Eden to Eternity Vol. 1, Genesis 31-50
- Madison
- Jan 14, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: Jan 24, 2024
Genesis: 1/66 | Author: various unknown contributors | Old Testament | Pentateuch/Torah | 1925-1805 B.C. (estimated)
31. JACOB SEPARATES FROM LABAN
Jacob departed from Laban's oversight before they concluded their business relationship with a covenant to do right by one another.
32. PREPARING TO MEET ESAU / JACOB WRESTLES WITH GOD
Fearing that Esau would come to conquer him and his belongings, Jacob sent his wives out to offer livestock.
Suddenly, a man approached Jacob. They fought until the man hit Jacob in the hip and broke free, then the mighty man renamed Jacob "Israel," since this Hebrew name resembles enduring a struggle with God. It was at this moment that Jacob, now Isreal, knew that this encounter was more significant than he realized.
33. JACOB MEETS ESAU
Jacob prepared for an overtaking or war, but Esau sprinted to greet his brother. They were pleased at the sight of each other and overjoyed to be in the presence of one another. They eventually departed, heading in different directions yet again.
34. DINAH DEFILED
A man named Shechem assaulted Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob. Dinah's brothers were rightfully angry; meanwhile, Shechem's father tried to form a deal with Jacob over Dinah. The sons convinced Shechem and his father that they had agreed with the union of Dinah and Shechem, but they murdered the males of this city. Dinah's brothers also stripped the area of goods and valuable merchandise. This area belonged to the Canaanites. Because of these things, Jacob became worried about the consequences of his son's actions.
35. RETURN TO BETHEL / RACHEL'S DEATH / ISRAEL'S SONS / ISAAC'S DEATH
God urged Jacob to flee to Bethel.
"We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. Has has been with me everywhere I have gone" (Genesis 35:3, CSB).
They left behind the idols they had gathered from the city they attacked and set out to build an altar in Bethel. Jacob again received the blessing of God, renaming him Israel.
"I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you, and kings will descend from you. I will give you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac. And I will give the land to your future descendants" (Genesis 35:11–12).
When Rachel went into labor with Benjamin, she had complications that led to her death. Jacob's father, Isaac, followed shortly after.
36. ESAU'S FAMILY
Esau's family line was extensive. He multiplied with women from Canaan, whose offspring also multiplied until the land could not sustain them any longer. Esau was known as the head of the Edomite tribe.
37. JOSEPH'S DREAMS / JOSEPH SOLD INTO SLAVERY
Israel (formerly known as Jacob) adored his son Joseph. Verse 3 mentions, "Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him." However, Joseph's brothers caught on to this obvious favoritism. To make matters worse, Joseph divulged his dream: that his brothers, the stars, the sun, and the moon would bow down to him (Genesis 37:6–9).
One unfortunate day, Joseph's brothers conjured a plan to murder their dear brother. But Reuben pleaded that they just temporarily leave him in a pit instead. Reuben may have had good intentions to come back for Joseph, but another plot replaced the current. They sold their brother to a tradesman for silver.
Joseph's coat was covered in animal blood to convince Jacob that he was certainly dead. Jacob was devastated. By this time, Joseph had been re-sold to Pharaoh in Egypt.
38. JUDAH AND TAMAR
Judah married and had sons that "were evil in the Lord's sight" (Genesis 38:6, 10). In disguise, Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, made a deal to have sexual relations with Judah after both his wife and her husband died. Tamar revealed that she had become pregnant with twins, Perez and Zerah.
39. JOSEPH IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE / JOSEPH IN PRISON
As the second verse explains, "The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the house of his Egyptian master."
Joseph eventually "found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority" (39:4).
"The Lord blessed the Egyptian's house because of Joseph" (Genesis 39:5).
Embarrassed by the rejection by Joseph, Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of attacking her. This led to Joseph being imprisoned.
"But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him" (Genesis 39:21).
Similar to Potiphar's household and Joseph's dreams, everything in the prison fell under his authority because of the Lord's presence with him.
