2025 Bible Study Group

I got a bit sick and run down by various things so I have tried to quickly summarize the latest chapters and also a few questions. Most notable from this bunch for me at least was the 'wrestle with God' section and the behaviour of Jacob's sons...anyway...

Feb 1: Genesis 26–27

Isaac stays in Gerar on God’s commands.

Yet again there is a lie about wife being sister in this case Isaac’s wife Rebekah

Abimelech makes a covenant with Isaac after realising the Lord appears to be with him.

Takeaway- The lord will bless certain people (the descendents of Isaac) and following his will leads to rewards.

27 - Jacob steals birthright

More deception this time Rebekah pushes Jacob to trick father with gifts of game.

This part makes me feel sorry for Esau who is tricked out of his birth rite. Part of me thinks this is satanic deception a bit like the serpent in Eden but the punishment isn’t there for this. Why not?

It appears like we’re going to get another Cain and Able story but this one ends differently…

Feb 3: Genesis 28–29

More warnings against Canaanite women…I guess the lesson here is do not marry sinful women

We get a reference to a ‘Stairway to heaven’ and this seems to reaffirm Jacob’s belief in God

29

Seems in this era some mild incest was acceptable (or at least marrying within bloodlines) Was this later outlawed?

More trickery relating to women as Jacob sleeps with the wrong one (oops) and is demanded to work 7 more years to get Rachel. Anyone who is dismayed by wife hunts in 2025 could take something from this.


Feb 5: Genesis 30–31

Jacob gets a lot of action here as he keeps getting presented with a rotation of women to impregnate.

FInally Joseph is conceived and he will come up again later of course…

Through ingenuity Jacob is able to slowly grow independence from Laban

31

More of Jacob’s dreams here which I suppose is a build up to Joseph’s coming later…

This part feels like a nice come uppance for abusive employers


Feb 7: Genesis 32–33

An angry Esau appears to be on his way to take out Jacob…

Wait does Jacob actually wrestle with God on earth here? I thought God didn’t appear in human form?
33

I think Esau’s reversal shows that some of these trends (of brotherly revenge) can have different outcomes if people make better choices.


Feb 9: Genesis 34–35

And on that note of right or wrong choices we see Jacob’s sons indulging in some horrific pillaging…

Though weirdly God doesn’t intervene here…despite his active role in this part of the Bible

35

Notable for deaths of Rachel and and Isaac…

Overall, these sections focused a lot on God’s faith with certain people/groups and here (unlike in say, Adam and Eve) there isn’t an extreme punishment when people act out or make mistakes.
 
Genesis 34

Both Luther and Calvin agree that Dinah should have exercised more caution. Women should dress modestly and be careful about where they go, ideally being homebound. This is not to blame the victim for the crime, but it is to protect them. The harsh reality is that it's an ugly, cruel world.

Unlike most rapists, Shechem does not despise Dinah after he violates her, but wants to marry her, so he has his dad broker for it with Jacob. The sons of Israel agree to it with a caveat: all of Hamor's men must be circumcised.

The Israelites did this as an act of subterfuge and warfare by deceit, thereby treating the sign of the covenant as an unholy thing, profaning it by promiscuously grafting strangers in.

Three days in, Simeon and Levi go into the town and slaughter all the men and plunder it. This is a disproportionate response. You see that "the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God."

