The final chapters in Genesis:
Chapter 48 is a most interesting chapter in this great book of beginnings! Jacob has taken ill and decides he should begin pronouncing "the blessings" sooner than later. So many things I read in chapter 48 peaked my curiosity.
The first thing I find interesting is the flipping back and forth of using the name Jacob and Israel interchangeably. We remember that God changed Jacob's name to Israel in Genesis 35:10 "And God said to him, your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel. I'm puzzled as to why at times he is referred to as Jacob and sometimes as Israel. And sometimes....in the very same sentence! Any thoughts on that, people?
In vs. 2 when Jacob/Israel was told that Joseph had come to see him, it says he (Israel) "summoned his strength and sat up in bed." What I love about that verse is it shows the authority we have over our bodies. We can summon our strength! I will remember that tomorrow morning when I think I just can't get out of bed...I will remember Israel and I shall summon my strength!
On to the blessings.....
Joseph brought his two boys with him, Manasseh (firstborn) and Ephraim.
Remember when his father Isaac was on his deathbed, wanting to pronounce the blessing on Esau...but because of his poor eyesight he is deceived into blessing the second born son, Jacob instead? Well, Jacob/Israel is not deceived as his father was, but he can't see who's who because of his poor eyesight. "Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see." He stretches out his arms to bless the boys, but puts his right hand on the younger boy. Upon seeing this "error" Joseph is displeased and brings it to his Father's attention that he's making a big mistake! (The blessing of the firstborn was serious stuff!) But Jacob/Israel refuses to make the switch and declares that the younger son, Ephraim will be greater than the firstborn Manasseh. The line of Manasseh would still become a great people, but not greater than Ephraim. So now we see two generations of 2nd born son's receiving the blessing that "rightfully" belonged to the firstborn. Interesting. Honestly, I don't know what the significance is but maybe I will find out a little further down the line. I do know that God doesn't make any mistakes!
Chapter 49 lists all the blessings given to Jacob's sons, which I also found fascinating. Some I understood more than others, like Reuben's and Simeon's and Levi's because of the things they had done in previous chapters, but Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Asher and Naphtali's blessings left me more than a little confused. (Although I was delighted that there was a food blessing in here for one of the boys..."Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies" Rich food... no doubt it would have made Julia Child proud.)
Judah and Joseph's blessings were long and descriptive...and Benjamin, as the youngest son his blessing comes last, but a very interesting blessing to say the least! "He will be a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil." Hmmmmm...I wonder what that means! (Did I mention that my son's name is Benjamin?)
Jacob/Israel gives his final wishes about where he should be buried and he breathes his last breath. Joseph wept over his father who he obviously dearly loved. He makes good on his promise to bury his father in the land of Canaan, and it was quite the funeral procession. We've all seen some pretty elaborate funeral processions on CNN, but the way Genesis describes Jacob's, it would have taken over the all of the TV stations for weeks!
This book ends with Joseph's brothers getting a little nervous about their father's passing and they start wondering if Joseph will suddenly turn on them. They tell Joseph that his father gave them a command before he died that Joseph should forgive all the brothers for the evil they did to him as a boy. I don't know if they made that up or if Jacob/Israel really did say it, but regardless, Joseph is brought to tears at the mention of it. Vs. 19 & 20 are very familiar verses from the book of Genesis: But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." When I read these verses, I think of Romans 8:28 and all things working together for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Joseph loved God and was called according to His purpose. He will forever be known as the "Dreamer" who's dream came true. Vs. 18 fulfills the dream with all of his brothers bowing down before him saying "behold, we are your servants". The last chapter of Genesis is the record of Joseph dying at the age of 110. He also gives last minute instructions on where to "carry his bones". He was embalmed and put into a coffin in Egypt, later to be buried in the promised land. He's gonna be in that coffin a while...approximately 400 hundred years I think, but then I haven't read the rest of the story. I hope they don't forget about him.
Well, there you have it folks. This has been quite a journey from the creation account of Genesis 1 to the life and death of the great Patriarchs of the Old Testament. Fifty amazing chapters recorded for our learning. As I have mentioned throughout this blog so far, these great men and women of God we have learned about not only teach us of their personal faith journeys, but intertwined in their stories are beautiful glimpses of truth of the New Covenant of Grace to come, the "red thread" of Christ that is intricately woven throughout the entire Word of God.
I'm about to go on an amazing journey out of Egypt. Won't you join me in the book of Exodus, my faithful friends? Wear your sandals and bring your sunscreen. I hear we'll be spending a lot of time in the sand.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Loving God's Word and Loving God...One in the same.
Chapters 46 & 47
I will make this short today....I have so much to say and very little time to say it!
A surprise visit from my daughter yesterday afternoon bids me to spend every waking minute together. I am blessed.
I find myself "overcome" this morning with the knowing of the Love of God for me.
It's not just the blessing of my surprise, but I'm sure that God used it as a catalyst to open my heart this morning as I read the final chapters of Genesis. I felt a little "carried away" in the Spirit as I meditated on the Greatness of our God and of His Son, Jesus, who is the Word of God.
This Word of God that I hold in my hands is indescribable. It is the Power of God for those who believe. The records we read in the Word hold so much more of a deeper meaning than we can read with our physical eyes. Psalm 119 contains 176 verses, everyone of them extolling the greatness of God's Word.
Psalm 138:2 says "For You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name".
We know that there is nothing higher than the name of Jesus, the name above all names. In placing the highest honor on the Word of God, we honor Jesus, for Jesus is the living Word.
In the gospels we read about the sower that went out and sowed the seed. The seed is referring to the Word of God. When we speak God's word over any situation we are sowing good seed and will bring forth fruit. It never comes back void! Isaiah 55:11"So shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
I just felt like sharing that today. I am behind on my blogging, and plan to catch up tomorrow, hopefully!
Be blessed in the Grace of God this day!
I will make this short today....I have so much to say and very little time to say it!