40. JOSEPH INTERPRETS TWO PRISONERS' DREAMS
While in prison, some of Pharoah's men were also detained. Joseph was able to interpret the prophetic messages within their dreams.
41. JOSEPH INTERPRETS PHARAOH'S DREAMS /JOSEPH EXALTED / JOSEPH'S ADMINISTRATION
Years after Joseph helped Pharaoh's men, it was time to assist Pharaoh himself. Joseph explained that the dreams were a warning of an incoming famine. Impressed by God's obvious involvement in Joseph, Pharaoh placed him in a position of authority over the land.
Joseph fulfilled his role and raised a family of his own. When the famine struck Egypt, people from every region sought him as a food source.
42. JOSEPH'S BROTHERS IN EGPYT / THE BROTHERS RETURN HOME
Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt to collect food. Before they realized who the man they were requesting food from was, the men bowed before Joseph. Joseph, however, immediately recognized his kin. Joseph wanted to mess with his scheming siblings. But, saddened, he provided them with food free of charge and sent them away. Joseph's brothers returned to their father and described the surprising events. Their father was just as bewildered as they were.
43. DECISION TO RETURN TO EGYPT
It was time to retrieve more food from Egypt. They planned to take the youngest of the boys (Benjamin) to Joseph, along with the returned silver and some gifts. They were taken to Joseph's house, where they dined with him, still unaware of who he actually was.
44. JOSEPH'S FINAL TEST / JUDAH'S PLEA FOR BENJAMIN
Joseph requested that each of their bags be filled with grain, but silver for Benjamin. Right after they departed, Joseph ordered the men to be sieged and searched on account of missing silver. When the men were caught with Joseph's silver, Benjamin was threatened. Unlike what they did for Joseph, the brothers strived to protect Benjamin. Arriving at Joseph's house for the second time, they begged for Benjamin to be freed and not taken as a slave. Judah explained that Benjamin must return home to their father since he has already grieved the horrific loss of another son.
45. JOSEPH REVEALS HIS IDENTITY / THE RETURN FOR JACOB
Finished with the games, Joseph told his brothers that he was the dead brother they spoke of.
"And now don't be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life... God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance" (Genesis 45:5, 7).
Jacob was ecstatic to hear that his son was alive and well. The family prepared to move to his land.
46. JACOB LEAVES FOR EGYPT / JACOB ARRIVES
The night before Jacob and his sons left for Egypt, God visited him in a dream. The dream consisted of the sons of Israel becoming a great nation in their new land.
Jacob and his son, Joseph, were finally reunited.
47. PHAROAH WELCOMES JACOB / THE LAND BECOMES PHARAOH'S / ISRAEL SETTLES IN GOSHEN
Joseph's family found a comfortable area to dwell in, approved of by Pharaoh.
The famine became so severe that it hit Egypt. Most of the landowners had to sell their livestock and fields to receive some food to eat. It was redistributed, but this meant that the people were directly controlled by Pharaoh since he would claim a portion of everything they grew.
Joseph swore to his father that when his final day would come, Joseph would carry him out of Egypt and lay him to rest with his father.
48. JACOB BLESSES EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH / EPHRAIM'S GREATER BLESSING
Nearing his last days, Jacob blessed Joseph's sons. He blessed the younger son, Ephraim, with the "greater" blessing and explained that it was not a mistake; both boys would lead tribes, but Ephraim would extend beyond Manasseh.
49. JACOB'S LAST WORDS
Heavily, Jacob speaks to each of his sons and tells them what they can expect from their lives. Noting that someone of great power and authority will derive from Judah's lineage. Then, they each receive a final blessing.
50. JACOB'S BURIAL / JOSEPH'S KINDNESS / JOSEPH'S DEATH
His sons carried out Jacob's instructions, and as he saw in his dream, Joseph was with him in his final moments.
With their father being gone, Joseph's brothers worried about how Joseph might treat them and reminded him that their father would not want further strife. In verses 19–21, Joseph gracefully explained,
"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. Therefore, don't be afraid. I will take care of you and your children."