Calvin sees in this a warning against promiscuity, though not to excuse the vengeance of the Israelites:
If then Dinah is said to have been polluted, whom Shechem had forcibly violated, what must be said of voluntary adulterers and fornicators?
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Moreover, from this example let us learn, that if, at any time, fornication prevail with impunity, God will, at length, exact punishments so much the more severe: for if the violation of one maid was avenged by the horrible massacre of a whole city; he will not sleep nor be quiet, if a whole people indulge in a common license of fornication, and, on all sides, connive at each other’s iniquity. The sons of Jacob acted indeed wickedly; but we must observe that fornication was, in this manner, divinely condemned.
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He also sees Jacob as the only good person in this account:
In Jacob, moreover, we have an admirable example of patient endurance; who, though afflicted with so many evils, yet did not faint under them. But chiefly we must consider the mercy of God, by which it came to pass, that the covenant of grace remained with the posterity of Jacob.
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Yet they wrongfully appropriate to themselves the right of taking revenge: why do they not rather reflect thus; “God, who has received us under his care and protection, will not suffer this injury to pass unavenged; in the meantime, it is our part to be silent, and to leave the act of punishing, which is not placed in our hands, entirely to his sovereign will.”Hence we may learn, when we are angry at the sins of other men, not to attempt anything which is beyond our own duty.
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I want to focus on this theme of warfare by deceit. If you are familiar with the Israeli CIA, Mossad, then you will know that their motto is "By Deception, Thou Shalt Do War." It is an interesting translation of Proverbs 24:6: For by guidance you will make war. They seem to be more in line with Sun Tzu's The Art of War: All warfare is based on deception.

By contrast, Christian warfare is based on honesty. By telling the truth of the Gospel, you are waging war against the world which is so shrouded in lies.
 
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Genesis 35

God tells Jacob to settle in Bethel. Jacob tells his house to put away their foreign gods and to cleanse themselves. This leads me to believe that when Rachel stole the idols from Laban, she did so because she ascribed power and worth to them. Jacob's house has been threatened by syncretism, but now he is reforming it to become strictly monotheistic. God reaffirms His covenant to Jacob, blessings and all. Jacob shall be called Israel. He is blessed to be fruitful and multiply. He will inherit the land. Christ will come from his line.

On the way to Bethel, Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and dies. Rebekah's maid-servant, Deborah dies. We are not told explicitly but most commentators seem to think that Rebekah died not long after Deborah. Then the chapter closes with the death of Issac.

When Rachel birthed Benjamin, she named him Ben-oni, son of my sorrow, but Jacob preferred to call him Benjamin, son of the right hand. It seems that Rachel could only see her present pain and sorrow, but Jacob kept his eyes fixed on God and gave his son a more faithful name. We underappreciate in our present day how dangerous child-bearing was in the ancient world. More often than not babies would be stillborn, and mothers were much likelier to die.

Rueben laid with his father's concubine, Bilhah. We see that even then, gross sin could infiltrate into the people of God. So we ought not be surprised when things of this ilk happen, it even happened in the days of Paul, within the church of God. You see an Oedipal theme in this, to lay with your father's wife is a brazen act of rebellion that dishonors and even seeks to supplant the father. After Issac died, he was buried by Esau and Jacob.
 
Bizet said:
I was thinking Romans in March and The Gospel of John in April to go with the Easter theme, but yes let's cross that bridge when we get to it.
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Is everyone happy with this as the designated reading plan for the next two months? Romans in March and John in April? If so I can start working on a reading plan. If anyone else has any other suggestions, please let us know :)
 
Thought I might take the time to share commentaries from the Orthodox Study Bible & Church Fathers to motivate & aid my own study and contribute to the thread.

Genesis 35

Orthodox Study Bible:

35:1 God speaks, and it is God of whom He speaks. Two distinct Persons own the same name, God. For the Father who is true God speaks of His Son who is also true God, for the Son is begotten from the Father as true God (Creed). Thus, the God who appeared to Jacob at Bethel was the Son, who is true God of true God.

35:9 The God who appeared to Jacob again is the true God of true God, that is, the Son of the Father. In Him the Father is revealed, for He alone reveals the Father.

35:11 The God who appeared to Jacob also calls Himself Jacob's God, for He is true God of true God, the Only-begotten of the Father. It was He who changed Jacob's name to Israel.

35:13 The Only-begotten appeared to Jacob temporarily as a man, then ascended from him. After He became incarnate in the Mother of God, He ascended to the Father.

