This article starts with a nugget from Genesis 32. In this passage, Jacob wrestles with a man but later figures out during the struggle it must be God. Some commentaries think this was an angel, but I don’t know. We do see Jacob’s hip is put out of joint…painful, right? Then Jacob hangs on until he’s blessed AND in the midst of that Jacob’s name is changed to Israel meaning one who strives or struggles with God…apropos for the situation. But what got me was in the last verse of the chapter. “Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip of the thigh.” (Gen 32:32) Is there something you eat or don’t eat because of a special meaning?
In case you wondered why the people of God were the Israelites….they were the descendants of Jacob/Israel through his dad, Isaac and Abraham, Isaac’s dad! And there is the second nugget! (Gen 32:28, 35:10-12)
A sidenote here on the continued dark, sinful side of people really no different than we have now. Chapter 34 of Genesis is the sad story of Dinah’s rape by a local prince. Dinah is the daughter of Jacob and his wife Leah. One thing with this story I find absolutely mind-blowing is Prince Shechem’s thinking Dinah would WANT to stay with a man by choice who raped her. He takes what he wants from Dinah and expects her to marry him. Read the rest of the story in Genesis 34 to find out how her brothers deal with the prince and his family!!
Genesis 35 starts with a command by God for Jacob to go. He chooses to listen and is blessed by God as Jacob honors God with obedience by ridding his household of “…foreign gods…purify yourselves and change your garments.” (Gen 35:2) Nugget: Jacob then builds an altar to God to commemorate God’s answering him when in distress and being with him wherever he went. (Gen 35:3) Two quick questions here: how do you acknowledge God’s answer to your prayers and what blessing/s are we missing by being disobedient to God?
Jacob traveled safely because “…a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.” (Gen 35:5) Nugget here: God gave a command and then blessed the obedience by making a safe path to follow!! When God asks us to do something, He will make a way to do it. There is a LOT that can happen on the path, but God is with us wherever He sends us!!
Joseph is our next main character we’ll talk about. Our information starts with him tattling on his brothers (Gen 37:2). We don’t know WHAT was said just that it was bad. Sibling rivalry happens in a BIG way here in Genesis 37. One sad thing about this family is Dad does NOT help the situation. ALL the sons KNOW Joseph is the favorite, causing them to hate him and hinder communication. Nugget: Jacob, now Israel, was in a rivalry with his brother Esau which brought about a family split. You would think he would KNOW what rivalry can do to a family.
Because of this wonderful family feeling, the brothers decide they want to get rid of him. One of his brothers kept the rest from killing him…yes, killing him! But before you sigh with relief, the story doesn’t stop there. Reuben has them put him in a pit with the idea he would later free Joseph. Here’s a weird nugget, the pit is described as empty…no water…hmm. One has to wonder if it would have been called a well if it DID have water.
The bad news for Joseph was Reuben steps away for a time…maybe watching the sheep…and while he is gone, the brothers have a better idea! So they don’t have their brother’s blood on their hands, they sell him to a caravan going to Egypt!! That’s somewhere between 300-550 miles from home. Woah!
You can read the rest of the story in Genesis 37. Come back next time and we’ll talk about the dreams Joseph had, where that took him, and possibly a change of attitude in him.
Keep reading His word and hope to see you soon at CultivatingFaith.org. Blessings