Ratifying the covenant, or making it an active reality, is a solemn ritual. The people of Israel enter into the covenant with Yahweh voluntarily and eagerly. The blood of the covenant marks people as members of the covenant community.

Chapter 1: The Alphabet

My learning started with a zeal to understand how to read and write and be conversant as reading and writing of A,B,Cs. l had to familiarize on the Hebrew chart where l memorized the Hebrew Alphabet from Alef, Bet, Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, Vav, Zayin, Chet, Tet, Yod, Kaf, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Pey, Tsade, Qof,…

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EXODUS OVERVIEW

MODULE 3: SESSION 21: Defining the Conquest

God is the one who drives out the enemy. He tasks Israel with destroying the places of […]

EXODUS OVERVIEW

MODULE 3: SESSION 20: “Slavery” Laws

The goal of these slavery laws is to protect the vulnerable from exploitation by the powerful. […]

MODULE 3: SESSION 21: Defining the Conquest

God is the one who drives out the enemy. He tasks Israel with destroying the places of worship and eliminating any room for other gods in the land. The conquest is not ethnic cleansing. Rather, its goal is exclusive worship of Yahweh.

MODULE 3: SESSION 20: “Slavery” Laws

The goal of these slavery laws is to protect the vulnerable from exploitation by the powerful. The literary structure of the book connects labor laws, or laws regulating indentured servitude, to the Sabbath pattern, emphasizing necessary rest for humans and providing a check against…

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MODULE 3: SESSION19: Resting in God’s Provision

The Sabbath command is a blessing of God’s rest for every person and animal in the nation. Heads of the household are responsible for ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to rest. God himself rests on the seventh day of creation. He also destroys the oppression that forces…

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MODULE 6: SESSION 29: Reflecting on the Jacob Story

Yaaqov’s story is a mirror in which we can examine our motives and gain perspective on how God’s blessing shows up in our lives and in our world. What we choose to do with the blessings God pours out has serious consequences. Studying Scripture in community can powerfully unite people…

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MODULE 6: SESSION 28: Jacob and Esau Part Ways

The brothers, Yaaqov and Esau, cannot dwell together in unity because they have too much wealth, most of it obtained through deception. The genealogies in Genesis show us that the narrative is laser-focused on tracing the lineage of the hoped-for messianic king who will crush the snake. The…

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MODULE 3: SESSION 18: Bearing His Name

Israel bears Yahweh’s name and thereby represents Yahweh among the nations. The covenant formula “I will be your God and you will be my people” can be seen as a summary of these two commandments: worship no other gods and bear God’s name faithfully.

MODULE 3: SESSION 17: No Other Gods

The Ten Commandments are given in the context of God rescuing and restoring his people, which is about moving them into freedom. There are different traditions for numbering the Ten Commandments. The command that forbids making idols recalls the role humans have as the image of God.

MODULE 3: SESSION 16: Law as Mission

The Israelites were set free from oppression before they received the law. The law was not a means of earning God’s compassion or protection. The law was not a burden. The law was seen as a mark of God’s favor and a special distinction for the people of Israel. The law was likely given in…

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MODULE 6: SESSION 27: The Death of Rachel and Isaac

Rakhel’s difficult labor recalls both the promise of a victorious seed and the dire consequences for the woman in Genesis 3:15-16. Reuben’s sexual assault against Bilhah is another instance in a pattern of illicit sex used in a grab for power. The four burials in Genesis 35 each recall…

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MODULE 6: SESSION 26: Jacob Returns to Bethel

Yaaqov’s return to Bethel is a re-creation moment in the pattern of themes. He and his family are shedding the trappings of their Mesopotamian identity to be defined only by God’s promise. As precious liquids that come from garden plants, wine and oil are Eden images. And pouring them out to…

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MODULE 5: SESSION 25: Jacob’s Silence

In the aftermath of Shechem’s crime, Yaaqov’s silence and inaction creates a void that his sons fill with vengeful violence. The biblical authors tell the story of Yaaqov’s sons’ treachery with links to the flood narrative, but this is a nightmare version of God’s just judgment and reconciliation through covenant.