St. Cyril of Alexandria:

35:2 After he was called by God, Jacob ascends to Bethel, that is, to the house of God (this is how the name Bethel is interpreted), offers sacrifices to God and is declared chief and master of the holy rites. He teaches his successors and descendants how they must enter the house of God. He orders the foreign gods to be rejected like dung and filth and to change the garments. It is fitting for us to do likewise when we are called before God, or enter the divine temple, especially in the time of the holy baptism. We, as if we drive away the foreign gods and part from such error, must assert, “I refuse you, Satan, and all your pomp and all your worship.” We also must change completely our garment by stripping off “the old self that is corrupt through deceitful lusts” and by clothing ourselves with “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to image of its Creator.” The women who were with Jacob took off their earrings. And in fact women by entering the house of God without wearing any carnal ornament and with loose hair remove from their head any accusation of pride. That is why, I believe, those women took off the precious stones they wore in their ears.

35:14 When we ascend to Bethel, that is, to the house of God, we will know the stone, I mean, the elected stone, which was made into a cornerstone, that is, Christ. We will see the one who is anointed by the Father in joy and exultation for all the creatures that live under the sky. As I said, the Son is anointed by God the Father: “Joy of us all, universal exultation” according to the words of the psalmist. And you see how this is prefigured in the words that were just said to us: “And Jacob set up a stone and poured oil upon it.” That action is a symbol of the mystery of Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to God the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages. Amen.
 
Genesis 36-37

What stood out to me most in today's reading was just how closely Joseph's life parallels Jesus'.

Joseph was beloved by his father; Jesus is the beloved Son of God.

Joseph was hated by his brothers; Jesus was rejected by His own people.

Joseph was betrayed for 20 pieces of silver; Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.

Joseph was stripped of his robe; Jesus was stripped of His garments before His crucifixion.

All four Gospels mention Jesus' betrayal and include details about a robe during His crucifixion. To me, this suggests that the Gospel writers intentionally highlighted these events, not just because they happened, but also to draw a clear connection between Joseph and Jesus. By doing so, they helped a Jewish audience recognize Jesus as the Messiah
 
Genesis 37: Joseph's Dream
Orthodox Study Bible:
37:3-4: Israel's love was partial, for he loved Joseph more than his other sons. Such love divided his family and opened the door to hatred. Thus Jacob was not yet perfected in love, for perfect love is impartial. But Christ loves all equally, and died for all.

37:28: Joseph's brothers cast him into a pit, then lifted him out and sold him as a slave into Egypt. However, he ultimately became the lord of all Egypt. Similarly, Jesus was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, was killed and buried in His grave. But He rose again, and became the Lord of all (Acts 2:36; 10:26).

St. John Chrysostom:
37:2: Why does he also indicate to us Joseph’s age (17)? For you to learn that his youth constituted no obstacle to virtue and for you to have a complete awareness of the young man’s obedience to his father and his sympathy for his brothers despite their savagery. Despite his being so well disposed to them, Joseph was unable to win them over to concord with him on the grounds of his youth so as to be willing to maintain the bond of love. Instead, they saw from the outset the youth’s inclination to virtue and the father’s favor for him and were prompted to envy him. You see, “they brought false reports about Joseph to their father Israel.”

37:4 Envy is a terrible passion, you see, and when it affects the soul, it does not leave it before bringing it to an extremely sorry state. [It damages] the soul that gives it birth and affects the object of its envy in the opposite way to that intended, rendering him more conspicuous, more esteemed, more famous—which in turn proves another severe blow to the envious person. Notice at any rate in this instance how this remarkable man is depicted as ignorant of what was going on and conversing cheerfully in great simplicity with them as his brothers who had caused the same birth pangs as he …. They for their part were in the grip of the passion of envy and were thus brought to hate him.

