Reading with Ben

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 17, 2022, and Episode #20! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 42  & 43. Genesis chapter 42 begins with Jacob sending his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy grain for the family. It ends with him refusing to send his youngest son back as part of a second trip. Genesis chapter 43 Jacob lashes out, blaming his sons for even mentioning Benjamin...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 19, 2022, and Episode #19! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 40  & 41. Genesis chapter 40, Joseph continues to languish in a special prison attached to the house of the captain of the guard (Genesis 39:11–20). While Joseph's former master held that position (Genesis 39:1), Scripture does not use the name Potiphar from this point forward....

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 18, 2022, and Episode #18! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 38  & 39. Genesis Chapter 38 likely takes place during Joseph's time as a slave in Egypt (Genesis 37:26–28) and sometime before he is reunited with his brothers (Genesis 45:1–3). After this passage, the text will return to a focus on Joseph. Genesis Chapter 39 Joseph has been f...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 17, 2022, and Episode #17! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 36  & 37. Genesis 36 consists of a list of Esau's offspring, focusing primarily on genealogy and the rulers of Edom, the nation that came from Esau. The chapter is inserted in Genesis between the generations of Isaac (Genesis 25:19), ending with his death in the previous chapte...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 16, 2022, and Episode #16! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 34 & 35. Genesis Chapter 34, Jacob and his family have settled within sight of the city of Shechem. They've purchased the land they occupy outside of the city from the city's ruler, Hamor (Genesis 33:18–19). These "Israelites" have found a home. Eventually, though, things go terribl...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 15, 2022, and Episode #15! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 32 & 33. Genesis chapter 32 Now returning to his homeland, Jacob could not know if Esau had forgiven him. Jacob begins by sending messengers to Esau to let him know he is back in the land, that he is wealthy, and that he hopes to find favor in Esau's sight. He calls Esau lord and hi...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 14, 2022, and Episode #14! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 230 & 31. Genesis 30 is characterized by sibling conflict between Jacob's wives, the birth of many more children under the blessing of God, and Jacob eventually achieving great wealth after striking an unusual bargain with his father-in-law. Genesis 31 is a long, eventful chapter th...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 12, 2022, and Episode #13! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 28 & 29. Genesis 28 is the story of Jacob leaving home to begin his journey to Mesopotamia. Based on recent events, however, it would be more accurate to describe it as fleeing from his home. Jacob's brother Esau wants to kill him for cheating him out of Isaac's blessing (Genesis 27...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 12, 2022, and Episode #12! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 26 & 27. Genesis 26 focuses on the Lord reassuring Isaac. God states that His relationship with Abraham, and its blessings, are for Isaac, as well. God appears to Isaac not once, but twice in this chapter. In both cases, the Lord restates and emphasizes the covenant promises He had...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today April 11, 2022, and Episode #11! I'll continue the lecture with chapters 24 & 25. Genesis 24 describes in great detail how Rebekah came to be the wife of Abraham's son Isaac. The story begins with what sounds like a deathbed scene, though Abraham will apparently live another 35 years. Genesis 25 records the deaths of both Abraham and Ishmael, as well as...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today I'll continue the lecture with chapters 22 & 23. Happy Sunday! Genesis Chapter 22, contains one of the most iconic stories in all of literature: Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son, Isaac. It's a troubling story for many, mostly because it is so often misunderstood. When read as part of the long, detailed story of Abraham, this is an event that reveals t...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today I'll continue the lecture with chapters 20 & 21. Genesis Chapter 20 , a similar pattern emerges. Abraham and company pull up stakes at Mamre and move to a place called Gerar, south of Gaza. Once again, Abraham and Sarah lie: claiming they are brother and sister (Genesis 20:13). The intent is to disguise the fact that they are married. Again, the most pow...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today I'll continue the lecture with chapters 18 & 19. Genesis chapter 18, takes place not long after God's visit with Abraham in chapter 17. This visit from the Lord is quite different, however. It's not clear, at first, if Abraham even recognizes the three men who appear outside of his tent as the Lord and two angels in human form. In either case, Abraham ru...

Welcome back to Reading with Ben! Today I'll continue the lecture with chapters 15, 16 & 17. Genesis chapter 15, consists entirely of an extended encounter between the Lord and Abram, the man who will later be renamed, Abraham. This concludes with the formal establishment of God's covenant promise to Abram: to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. Genesis chapter 16, continues to fo...

Welcome back here to the book of Genesis, today I'll continue the lecture with chapters 13 & 14. Genesi s Chapter 13 , where Abram and Lot separate and Abram returns to the land promised to him, where God reminds him of His promise. Genesis Chapter 14 , This chapter begins with four kings war against five kings who were ruling the plains of Jordan. They all went into battle and the four kings&...

Welcome back here to the book of Genesis, today I'll continue the lecture with chapters 11 & 12. Genesis, Chapter 11, This chapter began building a great tower for themselves, but the Lord confused their language. Shem's line included Abram who married Sarai. Genesis, Chapter 12, describes the many ways Abram was tested by God and how he interacted with the many cultures and societies he encou...

Welcome back here to the book of Genesis chapters 8, 9 & 10. Genesis , Chapter 8 details the actions of Noah and those animals and people who gathered with him on the ark. Genesis Chapter 9 covers the events that took place after Noah and his family survived the floods meant to wipe out the wicked people of earth. It also includes God’s promise to Noah that He would never flood the earth again...

Welcome back here to the book of Genesis chapters 5, 6 & 7. Genesis 5 describes the continuation of the human race beginning with Adam and ending with Noah. Genesis 6 describes how, over time, men and women began to procreate and increase in numbers. Men and women placed less emphasis on spiritual matters and thus less emphasis on God in their lives. They became known as the ‘Giants of the Ear...

Welcome back here to the book of Genesis chapters 3 & 4 Enjoy it. Genesis chapter 3 : Adam, Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden: A story with a long and varied mythological history finds its way into the Bible, complete with irrationalities and very poor moral teachings. Chapter 4 ’s Bible verse describes inherent sin and how it exists in all of us.

Welcome to the first episode of the reading a book podcast For this first season, I would like to begin reading the book of Genesys, yes the book of Genesys. Previous that  I would like to share a little bit of context about this book. This is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.  The Hebrew name is Bereshit which means; "In the beginning".  Tradition...