Genesis 46
Vision of God by Jacob or Israelverses 1-4
And Israel took his journey with all that he had – and came to Beersheba
and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac
And God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night – and said
Jacob – Jacob
And he said
Here am I
And HE said
I am God – the God of your father
fear not to go down into Egypt
FOR I will there make of you a great NATION
I will go down with you into Egypt
I will also surely bring you up again
and Joseph shall put his hand on your eyes
Jacob takes family to Egyptverses 5-7
And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba
and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father
and their little ones – and their wives
in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him
And they took their cattle – and their goods
which they had gotten in the land of Canaan
and came into Egypt – Jacob – and all his seed with him
his sons and his sons’ sons with him
his daughters and his sons’ daughters
all his seed brought he with him
into Egypt
Sons of Leah and their familiesverses 8-15
And these are the names of the children of Israel – who came into Egypt
Jacob and his sons – Reuben – Jacob’s first-born
and the sons of Reuben
Hanoch – Pallu – Hezron – Carmi
And the sons of Simeon
Jemuel – Jamin – Ohad – Jachin – Zohar
and Shaul – the son of a Canaanitish woman
And the sons of Levi
Gershon – Kohath – Merari
And the sons of Judah
Er – Onan – Shelah – Perez – Zerah
but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan
and the sons of Perez were Hezron – Hamul
And the sons of Issachar
Tola – Puvah – Job – Shimron
And the sons of Zebulun
Sered – Elon – Jahleel
These are the sons of LEAH
whom she bore unto Jacob in Paddan-aram
with his daughter Dinah
all the souls of his sons and his daughters
were thirty and three
Sons of Zilpah (Leah’s handmaidverses 16-18
And the sons of Gad
Ziphion – Haggi – Shuni – Ezbon – Eri – Arodi – Areli
And the sons of Asher
Jimnah – Ishuah – Isui – Beriah – and Serah – their sister
and the sons of Beriah – Heber – Malchiel
These are the sons of ZILPAH – whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter
and these she bore unto Jacob – even sixteen souls
Sons of Rachel and their familiesverses 19-22
The sons of RACHEL Jacob’s wife
Joseph – Benjamin
And Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh – Ephraim
whom Asenath – the daughter of Potiphera
priest of On – bore to him
And the sons of Benjamin were Bela – Becher – Ashbel – Gera
Naaman – Ehi – Roth – Muppim – Huppim – Ard
These are the sons of RACHEL who were born to Jacob
all the souls were fourteen
Sons of Bilhah handmaid to Rachelverses 23-25
And the sons of Dan
Hushim
And the sons of Naphtali
Jahzeel – Guni – Jezer – Shillem
These are the sons of BILHAH
whom Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter
and she bore these unto Jacob
all the souls were seven
Total descendants that went to Egyptverses 26-27
All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt
who came out of his loins – BESIDES Jacob’s sons’ wives
all souls were threescore and six (66)
And the sons of Joseph – who were born to him in Egypt
were two souls – all the souls of the house of Jacob
who came into Egypt were threescore and ten (70)
Jacob meets Joseph againverses 28-30
And he sent Judah before him to Joseph
to direct his face unto Goshen
and they came into the land of Goshen
And Joseph made ready his chariot
and went up to meet ISRAEL his father – to Goshen
and presented himself to him
and he fell on his neck
and wept on his neck a good while
And ISRAEL said to Joseph
Now let me die – since I have seen your face
BECAUSE you are yet ALIVE
Joseph going to Pharaohverses 31-34
And Joseph said to his brethren – and to his father’s house
I will go up and show Pharaoh – and say to him
My brethren and my father’s house
who were in the land of Canaan are come to me
And the men are SHEPHERDS
for their trade hath been to feed cattle
and they have brought their flocks
and their herds and all they have
And it shall come to pass – when Pharaoh shall call you
and shall say – What is your occupation?