37:32-36 I think this was a further blow to those men: they saw that Jacob gave evidence of such ardent love for the one who was not present, nay rather was considered taken by wild beasts, and they were even more racked with envy. But whereas they would merit no excuse for being so cruel to their brother and their father, even the Midianites … serve the divine plan further by handing Joseph over to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chief steward. Do you see how things proceed gradually and systematically, and how in every circumstance Joseph shows his characteristic virtue and endurance so that, just as an athlete who has nobly contended will be crowned with the kingdom’s garland, likewise the fulfillment of the dreams would … teach those who sold him that no advantage accrued to them from their awful ruse? Virtue, you see, has such power that even when under attack it emerges even more conspicuous. Nothing, after all, is stronger than virtue, nothing more powerful … not because it has such power of itself but because the one who acquires it also enjoys grace from on high. By enjoying grace from on high and being accorded assistance from there, virtue would be more powerful than anything, invincible and proof against not only the wiles of human beings but also the snares of the demons.
St. Ambrose of Milan:
37:17 Now Joseph found his brothers in Dothan, which means “desertion.” And where is the person who deserts God but in desertion? No wonder if they deserted who did not hear him saying, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Therefore Joseph came to Dothan, “and they saw him coming from afar, before he drew near to them, and they raged that they might kill him.” It is right that they were far off who were in desertion, and so they were raging, because Christ had not drawn near to them. For if the model of Christ had drawn near to them, they would surely have loved their brother. But they could not be near, for they were plotting fratricide. “Behold, that dreamer is coming. Now therefore come, let us kill him.” Were not the men who were saying such words plotting a sacrilegious fratricide, as Solomon says of them, “Let us remove the just one, because he is profitless to us”?

37:23 Accordingly, even at that time, the cross that was to come was prefigured in sign; and at the same time that he was stripped of his tunic, that is, of the flesh he took on, he was stripped of the handsome diversity of colors that represented the virtues. Therefore his tunic, that is, his flesh, was stained with blood, but not his divinity; and his enemies were able to take from him his covering of flesh but not his immortal life.

37:27 And so that we may recognize that all this is a mystery in reference to the people and to the Lord Jesus, “Come, let us sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites.” What is the interpretation of the name Joseph? Only that it means “God’s grace” and “expression of God the highest.” And so who is being sold? Only that man who “since he was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” … They sold him to traders; the latter bought a good fragrance from traitors. Judah sold him, the Ishmaelites bought him, and in our tongue their name means “holding their own God in hatred.” Therefore we find that Joseph was bought for twenty gold pieces by one account, for twenty-five by another and thirty by another, because Christ is not valued at the same price by all people. To some he is worth less, to others more. The faith of the buyer determines the increase in the price. To one who is more pious, God is more valuable; to a sinner a Redeemer is more valuable. He is also more valuable to the people who have more grace. But he is more valuable as well to the one to whom many things have been given, because he loves more to whom more has been forgiven. The Lord himself said just this in the Gospel in reference to the woman who poured ointment over his feet, bathed them with her tears, wiped them with her hair and dried them with her kisses. Of her Christ says to Simon, “Wherefore I say to you, her sins, many as they are, have been forgiven her, because she has loved much. But he to whom less is forgiven, loves less.”

