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Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
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Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
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How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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Bible Study WELCOME TO A DEEP LOOK AT GENESIS
- Thread starter Chopper
- Start date
Sinthesis
Member
Day 82 Monday 7/7/14 Genesis 34:11-24 OUCH.
This account has me baffled, first is the brazen way that Shechem approaches Jacob and his son's. Shechem had just raped Dinah, and he comes to her parents and brothers wanting forgiveness? Boy, am I different from those people. Our times are sure different from those times. If a man raped my daughter, he would have ended up in the hospital! Plus, if I didn't do that, I would have turned him over to the police. If he got just a slap on the wrist? He would have ended up in the hospital.
I don't know how much input Jacob had in making the decision to have all the Shechemites circumcised, I have an idea that the brothers of Dinah made the decision because it was deceiving,not that Jacob was above deceiving people. At any rate, the bargain was that the girls in both camps would inter marry. Now my question about this is, where are all the eligible girls in Jacobs camp? Am I missing something? I thought Dinah was the only female.
I realize that the Law had not come into existence yet, but circumcision was an Abrahamic Covenant, and was to distinguish God's people from all others. It seems out of place to allow the Shechemites into this Covenant, to me. Any thoughts? Apparently, the men in the City of Shechem really loved and respected the decisions of Hamor and son Shechem because they went along with this deception because of future gain for themselves. I'm sure that Shechem painted a rosier picture of the deal than is recorded here in Scripture.
V.24 paints a picture of all the males who, "go out of the gate" of the City, all were circumcised.
As in many historic biblical examples, the key to the message is in the meanings of the names of the participants. Here is a prophetic description of the unfortunate consequences that would emerge out of the need to keep Jew and gentile separate until the messianic covenant had been fulfilled. It also explains why Reuben's birthright fell to Judah instead of Simeon or Levi.
Chopper
Member
It is very interesting how people's names had a meaning. I really like that. Some of them, I don't understand, but most of them really make sense. Thank you for the reminder.
TOG
Member
TOG
Member
It will be interesting just to read all the different ones. Thanks again.
Chopper
Member
I hadn't thought of that but you could very well be right. He was the favored son of Hamor, a Prince.
Chopper
Member
Day 83 Tuesday 7/8/14 Genesis 34:25-31 JUDGE AND JURY.
Boy oh boy, does our God put up with a lot of trouble that His people get into? Now the safety of the promised line that our Savior would ultimately come thru is in danger of retribution from neighboring cities or nations. This is a good example of the young people in a family, not seeking the advice of a parent before going out on a mission of destruction.
It is the third day of the Shechemites circumcision and as one Jewish writer explains, "the men were very sore from the crude fashion of circumcision" and the absence of sterile medical equipment. Not only would they be sore but also probably some infection has set in along with a fever which would have made the men weak and sickly.
Scripture says that two brothers of Dinah, both sons of Leah which make them true brothers of Dinah, prepare to kill all the men in Shechem. The Targum of Onkelos believes that the other brothers joined the slaughter because they were there to help clean up the loot, women and children.
Once Jacob finds out what his boys had done, he had a little "chat" with them. V.30 tells us how serious Jacob felt about the needless slaying of Hamor and his men was. I think the boys felt that their father didn't take the rape of their sister as serious as they. "Should he treat our sister like a harlot?" To them, the treatment of their only sister of whom they loved and would have given their lives to protect, they just couldn't accept the thought of their sister being treated like an every day harlot.
When my son and daughter were at the Christian Academy where I went to Bible College, my Son protected his sister and was aware of her activities. They were very popular in high school, and if a guy wanted to go somewhere with Peggy, Skip had to approve, that sure helped me! My son Skip would be a future Marine, he was a weight lifter and star football lineman, and no one messed with him. He made a great bodyguard for Peggy.
Boy oh boy, does our God put up with a lot of trouble that His people get into? Now the safety of the promised line that our Savior would ultimately come thru is in danger of retribution from neighboring cities or nations. This is a good example of the young people in a family, not seeking the advice of a parent before going out on a mission of destruction.
It is the third day of the Shechemites circumcision and as one Jewish writer explains, "the men were very sore from the crude fashion of circumcision" and the absence of sterile medical equipment. Not only would they be sore but also probably some infection has set in along with a fever which would have made the men weak and sickly.
Scripture says that two brothers of Dinah, both sons of Leah which make them true brothers of Dinah, prepare to kill all the men in Shechem. The Targum of Onkelos believes that the other brothers joined the slaughter because they were there to help clean up the loot, women and children.
Once Jacob finds out what his boys had done, he had a little "chat" with them. V.30 tells us how serious Jacob felt about the needless slaying of Hamor and his men was. I think the boys felt that their father didn't take the rape of their sister as serious as they. "Should he treat our sister like a harlot?" To them, the treatment of their only sister of whom they loved and would have given their lives to protect, they just couldn't accept the thought of their sister being treated like an every day harlot.
When my son and daughter were at the Christian Academy where I went to Bible College, my Son protected his sister and was aware of her activities. They were very popular in high school, and if a guy wanted to go somewhere with Peggy, Skip had to approve, that sure helped me! My son Skip would be a future Marine, he was a weight lifter and star football lineman, and no one messed with him. He made a great bodyguard for Peggy.
Chopper
Member
Yes
Yes, Leah gave birth to Simon and Levi as well as Dinah. That's the reason, IMO, that they were so enraged, that was their blood sister.
Yes, Leah gave birth to Simon and Levi as well as Dinah. That's the reason, IMO, that they were so enraged, that was their blood sister.
