Day 3 and 4

I did not have time to post yesterday so i will post my comments here! :D Firstly in Genesis 20-30 we see that this is a very important chapter. Important because this is the God forming nations through people. Through Abraham's blood line. We also see how cunning Jacob was against Esau. From the beginning when Jacob was born, he "famously" grabbed the heel of Esau when Esau was born; showing that he desired to be first and inherit the birthright. Then we also see the vision that God told Issac's wife. She was told that "

The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."
in Genesis 25:23

We always see that Jacob is the manipulative one, but no one was born this way. Rather, he was brought up this way. Brought up learning how to manipulate. We see that He later cheated Esau of his birthright over a bowl of vegetable stew. It was not even meat! Can you imagine. Then we see first hand the heart of the mother. She was the one who instructed Jacob to steal Esau's blessing from Issac. All these show that probably Rebekah was the one teaching Jacob all these sneaky stuff, probably the reason why Jacob is so crafty. But i cant help to wonder if Rebekah was doing all these to fulfill God's will?!

This is what i meant: God told her 2 nations are in her womb, and ... the older will serve the younger. Concentrate on the "older will serve the younger". Is it that she was acting in her own strength trying to help Jacob getting ahead of the older Esau?? How many times did we do this too? God promised everything, the future for our own lives. But we took it in our own hands and say this is fulfilling God's prophesy? If that is what she really thought, then she is totally wrong. She would regret it hearing what a master deceiver that Jacob had become. Yes, God told her a truth that He knows but she dont need to take it into her own hands! It is a fine line between taking action and taking it into your own hands.

Jacob became the master deceiver that we all know. in his response to his daughter being raped was seen so clearly. He tricked the men into circumcision and then killed them. All of them. His sons played along as well. Then we see the death of Issac and his wife. And a account of the genealogy of Jacob's bloodline. Jacob was also named by God as Israel. But for some reason that i dont understand this new identity was not used. In other instances in the bible when God gave this person a new name, he stuck with it and the name was used to reference him after the naming. Jacob was still named Jacob but there were some instances where he was named Israel. I really think this chapter really show how bad the human heart is. We witness rape(in 36) and incest here:

²⁶ Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.

Sin, plotting and extramarital sex was also witnessed.