A surprise visit from my daughter yesterday afternoon bids me to spend every waking minute together. I am blessed.
I find myself "overcome" this morning with the knowing of the Love of God for me.
It's not just the blessing of my surprise, but I'm sure that God used it as a catalyst to open my heart this morning as I read the final chapters of Genesis. I felt a little "carried away" in the Spirit as I meditated on the Greatness of our God and of His Son, Jesus, who is the Word of God.
This Word of God that I hold in my hands is indescribable. It is the Power of God for those who believe. The records we read in the Word hold so much more of a deeper meaning than we can read with our physical eyes. Psalm 119 contains 176 verses, everyone of them extolling the greatness of God's Word.
Psalm 138:2 says "For You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name".
We know that there is nothing higher than the name of Jesus, the name above all names. In placing the highest honor on the Word of God, we honor Jesus, for Jesus is the living Word.
In the gospels we read about the sower that went out and sowed the seed. The seed is referring to the Word of God. When we speak God's word over any situation we are sowing good seed and will bring forth fruit. It never comes back void! Isaiah 55:11"So shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
I just felt like sharing that today. I am behind on my blogging, and plan to catch up tomorrow, hopefully!
Be blessed in the Grace of God this day!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My reading for yesterday was chapters 43 thru 45. Since I already gave a little bit of these chapters away in yesterday's blog, I will concentrate on chapter 45 today, which really is the heart of the story of Joseph.
In this chapter, Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers, all of them together. Vs. 3 says they were were speechless (ya think??!!) and that they were dismayed. (The MIV-remember, Marsha's Incomplete Version, translates the word dismayed as flabbergasted). I tried to imagine the scene in my mind. One minute they are bowing down before Pharaoh's head man, probably wondering if any of them would even live through the day because of the events of the previous chapter, and the next minute they are confronted with something so unimaginable it left them speechless. The instant emotion of fear and dread that must have overcome them, as they realized they were indeed standing in front of the brother they had so cruelly treated 13 years prior must have been intense. They no doubt were expecting the worst, but instead they got the best. The following verses describe the amazing love and grace of God to us...it's a picture of Jesus in the Old Testament. Vs. 4 says: "So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life."
My mind just fast forwarded to Jesus on the cross as I read the following words in vs. 4. Come near to me. I Am. Do not be dismayed. God sent me to preserve life. If these are not a picture of Jesus on the cross, I don't know what is. In the gospels we read Jesus saying, Come to me. I Am. Father forgive them. I came to seek and save the lost. Those are just a few things that came to my mind.
My friend Edie and I were having a conversation last night about all of the mysteries that are in the Bible. We talked about how so much of what we read in the Old Testament (perhaps all of it?) has it's fulfillment in the New Testament and is actually prophecy about the end times that are upon us. She is taking this 2010 year to study the book of Genesis, and she is already discovering early on in the year, that Genesis contains much end times prophecy. What I am beginning to understand is that this book that we are reading together is indeed supernatural. It is the very breath and power of God.
We marvel today when we uncover a small portion of it's depth and layers, but I wonder what it will be like when we see Jesus face to face in our glorified mind and body. When we see the WORD OF GOD in all it's majesty and in all it's GRACE. When we see the LOVE OF GOD, THE GRACE OF GOD with no blinders on...I believe it is that which will cause us to fall to our knees, cast our crowns before Him and cry HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.
There is much more in this chapter, but in a nutshell, Joseph send his brothers go back to get their father and their families in the land of Canaan. Joseph provides them with everything necessary to make the journey, way more than they will actually need. When they see their father Jacob, they tell him in vs 26: "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived."
I just know there is more to this verse than meets the natural eye. Now, when I read the Word, I ask God to show me things unseen. He knows what I'm ready for. Someone told me once, "when the student is ready to receive, the teacher will appear." I didn't understand it at the time, but I'm starting too.
Tomorrow I will talk about chapters 46 & 47. I hope you are continuing on with me on this journey. And I hope you are asking God, along with me, to show you the depths of His love for you as you read. Remember my prayer for you?
Ephesians 3:19: "And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." That "surpasses knowledge" part of this scripture is what I have been talking about today. We can know with our intellectual mind what the Word says. We can memorize it. But until it surpasses our head knowledge and becomes revelation to us it cannot change us. This is truly the "RECIPE FOR CHANGE!"
In this chapter, Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers, all of them together. Vs. 3 says they were were speechless (ya think??!!) and that they were dismayed. (The MIV-remember, Marsha's Incomplete Version, translates the word dismayed as flabbergasted). I tried to imagine the scene in my mind. One minute they are bowing down before Pharaoh's head man, probably wondering if any of them would even live through the day because of the events of the previous chapter, and the next minute they are confronted with something so unimaginable it left them speechless. The instant emotion of fear and dread that must have overcome them, as they realized they were indeed standing in front of the brother they had so cruelly treated 13 years prior must have been intense. They no doubt were expecting the worst, but instead they got the best. The following verses describe the amazing love and grace of God to us...it's a picture of Jesus in the Old Testament. Vs. 4 says: "So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life."
My mind just fast forwarded to Jesus on the cross as I read the following words in vs. 4. Come near to me. I Am. Do not be dismayed. God sent me to preserve life. If these are not a picture of Jesus on the cross, I don't know what is. In the gospels we read Jesus saying, Come to me. I Am. Father forgive them. I came to seek and save the lost. Those are just a few things that came to my mind.
My friend Edie and I were having a conversation last night about all of the mysteries that are in the Bible. We talked about how so much of what we read in the Old Testament (perhaps all of it?) has it's fulfillment in the New Testament and is actually prophecy about the end times that are upon us. She is taking this 2010 year to study the book of Genesis, and she is already discovering early on in the year, that Genesis contains much end times prophecy. What I am beginning to understand is that this book that we are reading together is indeed supernatural. It is the very breath and power of God.
