Exodus 1-6

NEXT WEEK

April 5 Exodus 7-13

BOOK OF EXODUS

“The word Exodus is derived from the Greek Exodos, the name given to the book by those who translated the Septuagint. Exodus means exit or depart. In Hebrew the book is named after its first two words we’elleh Shemoth (and these are the names of). Exodus was not meant to exist separately, but was thought of as a continuation of a narrative that began in Genesis and was completed in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Exodus lays a foundation theology in which God reveals his name, his attributes, his redemption, his law and how he is to be worshiped. It also appoints Moses as the mediator of the Sinaitic covenant, describes the beginnings of the priesthood in Israel, defines the role of the prophet and relates how the ancient covenant relationship between God and his people came under a new administration.

Profound insights into the nature of God are found. The focus of these texts is on the fact and importance of his presence with his people. Emphasis is also placed on his attributes of justice, truthfulness, mercy, faithfulness and holiness. Thus to know God’s name is to know him and his character.”

NIV Study Bible, pg. 96-98

SAVIORS OF THE EXODUS

“Our focus now shifts to the period after the end of the book of Genesis. The question is no longer “Who will inherit the mantle of this ancestry?” It is “What will become of the descendants of these ancestors?” Some things have not changed since the days of Genesis. The descendants live in families and center their political organization and power in the family. As a result, women continue to demonstrate considerable ability to influence events. But with the national emphasis of the book of Exodus, it becomes clear that choices made by women in the course of their domestic lives determine the destiny of the entire people. Acting in their routine roles as midwives, mothers, daughters, and wives, women become the saviors of early Israel and bring on the redemption from Egypt.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 24). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

MIDWIVES

“We get more names, the names of two of the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. Shiphrah means brightness. And Puah, it literally means to glitter, light, stars. They're symbols of creation.

So, Shiphrah and Puah, in my thoughts are representatives of Hava, of Eve. This is the same garden story that is translating throughout time.

In our Latter-day Saints' storyline, we have Eve as kind of the hero of the Eden story. She's going to figure out what she's supposed to do here. And so, you have these same women doing that. They defied that serpent. (Pharaoh)”

Anthony Rivera, Follow Him Podcast

TRIAD OF DAUGHTERS 

“And so Moses is born, and saved to be reborn, by the collaboration of this triad of daughters, who begin the redemption of Israel. The Bible records the name of Moses’ mother, Yochebed, and his sister Miriam, and midrash adds the name ‘Bithya’ for the daughter of Pharaoh. But none of them is named in this story, for like the anonymous daughters of the book of Judges, they are archetypal. They are daughters, women, the very ones overlooked by both Pharaoh and the tradition that remembered the names of only the men who came to Egypt. Three subversive daughters have foiled the plans of men and shaped the destiny of the world.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 28). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

ZIPPORAH

“The story, the language used to relate it, and its themes are highly cryptic, and even in biblical times this story was not understood, for the narrator of the last line is trying to puzzle it out, identifying Zipporah’s statement with mulôt, most probably circumcision. But within the enigma, the figure of Zipporah is decisive and clear. She understands what is happening, knows what to do, averts the doom, and rescues Moses. Zipporah acts to prevent a killing. In this experience of the frightening aspect of divine power, Moses’ wife grows into a savior. She becomes a surrogate parent, protecting Moses as well as her children. Moses’ Israelite ‘biological’ mother and his Egyptian ‘foster’ mother are now joined in a triad of saviors by this Midianite ‘ritual’ mother. Now Moses will turn from being the rescued to the rescuer, from the saved to the savior.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 32). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

SAVIORS OF THE EXODUS

“The stories of the great women of the Exodus show the true meaning of the Midrashic proverb ‘Because of the righteous women of that generation, Israel was redeemed from Egypt.’ These women were proactive and assertive even while the men were passive, reactive, or absent. They continued to function strongly and decisively even in conditions of dire oppression. And they stood up to overwhelming power. Political power, paternal power, even divine power all failed to deter these women. What enabled them to act in the face of overwhelming odds? Ironically, the empowering element may be their habitual disempowerment. Women have usually (if not always) been in subordinate positions, subservient to and sometimes even subjugated by the men in their lives. As a result, external oppression did not change their lives in fundamental ways. Certainly oppression intensified their suffering, but it did not turn their experience of reality upside down. Because women have rarely had autonomy, negotiating with authority has been their normal mode of existence. Women are used to ignoring outside events and regulations, used to maneuvering through the system to follow personal imperatives: helping their husbands, protecting their children, and being loyal to their God.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 32). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

