Julie
I don't know that I feel that there was much of a lesson in today's passages. It seems more of an informational reading to understand whom Joseph's line will extend through. I do find a bit confusing though when it goes back and forth between the different names for one person. In one verse he is called Israel and in the next Jacob. I wonder if that has anything to do with how he is acting at the time. In any case, it is also interesting how it bothers them when the younger son is blessed over the older one. I know that it is and always has been common for the oldest to inherit, but maybe God saw something more in the younger and knew that that line would be better through that son.
Almost all of the Psalms up to this point seem to be doing the same thing, which really asking for protection from evil and evildoers and proclaiming faith and trust in God. This is really just more of an observation than anything. They are all useful in prayer especially because it seems that even today we are plagued with some of these same things where we are trying to fall trap to evil or being accused by other of wrongdoing when that is not the case.
Michelle
I am with you. I am not certain of the lessons from today. It speaks of Joseph and his family going to live in the land of the Pharaoh in Egypt. I do find it interesting that there comes a time when the Egyptians give them selves to servitude to Pharaoh in exchange for food/grain. In exchange they vow to give a 5th of everything they grow to Pharaoh. It doesn't say how long that is to be but there is a vs that states it is still in force today. They did not take from the priests though as they were provided already. The fact that the younger continues to find favor and grow beyond their older sibling is very interesting. Even today that is not normal for those that come from that area of the world. It is the eldest that is responsible for the line and what is to move from father to son. You may be right about seeing the younger as being the better option. Maybe it shows that it doesn't have to be that way always, as God has shown he uses those you don't expect. His father even says he knows he is blessing the younger to become greater than his elder brother, but states even the elder will become great. Good observation about the reason for calling him the different names. I didn't even think of that but you could be right. As stated previously it seems to be his character that has encouraged the name changing.
The psalm seems to be yet another call to God. Turning to him in the time of need and praising him. He seems to be crying out for help from whatever bad things are happening to him now. I don't remember the story of David off the top of my head, but these psalms seem to say that he is always going thru something or being persecuted for something. Wasn't he a king? I feel like it's King David, although I don't really remember the story there.
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