We marvel today when we uncover a small portion of it's depth and layers, but I wonder what it will be like when we see Jesus face to face in our glorified mind and body. When we see the WORD OF GOD in all it's majesty and in all it's GRACE. When we see the LOVE OF GOD, THE GRACE OF GOD with no blinders on...I believe it is that which will cause us to fall to our knees, cast our crowns before Him and cry HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.
There is much more in this chapter, but in a nutshell, Joseph send his brothers go back to get their father and their families in the land of Canaan. Joseph provides them with everything necessary to make the journey, way more than they will actually need. When they see their father Jacob, they tell him in vs 26: "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived."
I just know there is more to this verse than meets the natural eye. Now, when I read the Word, I ask God to show me things unseen. He knows what I'm ready for. Someone told me once, "when the student is ready to receive, the teacher will appear." I didn't understand it at the time, but I'm starting too.
Tomorrow I will talk about chapters 46 & 47. I hope you are continuing on with me on this journey. And I hope you are asking God, along with me, to show you the depths of His love for you as you read. Remember my prayer for you?
Ephesians 3:19: "And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." That "surpasses knowledge" part of this scripture is what I have been talking about today. We can know with our intellectual mind what the Word says. We can memorize it. But until it surpasses our head knowledge and becomes revelation to us it cannot change us. This is truly the "RECIPE FOR CHANGE!"
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Roller Coaster Ride Ends with a Loopty Loo!
Genesis, Chapters 41 &42
Finally, two years after the Cup Bearer gets out of prison, his memory is jogged when Pharaoh has a disturbing dream that no one is able to interpret. All of the sudden the Cup Bearer remembers Joseph. Was he still in that dark, dank prison? Maybe it's not too late. Maybe Joseph can interpret Pharaoh's dream like he did for me.
You get a sense in vs. 14 that they wasted no time in bringing Joseph out of prison and into the presence of Pharaoh. A shave, haircut and new duds came first. Kind of reminds me of the Wizard of Oz, where they get all spruced up to see the Great Oz.
I love vs. 16 where Joseph gives all the credit to God. He's the first to admit that it's not by his great powers that he is able to do this dream interpretation thing, and the Egyptians obviously know that he is a Hebrew. Pharaoh had to be aware that they didn't serve the same God, but who cares what God he serves, just interpret the dream! (The Egyptians had many gods, so it was kind of a "more the merrier" attitude with them I guess!) They were about to see the power of the one true God, the God of Israel. Upon hearing the Pharaoh's dream, Joseph quickly and easily gives the interpretation. Pharaoh likes what he hears and so does everyone else because the next thing you know, Joseph is riding down main street in his own "stretch chariot" right behind the Pharaoh, and he's now only 30 years old! Talk about being at the top of your game!
1 Peter 5:6 says: "humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty had of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you." I wonder if the Apostle Peter was thinking about this example when he wrote that verse. Reading this impresses upon my heart how The Lord always sees our situations. (Remember earlier with Hagar...You are the God who sees me!) It just doesn't matter what the devil throws in our path to trip us up, as we humble ourselves before God, nothing is going to stop the good things He has planned for us from coming to pass! Sometimes life just takes a real good dose of patience, doesn't it? I am also reminded right now of the verse in James 1:4, that says to let patience have it's perfect work! Golly, did Joseph have to be patient, or what! I find myself being impatient so often in my circimstances of life. It is so beneficial for me to read this and be reminded of God's intervention in the lives of His beloved children! One day you can be so perplexed about your situation and wondering if anything will ever change, and in the next moment it's like the heaven's part and your eyes are opened to the Glory of God!
Chapter 42 is the record of Joseph being reunited with all but one of his brothers. (Yes, these are the same brothers that threw him away in the pit and then sold him as a slave!) The famine of Egypt is also severe in the land of Canaan. Jacob tells his sons to come to Egypt and get grain and bring it back to their families. Which, of course they did. Little did they know it would be the grocery store trip of their lives! The story that unfolds is so wonderful, not just because the family is once again reunited, but to see Joseph's heart for them, to see his extreme forgiveness.
Do you wonder how a man could be so forgiving when it was in his power to get even? Well, I'm getting a little ahead of myself (ok, I confess, I read ahead a few chapters, but I couldn't put the book down, this is exciting stuff!) but in chapter 45 he tells his brothers not to be distressed, for it was God's plan in preserving the promise that had brought this to pass. He later says in chapter 50:20: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
Just a few more things I want to mention about chapter 42. As forgiving as Joseph was in his heart to his brothers, he didn't let them off the hook immediately or too easily. He played a few mind games with them, as you can read in this chapter. It all turns out wonderful for them, but Joseph kept them wondering for a while. Can't say that I blame him.
Well, tomorrow I'm on to chapters 43-45. Chapter's 43 & 44 are more of the details of their reunion. Chapter 45 is the big "reveal". It's my favorite part of this story and I can't wait to share it with you. Until then.....be blessed in the Lord's Grace to you!
Finally, two years after the Cup Bearer gets out of prison, his memory is jogged when Pharaoh has a disturbing dream that no one is able to interpret. All of the sudden the Cup Bearer remembers Joseph. Was he still in that dark, dank prison? Maybe it's not too late. Maybe Joseph can interpret Pharaoh's dream like he did for me.
You get a sense in vs. 14 that they wasted no time in bringing Joseph out of prison and into the presence of Pharaoh. A shave, haircut and new duds came first. Kind of reminds me of the Wizard of Oz, where they get all spruced up to see the Great Oz.
I love vs. 16 where Joseph gives all the credit to God. He's the first to admit that it's not by his great powers that he is able to do this dream interpretation thing, and the Egyptians obviously know that he is a Hebrew. Pharaoh had to be aware that they didn't serve the same God, but who cares what God he serves, just interpret the dream! (The Egyptians had many gods, so it was kind of a "more the merrier" attitude with them I guess!) They were about to see the power of the one true God, the God of Israel. Upon hearing the Pharaoh's dream, Joseph quickly and easily gives the interpretation. Pharaoh likes what he hears and so does everyone else because the next thing you know, Joseph is riding down main street in his own "stretch chariot" right behind the Pharaoh, and he's now only 30 years old! Talk about being at the top of your game!
