The Prince and the Prodigal – Book Review

In this fictional retelling of the story of the sons of Jacob, Jill Eileen Smith gives a unique perspective of what life might have been like in approximately 1500 BCE. Using the well-known story and historical research she presents a fictional account that gives one new insight into the hearts and minds of Jacob and his children.

This delightful rendering of a part of Hebrew history gives some additional insight into how the coat of many colors came to be and what it might have been meant in the family… What life was like in the nomadic wanderings of the descendants of Abraham… How to become a slave and advance to a position second only to Pharoah… What Jacob, Judah, and Joseph might have really been thinking and feeling…

I highly recommend The Prince and the Prodigal. The age-old story of guilt, shame, and forgiveness comes alive in Jill Eileen Smith’s expert storytelling style.

Blessings to you and yours,

Marie

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell/Baker Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR requirements, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

In The Beginning

 

 

In the beginning:

God knew every single thing that would happen on His creation.

God knew He would have to send His Son to save us.

God knew the people who would be faithful and those who wouldn’t. (The unfaithful had already broken His heart.)

God knew Adam and Eve would fall. He gave them choices.

God knew life wouldn’t be easy. He had a plan for that.

Yet, He went ahead and created it all anyway. He already loved us and wanted to give us the best of all that’s His. Which is everything.

Oh, How He Loves Us!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Think On This – – Sarai

Sarai Is Taken to Pharaoh’s Palace by James Tissot.

Genesis 12

Why was Abraham so afraid of dying that he gave Sarai to the Pharoah as a concubine, saying she was his sister? (True, but a partial lie is still a lie, right?)

Sarai was almost 70 at this point. Her beauty must have been stunning!  What must she have thought of her husband? Was he a bully, in that he seemed to be an expert liar and manipulator?

Here’s an interesting article you might want to check out. Sarah’s Abduction by Dr. Ralph Wilson.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn. 1606-1669

 

Genesis 22

After the sacrifice, Abraham went to Beersheba and lived there. Was he afraid to face Sarah?

What must Sarah have thought/felt when she discovered why Abraham took Isaac? It seems that a short while after she found out she moved away ,as she died in Hebron (See 23:1). Had she had enough? Did Abraham try to stop her?

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Read more in When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams by Jill Eileen Smith

3 Who Parted The Waters

Interesting!  Amazing! Provoking!  Every one of these adjectives describes my Bible reading.  How about yours?  Do you read the Word for study only or, like me, do you take the time to just read it for the pure joy of it.  Don’t get me wrong, I do study the Word!  But every morning, with coffee in hand, I simply read it, asking God to let me see something new and amazing each time.  He honors that request almost every day and today was no exception.

2 Kings 2

We all know that Moses parted the waters at the Red Sea, and stopped the rivers on the journey to the Promised Land.  Did you know there are others?  I found two in 2 Kings Chapter 2.

Elijah was trying to get away from Elisha because he knew he was about to be taken to the LORD.  First, he told Elisha to stay where he was because God had an errand for him in Bethel.   Elisha wasn’t having any of that.  He knew what was about to happen and he wasn’t leaving.  Then Elijah said God had an errand for him in Jericho.  Same thing happened, so they traveled together.  Finally, Elijah said God has an errand for me at the Jordan.  Elisha is not about to let him out of his sight.  When they get to the Jordan, Elijah hits the water with his cloak and it parts allowing them to cross on dry ground.  When they reach the other side Elijah is taken to Heaven in a whirlwind, his cloak falls to the ground.  Elisha, having already asked to be like Elijah, uses the cloak to part the waters again and return to the other side.  As I said, interesting, amazing, and thought provoking.

Transfiguration by Alexandr Ivanov, 1824

Transfiguration by Alexandr Ivanov, 1824

Here’s another interesting connection.  (I love it when the Old and New Testaments connect!)  At the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13) Jesus met both Elijah and Moses.  Isn’t it interesting that the One who walked on water and the ones who parted the waters were great friends  and needed to talk to one another while Jesus was this side of heaven?

Keep on keeping on!

Heavenly Father, put a great desire in all of us to know more and more of  You!  As David said, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  Make it so for all of us Lord!

Let My People Go!

This morning I was having a great cup of coffee and spending some time just enjoying reading His Word.  This is something I do every morning.  I have no plan for reading through in 90 days or a year I just read and let Him get into my mind and heart with whatever He needs me to know at that point.  When I’ve finished I just start all over and read the Bible again.  Today I was reading in Exodus about the Plagues and found some very interesting concepts (Even though I’ve read these words many times before He always adds something new for me to think about.).

Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (painting by Be...

Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (painting by Benjamin West) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sometimes, because of the way our Bibles are divided into chapters, I miss something interesting.  At the beginning of Exodus 7 God said to Moses ‘Look at Me’. In the last verse of the chapter before Moses had said to God ‘Look at Me’.  Can’t you just see God smiling in this exchange of words.  Look at me, NO Look at Me!  You’re saying you stutter, I AM saying I’ll make you like a god to them.  one-upmanship at it’s best….

In Exodus 10 Pharaoh’s servants have had enough.  They want to know how long Pharaoh is going to let this go on.  There is basically nothing left of their country.  What wasn’t taken by boils and hail was eaten by flies, gnats and locusts.  It didn’t matter to Pharaoh, even though he called Moses back and said OK you can go, God kept him stubborn as ever.

10 pl

In the 9th Plague God puts a thick darkness on the land of Egypt.  So thick the Word says it was so dark you could touch it.  Can you imagine what fear that would cause?  Ray and I have experienced that kind of darkness, literally.  We’ve been deep in caves under the surface of the earth when the guide turns off the lanterns.  Let me tell you, it’s so dark it can be felt.  Here’s something I find interesting.  The exchange between Moses and Pharaoh is enlightening (pun intended).  Pharaoh says, “Get out of my sight!”  Moses says, “You won’t see my face again.”  After darkness so dark it was blinding, no one could even move because it was so dark, Pharaoh says I don’t want to see you again…Hm-m-m-m!

Before the Plague of Death Moses gives Pharaoh God’s words about the Death to come.  This is powerful stuff!  The first-born will be killed.  This is a huge punishment in this culture and time.  Everything belonged to the first-born.  But, once again, Pharaoh gets stubborn.  Death sweeps through Egypt, saving only the Israelites, and still Pharaoh refuses to act.  Everyone else does, though.  They beg the Israelites to leave giving them jewelry and clothing for the trip.

Isn’t it the same with us.  Aren’t we a bit like Pharaoh?  He truly believed in his god-status and wasn’t about to let the Real One get the upper hand.  When we say my way or the highway, I know what works for me, don’t tell me how to do this or that…aren’t we acting like Pharaoh?

Worship the One and Only with me in song – –Days of Elijah  (Just click on the title)

Heavenly Father speak to me.  You know me and know what I need to ‘hear’.  Open my ears, eyes, mind, heart and soul to what You would have me know from the Words You have ‘breathed’ onto paper.  Make it so, Lord!