Sun, Dec 31st - 1:22AM
Bilhah and Zilpah
These two women were slaves to Rachel and Leah. They each had a vital role in shaping of the Jewish people, yet little is known of them as individuals. Even the meaning of their names is uncertain.
Since they were slaves in the Leban's househould before either Rachel or Leah were married, my guess is that they were older than their mistresses. Laban gave the slaves to Rachel and Leah as wedding gifts. Rachel gave her slave to Jacob as a surrogate. While there is no biblical reference as to how Bilhah felt about this, Rachel commanded and Bilhah obeyed.
By custom, children born to the slave belonged to the wife. Rachel was the one who named each boy. One she named Dan and the other Naphtali. When Bilhah had produced two sons for Jacob, Leah felt compelled to respond. She gave Zilpah to Jacob and he fathered two more sons through her! Leah claimed them as her own and named them Gad and Asher.
Those who have found the direction of their life set by others and have been forced to cope with situations growing out of decisions in which they had no control , can empathize with Bilhah and Zilpah. Nothing about their lives was under their control. They lived - and died- as slaves. Yet together they produced four sons who were destined to father a third of Israels's twelve tribes and to be celebrated forever by God's Old Testament people.
Comment (8)
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Sun, Dec 31st - 1:01AM
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Today the average life span is 25,550 days.
That's how long you will live if you are typical.
Don't you think it would be a wise use of time to set aside some of those days to figure out what God wants you to do with the rest of them?
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Wed, Dec 13th - 6:57PM
AH HA!
My HTML "problem" was the BROWSER! For heaven's sake! I had switched to Netscape as opposed to Internet Explorer7. After hearing from several of you, including Ray in Admin., I was able to figure out what I was doing differently than before ..... duh!!
Anyway, thanks everyone!
Next is my insight into Bilhah and Zilpah. Two women slaves, bound to Rachel and Leah, respectively.
Blog on!
TalkerCat
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Tue, Dec 12th - 7:51PM
STILL NO ANSWER FROM ADMINISTRATION
I'm having trouble staying logged in and still don't have HTML Editor. I sent at least one, if not two, emails to "Ray" at Admin. but never got an answer. Gee Whiz. I pray that all is well and Ray is not ill or having an emergency of some sort. I'll hold him up prayer as usual. I sure would like to know what the problem is. Very possibly something I've done wrong by changing email addresses ..... (sigh)
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Mon, Dec 11th - 6:09PM
Rachel and Leah
Scripture doesn't mention the relationship the sisters had before the deceptive marriage between Leah and Jacob. Some people think that Leah was a victim of her father who wanted to get another seven years of work out of Jacob, but I think Leah was in on the plot. She may have felt so homely that no other man would want her, otherwise why would she have agreed to keep silent on her sister's wedding night? Maybe she thought she could make Jacob love her, and was willing to try. At what cost to her sister? Rachel, like her great aunt Sarah and her aunt Rebekah before her was a beautiful woman. As a shepherdess, she was problably physically fit from walking many miles each day. Because she was lovely and a hard worker, she was undoubtedly well-liked by those around her. She grew up feeling accepted and loved. When Jacob came on to the scene, he loved her too. It must have been difficult for Rachel when she realized that the man she loved and had waited seven years to marry had been given to another woman. She would never have him to herself. She was the beloved wife, but she always had to share Jacob with her sister. And how painful it must have been for her when her sister bore child after child until she had borne seven and yet Rachel's body was barren. She had given her husband her servant who bore two sons and she loved them deeply. Then, at last, she was blessed with Joseph. How joyful she must have felt to hold him in her arms! And then she conceived again! But both her hopes and she herself died giving birth to her second son, leaving Leah to be the only wife of the man she loved. No wonder she named her infant "Son of My Sorrow" (Benjamin). And while 'Rachel' means "ewe", 'Leah' means "wild cow". This is not exactly a nice name to give a young lady. Especially in Old Testament times when names were given somewhat to capture the essence of the child being named. The only physical description we have of Leah is that she had "delicate" eyes. Did this mean she was sensitive to light? I don't know, there's no explanation. While Rachel was described as 'beautiful', Leah's weak eyes are highlighted, and she is given the unfortunate name, Wild Cow. Personal attractiveness is something Leah learned to live without. But her character and relationship with God did develop. Leah wanted her husband to love her and she wanted children. While God didn't change Jacob's heart, God did love Leah. He gave her seven children, and in the process God taught her to seek comfort in Him. In the end, Leah felt God's love and also felt vindicated. Her children surrounded her and at last she had the love of a family that didn't care that she was the sister with weak eyes.
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Thu, Dec 7th - 8:32PM
People Who Make A Difference
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, creator of "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions, just read the whole message - You'll get the point.
1) Name the five wealthiest people in the world 2) Name the last five Heisman Trophy winners 3) Name the last five winners of Miss America 4) Name ten people who have won the Nobel Peace Prize 5) Name the last half dozen Academy Award Winners for Best Actress 6) Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners
HOW DID YOU DO?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in the field. But the applause dies, awards tarnish, achievements are forgotten. Accolates and certificates are buried with their owners.
