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It really takes Isaac a long time to die …
In Genesis 27.31, Esau seems to think his father will die soon so he can kill Jacob. Then, Jacob is gone for a long time (20 years – Genesis 31.38) before Isaac dies (35.28-29). I’ve never really noticed that before. Has anyone seen any explanations for this (of course, I’m sure some of you may…
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"Ephraim is my First-born"?
There is a second interesting point in Jeremiah 31.9b alone. Again, it reads “For I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my first-born.” What’s so interesting about that? Well, it’s interesting because in the actual story line of the Old Testament Ephraim was not a first-born son. Joseph has two sons in Egypt, whom…
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Younger Sons who Rise to Prominence in the Bible
I am currently reading The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: The Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity by Jon D. Levenson. I’m about halfway through and it is easily one of the best books I have read in a long time. He covers some similar issues in this VIDEO which I have…