1 Peter 5:6 says: "humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty had of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you." I wonder if the Apostle Peter was thinking about this example when he wrote that verse. Reading this impresses upon my heart how The Lord always sees our situations. (Remember earlier with Hagar...You are the God who sees me!) It just doesn't matter what the devil throws in our path to trip us up, as we humble ourselves before God, nothing is going to stop the good things He has planned for us from coming to pass! Sometimes life just takes a real good dose of patience, doesn't it? I am also reminded right now of the verse in James 1:4, that says to let patience have it's perfect work! Golly, did Joseph have to be patient, or what! I find myself being impatient so often in my circimstances of life. It is so beneficial for me to read this and be reminded of God's intervention in the lives of His beloved children! One day you can be so perplexed about your situation and wondering if anything will ever change, and in the next moment it's like the heaven's part and your eyes are opened to the Glory of God!
Chapter 42 is the record of Joseph being reunited with all but one of his brothers. (Yes, these are the same brothers that threw him away in the pit and then sold him as a slave!) The famine of Egypt is also severe in the land of Canaan. Jacob tells his sons to come to Egypt and get grain and bring it back to their families. Which, of course they did. Little did they know it would be the grocery store trip of their lives! The story that unfolds is so wonderful, not just because the family is once again reunited, but to see Joseph's heart for them, to see his extreme forgiveness.
Do you wonder how a man could be so forgiving when it was in his power to get even? Well, I'm getting a little ahead of myself (ok, I confess, I read ahead a few chapters, but I couldn't put the book down, this is exciting stuff!) but in chapter 45 he tells his brothers not to be distressed, for it was God's plan in preserving the promise that had brought this to pass. He later says in chapter 50:20: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
Just a few more things I want to mention about chapter 42. As forgiving as Joseph was in his heart to his brothers, he didn't let them off the hook immediately or too easily. He played a few mind games with them, as you can read in this chapter. It all turns out wonderful for them, but Joseph kept them wondering for a while. Can't say that I blame him.
Well, tomorrow I'm on to chapters 43-45. Chapter's 43 & 44 are more of the details of their reunion. Chapter 45 is the big "reveal". It's my favorite part of this story and I can't wait to share it with you. Until then.....be blessed in the Lord's Grace to you!
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Roller Coster Ride of a Lifetime!
Chapter 38 of Genesis is lively reading, to say the least. Seriously, Hollywood couldn't make this stuff up if they tried! I find myself thinking that the Bible should come with some "parental guidance" ratings in a few places, or at least a pre-requisite in Sex-Ed! I'm not going to comment on this chapter, because honestly, other than what my Bible study notes say, I don't understand enough of what's taken place here to warrant a comment from me. But, because the Word of God is living and active, I know that there are many significant things going on in this chapter. A great thing about reading the entire Bible in chronological order is that somewhere down the line, eventually all the dots will connect. I believe that all of the Word of God fits together like a hand in a glove, albeit a REALLY BIG hand and glove!
Chapter 39 starts out where chapter 37 ended, with Joseph being sold to an Egyptian master named Potiphar, who happened to be an officer of Pharaoh. Quickly we can see the evidence of the blessing again, as everything that Joseph touches "turns to gold" for his master. The Egyptian was blessed by God just because Joseph was working for him! Joseph was so trusted by his boss that he was given all household authority by Potiphar, and everything Potiphar owned was in Joseph's charge. What are the chances of a young slave ending up with that kind of responsibility?
Potiphar's wife (who is un-named) thinks Joe's pretty hot....but he's not falling for it. Most likely she wasn't too bad herself, and may have been quite a temptation for Joseph. Obviously this man's got integrity and every time she pursues him, he resists her. Wow, ask any guy and I think they would tell you, that had to be some miserable working conditions when she was around!
Apparently, Mrs. Potiphar wasn't used to not getting what she wanted, so in retaliation for her rejection by Joseph, she devises a scheme to make it look like Joseph had tried to rape her. Her little plan works and when her husband Potiphar learns of the "unfaithfulness" of his servant, Joseph is cast into the prison. Wow, talk about being falsely accused!
I find it interesting that in this chapter we don't hear any cries of "I didn't do it!" from Joseph's mouth...but we do hear about God's steadfast love for him. God's favor and blessing were all over Joseph, and once again, he was put in charge. But this time of all the prisoners. It would appear in the natural that Joseph had no shortage of leadership skills, but the last verse in this chapter tells us the real reason he succeeds: The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Nowadays, we hear considerable teaching about the "favor of God". We see that it was very real in the Old Testament, but what about today? The New Testament has much to say about favor and blessing for the believer in Christ...but I guess I'm jumping the gun by about 9 months. I'll try to slip it in whenever I can though...because as we know, everything I'm reading here in the Old Testament is pointing to Christ and His blessing of Grace on us! (Don't get me started, or I'll be here all night!)
My last chapter today was number 40. Joseph proves to be very multi-talented, to say the least. He's not only an amazing leader, but he interprets dreams as well. (Well, let me clarify that, in vs. 8 he says, "do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me" , we know he wasn't insinuating that he was God, but he is giving the credit for this unusual ability to God Almighty.) He easily interprets the dreams of two men who Pharaoh had recently cast into Prison, and both dreams come to pass exactly as Joseph said they would.
Pharaoh's Cup Bearer fares very well with the dream he has and gets back into Pharaoh's good graces, and back to working in the Palace. But unfortunately for the Baker, he doesn't care for Joseph's interpretation of his dream because he ends up hanged by Pharaoh. (Poor guy, at least he had a little foreknowledge of his impending doom, for whatever that is worth!)
