Jacob – Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment.

January 13, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

January 13: John 12, Genesis 26, Genesis 27 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 12 begins the last week before the Crucifixion. It is important when this happened, so I have inserted a piece on the correct date it must have happened. Jesus is anointed at Bethany, then comes the triumphal entry and Jesus prophecises about his being “lifted up, and draw all men to himself”.

Genesis 26 tells of Isaac and Rebekah, how Isaac too said Rebekah was his sister. In spite of that God protected them, and the rest of the chapter deals with the eternal Mideast dispute: Water rights.

In Genesis 27 Jacob gets Isaac’s blessing instead pf Esau. Esau gets one too, but inferior, so to avoid more trouble Jacob flees to Laban.

Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter.

This chapter has a special meaning to me since I am an immigrant. Yet I realize I am a pilgrim and heaven is my real home.

We can prove from the laws of physics (the preservation of energy and matter but with a constantly increasing entropy) that we cannot possibly exist apart from creation. Yet creation from God’s command must be accepted by faith.Abel sacrificed the firstfruit of his flock, which pointed forward to Jesus being the lamb of God, giving his life for us.

In the upper hand corner is a piece of the book of Enoch, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Abraham’s journey was a two step journey. He went to Haran and dwelt there until his father died.

But Abraham also went to Egypt when famine struck the promised land.

This is what it means to be a pilgrim. The Jews had been scattered all over the earth ever since the fall of Israel. They were looking for a homeland to return to.

In the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the United Kingdom became the first world power to endorse the establishment in Palestine of a “national home for the Jewish people.” The British government confirmed this commitment by accepting the British Mandate for Palestine in 1922 (along with their colonial control of the Pirate Coast, Southern Coast of Persia, Iraq and from 1922 a separate area called Transjordan, all of the Middle-Eastern territory except the French territory). The European powers mandated the creation of a Jewish homeland at the San Remo conference of 19–26 April 1920. In 1948, the State of Israel was established.

And so began the prophetic clock to tick again for the Jewish People.

She is called Rahab the prostitute. An alternate translation would be Rahab the innkeeper, for she was an independent woman that kept an inn.

Yes, thanks to Jesus death on the cross for our sins, his burial and resurrection we have the privilege to be allowed to enter His rest.

Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons, Jacob’s death.

Dan failed to conquer the Philistines and settled in the northernmost part of Israel instead. This continues even to this day.

Genesis 47, Jacob and Pharaoh, Israel settles in Goshen, Joseph enslaves the Egyptians.

Jacob is at this time 130 years old. “My years have been few” is an understatement” but Jacob compares it to the pilgrimage of his grandfather Abraham.

Joseph had been granted absolute power to rule over Egypt. Pharaoh continued to reign over Egypt, so Joseph started to do Pharaoh’s bidding.

But, as we see, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Through taxes on grain produced during the good years, Joseph had amassed all the grain supply for the government. He is now selling it back at a far higher price than he bought the excess harvests over and above the taxed harvests during the good years.

These are the steps to gain total control over the people.