Leslie: Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without the Turkey and the 'stuffings." (jk) We say stuff all the time down south and we also say Ya'll.
Leigh (cont.); "..Did I miss something?" Abraham came into the land of Canaan by God's direction, to pass his days as a stranger and a pilgrim in a country that was to be given to him in the future; and as a watcher and a holy one to be a witness of the ungodly nation which God was about to take away. Jacob knew the high and holy calling of God on his family though his wife lagged a little behind.
Leigh; The relatives of Jacob were nothing like the Canaanites, even if they were infected with idols: they were not the same kind that Moses later wrote about, who did every abomination that the LORD hates and therefore had God judged to have them completely and utterly exterminated from the earth. There are nations and people today that simply don't know any better, and the Lord will have mercy.
It puzzles me that because Isaac and Rebekah did not want Jacob to marry an idolatrous Canaanite they sent him to her brother Laban to find a wife. Now it turns out that Rachael steels his images and he accuses Jacob of steeling his gods. Huh? Did I miss something?
End of day 10 Bible reading. Fascinating "stuff". Many of Jacob's trials are part of his own undoing, but in those trials we see him exercise a steady dependence upon God to see him through. These chapters are rich in history. There is drama with all kind of emotion feigned or real and noone is seen that is completely selfless. But Jacob is, like Abraham, the stranger and he learns to trust.
To Leslie on 'stuff' - Michael C. was right. Also, the word 'stuff' is not slang. Also it's from the 1700's KING'S ENGLISH. There is no better English. Also, 'stuff' was translated from the O.T. Hebrew. We say, oh, it's just stuff ....; that's not a slang word. It's a 'general, all inclusive term.
Holy means,things that have to do with God.thus you have the story of one Gods Favorites Jacob,there are more twist and turns in this story than espionage movie.
Laban was A deceitful man Jacob was very wise in dealing with his cheating lying ways... Rachel wanted to get even stole his idols.. A chip off the family tree...
What I take away from this chapter is Jacob's incredible patience and doing each thing requested of him by his father-in-law over and over again without getting angry and outraged .....he was subservient and obedient and controlled any outrage he may have felt by the constant betraying of his father=in=law's word to him who would instead ask for more and more of Jacob...Jacob acted respectfully and compliant to his father in laws demands and requests even though they were unfair and unjust.....Jacob instead of taking matters into his own hands....relied on Jehovah and His mercy...God brought him through all this because he relied on God to take care of everything including the injustices he suffered....this chapter teaches us to hang in there relying on God to take care of injustices and those who perpetrate them on us even it takes years....God acts in His own time....we must have faith that He has our backs.....
Rachel stole the idols, images or household gods of her father. We should not be quick to judge her. She did not die in childbirth because of the stolen idols. Like her, we all will eventually die. But if we understand the culture and the thinking of the people at that era then we would not condemn the innocent with the guilty. In those days the images or household gods were the treasured possession of the family. The head of the household inherits the images and thus inherits everything. When Rachel stole the images she was merely taking what belong to her, Leah and the children, that is, the rights of her inheritance. Whoever has the images owns everything in the house. To prevent the lose of his property Laban pursued Jacob to recover the images. Upon not finding them, he came up with another strategy to protect himself - making a covenant with Jacob and setting a boundary in Gilead with God as the mediator, protector and executor. Laban was such a schemer that he made Jacob looks like a saint. You will find David taking the gods of the Philistine, thus claiming ownership and title deed of the land of the Philistine. The Philistine taking the Ark of the Covenant backfired on them. Nebuchadnezzar did not find any idols in the temple at Jerusalem, and the Ark of the Covenant was stolen away out of Judah by the Levitical priests, so he had to settle with the golden vessels from the temple, which vessels were returned by Cyrus the great. JESUS reclaimed what was stolen from Adam by the enemy and as the Son of Man without sin was the legitimate heir to the world. That is the reason why no one but Him was worthy to take the scroll and break open the seals. The scroll is the title deed to the world, which includes all people, nations, tongues and races. JESUS owns them all, but only those who own Him as their Lord and Savior will inherit all things with Him. The blessings of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God, be with you all.
Mizpah means watch tower, and God is going to watch over their affairs one between the other when they are absent. Nothing done in the secret will be kept from the light. Jesus said you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. God has commanded all men every where to repent, the Greek word metanoia which means to change your mind about Jesus. There is only one way to the Father, and it is by the name of Jesus.
What Rachel did was wrong, and caused sin in the camp. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life. Jesus is that gift, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we accept the gift, and receive the forgiveness of our sins. All have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. So we cannot single Rachel out alone for falling into sin. We must learn from their mistakes, and draw near unto to God by repenting of our sin. If we confess our sin, God is faithful, and just to forgive our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is amazing. This iw exactly why we need the Lord Jesus Christ, and divine wisdoms and blessings. Think about it...how long from the tower of Babel, to Rachel, some kin of Abrahams brother.....stealing images? Just that fast had the world fallen into polytheism and idol worship. These people knew the Lord, and made up other Gods and served them. We need the Holy spirit for guidance, lest we do "what is right in our own eyes" and we continue the state in which the world is in now...
God is eternal life. Jesus is that gift, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we accept the gift, and receive the forgiveness of our sins. All have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. So we cannot single Rachel out alone for falling into sin. We must learn from their mistakes, and draw near unto to God by repenting of our sin. If we confess our sin, God is faithful, and just to forgive our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.