Study Desk

So Jacob named that place Peniel, saying, "I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved."

When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, "Who are these people with you?" Jacob answered, "These are the children God has given me. God has been good to me, your servant."

Jacob said, "No! Please! If I have pleased you, then accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me.

So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has been very good to me, and I have more than I need." And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift.

He built an altar there and named it after God, the God of Israel.

God said to Jacob, "Go to the city of Bethel and live there. Make an altar to the God who appeared to you there when you were running away from your brother Esau."

We will leave here and go to Bethel. There I will build an altar to God, who has helped me during my time of trouble. He has been with me everywhere I have gone."

Then Jacob and his sons left there. But God caused the people in the nearby cities to be afraid, so they did not follow them.

There Jacob built an altar and named the place Bethel, after God, because God had appeared to him there when he was running from his brother.

When Jacob came back from Northwest Mesopotamia, God appeared to him again and blessed him.

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. Your new name will be Israel." So he called him Israel.

God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Have many children and grow in number as a nation. You will be the ancestor of many nations and kings.

Then God left him.

Jacob set up a stone on edge in that place where God had talked to him, and he poured a drink offering and olive oil on it to make it special for God.

There is no one in his house greater than I. He has not kept anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How can I do such an evil thing? It is a sin against God."

The two men answered, "We both had dreams last night, but no one can explain their meaning to us." Joseph said to them, "God is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams. Tell me your dreams."

Joseph answered the king, "I am not able to explain the meaning of dreams, but God will do this for the king."

Then Joseph said to the king, "Both of these dreams mean the same thing. God is telling you what he is about to do.

This will happen as I told you. God is showing the king what he is about to do.

You had two dreams which mean the same thing. This shows that God has firmly decided that this will happen, and he will make it happen soon.