The Story Chapter Two

So last week we learned all about the Creator, the creation and then the "do-over". We left off with Noah exiting the ark to start the world from scratch. What happens next?....

For awhile everything was good. Noah's first act of love for God was building an alter and sacrificing to the Lord. Yet, man was still affected by the sin that started with Adam and Eve. It was not too long after Noah's wooden ship made of Cypress wood came to rest that sin was rampant in the land. People were turning to gods but not to the true God who gave them life and love. So God picks a new man among the people of the earth to begin a new chapter in His great plan of salvation. Abram.

Now for all of you gossip junkies...put down the steamy novel. Shut off the new episode of Desperate Housewives or if your younger Degrassi and listen to this story. (I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would find the Bible boring when there is so much drama taking place from beginning to end).

So God has Abram leave behind everything he knows to travel to a place that he hasn't even told him where it is. How would you like to do that? Just pack up your family leave behind everything and everyone you know and walk....I'll tell you when you get there. Later God tells Abram by the way I know you and your wife are like 70 years old but I know that you really want a child so don't worry you are going to have one. Abram can't believe it and neither can his wife Sarai...so Sarai says hey I got an idea take my servant Hagar and she can be like a surrogate mother. She can have the child for us. So Abram being the obeying man that he is takes Hagar as a second wife and she gives birth to his long awaited son Ishmael. The one who would finally get Abram's inheritance. Or wait....
God shows up and says Abram...this is not the son who will receive the inheritance Sarai will become pregnant and have a son you are too name him Issac he will be the rightful heir. Sarai laughs at this because she is way to old to have a baby. But just as God said miraculously Sarai becomes pregnant. Which of course did not go over very well for poor Hagar and Baby Ishmael. After the birth of Issac God changes their names to Abraham and Sarah. Hagar and Ishmael are forced to leave their camp.
Later God does the most unthinkable thing. He asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac. The son that he has waited for, for almost 100 years God asks for him back. So Abraham takes Issac up the mountain. Issac carrying his own wood unaware that his own father is about to sacrifice him on an altar. Whew! Can you imagine that scene?
Hey Dad, Where is the lamb for the offering?
Uh, we won't be needing one this time.
Really, why is that?
Because son, you are the lamb!
I am the what?
You are the one that the Lord requires.
Issac, is then tied up laid upon the altar as his father is about to sacrifice him. Just then an angel of the Lord shows up and stops him. Because you trusted and loved God enough to give your only son, God says he will provide the lamb. Seconds later there is a ram caught in a thicket for the sacrifice and Abraham unties his son and together they offer it to the Lord as a sacrifice.

(Note: This story was a preview of what is going to come later! God in his great love for us would give up his only son as a sacrifice for you and me)

Wow! What an amazing story! Not many of us love God enough to give up simple things in life...what if he required something as extreme as that?

The story doesn't end there. Issac grows up and has children of his own. Twins. Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first so he should be the one to inherit all that his father has. But Jacob who was a trickster and swindles the inheritance from his brother. Actually, Esau gave up the rights for something to eat!!!! Can you believe that! Everything my father owns will one day be mine. "Hey, Esau"..."If you give me (Jacob) the inheritance I will buy you a Whopper". "Oooohhh, okay. Deal". Or something like that!

After Jacob tricks his father into giving him the inheritance by dressing up like his brother Esau. And after apparently Esau's belly was full and he realized what he had just given up. Anger and hatred spread among the brothers. Esau wants to kill Jacob and so Jacob runs away to hide.

Jacob goes to live with another family. The father of the family Laban has a beautiful daughter named Rachel. He asks for her hand in marriage. The father says work for me for 7 years and shes yours. So he does. Finally the wedding day is here. He can't wait to start his family. Turns out after the "I do's" that the trickster is the one who is tricked (by Laban). He lifts the veil to find not Rachel but her ugly older sister Leah! When Jacob questions Laban about Rachel, Laban says well you can have her too if you work another 7 years. And so he does and finally he gets to marry the woman of his dreams.
Meanwhile, Jacob is busy having all kinds of children 10 to be exact with Leah and some maidservants. Like any reject and neglected wife, Leah longs for Jacob to love her...but she knows his heart is set on Rachael. Yet, she can give Jacob something that Rachael cannot....children. Rachael is barren (unable to have children) and is growing more and more jealous of her sister Leah. She cries out to God and finally God hears her cries and grants her a child Joseph. (Which we will learn more about in the next chapter). Later she would give birth once more to Benjamin. But while giving birth to Ben...Rachel dies.

Meanwhile, Jacob must go back to where his brother Esau lives because Levan and him have a falling out. Jacob is still afraid that his brother wants to kill him. So he sends him all kinds of gifts but is too chicken to go himself to give the gifts. So he sends over his wife, children and servants to bring the gifts as a bribe in exchange for his brothers forgiveness.
While Jacob waits on the return of his giftbearers to bring word of whether Esau recieved them and is willing to let bygones be bygones....God himself comes down to wrestle with Jacob. When he cannot overtake Jacob, God pops his hip and from then on Jacob would walk with a limp but blesses him and changes his name to Israel. Now that Jacob/Israel has been humbled by God he is ready to go to his brother and plead for his forgiveness. Turns out he didn't have to beg. His brother came running with open arms and embraced him. A beautiful story of God's ability to restore broken relationships.

Because of his great love for his wife Rachel Israel grew to love Joseph more than all of his sons. Yes, Joseph was his favorite and he was not afraid to let the world know it. Israel makes him a beautiful coat of many colors for all of his brothers to see and envy. And envy they did!

Find out this week what happens to Joseph as a result!