Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapters 36 and 37.
36:1-43 This chapter lists the wives of Esau (verses 1-3), the sons of Esau (verses 4, 5), the enormous wealth (verses 6-8), and the descendants of Esau, and Seir, the Horite. Their families intermarried (verses 9-42).
37:1-17 The reference to being a lad suggests he may have been a servant or helper (22:3; Exodus 33:11), as his age has already been cited. Their report was evil in the sense that their actions were evil and he reported this to his father. The fact that Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children indicates he had learned nothing from his previous experiences with favoritism (25:28). He made him a coat of many colors: This traditional understanding, and the alternate "coat with sleeves," are sheer guesses from the context. The phrase ketonet pasim occurs aside from this section only in 2 Samuel 13:18, 19 where it describes a garment worn by the daughters of kings. Cuneiform inventories include various types of clothing, of which one is called kitu (or kutinnu) pishannu, and it was a ceremonial robe draped about statues of goddesses. It had various gold ornaments sewn onto it. Thus it would be a technical term denoting applique ornaments on costly vests and bodices.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study of the Book of Genesis chapter 35.
35:1-15 Beth-el ("House of God") is where God confirmed the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob nearly 30 years earlier (28:10-19). It was about 15 miles south of Shechem. Put away the strange gods: In the crisis precipitated by the Shechem massacre (34:25, 26), Jacob's divine protector intervened with directions and defense; for the terror of God was upon the crisis...and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob (verse 5). The putting away of the strange gods indicates Jacob's desire for an exclusive devotion to his sovereign God, the Suzerain (31:19; Exodus 20:3). The earrings probably were amulets with idolatrous significance (Exodus 32:2, 3). Later, Joshua was to demand the same removal of foreign gods at a covenant renewal (Joshua 24:2, 14, 23). Naming the altar El-beth-el ("God of the House of God") gave witness to the Lord's sovereign faithfulness. The stone pillar was the customary covenant witness. Thus Jacob made it clear that he was returning to God, not just to His house. This decision became the turning point of his life.
35:16-29 Rachel gave birth to Benoni, meaning "Son of My Pain" or "Son of My Misfortune." Jacob's renaming of his son as Benjamin, or "Son of My Right Hand," emphasized the positive aspect of this event. Perhaps this indicated Jacob's understanding of "right hand" in its normal sense, accompanied by its propitious overtones of honor (Psalms 110:1), skill (Psalms 137:5), and soundness (Ecclesiastes 10:2). The phrase her soul was in departing indicates only that the life was departing. Reuben's sin of incest cost him his birthright forever, and he was replaced by Joseph (43:3, 4; 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2), again demonstrating the concept of rank and not origin. (See the note on 25:19-34.) The blessing of messianic ancestry went to Judah (49:10).
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapter 33.
33:1-20 Jacob took no chances when he saw Esau as he bowed himself to the ground seven times, an action reserved as a sign of homage, usually before kings, as the Amarna Tablets relate: "At the two feet of my lord, the king, seven times and seven times I fall." Esau went to Seir (i.e., Edom; Obadiah) and Jacob to Succoth ("Booths") located east of the Jordan and just north of the Jabbok (32:22). And then he came to Shalem, which some take adverbially in the sense of "and then Jacob came safely to Shechem." Approximately 10 years may have elapsed in Succoth before Jacob went to Shechem. Recognizing that he had returned to fulfill the covenant promise (28:15), he erected an altar as Abraham had on his arrival (12:7). The plot of ground he bought at Shechem was the second "foothold" of Abraham's family in the Promised Land. Just before he died in Egypt 50 years later, Jacob gave this land to Joseph (48:22), whose bones were buried there four hundred later (Joshua 24:32). Here also Jacob dug a well that become the scene of an important episode in the ministry of Jesus 1,900 years later (John 4:5, 6). The name El-elohe-Israel indicates that Jacob was confessing, using his new name Israel, that El was his God, "a Mighty God is the God of Israel," in preserving his life as he confronted Esau.
