#Jacob returns to Bethel

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jacob Returns to Bethel

1 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

4 So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.

5 As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. 6 So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.

8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth.

9 After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.

11 And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”

13 Then God went up from the place where He had spoken with him.

14 So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. 15 Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies

16 Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. 17 During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”

18 And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.

The Sons of Jacob (1 Chronicles 2:1–2)

21 Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

25 The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

26 And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher.

These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

The Death of Isaac

27 Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.

28 And Isaac lived 180 years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. — Genesis 35 | Berean Standard Bible (BSB) Berean Standard Bible is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. Cross References: Genesis 9:1; Genesis 12:6-7; Genesis 13:18; Genesis 15:15; Genesis 17:5; Genesis 17:22; Genesis 18:1; Genesis 18:19; Genesis 24:59; Genesis 25:8; Genesis 25:20; Genesis 25:26; Genesis 27:43; Genesis 28:15; Genesis 28:18-19; Genesis 28:22; Genesis 29:31; Genesis 30:5; Genesis 30:10; Genesis 30:22; Genesis 30:24; Genesis 42:4; Genesis 47:9; Genesis 48:7; Genesis 49:4; Exodus 15:16; Joshua 15:21; Ruth 1:2; Ruth 4:11; 1 Samuel 10:2; 1 Samuel 17:12; 1 Chronicles 2:1 Micah 4:8; Acts 7:8

Divine Terror

[greater-than-the-sword]

Re Jacob wrestling the angel: not very theologically researched, but I thought it was the culmination of Jacob's main "thing" where he sins by trying to get God's blessing even though God already gave it to him, but God blesses him nonetheless.

Before Jacob is born, God tells Rebekah that the younger son would be the stronger (not the firstborn, as cultural custom), but Jacob is born clutching at Esau's heel trying to grab the firstborn position. Jacob tries to manipulate Esau out of the birthright with the whole stew trade, then Rebekah and Jacob deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob as the firstborn. Yet God forgives that sin, and still blesses him at the dream at the Bethel.

(I suspect the Rachel and Leah story and the speckled sheep story are also about him conniving his way to get blessing, but can't really articulate it as clearly given they're clearly about other things too)

Then as Jacob returns to meet Esau, he acknowledges God's blessing in his prayer, but then personally sets up a lot of protection like sending gifts and splitting up his camp. The passage is very ambiguous about how God comes and how it starts, but the way it ends is Jacob tries to literally wrestle the blessing out of God by his own strength. God could beat Jacob, but God just wants Jacob to trust in his generosity rather than work, fight, and deceive to get the blessing.

Jacob's fight has some consequences because God strikes Jacob's hip socket, but God (barely) spares Jacob's groin for him to have the children from the blessing. Jacob is humbled by that, God gives him the blessing and a new name nonetheless.

TLDR - Jacob keeps sinning by trying to take an already-promised blessing, even up to fighting God, but God as always forgives and blesses nonetheless

That makes a lot of sense, actually. Thank you. Hmmm....

[grimmusings]

♢ canon muses ♢

Sideblogs are linked below. Each has a pinned introduction with general information about how I write the muse, wanted connections, and verses.

♢ comics ♢ ♢ Benjamin Poindexter ⭒ Daredevil ⭒ Wilson Bethel ♢ Brock Rumlow ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Frank Grillo ♢ Bucky Barnes ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Sebastian Stan ♢ Clint Barton ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Bradley James ♢ Elektra Natchios ⭒ Daredevil ⭒ Élodie Yung ♢ Ellie Rogers ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Kat McNamara ♢ Frank Castle ⭒ Daredevil ⭒ Jon Bernthal ♢ Gwen Stacy ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Emily Browning ♢ James Rhodes ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Charles Michael Davis ♢ John Constantine ⭒ DC/Vertigo ⭒ Matt Ryan ♢ Johnny Storm ⭒ Fantastic Four ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Karolina Dean ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Madison Iseman ♢ Mia Smoak ⭒ Arrowverse ⭒ Kat McNamara ♢ Nancy Callahan ⭒ Sin City ⭒ Jessica Alba ♢ Natasha Romanoff ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Scarlett Johansson ♢ Red ⭒ The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys ⭒ Levy Tran ♢ Steve Rogers ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Thor Odinson ⭒ MCU ⭒ Chris Hemsworth ♢ Torunn Thorsdóttir ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Margot Robbie

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♢ test muses ♢

Test and minor muses are written from the main, at least until they demand their own blogs, although some of them will probably always be super niche and just stay here. Bio and verse information is linked if available.