37:36 But as for what pertains to the moral interpretation, because our God wishes all people to be saved, through Joseph he also gave consolation to those who are in slavery, and he gave them instruction. Even in the lowliest status, people should learn that their character can be superior and that no state of life is devoid of virtue if the soul of the individual knows itself. The flesh is subject to slavery, not the spirit, and many humble servants are more free than their masters, if in their condition of slavery they consider that they should abstain from the works of a slave. Every sin is slavish, while blamelessness is free. On this account the Lord also says, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” Indeed, how is each greedy person not a slave, seeing that he auctions himself off for a very tiny sum of money? The person who has piled up what he is not going to use is afraid that he may lose all that he has piled up; the more numerous his acquisitions, the greater the risk he will run in keeping them …. Moreover, how is that person who is subject to lust not also a slave? First, he blazes with his own fires, and he is burned up by the torches within his own breast. To such people the prophet rightly says, “Walk in the light of your own fire and in the flame that you have kindled.” Fear takes hold of them all and lies in wait for each one when he is asleep; so that he may gain control over one object of desire, a person becomes the slave of them all. The one who makes his own masters is the slave to a wretched slavery indeed, for he wishes to have masters that he may fear; indeed, nothing is so characteristic of slavery as the constant fear. But that one, whatever his servile status, will always be free who is not seduced by love or held by the chains of greed or bound by fear of reproach, who looks to the present with tranquility and is not afraid of the future. Doesn’t it seem to you that a person of the latter kind is the master even in slavery, while one of the former kind is a slave even in liberty? Joseph was a slave, Pharaoh a ruler; the slavery of the one was happier than the sovereignty of the other. Indeed, all Egypt would have collapsed from famine unless Pharaoh had made his sovereignty subject to the counsel of a mere servant. See Less
 
Genesis 36

Genesis 36 gives a genealogy of Esau, who would go on to become the people of Edom. You see that he was temporally blessed by God to have so many descendants, but since he did not have faith in Christ, his blessing was impermanent. He leaves Canaan, whatever his intentions, and in so doing reveals the providence of God that determined to give the land to Israel and his descendants.

Verse 31 says that Edomite kings began to reign before any king reigned in Israel. This is interesting, since Moses is traditionally ascribed the authorship of Genesis, yet in his day did not live to see any king reign in Israel. Thus, though Moses may be held to be the author of the first five books of the Bible, there seems to be another interlocutor involved in the authorship, who comes after Moses.

Genesis 37

At the beginning of Jacob's story, you see him wrestling against the partiality of his father towards Esau. Now at the end, you see him showing partiality towards Joseph over his other sons. He has gone from the victim to the victimizer in this sense, full circle. Sin is a cycle that must be broken, unless we can identify it's cycle, we are doomed to repeat it over and over again. Mankind as a whole has proven themselves incapable of breaking out of the cycle, and this is good, it is so that they may see that only Christ can do it for them.

Joseph has a couple of prophetic dreams that he will be the greatest of his family, such that even Jacob rebukes him. Joseph's brothers then desire to kill him, but Reuben dissuades them, being restrained by the providence of God.

They strip Joseph of his varicolored tunic. Remember that ever since the Garden, putting on garments is an act of justification. God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins to cover their shame. Ham was cursed for seeing his father Noah's nakedness, so Noah was clothed by Shem and Japheth. To strip Joseph of his tunic is to treat him as a criminal, and to taunt him, since Jacob had made it for him.

They sold Joseph to Ishmaelite traders for 20 shekels of silver, and he was brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, captain of Pharoah's guard. When Reuben saw that Joseph was no longer in the pit, he tore his own garments in grief. The brothers then took Joseph's coat of many colors and dipped it in the blood of a goat they killed, then presented it to Jacob to convince him that Joseph had been killed. Jacob then tears his own garments and says that he will "go to Sheol in mourning for his son." This is an astounding statement of defeat from Jacob, who passed through so many trials through faith.

It is a running theme that men are envious for the blessings of God but they do not have the faith in God Himself to actually receive His blessing. The brothers taunt the Word of God by considering themselves to have undone the dreams of Joseph but "God will always find a way through the most profound abyss, to the accomplishment of what he has decreed." In their scheme, the brothers pay more honor to men than God, by at least giving themselves the veneer of innocence, but failing to consider that God sees everything, and in so doing they add sin to sin.

I see this in my own life on a daily basis. Men want to sin but also want to be called just. They want to sin doubly, first by doing the sin, then by calling it a non-sin. If you have the temerity to call them a sinner in need of repentance, you will be treated as the evil one. Theirs is the way of all hypocrisy. They want to murder but do not want to be called murderers. They want to steal but do not want to be called thieves. They want to worship demons but do not want to be called idolaters. They want to be villains but want to be called heroes. If only men could freely admit that they are sinners who love to sin, then they would at least be honest. But in pretending to be righteous, God will continue to judge them with a righteous sentence. It is only once they come clean, confess their guilt, and let go of their pretended innocence that they will see that God has grace for guilty sinners.
 
