Finishing Genesis

Hopefully if you are reading the Bible along with me you are following the YouVersion site for the daily assignments. I have been doing great about keeping up with the actual reading, but when it comes to blogging consistently enough to give you a proper heads up on what to read when, I somewhat produce nothing but fail sauce. Apologies.

Now, with all that being said, since I do keep up with the actual reading bit, I am going to write about everything I was going to write about on Sat, but add in Mon, Tues, and Wed (so I will finish up Genesis).  Sorry if you have to play catch up.  Hence forth you will know that I am hopelessly flawed and mayhaps that will invite an element of flexibility into our relationship.  If you follow the YouVersion schedule and just read my posts as they are posted, we should be just fine.
Genesis 30 in today's day and age would be straight up insane.  Two wives, sisters, fighting over the time and love of one man.  Also, they both decide to offer up their servants as pawns in the "I'll make more babies than my sister" game.  It's crazy.  It's crazy that Jacob seems to just add fuel to the fire too.  But, as we will see, Jacob tends to play favorites.  He gives more love to Rachel (granted that IS the girl he wanted to begin with and the aforementioned jerk face father-in-law basically suckered him into taking her sister Leah first) and this causes the animosity between the sisters.  He later favors Joseph over his other sons, causing jealously here too, so much so that the other sons sell Joseph into slavery just to be rid of him.
Okay, back to the feuding sisters for one moment.  I can't resist, I have to type out one of the verses to give you a taste of what I'm talking about..."But Leah angrily replied, 'Wasn't it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son's mandrakes, too?' Rachel answered, 'I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes' (Gen30:15) LOL! Oh my 30 was a fun read.
Gen 31 was interesting when Rachel sat on the idols her father was looking for and refused to get up to reveal them, using the excuse of being on her period.  Not too terribly important, but I found it interesting so it goes into my blog lol.
Gen 32, I now see where the terms Israel and Israelites come from.  Gen 32:28 - "Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him.  "From now on your name will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won."
Now, I want to talk about Reuben a bit.  This is encompassing different chapters.  I want to look at something here. First Reuben actually decides to sleep with one of his father's women.  Nothing is done about it at the time really, but later when his father is about to die he is told he no longer will get to have the benefits of being the first born. Basically his father had remembered this sin and decided to punish him for it.  Then another time Reuben is among his brothers that are plotting Joseph's death, but if it hadn't been for Reuben who suggested putting him down in a cistern alive instead, the other brothers very well might have killed Joseph.  A different brother then later decided to sell him (without Reuben knowing this).  Reuben had intended all along to come back and get Joseph out of the cistern and not let him die, but when he came back and found he was gone he was struck with grief.  Here we see Reuben as a decent brother, perhaps the only friend Joseph had at the time.
Later when he sees Joseph in Egypt, he seems to be the one who really "gets it".  He is torn up over it and takes on responsibility for Benjamin too, so really I kinda felt like Reuben was an overall good guy.  Esau seemed like a good guy too.  But, like Esau, Reuben's blessings go to a younger brother.  I'm seeing a pattern.  Idk why Joseph was surprised when his dad gave Joseph's younger son the better blessing over the older...hello, that's just what this family does.  Issac was picked over Ishmael too if you recall.  Lots of firstborns getting the shaft.  If I were male, and part of this family line at the time, I would be extremely worried.
Okay wow, I'm writing too much and I'm trying to cover way too much material. This is why I need to blog more often (note to self, learn lesson).  I will end it for now. Go read some for yourself.  There was too much good stuff in there to write about it all.  See you in Exodus.