Picturepocket's Blog

Category: Bible

  • Genesis 36: Everybody’s Kids

    Genesis 36: Everybody’s Kids

    In Genesis 35:23-26 there is a summary of all the male children from Israel organized by mother starting with the sisters. Leah had Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin. The servant Bilhah had Dan and Naphtali, and Zilpha had Gad and Asher for a total of twelve sons.  Genesis…

  • Genesis 35: Return & Rebellion 

    Genesis 35: Return & Rebellion 

    God calls Jacob to visit the place he first met him in the desert when he ran from Esau. Decades earlier Jacob dreamt of a ladder with angels and made an altar at a place he called Bethel. Jacob tells his family to bathe and leave their foreign gods behind. They hide their idols and…

  • Genesis 34: Dinah

    Genesis 34: Dinah

    If you remember at this time, Jacob/Israel had twelve children: eleven sons and one daughter from Leah named Dinah. A son of Hamor, a Hivite named Shechem, saw her, assaulted her and kidnapped her. He went to his father and asked him to make her his wife.  Jacob and his sons heard that she had…

  • Genesis 30:25-43 Family Feud

    Genesis 30:25-43 Family Feud

    After Jacob‘s fourteen years of service to Laban, and his twelve kids, he lets his father-in-law know that it’s time for him to go back home. Laban says that divination told him he’s prospered because of Jacob, so asks him to name his wages. Jacob agrees to take all the spotted and speckled goats and…

  • Genesis 30 Part 1: Babies Я Us

    Genesis 30 Part 1: Babies Я Us

    Rachel starts the chapter with her husband’s love, but no children and envy for her sister’s four boys. She demands Jacob give her a child or she will die. Dramatic much? He gets mad at her and asks, am I God to close your womb?  Rachel takes her servant Bilhah and makes her sleep with…

  • Genesis 29: False Fiancée

    Jacob completes his long journey to Haran and arrives at the local watering hole, literally. He sees shepherds gathering at a well to water their sheep. Jacob asks if they know his Uncle Laban. They tell him to ask his daughter.  After one look at his shepherdess cousin Rachel, Jacob’s smitten. He rolls away the…

  • Genesis 28: Wivalry 

    This chapter continues telling about the conflict between adult twins Esau and Jacob.  Their father Isaac, sends the younger one, Jacob, off to Paddan-aram to find a wife from Rebekah’s brother Laban’s family near Haran, the town named for Abraham’s brother. Isaac repeats God’s blessing to Abraham of offspring and nations to Jacob. Isaac specifically…

  • Genesis 27: #Blessed

    This chapter begins with Isaac feeling his advanced age. He is going blind and he feels like he’s at the end of his life. He tells his oldest son Esau to go out into the field and hunt for game so he can bless him.  Rebekah overhears him and rushes over to her favorite son…

  • Genesis 26: History Repeats 

    In this chapter Isaac and Rebekah and their two sons travel East to escape a famine. The Lord tells them not to go to Egypt. They end up going to the land ruled by King Abimelech of Gerar. The name Abimelech was used for several Philistine kings, so may have been a descendent of the…

  • Genesis 25: Twinning 

    This chapter starts with a list six of the sons that Abraham had with his second wife after Sarah died. One of these sons is Midian whose tribe shows up in the story later. With each son, Abraham sends them out eastward from his camp like he sent Hagar away with Ishmael. The author also…