Esau

If a group from my congregation asked me to teach a four week course, I would choose Genesis on the grounds that it holds more stories that have relevance to the context of my congregation. The approximate demographics of my congregation are as follows: over ninety percent are Caucasian; over fifty percent are 45 years of age or older; women are the dominate group within most of the small group activities; and the mining, healthcare, and retail industries are the largest employers respectively.…

to understand how the “Fear of God” played a significant role. During the 13th century B.C., and according to archaeological evidence (Bryant, 1967) the kingdom of Edom became established. In time, people also called it by the names of Mt. Seir, Esau, and Idumea. One could look across the desert and see high mountains to the east of Abrabah, built mainly of the red Nubian sandstone on a granite foundation (Aharoni, 1967). The height surpasses 5,000 feet in many instances and every so often…

“Why do we dream?” is an age old question that still seems to have no answer. Many dream experts have tried to find the answer, but they were all unsuccessful. Throughout their research though, they did come up with some interesting theories. Humans have dreamt since the beginning of time. There are many accounts of dreams in the Bible. One of the most known is Joseph’s dream about Mary. He would have divorced her because she was pregnant with Jesus, if it weren’t for God sending an angel…

owners. A preconception that was corrected was that of the significance of a birthright. Before I just viewed a birthright as an object similar to a birth certificate. Now I understand it as the inheritance of goods and position of first born. So, when Esau gave Jacob his birthright he not only is losing the position of first born, but also that of being one who received an inheritance. A custom that helps make sense of the ‘foreign’ aspect of the Bible is that of hospitality. Understanding that…

In Homer’s Iliad and the book of Genesis, Andromache and Rebekah alike occupy a more constricted sphere of authority because of expected female gender roles in their respective patriarchal societies. Although their authority is confined to the domestic sphere, both Andromache and Rebekah attempt to assert their control over the desperate situations they face. Rebekah, however, has a bigger impact in the book of Genesis than does Andromache in the Iliad when it comes to their abilities to…

Once a week, I meet up with my friend Michael to talk about some of the bigger ideas that seem to consume the great majority of my thoughts. Our bonfire chats generally last until 9 or 10 PM, just in time for me to catch some of the George Noory show on my way home. How can you not love a talk radio show devoted to aliens and conspiracies? The other night, however, 1290 AM was not coming in too great, so I scanned the dial and stumbled upon a voice that could only be that of a Christian preacher…

Scott Hahn may have written A Father Who Keeps His Promises, however, that does not mean that it was his only book. Scott, aside from having written a number of books, has also been a professor of theology and Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville since 1990. Not only is he a teacher and author but he is an excellent speaker. Scott has proved himself to be a very credible source through all that he has done. The main theme of this book is about God’s love for his family. He would do…

Abraham to release his son and instead sacrifice a male goat. When Isaac becomes 40 years of age, he marries Rebekah, who for many years could not have children. Isaac prays to God for help and when he is 60 years of age Rebekah gives birth to twin boys Esau and Jacob. Isaac, eventually, becomes blind, dies at the age of 180 years of age and is entombed in Hebron along with Abraham and Sarah. In Genesis 26:6-14 by the Jahwist source, is the third story of the wife - sister scenario. Later,…

Bear Valley Lectures – SEPT. 20th, 2013 MAJORING IN THE MINORS: A STUDY OF THE MINOR PROPHETS (PART ONE) HOSEA CHAPTERS 12 & 13: “REPEAT OF ISRAEL’S SIN (JUSTIFYING GOD’S JUDGEMENT)” “A Heart-Broken God” (Hosea 12-13) OUTLINE I. God Reminisces About His Honeymoon With His Bride Israel (12:1-6) II. Israel Was Breaking God’s Heart (12:7-13:3) III. God Defends Himself As a Faithful but Betrayed Husband (13:4-13) IV. Interlude: God Will Redeem His Remnant (13:14) INTRODUCTION 1. TAMPA, Fla.…

Genesis means "generation". If you were a Levitical Priest and you could not trace your ancestry to Levi, you would be removed from your position (Neh 7:64). The genealogical record for every Israelite confirmed their ownership to their land and home. It is quite often that when the book of Genesis is discussed, people will comment on how, in their perspective, Genesis was written for the purpose of having a ‘story book’ to explain why and how we got here, and where we came from. This is not…