseph in
a prime position to be placed into leadership. He encourages Pharaoh to look for a
“discerning and wise man” to be in charge. Of course who could be better than one who
has a unique connection to God and the ability to offer wise and discerning counsel.
Joseph’s plan includes a 20% tax on all harvests that will be stored for a later date.
41:38 “in whom is the spirit of God” – Pharaoh sees something in Joseph that is unique and
different. He sees the spirit of God. Now what exactly that means for a Pharaoh who leads
a polytheistic culture, I’m not sure. But what we can see is that Joseph is special. For just
a moment ask yourself this question, “Do people see in you the Spirit of God?”
Day 5—Joseph is in Charge
(Genesis 41:41--57; Psalm 18:37--50; Proverbs 4:14--19)
41:42 – Symbols of Royal Authority:
q A signet ring – necessary in order to do business on behalf of Pharaoh because it would
allow Joseph to seal official documents.
q Royal Robes – signifies his rank, status, and office.
q A gold chain – “ “
q Chariots – the limousines of the day. It’s like being part of the President’s motorcade.
41:45 – “Asenath” – Egyptian name meaning She belongs to the goddess Neith.
“Potiphera” – Not the same person as “Potiphar”; the name (also Egyptian) means
he whom (the sun-god) Ra has given.
“On” – Located ten miles northeast of modern Cairo, it was called Heliopolis “city of the
Sun” by the Greeks and was an important center for the worship of Ra, who had a temple
There. Potiphera therefore bore an appropriate name. The priest of On officiated at all
Major festivals and supervised lesser priests, who served the sun god Ra. So Joseph marries
into an extremely powerful family, but it must have made for interesting conversations.
41:46 – “thirty years old” – An incredible accomplishment that can only be explained by the power
of God working in his life.
41:51 – 52 Joseph’s two sons with Asenath reflect the changes and direction of Joseph’s life in
Egypt. Manasseh shows Joseph’s appreciation to God that he has helped him forget
the betrayal he experienced at the hands of his brothers. Ephraim reflects Joseph’s
gratitude for the abundant blessings God has poured on to him in Egypt.
41:53 – 57 The great famine stretched throughout the entire Mediterranean world. This famine
will bring about the reconnect of Joseph and his family.
Day 6—Joseph and His Brothers
(Genesis 42:1—44:34; Psalm 19; Proverbs 4:20—27)
42:6 – “bowed down” – Joseph once dreamed that his brothers would come down and bow before
him. Now that day has been fulfilled with the arrival of his brothers in search of food.
42:8 – “Joseph recognized his…” At least twenty years has passed since Joseph had last seen his
brothers but their appearance had changed very little. Joseph on the other hand was just
a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. He is now a adult so his appearance has
changed drastically especially since he is shaved, well dressed, and in an important
governmental position. Joseph pretends to not know them and questions their coming to
Egypt.
42:10 – “we are honest men…” what irony these words carry to a group of men who have lived a lie
for over twenty years concerning the supposed death of their brother.
42:8 – 20 Joseph is in an unique position, “what do I do with the men who betrayed me who are
also my brothers. It seems as if Joseph wants to test their loyalty and integrity. I guess
the question running thru his mind is “Have they changed?” and “Have they learned from
their mistakes?”
Week #3
Day 1 -- The Death of Sarah and the Marriage of Rebekah and Issac
(Genesis 23:1 -- 24:67; Psalm 11; Proverbs 3:11-12)
23 The Death of Sarah – The death of Sarah marks the turning point in the Genesis story as the
focus shifts now to Isaac and his family. The death Sarah illustrates an important tradition
within ancient culture as Abraham purchases a burial cave which will be used by multiple
generations of his family.
23:2 “Kiriath Arba” – means the “town of Arba [Arba was a prominent member of a tribe living
in the Hebron area. It can also mean “the town of four,” referring to the place where
Anak and his three sons lived.
23:4 Abraham is not trying to buy farmland, only property for a burial site. Village cultures
used burial chambers. Most often a family tomb was used by several generations. A body
was laid in a prepared shelf along with grave goods (food, pottery, trinkets, weapons,
tools, weapons, and other personal items.) Later the skeletal remains were removed and
placed in another chamber or an ossuary box or simply swept to the rear of the tomb to
accommodate another burial.
23:6 “You are a mighty prince” – Abraham is not a literal prince but his wealth, power, and
influence matched that of royalty.
23:9 “Cave of Machpelah” – Though inaccessible today, the tombs of several patriarchs and
their wives—Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah—are, according to
tradition, located in a large cave deep beneath the Mosque of Abraham, a Muslim shrine
in Hebron.
