GENESIS 31:
Yesterday we heard of the rivalry between Rachel and Leah, and about more sons for Jacob— whose names all have meanings appropriate to what Rachel or Leah were feeling at the time.

JOB 18:
Yesterday Job again complained that he was surrounded by mockers, and despairingly again said

15 Where is there any hope for me?
Who sees any?
16 Hope will not go with me
when I go down to the world of the dead.

MARK 11:
Jesus has by now prepared his disciples for his death by prophesying about it, and by teaching them about what it will be like to 'lead' in His kingdom. And he healed Bartimaeus, who called Jesus by his Messianic title: the Son of David.

NLT Translation notes:
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "[Believe fully//Have faith] in God.
32 But [we don't//do we] dare say it was merely human[, do we/0]?" For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone [in that crowd//0] believed that John was a prophet.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 30:
In yesterday's reading , Jacob left home, and God appeared to him and promised to bless him as he blessed Isaac. Jacob worked for Laban, married both Leah and Rachel, and he had four sons through Leah.

JOB 17:
Yesterday was the first chapter of Job's response to Eliphaz. He complained that his three comforters were not very comforting.

1-2 GNT I have heard words like that before;
the comfort you give is only torment.
3 Are you going to keep on talking forever?
Do you always have to have the last word?

And he said,
6 But nothing I say helps,
and being silent does not calm my pain.

And
9 In anger God tears me limb from limb;
he glares at me with hate.

This last statement shows how easy it is for us humans to misunderstand God's will or intentions concerning us. God did not hate Job!

MARK 10b:
Yesterday in the first half of chapter 10, Jesus gave God's true perspective on divorce, blessed some children, and said that is impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God (in their own strength). By the way, there is a wrong teaching that is still often heard. People have heard that the 'eye of the needle' was a little door next to the big gate in Jerusalem, and that a camel could get through this gate but all the burden would have to be taken off. This is wrong. No such gate was made in New Testament days in Jerusalem. Such gates were made in castles in Europe in the middle ages. No, the meaning of the saying is just what he said: It is just as impossible for the rich to enter heaven as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a real sewing needle. The next statement of Jesus however shows the way the rich may enter heaven.

Jesus gave a wonderful promise for missionaries at the end of the chapter. I bear witness to every part of that. 2,000 Orya people call me 'Aya Bak'— which means 'older brother'. The Lord has blessed me way more than 100 times.

Constable's notes for v.49:
The two descriptions of Jesus in these verses reveal the faith of Bartimaeus. The crowds simply described Jesus as "the Nazarene." Bartimaeus had obviously heard about Jesus and had concluded that He was the Messiah. "Son of David" is a messianic title (cf. 11:9-10; 12:35-37; 2 Sam. 7:8-16; Isa. 11:1, 10; Jer. 23:5-6; Ezek. 34:23-24). Even though Bartimaeus lacked physical sight he saw more clearly who Jesus was then the multitudes who could see. His cry for mercy from Jesus expressed the attitude of trust, humility, and dependence that Jesus had been teaching His disciples to maintain.

NLT Translation notes:
33 "Listen," he said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where [I,/0] the Son of Manh will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence [me/him] to die and hand [me/him] over to the Romans.i 34 They will mock [me], spit on [me], flog [me] with a whip, and kill [me], but after three days [I/he] will rise again."
[One very seldom talks of oneself using a third person pronoun in most of the world's languages.]
45 For even [I, as/0] the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give [my/his] life as a ransom for many."
52 And Jesus said to him, "Go, [you are healed now because you fully believed in me//for your faith has healed you]." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 28-29:
After what Jacob did to Esau, with Esau holding a big grudge, it is time for Jacob to get out of town.

JOB 16:
Eliphaz said that Job was showing no reverence for God, that his own words condemned him. His rhetorical questions all imply that Job is being proud and guilty of sin. Eliphaz maintained that no mortal can be pure.

MARK 10a:
In yesterday's reading Jesus predicted his death, spoke about who is greatest in God's kingdom, and talked about the seriousness of sin.

NLT Translation notes:
Gen 29:8 "We can't water the animals until all the flocks have arrived," they replied. "Then [we/the] shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats."
9 Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherd[ess].

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.