In this chapter we finally see Joseph proclaiming his innocence to the Cup Bearer and requests that he remember Joseph to the Pharaoh when he's back in the palace. Unfortunately the Cup Bearer didn't make good on his promise (yet) and Joseph spends the next two years waiting and wondering when he will be vindicated. I imagine that God must have seemed very silent to Joseph, but as we will soon discover, God's been working behind the scenes to bring His amazing plan of restoration to pass. It was a plan that had been in the making long before Joseph ever ended up in prison, and for that matter, long before he was ever born! Good things are always in store for those who put their trust in the true God. He takes what the devil means for destruction and turns it into something beautiful, for those who love Him, and for those who are called according to His purposes.
Joseph's life seemed like one huge roller coaster ride. One day he's up, the next day he's down. But through it all he remained faithful to his God, and God always remained faithful to him....oh, sorry, I don't want to spoil the story....but then you probably already know. Joseph's life ends up above and beyond anything he could ever have hoped for. He's vindicated all right, by the mighty hand of God! Nobody does it better!
Chapter 39 starts out where chapter 37 ended, with Joseph being sold to an Egyptian master named Potiphar, who happened to be an officer of Pharaoh. Quickly we can see the evidence of the blessing again, as everything that Joseph touches "turns to gold" for his master. The Egyptian was blessed by God just because Joseph was working for him! Joseph was so trusted by his boss that he was given all household authority by Potiphar, and everything Potiphar owned was in Joseph's charge. What are the chances of a young slave ending up with that kind of responsibility?
Potiphar's wife (who is un-named) thinks Joe's pretty hot....but he's not falling for it. Most likely she wasn't too bad herself, and may have been quite a temptation for Joseph. Obviously this man's got integrity and every time she pursues him, he resists her. Wow, ask any guy and I think they would tell you, that had to be some miserable working conditions when she was around!
Apparently, Mrs. Potiphar wasn't used to not getting what she wanted, so in retaliation for her rejection by Joseph, she devises a scheme to make it look like Joseph had tried to rape her. Her little plan works and when her husband Potiphar learns of the "unfaithfulness" of his servant, Joseph is cast into the prison. Wow, talk about being falsely accused!
I find it interesting that in this chapter we don't hear any cries of "I didn't do it!" from Joseph's mouth...but we do hear about God's steadfast love for him. God's favor and blessing were all over Joseph, and once again, he was put in charge. But this time of all the prisoners. It would appear in the natural that Joseph had no shortage of leadership skills, but the last verse in this chapter tells us the real reason he succeeds: The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Nowadays, we hear considerable teaching about the "favor of God". We see that it was very real in the Old Testament, but what about today? The New Testament has much to say about favor and blessing for the believer in Christ...but I guess I'm jumping the gun by about 9 months. I'll try to slip it in whenever I can though...because as we know, everything I'm reading here in the Old Testament is pointing to Christ and His blessing of Grace on us! (Don't get me started, or I'll be here all night!)
My last chapter today was number 40. Joseph proves to be very multi-talented, to say the least. He's not only an amazing leader, but he interprets dreams as well. (Well, let me clarify that, in vs. 8 he says, "do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me" , we know he wasn't insinuating that he was God, but he is giving the credit for this unusual ability to God Almighty.) He easily interprets the dreams of two men who Pharaoh had recently cast into Prison, and both dreams come to pass exactly as Joseph said they would.
Pharaoh's Cup Bearer fares very well with the dream he has and gets back into Pharaoh's good graces, and back to working in the Palace. But unfortunately for the Baker, he doesn't care for Joseph's interpretation of his dream because he ends up hanged by Pharaoh. (Poor guy, at least he had a little foreknowledge of his impending doom, for whatever that is worth!)
In this chapter we finally see Joseph proclaiming his innocence to the Cup Bearer and requests that he remember Joseph to the Pharaoh when he's back in the palace. Unfortunately the Cup Bearer didn't make good on his promise (yet) and Joseph spends the next two years waiting and wondering when he will be vindicated. I imagine that God must have seemed very silent to Joseph, but as we will soon discover, God's been working behind the scenes to bring His amazing plan of restoration to pass. It was a plan that had been in the making long before Joseph ever ended up in prison, and for that matter, long before he was ever born! Good things are always in store for those who put their trust in the true God. He takes what the devil means for destruction and turns it into something beautiful, for those who love Him, and for those who are called according to His purposes.
Joseph's life seemed like one huge roller coaster ride. One day he's up, the next day he's down. But through it all he remained faithful to his God, and God always remained faithful to him....oh, sorry, I don't want to spoil the story....but then you probably already know. Joseph's life ends up above and beyond anything he could ever have hoped for. He's vindicated all right, by the mighty hand of God! Nobody does it better!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A Pillar for Rachel and a Dream for Joseph
Today is Sunday, and I love Sunday's. There is something about them, not just because I attend our church on Sunday, but there is a solidness about Sunday's for me. Doesn't it seem like each day of the week has it's own feel to it? I know the Bible says "this is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it" so God has blessed all days for us, but there is just something special about Sunday's.
My reading today was Genesis 35,36 & 37.
It never ceases to amaze me how much can happen in just a few pages of the Bible. Big stuff. In chapter 35 alone are the records of Rachel's and Isaac's death.
Rachel dies giving birth to her last son, who her husband Jacob names Benjamin. (I'm a little partial to Benjamin, as my only son bears the same name). I thought back to previous chapters and how much Jacob loved Rachel. How hard he worked for her brother Laban for 20 years just because he loved her so much. I remember in Genesis 29:20 how Jacob had worked the first 7 years for her hand in marriage and it says "and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her."
Chapter 35 doesn't record any emotion from Jacob about the loss of Rachel, but I could almost feel his grief. It says that "he set up a pillar over her tomb, which is there to this day". The only other times that Jacob sets up pillars are in the places where he has met with The Lord God Almighty. That's interesting to me because the marriage relationship is a "type" of the relationship we are to have with God.
