"So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner." Genesis 37:1
My Take Aways:Something Old Genesis 37:1
No matter how or why we leave our promise (His plan for us) God will make a way to get us back. He never runs out of "agains."
Something New: Genesis 37: 29 Reuben was not part of the selling scheme. He left and came back to find Joseph gone.
Something To: Genesis 37:17 Don't move until or unless the Lord tells me to move.
24 Comments:
Thanks all the ladies for the comments.
its amazing what the Lord is teaching all of us.
is there a chronoloical version of the bible online? i have been doing my readings without a bible. i have been travelling i\through Europe and have not been able to get one. i was thinking i will get one when i get back home to melbourne at the end of january , but someone mentioned an online version.
i would love to know if there is one, sometimes i am finding i am reading my own things instead of following the readings with the rest.
loice
Well, my new nugget for today is:
OUR GOD IS A GOD OF MANY AGAINS!
Thank goodness for this. "Do over" is what comes to mind after I fail. I'm thankful for a forgiving God who says, "okay, let's try again."
I had forgotten about Judah propositioning Tamar thinking she was a prostitute but really she was his daughter in law, and impregnating her. That seems yucky to me; but I like how God shows us so many times in the Bible that He can take the yucky and make it good. Beauty from the ashes.
The end of our reading finds Joseph unfairly put in prison. But the Lord was with him. No matter where I find myself in life the Lord will be with me too.
Morgen
I'm running late today and am just heading off to read now, but I was wondering ...
Does anyone know where to find that map site that someone commented about earlier? I'd love to be able to SEE where all of thsi was happening, and I'm trying to keep track of all of these cool resources on a blog for our Bible study girls who are doing this, as well, and I missed the map site.
Thanks!
My goodness, Wendy~ you just opened up verse 37:1 in a whole new way! I love listening to you on video! :)
#3 I saw today that no matter what...God accompanies us through any situation we may be going through. Things happen, we may not realize at the time; but, Joseph's experiences are a reminder that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose," (Romans 8:28).
Hugs, Lori
PS Keep my mom, Pat, in your prayers. Healing so she can go home and that I may lean towards Him to serve her in love, as I seek him to guide me with decisions.
Wendy, excellent teaching again today and I so appreciate all the daily applications. Just yesterday my sister and I were discussing that very point about being obedient and doing things "right" according to the Lord, yet not receiving the end result for which we had hoped. She has a situation in her life right now where others (even Christian "others") have encouraged her to lie about something to get the desired end, but she has remained faithful to the Lord and is waiting on Him. Her end result may or may not be what she had longed for, but she will arrive there walking in truth.
Thankful too for the many "agains" the Lord has given me. (On a side note: I listen to your video again and again and again to make sure I transcribe it without any of "me". So thankful for that pause, rewind and repeat!)
Have a great day everyone,
Joy
PS. Continuing in prayer for you and your mom Lori. Hugs!
Wendy- I like how you brought out that if we're sent somewhere to stay put. Just b/c we see something on the horizon, doesn't mean we need to run for it (or away from it)...UNLESS, God says go! And on that note, sometimes we get too comfortable with our surroundings and we don't want to step outside that comfort zone. But that's not up to us! Obeying God is far more imporant than staying in comfort! Whichever way God is calling, we need to stick to the plan. I know there are times in my own life where I felt God's nudging to go do something I put it off. And He calls AGAIN. I've learned it is much better to obey the first time, but am thankful the "agains" He gives us.
Usually I don't do my study first thing in the morning b/c I don't feel I get as much out of it as I do in the evening. My mind can't seem to comprehend this early in the day. I've had to rewind again and again to make sure I was understanding everything. :o)
I'm thankful we can come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses and hear His voice. Communine with my Father and having one on one with Him is indeed sweet.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on today's reading. I am really enjoying this study! I'm excited to see what else God has for me this year.
I'm back!
2. Ishmael's family by this time must have been huge! They were already going by the name "Ishmaelites."
3. It's never good to try to manipulate God's plan. The Matthew Henry commentary said that maybe Timnah knew that the Messiah was supposed to come through Judah's descendants and that she wanted her shot at being the Messiah's mother, but what a way to go about it! He also said that Jesus was happy with the 'colorful' characters in His family tree but that the Jews of the time boasted about their 'pure' bloodlines. Isn't it great that God can use even the colorful people? Doesn't that give those of us further down the line such important life lessons to learn from??
