Bible in 365: Day 20
01/27/2012 at 8:27 am 6 comments
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Genesis 25-26
It is so easy for us to read about Esau and look back and say to ourselves, “What a foolish decision!” Can you believe he gave away his birthright as firstborn for a bowl of lentil stew? (see Gen 25:29-34).
Then the very last verse of our reading today says that Esau’s wives were “a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” It looks like Esau just has trouble making the right decisions. I do not think Esau was trying to displease his parents by marrying foreign women, but it just happened as a result of his decisions.
Esau’s decisions are not so far removed from our own. I’m sure we have all made a mistake or two. Are you being foolish in any of your current decision-making? Have you asked God to help you make the tough decisions in your life? Let’s pray about our upcoming decisions instead of making choices in our own strength.
A little something extra to get your taste buds smiling today. This is my mother-in-law’s recipe for Lentil Soup. Be forewarned: it is delicious! Don’t make any foolish decisions in exchange for a bowl!
Lentil Bean Soup
- 1 pkg lentils
- 1 lb carrots, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 can Rotel
- 1 lb ground meat (ground beef is delicious, but deer meat adds a tasty variety to this dish)
Rinse beans and cover with water to cook. While cooking add carrots, onion, celery, and Rotel. Season to taste. Beans and vegetables take about 20 minutes to cook. Meanwhile, cook the ground meat and drain if needed. Season to taste. Add ground meat to pot of beans and vegetables toward the end of cooking. You may have to add some extra water. Serve hot with some homemade cornbread. Yum!
Entry filed under: Bible in 365, Food. Tags: Esau, Genesis, Lentil, Lentil Soup.
1.
Jeanette | 01/27/2012 at 10:25 am
Mmmmm…..That sounds delicious. I’ll have to try it one day. Thanks for the recipe.
2.
themoptimist | 01/30/2012 at 8:56 am
You should try it sometime soon before the weather warms up. It is so delicious on a cold night.
3.
Dawn | 01/28/2012 at 7:34 am
Some interesting facts that I noticed. Ishmael had 12 sons. So there’s a parallel between 12 Arab tribes and the 12 tribes of Israel.Jacob and Esau were the first, that we know of, set of twins. Esau’s choice of wife, two of them actually, caused his parents grief. I wonder if it’s because he married 2 women at the same time of if because they were foreign women? I’m sure that the sibling rivalry between the two boys didn’t help matters any let alone the favoritism of their parents.
4.
themoptimist | 01/30/2012 at 8:57 am
Yes, I have to remind myself often that even (maybe even especially) people in the Bible are not perfect examples of how to live (except for Jesus of course), but they make mistakes just like the rest of us…maybe we can learn from their dysfunctional families and prevent the same problems in our own.
5.
Elena Parmer | 01/30/2012 at 10:47 pm
I got the lentil bean soup recipe from a recipe book on things good to eat when you have cancer. The lentils are loaded with nistrilacides (not sure how to spell this), and they are cancer blockers. This is a very healthy dish.
6.
themoptimist | 01/31/2012 at 8:48 am
Healthy and delicious…a wonderful combination!