Lentil soup is almost the oldest soup in the world. They say “sold for lentil soup,” meaning what a mere trifle. But it's not that simple. For this stew, as is known, the biblical Esau sold his birthright to his younger brother Isaac, that is, the right to inherit most of his father's property. Just unbelieveble! After all, this stew is just cheap lentils, broth, onions, garlic, lemon and one spice - cumin, which you can always buy at the market from traders from Central Asia.

Have you noticed: cumin has such a smell that hunger pangs immediately begin. It was probably this weed that so devilishly seduced the simple-minded Esau. He came from hunting - and suddenly smelled this aroma. In ancient Hebrew texts the herb kammon is found, and in ancient Egyptian kumnini, and even today throughout the Middle East, cumin is very popular, as is the combination of lentils and cumin. This is the smell of an oriental bazaar and good Central Asian pilaf, but for me it’s the smell of mystery and distant wanderings. And just imagine: Esau was hungry, and nothing in this life bothered him anymore. Birthright is not only more property, but also responsibility and obligations. And he decided to exchange all these annoying things for something real and very tasty. Want to try? Come to my restaurant “Let’s go”: only 350 rubles - and you don’t need to sell your birthright! But you know: I don’t hide my recipes. Want to cook it yourself? Then let's begin. Just a warning: this dish is not quick.

Let's make a broth from inexpensive pieces of lamb on the bone (front leg and brisket are great). You definitely need to add an onion, a carrot, a piece of celery root, a few cloves of garlic and green cardamom boxes, a bay leaf, and peppercorns. The broth is cooked in advance and for a long time, even sharp cardamom is often added - the more fragrant the broth, the richer the stew will be. The broth must be strained and cooled to easily remove every drop of fat. Remove the meat from the bones and pass through a meat grinder - from it with the finished puff pastry You can quickly make flatbreads.

The biblical stew was made from red lentils, because Esau, seeing it, exclaimed: “Give me this red one.” But red lentils quickly boil and even fall apart, turning into puree. That's why I make my stew from two types of lentils - red, which gives me a creamy base, and green, which retains the shape and structure of the bean. I set the red one to cook immediately, and I immerse the green one briefly in lukewarm water. Until recently, it was believed that lentils did not need to be soaked at all, but simply boiled in unsalted water and salted a few minutes before they were ready. However, recent gastronomic research has proven that short (30-40 minutes) soaking in a warm (43°C) non-concentrated saline solution (1 tsp per 4 cups of water) leads to better results. The fact is that, like all legumes, the lentil “grain” has a rough pectin shell. Sodium ions contained in salt are able to displace calcium ions that hold the pectin network together. As a result, the skin does not burst, but softens gently.

While the green lentils are soaking, finely chop the carrots, onions, celery stalks and garlic. Saute all vegetables - they should be stewed in olive oil over low heat, softened, but not losing color. As soon as they have softened, you can add almost soft red lentils to the pan and pour in lamb broth so that it is a couple of inches above the lentils and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for half an hour.

Cook green lentils in large quantities water: 40 minutes, sometimes even more. Green lentils are ready when they can be easily crushed by flattening them with your fingers, but they should not lose their shape in the water. By the way, it is best to take a variety called puy.

The prepared vegetables with red lentils must be transferred to a blender and turned into a completely smooth puree. Place it back into the pan, add tender but whole green lentils, dilute with broth to the desired consistency (liquid sour cream, but not porridge) and put on low heat. Stirring, bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat the cumin seeds in a frying pan to intensify the aroma, then grind them in a mortar. Season with salt, pepper and crushed cumin - it is difficult to say exactly how much cumin you will need: it varies. The aroma of cumin should be clearly felt, but not harsh. Add lemon zest and turmeric Once again, bring the stew to the first bubbles, and then be sure to let it brew for at least 15-20 minutes. Before serving, I add a little lemon juice and finely chopped fresh cilantro directly to the plate. At the restaurant, I serve lentil soup along with lamb flatbread.