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Genesis 38-39

The stories of Onan (Genesis 38) and Joseph (Genesis 39) highlight two contrasting themes: divine judgment for disobedience, and unjust suffering despite righteousness.

Onan’s story serves as a warning about defying God’s commands. He was struck down for deliberately refusing to fulfill his duty of providing offspring for Tamar. By spilling his seed on the ground, Onan acted selfishly, prioritizing his own pleasure over obedience to God’s law.

This passage is up for theological debate, with some interpreting it as a condemnation of contraception or masturbation, while others believe his defiance of God’s will was the primary reason for his punishment.

In contrast, Joseph’s story presents the Bible’s first recorded false accusation of sexual assault. Despite his integrity in resisting Potiphar’s wife, Joseph was falsely accused and gets thrown in prison. Yet even in suffering, he remained faithful to God, and in turn, God remained with him. Joseph’s life is a testament to the idea that righteousness does not always lead to immediate reward but rather requires endurance and trust in God’s greater long-term plan.
 
Genesis 38

I love these early case studies in the history of the people of Israel because they show why the Law was necessary. Profane men assume that God was silent, even approving of the sin that His people were involved in, but they are blind without the Holy Spirit and not able to see God's Word against these things demonstrated in His Providence.

Judah's son, Er, was so evil in God's sight that God struck him down. Judah then told his other son Onan to give Er's wife, Tamar, a son to continue his dynasty. Onan slept with her but, considering that the prodigy would not be considered his own, spilled his seed. This was displeasing to God and so God struck him down as well.

First, we might make note of Onan's utter selfishness, rather than continuing his brother's name, he'd waste his own seed. Second, Christian tradition is universal in that men should not emit seed other than in the marriage bed:
Calvin puts it this way: It is a horrible thing to pour out seed besides the intercourse of man and woman. Deliberately avoiding the intercourse, so that the seed drops on the ground, is double horrible. For this means that one quenches the hope of his family, and kills the son, which could be expected, before he is born. This wickedness is now as severely as is possible condemned by the Spirit, through Moses, that Onan, as it were, through a violent and untimely birth, tore away the seed of his brother out the womb, and as cruel as shamefully has thrown on the earth.
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Tamar is left without a husband, and Judah, not wanting to lose his third son, instructs her to wait. She then devises a scheme and veils herself as a harlot. When Judah sees her, he assumes she is just a harlot, not knowing it is Tamar, and sleeps with her, much to his dishonor. It is interesting that harlots should veil themselves. Even they know, on some level, that what they are doing is displeasing to God and so they seek a covering for their evil, but there is no covering that can atone for man's sins other than the covering of Christ's righteousness imputed to the sinner. As for Judah, even he knows that he would be a laughingstock if his sin were exposed.

A few months later, Judah is told that Tamar has played the harlot and is pregnant. Judah, in self-righteousness, says "Bring her out and let her be burned!" When Tamar is brought out, she returns to Judah his artifacts, revealing that he is the father. He then repents: "She is more righteous than I." And in repentance, did not sleep with her again. She gives birth to two sons.

You see both the necessity of the Law and the danger of the Law. The Law is necessary to sort out, identify, and condemn men's evil, but it is a double-edged sword too sharp for any man to wield. In hypocritically picking up the Sword of the Law to wield against Tamar, Judah is ignorant that he is also deserving of the sword. As Christ says, "Whoever lives by the sword shall die by the sword." In this sense, the Sword of the Law may be compared to the Arthurian Sword in the Stone. It is not meant for us to wield, but only the Righteous King may wield it. Only when Judah realizes that he too deserves punishment does he repent and forgive Tamar. Men are slow to forgive and quick to use the sword against others but quick to forgive and slow to condemn themselves. This should not be so.

