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