Jacob

Jacob peeled white stripes on the branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees. When the stronger sheep were mating, he placed the rods in front of them, in the ditches, and inside of the watering troughs. Their lambs were striped, spotted, and speckled. (Genesis 30:37-62.)

***

***

He kept the vision in front of them. The result? The strong flocks belonged to Jacob and the weak ones to Laban, v. 42.

Judah

Judah chose a Canaanite to be his best friend, Genesis 38:1, 12.

1. He married a Canaanite, v. 2.
2. He gave his son a Canaanite wife, v. 6.
3. He started serving the gods of the Canaanites, v. 15, 21. (He thought he was having sex with a temple prostitute but it was his daughter-in-law, Tamar.)
4. He tried to dress up his idolatry with religion. He asked his second son to perform the duty of a brother-in-law, (Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5-6); and ordered a prostitute to be burned, (Leviticus 21:9).
5. He gave away the things that identified him as an Israelite, his signet rings, cord, and staff, v. 18. They were witnesses that he broke the duty of the brother-in-law by not giving Tamar to his third son. And he committed adultery with his son’s wife, 38:24-36.

Tamar Gave Birth to Perez

“Perez. Became the head of the leading clan in Judah and the ancestor of David (see Ruth 4:18-22) and ultimately of Christ (Matthew 1:1-16).”

New International Version Study Bible Note on Genesis 38:29

***

The circumstances of your birth have no reflection on your destiny or purpose.

Joseph

Genesis 39:1, “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there.” NASB

Joseph could have been sold to work in the mines. Instead, he was sold to an officer.

• Not just an officer, a bodyguard.
• Not just a bodyguard, but the captain.
• Not just the captain, but the bodyguard for Pharaoh!

Potiphar realized Joseph was the key to his prosperity. He made him his personal servant, overseer of his house, and in charge of everything he owned, 39:2-4.

Later, Joseph was sent to jail unjustly. He could have gone to hard labor but was sent to the king’s jail, v. Genesis 39:7-20.

God was with Joseph. The jailer made him the overseer and manager. God prospered him again, Genesis 39:21-23.

The jailer put him in charge of the cupbearer and baker. They were in jail for offending the king, Genesis 40:1-4. (It sounds like Facebook jail, LOL.)

Where you work and a lack of a title cannot keep you from success.

***

Did your situation just go from bad to worse? Don’t give up. God hasn’t finished. When walking with God, we do not go up and down. We go forward or backward. You did not move down, you moved forward.

The Grain

Genesis 43:2, “So it came about when they had finished eating the grain, …” NASB

I’m trying intermittent fasting and the Keto diet. I eat very little bread. You can’t do that indefinitely. This verse reminded me that I need to eat grains.

Jesus prayed, “Give us, Lord, our daily bread.” He did not pray, “Give us, Lord, our daily salad!” (See Matthew 6:9-13).

Israel

Genesis 46:1, “So Israel set out with all that he had, …” NASB

On my vision board is a larger brick house. Maybe I have too much stuff to move! Is my stuff holding me back?

I Learned

1. To keep the vision in front of me.
2. Be careful who influences me.
3. The circumstances of your birth have no reflection on your destiny or purpose.
4. Where you work or a lack of a title cannot keep you from success.
5. We do not go up and down. We move forward.
6. I need to eat grains!
7. I have too much stuff to move.

***

Join me in reading this month’s chapters. I would love to hear what you learned in the comments section below!

©2009-2022 thisyearsbiblereadingguide.com. All Rights Reserved.