Patriarchal period is so essential to the modern Christian period. It saws the plan of God in regard to saving and having a close relationship to all other nations. Something which had been already been destroyed by our first parents and the subsequent generations of human kind in the Book of Genesis 6.
Patriarchal period also shows the love of God and the way He works that Human can’t be able to express( what is a mystery).
To me is the plan of God that was told and how it has become true (being fulfilled) in the present moments. We who are not of the Jewish by birth ( we don’t have a birth right) have become the chosen generation through simply having faith in Him( that is Jesus as he tells us in the book of John 14:1-3 6 15:1). This is a promise that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 about the blessings.
I also see another thing which is a mystery again. Here I see the that there are challenges that we do face us the modern Christian. So does the patriarchal period they had to go through hard times in life. One thing is that God didn’t for shake them, for instance look at Abraham making a plan to say that Sara the wife is the sister because of fear. God didn’t for shake them rather he acknowledged them this reminds me of the promise in the book of 1 Corinthians 10:13 both to Abraham and his grandson Joseph. The temptation of Joseph in a foreign land and how God planed and worked in the way that resulted to be one of the decision makers in Egypt. Look at how the Lord walked with him even in the plot to kill him but challenged the plan that made him to be sold.
The period also highlights the common enemy, whom need also to be aware of the schemes that the enemy is able to use to ensure that our destiny is not achieved that is the best example to Joseph that the enemy wanted to destroy him by killing. When the plan did not succce the enemy had to change the plan to ensure that puting Joseph in prison is the only way. The enemies again come later to Jacob when he returns home when his daughter is raped and the aspect of fear comes in.
The period also points out to the Lord as the only lord to be worshiped for the following reasons.
1. The aspect of Alters that we being put in place by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
2. The conflict between Laban and Jacob in Genesis 31:22-55 when the last daughter stole the gods of their father.
3. The cry of Jacob before returning to Bethel in Genesis 35:3-4 that the gods were nothing compared to God.
The culture of the Israelites is also given look at the aspect of marriage, where they were to marry from not other tribes but from their people look at the cause of Abraham he took a wife for himself from the people of His clan ( Genesis 20:12). When Isaac was of age Abraham told his servant to get a wife for his son from his people. The aspect of culture is important to us to understand how the Bible is written and the application of it to our present life. At marriage look at the case of Judah and his two sons, Judah himself and the wife of Er. How God dealt with Onan for not fulfilling his brother’s wife.
We see that marriage takes another aspect that Easue takes two wives and his brother in a different place also takes two wives, while Jacob goes further to have affairs with his wives maids what was also the same case to His grandfather Abraham.
The deeds of Abraham that he had faith before having the physical activities like circumcision, remarriage father the death of Sarah.
Jacob wrestling with angle (God the whole night). Jacob cries that the angle to bless him before going. This shows that we have the lord’s presence with us all the time.
Inclusion the patriarchal period is a blessing for the following.
1. Shows the continual love of God to us.
2. We see how the Lord worship was.
3. Hard times are ahead of us to face.
4. God is with us in every endeavor.
5. We have the lord’s presence also.
6. Gods promises are fulfilled always..