Genesis 26 - Genesis 30 ("The Jake")

Know what the cool thing about this blog is? On any other blog I've ever written, every time I went to the work of putting up a new post, I wondered whether it was worth the time and effort. I've never had any idea how many people are reading or not reading. On this one? Doesn't matter. I'm still benefitting from the process and spending time in the Word. Even if I'm the only one who's edified, I'm still edified.

26.

Wouldn't it be nice in a famine (read: Biblical economic recession) God would just speak to us and say, "You can stay here, and I will still bless you with all you need to survive. Don't worry; I've got your back." Oh, wait, He pretty much does say those things. We're just not listening.

Caution! Nerdy Hebrew Note! -- The Hebrew word for "listen" is also the same word for "hear" and "obey." You know, like when God tells us something, He not only expects us to hear Him, He also expects us to obey Him. Once you catch your breath, you can resume reading.

Isaac stole a page out of Father Abraham's playbook with the ol' "she's my sister" line. This stupidity had to become a running joke at family reunions eventually, right?

Lahoi Roi's sister beer, once the microbrewery is up and running? Sheba (as in Beer Sheba). I can now imagine the money literally growing on trees.

"Beer Sheba: The Queen of Beers."

"Beer Lahoi Roi: Making Men into Great Nations Since 2100 B.C."

27.

As they say in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": "The husband is the head of the family, but the wife is the neck, and the neck turns the head." Rebekah was definitely a neck.

eu de Esau - "smells like a field that the Lord has blessed"

28.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go...I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. --Jesus said something kinda like that, too.

29.

My Bible's text notes say Leah was either veiled or it was too dark to tell she wasn't Rachel. Let's play a game called "Really?" Really, Jacob? You just spent 7 years working so that she could be your wife and you couldn't tell it wasn't her? Really? You were in love with her from day 1 but didn't notice on your wedding night? Really? Really? Really.

My intuition tells me that Jacob was another in a long line of family members for whom a little too much wine led them to some poor decision-making. Convince me otherwise.

(to the tune of 500 miles by the Proclaimers):

I would work for seven years,

and I would work for seven more,

just to be the man who worked for 14 years

to fall down at your door.

30.

This is why history is important, so you don't make the same mistakes of grandpa. Lessons so far today: drinking too much impairs judgment with horrible implications, and taking reproductive matters into your own hands never ends well. Good thing we know better today, right?

Biblical pick-up lines: "You must sleep with me. I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." There are some things that will never cross the cultural divide.