Ex 2: 1-10

Moses came from the tribe of Levi, which meant he had no country or could possess no land. His beginnings were humble and was cared for by God from birth. His mother was especially caring and gave him the best opportunity for survival given the current edict. The "happenstance" that Pharoah's daughter who drew him out of the water and his eventual naming and rearing was God's divine plan for the greatest man that the next 4 books of the Bible are about and were written by.

One could say that he was born with a "silver spoon" but internally he was just an alien in a foreign land, gaining life lessons and being chisled away.

Yesterday was a relatively hectic day, but things are cooking at work. The major regret of the day will be not being able to get back to see David perform with his HS friend's band at a NYC club tonight. Still looking forward to getting home and being in NYC tomorrow. Prayers for GG and his safe flight back and hopefully will be able to see him this weekend.

Praise for today: Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard: he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. Ps. 66: 8-9

Exodus 1

All good things must come to an end and so it was for the Israelites and the Egyptians. After Joseph and his brothers were long gone and the new king of Egypt came into power,  the Jews became a hazard rather than a benefit. Unlike the situation in Germany during the 1920-1940s, they became slaves of the Egyptians since their frame of reference from the famine was long gone. They became the bane of Egypt and ultimate built their cities, Pithom and Rameses as food storage facilities. Still the amount of Israelites grew to the point to where the Egyptians made the do all of the heavy lifting so that they would be discourage to breed. Soon the only way to curtail the population boom was to kill off all the newborn male babies. However, two Israelite women refused to obey the king's order and let the male babies live and were blessed by God for their actions. The male babies were then ordered to be thrown into the river in hopes that they would be drowned.

The stage is set for the introduction of Moses and his eventual rescue from the watery passage. Looking forward to it!

Good weekend but extremely tiring. Hopefully this week at work will be somewhat less stressful than previous year end ones... We'll see. Trying to make David's gig in Manhattan on Wed night but seems like that may not happen. Good to see GG and all of the people on Sat/Sun night.

Praise for today: The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whome I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. 2 Sam 22: 2-3a

Gen 50: 15-26

Now with Jacob out of the picture, the brothers feared for their lives. Pleading with him for mercy and grace, they literally threw themselves at him and gave themselves up to him as his slaves. Joseph reassured them that they wouldn't be harmed and gave them the perspective that defines his life (v20) and the bigger picture. The Bible reinforces the tone of the speech in v 21. The rest of the chapter details the rest of Joseph's life (110 years) and the 3 generations of Ephraim 's children as well as Manasseh's offspring. Unlike Jacob who was buried with his ancestors, Joseph's remains were embalmed and was placed in a coffin in Egypt until he would be moved from this place. This was carried out in spirit in Ex. 13:9 and in reality in Joshua 24:32.

I really enjoyed my run through Genesis. Since I spent some time teaching this book in a high school class, I hesistated for a long while to do this but it was worth the wait. I guess the next step will be to "let my people go"....

Looking forward to going home later but not having to fix my toilet tomorrow. I guess that is the joys of homeownership. Hopefully, this won't take all day.

Praise for today: His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:50

Gen 50: 1-14

With Jacob's death came the fulfillment of God's promise. Jacob was embalmed for  40 days and was mourned by the Egyptians for 70 days. After the days of mourning had ceased, Joseph went to Pharoah and told him of the promise to return Jacob's body to the land of Canaan. With all of the pomp and circumstances that would accompany a dignitary, Jacob's body was laid to rest. There were so many Egyptians there at the ceremony that the Canaanites thought that they were burying an Egyptian. He was buried in the place that Abraham purchased centuries before. Then Joseph and the rest of the clan returned to Egypt. Given the distance between the two places, it was a difficult journey.

The end of an era, often God is referred to by the names of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. While Joseph would gain prominence, he would still never be equated the same as his fathers. Still, he was great unto himself and his God.

Long day yesterday but still rewarding. Getting ready for the holidays still much to do when I get home tomorrow night into Sunday.