HERE'S ANOTHER QUIZ. SEE HOW YOU DO ON THIS ONE
1) List a few teachers who aided your journey through school 2) Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time 3) Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile 4) Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special 5) Think of five people you enjoy spending time with
EASIER? The lesson: People who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.
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Thu, Dec 7th - 8:10PM
Rachel and Leah
I'm still waiting to hear from admin about the problems I have with HTML and staying logged in. Next post will be on Rachel ("ewe") and Leah ("wild cow") - sisters who both were married to Jacob (their cousin - son of their uncle Isaac) One sister was loved dearly, the other ignored.
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Tue, Dec 5th - 3:17PM
The Patient Bird
Like many families, we have a bird feeder in our yard. It's peaceful and fun to watch the many species that come to gorge on the seed we put out for them. As time goes by we recognize the same "couples" return year after year. We're blessed by nesting doves. There is, however, one bird that I've grown very fond of. I know him as "The Patient Bird" even though I've learned that he is, in fact a Pale headed Rosella. His behavior around the bird feeder belies nature in that he doesn't seem to have the "survival of the fittest" instinct. In fact, if another bird is at the feeder the patient one waits on another branch of the tree, watching for his turn. If there were as many "Christian Watchers" as there are Bird Watchers, what would people notice about you? The bible makes it clear what others should be seeing. The gifts of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) Are these the Christian characteristics others see in you?
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Tue, Dec 5th - 12:35AM
Rebekah - God's Choice
To tell her life story in brief is simply to note that Rebekah accompanied Abraham's servant back to Canaan, married Isaac and later bore him two sons who both became famous. But there is much more to Rebekah's life story than this.
After Sarah's death, Abraham was determined to find a bride for their son Isaac. Even though it was customary for the bride's parents to negotiate for a good husband, Abraham could not associate with Palestines so instead sent a servant back to Haran to find a bride among his own people. When the servant prayed to the God of Abraham, he beseeched a young woman to come to the well and offer water to them as well as their camels (that's a lot of water!). As we know, the lovely Rebekah came to the well before the prayer was finished! Surely she was hand-picked by God. As far as I believe and what belief is still held by others is that there is only one person whom God Himself has chosen to be an individual's mate. When Rebekah offered to draw the water, the servant knew his prayer had been answered. Rebekah's faith and courage are impressive. When asked if she was willing to go with the servant and marry Isaac, she answered "I will go". She must have known that she would never again see her family or the home in which she'd grown up. At the same time I can imagine the appeal of such a journey to a young girl and imagine how she must have pressed the servant for tales of Isaac as they took the month-long journey to Canaan. At journey's end Rebekah found something that all people yearn for. The Bible says, "She became his wife, and he loved her."
However romantic courtship may be though, we all know the future for any person holds its disapppointments. Rebekah had her share.
****She suffered years of childlessness. Women in the ancient world considered childbearing as the most fulfilling role in their lives. The bible tells us that finally "Isaac pleaded with the Lord for a son for his wife." While the love of a good man would satisfy me, Isaac's devotion simply wasn't enough for Rebekah. She wanted a child desperately. Finally God answered Isaac's prayer and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
****Her husband betrayed her. Remember when Abraham met strangers he had asked Sarah to say she was his sister? When Isaac's wanderings took hom to Gerar, he adopted the same strategy. When the men asked him about his wife, he was afraid and told them she was his sister. As God had just previously spoken to Isaac and promised to be with him and bless him, thiscan hardly be less than a lapse of faith on his part. In time the lie was discovered and the king of Gerard decreed that both Isaac and REbekah should by touched by any of his people.
****Favoritism. While Rebekah was thrilled to be pregnant, her children were also a cause of disappointment for her. She and Isaac played favorites. Isaac favored Esau and she favored Jacob. When Isaac was dying he sought to bestow his blessing on his heir. Rebekah knew that he was going to bless Esau so she schemed a way to find favor with Jacob. This betrayal was so easy for her that I firmly believe that she had long been planning events to give her favorite an edge.
Like women everywhere Rebekah was more than one woman. In her early years she was a virgin, veiling herself modestly before meeting the man she would marry. In her middle years she was a beloved wife, for whom Isaac labored in prayer. But as a mother, Rebekah played favorites. The early intimacy with Isaac was lost and the family unity was shattered with many tragic consequences. From her we can learn the importance of loving our children for themselves. To play favorites with our children harms them greatly. By her actions we can see how crucial it is for parents to present a united front with their children and we can also see how deceit creates barriers, even between persons who have had a loving and intimate relationship with each other. The consequences of dishonesty can tear loved ones apart and have an impact on the rest of their lives.
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Tue, Dec 5th - 12:32AM
What's Wrong with HTML Editor?
Blogging is a lot more fun with HTML. Has anyone notified admin?
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Name: Terri Medina