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[scotianostra]

On August 9th or 9th 1296 the Scottish Coronation Stone was removed from Scone Abbey.

The Stone of Destiny was taken on the orders of King Edward I of England, and was transported to Westminster Abbey, where it was used to crown English monarchs until it was returned to Scotland in 1996.

The Celtic name of the stone upon which the true kings of Scotland have traditionally been crowned is Lia Fail, “the speaking stone,” or the stone which would proclaim the chosen king.

Originally, the stone played a part in the crowning ceremonies of the Scots kings of Dalriada, in the west of Scotland, an area just north of Glasgow now called Argyll.

Kenneth I, the 36th king of Dalriada, united the Scots and Picts kingdoms and moved his capital to Scone from western Scotland around 840 AD. The Stone of Destiny moved there too. All future Scottish kings would henceforth be enthroned on the Stone of Destiny atop Moot Hill at Scone Palace in Perthshire.

The stone in question is no ornately carved megalith; just a simple, oblong block of red sandstone. It measures 650 mm in length by 400 mm wide, and 27 mm deep, with chisel marks apparent on its flat top.

So where did this magical or mythical stone originate from, and why was it held in such reverence by the kings of old?

One legend dates back to biblical times and states that it is the same stone which Jacob used as a pillow at Bethel. Later, according to Jewish legend, it became the pedestal of the ark in the temple. The stone was brought from Syria to Egypt by King Gathelus. He then fled to Spain following the defeat of the Egyptian army. A descendant of Gathelus brought the stone to Ireland, and was crowned on it as King of Ireland. And from Ireland, the stone moved with the invading Scots to Argyll.

What is sure, however, is that the Stone of Destiny remained at Scone until it was forcibly removed by English King Edward I (“Hammer of the Scots”) after his Scottish victories in 1296, and taken to Westminster Abbey in London.

Still another interesting legend surrounds this mystical stone. This one suggests that as King Edward I approached the Abbot of Perth, the monks of Scone hurriedly removed the Stone of Destiny and hid it. He replaced it with a drainage cover stone of similar size and hid the real stone on Dunsinnan Hill. It was the drainage cover which the English king carried off in triumph back to London.

Perhaps this legend is not so far-fetched. It could help to explain why the coronation stone is so geologically similar to the sandstone commonly found around Scone.

On St. Andrew’s Day, on November 30th, 1996, ten thousand people lined Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to witness the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland. It had been away for 700 years.

[abraao-vidal-galdino]

Bom dia

Pois sucedeu que, ao tempo em que o rebanho concebia, levantei os olhos e num sonho vi que os bodes que cobriam o rebanho eram listrados, salpicados e malhados. Disse-me o anjo de Deus no sonho: Jacó! Eu respondi: Eis-me aqui. Prosseguiu o anjo: Levanta os teus olhos e vê que todos os bodes que cobrem o rebanho são listrados, salpicados e malhados; porque tenho visto tudo o que Labão te vem fazendo. Eu sou o Deus de Betel, onde ungiste uma coluna, onde me fizeste um voto; levanta-te, pois, sai-te desta terra e volta para a terra da tua parentela. Então lhe responderam Raquel e Léia: Temos nós ainda parte ou herança na casa de nosso pai? Não somos tidas por ele como estrangeiras? pois nos vendeu, e consumiu todo o nosso preço. Toda a riqueza que Deus tirou de nosso pai é nossa e de nossos filhos; portanto, faze tudo o que Deus te mandou.