MOSES

“In Hebrew, it says that she called his name Mosheh. She called his name Mosheh because she drew him out of the water. Now, the word for drawing out of the water is the same word, mashah. So, it says, ‘I called him Mosheh because mashah, I drew him out of the water.’ Now, that's the Hebrew perspective because we know him as Moses, not Mosheh. In the Christian world or in the English Bible, they translated it Moses, not Mosheh.

The children of the pharaoh especially the kings had to be born of a certain god in order to be the son of god. So, you have different gods. You have the god Tut, the god Amun, the god Ra. So, they would name the kings after these gods, begotten of Ra, Ra-Moses. Moses means begotten of. Tut-Moses, begotten of Tut, the god Tut. Ah-Moses, begotten of Amun. So, Moses means begotten of.

They don't know where this one came from. So, instead of saying that he was begotten of a god, the daughter of Pharaoh an Egyptian just called him Moses, begotten of question mark. He's the Nile baby, the mystery baby.”

Anthony Rivera, Hebrew Scholar, Follow Him Podcast

GOD’S NAME

“Once he does that [removes his shoes] and he stands before this God, that he only knows is the God of the mountain, the God of Jethro, and I'm sure over time Jethro was instructing him, preparing him. So here in verse six comes the famous introduction. This isn't the official introduction that God wants Moses to tell Israel, this introduction in verse six is just for Moses. This is going to connect the dots now, back to where we left off with in Canaan.

He said, I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. In Hebrew, he uses a pronoun. Now in English, we get this all mixed up, the I AMs. Here in this verse six, God is using a personal pronoun, not the verb. So this isn't the same as what he's going to say later, to tell Israel, this is as if they've known each other for a long time. This is personal, this is friendship. He says, ‘ anoki elohe abika.’ He says, ‘I, me, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ So he's trying to help Moses put into context who he really is and who he has been all along.

He says [when instructing Moses about the Israelites], ‘Tell them that. I am the one who promised Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel who is going to not only deliver you from bondage, physically, but from the bondage of sin, eternally. I am the one who will be.’”

Anthony Rivera, Follow Him Podcast

MOSES AND GOD

Following are the insights you found in reading about the life of Moses. Thank you, Kim for being our scribe.

1. Do we learn anything more about Moses through his conversations with Jehovah?

We need to be prepared to talk to God—Moses wasn’t casual.

“I am not the person you think I am.” Doubt, insecurity of Moses.

Terrified of assignment

He wasn’t afraid to ask or question God

2. What does Moses learn about Jehovah through these conversations?

That we have to do hard things—we are tasked with great work.

God told Moses who He was.

This was Holy ground - don’t bring the world into this place - similar to our holy temple

That God will be with him 

Jehovah gives Moses the vision of what is coming

That God will lead Moses back through difficult traumatic experiences

I AM THE GOD - the Being of God - the One that is coming 

I will send you with My Power

I AM is important -  I will always be with you

Remind others (Israelites, Pharaoh) of God’s power

God understand how to speak our language - symbolic nature of His power - Three items: staff, leprosy, water on ground 

I will redeem you - I will tutor you

3. Do we learn anything about our own communication with God from these scriptures?

We need to pay attention to what God is telling us.

Heavenly Father hears us.

Whom God calls he qualifies 

We need to have more confidence that God will help us

Exercise faith that our Lord Jesus Christ will help us—that it isn’t all on our shoulders

Genesis 42-50

READING NEXT WEEK

Exodus 1-6

INTERPRETATION OF THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS

to enact vengeance upon his brothers 

to fulfill his earlier dreams

to test his brothers

Rabbi Annie Tucker, Widstoe Foundation Podcast

JUDAH

“He doesn't say, "Oh, the little kleptomaniac, let him stay. Good riddance, we finally got rid of Rachel's other son." He really pleads for him, and I think Judah in that plea has echoes of the Savior pleading for all of us, because he knows the distress of his father if we don't return. And so, ‘Take me, I will take the consequences and let them go free.’

