Wow, I have finished Genesis! Let me tell you, it was far more interesting than one might expect. In some chapters, I really thought I was reading the script to a soap opera. Seriously! Most of the men have at least two wives, a lot of them even have "women maidservants" who also happen to sleep in the same bed sometimes and bear children for them.
I guess it's meant to show that there are no perfect men in the Bible, EXCEPT FOR JESUS!
But one of the most intriguing sagas of Genesis to me, was the account of the life of Joseph. Son of Jacob/Israel and Rachel (Jacob's 2nd wife, probably the one he loved the most), Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. Joseph was gifted with prophetic dreams from God. One day after sharing a dream with his brothers in which they are were bowing to him in the form of sheaves of grain, his brothers grew more envious of him. Now, you all may know the story of Joseph and his beautiful coat, and how his brothers threw him down a well and tricked their father into believing that Joseph was eaten by wild animals. After being sold into slavery, he was blessed by God with dreams that would benefit pharaoh and put Joseph in charge of literally everything in Egypt.
During the famine which he prophesied, his brothers came to him not knowing who he was, asking for grain. At this point, one should be confronted with the question....What would I do in this situation?
"Here are the brothers who betrayed me. They sold me like cattle into slavery. Because of them, I have been through so much turmoil in my life. I had to sit in prison and treated horribly." Joseph must have been thinking. "But ahh, I am in the position of power and authority now. I can sentence them to imprisonment for what they've done, even death!"
Here is this HUGE temptation to have revenge against those who sinned against him. I'm sure satan is right there at his ear whispering, "You are justified in this revenge! You deserve to get even! They deserve death! Give them what they deserve!"
But no, this is not Joseph's choice. He shows mercy-undeserving mercy-just as our Lord shows us undeserving mercy! We deserve death, but that is not what comes to us. How gracious is our Lord that he shows mercy and gives love! I am so thankful for his love and mercy!
On an unrelated note...I come again across a new question. In Jacob's life, God changes his name, as He does with many in history. He changes him from Jacob (which means "supplanter, taking the place of another especially using underhanded tactics") to Israel (which means "wrestles with God"). However, many times after God changed his name to Israel, He refers to him again as Jacob, his previous name. There is even several places where he calls him by both names in the same sentence.
Like here: And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" Gen 46:2.
If anyone should have an idea why this might be, do share. Well, off to exodus now. I am still behind in my reading, but I am still reading, and that's all that matters.
God Bless
