Study Desk

Jacob said, "No, I beg you! If you really accept me, please accept the gifts I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God. I am very happy to see that you accept me.

So I beg you to also accept the gifts I give you. God has been very good to me. I have more than I need." Because Jacob begged Esau to take the gifts, he accepted them.

He built an altar there to honor God. He named the place "El, the God of Israel."

God said to Jacob, "Go to the town of Bethel. That is where I appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau. Live there and make an altar to honor me as El, the God who appeared to you."

We will leave here and go to Bethel. There I will build an altar to the God who has always helped me during times of trouble. He has been with me wherever I have gone."

Then Jacob and his sons left that place. The people in the surrounding cities wanted to follow and kill them, but God filled them with such great fear that they did not go after them.

Jacob built an altar there. He named the place "El Bethel." Jacob chose this name because that is the place where God first appeared to him when he was running from his brother.

When Jacob came back from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again. God blessed Jacob

and said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but I will change that name. You will no longer be called Jacob. Your new name will be Israel." So God named him Israel.

God said to him, "I am God All-Powerful, and I give you this blessing: Have many children and grow into a great nation. Other nations and other kings will come out of you.

Then God left that place.

Jacob set up a memorial stone there. He made the rock holy by pouring wine and oil on it. This was a special place because God spoke to Jacob there, and Jacob named the place Bethel.

My master has made me almost equal to him in his house. I cannot sleep with his wife! That is wrong! It is a sin against God."

The two men answered, "We both had dreams last night, but we don't understand what we dreamed. There is no one to explain the dreams to us." Joseph said to them, "God is the only one who can understand and explain dreams. So I beg you, tell me your dreams."

Joseph answered, "I cannot! But God can explain the dream for you, Pharaoh."

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both of these dreams have the same meaning. God is telling you what will happen soon.

God has shown you what will happen soon. He will make these things happen just as I told you.

"Pharaoh, you had two dreams about the same thing. That means God wanted to show you that he really will make this happen, and he will make it happen soon!

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "God showed these things to you, so you must be the wisest man.

Joseph named the first son Manasseh. He was given this name because Joseph said, "God made me forget all my hard work and everything back home in my father's house."