Chapter 36 contains genealogy records of Esau, which although hard to read, line by line (it would be so easy to just skim over the genealogies) sometimes you come upon real nuggets of information right smack dab in the middle of a genealogy, but I can't say that I did in chapter 36. On to chapter 37.
Chapter 37 contains the awesome story of Joseph, the dreamer. How out of jealously his brothers throw him into a pit, later to be sold to Midianite traders, passing by. The brothers devise a lie to tell their father Jacob, who loved Joseph. Again we see the pattern of deception in the line of Jacob. Jacob is distraught at the thought of his beloved Joseph being eaten by wild animals and cannot be comforted in the loss of his son. Imagine those brothers seeing their dad go through such agony and knowing all the while that Joseph was still alive. Just to cover up their evil doings.
Chapter 37 ends with Joseph being sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. Joseph is about to be tested in many ways. I'm really looking forward to my Bible reading tomorrow. I hope you are as well!
Go Vikings! :o)
My reading today was Genesis 35,36 & 37.
It never ceases to amaze me how much can happen in just a few pages of the Bible. Big stuff. In chapter 35 alone are the records of Rachel's and Isaac's death.
Rachel dies giving birth to her last son, who her husband Jacob names Benjamin. (I'm a little partial to Benjamin, as my only son bears the same name). I thought back to previous chapters and how much Jacob loved Rachel. How hard he worked for her brother Laban for 20 years just because he loved her so much. I remember in Genesis 29:20 how Jacob had worked the first 7 years for her hand in marriage and it says "and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her."
Chapter 35 doesn't record any emotion from Jacob about the loss of Rachel, but I could almost feel his grief. It says that "he set up a pillar over her tomb, which is there to this day". The only other times that Jacob sets up pillars are in the places where he has met with The Lord God Almighty. That's interesting to me because the marriage relationship is a "type" of the relationship we are to have with God.
Chapter 36 contains genealogy records of Esau, which although hard to read, line by line (it would be so easy to just skim over the genealogies) sometimes you come upon real nuggets of information right smack dab in the middle of a genealogy, but I can't say that I did in chapter 36. On to chapter 37.
Chapter 37 contains the awesome story of Joseph, the dreamer. How out of jealously his brothers throw him into a pit, later to be sold to Midianite traders, passing by. The brothers devise a lie to tell their father Jacob, who loved Joseph. Again we see the pattern of deception in the line of Jacob. Jacob is distraught at the thought of his beloved Joseph being eaten by wild animals and cannot be comforted in the loss of his son. Imagine those brothers seeing their dad go through such agony and knowing all the while that Joseph was still alive. Just to cover up their evil doings.
Chapter 37 ends with Joseph being sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. Joseph is about to be tested in many ways. I'm really looking forward to my Bible reading tomorrow. I hope you are as well!
Go Vikings! :o)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Does God Really Need Our Help?
I did it! I am actually on track with my daily reading, and blogging about it the same day! Yes! It's much easier to write about 3 chapters than 31! (So sorry about yesterday for anyone who laboured through it!)
So today in chapter 32, we learn that Jacob FINALLY breaks free of his uncle Laban and is heading back to his homeland with all his family, possessions and herds of animals. Remember, when he went there he was all by himself, but that awesome blessing was upon him and he is now returning to his homeland, 25 years later, as a very wealthy man with a huge family.
But, he does so cautiously because he perceives there might be a problem lying ahead for him. It's been over 25 years since Jacob's been home! He thinks back to the last time he saw his twin brother Esau and his reasons for leaving home in the first place. Remember back in chapter 25 when Esau came in from a long day of hunting and was famished? He asked Jacob if he could have some of the stew Jacob had cooked up. Jacob told his twin brother he would give it to him under one condition only...that Esau would trade his birthright for it. Esau must have been starving hungry, because he took him up on the trade. He got his belly filled and gave no more thought to losing his birthright. Until chapter 27, that is.
Just to recap a bit, Isaac was getting up in years and perceived that he might be dying soon and feels it's the proper time to give his blessing to his firstborn, Esau.
He tells his son Esau to bring him some fresh cooked game, he would eat it and then pronounce the blessing of the firstborn on him. Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother overhears this conversation and devises a scheme for Jacob to receive the blessing instead of Esau. You can read the story in chapter 27, but needless to say, when Esau comes back after following his fathers command, and finds that Jacob had received the blessing that he was just about to get...he was distraught to say the least! So now here's Esau, who has not only lost his birthright to Jacob over a bowl of stew, but now their father has been deceived into giving the blessing to Jacob as well! It says in vs 41 that Esau hated his brother Jacob and was planning to kill him when the time was right.
Rebekah overhears Esau's plan to kill Jacob and advises Jacob to flee to Haran to her brother, Laban. Which, as we know, he did for 25 years.
So, with all that in his memory bank, Jacob sends his servants on ahead of him, to find Esau and inform him of Jacob's coming back. He's attempting to prepare the way for his big arrival, softening the blow, so to speak.
The servants do as Jacob commands them and they come back with the news....Esau is coming to meet his twin brother and he's coming with 400 of his men!
Jacob starts shaking in his boots at the thought of what this might mean! This can't be good he thinks, he's probably coming to make good on his plans to kill me, even if it has been 25 years!
Now he's very afraid and in 32:9 Jacob cries out to God to deliver him from the hand of his brother Esau. Jacob reminds God of the promise that is on him as a descendant of Abraham. He has to live, or how else will the promise come to pass?
The prayer to God shows Jacob's dependence on God, but just to make sure, Jacob decides to send gifts, lots of them, on ahead via his servants, to try and soften the blow. You know, to help God out, just in case.
Isn't that just how we are? We cry out to God to deliver us when we are in a tight spot and then we try and help Him with the deliverance plan.
Here's my take on this story. I think Esau was indeed still harboring hate towards Jacob and thinking, 'finally...he's back'. Jacob's fear of his brother wasn't just imagined. But he prayed. And so do we. And then we go about devising our own plans to help Him out instead of resting in the finished work of Christ.