I would argue that this imagery of the Law as a Sword goes back to the Garden. After God had expelled Adam and Eve, He placed cherubim with a flaming sword that turns every which way to keep them from entering again. Thus, if we want to enter into God's presence again, we dare not assume that we will do it by means of the Law. The Law is what condemns us and is what will strike us with the flaming sword, and deservedly so. Rather, we who are in Christ ought to be thankful that God saves us according to Grace, according to what we need, and not according to our keeping of the Law, according to what we deserve.

Genesis 39

God blesses Joseph, and the blessing overflows onto Potiphar's house, true to the benefit of the Abrahamic Covenant. Joseph resists the temptation of Potiphar's wife and is punished for it with a false rape accusation, which lands him in jail. We must commend the faith of Joseph, whose sin would've been covered to the human eye, but resists sin because He knows God sees everything. He considers that sin is a direct affront against God first and foremost. Though he was innocent, he was treated as a criminal. As Paul says, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
 
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Bizet said:
Is everyone happy with this as the designated reading plan for the next two months? Romans in March and John in April? If so I can start working on a reading plan. If anyone else has any other suggestions, please let us know :)
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Reading plan for March & April is as follows...

March – Romans

Mar 1: Romans 1
Mar 3: Romans 2
Mar 5: Romans 3
Mar 7: Romans 4
Mar 9: Romans 5
Mar 11: Romans 6
Mar 13: Romans 7
Mar 15: Romans 8
Mar 17: Romans 9
Mar 19: Romans 10
Mar 21: Romans 11
Mar 23: Romans 12
Mar 25: Romans 13
Mar 27: Romans 14
Mar 29: Romans 15
Mar 31: Romans 16

April & early May – The Gospel of John

Apr 1: John 1
Apr 3: John 2
Apr 5: John 3
Apr 7: John 4
Apr 9: John 5
Apr 11: John 6
Apr 13: John 7
Apr 15: John 8
Apr 17: John 9
Apr 19: John 10
Apr 21: John 11
Apr 23: John 12
Apr 25: John 13
Apr 27: John 14
Apr 29: John 15

May 1: John 16
May 3: John 17
May 5: John 18
May 7: John 19
May 9: John 20
May 11: John 21
 
Bizet said:
while others believe his defiance of God’s will was the primary reason for his punishment.
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No where else in the Bible is masturbation or coitus interruptus mentioned. It's logical to conclude that defiance of God's will was the primary offense.
 
Bizet said:
Reading plan for March & April is as follows...

March – Romans

Mar 1: Romans 1
Mar 3: Romans 2
Mar 5: Romans 3
Mar 7: Romans 4
Mar 9: Romans 5
Mar 11: Romans 6
Mar 13: Romans 7
Mar 15: Romans 8
Mar 17: Romans 9
Mar 19: Romans 10
Mar 21: Romans 11
Mar 23: Romans 12
Mar 25: Romans 13
Mar 27: Romans 14
Mar 29: Romans 15
Mar 31: Romans 16

April & early May – The Gospel of John

Apr 1: John 1
Apr 3: John 2
Apr 5: John 3
Apr 7: John 4
Apr 9: John 5
Apr 11: John 6
Apr 13: John 7
Apr 15: John 8
Apr 17: John 9
Apr 19: John 10
Apr 21: John 11
Apr 23: John 12
Apr 25: John 13
Apr 27: John 14
Apr 29: John 15

May 1: John 16
May 3: John 17
May 5: John 18
May 7: John 19
May 9: John 20
May 11: John 21
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I wonder if you could fill out the rest of May with the three Johannine letters. Would they fit?
 