“end of his field” – buying the entire field would have made Abraham responsible for the
upkeep and property taxes associated with it. Hittite laws stipulated that when a
landowner sold only part of his property to someone else, the original and principal
landowner had to continue to paying all dues on the land. But if the landowner disposed
of an entire tract, the new owner had to pay the dues.
|
This picture represents the current structure that sits on the site were the cave of Machpelah is known to be located. For more information see this website:
Cave of Machpelah |
23:15 "four hundred shekels of silver..." Despite Ephron's pretense of generosity, 400 shekels of
silver (7 and 1/4 pounds) was an exorbitant price for a field. Ephron was taking advantage of
Abraham during a time of grief and bereavement. He knew that Abraham was an upright man
who would give him a so-called "fair price." Abraham does not accept Ephron's offer to give the
land because Hittite custom would allow Ephron's descendants to reclaim the land after his
death.
23:17--20 The city of Hebron is in the Judean hill country about halfway between Jerusalem and
Beersheba. Mamre is identified as Ramet el-Khalil, about two mimles north of Hebron.
24 The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah demonstrates a common practice of arragned marriage in
the OT. Isaac is grieving the loss of his mother Sarah, so Abraham realizes it is time for him to
get married. He sends one his trusted servants to his brother's homeland to find a wife that
God has appointed for Isaac. That women turns out to be Rebekah, Abraham's grandniece.
24:1 - 5 The oath between Abraham and his chief servant (probably eliezer of Damascus) was
Abraham's way of holding is family bloodline in tact. He didn't want his son to marry a
daughter of Canaan. The servant takes the oath with symbolic gesture of placing his
hand under Abraham's thigh. this in the vicinty of the genitals, and some even maintain that
this procedure involves placing one's hand on the the genitals.
24:10 "Aram Naharaim" -- Aram of the two rivers -- the Euphrates and the Tigris. Aram naharaim was
the Northern part of the area called later by the Greeks. "Mesopotamia."
"town of Nahor" -- perhaps named after Abraham's brother. It is mentioned in clay tablets
excavated by the French begining in 1933 at the ancient city of Mari on the Euphrates.
24:11 "toward the evening" -- trips to a well were generally made during the cooler hours of the day,
and most of the women of the town appeared there. It was normal protocal for a stranger to
ask permission to use a town's well, and it was customary for the people of the town to provide
the hospitality of the offering a drink.
24:19 "draw water for your camels" -- A camel that has gone a few days without water can drink as
much as twenty five gallons. Ancient jars used for drawing water usually held no more than three
gallons. In other words, this offer involves perhaps from eighty to a hundre drawings from the
well. Such an unbellievable proposal would indicate that God is working to lead Rebekah to
be His chosen instrument.
24:22 "beka" -- half a shekel. The giving of gifts--the nose ring and bracelts--serves several functions
1). A payment of gradituted for the watering of the camels
2). A sign of hospitatlity to inquire more of the young women's home status
3). A potential down payment for this new bride to be
24:34--49 -- Because the Israelities lived in an oral culture it was necessary to repeat stories to
ensure that the history and tradition of ones people would be passed on. The servant
explains his mission and directives from God as evidence that she has been chosen by
God to be Isaac's wife.
24:54 -- 59 It was unusual in the ancient world for the woman to ahve any part in major decisions.
Rebekah is not consulted with regard to the marriage, but when the servant asks to leave
right away, the men look to Rebekah for consent. Marriage contracts of this general
period show a great concern for maintaing the woman's security within her husband's family
The ten days that Rebekah's family requests would give thema little more opportunity to
make sure that everything is on the up and up.
24:65--67 As Rebekah approaches Isaac she covers herself with a veil to ensure that he knows that
she is a virgin and ready to be married. The "tent" serves as the bridal chamber were the
marriage will be consumated.
Day 2 -- The Death of Abraham, Ishmael's Sons, Jacob and Esau,
Isaac and Abimelech.
(Genesis 25:1 -- 26:35; Psalm 12; Proverbs 3:13--15)
25 The death of Abraham brings an end to the story of the founding father of God’s chosen people. His life was marked by struggle, prosperity, and blessing. Abraham is buried, with his wife Sarah, by his two sons Isaac and Ishmael at the cave of Machpelah near Mamre. The Genesis story continues with the birth of Isaac’s sons Jacob and Esau and their tense relationship.
25:5 – Abraham’s last will and testament deeded all he owned to Isaac who will carry on the
covenant relationship between his farther and Yahweh. While Isaac received the
entire inheritance, Abraham made sure his other children were provided for during his
lifetime.
25:6 – “concubines” – polygamy was an accepted cultural practice that even the most godly
men practiced. God however never gives acceptance to this practice because it
undermines the divine plan for marriage. In many instances we see that multiple wives
and concubines create significant problems for the entire family (see David and Samuel).