34:1-32 Dinah must have been 12 to 14 years of age. Even after she had been defiled, Shechem wanted to marry her (verses 3, 4). His father Hamor approached Jacob in order to arrange the marriage. This proposal was accepted, provided that Hamor's family submit to circumcision (verse 15). But this idea was a deception on the part of the sons of Jacob, because they answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully. It was also a demeaning of the rite of circumcision. The decision was made in the gate of their city (19:1 and Lot) that every male among us be circumcised. There were circumcised; but on the third day when the men were suffering from fever and inflammation, Dinah's brothers attacked and killed them (verses 25-27). They also took all their wealth...little ones, and their wives...captive. Simeon and Levi were the guilty ones, killing all the males (note the condemnation in 49:5-7). Jacob was alarmed and troubled at their first action; but he did not answer their question, should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapter 32.
32:1-23 Mahanaim was the name given to the place, meaning "Double Camp," possibly a reference to the two camps or bands of angels, or his camp and the angels' camp. The Jabbok was a tributary of the Jordan, about 24 miles north of the Dead Sea. The name is related to the Hebrew word for "wrestled" in verse 24, yaboq for "Jabbok," and ye abeq for "wrestled."
32:24-32 And there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day: The man is identified by some as the preincarnate Christ, and by others as an angel, a special messenger from God. Some even cite Hosea 12:4 to support both views! The context favor the angel being the preincarnate Christ (verse 30 and the phrase for I have seen God face to face). If we assume the diety of the messenger, God allowed Himself to be overcome; and Jacob was crippled; his thigh was out of joint. The blessing constituted the changing of his name from Jacob, "Heel Catcher," "Supplanter," or "Deceiver," to Israel, meaning "May God Prevail [for Him]." Thus, he was now recognized as "Prince with God."
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapter 31.
31:1-24 Laban became openly hostile to Jacob. Therefore God told Jacob to return to the land of Canaan, and I will be with thee. His wives agrees. They said, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. Laban had changed Jacob's wages ten times even though God suffered him not to hurt me. Images: Many have supposed that the theft of the images secured an inheritance for Jacob. In the ancient Nuzi texts the gods were given as part of an inheritance. However, heirs who did not receive the gods also participated in the division normally granted to the eldest son. The possession of such gods did not represent an automatic claim to an inheritance. Possibly Rachel took them as an extra precaution, since she was leaving her homeland and would have little other legal claim to her father's inheritance.
31:25-55 Jegar-sahadutha and Galeed mean "Heap of Witness," in Aramaic and Hebrew, respectively. The expression in verse 49 is not meant to convey a benediction, as Christians usually cite it. Rather, it is an imprecation: "May God destroy you if you cross this boundary!" There s no more mention of Laban in Genesis, and this records the last contact the patriarchs had with their homeland and relatives.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapter 30.
30:1-13 When the Lord saw that Rachel was loved and Leah hated, He closed the womb of Rachel and this produced envy in verse 1. Bear upon my knees does not indicate and adoption rite (48:12; 50:23). It is a welcoming-in at birth of a new child. In the Hurrian tales the event is associated with birth, the naming of the child, the welcoming into the family, and the handling by the parents.
30:14-24 Mandrakes: This is an herb of the belladonna family, considered to be an aphrodisiac. It has a yellow fruit the size of a small apple. Peoples of the ancient Near East attributed sensual desire to this plant and thought it would aid conception. Note that while Rachel got the mandrakes, Leah received another son! His name was Issachar, meaning "Reward". And God remembered Rachel (8:1 when God took care of Noah in a supernatural way during the Flood): Her offspring was Joseph whose name means either "To Take Away" or "To Add." Either God had removed the reproach of her childlessness or would give her another son. God did give Benjamin much later.
