Posted on 10/08/2019 7:56:30 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
RE: Jacob placed his hand for the blessing on that of the younger son, Joseph did not like that, as he did not think as it should be, and moved his father’s hand. Jacob basically said, “I know what I am doing”
What exactly did Jacob favoring the younger son do for the younger son and his offsprings as opposed to the older son?
In the Joseph story, Reuben wants to save Joseph’s life and get him back safe to Jacob. While Reuben is gone, Judah persuades the other brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. So at most 8 of the brothers wanted to kill Joseph.
Can anyone point me to this in The Bible?
In Genesis 25:29, Esau returned to his brother, Jacob, being famished from the fields. He begged his twin brother to give him some "red pottage " (paralleling his nickname, Hebrew : אדום (adom, meaning "red"). Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright (the right to be recognized as firstborn) and Esau agreed.
Traditional Jewish understanding is that this is a reference to Joshua, who came from Efraim’s line, and to Mashiach ben Yosef, who will also be from Efraim’s line. Not a knock on Menashe.
“Recently, a team excavating in Israel’s Timna Valley...” That name Timna caught my eye. IIRC, Juges 14:1 Samson went down to the town of Timnath and got one of his Phillistine wives. Probably the same area. The names Timnah and Timnath come up in numerous passages of scripture.
Gen 48:19 “...his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall be a multitude of nations.”
Joseph got a double portion of blessing because Joseph AND his sons were given portions. Jacob favoring Joseph’s mother is the reason for the doubling. In Gen. 49 Jacob blessed all of his sons, the blessings were also prophecies, especially Judah’s, vs 8-12*: “you are a lion’s whelp” and “The scepter shall not depart from *Judah”
Judah is the ancestor of the Messiah, the Lion of Judah” and due to the sorry actions if his older brothers he became like the eldest son in the blessing. *Judah was no angel, BTW.
It is the Middle East in ancient times and definitely cultural. It does not necessarily fit for today.
Psalms 133
1 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
These things take time. Then everyone will realize that Rebecca actually made the very first Purim costume, dressing up Jacob in Esav's Sunday best.
Jacob received the blessing of the dew of heaven. Esav thought (like every one else down the line) that he got ripped off, but his blessing involved the dew of heaven from above.
Attention to detail. I'm a big fan.
True; “Jacob” means “schemer”.
It does ... and I don’t see that his character changed all that much when he was renamed “Israel”!
“It does ... and I don’t see that his character changed all that much when he was renamed “Israel”!”
True. And he is in the genealogical line of the Son of God. As are murderers, adulterous persons, and at least one prostitute.
There is hope for us all.
Exactly right. Christ our only hope, Christ everyone’s hope!
Jacob’s story is a reminder that we need to be cautious about using Biblical figures as moral exemplars. I believe Jacob (and his ancestors and descendants) are genuine figures of history, and I think it’s wise to regard them with the same analysis we apply to any other historic (or contemporary) person.
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