I love that principle of, ‘How shall I go up to the father and the lad not be with me? How can I return without him?’

We might not say that Judah’s a similitude of Christ here or a foreshadowing or a type of Him. But we would say Judah had an understanding of the heart of Christ. I can hear the Savior say, ‘Do you understand me now, Judah? Do you understand my heart? Because your heart is with my heart in this thing. Concern for a father who loves his children and the willingness to pay whatever price is necessary in order that the lad be with me.’”

Michael Wilcox, Follow Him Podcast

JUDAH

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.

You are a lion’s cub, Judah, you return from the prey, my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch, and he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.”

NIV Genesis 49:9-12

EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH

Joshua, Moses’ successor as leader of the Jewish people, is from the tribe of Ephraim. It is Joshua, a brave and resolute warrior, who leads Israel to successfully conquer and settle Canaan. Another military leader, Gideon, whose story is recorded in the Book of Judges, hails from the Tribe of Manasseh. Gideon proves to be a man of faith as he destroys the symbols of Midianite worship to foreign gods and then declines the popular call to lead the people as their king, reminding them that only God is their ruler. Ephraim and Manasseh produce two of Israel’s greatest leaders. When we use their names to bless our children, we express our hope that our children, too, will demonstrate leadership among the Jewish people.

As you can see, there’s more to Ephraim and Manasseh than first meets the eye. Their names have come to be associated not only with a formative period of our history, but also with core Jewish values. It is my hope that when Jewish parents bless their sons for 'God to make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,’ they will do so mindful of the values we have associated with these two otherwise common Israelites. Most of us, after all, are more like Ephraim and Manasseh than, say, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Moses. We are simply Jews. If nothing else, though, Ephraim and Manasseh remind us that even ordinary Jews stand for things that are quite extraordinary.

https://rabbiaronson.com/2015/01/02/why-bless-our-sons-as-ephraim-and-manasseh/

GENESIS

“Genesis speaks of beginnings—of the heavens and the earth, of light and darkness, of seas and skies, of land and vegetation, of sun and moon and stars, of sea and air and land animals, of human beings (made in God’s own image, the climax of his creative activity), of marriage and family, of society and civilization, of sin and redemption. The list could go on and on.

The book of Genesis is foundational to the understanding of the rest of the Bible. Its message is rich and complex. It is supremely a book that speaks about relationships, highlighting those between God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings. It is thoroughly monotheistic, taking for granted that there is only one God worthy of the name and opposing the ideas that there are many gods (polytheism), that there is no god at all (atheism) and that everything is divine (pantheism). It clearly teaches that the one true God is sovereign over all that exists (i.e., his entire creation), and that he often exercises his unlimited freedom to overturn human customs, traditions and plans. It introduces us to the way in which God initiates and makes covenants with his chosen people, pledging his love and faithfulness to them and calling them to promise theirs to him. It establishes sacrifice as the substitution of life for life. It gives us the first hint of God’s provision for redemption from the forces of evil and contains the oldest and most profound statement concerning the significance of faith (15:6).”

Various Authors. Zondervan NIV Study Bible: Updated Edition (Kindle Locations 2191-2203). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Genesis 37-41

NEXT WEEK READING 

Genesis 42-50

THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL

“After his wrestle with the angel, Jacob took on the name he is most associated with today, Israel, or ‘he strives with God.’ The very name of the chosen, peculiar people, meant following God will result not only in a struggle with God, but in a struggle with the people and the cultures that surround us. The stories of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, are among the most morally complicated found in the entire scriptural canon. Yet there is comfort in knowing these remarkable people wrestled with God and the world they lived in. They emerge not as flat archetypes of good or evil, but as complex men and women who wrestled with loneliness, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, inequality or transgression. An account of their lives should bring comfort to the modern Saints in their striving with God and the world. ‘Be kind with human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you.’ Elder Jeffery R. Holland counseled. ‘Except in the case of his only Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to deal with.’ The wrestle is one that ultimately comes to us all, but the same God who guided the family of Israel gently and surely guides the same family today, eons later, in their own wrestles.”

