Jacob's Compact

Genesis 28

Jacob flees home due to his brother Esau being displeased with his birth right having been stolen thus. Thus, having fled and going out to find a wife as well (none from those Cannanites mind. They ain't right don'tcher know) he left Beersheba and went towards Haran.

Where once night fell he simply stayed at the spot he had reached and slept there for the night with stones as his pillows. And God came to him a dream telling him how he would be fruitful and multiply (paraphrased) and how He/She/It would be with him always.

At any rate, Jacob awoke and was sore afraid for he didn't know that God was in this place. And I quote, (strangely by modern standards) said "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven!"

Whereupon he calls this seemingly desolate landscape Bethel but we're told this desolate landscape has a name and it is a city called Luz. And he pours oil upon the stone he used a s a pillow intending it to be a foundation for a pillar in a temple to God.

All pretty good for someone in the middle of nowhere. Unless, he arrived at Luz and the writer's merely decided it wasn't worth mentioning until now in which case Jacob either slept on the outskirts or in a quiet (Alley probably) somewhere in the city. If only he took the packaged tours.

And Jacob then vowed that if God provided him with food and rainment and ensured that he could return to his father's home in peace then God would be his, well, God.

He then pledges to give back to God a tenth of whatever God gives him and thus the section ends.

Chapter noted for the city of Luz springing out of nowhere or writer's omission and the 10% of whatever God gives to them which could be a few years slavery as he let them get bound.

Brotherhood

First off, I would like to alter or comment the content of my previous post. It certainly is slightly disparanging and is not a impartial point of view nor is it written in what I can only term proper, appropriate language required for debate.

However, I am not removing it as I fel perspective is required and it is an important reminder that in serious debate, one should not descend into condescending talk nor dispraranging factors.Perhaps at the end of the day I seek clarification from these passages I am not sure but I shall simply list all the major incidences (I'm leaving out the long list of Begeting and knowing because I think that falls under family tree research which can get uncertain considering the length of time.)

Well, I would like to tell a tale todayof brotherhood. A regrettably paraphrased version although my edition is the King James version (not the 21st nor the rechanged language one) and I will reference all the chapters used for the paraphrase.

(Genesis 25:10 - Genesis 29:0)

And so Abraham beget Issac and Issac married a woman named Rebekah and she had two sons. A big red hairy one named Esau who was a good huntsman and Jacob who was a plain man (average I am assuming) who dwelt in tents (affairs of the household). So Esau was the older and Jacob the younger although by a few seconds I guess.

One day, Esau came back faint from the hunt and near the brinkof death with hunger. He asked Jacob for some sod pottage. Jacob refused to give Esau sod pottage until Esau sold him his birthright. Esau, faint with hunger swore away his birthright to Jacob. And thus, and I quote "Esau despised his birthright".

Now, when Issac grew old and his eyesight dim (people are now living a lot less longer than they used to) he asked Esau to go and hunt some venison for him and he would be rewarded with a blessing. Rebekah, seemingly favouring Jacob instructs him to kill two kids (young goats) and serve the meat to his father before his brother comes back. To ensure that the father doesn't feel Jacob's hairless arms and suspect a ruse he (or Rebekah tells him to) put the kids (young goats!) skin upon his arms and the back oh neck and he was made hairy and so managed to decieve his father when he brought the food. His father, checking found that the skin was hairy but the voice was that of Jacobs. didn't wory. And having asked his son how he obtained the venison so soon recieved the answer "Genesis 26:20 - Because the Lord they God has brought it unto me".

His father feels that the son feels hairy, eats the meal, asks him once more if he is indeed Esau and recieves an affirmation proceeds to bless Jacob with the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. He blessed people to serve him and that the son's of his mother would curse any that would curse him and bless any that blessed him. Scarce had this dobne and Jacobleft when the real Esau came back and found all the blessings used up.

He pleaded with his father for a blessing and was granted the blessing of proficiency of arms (by thy sword shalt thou live) to serve his brother until Esau established his dominion and broke his brother's yoke on him by doing so. and so at the end (genesis 28) Issac dies and Esau swears to kill Jacob when theperiod of mourning is over and Jacob flees on the advise of his mother.

The end. (For now)

Lessons taken from the Old Testament

I'm curently up to Genesis 10 so far and I can say I've learned that if you get roaring drunk and totally naked you are entitled to curse the son of the man who sees you naked but the not the man himself. Noah was the best man on the whole face of the planet before God had it totally wiped out. So... roraring drunkedness is definitely no sin here. Getting your wang seen by another man though. Terrible.