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Bible Study WELCOME TO A DEEP LOOK AT GENESIS

All those years ago and we see the promise of the Victory of Jesus...

Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
 
All those years ago and we see the promise of the Victory of Jesus...

Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
and
even
his disciples needed >>
Luke 24:45
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
45 Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh,

as even they with being with Jesus all that time did not understand Yhwh's Word.
 
Day 54 Monday 6/9/14 Genesis 26:6-11 Like Father, Like Son.

Of course I have known from past studies of Genesis, how Abraham and Isaac traded their wives for safety of self, but for some reason, this morning was different. I'm saddened by Isaac treating his wife in this fashion. I can't help but believe that something spiritual is happening in the background between Isaac and the Lord. But, to think that father and son would even think of allowing their loving wives to go off with other men, let alone doing it torques me off. I also know that in those days, Jewish men didn't put a lot of value on their women, other than have their son's.

Isaac and Rebekah had been married for about forty years. Jacob and Esau were around fifteen years of age, and Rebekah was in her upper thirties, and still in her prime. Isaac called Gerar home because he was born there. I'm undecided in what V.8 says, "When he had been there a long time. Would that be a long time before the men of Gerar asked about Rebekah? Or a long time that Rebekah was in the hands of that lustful group of men. Rebekah probably was in the palace of Abimelech.

One hundred years had passed from the time Abraham was there and offered his Sarah up in the ruse he made up with Sarah his half sister. This time though Rebekah could not be considered Isaac's sister, so this is a sin of outright deceit IMO. I wonder if the teenage twins would have said anything to their father about turning over their beloved mother to these men. I would think that if they had lived there any length of time, the twins would have known what was on the minds of these men who wanted Rebekah.

I'm quite sure that Isaac knew about his father's ruse with his mother, so I wonder if the thought, "well, if God rescued my mother from these people, He'll rescue Rebekah." The problem with that kind of thinking is, a hundred years has passed and this is a different crowd, and Rebekah is not his sister. Because the family line has to be protected, or kept pure because of the promise of Messiah coming thru Rebekah and Isaac, Jehovah would certainly rescue Rebekah, which He did.

V.8 has King Abimelech looking out a window in the palace, and sees Isaac (KJV) "sporting" with Rebekah. This is the kind of intimacy that husband and wife would do, not brother and sister. Abimelech knew that and rebuked Isaac for deceiving him, which is, to me, the only rebuke made to him. Nothing is recorded from Yahweh. Rebekah is returned to Isaac with a safety message of their protection.
 
when they variously called their wives their sister, i don't think that means that they "offered them up", even realizing that all men are pigs.
i see no indication in Scripture that they ever thought or believed that their wives would be taken as wives by other men,
or that they ever considered 'offering them' as wives or as concubines.
and I think Yhwh never chastised them for it. Yhwh did protect them all, and chastised instead the ones who thought of taking advantage of the wives even though they 'innocently' thought they were single and available.
 
when they variously called their wives their sister, i don't think that means that they "offered them up", even realizing that all men are pigs.
i see no indication in Scripture that they ever thought or believed that their wives would be taken as wives by other men,
or that they ever considered 'offering them' as wives or as concubines.
and I think Yhwh never chastised them for it. Yhwh did protect them all, and chastised instead the ones who thought of taking advantage of the wives even though they 'innocently' thought they were single and available.


Abraham in Egypt
When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” (Gen. 12:11-13 ESV)

Abraham in Gerar
Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ (Gen. 20:11 ESV)

Isaac in Gerar
When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance (Gen. 26:7 ESV)
It seems to me that in all these cases they said "sister" rather than "wife" because they knew that the people would want the women for themselves and would be willing to kill the men to get them.