Casey Paul Griffiths, Sperry Symposium 2021

DINAH

“The brothers’ act and the storyteller’s ‘they defiled’ both underscore the same message: the city is liable for the actions of its rulers. For ancient audiences, this was nothing new. Wars were always fought because rulers offended one another or their gods. Moreover, if the brothers had killed only Hamor and Shechem, the townspeople would have been obligated to avenge their death by attacking Israel. The brothers’ raid must be a full-scale punitive war, in which they take for themselves all the wealth of Shechem.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 195). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

DINAH

“The story of Dinah and Shechem highlights the dilemma of any small group trying to survive. If it is militant, it courts destruction. But if its boundaries are too permeable, it might be loved to death. The distinctiveness of Israel was and is placed at risk every time it comes into close amicable contact with other peoples. But the price of isolation may be eternal enmity and warfare, a price contrary to Israel’s own self-understanding as a nation of peace. Should Israel welcome those of her neighbors in the land who wished to be absorbed, like Gibeonites in the period of the conquest and like Samaritans in the Assyrian period? And during those periods in which Israel had military strength—under David and Solomon and later under the Hasmoneans—should conquered nations become part of the people of Israel? And should they be formally converted? After the biblical period, the Dinah story continued to be the means by which these discussions took place, and the story was retold often in Hellenistic literature with different variations and permutations. The questions of boundary protection and boundary definition preoccupy Israel throughout its existence. Like the family of Jacob, Israel dwells apart. This national dilemma plays itself out on a national scene when kingdoms confront one another in war and peace. But it is also ever present on a personal level, whenever a girl goes out to visit the daughters of the land.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 197-198). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

“The foremost reason we should learn about the covenant is because of the bond it forges between us and God. Covenants have always been about creating relationships. Clearly everyone is a child of God, but the choice to be part of a covenant enhances and changes that relationship. Even for those in the covenant, the relationship is defined by whether or not they keep the covenant. Yet there is a difference between those who have made a covenant and are not keeping it and those who have not made the covenant, even if people in those two categories are behaving in the same way. You see, once we make a covenant with God, we have left neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. In Hebrew this covenantal love is called hesed.

Hesed has a rich and full meaning. At its core, hesed indicates a special kind of love and mercy that is only available to those in a covenant relationship. Because God has hesed for those who have covenanted with Him, He will love them in such a way that, no matter what, He will continue to work with them and offer them chances to change and return to Him when they stray.”

Muhlestein, Kerry. God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel (pp. 11-12). Covenant Communications, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

HESED

“One study of hesed, done by Hebraist Gordon R. Clark, defines the word thus: ‘[Hesed] is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient.’ Clark continued to say that hesed ‘may be described as a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him-or herself.’ As beautiful as this is, the description of how hesed relates to God is even more powerful. After an extensive study of how the word is used in the Old Testament, Clark says that hesed ‘is characteristic of God rather than human beings; it is rooted in the divine nature, and it is expressed because of who he is, not because of what humanity is or needs or desires or deserves.’ Further, God’s ‘tenacious commitment to Israel even in the face of their blatant and persistent rebellion demonstrates that [hesed] is an enduring quality of God.’”

Muhlestein, Kerry. God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel (pp. 11-12). Covenant Communications, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

LEVIRATE LAW

“Neither of her husbands had been pleasant; in fact, they had been horrid. Er had been a wicked man, and she wasn’t even sure how he died. The villagers simply said that God killed him for his wickedness (Genesis 38:7). Her second husband hadn’t been any better. After Er died, her father-in-law, Judah, had given her in marriage to Er’s younger brother, Onan, to raise posterity for Er. In those days, ‘widows without children were protected by levirate marriage, which required that a childless widow marry one of her deceased husband’s brothers in order to continue the family line of her dead husband and pass on his land inheritance, or nahala. This was seen as a widow’s right, and perhaps the only chance a woman would have for security after the death of her husband.’ This was called the ‘levirate law.’ A levir acted ‘as his brother’s surrogate and incest taboos [were] suspended’ for this particular situation. Leviracy provided posterity for the deceased brother, as well as the comfort and protection of motherhood for the surviving widow.

