About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

12/17/2022

Genesis 31:1-55 Jacob Takes His Family to Return Home

 

Jacob Takes His Family to Return Home

Genesis  31:1-55               The First Book of Moses Called Genesis

[Jacob] heard Laban’s sons saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father's & [from that] Jacob has gotten all his [glory.] Jacob [saw that] Laban wasn't [acting] toward him [like he was] before. *[Then,] the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers & to your [family] & I will be with you. 

[Genesis 28:15 [Look,] I am with you & will keep you in all [the] places [where] you go & will bring you again to this land. For I won't leave you, until I have done [what] I have [said] to you.]

Jacob sent [for] & called both Rachel & Leah to his flock [in] the field & [told] them, I see [that] your father is [upset] with me [unlike how he was] before. But the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my power, [yet, he] deceived me & changed my wages 10 times, but God didn’t [allow him] to hurt me.

If [your father] said, The speckled shall be your wages, then all the [flocks] bore speckled. If he said all the [streaked] shall be your [wages], then all the [flocks] bore [streaked]. So, God has taken away the [livestock] of your father & given them to me. At the time the [flocks] conceived, I saw in a dream [that] the rams which leaped upon the [flocks] were [streaked], speckled & [gray-spotted]. 

[Then,] the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream [& said,] Jacob. And I said, Here I am. And [the Angel] said, Lift up your eyes now & see all the rams which leap on the [flocks] are [streaked], speckled & [gray-spotted:] for I have seen what Laban does to you. 

I am the God of BethEl, where you anointed the pillar & [made] a vow to Me.

Now, arise & get out [of] this land & return to the land of your [family.] Rachel & Leah answered & said to [Jacob,] Is there [still] any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 

Aren't we [considered] strangers? [Since,] he has sold us [for Jacob’s service] & also [completely consumed] our money. For all the riches which God has taken from our father, that is ours & our children’s. [They told Jacob,] Now, whatever God has said to you, do [it.] 

Then Jacob rose up & set his [children & wives] on camels & carried away all his goods he had gotten & all his [livestock] he had gotten in Padan Aram, to go to his father, Isaac, in the land of Canaan. [While] Laban had gone to shear the sheep, Rachel had stolen father’s [idols.] 

Jacob stole away, [unknown] to Laban, the Syrian, in that [Jacob didn’t] tell [Laban, so] he fled. [Jacob] fled with all he had & he rose up & passed over the river & headed toward the [mountains of] Gilead. On the 3rd day [after] Jacob fled, Laban was told [about it]. 

And [Laban] took his brethren with him & pursued after him 7 days' journey & overtook [Jacob] in the [mountains of] Gilead. And God came to Laban [at] night in a dream & [told] him, [Be careful] that you [don't] speak [anything] good or bad to Jacob. Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains.

Then, Laban, [caught up with] Jacob. Now, Jacob had pitched his tent in the [mountain.]  Laban & his brethren pitched [their tents] in the [mountains] of Gilead. Laban [asked] Jacob, Why have you done that & have stolen away [unbeknownst] to me & carried away my daughters, [like] captives [are] taken with a sword? [Why] did you flee secretly & steal away from me? [Why didn't] you tell me, [so] I might have sent you away with [joy,] songs, [tambourines] & [harps?]  

He told Jacob that he had done foolishly [in leaving without] allowing him to kiss his sons & daughters [grandchildren]. Laban told Jacob that it is within his power to do him [Jacob] [harm], but the God of Jacob’s father spoke to me in a dream last night & told me to [not] speak to Jacob [either] good or bad.

[Haven't you not allowed] me to kiss my [grandsons] & my [granddaughter?] You have now done foolishly in doing [this.] It is in my power to do you [harm,] but the God of your father, [spoke] to me [last night,] saying, [Pay careful attention] that you not speak to Jacob either good or bad. 

And now, [although you needed to] be gone, because you [severely long] after your father's [family,] why have you stolen my gods? Jacob answered that he was afraid that Laban might take his daughters from him by force. Jacob answered Laban, [I didn't tell you,] because I was afraid. For I said, [Perhaps.] you would take your daughters from me by force. [Decide] before our brethren what is yours, with me & take it [with] you. With [whomever] you find [with] your gods, [shall] not live. For Jacob [didn't] know that Rachel had stolen them.

Laban went into the [tents of Jacob, Leah] & 2 of the maidservants, but he [didn't] find them. Then [Laban] entered into Rachel’s tent. Now, Rachel had [hidden] the images in the camel’s [saddle] & sat on it. And Laban searched all of Leah's tent, but didn't find them. 

Leah [told] her father [when he was searching for it,] [Don't] let it displease [you,] my lord, that I can’t rise up [in front of] you, for [it's due to] the monthly [manner] of women [that] is upon me. [Laban] searched, but [didn't] find the images. Jacob was [angry] & [criticized] Laban & asked, What is my trespass? What is my sin that you have so hotly pursued after me? 

After you have searched all my stuff, what have you found of all your household [things?] Set it here, before my brethren & your brethren, so they [can] judge between both [of] us! [For] 20 years [while I was] with you, your ewes & female goats haven’t [miscarried] their young & I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

[In fact], I bore the loss of that which was torn [by] beasts or stolen [by] day or night & I bore the loss [rather than bringing it to you for a loss]. [I was there] in the day the drought consumed me & the frost by night & I [couldn’t] sleep. 

I have been in your house 20 years & served you 14 years for your 2 daughters & 6 years for your [flock] & you have changed my wages 10 times. [If it hadn’t been for the] God of my father, [Isaac] & the God of Abraham, being with me & rebuking you [last night,] you would have sent me away empty [handed.] 

Laban answered & said to Jacob, These daughters are my daughters & these children are my children & the [livestock] are my [livestock] & all that you see are mine. What can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children, which they have [given birth to?]

Therefore, now come & let us make a covenant [contract] & let it be a witness between you & me. And Jacob took a [rock] & set it up for a pillar & said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones & made a heap & they ate there upon the heap.

And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. And Laban said, This heap is a witness [between] me & you this day. Therefore, the name of it [is] called Galeed & Mizpah; for he said, The Lord [watches between] me & you, when we are absent from one another. 

If you shall afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives, besides my daughters & no man is with us; see, God is [the] witness [between] you & me. And Laban said to Jacob, [See,] this heap & [see] this pillar, that I have [constructed between] us. 

This heap & this pillar [are] witnesses, that I will not [cross] over this heap to you & that you [won't cross] over this heap & pillar to me, for harm. 

The God of Abraham & the God of Nahor & the God of their [fathers will be the] judge between us. Jacob swore by the fear [respect] of his father, Isaac.

Then, Jacob offered a sacrifice on the [mountain] & called his brethren to eat bread & they [ate.] And they stayed all night [on] the [mountain.] Laban rose up early in the morning & kissed & blessed his daughters [grandchildren] & departed & returned to his place.