Gênesis 31:10-16

And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Genesis 31:10-16

APP Bíblia Bilingue - Disponível na Google Play

[freebiblestudies]

Line Upon Line Lesson 035: Be Holy for God is Holy

Genesis 35:2 - And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.

‭‭Jacob was instructed by God to settle in Bethel.  Jacob was also to build an altar to God there.  Jacob then instructed his household to remove any idols or graven images from their presence.  Jacob also instructed them to purify themselves and put on new clothes.  Why did Jacob give these instructions?

Let’s read together Genesis 27:41-46; Genesis 28:10-22; Joshua 24:15; and 1 Peter 1:16.

God finally brought Jacob back home after fleeing his brother Esau many years ago.  Jacob had changed so much since then.  Jacob’s faith and relationship with God had grown stronger and more intimate.  Jacob had left with nothing, but he returned with a family and how much possessions.

Jacob was given a fresh start by God.  Jacob wanted his household to follow God wholeheartedly and dedicate themselves to the Lord.

How did Jacob’s household respond to his request?

Let’s read together Genesis 35:4; Exodus 20:3-6; and 1 Pete 3:3-4.

Jacob’s household and all who were with him gave Jacob their idols and graven images.  They also gave all their earrings to him.  Why did they give up their earrings?

There is nothing inherently wrong or sinful with earrings.  However, anything that puts the focus on self can become an idol.  Jacob’s household did not have to give up their earrings, but they did not want anything to distract them from God.

Friend, are you willing to give up and throw away anything that could be an idol in your life?

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

10th July >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Monday, Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green: A (1))

First Reading Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob's dream of the ladder at Bethel.

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he had reached a certain place he passed the night there, since the sun had set. Taking one of the stones to be found at that place, he made it his pillow and lay down where he was. He had a dream: a ladder was there, standing on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and there were angels of God going up it and coming down. And the Lord was there, standing over him, saying, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants shall be like the specks of dust on the ground; you shall spread to the west and the east, to the north and the south, and all the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants.

‘Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go, and bring you back to this land, for I will not desert you before I have done all that I have promised you.’

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Truly, the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!’ He was afraid and said, ‘How awe-inspiring this place is! This is nothing less than a house of God; this is the gate of heaven!’ Rising early in the morning, Jacob took the stone he had used for his pillow, and set it up as a monument, pouring oil over the top of it. He named the place Bethel, but before that the town was called Luz.

Jacob made this vow, ‘If God goes with me and keeps me safe on this journey I am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return home safely to my father, then the Lord shall be my God. This stone I have set up as a monument shall be a house of God.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 90(91):1-4,14-15

R/ My God, in you I trust.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and abides in the shade of the Almighty says to the Lord: ‘My refuge, my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

R/ My God, in you I trust.

It is he who will free you from the snare of the fowler who seeks to destroy you; he will conceal you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge.

R/ My God, in you I trust.

Since he clings to me in love, I will free him; protect him for he knows my name. When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’ I will save him in distress.

R/ My God, in you I trust.

Gospel Acclamation cf. John 6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!

Or: cf. 2 Timothy 1:10

Alleluia, alleluia! Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 9:18-26 'Your faith has restored you to health'.

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.

When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[fordecree7]

BIBLE TIME

Genesis 31

Jacob Flees from Laban

31 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16 All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

17 So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods. 20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?” 31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

55 Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home. Bible Time-Genesis 31 Diane Beauford

[dfroza]

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures

for the 2nd of december 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New Covenant) of the Bible

[The Book of John, Chapter 3 • The Book of 2nd Samuel, Chapter 8]

along with Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms with Proverbs 2 and Psalm 2 coinciding with the day of the month, accompanied by Psalm 72 for the 72nd day of Astronomical Autumn, and Psalm 37 for day 337 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 3rd revolution this year)

A post by John Parsons:

Shalom v'chodesh tov, chaverim. Our Torah for this week (i.e., parashat Vayetzei) includes Jacob's dream of a ladder (i.e., sullam: סֻלָּם) extending from earth to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending, and the LORD Himself standing above assuring Jacob of his safe return to the land he had fled. Jacob awoke and responded to the dream with awe: "Surely the LORD is in this place (בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה), and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." And he called the name of that place Bethel (בֵּית־אֵל) i.e., “the house of God.”

