Friday, December 22, 2017

An Old Testament Jerry Springer Show. Genesis 30:1-21 NLT

It's like an Old Testament Jerry Springer Show. Two women publicly fighting over a man using their children as weapons. Can you see it? Both women on stage hands on hips in each others face wagging their heads and pointing well manicured fingers at each other.  

No wonder God had said in Genesis 2:24 "This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one."

One man and ONE women. 

After watching this fiasco God said in Leviticus 18:18 "While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals." Good advice God. 

Read on and try to keep this family tree straight in your mind. I need paper to follow this mess. 

Genesis 30:1-21 NLT

1 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 

2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” 

3 Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me,  and through her I can have a family, too". 4 So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son.  6 Rachel named him Dan,  for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son".  7 Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son.  8 Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!” 

9 Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.  10 Soon Zilpah presented him with a son.  11 Leah named him Gad,  for she said, “How fortunate I am!”  12 Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son.  13 And Leah named him Asher,  for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.” 

14 One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 

15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?” 

Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.” 

16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah.  17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob.  18 She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife".  19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob.  20 She named him Zebulun,  for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six son". 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. 


Blessings, Cecilia

No comments:

Post a Comment