I believe that God answered Jacob's prayer right when he prayed it, and turned the heart of Esau with favor towards his brother. Jacob didn't deserve it, and neither do we. That's called Grace. I do not believe it was necessary for Jacob to send all those 500 or so gifts of his flocks up ahead to appease Esau. Seriously, do you think gifts would change the heart of hate that Esau had toward his brother? Only God could accomplish the turning of a heart, which we know He did as we read on in this story.
Esau embraced his brother Jacob, they wept together. And Esau didn't even want the gifts. It really was what you might call a "half-trust" on Jacob's part in believing God's faithfulness to deliver him. 'I believe He will hear my prayer...but just in case....I will do something to make sure, just in case God's plan isn't enough. One of the names of God is El Shaddai, which means "More Than Enough".
Why is it that it's hard to believe God will deliver us when we are in the tight spots of life? Regardless of whether we put ourselves in the spot or if it's just the result of living in a fallen world, God is a deliverer of His children. He hears and answers us when we pray. But how can we be sure? Because the Word of God tells us so, and God's Word is TRUTH.
Do we believe it's truth or don't we? At what point does our Christianity rubber meet the road? Something to meditate on, at least for me it is.
Chapter 34 tells us that Jacob is now safely back in his homeland, in his brothers good graces, and he settles in the city of Shechem. But trouble isn't far from his door, as his daughter, Dinah ventures out to meet some new friends and is taken "captive" by the Prince of Shechem. He likes what he sees! He puts the cart before the horse and decides to try out her merchandise first, and then asks for her hand in marriage from her father and her brothers. That's putting it nicely.
The people of Shechem think it would be a great idea if they all became friends and relatives, starting with the marriage of Dinah and the Prince. They want to become one big happy family, if you will. Not so fast. Dinah's brothers are steamin' mad about this violation of their sister and to make a long story short (you can read the long story for yourself) they devise a plan to deceive the people of Shechem into thinking all is well...let's all be friends and family is great, but before this can happen you'all have to be circumcised as we, Jacob's people are.
The people of Shechem decide that's a fair enough trade and they go along with the plan. But a few day's later when they are healing up from their circumcisions and still very sore, Jacob's sons Levi and Siemon, attack the people of the city of Shechem, kill all the men, plunder the city and retrieve their sister Dinah from the Prince's palace. They feel pretty darn good about their valiant efforts to defend their sister, and besides that, look at all the new "stuff" they have now.
They do all this without Jacob's knowledge or consent. In fact, now Jacob is steamin' made at what his son's have done. In their anger they have taken things into their own hands. I see a pattern developing here: Jacob started out as a deceiver and now so are his sons. Jacob takes things into his own hands and now so do his son's. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? I haven't read the next chapters yet, that's for tomorrow, but I'll bet there will be a few consequences because of their taking matters into their own hands and not consulting the will of God about it. We shall see. To be continued....
So, the lesson I have learned from today's reading is about trusting God when we pray for Him to deliver us from our problems. What if I just waited upon the Lord to deliver me instead of trying to fix things in my own strength? I'm a fixer by nature, I think most women are. But when I go ahead of God and try to fix things without knowing I've heard from Him, I rob myself of seeing the full deliverance of the Lord in my life. I get the credit for my own deliverance in a situation instead of Him. And my way of delivering myself will always be incomplete and 2nd best. His way will always be better, always more. After all, He's El Shaddai. But sometimes it's so hard to wait and to rest in His faithfulness when you just want to just be delivered, NOW! One of my favorite songs is called "Painting Pictures of Egypt" by Sara Groves. My favorite line in the song is the chorus: "If it comes to quick, I may not recognize it. If it comes to quick, I may not appreciate it. Is that the reason for all this time and sand?"
Right now I'd like to share a wonderful New Testament verse with you to wrap up this day's blog: Hebrews 4:10-11 - for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore STRIVE to enter that rest..."
Jesus spoke of this rest in Matthew 11:28-30. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". He's not talking about resting from our physical labor, but resting from the burdens of living in this world and using our inadequate physical resources to meet our own needs. We are to come to Jesus. We are to look to Him to meet our needs, whether they be emotional needs, healing needs, financial needs, relational needs, it doesn't matter what the need is. Philippians 4:19 says: But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I don't know if this is significant, but the word need in that verse is not plural. A need is a need is a need. And we need God. He tells us to put our trust in Him alone and not in the ways of this world. And then just rest. I really like the sound of that, don't you?
So today in chapter 32, we learn that Jacob FINALLY breaks free of his uncle Laban and is heading back to his homeland with all his family, possessions and herds of animals. Remember, when he went there he was all by himself, but that awesome blessing was upon him and he is now returning to his homeland, 25 years later, as a very wealthy man with a huge family.
But, he does so cautiously because he perceives there might be a problem lying ahead for him. It's been over 25 years since Jacob's been home! He thinks back to the last time he saw his twin brother Esau and his reasons for leaving home in the first place. Remember back in chapter 25 when Esau came in from a long day of hunting and was famished? He asked Jacob if he could have some of the stew Jacob had cooked up. Jacob told his twin brother he would give it to him under one condition only...that Esau would trade his birthright for it. Esau must have been starving hungry, because he took him up on the trade. He got his belly filled and gave no more thought to losing his birthright. Until chapter 27, that is.
Just to recap a bit, Isaac was getting up in years and perceived that he might be dying soon and feels it's the proper time to give his blessing to his firstborn, Esau.
He tells his son Esau to bring him some fresh cooked game, he would eat it and then pronounce the blessing of the firstborn on him. Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother overhears this conversation and devises a scheme for Jacob to receive the blessing instead of Esau. You can read the story in chapter 27, but needless to say, when Esau comes back after following his fathers command, and finds that Jacob had received the blessing that he was just about to get...he was distraught to say the least! So now here's Esau, who has not only lost his birthright to Jacob over a bowl of stew, but now their father has been deceived into giving the blessing to Jacob as well! It says in vs 41 that Esau hated his brother Jacob and was planning to kill him when the time was right.