Chopper
Member
That's a good thought.
Sinthesis
Member
The morality play here is that righteous 'judgment-Dinah' slipped off to gentile 'burden bearer-Shechem', who defiled her, but sincerely wanted to do right by her. A deal was struck by which these gentiles would become like Israel and thus share in the blessing. Simeon and Levi then betrayed and murdered these gentiles who would join Israel. Jacob found this problematic, showing us that to simply 'hear-Simeon' and 'identify-Levi' ourselves with God doesn't guarantee righteous behavior. The brothers countered that it should not be allowed for gentiles to contaminate the people of Israel. Ironically Joseph, whom these murderous 'righteous' brothers would sell into slavery, would later have two legally gentile sons who were accepted by Jacob/Israel as his own sons.
Though Elohim is plural, the word is always used with verbs conjugated in the singular, proving 3 in 1.
Example: "And God said ..." is "Vayomer Elohim ...", not "Vayomru Elohim ...".
(btw, I am a scholar of the Hebrew language)
TOG
Member
I've heard that it is similar to the famous English sentence "We are not amused", although that does use a plural verb. Could it be that it's a sign of respect or a "royal pronoun", rather than indicating plural persons?
The TOG
Chopper
Member
Welcome BigLion. I'm really pleased and honored to have you enter our studies. Since we are in the O.T. and desire to dig deep into the Word of God, your expertise in the Hebrew language will be enthusiastically received.
Chopper
Member
Hi Gang, I had to work today for my wife. But I'm here now.
Day 84 Wednesday 7/9/14 Genesis 35:1-7 SET A COURSE FOR BETHEL.
I always love it when a Chapter opens with Elohiym speaking to someone. Here, God "said", we don't know if this is an audible voice, thought sent by the Holy Spirit, a dream, or vision. " And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother" Some think this may have been Jesus the Christ speaking to him because of how the Speaker uses the second person referral. Plus, we have Elohiym speaking that denotes the Trinity. Jacob is instructed to go to Bethel, the house of God. What a holy place that will be.
It appears that Elohiym wanted Jacob not to waste time, for He is in the process of keeping Jacob safe from anyone who would seek him harm. Bethel is approximately 28 miles from Shechem. Jacob is to make an altar to God, a place for giving thanks for keeping him safe, providing his needs for his family and livestock, also for prayer for future direction, and wisdom. He is to dwell there, so this will be his place for some time.
Next in V.2 we have Jacob instructing his people and the captives, to "put away" which really means to give to Jacob for disposal, all the "strange god's" which would be the idols of the people. The Targum of Jonathan says that the household god's that Rachel took from her father were not among them. Apparently they were Rachel's family treasures, such as photographs and the like.
They were to bath themselves and put on clean garments. Both the Targum of Jonathan and Aben Ezra state that because of the massive bloodshed from killing all the Shechemite men, there is bloodshed on their hands as a whole. After all, they are headed to "the house of God" in Bethel. Jacob, in spite of the problems at Shechem, he wanted his people to be clean of all that went on there.
V.3 has Jacob telling his people about the God (El) that kept and blessed him all the way from fleeing from Esau and his goings on at Laban's household. Next, he had the people bring all the idols to him so that he could bury them by the oak of Shechem. "And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob." I really like this verse! I think it portrays the seriousness of the situation that there must have been folk, even perhaps relatives of those slain in Shechem, who would like to even the score with Jacob's sons.
I'll have to finish this tomorrow. After working in 90 degree heat and humidity, I not doing so good.
Day 84 Wednesday 7/9/14 Genesis 35:1-7 SET A COURSE FOR BETHEL.
I always love it when a Chapter opens with Elohiym speaking to someone. Here, God "said", we don't know if this is an audible voice, thought sent by the Holy Spirit, a dream, or vision. " And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother" Some think this may have been Jesus the Christ speaking to him because of how the Speaker uses the second person referral. Plus, we have Elohiym speaking that denotes the Trinity. Jacob is instructed to go to Bethel, the house of God. What a holy place that will be.
It appears that Elohiym wanted Jacob not to waste time, for He is in the process of keeping Jacob safe from anyone who would seek him harm. Bethel is approximately 28 miles from Shechem. Jacob is to make an altar to God, a place for giving thanks for keeping him safe, providing his needs for his family and livestock, also for prayer for future direction, and wisdom. He is to dwell there, so this will be his place for some time.
Next in V.2 we have Jacob instructing his people and the captives, to "put away" which really means to give to Jacob for disposal, all the "strange god's" which would be the idols of the people. The Targum of Jonathan says that the household god's that Rachel took from her father were not among them. Apparently they were Rachel's family treasures, such as photographs and the like.
They were to bath themselves and put on clean garments. Both the Targum of Jonathan and Aben Ezra state that because of the massive bloodshed from killing all the Shechemite men, there is bloodshed on their hands as a whole. After all, they are headed to "the house of God" in Bethel. Jacob, in spite of the problems at Shechem, he wanted his people to be clean of all that went on there.
V.3 has Jacob telling his people about the God (El) that kept and blessed him all the way from fleeing from Esau and his goings on at Laban's household. Next, he had the people bring all the idols to him so that he could bury them by the oak of Shechem. "And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob." I really like this verse! I think it portrays the seriousness of the situation that there must have been folk, even perhaps relatives of those slain in Shechem, who would like to even the score with Jacob's sons.
I'll have to finish this tomorrow. After working in 90 degree heat and humidity, I not doing so good.