The TOG​
 
It seems to me that in all these cases they said "sister" rather than "wife" because they knew that the people would want the women for themselves and would be willing to kill the men to get them.
The TOG​

'seems' ? . in this case , yes, even the english translation of Scripture is correct (for the most part). that's what they thought.
 
i see no indication in Scripture that they ever thought or believed that their wives would be taken as wives by other men

It seems to me that in all these cases they said "sister" rather than "wife" because they knew that the people would want the women for themselves and would be willing to kill the men to get them.

'seems' ? . in this case , yes, even the english translation of Scripture is correct (for the most part). that's what they thought.

:confused

The TOG​
 
Gen 26:6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
Gen 26:7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
Gen 26:8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
Gen 26:9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
Gen 26:10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
Gen 26:11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
 
God's mighty men seem to have this weakness. I never thought God's kids needed to be perfect people... We are forgiven :woot2
 
Gen 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
Gen 26:13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
Gen 26:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
Gen 26:15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
Gen 26:16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
Gen 26:17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
Gen 26:18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
Gen 26:19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
Gen 26:20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
Gen 26:21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
Gen 26:22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
 
where does it say / is it written / "love(obedience to Yhwh/righteousness) gives up what is rightfully its own without complaint or strife or argument(i.e. freely)" (paraphrased)

as in the above , well, after well, after well ---- hard digging also, realize.....
 
Day 55 Tuesday 6/10/14 Genesis 26;12-22 Blessings Abound.

Perhaps I should have titled this section "Oh Well." V.12-14 demonstrate, in those times, the results of favor from the Lord. It usually meant that a person had their life in order with the Almighty, and He blessed them. When we consider the Book of Job, we see why Job's friends kept hammering that philosophy. As compared with Isaac's neighbors, the result of Isaac's plantings, his crops yielded a "hundred fold". As a result of God's blessings, Isaac became so wealthy, as compared to Abimelech, leader of the Philistines, that envy became a hindrance to the two leaders.

Next, we come to the well that Abraham and his servants dug when they lived in this area a hundred years previously. The Philistines were not a real friendly group of people when it came to strangers with a large herd of animals. Instead of sharing their land and wells which were vital to the health of their herds, The Philistine herdsmen perfidiously (My friend Stan has encouraged me to learn new words). perfidiously means treacherously. filled all the wells that Abraham dug, with dirt. I'm told that they did this to discourage squatters from settling near their grazing land.

Now comes Isaac with his herds and decides to dig again his fathers wells. "Nothing doing" says Phil Istine! "The water is ours." Isaac says "no way! My father dug this well" Phil says "it's ours, move on." It happens again, so Isaac moves one more time. I think Phil and the other herdsmen saw some of the fighting men who were Isaac's body guards and decided, "OK, it's yours."
 
Day 56 Wednesday 6/11/14 Genesis 26:23-34 Bad Choice.

It looks like that the same night that Isaac had settled in Beersheba, Jehovah appeared to him. Since it was night, His appearance was probably in a dream. Again, Jehovah re-tell the promise to made to his father Abraham, and His Word to protect and bless Isaac.

I get a kick out of Abimelech, in that he must have had his herdsmen in the area of Beersheba, continually checking out Isaac's progress. Abimelech could now see that Isaac was becoming a threat to him and possibly overthrow his kingdom and take it from him.

Abimelech decides to take his trusted cabinet of men, Phicol, who may have been present at the time a treaty was struck with Abraham and Abimelech's father, I'm not sure. Isaac lets them have it with this comment, "Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me." I believe Isaac could see the fear in their eyes. Abimelech proposes a treaty so neither one will do the other any harm. The next day, they make their oaths and Abimelech goes his way certainly relieved and feeling much safer.

Esau, a bit of a rebel now, chooses a wife from the Hittite clan, and together make life miserable for his parents. Probably because of his birth rite given over to the apple of Rebekah's eye, Jacob.
 
NOTE: Next week 6/13 thru 6/23 I will be in the State of Maine with my brother Tom. You faithful few who have been in this study can either take a week off, or keep on posting your comments. Reba, can you please head up the study until I get back? I do want to thank all of you for making this study of Genesis an exciting event.
 
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