Skousen, Jo Ann. Matriarchs of the Messiah: Valiant Women in the Lineage of Jesus Christ . Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

TAMAR

“The details of the story of Judah and Tamar reveal that this was not an act of incest or licentious behavior at all. Tamar knew that law and custom were on her side. Through her clever plotting, she maneuvered Judah into keeping an important promise while she also prevented him from committing a grave sin. She was an ezer kenegdo.”

Skousen, Jo Ann. Matriarchs of the Messiah: Valiant Women in the Lineage of Jesus Christ . Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

COVENANT MARRIAGE

"The Mosaic Covenant later forbade intermarriage between the people of Israel and the people of Canaan in order to avoid idolatry. But Joseph lived before the law was given, he was not marrying a Canaanite, and he did not fall into idolatry. God used Joseph’s marriage to the daughter of the priest of On to accomplish His will and provide for His people, the family of Jacob.”

. biblecentral.org

DIVINE PROVIDENCE

“All parties in these stories are allowed the exercise of free choice to follow their course, ignorant that all the while they were only contributing their share towards the fulfillment of God’s purpose. And in this lies the mystery of divine providence. It always worketh wonders, yet without seeming to work at all. Sometimes it escapes our observation, silently and unobserved by those who live and act. It pursues its course till in the end all things are seen to work together for the glory of God and for good to them that love God, that are called according to his purpose.”

Alfred Edersheim, as quoted on Don’t Miss This Podcast

ANTIFRAGILE

“Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile.

Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better. This property is behind everything that has changed with time.”

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile

ANTIFRAGILE

"Nassim Taleb explains how systems and people can survive the inevitable difficulties of life. And like the immune system, grow stronger in response. So he's talking about the introduction of a problem, but like our immune system, we can respond in ways that can actually strengthen us. Recognize that some things are antifragile.

He talks about china, which is made to be fragile. If you drop it on a hard surface, it's going to break. And other things are made to be more resilient, like plastic. So if you drop it on a hard surface, it probably won't break. It's not great for the structural integrity of the plastic to be dropped on hard surfaces, but it's designed to resist breaking. And it probably won't. If you do it enough, it might, but . definitely made differently from china or glass.

And then he says, ‘There are some things that are made to be antifragile.’ Which, as he says, ‘Means that they require stresses and challenges in order to learn, adapt, and grow.’ He says, ‘There are three examples here of things that are antifragile. They are created to optimize under stress.’ That's his point, that they don't fully optimize unless they are stressed. Muscle, he mentions, use it or lose it with muscle. If you don't use your muscles, they atrophy. Bone, and as we get older, they keep telling us, ‘You need to do weight-bearing exercise.’ Walk and jog, putting some stress on those bones so that they can maintain their strength. His third example, muscle, bone, children. Now, that's a powerful thought. I love that thought. And really, it's not just children. It's the human creature. The child of God is made antifragile. We are created to grow under stress. And we don't optimize, if we're not stressed. We just don't. We become weak.”

Dr. Lili Anderson, Follow Him Podcast

Genesis 24-27

NEXT WEEK SPRING BREAK—NO CLASS

READING FOR MARCH 15

Genesis 37-41

LINK TO ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATIONS

The following links may be helpful in your study of the Old Testament. Thank you, Kim, for sharing.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

ISAAC

“The second series of patriarchal narratives, that relating to Isaac, now begins. The data about him are exceedingly sparse. Much of what is preserved—his birth and circumcision, the Akedah, and his marriage—is integrated into the biography of Abraham, while other episodes belong to the large collection of traditions regarding Jacob. Nothing is recorded of the first twenty years of Isaac’s marriage. Only a few isolated events in his life are preserved in the literature, where he is eclipsed by the towering figure of his father Abraham and overshadowed by the dynamic, forceful personality of his son Jacob.

Yet Isaac is more than a mere transition between Abraham and Jacob, and the biblical account does contain unmistakable elements of individuality. Isaac’s name, uniquely bestowed by God, is not changed; his pastoral wanderings are restricted to a narrow range and largely center around Beersheba; unlike Abraham, he does not live at Hebron-Kiriat-arba but settles there only in his old age; he alone remains monogamous; he is the only patriarch to engage in agriculture and the only one never to leave the promised land; finally, the unique divine name paḥad yitsḥak (31:42 [literally “the Fear of Isaac”]) suggests some episode, not recorded, in which this particular name would have been meaningful. References in Amos 7:9, 16 to “the shrines of Isaac” and to “the house of Isaac” as an epithet for Israel seem to indicate that a more extensive account of his life once existed.”

