Torah Torah TORAH

DAILY BIBLE READING
Thursday 8 August
Genesis 49, 50

COMMENT 1:
We’ve reached the end of the book of Genesis.
The last of the 3 great patriarchs, Jacob, died in Egypt (49:33), but we note that he didn’t want his remains left there. He instructed that his body be buried in the Promised Land (49:29-32) and his instructions were carried out (50:12, 13).

Though Jacob lived the last 17 years of his life in Egypt, his heart was elsewhere. His relationship with God was what mattered to him above all else. Central to that was God’s covenant with him and the promises God had made to him. In all this, he was aligned with his father and grandfather. His desire to be buried in Hebron with Abraham and Isaac and with Sarah, Rebekah and Leah reflects his faith.

The last verse of this book tells of the death of Joseph, the notable one of the next generation (50:26). He too did not want his remains left in Egypt, but to be put in a coffin so that eventually his body would also be buried in the Promised Land (50:24, 25).

Subsequently, this was done and he was buried at Shechem (see Exodus 13:19 and Joshua 24:32), not the same place as the 3 patriarchs and their wives, but nonetheless in a place of significance connected with Abraham (see Genesis 12:6, 7), the first place he had come to in the Promised Land and where God had first made a promise to him in relation to that land.

We can see how important the Promised Land was to them. So it’s surprising, isn’t it, that at the end of Genesis the Hebrew people are not in that Land, but in Egypt. They’ve multiplied, they’ve done well, they’re settled and secure, but they’re far from the Promised Land.

The book of Genesis is not the end of the story; there’s much more to come.

COMMENT 2:
The blessings that Jacob gave his 12 sons at the end of his life (49:1-28) are interesting. They are more than wishes, but have a prophetic quality. They include “what will happen to you in days to come” (49:1), and they were “appropriate” to each individual (49:28).

The blessing on Judah is particularly interesting and intriguing (49:8-12). Judah was the human progenitor of the line of Israel’s kings and eventually of Jesus, who is in view in the blessing (49:10).

See how many indications there are of Jesus in this blessing on Judah, even if they’re enigmatic and shadowy. Let me know what rings a bell for you!

DAILY BIBLE READING
Tuesday 6 August
Genesis 47, 48

COMMENT:
The life of the 3rd great patriarch, Jacob, the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham, was drawing to a close.

Isn’t it surprising that he thought that the days of his life were “few” (47:9), considering that he was 130 years old when he said that, and that he lived a further 17 years to be 147 years old when he died! But his lifespan was less than his father and grandfather.

From this time, God, the only God, became known as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. Already, those three names have been linked and the covenant God made with Abraham and the promises God made with him have been repeated to Isaac and then to Jacob.

In the time of Moses a few generations later, God referred to “the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Numbers 32:11).
Likewise, several times in the last book of Moses, Deuteronomy, right up to 34:4.

Hundreds of years later, the prophet Elijah during the great contest on Mount Carmel prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel” (1 Kings 18:36). Later again, king Hezekiah referred to God the same way (2 Chronicles 30:6). There are references in the book of Psalms too (see e.g. 105:8-11). It became a common way to refer to God.

But this isn’t just the case in the Old Testament. Jesus based important teaching on Scripture and quoted, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Matthew 22:32; see the parallel accounts in Mark 12:26 and Luke 20:37).

The first Christian martyr Stephen used that same expression, referring to Israel’s history (Acts 7:32).

But the Apostle Peter in his preaching referred to God as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Acts 3:13).

It remains a valid and appropriate way of referring to our God. It links us with God’s dealings with all his people and reminds us of his covenant and promises which are still valid and include us.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Here’s the list of daily Bible readings for the coming week:

Monday 5 August: Genesis 45-46
Tuesday 6:Genesis 47-48
Wednesday 7: Matthew 13
Thursday 8:Genesis 49-50
Friday 9: Exodus 1
Saturday 10: Exodus 2-3
Sunday 11: Matthew 14

May you be blessed as you read these portions.

Each day, I’m continuing to post a comment or two on my page about the daily Bible reading.

DAILY BIBLE READING
Tuesday 30 July
Genesis 38

COMMENT:
Such a sordid story, we may wonder why it’s in the Bible, the holy book of God.
Once again, the Bible tells us the truth about our history and the nature of our humanity, our degraded fallen status.
There’s no heroism, no glamor, no nobility; instead there’s shame and gross sinfulness.

The 2 central characters in this chapter, Judah and Tamar, are ancestors of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:3). Here we learn how Perez, their son, also in Jesus’ line, was conceived.

But, there are things worse than that about this chapter.

First up, Judah leaves his family - God’s chosen people, gets attached to the pagan Canaanite people and marries a Canaanite woman (38:1, 2). Should he have done this?

