Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO

GENESIS 38 TAMAR’S PLOT TO DECEIVE JUDAH

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March 5

GENESIS 38

12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

                                                                   – Genesis 38:12-19

GENESIS 38 TAMAR’S PLOT TO DECEIVE JUDAH

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After losing her first husband without an offspring, she waited

Tamar’s patience ended for Judah breached his promise to marry her to Shelah

She plotted to deceive Judah and posed as a prostitute so she can have a child

Without Judah’s knowledge, he slept with Tamar and her plan worked for her.

It is unthinkable how our Messiah’s ancestors could have come from these deceivers. Even though Tamar wasn’t part of God’s people, she had that desire to let God’s plan come into fruition in Abraham’s clan. She married Er, the son of Judah but didn’t have a son, yet she continued to hope that she would have one with the next son, Onan. They were both taken by the Lord for their evil ways. Now, Shelah, the youngest, was promised by Judah to give her an offspring when he grows up, yet, Judah has not kept his promise. It was time for Tamar to take matters into her hands and get pregnant with Judah. She posed as a prostitute in order to do so.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God allowed Tamar to deceive Judah?

GENESIS 37 JOSEPH’S PLIGHT

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March 3

GENESIS 37

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. – Genesis 37:25-36

GENESIS 37 JOSEPH’S PLIGHT

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After being thrown into a pit to be killed by his own brothers

Judah decided to earn money by selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites

Joseph was taken to Egypt and reported as dead to their father

Jacob tore his garments and mourned for his beloved son for many days.

We get a glimpse of the evil that resulted in the jealousy that the brothers had against the favorite son of Jacob. Although Reuben had his own plan to rescue Joseph, that failed because of Judah’s spontaneous decision to sell him and earn from doing so. He made it look like they were cleaning their hands from the blood if they killed Joseph but it still showed their evil hearts that were guiltless as they got rid of Joseph’s presence in their lives. The pain of the special treatment to Joseph was harder for all of them to bear as Jacob continued to give him more favor and not treat them all equally.

REFLECTION

  • How did God use evil and turned it for good in this predicament of Joseph?

GENESIS 37 THE PLOT TO KILL JOSEPH

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March 2

GENESIS 37

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.  – Genesis 37:12-24

GENESIS 37 THE PLOT TO KILL JOSEPH

After Joseph narrated his two dreams to their brothers and father, he was despised by the brothers. Now, Israel wanted to check up on his others sons in Shechem so he sent Joseph there but they were in Dothan. A stranger led Joseph to find them, but as soon as he was approaching them, the brothers began to plot to kill Joseph. They planned to tell their father that he was attacked by an animal and place blood on his special robe made for Joseph. They hated him so much because he was treated differently by their father. Their jealousy led them to murder him. This is what happens when envy takes over people and when there is unequal treatment of others.

Reuben, the eldest, came to the rescue of Joseph, but only halfway. He was still okay to put him in an empty pit and be sold as a slave. You’d think that he was truly going to save him, but he also thought of sending him away as a slave to whoever buys him.

REFLECTION

  • Why did Reuben only halfway saved Joseph?

GENESIS 37 JOSEPH’S TWO PROPHETIC DREAMS

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March 1

GENESIS 37

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.  – Genesis 37:5-11

GENESIS 37 JOSEPH’S TWO PROPHETIC DREAMS

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Joseph had two dreams that got him in much trouble

First, he dreamed of bundles of grain in the field that stood up

Joseph’s bundle was in the middle while theirs gathered around it

These sheaves around the middle bowed down to Joseph’s

The next dream was about the sun, moon and stars bowing down

All the eleven stars were also bowing down to Joseph

Then Jacob rebuked his son for it seemed like they too were bowing to him

All of Joseph’s brothers got so envious of him, so Jacob kept the dreams to himself.

