Genesis 30:7-13
Rachel’s servant
Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “I have
had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him
Naphtali.
When Leah saw that she
had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob
as a wife. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “What good
fortune!” So she named him Gad.
Leah’s
servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The
women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.
Comments
The beginnings of the twelve tribes of Israel continues here
with the birth of more sons to Jacob. The first four sons were born to Leah,
the “unloved” wife. The next four came from Rachel’s servant, Bilhah, and
Leah’s servant, Zilpah.
These servants had no say in whether or not they should
sleep with Jacob, and when their children were born, they had no part in naming
them. Leah and Rachel thought of the children as their own and named them
accordingly.
Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of
this story is the level of competition between these two sisters. After the
birth of Naphtali, Rachel pronounced herself the winner even though the count
now stood at four sons for Leah and only two for Rachel (and none except through
her servant).
This rivalry was certainly an unusual means of fulfilling
God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of countless descendants who would be
a blessing to all nations.
Reflections
Competition, rivalry, envy and jealousy are central features
of human sinfulness. How competitive are you? What do you think defines someone
as a winner or loser in life?
The servants of Rachel and Leah were little more than pawns
in the competition between sisters. Have you ever used others to gain an
advantage for yourself? How did it turn out?
Prayer
Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us a life in which everyone can
win and no one has to lose.
DEATHBED SALVATION? BY STEVE FINNELL
ReplyDeleteJesus said Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved..." (NKJV)
Men say if a man confesses Jesus as the Son of God on his deathbed but does not have time to be baptized in water he will still be saved. If a believer can be saved without water baptism, then why cannot an atheist who was planning on believing in Jesus but died before he had time to believe not be saved?
Do men have the authority to change God's terms for pardon from sins?
THE THIEF AND DEATHBED SALVATION?
The thief lived and died under the old covenant.
To be saved like the thief, a few things have be true.
1. Jesus has to be alive hanging on the cross.
2. You have believe Jesus is Lord and Christ.
3. You have ask Jesus to remembers you when He comes into His kingdom.
4. Jesus has to tell you "today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)(NKJV)
5. To be saved like the thief, you have to be saved without having received the Holy Spirit. (John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive ; for as yet the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) (NKJV)
The thief was not saved under the terms for pardon under the new covenant.
1. The thief was not baptized in water for the forgiveness of his sins. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2. The thief did not believe that God had raised Jesus from the dead; how could he? Jesus was still alive. Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.(NKJV)
Was the thief on the cross saved ? YES HE WAS. Can men living under the new covenant be saved like the thief on the cross? NO THEY CANNOT.
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http//:steve-finnell.blogspot.com
Competition, rivalry, jealousy and envy---who has not felt all four of these feelings at some point or another? I don't think many have the perfect sense of right and wrong in the Biblical sense, but instead most of us, if not all, are taught by secular behaviors. Examine the Olympics as an example of competition and rivalry. The very nature of the Olympics are composed of these two qualities. People bet on who is going to win. Who is the rival team; who is the rival of the latest winner of the Kentucky Derby? Competition and rivalry are not only words we use, they are words by which most of us live. And we don't give it a second thought. Examine the college/university application process. Only the "best" win admission to the best colleges. And while students in higher education, we strive to be the best in our class. "I received an A- on that test. It wasn't even in my major, and I still didn't get a A. That girl Cheryl--you know the one who always pretends she hasn't started her paper two days before it is due, and she actually has been conducting research for two weeks; what a phony. She's trying to psych out the rest of us not to prepare well. Then she is the top student!" School rivals; rivalry between gangs--this is not of God. How about becoming President of the United States? Politicians lie, steal, cheat, and basically climb on the politicians before them who lie now in a pile as the winner climbs up and stands over the "losers". We live in a society based on those principles, among others that are not of God. So, yes, I have been guilty of participating. I still get hyped about Michigan Football, and I scream at the TV during the game. Have I climbed a pile of people to get to the top? My parents taught me better than this based on Jesus Christ.
ReplyDelete