Genesis 40

Joseph finds favor in the eyes of the jailer. This too must be commended to the compassion of God, who blessed Joseph to succeed in whatever he did. God allows bad things to happen to His people so that He may reveal His glory all the more in their deliverance. For some men, He prevents. For others, He allows to go to the grave so that He can raise them again. For Joseph, He allowed to go to the dungeon, knowing that He would make him ruler in Egypt to demonstrate that nothing is too difficult or too late for the hand of God.

Pharoah's cupbearer and baker are tossed into the dungeon. Joseph, by the granting of the Holy Spirit, interprets their dreams for them. To the cupbearer, he will be released from jail and restored to his office. To the baker, he will be hanged by Pharoah. It came to pass just as Joseph had prophesied.

Joseph had asked the cupbearer to plead his case to Pharoah so that he might be delivered from the jail too. But the cupbearer forgot about Joseph after he was released. You see how quickly men forget those in need, even those in who's suffering they shared, as they can only think of their own fortune. Thankfully, Joseph has a God who does not forget.

Psalm 105:17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of Yahweh refined him.
 
Genesis 41

Pharoah has dreams that none of his soothsaying priests can interpret for him. On this occasion, the cupbearer remembers Joseph for his ability to interpret dreams two years after the fact and tells Pharoah about him. Pharoah has Joseph released and tasks him with interpreting his dreams.

Joseph tells Pharoah that his ability to interpret dreams "Is not in me, but God will answer." This is the doctrine of Divine Inspiration. As Peter says, "No prophecy is from private interpretation. No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

Joseph recognizes that Pharoah's dreams all have the same meaning: that God will cause seven years of abundance in Egypt, then He will cause a famine for seven years. He proposes a solution for Egypt to withstand the famine which Pharoah agrees to. Pharoah recognizes that a "divine spirit" is inside of Joseph, that is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Even Pharoah's dreams were given by God.

Pharoah appoints Joseph to be Vizier of Egypt, like a Prime Minister, and gives him a priest's daughter for a wife. Joseph has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. The years of abundance and famine came to pass as Joseph had prophesied and Egypt was the only nation to withstand the famine. Whether abundance or famine, all things happen according to God's eternal counsel. He is behind both the abundance and the famine to bring about the greater accomplishment of His will.

Genesis 42

Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognizes his brothers and so he accuses them of being spies, takes them captive, and lets one go to bring their youngest brother. When he saw them prostrate themselves toward him, he knew that the dream for which they conspired to kill him had been fulfilled. When Joseph treated his brothers harshly, he would retreat and cry to himself. This suggests to me that he was not crying for himself but that he was crying for them and that he felt pity for them. I do not believe Joseph was motivated by revenge but sought to put his brothers to the test to sift out for himself if they had repented of their crime.

In their bondage, the brothers remember Joseph and feel that their current misfortune is due to what they did to him. They have become repentant. Joseph returns their belongings and sends them home with provisions, keeping Simeon. They reported to Jacob that they are to bring Benjamin so that they may redeem Simeon. But Jacob does not want to send Benjamin with them, fearing that he will lose him like he lost Joseph.
 
"Whether abundance or famine, all things happen according to God's eternal counsel. He is behind both the abundance and the famine to bring about the greater accomplishment of His will."

It is hard to withstand times of famine. Several times in Bible study groups, I have heard people ask "But why does a good God give so much suffering?".
It takes a lot of effort to accept God's will in times of hardship.
 
Jeff3025 said:
It is hard to withstand times of famine. Several times in Bible study groups, I have heard people ask "But why does a good God give so much suffering?".
It takes a lot of effort to accept God's will in times of hardship.
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I have a friend who is a staunch leftist and atheist. On election night, I called him just to gloat a little. I told him that no matter how much the Democrats rig it, Trump won because it was God's will, and nothing they do can change that. He countered that it was then God's will that Biden "won" in 2020. I told him that's true, God allowed Biden to "win" to show America how bad the Democrats are.

I am a big believer in accepting both the good and the bad from God. Like Job says "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?”
 
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