Around 110 years of age, Joseph died.
Reflection questions raised by The Daily Grace (p. 65-77):
Esau had been wronged by Jacob, yet he welcomed him home. Who has wronged you? In what ways can you forgive that person and show them the love of Christ?
In reference to 1 Peter 4:12-16, how can your current hardship or suffering bring glory to God?
Joseph was wronged by his family and falsely accused by his masters, and he continued to serve the Lord despite this. Why is God worthy of our praise, even when we suffer?
Joseph showed great compassion for his brothers, who sold him into slavery. In what ways does his life teach us compassion for our enemies? (See Luke 6:27-31).
How can we see God using the life of Judah throughout Genesis - from his birth to his sin to his redemptive plea to his brother?
Like every human being to ever exist, I have felt "wronged" by many individuals over the short span of my life. No title or relationship is exempt from being a catalyst for this feeling. As I continue to grow in my faith and the character it shapes, I realize that we are all the same at the end of the day. We have fears and insecurities, stressors and irritants, and pain and trauma that regularly present themselves. Everyone has something they are holding onto. How we deal with these things is what differentiates us. That is why I strive to forgive and be understanding, empathizing with others since we all carry contrasting perspectives, biases, experiences, and coping mechanisms that directly alter how we interact with others. I have felt the love of Christ when peers have displayed this consideration for me. I hope to extend the same kindness and grace in my environment.
"Dear friends, don't be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when His glory is revealed. If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because God's glorious Spirit rests on you. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that case" (1 Peter 4:12-16).
As the scripture wisely says, any hardship or suffering brings glory to God because His Spirit is present with the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3). I like to look at hardship as a way for God to show up and redeem whatever the situation is—all for His glory. I'm not sure how this will end up, but I am excited to see what is He going to make of this!
There is always a learning lesson, redirection for protection, or positioning for purpose when living a life intertwined with God. When reading about Joseph's life, it struck me how God always prioritizes the well-being of a multitude compared to the temporary comfort of one—what a gracious (and productive) God!
God is worthy of our praise when we suffer because we are strengthened. We gain endurance for the long haul ahead (James 1:12, Romans 5:3-5). For Joseph, God continued to lead him into positions of authority, no matter what man accused him of or plotted against him. It might just be important to consistently praise God because He is actively working with the best of intentions, even if life itself seems distorted.
Joseph being compassionate towards his enemies is a great reminder that God will serve justice.
"The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet" (Exodus 14:14).
"Since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and give relief to you who are afflicted." (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7).
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows" (Psalm 23:5).
God loves righteousness. It is reassuring to accept that I do not have to have the last word, prove a point, or participate in pettiness since God is working on my behalf. Besides, it is not the way to live with bitterness.
"Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.... Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them" (Luke 6:27-28, 31).
Taking the high road is commendable because it is a representation of a heart that was healed by God. When you're walking with God, it doesn't matter what people may muster up.
Judah was a mechanism that helped Joseph see that his brothers had changed—they were fighting for Judah's life when it was threatened, unlike what they were willing to do for Joseph years prior. Judah is also a crucial reminder that anyone can be used for God's plan since his generations lead to Jesus. That's right, Jesus' lineage goes back to Judah, the same Judah that waived and faltered in his sin and struggle (like us)! This is promising on the days when sin feels bigger than us or when the enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy the value Jesus placed on us when being so merciful.
And with that, we have completed another book in the Bible! Thank you for being patient with me as I try to organize these summaries to the best of my ability while trying to get through the chapters swiftly. I am excited to scan through Exodus with you next!
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To learn more about this collection, or to become more familiar with The Daily Grace Co., visit their website!
References
Daniels, K., Dickerson, T., Dickson, K., Hess, A., & Turner, S. (2022). Eden to Eternity (Vol. 1). The Daily Grace Co.
Genesis Bible Timeline. Bible Hub. (n.d.). https://biblehub.com/timeline/genesis/1.htm
Myers, R., & Williams, A. B. (2020). She Reads Truth Bible. Holman Bible Publishers.