Rebekah overhears Esau's plan to kill Jacob and advises Jacob to flee to Haran to her brother, Laban. Which, as we know, he did for 25 years.
So, with all that in his memory bank, Jacob sends his servants on ahead of him, to find Esau and inform him of Jacob's coming back. He's attempting to prepare the way for his big arrival, softening the blow, so to speak.
The servants do as Jacob commands them and they come back with the news....Esau is coming to meet his twin brother and he's coming with 400 of his men!
Jacob starts shaking in his boots at the thought of what this might mean! This can't be good he thinks, he's probably coming to make good on his plans to kill me, even if it has been 25 years!
Now he's very afraid and in 32:9 Jacob cries out to God to deliver him from the hand of his brother Esau. Jacob reminds God of the promise that is on him as a descendant of Abraham. He has to live, or how else will the promise come to pass?
The prayer to God shows Jacob's dependence on God, but just to make sure, Jacob decides to send gifts, lots of them, on ahead via his servants, to try and soften the blow. You know, to help God out, just in case.
Isn't that just how we are? We cry out to God to deliver us when we are in a tight spot and then we try and help Him with the deliverance plan.
Here's my take on this story. I think Esau was indeed still harboring hate towards Jacob and thinking, 'finally...he's back'. Jacob's fear of his brother wasn't just imagined. But he prayed. And so do we. And then we go about devising our own plans to help Him out instead of resting in the finished work of Christ.
I believe that God answered Jacob's prayer right when he prayed it, and turned the heart of Esau with favor towards his brother. Jacob didn't deserve it, and neither do we. That's called Grace. I do not believe it was necessary for Jacob to send all those 500 or so gifts of his flocks up ahead to appease Esau. Seriously, do you think gifts would change the heart of hate that Esau had toward his brother? Only God could accomplish the turning of a heart, which we know He did as we read on in this story.
Esau embraced his brother Jacob, they wept together. And Esau didn't even want the gifts. It really was what you might call a "half-trust" on Jacob's part in believing God's faithfulness to deliver him. 'I believe He will hear my prayer...but just in case....I will do something to make sure, just in case God's plan isn't enough. One of the names of God is El Shaddai, which means "More Than Enough".
Why is it that it's hard to believe God will deliver us when we are in the tight spots of life? Regardless of whether we put ourselves in the spot or if it's just the result of living in a fallen world, God is a deliverer of His children. He hears and answers us when we pray. But how can we be sure? Because the Word of God tells us so, and God's Word is TRUTH.
Do we believe it's truth or don't we? At what point does our Christianity rubber meet the road? Something to meditate on, at least for me it is.
Chapter 34 tells us that Jacob is now safely back in his homeland, in his brothers good graces, and he settles in the city of Shechem. But trouble isn't far from his door, as his daughter, Dinah ventures out to meet some new friends and is taken "captive" by the Prince of Shechem. He likes what he sees! He puts the cart before the horse and decides to try out her merchandise first, and then asks for her hand in marriage from her father and her brothers. That's putting it nicely.
The people of Shechem think it would be a great idea if they all became friends and relatives, starting with the marriage of Dinah and the Prince. They want to become one big happy family, if you will. Not so fast. Dinah's brothers are steamin' mad about this violation of their sister and to make a long story short (you can read the long story for yourself) they devise a plan to deceive the people of Shechem into thinking all is well...let's all be friends and family is great, but before this can happen you'all have to be circumcised as we, Jacob's people are.
The people of Shechem decide that's a fair enough trade and they go along with the plan. But a few day's later when they are healing up from their circumcisions and still very sore, Jacob's sons Levi and Siemon, attack the people of the city of Shechem, kill all the men, plunder the city and retrieve their sister Dinah from the Prince's palace. They feel pretty darn good about their valiant efforts to defend their sister, and besides that, look at all the new "stuff" they have now.
They do all this without Jacob's knowledge or consent. In fact, now Jacob is steamin' made at what his son's have done. In their anger they have taken things into their own hands. I see a pattern developing here: Jacob started out as a deceiver and now so are his sons. Jacob takes things into his own hands and now so do his son's. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? I haven't read the next chapters yet, that's for tomorrow, but I'll bet there will be a few consequences because of their taking matters into their own hands and not consulting the will of God about it. We shall see. To be continued....
So, the lesson I have learned from today's reading is about trusting God when we pray for Him to deliver us from our problems. What if I just waited upon the Lord to deliver me instead of trying to fix things in my own strength? I'm a fixer by nature, I think most women are. But when I go ahead of God and try to fix things without knowing I've heard from Him, I rob myself of seeing the full deliverance of the Lord in my life. I get the credit for my own deliverance in a situation instead of Him. And my way of delivering myself will always be incomplete and 2nd best. His way will always be better, always more. After all, He's El Shaddai. But sometimes it's so hard to wait and to rest in His faithfulness when you just want to just be delivered, NOW! One of my favorite songs is called "Painting Pictures of Egypt" by Sara Groves. My favorite line in the song is the chorus: "If it comes to quick, I may not recognize it. If it comes to quick, I may not appreciate it. Is that the reason for all this time and sand?"
Right now I'd like to share a wonderful New Testament verse with you to wrap up this day's blog: Hebrews 4:10-11 - for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore STRIVE to enter that rest..."
Jesus spoke of this rest in Matthew 11:28-30. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". He's not talking about resting from our physical labor, but resting from the burdens of living in this world and using our inadequate physical resources to meet our own needs. We are to come to Jesus. We are to look to Him to meet our needs, whether they be emotional needs, healing needs, financial needs, relational needs, it doesn't matter what the need is. Philippians 4:19 says: But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I don't know if this is significant, but the word need in that verse is not plural. A need is a need is a need. And we need God. He tells us to put our trust in Him alone and not in the ways of this world. And then just rest. I really like the sound of that, don't you?
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