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(Part 9qrs of 11)
1. Rebekah and Isaac gave birth to twins Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel).
Esau is firstborn and red
Jacob grabs Esau's heel.
Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for soup.
Jacob stole Esau's blessing by pretending to be Esau. Rebekah, their mother, helped Jacob trick Isaac. (UC#1325)
2. Tamar & Judah gave birth to twins Pharez and Zarah. Zarah stuck his hand out of the birth canal first and the midwife tied a scarlet thread to it; however Pharez somehow worked his way into position to be born first. Pharez became part of the lineage of Jesus. Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law. She pretended to be a harlot and Judah had sex with her for the price of goat.
3. Asenath & Joseph gave birth to twins Manasseh firstborn and Ephraim. Both Jacob the grandfather and Joseph the father preferred Ephraim over Manasseh, so Jacob blessed them both but Ephraim more.
4. Leah and Jacob Israel give birth to Reuben, their firstborn of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben had sex with Bilhah, concubine of his father. Bilhah had already given birth to two sons for Jacob Israel, Dan & Naphtali. Reuben was said to defile his father's bed, therefore his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the grandchildren of the eleventh tribe of Israel. Reuben later protected Joseph from being killed by having him thrown in a pit. When he returned to get Joseph, Joseph was gone. Reuben told his father and pledged his son's lives while he went to look for Joseph. Jacob later blessed Reuben and the descendants of Reuben were given land. However, Judah's lineage was made the tribe of chief rulers. Judah was son of Leah, the elder and lesser loved sister to Rachel. Laban tricked Jacob into working an extra seven years. The tribe of Judah was likely made chief ruler over his elder brothers because they were unworthy of ruling nations and Joseph and his children were too young. (1 Chronicles 5:1) (Genesis 49)
5. Finally we see that Jesus did not have the perfect family. In the lineage of Jesus is Tamar (Thamar) and Judah who played the role of harlot and harlot seeker. Also David who stole and killed to get Bathsheba, another man's wife. Even so, their child Solomon was made king, wisest and richest. But Ruth and Boaz, redeemed the family a little by being a virtuous woman and virtuous man.
6. Under no circumstances should you allow yourself to be bothered by not having a perfect family and for having people in your family who have done treacherous things.
