To Benedict question. My little understanding of dat verse 4 is dis. D ear ring and d foreign gods belongs to d same place. as we can see. He hid then under the Oak which is by Shechem. If d foreign gods can not dwell in bethel so does ear ring. That means. D same applicatn dat applies to foreign applies to ear ring. We can serve God with it.
There is power in our words, especially over those we have authority over. Jacob had spoken out in Genesis 31 32 that whoever stole Laban 's idols should not live and i believe that was manifested in the untimely death of Rachel whom Jacob loved so much and had stolen the idols. Jacob was not at fault for making the spiritual decree. This is a lesson that our words are powerful in the spirit realm and we should constantly say good things over our lives, children, family, the Church and our community. That does not mean we should sugar coat our preaching when we need to rebuke, correct or chasten. God help us to use our mouths wisely all the time in Jesus Name.
Bethel is a place of Consecration, sanctification and total obedience to God. It is the place where the Will of God crosses ours and we submit fully to Him because He is the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent One. Bethel is a place where the 'spirit of the world ' is expunged out of us and replaced with the Spirit of God. It is the place the prodigal son backslider sees his nakedness and the need for God 's covering the Blood of Jesus to make him whole and clean. Indeed, it is the place of our 'first love ' to Jesus Christ. All Christians need to go back to their bethel if they can see lukewarmness, docility and carelessness in their spiritual lives.
God said to go to Bethel to dwell, not just a visit. Perhaps by staying Jacob would have learned Rachel had stolen her dad's idols and then broken the curse he put on the thief a few chapters before. Stay in His presence.
I am trying to understand all the incest that took place in this book. In this day and time it would be an outrage. I am taking that God wanted nations to be built into the world he had created. Can someone, please enlighten me.
Hi,
It looks like someone was telling a story, but doesn't sound God's words, if those words have been told by human, so all humans make mistakes when they tell stories, but God doesn't make mistakes or either sends prophets to get drunk and let young daughters sleep with their own father. Otherwise God was absent when his prophets did sin or fornicated with his daughters. If God allowed this to happen with a prophet and have him write this story in the bible, so, can we (as humans) do the same with our daughters? By cancelling our brain and become like animals? I need some priest to answer me please. Thanks for your reply.
The reason that Reuben was wrong, was not because he stole his father's property, (we as women are not property) it was because Reuben committed adultery with his father's wife, or his stepmother. True the Ten Commandments hadn�t been given yet, but it was still adultery which is forbidden and wrong. Bilhah had become one with Jacob, so Reuben had defiled that union with Jacob and Bilhah. God always does things in His order. If we are allowed to do things our way, then the world would be a lot worse off than it is now.
Jacob has repented of his sins, and set his house in order by removing all the idols that they had. When Rachel died this was very hard on Jacob because he loved her more than his other wives. God changed his name to Israel, so that he will no longer be a deceiver. Israel built, an altar there and God blessed him. God allowed those multiple wives, but he has commanded that all men repent. Every man is to have one wife, and every woman is to have one husband. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us, and they did not have that then. Nevertheless what Reuben did was wrong, and this was a result of sowing, and reaping. God would deal with the sons of Israel for their sins, and the son of his beloved wife Rachel, Joseph would rebuke them in Egypt. No one gets away with sin, and we are told if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. We must confess sin, and repent of it, then forsake it. If we walk in the spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. A wife is not the property of her husband, but the two shall become one flesh. A man is to leave his father, and mother then cleave unto his wife. When we do what God has commanded, our marriages will be blessed.
To my mind, this chapter reveals that Racheal surrendered all the idols she had stolen from her father. God blessed Jacob again, reiterating the change of his name
to RALPH M. WATERS's comment, what! Property! are women�s property now, is this how things should be seen as?
Also fare dews to Reuben, Bilhah was original uiltah until she had an affair and Jacob had him killed.
And how come so many great guy are allowed to have more than one wife? For example Abram or even Jacob. What the heck, are we allowed to have more than one wife and is a wife just a piece of real estate?
On the subject of PROPERTY: BILHAH belonged to JACOB - When Reuben laid with her, it was the same as THEFT. Now Jacob sons duties were to help in to populate the world. But GOD is a GOD of order, not CHAOS. HE provided enough women for every man. REUBEN stole property from his father.
It looks like someone was telling a story, but doesn't sound God's words, if those words have been told by human, so all humans make mistakes when they tell stories, but God doesn't make mistakes or either sends prophets to get drunk and let young daughters sleep with their own father. Otherwise God was absent when his prophets did sin or fornicated with his daughters. If God allowed this to happen with a prophet and have him write this story in the bible, so, can we (as humans) do the same with our daughters? By cancelling our brain and become like animals? I need some priest to answer me please. Thanks for your reply.
Also fare dews to Reuben, Bilhah was original uiltah until she had an affair and Jacob had him killed.
And how come so many great guy are allowed to have more than one wife? For example Abram or even Jacob. What the heck, are we allowed to have more than one wife and is a wife just a piece of real estate?