Joseph’s first prophetic dream was scorned by his older brothers. They couldn’t bear thinking of the older ones being under the reign of the younger. They already had a hard time accepting that Joseph was the favorite of their father. It is aggravating to hear that he will have authority over them. Of course, they took it literally and not like a prophecy.

The second dream was another prophetic dream he shared to them as well. Jacob gently rebuked his son to protect him from further negative reactions from his brother, but took note of it. He knew that God can manifest his plans in a dream, so he kept quiet about it.

REFLECTION

  • How were these two dreams prophetic also of Jesus’ coming and his authority?

GENESIS 37 THE FAVORITE SON

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February 29

GENESIS 37

Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. – Genesis 37:1-4

GENESIS 37 THE FAVORITE SON

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Jacob lived in Canaan after leaving Paddan-Aram

Joseph was born in his later years so he was favored

He even made a robe of many colors for his favorite son

This made all his other brothers jealous and angry at Joseph

Joseph also brought a bad report of his brothers to their father

All the more he was hated by all his other brothers.

We witness in this account how favoritism affected each of the members of the family. Since Jacob (also Israel) favored Joseph more than his other sons and gave him special treatment. He even made a special robe for Joseph which made his other sons envious, angry and bitter. It led these brothers to plot to actually kill Joseph as we progress in the story of this chapter in Genesis.

We can be thankful to think that our Almighty Father in heaven does not have favoritism and he treats us all equal. Human beings are a different story, we have partialities and we are sinful in nature. We cannot control our predispositions and preferences at times because we tend to be self-focused and self-serving. We are inclined to follow our selfish nature if we do not walk in the spirit. We do not always think of the consequences of our favoritism which could be very harmful for others just like this preferential treatment that Israel gave his favored son, Joseph.

REFLECTION

  • What does the book of James teach us about partiality in chapter 2? Why does he consider it sin? Isn’t favoritism a type of partiality?

GENESIS 36 ESAU MOVES AWAY FROM JACOB

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February 28

GENESIS 36

These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.) 9 These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. – Genesis 36:1-9

GENESIS 36 ESAU MOVES AWAY FROM JACOB

In this account, we witness God’s faithfulness in keeping his covenant promise to Abraham. Esau was Abraham’s grandson and Jacob’s twin brother. Esau is also called Edom meaning “red.” His hair was red but it also parallels his redness to the red lentil pottage that he sold his birthright for. It is from Edom that the Edomites became a nation.

When Rebekah was about to give birth, the Lord revealed to her the two nations in her womb. We see that in this story, we find Jacob (also called Israel) formed his nation with his twelve sons. Edom also had to leave Canaan because Jacob and his livestock couldn’t be all contained in one place. They were so big in number. Thus, the promise of God to multiply them is clearly evident here.

We are introduced here to Esau’s offspring through his wives from Canaanites which formed the nation of the Edomites.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God separated Esau from Jacob in this account?

GENESIS 35 THE SONS OF JACOB

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February 27

GENESIS 35

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. 27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. – Genesis 35:24-29

GENESIS 35 THE SONS OF JACOB

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Jacob had six sons by Leah with Reuben as the firstborn

Then there was Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulon

With Rachel, Jacob had Joseph and Benjamin

Bilhah, Rachel’s servant had Dan and Naphtali

Zilpah, Leah’s servant had Gad and Asher

All in all, Jacob had twelve sons born in Paddan-Aram.

In this account, we get a picture of the family of Jacob that God had blessed him with. When he left his family to run from Esau’s wrath, he had only himself and a staff. God kept his promise to him that he will have many offspring. It is the first time all these names were mentioned in the bible which comprises the twelve tribes of Israel and later on mentioned many times.

These were the chosen people of God who are not ideal and perfect. In fact, they were very sinful people who were cheaters, adulterers, idolaters, rebels, liars and schemers.  What was God thinking choosing these kinds of people to be the ancestors of his own beloved son Jesus? We don’t know what were God’s reasons for choosing them, but if he chose such sinful, messy persons, we all have hope that God can do the impossible to change their hearts and make it work for good according to his plan.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God chose these bunch of sinners to be his chosen people?