That you shall say
Your servants’ trade has been about cattle
from our youth even until now – both we
and also our fathers
that you may dwell in the land of Goshen
FOR every SHEPHERD is an
ABOMINATION
to the Egyptians
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. (2077 “sacrifices” [zebach] means offerings, sacrifices of righteousness, the act of killing an animal as an act of worship, communal sacrifice, or the flesh of slain animal)
DEVOTION: Jacob is on his way to Egypt. He stops along the way to offer sacrifices to God. Notice who he is offering sacrifices to: the God of his father. Jacob is a believer as well but he is offering the sacrifice to the God of his father because the promise of blessing has come to him through his father who received it from the LORD after his father Abraham received it from HIM.
God was blessing a nation that started with Abraham. The only reason Abraham receive the blessing was obedience. He did not live a sinless life but he depended on the LORD throughout his life and God counted it faith.
Our faith is important to our relationship with God. If our faith is the same as the faith of our father who has served the LORD faithfully through the years it means that that faith has been passed on from generation to generation.
Count your blessing if your father loved the LORD. Thank the LORD for the father you have if he has been a believer. Jacob was thankful for the altar that his father had built. He was thankful for the altar that his grandfather had built. A family heritage of believing fathers can give us the confidence we need to continue to serve the LORD.
God talked to Jacob. HE talks to us through HIS Word with many promises that are given to all believers. One promise we can be thankful for is the promise that HE will never leave us or forsake us once be repent of our sins and follow the path HE has laid out for us in our life.
CHALLENGE: Jacob had to go to Egypt. Where is HE sending us!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation. (3372 “fear” [yare] means to revere, to frighten, make afraid, reverence, or terrible)
DEVOTION: Does God send things into our lives that cause confusion in our thinking? Have you ever moved to a new location in another state or nation that you know no one in? Those who graduate from college have to make these kinds of decisions and it can cause a challenge in their lives. Here is God telling Jacob to move to Egypt. Egypt has been a problem for other family members. Remember Abraham moving to Egypt?
Jacob stops in Beer-sheba to worship at an altar his father had built to the LORD. God met with Jacob to assure him that HE was still with him. HE assured him that Egypt was the place that HE wanted him. HE promised that Israel would become a great nation in the land of Egypt.
What did Jacob do when he met the LORD? He took his family into Egypt. He was afraid of this move until the LORD gave him HIS promise. He looked forward to a time when his family would return to the land that was promised to Abraham.
We realize that 430 years later the children of Israel would leave Egypt for the Promised Land. Now was a time to build up a nation. The total population of the children of Israel when they entered Egypt was seventy people. When the children of Israel left Egypt the number was in the millions.
Anytime we do something different, we have a time of being afraid that we are doing the wrong thing. Israel had that time before he went into Egypt. God met him and told him that he had nothing to be afraid of because HE was going to do great things with his family in Egypt. Sometimes we need reassurance from God that everything is all right. HE does give it to us through HIS word, HIS people and through our prayer life.
Has HE put HIS arm around you lately and said “Everything is going alright.” We need to realize that HE has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Once we are in HIS family HE takes care of us. HE gets us through the storms of life. HE doesn’t take the storms away but HE protects us through them. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: I heard a speaker a few years ago who said that God doesn’t have a love meter. HE will never love us any more or any less once we join HIS family. Jacob had to learn this and we do too.
: 12 And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shellah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Oman died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. (4191 “died” [muwth] means slay, kill, be put to death, to pass form physical life and lose all bodily attributes, or assassinate)
DEVOTION: Remember that Jesus Christ came from the tribe of Judah. There are five women mentioned in the book of Matthew in the genealogy of Christ. One of the women is Tamar.
Here we find the LORD having Moses mention the death of Er and Onan again to remind us that God judged sin. These two men were evil. They didn’t follow the LORD even though they were from the family that would eventually bring Jesus into the world.
There are no perfect families. There are no perfect sons in the families. There are no sinless individuals in our world or in the world of the past. All human beings are sinners who need a Savior.
So God reminds us that HE works in our world of sin and HIS plan is not changed because someone is sinful in the family. HE established a plan before the foundation of the world. Jesus was coming through the family of Judah. That was not going to change.
God knew what was going to happen in the tribe of Judah before it even existed. HE knows what is going to happen in our family as well. Ask HIM to lead you in the path HE wants you to go.
CHALLENGE: Encourage your family to love the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten. (7657 “threescore and ten” [shib‘iym] means seventy, or a cardinal number. The word “score” means twenty. So “threescore” means sixty)
DEVOTION: When we read the Old Testament, it uses the word to help us understand numbers of people.