Nahum M. Sarna, Scripture Plus, Commentary on Chapter 25

RIVKA OR REBEKAH

“The servant asks for a serendipitous “happenstance,” that the right girl would chance to come his way that very evening. He wants the hand of Providence to be clear, and asks for a sign. The sign is not random: it will also show that the girl has a willing heart. Abraham has described the characteristics of an ideal woman for his son: she must be from the homeland and be willing to come. The servant wants more: she must be hospitable and strong. The sign that she is truly the destined one is that she not only agrees to give him drink but volunteers to water his camels too. Like the mighty wife of Proverbs 31, she must be both caring and industrious. Moreover, as everyone knows, “A good wife comes from God” (Prov 19:14).”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (p. 8). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

THE SERVANT’S PRAYER OF GRATITUDE

“And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

KJV Bible, Genesis 24:26

“Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, The lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

NIV Bible, Genesis 24:26

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the way to the house of my master’s kin.”

The Oxford Bible, Genesis 24:26

THE SERVANT

“From the viewpoint the servant this story was fraught with all kinds of issues—difficulty, problematic characters, negotiations, chances for failure, but what maintained this servant was his confidence in the steadfast faithfulness of the God of Abraham. He knew that God was in the world and that God would work through him in that moment and that was the thing that would make all the difference.”

BYU Maxwell Abide Podcast

REBEKAH

“Not knowing either Abraham or Isaac, whose name is not even mentioned, she declares her willingness to go. At that moment, it becomes clear that Rivka is the counterpart to both Abraham and Sarah. Like Sarah, she is the instrument of the promise, the agent through whom Isaac will become the father of a nation. She is also a second Abraham, who, like him, voluntarily chooses to leave Mesopotamia for Canaan. Her “I will go” echoes God’s command to Abraham to “Go!” in Gen. 12:1. The voyage from Mesopotamia to Israel was the one qualification that Abraham sought in a daughter-in-law, and her willingness to do so establishes her credentials.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 13-14). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

REBEKAH

“As soon as Isaac enters the scene, she veils herself. Veiling may have been required. The Assyrian laws require married women to be veiled. The fact that Jacob marries Leah thinking she is Rachel seems to indicate that such a custom also applied to betrothed women. But the veiling is also symbolic: all of Rivka’s attributes, not only her beauty, will be less visible as a wife. In marriage, women, even the active Rivka, become the object of action: Isaac takes her. But her qualities do not remain hidden to him, for he loves her. She not only takes Sarah’s place in the tent, she takes her place in his heart. The biblical ideal of marriage may consider the husband the dominant partner, but it nevertheless envisions a love relationship. Modern commentators assume a mismatch between a strong Rivka and a passive Isaac, but the story tells us that he loved her.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 13-14). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

THE BIRTHRIGHT BLESSING

“Questions and conjecture accompany the biblical account of Jacob’s receiving Isaac’s birthright blessing. Because details and explanations are absent, it is easy to make accusations of deception and manipulation.

At the time of the blessing, Isaac was nearly incapacitated, described as ‘old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see.’ He was unable to distinguish his sons from each other and considered his mortal life nearly at its end. Yet, at the beginning of the next chapter, Isaac is portrayed as alert, with no difficulty recognizing his second son, and capable of delivering lengthy counsel for Jacob’s imminent journey. The two settings invite a possibility that the chapters are not presented in chronological order. Perhaps Isaac pronounced the birthright blessing years later, or else he died shortly after blessing his sons rather than when his death is reported several decades later. The fact that Isaac is mentioned only indirectly after he blessed his sons provides no additional clues to correct this seeming inconsistency.”

