Ichthus77

Genesis 37, Job 25

Bible Narrative Project

Things are really heating up in Job. From my study Bible notes: “Bildad adds nothing new here, and Zophar, who has already admitted how emotionally disturbed he was (see 20:2), doesn’t even comment.” In chapter 26 (jumping ahead a tad) they say “With biting sarcasm, Job responds to Bildad alone (the Hebrew for the word ‘you’ in these verse is singular rather than plural), indicating that Eliphaz and Zophar have already been silenced.” Job is winning this ancient debate, this ancient apologetic. “Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?” is a very old question. Having no definite answer (because it is more about God showing to the Naysayer, through Job, that there is a motivation for loving God that is higher than brute selfishness), it reminds me of one of Plato’s dialogues.

In Genesis, we are again dealing with favoritism. Jacob was his mother’s favorite, and Joseph is Jacob’s favorite. But that isn’t Joseph’s fault, just like Jacob being his mother’s favorite wasn’t Jacob’s fault. So we shouldn’t react to these favorites the way their brothers did. But one wonders if Joseph wasn’t a bratty little brother, bragging about his “I’m going to rule over you, na-na-na-na-na” dreams. If older brothers back then were of the sort who sold young bratty brothers to the Ishmaelites, one would hope younger brothers would learn to keep their mouths shut. But Joseph can’t be that dumb…he goes on to be the governor of Egypt. Must be a God thing :-D Reuben sticks up for Joseph in this instance, maybe because in a different scene he had taken premature liberties w/ Jacob’s concubine and lost his legal status as firstborn…no more screw-ups for him. It’s Judah’s turn for screwin’ up…in the next chapter.

Genesis 36, Job 23-24

Bible Narrative Project

Very interesting: In 36:11 we see Eliphaz with a son named Teman…and one of Job’s friends is named “Eliphaz the Temanite” (Teman is a village in Edom). My study Bible notes say Job probably lived in Edom (the land of Uz included Edom).

“For He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” – Job

Note: Job and Jobab are related words. There is another Jobab in Genesis 6.

Genesis 34:1-35:29, Job 22

Bible Narrative Project

Genesis: Men were far too willing to part with their foreskins in the old days. Very strange. Ben-oni: son of my sorrow. Apparently firstborns inherit their father’s concubine (unless they do so prematurely)? Jacob is back in Bethel where he is supposed to be, so the blessings are reaffirmed, as is his new name Israel.

Job: Now Eliphaz goes beyond Bildad and Zophar and accuses Job of specific sins when his only proof is Job’s suffering. The “counsel” of his friends is its own kind of suffering, adding to all the suffering Job has already gone through.

Genesis 32:1-33:20, Job 21

Bible Narrative Project

Genesis: A lot of interesting tidbits in my study Bible notes. Jacob addresses Esau with “lord” but Esau addressed Jacob with “brother”. Jacob’s name contends with man, Israel’s name struggles with God. God allowed the struggle, though he could have disabled him at any point (in this case, in his hip). That’s the way I look at free will. The struggle is allowed, because without that choice, the choice of love is impossible. But it is “allowed”–without God’s sustaining, no choice would be possible.

Job: This Job character sure reminds me of King Solomon’s voice in Ecclesiastes. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity–whether good or evil, we all return to the dust. “How then will you vainly comfort me?”

Also, Jacob contends with Esau, then Labban, but ultimately it is God with whom he must wrestle. And, the gift/blessing he attempts to give to Esau (now recognizing the blessing comes from God, 32:26) is in place of the one he stole….but God has blessed Esau so much that Esau no longer cares about that stolen blessing.

Genesis 30:25-31:55, Job 20

Bible Narrative Project

Genesis: It is kind of interesting that Jacob has to put up with Laban. They seem to have so much in common, where trickery is concerned. What does Rachel want with those idols, anyway? Good thing she played the “I’m on my period” card (a more serious card back then).

Job: Zophar is at it again. These friends of Job confuse me. They sat by their friend for a week saying nothing…you would think they were good friends and that Job was deserving of their friendship. But with friends like these…

Genesis 29-30:24, Job 19

Bible Narrative Project

Genesis:

Well, this competition between Rachel and Leah is just more of the same sad junk Sarah and Hagar went through. I’m really glad that is not the norm in our culture. I can’t imagine being someone’s maid and them giving me to their husband and claiming my baby as their own…as if that’s okay. And I can’t imagine wanting the affection of a man who wants someone else. Abraham and Jacob and many other OT men would have been kicked to the curb in (most of) our culture. Laban is about like our stereo-typical car salesman.

What’s weird is that Leah accuses Rachel of taking her husband, merely because Leah married him first, when actually it was Rachel Jacob wanted first…and instead of calling Leah on that, she just…lets her sleep with him…in exchange for mandrakes. Yikes. I’m sure there is some deep cultural point I’m missing, because my own cultural standards are clouding my vision.

Job:

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God” // “If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’ And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find ?’ Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment.”

Also, I was thinking about how often “wells” are coming up. They fight over wells twice, and future wives are met at wells twice. Are wells the ancient equivalent of water coolers or clubs/bars? Was it so taboo for Jesus to talk to the Samaritan woman at the well because of its association with igniting relationships…or was it just generally speaking in public that was taboo? Maybe it was a double-wammy. Not yet, lucky for Isaac and Jacob.

Genesis 28:10-22, Job 18

Bible Narrative Project

Bildad just keeps hammering.

Genesis: Unlike Bildad, God comes to comfort Jacob in a dream when Jacob is running away from Esau. Jacob’s dream is of a ziggurat, the same sort of thing the folks from Babel tried to build, and the same sort of thing Jesus claimed to be (angels ascending and descending on the son of man). Soon Jacob will meet his beloved Rachel. Something that sticks out in so many instances of God (or an angel) appearing to a human, is the human’s amazement that they lived through the experience, though they were not physically threatened (not counting Jacob’s wrestling w/ the angel). God is just that mind-blowing. Jacob didn’t mention not dying, but he was afraid. I think being in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, being the temple, the kingdom ruling in our hearts…means that wherever you go…there God is. We are holy ground. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Genesis 27-28:9, Job 16-17

Bible Narrative Project

First Jacob takes Esau’s birthright, now he takes his blessing. Things happen twice a lot, have you noticed? Pretty soon Jacob will find his Rachel almost like Isaac found his Rebekah…it’s kind of like tapestry. Esau marries an Ishmaelite woman out of spite, and later Joseph (Jacob’s son with Rachel) will be sold to some Ishmaelites from Midian, who will sell him in Egypt…and later Moses will flee Egypt to Midian and marry there. The “Ishmael” aspect makes me think of Islam again (and now Moby Dick).

“I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.” – Job

Genesis 25-26, Job 15

Bible Narrative Project

Genesis:

Jacob and Esau remind me of Cain and Abel. Jacob and Abel are kind of nerdy mama’s boys, and Esau and Cain are the jocks. They just don’t get along. Stories where parents play favorites really bum me out.

How weird that Abimelech (maybe the son or grandson of the Abimelech Abraham and Sarah knew) finds out Isaac is lying about Rebekah being his sister, though this time before anyone tries to take her as his wife. Like father, like son. And yet again there is a thing over the wells, and the dude Phicol (perhaps not the same Phicol). What an unfortunate name.

Job: Eliphaz is not backing down. Job is an opinionated old wind-bag, yadda yadda.

Genesis 23-24, Job 12-14

Bible Narrative Project

“And who does not know such things as these?” “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes” “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him”

I love this story of how Rebekah is chosen to be Isaac’s wife, to comfort him after the death and burial of his mother Sarah.