Genesis 31 - Esther 7 - Mark 2 - Romans 2

Genesis 31
- Labon's servants got mad because Jacob had acquired great wealth and the Lord told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers.
- Jacob tells Rachel and Leah the vision he had from God which said he should leave their father's land. They saw that their father had cheated them out of money so they both (actually agreed) and told Jacob to do what the Lord had commanded him to do.
- The Lord remembered the pillar Jacob had made in bethel and referred to it when he addressed Jacob.
- Jacob fled without talking to Labon.
- Rachel ("the good wife") had stolen a household idol from her father.
- Labon overtook Jacob and confronted him, but did not harm Jacob because the Lord had told him not to.
- Labon said Jacob had acted foolishly in fleeing without telling Labon, but nothing Labon had done previously seemed to indicate that he'd willingly let Jacob go.
- Labon said someone with Jacob had stolen his household gods, and Jacob said that if anyone had anything that belonged to Labon they should be put to death.
- Rachel sat on her camel which contained the gods, but said she could not move because "the way of a woman was upon her"
- Would Rachel still have been "cycling" at her age?
- When Labon found nothing, Jacob asked why Labon had treated him so badly. He worked for Labon 14 years, 7 years for each daughter, and then he worked 6 more years tending the sheep under the deal he had made with Labon.
- Jacob told Labon that this was why God rebuked Labon in a dream the previous day.
- Labon spoke Aramaic apparently and Jacob spoke Hebrew at least they names the pillar they set up as a covenant this way.
- The vowed not to cross this pillar to do each other harm.
- Why is God referred to as the Fear of Isaac? Why is "Fear" capitalized twice in this passage?
- Labon blessed his daughters and grandchildren and went home. It's interesting that Labon did not bless Jacob himself.

Esther 7
- Esther's feast lasted 2 days.
- The king asked Esther what she wants and she said simply, her life and life for her people. She also said that if her people were merely to be enslaved she would have been quiet but since her people were to be wiped out she had to speak up.
- The king asked who would do this wicked act and Esther said it was Haman himself. Haman of course was scared,
- The king left the room very angry and while he was out, Haman fell on the couch to beg for his life from Esther. The king returned and thought Haman was attacking his wife, so the king had Haman hung on the gallows which were waiting for Mordecai.
- Didn't the king know that Esther was Jewish and piece together that the anti Jewish law was against her too?

Mark 2
- Jesus went to Capernaum and many came to hear Jesus speak and to be healed.
- 4 men brought their paralytic friend and lowered him through the roof to Jesus.
- Jesus told the man that his sins had been forgiven.
- Some of the scribes thought Jesus was blaspheming, so he healed the man and EVERYONE glorified God.
- Jesus could hear their question by the spirit
- Was this story the same incident recorded in Matthew or a different one?
- Why does Mark add so much detail to THIS story when he abbreviates the others?
- Jesus told Levi to follow Him and he did.
- v.15 - Why does it say "at table" and not "at the table"?
- Jesus was hanging out with tax collectors and sinners and the scribes asked why. Jesus replied that He came to save sinners not the righteous.
- Was anyone counted as righteous at this time since Jesus is constantly rebuking the Pharisees?
- Interesting to note that Mark refers to the Pharisees as "scribes" where as Matthew never did this.
- The Pharisees asked why Jesus' disciples didn't fast, and He told them they do not fast because the bridegroom "Jesus" is still with them. They will fast when He is taken from them.
- Jesus' disciples were picking grain to eat on the Sabbath and again the Pharisees asked why they were doing this.
- Jesus refers them to a time when David ate food from the house of God.
- What were the circumstances and/or reasons which caused David to break this commandment?
- Wouldn't that act by David be viewed as sin by God?
- Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man and that He was Lord even of the Sabbath which must have been seen as blasphemy.
- Who is Mark?
- Why is the tax collector's name Levi in Mark and Matthew in Matthew 9:9-13?

Roman 2
- Paul rebukes them for being hypocrites, judging people for doing something wrong and then doing the same thing themselves. Paul reminds them that God WILL judge them for these things and that they are stockpiling wrath against themselves.
- Paul says that God demonstrates patience and kindness in order to lead people to repentance.
- Why does Paul say that God shows no partiality and then say the Jew shall be first and the Greek will be second?
- Wrath awaits those who are selfish and not living by the truth.
- v.12 - 16 - Is Paul saying that those who do not know the law will not be judged by it?
- Paul is saying that even people who have never heard the law parts of it written on their heart...kinda like a conscience I guess...knowing right from wrong.
- Paul is telling the Romans that their hypocritical ways are ruining their witness to unbelievers, basically blaspheming God to others because they have the Law but cannot keep it.
- Paul states that circumcision is an outward sign, but Gentiles who are not circumcised yet keep the law are viewed as righteous.
- Circumcision is a matter of the heart not a physical thing.
- Man's praise is from God not man ultimately.