Second, does this remind you of something we’ve already read? Look at Genesis 34, about Dinah, Judah’s sister. She did much the same thing (34:1-4). Then compare the outcomes of these 2 events; in the first case, there was intense rage resulting in extreme vengeful violence towards Shechem’s entire clan; in the second case, there’s nothing. What gross hypocrisy!

Third, there’s Judah’s attitude to casual s*x (38:15,16). He had no qualms, it seems, about using a pr******te. Should he have done this?

But three months later, when his daughter-in-law is found to be pregnant, which must have been the result of casual s*x, he wants the most severe penalty carried out, her ex*****on by burning (38:24). Again, what gross hypocrisy!

It’s horrible, isn’t it? There’s nothing in the chapter to counter our feelings of revulsion. Perhaps there’s one small item: Judah’s acknowledgment that Tamar is a better person than he is (38:26).

Many chapters at the end of Genesis tell the account of Joseph (Genesis 37-50), a good long sequential narrative. But chapter 38 is embedded into that bigger account and interrupts it. Why is it there? What do you think?

DAILY BIBLE READING
Saturday 27 July
Genesis 34 & 35

COMMENT:

These chapters I find rather sad, because they illustrate the fallen state of the people of God, who should have been distinct from the surrounding pagan people, not so much physically distinct as morally distinct. It’s only by the grace of God that they are his special people.

Firstly, Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob who is mentioned (presumably, since he had 12 sons, he had more than 1 daughter) “went out to see the daughters of the land” (34:1). Does that sound like a rebellious teenager to you, taking unwise risks? Of course, it turned out badly.

“Raped” (38:2, NIV) may be an overstatement, when the following verses are taken into account. The reaction of Dinah’s brothers is shocking with all their deceit and then lethal violence, far in excess of what was appropriate.

Even their final statement (34:31) is a gross exaggeration in view of Shechem’s tenderness and love towards Dinah and his desire to marry her, just topping off the ungodly behaviour of Dinah’s brothers. Their retribution on Shechem went way beyond that single person; they severely punished a whole clan (34:25-29). It’s dreadful.

How ironic that the very next chapter tells of improper s*xual conduct in one of these sons of Jacob, his eldest son, Reuben (35:22). There’s no retribution recorded of his evil conduct.

What hypocrisy! How like fallen human beings.
What do we learn from this?

Another sad irony near the end of this reading is that Rachel dies in childbirth (35:16-20). Remember how she deceived her father searching for his stolen “gods” and the reason she excused herself. Very sad, isn’t it?

Ah, the Bible records true human history, not a glamorised account, but real - humans needing God’s forgiveness and mercy.

DAILY BIBLE READING
Friday 26 July
Genesis 32 & 33

COMMENT :
Out of the frying pan, into the fire!
Poor Jacob. He’d just got away from tricky uncle Laban and his hostile sons. He feared disaster at their hands, but was saved only by God’s intervention (31:29).

After 20 years away from his homeland, he wanted to see his aged father Isaac, his ‘dear old Dad’ (31:18). God had told him to go there and promised: “I will be with you” (31:3, 13).

But there was a problem, a big problem. Not only would he see his father, but his brother Esau would be in the vicinity. The last time, Jacob had been with his brother, Esau was furious and had wanted to kill him.

Jacob sent a conciliatory message to Esau, then learned that Esau was coming to meet him. But he was not alone; he had a few people with him! 400 men. 400 men! (32:6). What did this mean? Was it an army? A huge brigade of wild tribesmen? Would Jacob and all his family be attacked, tortured, killed? No wonder he was “in great fear and distress” (32:7).

I haven’t faced such a situation in my lifetime (71 years so far); have you? But I have experienced times of fear and distress to varying degrees, and I expect you have too; correct?
What Jacob did in his situation is magnificent, a wonderful example to us.

He did everything humanly possible to change a potentially disastrous encounter into something better, to mollify his brother with a staged arrival, with great respect to the extent of being obsequious, with preparing his whole family and servants, with very generous gifts.

But, above all that, he prayed to God. It’s well worth reading his prayer again (32:9-12). We can sense his earnestness. He trusted God, he believed God’s promises to him. In this, he’s a good example to follow.

But not only that. When it was all over, when his encounter with Esau had concluded successfully, he worshipped God (33:20), no doubt thankfully. In this too, Jacob ( now renamed by God: “Israel”) is a good example to follow.

Jacob named the altar he set up on land he purchased in Shechem: “El Elohe Israel”, which means something like: “Mighty is the God of Israel” (33:20). Through all his experience, Jacob had come to know the one true creator God as his God!
Is God your God too?