Study "Called" - Genesis Pt. 3

Genesis –

27:1 – Issac has grown old and can’t see very well. He calls for his son Esau.

27:42 – After Rebekah and Jacob try to “help” God, Esau promises to kill Jacob for taking his blessing. Rebekah learns of this and tells Jacob he needs to leave.

28:1 – Rebekah convinces Issac that Jacob needs to go find a wife that is not of the people of Canaan. And Issac calls Jacob, blesses him and sends him go find a wife.

28:19 – Jacob renames a place Bethel.

29:32 – Leah bears a son and calls him Reuben, because “the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.” Reuben means “behold a son”

29:33 – Then she has another and says, “the Lord hath heard that I was hated,”. Simeon means “heard”.

29:34 – She bears a third and says that her husband will be joined to her, because she bore him three sons. Levi means “joined to”.

29:35 – She has a fourth son, and states, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Judah means “praised”.

30:6 – Rachel gives Jacob her maid and the maid bears a son. Rachel says “God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son”. Dan means “a judge”.

30:8 – Rachel’s maid has another son and Rachel says, “With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.” Naphtali means “wrestling”.

30:11 – Leah gives her maid to Jacob and the maid bears a son that Leah calls, Gad, for she says, “Behold, a troop cometh.” Gad means “troop”.

30:13 – Leah’s maid has another son and Leah says, “I am happy for the daughters will call me blessed”. Asher means “happy”.

30:18 – Leah has another son, herself. She declares, “God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband”. Issachar means “there is recompense.”

30:20 – Leah gets pregnant again, and says, “God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons. Zebulun means “exalted”.

30:21 – Leah gets pregnant again and has a daughter she calls Dinah. Dinah means “judgement”.

30:24 – Rachel herself finally gets pregnant, and has a son she names Joseph, and she declares, “The Lord shall add to me another son.” Joseph means “Jehovah has added”.

*Note: With the story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob; the things that stands out to me the most, is that Laban tries to do a good thing for Leah by sneakily marrying her to Jacob. But the consequence of that is that Leah spends the rest of her life fighting with her sister to try to earn Jacob’s love. How frequently do my own comparisons with the people around me lead me to try to earn love, from God and from others?

31:4 – Jacob is told by God to return to his home land. He summons his wives to the flock he’s tending to let them know of this and discuss it with them. Their response is that Jacob should follow the will of the Lord.

31:47 – Jacob and Laban arrive at an understanding. They call it two different names, both meaning the same thing, witness heap.

31:48 – Restating of the witness heap. The location of the agreement between Laban and Jacob.

31:54 – Jacob summons those around him to the site where he gives a sacrifice to the Lord. They stay a while and eat bread.

32:2 – Jacob is met by the angels of God and he names the location at which that happens.

32:30 – Jacob wrestles with God. He names the location Peniel (facing God), for he faced God and lived.  

33:17 – Jacob continues to Succoth and builds a house and booths for his cattle and names the location.

33:20 – Jacob builds an alter to the Lord there and names it. (God prevails)

35:7 – Jacob builds an alter at the place where God first appeared to him after he fled from his brother. (house of God)

35:8 – Rebekah’s nurse dies and is buried. The location is name “oak of weeping”.

35:10 – God renames Jacob to Israel.

35:15 – Jacob changes the name of the place God first spoke to him. (House of God)

35:18 – Rachel dies in childbirth with Benjamin. She names him, Benoni (son of my sorrow), but Jacob names him Benjamin (son of the right hand).

38:3 – Judah names his first son, Er.

38:4 – His second son, Onan.

38:5 – And his third son, Shelah.

38:29 – After Tamar’s tryst with Judah, she bears twins, Pharez and Zarah. Zarah’s hand came out first, but Pharez was born first. Pharez is in the royal line of David. (10 generations prior exactly)

38:30 – Pharez brother is named, Zarah.

39:14 – Potipher’s wife summons the men of the house to falsely accuse Joseph of sexual immorality with her.