GENESIS 35 RACHEL DIES GIVING BIRTH TO BENJAMIN

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February 26

GENESIS 35

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it. – Genesis 35:16-22

GENESIS 35 RACHEL DIES GIVING BIRTH TO BENJAMIN

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After Jacob set up an altar in Bethel, they continued their journey

Rachel was with child during this travel and was suffering

Before they arrived in Ephrath, Rachel went into labor

She had a very difficult childbirth; then a son was born to her

Rachel didn’t make it but the child did and she called him Ben-oni

Jacob called him Benjamin instead, which means son of my right hand.

We hear two deaths in Jacob’s household, one after the other. First it was the nurse of Rachel, Deborah who died, and then Rachel herself followed after giving birth to Benjamin. Perhaps the loss of Deborah and Rachel couldn’t be a payoff for the slaughter of men of Shechem by Simeon and Levi, but sins always have a consequence when they are born. Rachel, before she died, called her son Ben-oni which means “the son of my sorrows.” From a commentary Jacob would probably remember Rachel’s sorrows if he called him Ben-oni, which is why he called him Benjamin instead. I think it was God inspired as we know that the right hand in the bible is symbolic of power and strength.

Rachel was buried where she died nearby Bethlehem. It is interesting that Mary, the mother of Jesus was also traveling when she gave birth to Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem.

God surely planned all these events.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Moses omitted Jacob’s mourning for Rachel in this account?

GENESIS 35 COVENANT PROMISE TO JACOB

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February 25

GENESIS 35

9 God appearedto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. – Genesis 35:9-15

GENESIS 35 COVENANT PROMISE TO JACOB

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When the Lord called Jacob to come back to Bethel

The Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel

He also reiterated to Jacob his covenant promise

The Lord passes on to Jacob his promise to Abraham and Isaac

He will be given the land that was promised to his offspring

So, Jacob called that place where God had spoken Bethel.

This place which was originally “Luz” was called Bethel by Jacob when he first laid his head on the stone and God showed himself to him for the first time. At this point, the Lord showed himself to Jacob again and reiterated his promise to his grandfather Abraham and to his father Isaac. Twelve tribes will be coming from his lineage who will bear kings from such offspring. God also promised Jacob that they will eventually own the land which is currently occupied by the Canaanites.

Once again, we see the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping his promise to his chosen people. Even though Abraham is gone already, the Lord comes to Jacob to remind him of the covenant promise he made to his grandfather.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God continued to keep his promise to Jacob’s offspring despite their revenge and slaughter of the Canaanites men?

GENESIS 35 GOD CALLS JACOB BACK TO BETHEL

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February 24

GENESIS 35

God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.  – Genesis 35:1-8

GENESIS 35 GOD CALLS JACOB BACK TO BETHEL

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After the heinous slaying of the Canaanites by Simeon and Levi

God called Jacob and reminded him of his promise to him at Bethel

Jacob had forgotten that vow he made and went to Shechem

Now, the Lord wanted Jacob’s household to be cleansed again

Jacob was directed to get rid of all the idols in his own household

And he had to go to Bethel where he was originally asked to settle.

In Genesis 28, God showed himself to him in the land of Luz. Jacob promised that if God was going to look after all his needs and fulfill his covenant promise, he will follow whatever he is asked. He built an altar and called it Bethel. Years later, Jacob settled in Shechem and forgot his promise to be faithful to God. Notice that in Genesis 34, all bad things happened to Jacob and his family. Dinah’s defilement and the killing of the Canaanites. Could it be that God was reminding him that if he does things out of his own will, things won’t go well? If he kept his vow, these sinful things could have been avoided.

REFLECTION

  • Why did God call Jacob back to Bethel? Why did he have to purge from idols?