Praise for today: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to redeem his people. Luke 1: 68.

Gen 49:19-27

The attention now turns to Gad and how his tribe will be under constant attack - they will be successful in thwarting their plans. Asher's land would be fertile and produce many crops. Even Solomon used their produce in his palace in 1 Kings 4:22-28. As for Naphtali, the commentary suggests that it is refering to Barak in Judges 4:6 and the poetry referring to Judges 5.

Now the attention is turned to Joseph, and while he wasn't a soldier - he was a righteous man (Ps 1:2-3) and while dealt wrongly was protected by God and made Joseph an overcomer. He then was bestowed the gifts that are due the one with the birthright and because of that his two sons received a double share of his father's possessions and was granted seperate parcels of land when the Promised land was divided up.

The tribe of Benjamin would be fighters, in the OT it would Saul that would come from this tribe and ruled with cruelty and in the NT, it would be Paul who would fight in a totally different way for the Gospel.

As we approach Christmas and the end of the year, I said goodby to an old friend and wished him well as he rides off into the sunset. 10 years is a long time and 170,000 miles is by some standards decent but still that was not meant to be. Who knows when the next time I will welcome a new one into the mix....

Praise for today: I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. Ps 13:6

Gen 49: 13-18

Zebulun since he will live by the sea will be a trader since the tribe will settle at the Sea of Galilee (but didn't include Sidon) and it didn't extend to the Mediterranean. However, they too will trade with them. Issacher would use his rawboned strength to be a farmer. They would be blessed with good land but they will labor hard. Dan would spawn the judge of Samson who was a small viper who took down the Phillistines, despite of his flaws. He would deliver his people from  oppression. The tribe of Dan would fight for his people.

It is interesting how each son would ultimately fulfill their destiny. Names did mean something back then as they would play a huge part of their development.

All in all, a decent weekend. Still much to be done to get the place ready for the masses next Sunday. I plan on making a dish (Thai curry mussels) to go with the seafood theme of the evening. Still just one more gift to get and I am done.

Praise for today: I look for your deliverance , O Lord. Gen 49:18

Gen 49: 8-12

Judah was the first son to be addressed as far as the blessing goes. The older ones were not given as nice a treatment by Jacob but now Judah will - with good reason. Jesus is from the lineage of Judah and that's why he is referred to as the Lion of Judah who will take the throne. He will be an overcomer of his enemies and will gain the praise and respect that is due him. The tribe of Judah was the one who led Israel into war and was the one who would gain the victory. From Judah, David and Solomon would follow as their greatest kings. While their descendants would rule afterwards, most of them were not loyal and thus fostered the split between the tribes. Ultimately, Jesus would be the one who will be seated on the throne and will unite the world. Jacob described the land that Judah will have as one that is extremely properous and uses crazy analogies to prove the wealth that will be generated from the land. The person from that land will be healthy because the land is healthy as well.

Got home relatively early after the party last night even getting stuck in some construction traffic. Still a decent time and good grub. Today, I got the delivery that I was waiting for early, did my laundry and now ready to face the great outdoors.

Praise for today: Judah, your name means “praise”. And your brothers will praise you.

You will overcome your enemies.  You will be like a man who puts his hand on the neck of his enemy.

Your father’s sons will bow to give you honour. Gen. 49:8

Gen 49:1-7

As the end of the book draws near, Jacob now turns his attention to the rest of his sons and gives them his blessing and prophesy. It is interesting to note that not all of his sons were blessed and ultimately their descendants were denied land and prominence in the new nation. Reuben (from whom a great sandwich is named, ha!) had all the makings of being the leader and the chosen one but because of his sin of defiling his father's concubine he was not. Simeon and Levi, were the ones who killed on behalf of Dinah's attackers an entire tribe of men. Their cruelty even streched to attacking livestock and used the covenant between the tribes to their advantage and killed. All three of these tribes received little prominence and/or no land (Levites) as they entered into the promised land.

