Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Surrender (2) (Genesis 48)

Jacob is an elderly man on his death bed.  His favored son Joseph makes it easy for Jacob to bless his grand children by arranging them in their proper place.  Joseph knows that the older is to receive the greater blessing and the younger is to receive the inferior blessing.  Jacob, a supplanter schemer, places his right hand on the younger and his left on the older.  Why does this offend Joseph?  What does this communicate about Jacob’s heart condition?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Sustainer (Genesis 32:22-32)

We can so easily fall into a trap where we think that our works, our service, or our input is what drives something forward.  You can see in Jacob’s life where Jacob schemes and fights to get ahead again and again.  It would seem that this scheming is working as Jacob has two wives, many children, and has acquired great wealth from his uncle.  What is Jacob missing?  How does all this result to Jacob engaged in a supernatural wrestling match?  What is the purpose of such a bout?

Wisdom in Strange Places (Ecclesiastes 9:13-18)

One would think that if they were saved from a dire consequence the amount of gratitude would be overwhelming.  Now, if our house was in danger of being destroyed you would think that we would be consumed with joy if someone saved it.  What if we liked our town and someone saved it?  We would probably want to have a parade and name a day after the individual who saved it all.  However, there is in instance where that did not happen.  Why was someone so significant forgotten?  What does such forgetting have to do with wisdom?