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October 28, 2007 "Esau and Jacob
Reconciled" |
The St. Martin's Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship Welcomes You!
Come on in to the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, after the 9am Sunday Service, from 10:10 to 10:50am. We are studying the Book of Genesis for the next couple months, and you are invited to explore with us!
The St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF's) are following a course of study based on the work of the Committee on the Uniform Series, also known as the International Lessons. Bible students around the world are using this same framework, why not you?
Prime Timers Good News
At the beginning of our class we spend time hearing our members Good News. Presenting this news requires a $1 donation to our Good News chicken, Henny Penny. Currently we are donating this money to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia, a Christian partnership between North Americans and Bolivians for the benefit of their children in need.
Today Lynne told us about her daughter, who is leaving for Cairo on a vacation. Maybe she will tell us again when her daughter returns home safely. Larry gave a dollar, just for the heck of it!
Jacob and Rachel
Our teacher for October is Richard Cruse. He is taking us on a journey through the stories of the Patriarchs in the Book of Genesis. He summed up the story so far reminding us that it began with Abraham, who married Sarah and at the ages of 100 and 90 respectively conceived a son, Isaac, who married Rebekah and produced twin sons, Esau the outdoorsman and Jacob the farmer. Jacob deceives Esau into giving up his birthright for a bowl of stew. When Isaac is old and wants to bless his favorite son Esau, Rebekah overhears him and dresses Jacob as Esau, prepares a meal as Esau would have and gets Isaac to give the blessing to Jacob. The Jacob goes to Rebekah's brother Laban to find a wife. He runs into Rachel and immediately falls in love.
In the reading from last week we find Jacob laboring for seven years for Laban to earn the hand of Rachel, only to be given her younger sister Leah instead! Jacob serves Laban another seven years to win the hand, finally, of Rachel.
Today's lesson contains quite a bit of sleeping around and is really a founders story of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. After all the years waiting for Rachel, she is barren and cannot produce children. The first child born is from the union of Jacob and Leah. He is named Reuben and founds the tribe of Reuben. The next son by Leah is Simeon, whose name in Hebrew means "God has heard that I am unloved." Levi is the next and the Levites are descended from him. The fourth and last son by Leah is Judah. Rachel gives Jacob her maidservant Bilhah, and she conceives another son, Dan, and another, who is named Naphtali. This tribe settles in Northern Canaan and are described as brave soldiers in the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:18). The next maidservant producing a child for Jacob is Zilpah, who first conceives Gad, whose name comes from the Hebrew word troop. Zilpah also produces Asher, and if you are counting, we are up to son number eight.
Next is the story of the mandrakes, a potato-like plant thought to have aphrodisiac properties. Reuben (Leah's first son by Jacob) brought some mandrakes to Leah from the field. Rachel wants some of them, and allows Leah to sleep with Jacob again. Leah conceives Issachar from this union. Leah has yet another son, and he is named Zebulun, and after this she has a girl, Dinah.
After thinking she was barren, God allows Rachel to have a child, and his name is Joseph. Rachel produces another son, Benjamin, and this makes for twelve!
The story of Joseph, who gets sold into slavery by his brothers, begins at Genesis 37.
Peace be with you!
Prime Timers Contact names and numbers
Mentor
Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org
Leaders
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Max Kech
713/802-0690 H
maxkech2003@yahoo.com
Marty Smith
713/464-6737 H
martys47@comcast.net
Teachers
Richard Cruse
Pete Seale
Ben Welmaker
bhwjr@flash.net
Outreach (inviting and welcoming new members)
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Elizabeth Sleeper
jsleeperjr@comcast.net
Richard Cruse is our teacher for the month of October.
Joseph's Bloody Coat Brought to Jacob, by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, 1630, Oil on canvas, at the Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial.
Joseph Receives His Father and Brothers in Egypt, by Salomon de Bray, 1655, Oil on canvas, in a Private collection.
The Lesson for Sunday, October 28th is titled "Esau and Jacob Reconciled"
Key Verse: Genesis 33:4
Focus of the Lesson: Relationships sometimes seem irreparably broken. What must happen for such damaged relationships to be restored? Esau, who had been wronged by his brother, willingly greeted Jacob and offered him hospitality and signs of reconciliation.
The reading is Genesis 33:1-11. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)
Background Scripture: Genesis 33
1Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. 2He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant."
6Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. 7Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
8Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?" "To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said.
9But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself."
10"No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 11Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
NIV
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