The sages interpret ha-makom (הַמָּקוֹם), literally “the place” that Jacob saw, as Mount Moriah, the exact location where Jacob’s father Isaac was bound as the “sacrificed seed” and which later became the site of the Holy Temple. Indeed the word makom comes from a verb (קוּם) meaning “to arise,” suggesting resurrection and ascension. In later Rabbinical thought Ha-Makom became synonymous with the Name or Presence of God Himself (“God is the place of the world, but the world is not God’s only place”).

Yeshua referred to Jacob's dream when he said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man" (John 1:51). Just as Jacob saw the ladder ascending to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending upon it, so Yeshua told Nathanael that He was the Ladder to God, the sha'ar ha-shamayim (שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם) - the way into heaven (John 14:6). Indeed, Yeshua is the true Place or "house of God" and its Chief Cornerstone (Rosh Pinnah, Matt. 21:42). The LORD is the resurrection and life, the One who prepares a place for you (John 11:25; 14:2).

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Genesis 28:10 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/gen28-10-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/gen28-10-lesson.pdf

Vayetzei Summary:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Vayetzei/vayetzei.html

Torah Talk (pdf):

https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Vayetzei/ShabbatTableTalkVayetzei.pdf

Vayetzei podcast:

https://hebrew4christians.com/training/parashat-vayetzei/

­

12.2.24 • Facebook

from Today’s email by Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

[artfuljournal]

England's Jacob Bethell Makes Impactful Debut Against Australia

In a significant moment for English cricket, 20-year-old Jacob Bethell debuted for England in a T20 match against Australia in Southampton. Despite a challenging start—returning figures of 0-28 from three overs and a tough six-ball innings—Bethell’s arrival marks an exciting new chapter for the team.

Bethell, a rising star who has already caught the eye of coach Marcus Trescothick, was still in school during England's 2019 World Cup triumph. His selection as one of five uncapped players in the squad highlights his rapid ascent from Barbados to the international stage.

From his early cricketing days in Barbados, where he impressed Brian Lara at age 12, to receiving mentorship from West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers, Bethell’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. His debut was a family affair, with relatives traveling from the Caribbean to witness the milestone.

Known for his aggressive batting and traditional techniques, Bethell aims to excel in all formats of the game. As he embarks on his international career, his focus remains on making a significant impact and navigating the competitive landscape of cricket.

[mediagraph]

Phil Salt to lead after injured Jos Buttler ruled out of T20I series

England will be without their captain Jos Buttler for their T20I series against Australia after he was diagnosed with a recurrence of a calf injury that has kept him out of action in the English summer. England are set to play 3 T20Is against a visiting Australian side from September 11 to 15. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said opening batter Phil Salt will stand in as captain for the T20i series.

Jos Buttler is also doubtful for a 5-match ODI series between England and Australia, scheduled to be played from September 19 to 29. England have not played white-ball cricket since their disappointing semi-final defeat to India in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Jos Buttler was backed by the selectors and management to keep his job despite the below-par campaigns in ODI and T20 World Cups in 2023 and 2024, respectively. However, his return to action has been delayed due to the recurrence of the injury. The England skipper has not played competitive cricket since the T20 World Cup semi-final on June 27.

"Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton has been called up as a replacement in the T20 squad. The three-match IT20 series is set to begin next week at the Utilita Bowl, Southampton, on 11 September 2024. Additionally, Essex batter Jordan Cox has been added to the ODI squad as cover," the ECB said in a statement. Harry Brook is expected to lead the ODI team if Jos Buttler fails to recover from the injury, according to The Guardian.