JACOB

MODULE 5: SESSION 22: God Wrestles With Jacob

The letters of Yaaqov’s name are littered throughout the narrative where his name is changed. The […]

JOSEPH

MODULE 7: SESSION 29: Reflecting on the Joseph Story

Every detail of the biblical text is thoughtfully crafted and divinely inspired. Taking […]

MODULE 5: SESSION 24: The Oppression of Dinah

Yaaqov’s sons begin to repeat his deceptive pattern whereby after hearing about the despicable behavior of the sons of the land violating their sister, they remained quiet as if nothing happened. To everyone’s surprise they later on arose and killed all the male from the family of Khamor as a…

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MODULE 5: SESSION 23: The Reunion of Jacob and Esau

After his wrestling match with God, Yaaqov, the wounded servant, sacrifices himself on behalf of everything he holds dear. Esau’s reaction to Yaaqov’s return, running to him and embracing him, points forward to Jesus’ parable of the loving father embracing his prodigal son. Yaaqov…

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MODULE 5: SESSION 22: God Wrestles With Jacob

The letters of Yaaqov’s name are littered throughout the narrative where his name is changed. The judgment that Yaaqov faces, being wounded in his striving against God, comes to its ultimate fulfillment in the suffering of the Messiah on our behalf. The biblical authors depict the true-to-life…

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MODULE 7: SESSION 29: Reflecting on the Joseph Story

Every detail of the biblical text is thoughtfully crafted and divinely inspired. Taking time to consider why a certain story or narrative element has been included can reveal deep meaning and connection to the big picture of the whole Bible’s message. The story of Yoseph illustrates how…

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MODULE 7: Going Up to Canaan

SESSION 28: Joseph’s Future Hope

The pattern of migrations in Genesis, as Abraham and his descendants move up and down from Canaan, reflects the pattern of moving from blessing to exile to redemption woven throughout the Hebrew Bible. Yoseph’s request for his bones to be taken up to Canaan is a prophetic…

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EXODUS OVERVIEW

MODULE 3: A Covenant at Mount Sinai

SESSION 15: Commissioning the Nation

At Sinai, God redefines Israel’s identity. As God’s segullah, […]

EXODUS OVERVIEW

MODULE 2: SESSION 14: Burden of Leadership

Two conversations with Jethro frame Israel’s deliverance story (Exodus 4 and 18). Jethro […]

JACOB

MODULE 5: Jacob’s Return From Exile

SESSION 21: Jacob Builds an Ark

Yaaqov encounters the divine both as he leaves and as he returns to the land […]

JOSEPH

MODULE 7: SESSION 27: Jacob’s Burial

Yoseph goes up to Canaan, which contrasts with his going down to Egypt, highlighting the hope of a return […]

JOSEPH

MODULE 6: SESSION 24: The Lion of Judah

The New Testament authors reveal that the royal lion of Yehudah is also the sacrificial lamb that […]

BIBLE STUDY TOOLS

Bible study tools are special books that are helpful in studying the Bible.

They include: […]

PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION

To interpret is to understand what is being said, to whom it is said, to give it a […]

MODULE 3: A Covenant at Mount Sinai

SESSION 15: Commissioning the Nation

At Sinai, God redefines Israel’s identity. As God’s segullah, or “treasured possession,” Israel is being called to fulfill a special purpose in representing God to the nations. Peter calls the New Testament Church, made up of Jewish and Gentile followers of…

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MODULE 2: SESSION 14: Burden of Leadership

Two conversations with Jethro frame Israel’s deliverance story (Exodus 4 and 18). Jethro represents the first of many nations who will acknowledge Yahweh’s greatness because of his victory over Pharaoh. It seems noble of Moses to shoulder the burden of all the people, but it’s unwise. We…

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MODULE 2: SESSION 13: Liminal Space