From the commentary:

The tribe of Levi became very important. Moses belonged to this tribe. And God appointed families from this tribe to become the priests. Because they were priests, they were responsible for all the people in Israel. So, the tribe of Levi could not receive its own region. Instead, the people from this tribe received their own towns. These towns were in every region in Canaan (Joshua chapter 21). So, people from the tribe of Levi were available to help people from all the tribes to worship God.

So ultimately, they were the servants of the other tribes.

Today, I will head home after my company's holiday party and relax tomorrow. In some ways I look forward to it but the mass of humanity becomes sometimes too much. Oh well....

Praise for today: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. Luke 1:68

Gen 48

Jacob's legacy comes from the fact that he starts the blessing in this chapter that will shape the future of Israel. He takes the two sons from Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim and claims them as his legacy. Any other children born to Joseph afterwards would not be included. With his failing eyesight and advanced age, he proceeds to bless the younger rather than the older (via the right hand) which displeased Joseph. When Joseph tried to correct him and asking him to bless his firstborn, Jacob refused stating that while the older will have prominence but the younger will have it all. Because of Joseph receiving the birthright, his sons will have future benefits (Joshua 16,17).

Long day yesterday but ended with our department's cocktail party at a local restaurant. Crowded but able to escape after an hour or so. Still nice to get together with others outside the work environment.

Praise for today: The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. Ps 85:12,13

Gen 47: 13-31

Reality set in as the famine became more severe and was prolonged (7 years). As a result, Pharaoh became much more important as a ruler. This happened because of Joseph’s great skill. He bought the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. And Joseph also arranged regular taxes that made Pharaoh much more wealthy. At the end of the chapter, Jacob was very old. Soon, he would die. So, he called Joseph. Jacob asked Joseph to promise to bury him (Jacob) in Canaan. Jacob wanted his descendants to realise that Egypt was not their permanent home. Instead, God had promised Canaan to them. Joseph made the promise. In fact, Joseph would ask his own descendants to make a similar promise about his own body, too.

God did make good on his promise to Jacob about the greatness of Israel in Egypt and that God "will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes". (46:4). I often wonder and debate where my own final resting place would be when I and Irene pass. I guess it will be at Kensico Cemeterary  in Vahalla, NY where my sons have to go to just one place to visit their grandparents and us. Still seems distant especially since we ourselves only go there once a year. I guesss I would rather be visited more often, oh well. Ps 6: 5 just came to me now: No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?

Praise for today: From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Ps 3:8

Praise for today:

Gen 47: 1-12

The time has come when Joseph presents his father and his brothers before Pharaoh. He chose to present only 5 of them. They told him of their occupation and of their plight in Canaan where the drought was so severe that their flocks suffered. They requested to live in Goshen where they were granted along with their father to live in the best part of the land. Pharoah trusted Joseph's judgment so that if any of them possesed any special abilities to tend to the livestock, they could be put in charge of Pharoah's livestock. Jacob was then presented to Pharoah where he told him his age (130) and then blessed Pharoah and left. Joseph settled the family in Egypt and gave them the best part of the land, as Pharoah directed and gave them and all of his father's household food.

Unlike himself, Jacob didn't equate his significance to Abraham and Issac. Pharoah attributed significance to him based upon the abilities of his son. Still even Jesus refers to him when mentioning God to the Israelites.

What a lousy day on Friday! A foolish and careless mistake will haunt me for years to come, yet God will and has seen fit to love me and protect me. Shortcuts will always lead to failure.

Praise for today:Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Ps 57:1

Gen 46

On the way to Egypt, Jacob stopped at Beersheba - a special place for him  and Isaac (26:4) and there God confirmed that it would alright for Jacob and his clan to settle in Egpyt. Unlike God's warning to Isaac, God blessed and gave a plan for him and his family in Egypt. Then the Bible gives an account of all of Jacob's clan which does become confusing but the bottom line is that 70 people were on that trek along with all of the the stuff that was accumulated by Jacob since Canaan days. Jacob and Joseph were very happy to see each other again. Joseph knew that Jacob would encourage him. Joseph still had his important work to do for  Pharaoh. Until now, Joseph was probably the only person in Egypt who served the real God. The Egyptians served idols. But now Joseph had Jacob to support him. Joseph arranged a place where his brothers could work. They would continue to be  shepherds albeit under the guise of livestock raisers since shepherds were a detestable occupation. So, they would not become rulers. But Joseph continued his important work for  Pharaoh.