England Men's IT20 Squad: Phil Salt, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, John Turner.

England Men's ODI Squad: Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jacob Flees from Laban

Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.” And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were, and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength. And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring. Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’

And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’ ”

And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels, and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away. So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled. So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well. Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war! Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps. But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me? You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock. I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night. As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times! If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne? Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.”

Therefore the place was called Galeed. It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other. If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me. This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home. — Genesis 31 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Genesis 4:21; Genesis 15:1; Genesis 16:5; Genesis 20:3; Genesis 21:22; Genesis 21:27; Genesis 21:30; Genesis 24:50; Genesis 25:20; Genesis 26:3; Genesis 27:19; Genesis 27:44; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 28:18; Genesis 29:20; Genesis 29:23; Genesis 29:32; Genesis 30:29; Genesis 30:32; Genesis 30:39; Genesis 30:43; Genesis 35:2; Genesis 37:5; Genesis 37:25; Genesis 44:9; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 18:2; Leviticus 19:32; Numbers 20:3; Deuteronomy 8:15; Joshua 22:34; Judges 11:10; Judges 11:29; 2 Samuel 19:39; Hebrews 13:5

The Lord visits Laban

[thenewdeadseascrolls]

Judges 21: 15-22. "The Third Crown."

Gender and gender roles in Hebrew and in the Torah should be be periodically revisited as they affect the way the Offices within it are understood.

Offices are "capacities for implementing a ministry." Males have specific offices in the Torah, females have others. As a rule, Men are beliefs, women are results.

Boys are princes, they are the bastions of social justice.

Girls or princesses are librarians, they are responsible for learning and teaching.

Sons are the fruits of the actions of the beliefs of the parents.

Daughters are habits or patterns.

Leah led, Jacob followed, for example.

Husbands are mankind, wives are its institutions.

Abraham, for example, "father of compassion" was married to Sarah, "the representative government."

The Torah has certain prescriptions and prohibitions for same and opposite sex interactions, they are not the topic here, ie. Elijah and Elisha, Jonathan and David, and Misses Tambourine Man, but for the most part all couples are opposite sex marriages.

This is not even the difficult part which surfaces when one tries to cross pollinate in same and opposite sex couplings.

In the case of David and Jonathan, David means "persistent beauty" Jonathan means "transformation out of Grace."

If we follow the format, these two beliefs do not yield offspring except within the entity in which they take place.

It is well known David lost his grace after Jonathan died, God became angry with him because he became a ruthless and savage killer, so longitudinally speaking, there were no patterns at all as a result of this particular liaison. That does not mean we should not try.

In the following course, we see the Israelites do not want to cross-pollinate their daughters, their ways of life with those of the beliefs of the Benjamites which are almost all based on secular logic. The fear is a loss of religiosity and God's preferences along with it. Except this is not what the Shoftim says. If a woman from another tribe marries a Benjamite, it says "the path to Shiloh, to pacifying God starts at the House of Israel, Bethel, passes through Shechem "forgetfulness" and ends in gratitude."

So the goal of all the Tribes of Israel is a path that leads from religion to science, to their cross-pollinated way of life in the experiences of Shabbos (forget about them focus on yourself) and then Shabbat, AKA "happiness hides in the vineyards."

As the Shoftim states, wars among these ideals will not produce the same fruits of the actions one will find after a good snuggle in the vineyard.

15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. 

16 And the elders of the assembly said, “With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? 

17 The Benjamite survivors must have heirs,” they said, “so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. 

18 We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: ‘Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.’ 

19 But look, there is the annual festival of the Lord in Shiloh, which lies north of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

20 So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards 

21 and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin.

 22 When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Do us the favor of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give your daughters to them.’”

The Shoftim states there must always be a gap between the religious and secular emphases of Judaism. The Shule teaches one way, the academy teaches in its ways. The Torah does not contain all the knowledge we need to survive on this world. It never has. It explains the correct reasons to ponder such a thing, but contains not one iota of applied science within it.

The gap is closed through marriage and offspring between persons who accept both the theory of religion and the tactics of science.

