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Currently Browsing: Book 01 - Genesis
Posted by admin | Jul 30th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 50
The final chapter of Genesis is devoted to the funeral arrangements of Jacob (aka Israel). Jacob was embalmed in the Egyptian tradition and the Egyptians mourned for him. Joseph gets permission from Pharaoh to bury Jacob in Canaan, in the same cave that Abraham had purchased.
Joseph and his brothers move back to Egypt. The brothers were afraid that Joseph would seek revenge for what they did to him...
Posted by admin | Jul 29th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 49
In this chapter, Jacob (aka Israel) talks to his sons and identifies what would eventually become known as the 12 Tribes of Israel. This first listing differs from other passages in the Bible (see the Discussion Points below). Jacob then dies.
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About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam"...
Posted by admin | Jul 28th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 48
Jacob (aka Israel) gets sick and is soon to die. Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, visit him and Jacob gives a blessing to the sons, giving the more powerful "right hand" blessing to the younger of the two sons. In giving the right hand blessing to Ephraim, the younger son, he broke the tradition of blessing the eldest, saying that Ephraim will have many more descendants.
Those...
Posted by admin | Jul 23rd, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 47
Joseph's brothers tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and ask for land in Goshen, so Pharaoh gives them the very best land,. Jacob (aka Israel) blesses Pharaoh.
The famine gets worse and money is no good in Egypt because Joseph collected virtually all of the money supply, so they first trade livestock for grains and then Joseph comes up with a plan where the people give one-fifth of their lands to...
Posted by admin | Jul 22nd, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 46
Jacob (aka Israel) has a vision in Beersheba after making some sacrifices. God tells him that he will have a lot of descendants in Egypt and that all will be well. After recitation of the genealogy, Jacob and Joseph have a tearful reunion and Joseph plans on introducing everyone to Pharaoh. Since the Egyptians viewed shepherds as "an abomination," he instructs his family to tell Pharaoh that...
Posted by admin | Jul 21st, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 45
Joseph's brothers are brought back because of his trickery in Chapter 44. He reveals who he is and there is a teary reunion. He explains to his brothers that it was God's will that his brothers had sold him into slavery (actually, they had thrown him in a well and others sold him). Anyway, their actions were dictated by God so that Joseph would be in his current position in Egypt in order...
Posted by admin | Jul 20th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 44
After their dinner in Chapter 43, Joseph instructs his people to fill the brothers' sacks to the brim with grain and to place his special silver cup and the corn money in the youngest brother Benjamin's sack.
When the brothers leave, he has one of his bondsmen follow them and ask if they stole a silver cup. The cup is discovered in Benjamin's sack and everyone heads back to Joseph's place...
Posted by admin | Jul 16th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 43
Since Jacob (aka Israel) would not let Benjamin go to Egypt, the family members go on with their lives while Simeon remains imprisoned over in Egypt. Finally, the grain runs out and Jacob tells his sons to go back to Egypt and get some more. They remind him of the deal and he finally consents to let Benjamin travel with them. They take double the money as well as gifts of balm, honey, spices, and myrrh,...
Posted by admin | Jul 16th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 42
The famine is very bad in Canaan, where Joseph's father Jacob (aka Israel) and older brothers live. Jacob tells his sons that they should travel to Egypt and buy some of the grain that he heard was for sale there. Per his instructions, they do not take the youngest son, Benjamin, because Jacob is afraid something will happen to him and that's he'd disappear just like Joseph.
Previously,...
Posted by admin | Jul 13th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 41
A couple of years go by and Pharaoh has a recurring dream that troubles him. None of Pharaoh's magicians are able to interpret the dream. The chief butler who had forgotten all about Joseph in the previous chapter suddenly remembers him, and tells Pharaoh that Joseph might be able to interpret the dream.
So Joseph gets pulled out of the dungeon, gets a shave and clean clothes, and is presented to...
Posted by admin | Jul 9th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 40
While Joseph was in prison, Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker were tossed into jail. Both of them have dreams that Joseph interprets for them.
As for the chief butler, Joseph interprets the dream to mean that in three days, Pharaoh would restore him to his position. Joseph asks the butler to remember him and ask the Pharaoh to let Joseph out of prison.
As for the baker, Joseph interprets the...
Posted by admin | Jul 8th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 39
Joseph — who is Judah/Israel's favorite son — is also favored by God. In a previous segment, Joseph's brothers had ditched him in a well because they were jealous and were sick and tired of listening to Joseph talk about his dreams in which his family would bow down to him.
In Genesis Chapter 39, the story picks up with Joseph managing the affairs of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh...
Posted by admin | Jul 7th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 38
Genesis 38 is a good example of the second class status assigned to women in the Christian bible.
Judah, one of Jacob/Israel's sons, "takes" a Canaanite woman and has three sons with her. God kills the first of these sons, whose name was Er, because he was "wicked." However, no explanation about what this wickedness was is given. Judah tells his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar,...
Posted by admin | Jun 30th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 37
This chapter focuses on Joseph, the second youngest son of Jacob/Israel. Jacob (aka Israel) favors this boy and gives him a coat of many colors. Joseph has dreams in which his brothers bow down to him, which gets his brothers angry. They dump him in a well, where he is found by Midianites merchantmen, who either sell him to some Ishmeelites or to an Egyptian officer for Pharaoh (there are conflicting...
Posted by admin | Jun 29th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 36
This chapter is devoted to the genealogy of Esau — Jacob (Israel)'s older twin brother — and his multiple wives and concubines. He is also called "Edom." Some of these offspring are called dukes in the King James translation.
Anah is a popular name in the Esau genealogy. There is Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, Anah the son of Seir the Horite. In the midst of this...
Posted by admin | Jun 26th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 35
God instructs Jacob to go to Elbethel and build an altar. Jacob tells all who are with him to put aside their strange gods. These idols, as well as earrings, were buried under the oak near Shechem.
Also at an oak tree, Rebekka's servant Deborah dies, and then Jacob's wife Rachel dies in childbirth. He names the son Benjamin.
Jacob again erects a pillar and calls it Bethel (he had previously...
Posted by admin | Jun 25th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 34
Back in Genesis 30, a rare thing happened: A female was referenced in the genealogy. Usually, it's just the males that are listed in biblical genealogies. The girl's name was Dinah, daughter of Jacob and his first wife, Leah.
The prince of the country in which Jacob and his family is living rapes Dinah in Chapter 34 (although it is unclear if maybe there was a clandestine love affair going...
Posted by God Discussion Reporter | Jun 24th, 2009
The Bible Slam: Genesis Chapter 33
Jacob meets his older twin brother Esau, and there is peace. Esau goes his way and Jacob travels onto Shalem, where he builds a house. He also buys a parcel of land and builds an altar.
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About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam" and to read the Important Disclaimer about...
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