Wendy, your comment about 'moving' and 'staying' reminded me of an FFH song. You can hear it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmhZNwyKM2c
I got to spend the day with the lead singer, Jeromy Deibler, last year when he performed several concerts at my church. He's the real thing!
Have a great day, everyone!
#1 I wonder why Joseph was the favorite - Benjamin was born even later in Jacob's life. I wonder if Jacob didn't bond with Benjamin as much beings his birth resulted in Rachel's death.
#2 - Reuben wasn't there when Joseph was sold -- wonder where he was.
#3 - Joseph RAN from temptation. You know he was a young man with typical manly desires - this proposition in a secret place had to be a temptation. Joseph did not just walk away, where his resolve could have crumbled, he RAN.
I will put the link to the map later today, loice.
Ya'll are the greatest! I love what God is teaching me through you.
Go God!!!
Loice
I forgot to put the link for the readings.
http://oneyearbibleonline.com/oneyearweeklychrono.php?version=51&startmmdd=0101
Loved the teaching today Wendy! So many thing to think about, especially on the many agains that God will provide.
My main take away today was from 39:10 when it said that Joseph "kept out of her way as much as possible." I think he sets an example for us in our own temptations. We also need to keep out of their way as much as possible. If the temptation is food, then don't buy what tempts and leave it in the house, if it is shopping them don't go, throw away the catalogs, stay off the Internet, etc. I got such a great lesson out of just those few words in my own life. Temptation did find Joseph again and the enemy always finds a way in our lives too, but Joseph made a conscious decision to stay out of its way when possible and that is what I am seeking to do in my life as well.
Everyone have a very blessed day!
In Him,
Brandee
Just want to say how much I am being blessed by this teaching, Wendy. Also thanks to Joy for the transcribing- I often read it before or after I listen.
My take from Genesis 37:1 is that sometimes (in my case) we have to return home; we may leave to spread our wings, or whatever, but there are times when we need to return home. Not always easy. But, when it is God's will for us, if we obey, we are blessed.
Wondering that these scriptures show how the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered. Too often we think of prosperity as material possessions.
Blessings
Gaylene
Today I did my notes and stuff before I watched the vlog. I was happy to see that I caught some of the same stuff. Wendy I like the tattle tell point... that used to make me pretty angry as a child.
Something New: Gen 37:3
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. I didn't know about the robe.
Gen 37:23 So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing.
Something that I pondered in this is it said Jacob loved him because had been born in his old age, but did it also have something to do with the fact that Joseph was Rachel's first born? His beloved Rachel. Also, whether it was seen at that time or not he has the blessing of the Lord.
Gen 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Then again in Gen 39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. and yet again in vs 23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
Are you seeing the pattern here? Joseph had favor and I'm sure they all could sense that.
Something I saw in a different way:
Gen 37: 6-7 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” I did not realize that he had two dreams. Not sure how I missed that before.
Something for me to do:
Use God's discernment when sharing His plans for my life. The Lord placed a vision - a dream in Joseph for his life. Joseph was open and honest with his brothers and his Father about what he saw. It is not always wise to share what God speaks into your heart. Not everyone is where you are at and can't receive it with gladness.
Matt 7:6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
Have a blessed day everyone!
Lynn
Amen, Wendy! You can say that....Again. *smile*
Wendy, you made me think about the journey Joseph had to take to find his brothers. I, too, had thought it was just in the immediate area. In our homeschool curriculum we were studying the other day about what a day's journey was then. Since most everyone traveled on foot, a day's journey was 10-30 miles with the average of 20-30 for a single person on fairly non-rugged terrain. So it would have taken Joseph at least 2 days to reach his brothers. Kind of sheds a whole new light on the story.
I also picked up on, for the first time, was that Potiphar noticed the Lord was with and blessed Joseph greatly. So he kept giving Joseph more responsibility to the point that "he didn't have a worry in the world except to decide what he wanted to eat."(39:6)
Potiphar used Joseph. How many times do people use us when they see God blessing us? Made me think a lot. Potiphar knew exactly what he was doing.
Blessings all!
Great teaching AGAIN, Wendy! I love what you said about God's boundaries. Amen to that.
1. My familiar but new: The brothers dipped Joseph's coat in the blood of a goat to deceive Jacob. It just came full circle on him because he also used the skin of the goat to deceive Isaac. Things that we do contrary to the will of God always come back to haunt us.