Question:

How Many Jews Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

Answer:

They tried to kill us and then they didn't!

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 15: The people grieved. The Number is 3390, ג‎גטאֶפֶס‎‎, gigabytes, "to collect taxes and invest in the tilling of the field for the purposes of planting a vineyard."

"The verb גוב (gub) means to dig. It occurs in Arabic with the meaning of to pierce, bore of hollow out. Its derivatives are:

The masculine noun גב (geb), meaning pit, ditch or trench (Jeremiah 14:3, 2 Kings 3:16; this noun in Arabic means hollow or depression; in Syriac it means cistern).

The verb יגב (yagab) means to till; to be a farmer, or so it's supposed. The derived masculine noun יגב (yaqeb) probably means field. The verb possibly occurs in Jeremiah 52:16 and the parallel text of 2 Kings 25:12, and the noun occurs in that same verse and also in Jeremiah 39:10.

The problem is that it's not clear whether these occurrences are actually of this verb יגב (yagab) or of the verb גוב (gub). For 2 Kings 25:12 and Jeremiah 52:16, most English translations speak of folks becoming vinedressers and plowmen (NAS) or husbandmen, but the NIV sees people put to work the vineyards and fields. For Jeremiah 39:10, all translations read vineyards and fields."

v. 16: And the elders of the Assembly said...The Elders are Adam, Evil, Cain, Abel, Abraham, Sarah, Noach etc. Any kind of grievance or disturbance can be resolved by studying the behaviors of the Elders.

The Number is 11062, יאאֶפֶסוב‎, yafesov, "follow the Course."

The Course starts with Adam and Evil, it ends with Moses, looking into the distance by himself.

Observe:

"Adam and Eve in the garden. Moses by himself."

The Number is 1925, יטבה‎‎, "It will be good."

v. 17: The survivors must have heirs. The Number is 8128, חאבח, habeh, "bring up the next offering and begin the quotation."

The Torah is considered one long Statement. We cannot possibly read and understand it in one sitting, which is why my postively brilliant summary using the Numbers is surely going to benefit everyone for all time.

v. 18: We can't! Yes, you can. The Number is 11788, יאזחח‎ ‎ , yazakh, "acquit, vindicate, exonerate, win, and entitle."

v. 19: The Lord in Shiloh. Forget about God. He is the subject of a very special Presence in the creation but He cannot and does not interact overly much in the affairs of mankind except to keep the world green and growing without much need for our help. He is not going to show His love or His hate except through the recitation of His divine statutes through the world's religions. As the Shoftim states, except for all the shitty people, this is not a bad place to live, we've figure out how to live quite comfortably here, so what's the problem?

The Number is 6299, ובטט‎‎, and bat, specifically Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon:

"The noun בן (ben) means son, or more general: a member of one particular social or economic node — called a "house", which is built upon the instructions of one אב ('ab), or "father" — within in a larger economy (hence: the "sons of the prophet" are the members of the prophet-class; the prophets). This noun obviously resembles the verb בנה (bana), to build, and the noun אבן ('eben), stone.

Our noun's feminine version, namely בת (bat), means daughter, which resembles the noun בית (bayit), meaning house. Sometimes our noun is contracted into a single letter ב, whose name beth comes from בית (bayit) and means "house" as well. As a prefix, the letter ב (be) means "in." The word for mother, אם ('em), is highly similar to that of tribe or people, אמה ('umma).

The verb ישע (yasha') means to be unrestricted and thus to be free and thus to be saved (from restriction, from oppression and thus from ultimate demise). A doer of this verb is a savior. Nouns ישועה (yeshua), ישע (yesha') and תשועה (teshua) mean salvation. Adjective שוע (shoa') means (financially) independent, freed in an economic sense.

Verb שוע (shawa') means to cry out (for salvation). Nouns שוע (shua'), שוע (shoa') and שועה (shawa) mean a cry (for salvation).