30:25-43 Removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown: Evidently, Jacob relied on a superstition that the offspring would be influenced by the fears or expectations of the mother during pregnancy (verses 37, 38). Tests have shown that spotting gives way to solid color in the breeding of goats. Modern genetic studies on dominance and latency have supported Jacob's method, which at one time seed to link the Bible with groundless supposition. Jacob's success was also attributed to selective breeding (verses 40-42) in addition to divine help (31:10-12).
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Readers:
To all those who have lost loved ones in wars that were fought for the formation of this country, and those wars that were fought for the protection of this country, such as Word War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, Vietnam Conflict.
I would like to say may God Bless you and your family, and may the remembrance of your lost loved one be as sweet and serene as a mountain stream.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
A Vietnam Veteran 173rd Airborne Brigade MOS 11B10-1P 1966-1968
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapter 29.
29:1-14 People of the east is a reference to his his being near Haran. The son a Nahor as used in relation to Laban could be confusing, since Laban was actually his grandson (24:15, 29), but son was the usual Hebrew word for such a relationship; there was no word for grandson or grandfather. Surely thou art my bone and my flesh does not refer to legal adoption, but relationship by marriage.
29:15-30 Fulfill her week, and we will give thee also indicates that Jacob had to complete the wedding week with Leah (Judges 14:12, 17) so he could then marry Rachel for whom he would have to serve another seven years. Thus, he accepts both wives without asking God's direction in the matter. Jacob was not being treated as he had treated his own brother and father. The deceiver had been out-deceived at last! And he loved Rachel more than Leah: His parents had made this mistake--they had played favorites. This is a part of the reason that Jacob was in this dreadful position now. He not only had two wives (bigamy, which was practiced by Cain's descendants, and marrying two sisters concurrently, which was later forbidden by Mosaic Law in Leviticus 18:18), but he reaped many years of agony this situation produced.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Readers:
When God sent the message to Pharaoh to let His people go, Pharaoh refused, and God sent 10 plagues upon them.
God has spoken to this country, telling them "Return to me, and I will return to you." He has sent messenger after messenger, some you put in prison, some you labeled as lunatics, some you killed, and many you ignored.
Now, a plague (Swine Flu) is upon the land, and you still won't listen. How long will you rebel against God? How long will you remain stiff-necked, hard-hearted, and disobedient? Remember, God is God.
Nation, repent!!!!
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my sincere Prayer that you are being Blessed even as you read this email.
Today, we study the Book of Genesis chapter 28.
28:1-9 God Almighty is translated from El Shaddai (17:1 note). Jacob would certainly need the help of a powerful tower of strength. Verse 4 explains that the land promised to Abraham in 15:18-21 is now guaranteed to Jacob and his descendants.
28:10-22 A ladder set up on the earth: This would be better understood as a ramp or staircase. It is related to the mound thrown up against a walled city (2 Samuel 20:15). The streams of God's angels ascending and descending on it indicate the appropriateness of this rendering. Jesus took this figure of a means of access between heaven and earth as a picture of Himself (John 1:51). Jacob's response to this vision (verses 16, 17) suggests that he may have become a true believer on this occasion. Pillar and oil are the symbols normally used for a memorial (Deuteronomy 27:2-4; Isaiah 19:19) and consecration (Leviticus 8:10, 11). The pillars that were later forbidden were related to Baal worship (Deuteronomy 12:3) and objects of that worship (Micah 5:13). I will surely give the tenth: This was voluntary on Jacob's part; God had not commanded it (14:20, where Abram's "tenth" to Melchizedek was also voluntary). It was not a requirement until the Law was given to Israel; and then two tithes were to be given, not one, as many assume (the annual tithe for the maintenance of the Levites in Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21; and one for the Lord's feast in Deuteronomy 14:22). It may be that every third year the second tithe was not brought to the sanctuary, but was kept at home and used to feed the Levites and the poor according to Deuteronomy 14:28, 29. If not, then there was a tithe every third year. Thus, a consistent Israelite might give 23 1/3 percent annually, plus offerings for sin, and so forth.
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Bishop William B. Caractor