Camille Fronk Olsen, Women of the Old Testament, pg. 60

 THE BIRTHRIGHT BLESSING

“Rivka knows that once uttered, a curse cannot be easily removed, but it can be deflected, and Rivka offers to take the consequences of the curse upon herself. She is the first woman to do so, but not the last. Women who ask men to do something need to allay the fears of those men; both Abigail and the Wise Woman of Tekoa will offer to take upon themselves the consequences of the acts that they ask David to do. This is a very persuasive technique, and it works. Jacob puts on the goat skins and goes to trick his father into giving him the blessing he plans for Esau.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 18-19). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

THE BIRTHRIGHT BLESSING

“The deception of the blind elderly Isaac is a bizarre episode, verging on both the tragic and the burlesque. It rests on a premise alien to contemporary thinking, that a blessing unwittingly bestowed is still a blessing. And it assumes that trickery is not automatically immoral. Many heroes of the Bible, including Moses and David, use trickery when frontal assaults will not work, and the Jacob cycle has quite a few trickster stories. Isaac himself is a trickster, having tried the wife-sister trick on Abimelech. Jacob takes Isaac’s place in the next generation, as well as Rivka’s, being both a trickster and bearer of the promise. Rivka will use whatever means are in the tool kit of those without authority to make decisions. The story never tells us that Rivka must use deception because she is powerless, and later readers have often accused her of improper and immoral behavior. But the biblical world valued cunning in the underdog. Only the powerful value honesty at all costs. The powerless know that trickery may save their lives.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 18-19). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

REBEKAH

“Early interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, praised Rivka, as did medieval and reformation writers. The censure did not begin until the end of the nineteenth century, when male biblical scholars began to condemn her as a Lady Macbeth. The pendulum is beginning to swing again as we learn more about how the disadvantaged make their way in the world and how women negotiate through patriarchy. To some contemporary eyes, the ingenuity and cunning of Rivka’s plan is itself a mark of divine guidance and her role as divine helper.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 18-19). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

REBEKAH

“Esau had sold the prerogatives of firstborn to Jacob, but despite the arrangement that they once had made, Isaac’s blessing in anticipation of death can determine their future relationship. Rivka knows that Isaac has always favored Esau the hunter and wants to give him the blessing. If she is going to ensure that the omen of Jacob’s destiny will be fulfilled, she must act. Her motives may be pure, to carry out God’s will. She may also be influenced by the fact that she favors the more domestic Jacob. She may believe that he is more likely to care for her in her old age. Motives are rarely unmixed. Moreover, even people who operate purely from selfish reasons may unwittingly be carrying out God’s plan, like the brothers who sell Joseph into Egypt or Potiphar’s wife, who gets him into the dungeon where he can come to the attention of Pharaoh. Actions have consequences whatever their motives. And whether or not Rivka is thinking of the oracle at this particular moment, the oracle has shown her and the reader what God’s plan is. Isaac must bless Jacob. Only he has the right to bestow the blessing. Rivka knows that he has made his decision and she will not be able to persuade Isaac to change his mind.”

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 18-19). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

REBEKAH

“Without denigrating Isaac’s authority and pure heart, Rebekah’s leadership in orchestrating the birthright blessing is undeniable. As soon as she heard Isaac’s instruction to Esau to ‘make ms savory meat...that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die,’ Rebekah sprang into action.

All women have similar opportunities to open up a way that allows God’s will to be made known. ‘Women are appointed to be Rebekahlike, to be guides and lights in righteousness in the family unit.’ Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, ‘and to engineer and arrange so that things are done in the way that will result in the salvation of more our Father’s children.’

Rebekah’s confidence in pursuing her plan must stem in part from the revelation she received before her sons were born. She knew that God had chosen her younger son to receive the birthright.”

Camille Fronk Olsen, Women of the Old Testament, pg. 60

REBEKAH

“If Abraham was to be the “father of many nations,” how important was Isaac’s wife, Rebekah? She was so important that he sent his servant hundreds of miles to find the right young woman—one who would keep her covenants, one who understood what it meant to form an eternal family.

The story of Isaac and Rebekah is an example of the man, who has the keys, and the woman, who has the influence, working together to ensure the fulfillment of their blessings. Their story is pivotal. The blessings of the house of Israel depended on a man and a woman who understood their place in the plan and their responsibilities to form an eternal family, to bear children, and to teach them.”

Julie B. Beck, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2011/03/teaching-the-doctrine-of-the- family?lang=eng