The noun תשע (tesha'), nine, looks like תושע (tohasha'), he or it will cause to save: the third person masculine singular Hiphil of the verb ישע (yasha'), to save. See our article on the Greek word for nine, εννεα (ennea)."

v. 20: So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards. The Number is 4445, דדדה‎‎‎, dededa, "I can perceive what is in your brisket, I know how to see, comprehend and understand you. I grasp you."

v. 21: And watch! The Number is 12872, יבח‎ז‎ב‎, yabzeb, "Become the Lord of the Gold, through responsibility."

vs. Beelzebub, "Lord of the Flies" = lord of nothing by wandering to and fro.

v. 22: Do us the favor. The Number is 15493, י״הדטג‎ ‎ j. hadtag, "The Third Crown" = the Third Temple= The Onset of the Mashiach.

So this is how God wants us to create the Third Temple and take our places in the New Eden, the Aeon of the Third Age.

Call together the Elders. We have to understand everything in the Torah, we must know and understand exaclty what it says, every Jew who can walk and talk.

Identify the Inheritance= the Commonwealth of the Kingdom of Israel.

Entitle the people.

Set the House in Stone through social responsibility and rescue the rest of the world from certain harm.

Establish temples, houses of government, and learning in places that are in need.

Plant the vineyards.

Close the Age of Agony and open the new.

[nlockett]

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. Genesis 35:1-5 (NIV)

[foggynightdonut]

Follow Jacob:

1. After returning from Paddan-aram, Jacob bought some land near Shechem and set up camp there (Genesis 33:18-20).

2. Jacob’s sons attacked Shechem after Hamor’s son raped Dinah; they then had to move to Bethel (Genesis 34-35:15).

3. Jacob and his family then moved from Bethel to Bethlehem, then to Eder, then on to Hebron where Isaac lived (Genesis 35:16-29). 

[marysittingathisfeet]

Deborah Who?

When I speak of Deborah in the bible, immediately everyone thinks of the Judge and Prophet who defeated the Canaanites. But did you know there is another Deborah before her? Genesis 35:8 tells us that Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth which means "Tree of Weepings." At that time oaks were venerated and therefore there was no risk of the oak getting cut down or damaged. (Remember Jacob had buried all the idols his wives had under an oak. )

In Genesis 24 Abraham sends his servant back to Haran to get a wife for Isaac. When it was time for Rebekah to leave her brother Laban and her mother sent her on her way, along with her nurse. Was this Deborah we read about later in Genesis. Probably, but we don't know for sure. Was she Rebekah's wet nurse when she was a baby? Was she supposed to help Rebekah take care of her children? We don't know. What we do know is that if this nurse was indeed Deborah, by the time she died she would have been about 150 years old.

So why was Rebekah's nurse with Rachael and not Rebekah? When Jacob left Canaan he travelled alone. in Canaan he married Racheal and Leah. We do not have mention of Deborah the nurse until Jacob has headed back into Canaan. By this time the nurse is quite elderly. When did she arrive in Haran? How did she get there? and Why was she there is not answered. Some believe that Rachael herself sent Deborah to Haran to let Jacob know it was safe for him to return.

I am not sure about that. Genesis 31 tells us that Jacob had been blessed by God. Jacob overheard what Laban's sons, his cousins, were saying about him. They were accusing Jacob of stealing from Laban. Jacob had noticed prior to that that that Laban's attitude had changed. Then the Lord spoke to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." If Deborah had been sent by Ruth to inform Jacob, then God wouldn't have had to tell Jacob to leave, or would he? Perhaps after Rebekah died, Deborah wanted to return to her homeland and Esau who had not use for an elderly nurse was quick to let her go.

Whenever, however, and why Deborah left Rebekah to be with Rachael we don't really know. Being elderly the return trip was long and exhausting and thus she died. She was obviously loved and cherished, however, as she was buried beneath an oak tree named weeping. I imagine the large extended family, including Jacob, weeping as they buried Deborah. Perhaps to Jacob she was like a second mother to him. She must have been a kind wise person to be so loved.