2. New: Judah married a Canaanite. They were forbidden to intermarry. Chapter 38 Judah's sin with Tamar gives us the sordid details of what happened afterwards. But let me share what I learned in my KI class: David's lineage is encrypted in the Hebrew text of Gen 38 in 49 letter intervals. This would be more exciting if I can read Hebrew but around verse 9 and down to verse 30 it shows the names of Boaz, Ruth, Obed, Yishay (Jesse), David - in chronological order. I love that God hides these things for us to find. It's like secret messages to let us know He is real!
3. My take aways: a) When Potiphar's wife was propositioning Joseph, Joseph he did not say no because it was a sin against Potiphar. He refused because it was a sin against God.
b) When I do what is right, God will bless those around me. When God is with me, I will succeed in all that I do. And even if my circumstances are less than ideal, God is still there working in the background to bring good out of the situation. What a comfort that brings.
Have a blessed day, fellow travelers!
Wow there is a lot of great stuff in these chapters. I was struck by how the story of Joseph somewhat parallels Jesus': greatly loved by his father, humbled, then exalted.
Then there are the examples of true repentance in the stories of Judah (and also in all of Jacob's 4 older sons) and how if we do repent, God will turn things around for his glory. From Judah came the line of Kings and the Messiah. From Levi came the line of priests. From Tamar's twins came the Messiah/Jews and also the Gentiles. This reminds me of
Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
There sure seems to be a pattern of behavior in these generations. Some good and some bad. Going to be praying today about what good and bad patterns are in my life.
Lori, I am praying for your Mom.
Janet, my son is doing his basic in GA, but thanks so much for your offer. And thanks to everyone for their prayers for him. He arrived safely last night. Now comes the challenge and the opportunity of the next few weeks.
All is grace, N
I am so blessed by the comments I read and, Wendy, for your Vlog. I am learning so much - AGAIN:) Sometimes I feel like God is saying she's doing it "again" - you gave me a new way to look at that word.
My familiar but new: Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father Gen 37:22. Why not be upfront and stand up for his brother, Joseph? It always seems easier to avoid confrontation and then try to fix things later - at lease for me and family dynamics.
New: Judah recognized them immediately and said, "She is more righteous than I am, because I didn't arrange for her to marry my son Shelah." and Judah never slept with Tamar again. Gen: 26. How can deceiving someone into thinking you are something you are not can be more righteous than hiding your son from marriage because of fear of his death? Boggles the mind. I must be missing something :)
My take aways: God's favor is with you no matter what, however, it is the person whose heart is so entwined with God's that God's favor stands out and everyone can see - such as Joseph.
I appreciate these comments so much and I am learning so much more than I ever could doing this alone. Thank you Wendy for reaching out into God's Kingdom and doing His will!!
Teri
Nugget: At least 3 times in Gen. 38, it's stated that, "the Lord was with Joseph." These were dire times for Joseph, almost anything that could go wrong did. Yet, the Lord was always there, blessing Josepch. More than once he started at the bottom and God brought him up. When times are bad and I seem to be getting knocked down, I will remember, the Lord is with Amanda, too.
Ladies,
I would like to request prayer please? My DH is in Mexico today for business. While they were out to lunch someone broke into the meeting room and stole his laptop ÷ those of 4 others and they took his laptop bag which contains his passport AND car keys. Pls pray that they recover eveything! I don't know how he will be allowed to cross the border back to the US tonight.
Thank you. Why does it feel like I'm in a pit right now? Must remember that God is with us and He is working things out. (Breathe)
Thanks Goodness God gives us "agains". I have had many agains. Thanks for the scriputure Matt 7:6- being discerning about God's plans for our lives.
Thanks for the reminder that God is always there.Always no matter what. I need to always remember.
Thanks Susanx
The thing that I was thinking about today as I was reading was when Potiphar's wife told Joseph to sleep with her, his reply was that his master had trusted him with everything and that he had withheld nothing from Joseph except his wife. It reminded me of Eve in the garden of Eden. Only one tree they couldn't eat from. Same temptation but Joseph made the right choice and obeyed God.
I am excited everyday to read the Bible and see what we will learn together.
Blessings, Debbie
Ladies,
I don't normally post things like this online, but my husband and I could really use your prayers right now. Our marriage is hitting the bumps in the road a whole lot lately.
Thanky you!!!
Another girl thankful the God's 'agains!' :)
I also noticed the tattle telling and bragging of young Joseph. And what stood out to me was the his father scolded him for bragging about the 2nd dream...as if he knew the bragging was causing a divide amongst the brothers...and tried knocking Joseph down a peg or two. But on his own it says he wondered what the dreams really meant. I think Jacob knew there was something to it...but still tried to bring peace to the brothers...
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