The wilderness narratives recount a liminal space for God to form Israel as a new nation. The wilderness narratives in Exodus 15-18 mirror the wilderness journey of Numbers 10-21 in a chiasm that frames the entire Torah. The people’s ingratitude and rebellion meets God’s gracious provision in…

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MODULE 5: Jacob’s Return From Exile

SESSION 21: Jacob Builds an Ark

Yaaqov encounters the divine both as he leaves and as he returns to the land of Canaan, echoing the spiritual guardians at the entrance to the garden of Eden. Hyperlinks to the flood narrative portray Yaaqov as building his own ark to protect him from the flood of…

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MODULE 4: SESSION 20: Jacob and Laban Make Covenant

Yaaqov and Lavan are on a path of mutual destruction, but, instead of another round of wronging each other, they choose to make peace through a covenant. A covenant is not the Eden ideal; it’s how two parties fortify a relationship in a world where at least one party can’t be fully…

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MODULE 4: SESSION 19: Laban Pursues Jacob

Both Yaaqov and Lavan deceive each other and then proclaim their innocence. Each feels justified in his anger because of the wrongs of the other. The household gods (Heb. teraphim) were commonly used in divination to consult the will of the gods. Rakhel’s theft of the household gods parallels…

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MODULE 7: SESSION 27: Jacob’s Burial

Yoseph goes up to Canaan, which contrasts with his going down to Egypt, highlighting the hope of a return to Eden threaded throughout the story of Genesis. The Egyptians embalm and mourn for Yaaqov, united with Yoseph’s family in grief, showing how the blessed family of Abraham is sown among the…

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MODULE 7: Going Up to Canaan

SESSION 26: Jacob’s Last Request

The biblical authors highlight Yaaqov’s request to be buried in the cave in the field of Makpelah where his parents and grandparents are buried. The Hebrew words for “cave” (me‘arah) and “Makpelah,” roughly translating to “naked” and “pair,” link this burial site to the garden of Eden.

MODULE 6: SESSION 25: Jacob’s Poem of Blessing Concludes

Yaaqov’s words for his sons often carry deep connections to the fate of their descendants in Joshua, Judges, and beyond. Dan’s blessing could mean he will be a judge over the snake or a snake himself. Yoseph is set on analogy with Ishmael, recasting the division of Ishmael and Isaac…

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MODULE 4: SESSION 18: Jacob Versus the Narrator

Yaaqov sees how Lavan’s “face” has changed toward him, beginning a pattern of reckoning, where Yaaqov will have to “face” those he has deceived. Yaaqov ascribes his prosperity to God, but his account contradicts the narrator’s presentation. The virgin birth of Jesus brings new creation…

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MODULE 3: SESSION 16: Rival Wives and Many Sons

Rakhel’s words echo Sarah’s as she takes matters into her own hands in an attempt to secure Eden blessing for herself. The origin of the family of Israel is mired in animosity, trickery, and abuse, yet God continues to pour out Eden blessing on the family he chose to be a blessing to all nations.

MODULE 4: Jacob’s Flight From Laban

SESSION 17: Jacob Deceives His Deceiver

Yaaqov and Lavan each try to gain the upper hand over the other. As their wealth increases, so does the tension between them. A likely explanation for Yaaqov’s use of the rods with the sheep is that they act as artificial mating partners to control which rams are…

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MODULE 6: SESSION 24: The Lion of Judah

The New Testament authors reveal that the royal lion of Yehudah is also the sacrificial lamb that was slain, portraying Jesus’ death and resurrection as the fulfillment of Yehudah’s royal exaltation. The royal rod (or scepter) of Yehudah can represent either punishment or rule. Later biblical…

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MODULE 6: SESSION 23: Judah and Joseph

Yaaqov’s curse on Shimon and Levi foreshadows the scattering of these two tribes. Yaaqov’s blessing for Yehudah casts Yehudah as a new Yoseph. The story of David is patterned after the story of Yoseph.

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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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.

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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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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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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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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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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