We have seventy men represented which includes Joseph and his two sons living in Egypt at the beginning of their stay there. They are going to stay in Egypt until they become a great nation. They are going to stay in Egypt until the iniquity of the Amorites is full in the eyes of the LORD.
This takes many years. The nation of Israel grew to the number of millions in this time period. They would be led out of Egypt by Moses over four hundred years later than this point in time.
God wants us to understand that HE can use small numbers to build a great nation. HE wants to bless the nation of Israel. HE has made promises to Abraham and Isaac and now Jacob that HE will make a great nation of them.
God works in time. We sometimes don’t like how long HE takes to get things done in our world. We want everything to happen now!! HE is longsuffering.
We need to understand that numbers mean nothing to HIM but obedience does. HE wants us to work with HIM through obedience to HIS plan for our life and for our world.
Small groups can grow with HIS blessing. HIS presence is with us just like it was with Jacob or Israel when he moved into Egypt. Accept the way HE works and watch what HE can do with us today.
CHALLENGE: God makes a lot of promises to Israel and HE kept them. HE makes promises to us and HE will keep them too. HIS presence is with us now as it was with Jacob or Israel then.
:29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. (1058 “wept” [bakah] means 1 to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy). 1a2 to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.). 1a3 to weep upon (embrace and weep). 1a4 to bewail. 1b (Piel) participle. 1b1 lamenting. 1b2 bewailing. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: When was it that you last had a good cry? We are all aware of the fact that there are tears of sadness and tears of joy. As Joseph finally sees his old father after so many years, they fall into each other’s arms, and then start weeping. Can you imagine the emotions of that moment? Their being reunited at this point resulted in tears of both gladness and sadness over the lost years of their relationship. Joseph had grown up into a man without the benefit of a godly father after his being sold into slavery. Yet we see that Jacob had planted the seeds of faith in his son Joseph. We see this through the fact that he refused the sexual temptation offered him by Potiphar’s wife, and that he refused to get bitter at his brothers for selling him into slavery. Joseph was truly a man of faith.
Our tears can also have a cleansing effect upon us. The symbolism of water is profound as we think about how we have allowed sin to affect our lives and the lives of others. Water establishes new relationships as well. It helps us understand that God has an altogether different plan for our lives many times that we have for ourselves. God wants our tears to accomplish our repentance towards Him.
CHALLENGE: Have you been challenged to doubt the goodness of God? If so, run to His arms right now and be received by Him as the one who truly loves you. (MW)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Israel offered sacrifices to Godverse 1
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Offered sacrificesverse 1
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Isaacverse 1
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God (Elohim)verses 1-3
God spoke to Israelverse 2
I am Godverse 3
God of your fatherverse 3
Fear not to go down to Egypt
God promises Jacob HE will make a great
Nationverse 3
God promises to go with Jacob to Egyptverse 4
God promises to bring them out of Egyptverse 4
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Beer-shebaverses 1-5
Egyptverses 3, 6, 8, 20
Pharaohverses 5, 31, 33, 34
Ask occupation of sons of Israel
Shepherds are abomination to Egyptians
Land of Canaanverses 6, 31
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Offer sacrificesverse 1
Vision from Godverse 2
Fear notverse 3
Presence of the LORDverse 4
Promise of the LORDverse 4
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israel or Jacobverse 1
Offered sacrifices in Beer-sheba
God spoke to him in a vision
He said “Here am I” to God
God promises to make a great nation
All his seed went to Egypt
Isaacverse 1
A great nationverse 3
Josephverses 4, 28-34
Goshen
Chariot to meet Israel
Fell on his neck
Wept
Tell Pharaoh they are shepherds
Sons of Israelverse 5
Little ones
Wives
Wagons
Took cattle and goods
Names given of all his sons and grandsonsverses 8-27
Sons of Leah born in Padan-aram with his daughter Dinah
Reuben – firstborn
Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron
Carmi
Simeon
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin
Zohar, Shaul (son of Canaanitish woman)
Levi
Gershon, Kohath Merari
Judah
Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez, Zarah
Er and Onan died in Canaan
Sons of Pharez
Hezron, Hamul
Issachar
Tola, Phuvah, Job, Shimron
Zebulun
Sered, Elon, Jahleel
These were sons and daughters of Leah which total 33
Sons of Rachel – total of fourteen
Gad
Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon,
Eri, Arodi, Areli
Asher
Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah
Serah – their sister
Sons of Beriah
Heber and Malchiel
The total was sixteen souls
Sons of Joseph in the land of Egypt
Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On
Manasseh
Ephraim
Sons of Rachel
Benjamin
Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera,
Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim,
Huppim, Ard
Sons of Bilhah
Dan
Hushim
Naphtali
Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, Shillem
Total of seven
All those who came out of Canaan = 66
plus two sons of Joseph = 70
Judahverse 28
Goshenverse 28
Israel said to Josephverse 30
Glad to see his face
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
The chapter ends with Joseph’s plan to secure the land of Goshen as a dwelling place for the sons of Israel (vv.31–34). The plan was simply to tell the Pharaoh that they were shepherds. As the writer informs us, the Egyptians hated shepherds and thus would allow the Israelites to dwell off by themselves in the land of Goshen. In the next chapter, Joseph’s plan succeeded, and the people were given the land of Goshen. In these two brief narratives, Joseph and Judah are placed in marked contrast. Judah led the brothers to the land of Goshen, but it was Joseph’s wise plan that resulted in their being able to live there. (Sailhamer, J. H. (1990). Genesis. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 263). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
34. The Egyptians’ abhorrence of shepherds has sometimes been ascribed to their bitter memories of the Hyksos rulers, after their expulsion, as ‘shepherd kings’. But this interpretation of their name seems to have been the misunderstanding of a later age, and Joseph’s period probably fell within their régime, not after it. A more likely explanation is that of J. Vergote, that this is only the perennial antipathy of the town-dweller for the nomad or the gipsy. Joseph saw the importance of emphasizing this, to ensure that Pharaoh’s goodwill would be to the family’s real benefit, not to their detriment by drawing them into an alien way of life at the capital. (Kidner, D. (1967). Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 221). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Gen. 46:33, 34. At the same time Joseph gave these instructions to his brethren, in case Pharaoh should send for them and inquire about their occupation: “Say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, we like our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination of the Egyptians.” This last remark formed part of Joseph’s words, and contained the reason why his brethren should describe themselves to Pharaoh as shepherds from of old, namely, that they might receive Goshen as their dwelling-place, and that their national and religion independence might not be endangered by too close an intercourse with the Egyptians. The dislike of the Egyptians to shepherds arose from the fact, that the more completely the foundations of the Egyptian state rested upon agriculture with its perfect organization, the more did the Egyptians associate the idea of rudeness and barbarism with the very name of a shepherd. This is not only attested in various ways by the monuments, on which shepherds are constantly depicted as lanky, withered, distorted, emaciated, and sometimes almost ghostly figures (Graul, Reise 2, p. 171), but is confirmed by ancient testimony. According to Herodotus (2, 47), the swine-herds were the most despised; but they were associated with the cow-herds (βουκόλοι) in the seven castes of the Egyptians (Herod. 2, 164), so that Diodorus Siculus (1, 74) includes all herdsmen in one caste; according to which the word βουκόλοι in Herodotus not only denotes cow-herds, but a potiori all herdsmen, just as we find in the herds depicted upon the monuments, sheep, goats, and rams introduced by thousands, along with asses and horned cattle. (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 241). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.)