25:13 – “His descendants settled from…” – Ishmael’s sons develop into what we now as the Arab
world. Just as God promised they would become a great nation, but would continually
live in hostility towards their brothers.
25:21—26 Just as Isaac’s mother experienced problems conceiving a child so does Rebekah.
Isaac offers prayers to the Lord and Rebekah becomes pregnant with twins. Her twin
sons apparently were extremely active in the womb and would often fight with one
another. Rebekah becomes worried so she prays to the Lord for some understanding.
The LORD answers her with the following response:
q Two nations are in your womb
q The will separate at some time
q Jacob (the younger) will be stronger than Esau (the older) and Esau will serve Jacob
25:26 “his hand grasping Esau’s heel” – hostility between the Israelites (Jacob’s descendants)
and Edomites (Esau’s descendants) became the rule rather than the exception.
“Jacob” – he grasps the heel. The name become proverbial for the unsavory quality of
deceptiveness.
25:31 “sell me your birthright” – The birthright was the oldest son’s share of his father’s
estate. In the ancient world the firstborn typically received a double share of the
inheritance. So Isaac would divide his estate into three parts, one for Jacob and two for
Esau. This discrepancy is compounded by the fact that Jacob and Esau are twins. A
matter of seconds sets apart a valuable inheritance, which probably fuels Jacob’s desire
to use his brother’s weakness to gain the birthright. The writer of Hebrews indicates
that this action of valuing “desires” over God demonstrates godlessness. (Hebrews 12:6)
25:34 “lentil” – a small pea-like annual plant, the pods of which turn reddish-brown when
boiled. It grows well even in bad soil and has provided an important source of
nourishment in the Near East since ancient times.
26 In this chapter God reaffirms the covenant blessings of Abraham to Isaac. It shows the Isaac’s
dependency upon the Lord and shows how Isaac faces the same challenges as his father.
261—2 Isaac like his father Abraham experiences the struggle of living in a land of famine. Like
his father he begins to make his way to Egypt, but unlike his father God intervenes and
tells Isaac not to go to Egypt. Isaac then takes us residence in Gerar, which is the land of
the Philistines and under the rule of Abimelech.
26:3 – 4 God reminds Isaac of His covenant:
q I will be with and will bless you
q I will give you and all your descendants these lands
q I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
q I will bless all the nations through your offspring
26:5 God uses four words to describe what he expects of his people:
q “requirements” – specific actions
q “commands” – demands that incur obligation
q “decrees” – regulations
q “laws” – instructional guidance
26:7—11 Apparently Isaac doesn’t learn from his father mistake. While living in the Philistine
land he tells his wife Rebekah to pretend that she is his sister. Isaac gets caught making
out with his wife and the deception is unveiled. Fortunately for Isaac and Rebekah,
Abimelech allows the stay and even offers his protection.
26:20 “The water is ours!” – in those arid regions, disputes over water rights and pasturelands
were common.
26:30 “made a feast” – Covenants were often concluded with a shared meal, signifying the bond
of friendship.
 **
Day 3-- Jacob's deception and flight to Haran.
(Genesis 27:1--28:22; Psalm 13; Proverbs 3:16--18)
27--28 The deception of Jacob till steal his brother's birthright and his father's blessing. Is one of the
most perplexing encounters in all of Scripture. Jacob's lies, cheats, and maniuplates both his
brother and father while under the watchful eye of his mother. Then when things get dangerous
he takes his mother's advice to flee to Haran, until his Esau's wrath cools. Why does God allow
Jacob to receive this blessing? Why doesn't he punish Jacob and bless Esau? Maybe because
God's plan and His grace run contrary to our understanding of how things should work.
27:5 "give you my blessing" -- Oral statements, including deathbed bequests, had legal force in ancient
Near Eatern law.
27:6 Rebekah shows us the danger of parental favortism. When she makes the statement that she
does not want to lose both of her sons, you have to wonder if she is imply that she will Jacob by
death and Esau by resentment/bitterness.
27:5--26 Jacob's deception. The account of Jacob stealing his brother's blessing demonstrates how
decption and lies work to achieve ones desires. Jacob willing follows his mother's advice
with his only concern about being caught. Jacob won't admit that he is tricking his facter,
he is only concerned that his actions "would appear to be..." Jacob has no problem with
disguising himself as his brother, nor lying to his father's face. Jacob lives up to his name
the deceiver.
27:27 -- 40 The Blessing of the Brothers
Jacob Esau
The gift of wealth and prosperity You will not experience riches and prosperity
Nations will serve and bow down to you You will live by the sword
You will rule over your brothers You will serve your brothers
Those who curse you will be cursed You will grow restless of this situation
Those who bless you will be blessed You will break free of your brothers grip
27:41 -- 28:5 Jacob Flees to Laban
| 