Long day yesterday on my first day back. Still glad it's over with and heading back home tonight. Did my minute holiday decorating in my apartment to get me in the "holiday"spirit. Tomorrow is the tree getting and more stuff to do for Christmas.

Praise for today: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Ps 66:20

Gen 45

Did you ever have a secret you were dying to tell someone that seemed to want to have a life of its own and burst out of you? That was the case of Joseph as he couldn't contain himself anymore. The fact that he could not and would not reveal himself as their brother was eating him alive. The change he saw in Judah was enough to tell him that there had been real change in his brothers and that they care for each other as a family. Even when he spoke to them in Hebrew they could not believe that this was the Joseph they had sold into slavery . Perhaps the greatest test was that of Pharoah himself approving and elated that Joseph had finally reunited with his family. He was forthright in showering his approval to the reunion with his blessing (a far cry from the days of Moses) and what that might mean. The news from Egypt astonished Jacob and when he saw the entourage that came from there to pick him and the rest of the clan up - he believed and saw the prophesy fulfilled. The dreams of Joseph and what God had promised him in Gen 35:11-12. God would let him "see" these things that would occur after his death but for now he was content to see Joseph.

Got back to NJ and Delly yesterday after a tumulous flight from MCO - rain and wind was intense. The drive back was much better going down later after dinner and getting myself settled for the long day ahead. Still, I enjoyed the weather down there and it was just a foretaste of what I hope is to come.

All in all, good to see GG and spend a day with my friend's in-laws (the father is recovering from heart surgery at 87) and pray with and for them.

Praise for today: But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!" Ps70:4

Gen 44

The testing continues, Joseph plants a silver cup in the saddle of Benjamin's ride and sends his servant to retrieve them after they have left to go home. The 10 are brought back and Benjamin has to stand in prison until they can prove his innocence. What is truly striking is the change in Judah, the one who sold Joseph into slavery. He was willing to become a slave so that Benjamin could go free. The attitude is one of selflessness rather than selfishness to the highest degree. The importance of the birthright was interesting as well since now Benjamin appear to have be the chosen one with Joseph out of the picture. Their actions proved that they who were passed over for the birthright were accepting of that fact. They knew that they ran the risk of Benjamin becoming a slave for his perceived actions and that the birthright would be given among the ten, but they were beyond that. They truly were concerned for their brother and the effect on their father who was getting older and was miserable without him.

Great day at MK, got to see the lighting of the castle, Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes from the train station (after we got there at 5 PM) - a lot of standing but well worth it. Going back to Epcot to see CP with GG and Irene.

Praise for today: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Ps 66: 20

Gen 43

Apparently, Jacob and the family seemed content to let Simeon rot there in jail. They are the food that was intially bought and ran out which prompted Jacob again to request that food would be purchased from the Egyptian leader. The brothers told Jacob of the conditions placed upon them and the money in their pouches which caused hm to lament further. He didn't want to see Benjamin go but did so under Judah's care. They went with more cash, more goods to secure more food. They were hesitant, with good reason, but were treated like royalty and even had a reunion with Simeon. The things that Joseph did seemed odd to them but they were still unsuspecting of who they wre dealing with. When Joseph saw Benjamin he had commanded restraint to stop his emotions but made sure that he was treated better than the other brothers at the table. He also learned his father's condition and was pleased. Still he kept his identity hidden.

For Joseph, it was all about seeing if they had changed their attitude and their outlook on life. Were they still cruel, jealous and selfish or have they changed.