Joseph was careful to brief his family on what it meant to be a shepherd in Egypt. The fact that Jacob’s sons had brought their flocks and herds along indicated clearly that they were planning to stay in Egypt and continue their occupation. Knowing that the Egyptians were prejudiced against shepherds, Joseph’s emphasis was on the herds of cattle and not the flocks of sheep. However, they didn’t lie about their occupation but were honest and aboveboard in all their dealings with Pharaoh. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be authentic (p. 137). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
46:31–34 Joseph’s instructions about his preparatory interview with Pharaoh were designed to secure his relatives a place somewhat separate from the mainstream of Egyptian society. The social stigma regarding the Hebrews (43:32), who were shepherds also (v. 34), played a crucial role in protecting Israel from intermingling and losing their identity in Egypt. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 46:31–34). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 34. That ye shall say, thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle, &c.] Breeding, feeding, and selling them: from our youth, even until now; this had been their constant employment, they never followed any other: both we, and also our fathers; their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were all of the same occupation: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; Joseph instructed his brethren to be very particular in the account of their occupation to Pharaoh, that it might be a direction to him how to dispose of them, and where to settle them, namely, in the land of Goshen; which was a country that abounded with good pasture, and so the fittest place for them to be fixed in: and besides this, Joseph had some other reasons for placing them there, as that they might be near to him, who might dwell at On or Heliopolis, to which nome Goshen belonged; and that being also the nearest part of the land to Canaan, they might the more easily and sooner get away when there was an occasion for it; as well as he was desirous they should not be brought into the heart of the land, lest they should be corrupted with the superstition, and idolatry, and vices of the people; and being afar off, both from the court, and the body of the people, might be less subject to their contempt and insults, since it follows: for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians; not because shepherds ate of the milk and flesh of the creatures they fed, which the Egyptians abstained from; for the Egyptians in those times did eat the flesh of slain beasts, see ch. 43:16, 32 nor because they fed, and slew, and ate those creatures, which the Egyptians worshipped as gods, as Jarchi; for it does not appear that the Egyptians were so early worshippers of such creatures; nor is this phrase, every shepherd, to be understood of any other than foreign shepherds; for one of the three sorts of the people of Egypt, as distinct from, and under the king, priests, and soldiers, according to Diodorus Siculus, were shepherds, and were not despised on that account; for, as the same writer says, all the Egyptians were reckoned equally noble and honourablee; and such it is plain there were in Egypt, in the times of Joseph, see ch. 47:6, 16, 17 and goatherds were had in esteem and honour by those about Mendes, though swineherds were not: wherefore this must be understood of foreign shepherds, the Egyptians having been greatly distressed by such, who either came out of Ethiopia, and lived by plunder and robberyg, or out of Phœnicia or Arabia; for, according to Manetho, it was said that they were Arabians or Phœnicians who entered into Egypt, burnt their cities, &c. and set up kings of their own, called their Hycsi, orpastor-kings: and therefore Joseph might the rather fear his brethren and father’s family would be the more contemptible in that they came from Canaan, which was near to Arabia and Phœnicia; but Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion, that the Egyptians, being plagued for Abraham’s and Sarah’s sake, made a law, that for the future none should converse with Hebrews, nor with foreign shepherds, so familiarly as to eat or drink with them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 290). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Quote: “The faith of most Christians, even that of many pastors, will not stand up to intellectual scrutiny, according to renowned apologist Josh McDowell. This is a concern because pastors’ inability to present biblical truth comprehensibly and relevantly has led to children from Christian families leaving the church, research has shown. In the United States, the age at which nearly all such children leave church has decreased to 18 years. … During the past six years, he asked hundreds of Christians and leaders why they see themselves as Christians. Again no one gave him an ‘intelligent’ answer. In the past 17 years, he has asked over 4,000 pastors, leaders and parents why they believe the Bible is true. A mere six ‘came close to giving an intelligent answer,’ McDowell noted. … Ninety-five percent of Christians gave disappointing responses when asked why they believe Jesus is the Son of God. Asked why the Bible is true and historically reliable, Christians replied that it was what they had been taught by their church or parents. A common response that most Christians gave to both questions was that it is ‘what I believe.’ McDowell responded: ‘That’s voodoo thinking. Where did we ever get that crazy idea that something is true just because we believe it? If that is true, then there will never be heresy. Everybody would be right.’ On one occasion, 13 youth pastors at a large convention were unable to reasonably answer the apologist’s question. Finally one young person stood up, walked toward him and told him he knew the answer. The young man promptly held up his Bible and said, ‘Because I believe it.’ And to McDowell’s dismay, all the youth pastors applauded him. McDowell said, ‘Young man, do you know the difference between you, me, and the majority of Christians in the world? ‘To you, it is true because you believe it. For me, I believe it because it is true.’”
Quotes: Atonement means two conflicting parties become one. We don’t feel guilty in our culture only shame if we are caught not thinking it is sin. Gospel doesn’t make us a better person only a redeemed person
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