Genesis 29 - Esther 5 - Matthew 28 - Acts 28

Genesis 29
- Jacob goes into Haran to find a daughter of Labon to marry.
- Jacob meets some shepherds him Rachel, Labon's daughter. Jacob kisses her and weeps.
- Labon ran to meet Jacob and kissed him (Kissing must be a way of greeting in this culture).
- Jacob stayed there a month. Labon asked what he should pay Jacob for working for him.
- Jacob said he'd work for Labon for 7 years in order to marry Rachel.
- Jacob chose Rachel over Leah because Rachel was more beautiful.
- Because of his love for Rachel, the 7 years flew by.
- Labon held a great feast and sent Leah into Jacob instead of Rachel. (Jacob must have drank too much because he didn't knew who "came in to him that night")
- How did he not know the difference between Rachel and Leah?
Was it the custom at that time to have a week "honeymoon?"
- Labon gave Rachel to be Jacob's wife a week later in exchange for Jacob working 7 additional years.
- Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. (This must have caused tension and jealousy.)
- The LORD gave Leah 4 children to Jacob; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah whose names mean "See", "Heard", "Attached", and "Praised".
- Leah thought having children would make Jacob love her more.
- Why would God bless Leah with children and not allow Rachel to have children if Jacob was to be blessed and Jacob loved Rachel more?

Esther 5
- Esther went into the king and he held out his scepter (which was the only way fro her to talk to him unannounced without being killed)
- He said she could request anything even up to half the kingdom.
- Esther requested that the king and Haman come to a feast she had prepared and then she would share her request.
- Haman went to his wife and friend boasting about how great he was; in his riches, his high standing with the king, and in the fact that only he was invited with the king to Esther's feast tomorrow.
- Mordecai was still not bowing to Haman, so with advice of his wife, he made the gallows 50 feet (75 feet) high to hang Mordecai in the morning.

Matthew 28
- The day after the Sabbath there was a great earthquake and an angel appeared at Jesus' tomb.
- Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" went to Jesus' tomb and the angel told them that Jesus would meet them in Galilee.
- Was "the other Mary" Jesus' mother?
- Why did Jesus choose to go to Galilee first after he rose from the dead and not to somewhere greater like Jerusalem or Rome?
- The effect of seeing the angel was fear and great joy (strange combo)
- Jesus first met the 2 Marys.
- The Jewish priests gave a large sum of money to say the disciples had taken Jesus' body, thus trying to null and void Jesus prophecies about Himself.
- It says "some doubted" but I thought only Thomas doubted it was really Jesus.
- Jesus gave the great commission to the disciples, for them to go and make disciples of Christ among the nations.
- Jesus said He would be with them always even to the end of "the age"
- Is this the age until Christ's return?
- This is the heart of the Gospel. Christ had conquered death and saved those who would believe in Him from their sins. He is our hope and confidence for eternal life. (Yay!!!)

Acts 28
- The natives welcomed Paul, Luke and the crew who were stranded in Malta.
- The people were very kind to them.
- They made a fire and Paul was bit by a viper. The natives thought Paul must have been a murderer because "Justice" was going to kill him.
- Why is Justice capitalized?
- Paul threw the snake into the fire (was this a reference to Satan being thrown into the lake of fire or just a coincidence) Paul had no ill effects and the people thought he must be a god.
- Publius, the local ruler, had a father who was very sick. Paul prayed for him and healed him and many others in Malta.
- They supplied Paul with everything else he would need for his journey.
- Paul stayed in Malta for 3 months in total.
- How did believers learn of the gospel before Paul got there?
- Paul was guarded by a soldier but other believers came and visited with him.
- Paul asked to speak with the local Jews in Rome and they had heard nothing good or bad about him. They wanted to hear his views about this "sect" (Christianity) that was being talked about everywhere.
- He tried to convince them about Jesus by using the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
- Some believed and some did not to which Paul referenced Isaiah where it said your will hear but not understand, etc...
- It's interesting that v.29 was omitted from the main passage, but it said the Jews departed from Paul after he stated that the Gentiles would hear and believe.
- Paul lived there 2 years talking with others and living in a dwelling that he was apparently renting at his own expense.
- Wasn't he guarded in jail or was he renting a place and just being watched by the guard?