David Mapugilo
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JOSEPH
MODULE6: SESSION 22: Ephraim and Manasseh
Yaaqov’s words blessing Yoseph’s sons foreshadow the division of the tribes and the loss of Ephrayim in exile. In the rest of the Hebrew Bible, the line of Yoseph, through Ephrayim, comes to represent God’s promise to bless the nations, and the line of Yehudah comes to represent the blessing of…
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EXODUS OVERVIEW
MODULE 2: SESSION 12: Prophetic Song
The Torah’s poetry often conveys the heart of its theology. All the major themes in Exodus are expressed in the Song of the Sea. Miriam, the prophetess, becomes a prominent witness of God’s actions that save Israel.
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EXODUS OVERVIEW
MODULE 2: SESSION 11: Sea Crossing
The Hebrew phrase yam suph, often translated as “Red Sea,” translates literally to “reed sea.” When the number of Israelites crossing the sea is translated as “600,000 men” plus families, it creates challenges with other parts of the text. There are a variety of views that attempt to harmonize…
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EXODUS OVERVIEW
MODULE 2; SESSION 10: Passover Ritual
The instructions for celebrating the Passover ritual initiate the opportunity for later generations to participate in the events of Israel’s founding story. The Hebrew word pesach, often translated “passover,” can also be translated as “protect,” and this translation seems to fit the Exodus…
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A Great reflection on the Passover!
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JACOB
MODULE 3: SESSION 15: God Sees Leah
The combined language of “love” and “hate” makes its first appearance here talking about Rakhel and Leah, but it gets picked up by later biblical authors to talk about outcomes for entire groups of people. Levi and Judah, the third and fourth sons of the unloved wife, become the fathers of the…
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JACOB
MODULE 3: SESSION 14: Laban Deceives Jacob
Human favoritism is a distorted version of God’s love and favor for the chosen one, which is bestowed for the blessing of the many. Yaaqov, with his four wives, is the furthest yet from the Eden ideal for marriage. God institutes laws protecting the firstborn’s rights against favoritism, but God…
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JACOB
MODULE 3: SESSION 13: Deception in the House of Laban
Lavan’s deception with his daughters is paralleled by his deception with his flocks, providing an implicit critique of the way these men are using women as objects in their power games. How we interpret passages depicting the mistreatment of women in the Bible can either illuminate…
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JOSEPH
MODULE 6: Jacob’s Song of Blessing
SESSION 21: Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
As Genesis draws to a close, the narrative revisits the question of how God’s blessing of Abraham will carry forward, with an intensification of blessing vocabulary not seen for many chapters. Yaaqov blessing his sons in Genesis 48-49 is matched by Moses blessing…
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JOSEPH
MODULE 5: SESSION 20: Joseph Leads Egypt Through a Famine
Yaaqov blesses Pharaoh. This is the first time Abraham’s family explicitly blesses the nations as promised by God in Genesis 12:3. Yoseph rescues the people and animals of the land from the flood-like famine, once again cast as a new Noah. Yoseph’s wise administration of the land…
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JOSEPH
MODULE 5: SESSION 19: From Canaan to Goshen
Yaaqov assigns Yehudah with the role of instructing the family, charting his character transformation into a humble leader. Yehudah is the fourth son, continuing a pattern of three-plus-one surprise bonuses in Genesis. The wilderness is outside the land of promise, but it is also the place where…
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