After the Hebrew people escape Egypt, they make their way across the desert, approaching the land God promised to Abraham. Moses selects a representative from each tribe of Israel to spy out the land. Caleb, son of Jephunneh, is one of the twelve men selected, representing the tribe of Judah. The twelve head out to […]
Aaron is the older brother of Moses. His mother is Jochebed, and his father is Amram. God tells Aaron to go out into the wilderness to meet Moses, who is expecting him. The plan is for Aaron to serve as his brother’s spokesman, because Moses doesn’t think he’s eloquent enough for the job God called […]
Moses receives more coverage in the Old Testament than any other character, except for King David. Abraham comes in third. Though we could compose an entire book about Moses—and others have—let’s consider five defining moments in his life. We can use these to inspire and challenge us. For our first story, let’s look at Moses […]
Jacob’s eleven sons and daughter Dinah are all born while he works for his uncle Laban. After twenty years, God sends Jacob and his family back to Canaan. This is where Jacob’s twelfth and final son, Benjamin, is born. His arrival marks a bittersweet moment, however, for Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel dies during childbirth. In […]
We’ve already encountered a bit about Joseph in previous chapters. Joseph is Jacob’s eleventh son and Rachel’s first. Since Rachel is Jacob’s favorite wife, it shouldn’t surprise us that her firstborn, Joseph, becomes Jacob’s favorite son. Jacob gives Joseph a brightly-colored coat, which sets him apart from his brothers. He has a dream about his […]
Zebulun is Jacob’s tenth boy and Leah’s sixth. If his older brother Issachar received little attention in this large family, it may be even more true for young Zebulun. However, Zebulun is Leah’s last son. She may treat him as her baby, regardless of how old he becomes. Just like his older brother Gad, Zebulun’s […]
Issachar is Jacob’s ninth son and Leah’s fifth. Aside from his father’s blessing, that’s all Scripture tells us about him. But we can imagine what his life might be like. With eight older brothers—four full brothers and four half-brothers—Issachar arrives to a packed household. We can suspect he receives little attention. It’s easy to see […]
Leah, having four sons of her own and a fifth through her maidservant, Zilpah, isn’t satisfied by claiming five sons to her sister’s two (both through Rachel’s maidservant, Bilhah). Leah again gives Zilpah to Jacob to sleep with. Zilpah conceives and gives birth to her second son. Leah says his birth makes her happy. This […]
After Naphtali is born, Rachel proclaims that his birth gives her victory over her sister, Leah. Leah, however, doesn’t accept this without a fight. She stoops to her sister’s tactics and has Jacob sleep with her handmaid, Zilpah. As a result of this ill-advised union, Gad enters the world. He is Jacob’s seventh son and […]
Jacob’s sixth son is the second child of Bilhah. Again, just as with his brother Dan, Rachel names Bilhah’s boy. She calls him Naphtali. Rachel’s explanation reveals the depth of her motivation. She says she’s had a great struggle with her sister, and Naphtali’s birth proves she has won. This means Naphtali’s conception and birth […]