Listen to the conversation Martin wants you to have

My conscience:  “Thou hast sinned.”

Me:                        “I grant I have sinned.”

My conscience: “Then will God punish thee.”

Me:                        “Nay, he will not do so.”

My conscience: “Why, doth not the law of God say so?”

Me:                        “I have nothing to do with that law.”

My conscience: “Why so?”

Me:                        “Because I have another law which striketh this law dumb, that is to say,                                   liberty.”

My conscience: “What liberty is that?”

Me:                        “The liberty of Christ, for by Christ I am utterly freed from the law.”

A conversation Martin Luther encourages us to have with our conscience, if we take good hold of what Paul teaches in Galatians, in his commentary on Galatians.

How many of Jacob's family came into Egypt?

In this blog we will be looking at passages from the Bible and studying them so as to know what God's word for us today would be from what He said long ago.  Today we find ourselves in Genesis 46 where in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, says that there were 66 (Genesis 46:26)and also that there were 70 (Genesis 46:27).  Another number that is mentioned is that Joseph had two sons born to him in Egypt (Genesis 46:27).  The math seems to be 66 +2 = 70.  Hmmm.  Some would throw their hands up in the air and say the Bible is full of contradictions and be done.  But let's look further.  The Septuagint (LXX) Greek translation, which it seems either Luke or Stephen (Acts 7:14) had in front of him at some time reads 75 persons (having the sons of Rachel numbering not 14 but 18).  This makes the Septuagint version add up thus 33 + 16 + 18 + 7 =75 and 75-9 = 66.  In terms of math, we are drawn to the error of making 74=75 in the septuagint and 68=70 in the Hebrew text.  So what were the author and translator drawing our attention to, assuming that the error would make us look harder.  Er and Onan, Judah's two sons, died.  That could make the equation read 70-2 = 66+2.  But for the case of the Septuagint, 75-9=66, but 33+16+18+7 does not =75.  There is one missing.  Could the Septuagint translator, or the text the translator was using, be drawing our attention to the defiled Dinah, while the Hebrew text is pointing our attention to the death of Judah's sons?  Judah's sons died, as Jacob thought Joseph had died, and right after this Jacob sends Judah ahead of him to Joseph.  What do you think?

The names of Yahweh in Exodus

The names of Yahweh in Exodus

Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (3:15).

Yahweh, the God of Israel (5:1).

Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews (7:16).

Yahweh, the Warrior (15:3).

Yahweh, your Healer (15:26).

Yahweh, my Banner (17:15).

Yahweh, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (20:2).

Yahweh, your Sanctifier (31:13).

Yahweh, the Jealous One (34:14).

Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation (34:6-7).

Genesis 47

Joseph was a very good administrator, maybe too good.  He seemed cool and calm before Pharaoh coming out of jail saying, "It is not in me.  God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer" (Genesis 42).  But as the starving Egyptians come to Joseph and have paid him all the money they have, Joseph continues to barter them down, taking their land for Pharaoh, taking their livestock for Pharaoh, and yes, making them Pharaoh's slaves.  Hmm.  Joseph sounds like the guy who finds a man bleeding on the street and says, "Hey I will call 911 if you give Pharaoh your fishing boat, or your road bike, or your Prius."  Of course they accept, or they would have died.  But Joseph sets up things in Egypt to prepare the way, years later when he was forgotten, for the people of Israel to become slaves. What if Joseph would have said, "Take it, a free gift, you don't have to give anything."  Or if he would have said, "Give all of this to God, for Pharaoh and I myself would have been starving without hope HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR GOD."  Does Pharaoh really deserve anything?  Maybe Joseph in all the hype of Egypt had forgotten who he was serving.  Pharaoh was not his master, or was he?