We went to  Celebration Community Church's new building that was in town. For the last 7 years they had met at the high school and now unveiled their new facility which was impressive but still a work-in-progress. Enjoyed the service and the sermon immensely. Also saw the movie Descendants which was an interesting flick with the fam. First attempt at a pork roast at the slow cooker - came out pretty decent with mashed potatoes and green squash.

Off to MK today with the troops and looking forward to that.

Praise for today: Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Ps 96: 7-8a

Gen 42

Desperate people do desperate things, and so it was for Jacob and his family. He has already seen the demise of his favorite son, the brutality of his other sons and now he watches as the family is in the midst of a extreme famine. He is angered and sends his idle sons to Egypt to but grain/corn from the ruler there but he leaves the youngest, Benjamin behind. As the 10 make their way to the leader, they bow before the ruler who was Joseph, fulfilling the prophesy that was set years before them. He tested the brothers and called them spies in order to find out how they have progressed over these years. He must have alter his appearance so much that even his brothers couldn't recognize him and he probably spoke to them through an interpreter in Egyptian. One thing that was not mentioned in the earlier chapter was that Joseph pleaded for his life when he tossed into the pit. That was brought out in their first update encounter. Reuben also made Joseph, who was unaware at the time, that he did feel for him and regretted the others' action. Still, despite his own weeping of the situation, he had Simeon bound in prison as they prepared to bring the youngest before him. Joseph not only filled their bags with grain but unbeknowst to them gave them back their money. When they found the grain and the cash, they were dismayed since now they appear as theives. Jacob, is now brought into the picture and doesn't want to give up Benjamin. Jacob, who fears that Benjamin will be lost to him as well as Simeon and refuses to comply despite Reuben's noble offer and thus the chapter ends.

I wonder what Simeon felt when he was placed into prison and how he felt he drew the "short straw". It was Simeon and Levi who massacred the men at the deflowering of Dinah, so he was a man prone to violence and brutality. Does he feel remorse or shame? Can someone like him change his stripes? Does he fall to his knees and come clean before a holy God?

Pretty good day yesterday - went to AK to pick up a free calendar (as a season passholder) and then went shopping before picking up GG at the airport. Went to Smokey Bones (my new fav BBQ place) and had lunch, went with Irene to the Disney Movie Studios to see the Osbourne lights and then came back and made dinner for the family.

Praise for today: Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble Ps 41:1

Gen 41

The tide has turned in c. 41 as now two years have past and the country and its leader faces a dilemma. God had placed a dream in the heart of Pharoah and only through Joseph can and will it be answered and addressed. The cupbearer to Pharoah finally acknowledges who was the one who can read dreams and allowed Joseph a chance to shine in the presence of Pharoah. Pharoah, while he delusional in his thinking that he is a god, still acknowledges his humanity and seeks to be a leader of his people over the long haul. Joseph, through all of this, still acknowledges the Lord and is faithful to His calling. He advised Pharoah what to do and in all things was not self-promoting or scheming to get a better position - still the Lord blessed him. Through Pharoah, he became the second in command  to bring Egypt through the next 14 years. He was also given an Egyptian wife who bore him two sons who had Hebrew names and were raised as such. God saw fit that this was acceptable. Through Joseph, Egypt was well prepared for the famine that was so severe that other countries would be clamoring for food to be bought from the stockpiles of Egypt.

It did take a while and through it all, God  did provide for Joseph and the world back then.

So far it has been a great few days since coming down to FL. Work has been extremely trying and still have to stay close to the BBerry as that world evolves. Still nice not being there.  Went to Epcot yesterday and saw MWS at Candlelight Processional - our annual tradition. With a late lunch, it seemed to have been our only "real" meal for the day. Weather here has been more on the cooler side for FL but still extremely nice and remains the goal for the balance of my life. Wed nite had a great meal at Smokey Bones and looking forward to returning at a future date.

Prayers for my sister-in-law and her family as they lay to rest U. Ralph today. Looking forward to having GG with us the rest of the way down here.

Praise for today: Love the Lord, all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Ps 31: 23-24