We are still wondering why that Old Testament stew was so delicious. It seems that in ancient times lentils were a symbol of food in general. And then the dilemma of the biblical parable is clear and understandable. IN famous phrase from the Song of Songs, translated as “Fortify me with wine, refresh me with apples,” in the text in ancient Hebrew, instead of “wine,” the word “ashashiyot”, which means dried crushed lentils rolled in honey. The Egyptians placed lentil bread in the tombs of the dead. And in the Mishnah, the first written Jewish text, lentils are on the list of obligatory foods that a man must provide for his estranged spouse.

Medieval merchants took fried lentils with them on the road: after all, a handful of them could satisfy hunger no worse than bread and meat. In Latin, lentils are called lens - and it is from this word that the English word Lent - fasting - comes from.

Modern science has confirmed: lentils are perhaps the healthiest product on earth. It contains up to 40% vegetable protein, which is easily digestible, microelements, vitamins and at the same time very little fat. Of all the dry legumes, they have the fewest calories and the lowest glycemic index. But I just really love lentils and cook a lot with them (see recipes on my website).

For the broth: 2.5-3 kg of lamb on the bone (the front leg and brisket are perfect), an onion, a carrot, a piece of celery root, a few cloves of garlic and green cardamom boxes, a bay leaf, peppercorns.

For the stew: strong and low-fat lamb broth, 200 g of green or brown lentils (the best is French puy, which is sold by Yarmarka), 200 g of red lentils, 1 large onion, 1 carrot, several cloves of garlic, 1 stalk of celery, juice and zest small lemon, 1 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. aromatic cumin seeds (or a little more), olive oil, salt, pepper.

It is difficult to find the first course in taverns, but if you are lucky, it will most likely be fake(φακές) - lentil stew. Fakes in translation means “lentils”; this is how the Greeks simply and without any frills call the legume product and all dishes made from it. Recipes for lentil soup differ depending on the region, the availability of food in the refrigerator and the mood of the Greek housewife. Fakes is essentially a thick lentil soup. A very healthy, satisfying and tasty dish.

Lentils are rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, as well as useful macro- and microelements. Another important quality of this wonderful dish is lean lentil stew! Greece is an Orthodox country, so the facsimile is popular among the residents of the country, especially in fast days. The constant ingredients are, in fact, the lentils themselves and... water. The recipe is ancient after all. It is also mentioned in the Bible, in the story of birthright.

If you open the Old Testament, you can read how Isaac’s eldest son, Esau, sold his birthright for lentil stew. Returning from the hunt, Esau saw his brother Jacob, who was cooking lentils; tired and hungry, he asked his brother for food. Jacob asked to give him his birthright in exchange for the stew, and the hungry Esau, without hesitation, agreed. This was a serious deal that affected the further history of the future of the Jewish people. Primogeniture was considered an important advantage, and the first-born received from the parent not only God's blessing, but also further power over the entire family and household. This is how lentils entered the history of the world.

Lentils supposedly came to Greece from Egypt. In Greek history, these wonderful legumes also left their bright mark associated with ancient Greek philosopher. The outrageous thinker lived in a pithos barrel and led an ascetic lifestyle. Lentils were considered a poor man's food at that time. Legend has it that upon seeing Diogenes with lentils, the successful court philosopher Aristippus, passing by, remarked:

“If you glorified the king, you wouldn’t have to eat lentils!”

To which Diogenes objected:

“If you learned to eat lentils, you wouldn’t have to glorify the king!”

It should be noted that that same king was the tyrant Dionysius of Siragusa.

How to cook lentil soup

To successfully prepare lentil soup in Greek - fakes, in addition to lentils and water, it is enough to also have olive oil and lemon, which, as a rule, are in any Greek family. Fakes is a homemade dish. Recipes can be very different, as well as cooking methods. You can cook lentil soup in a slow cooker, on the stove, in a cauldron, and even simmer in the oven.

Lenten lentil soup. The recipe is the simplest

Lentil soup

The simplest recipe for Greek lentil soup "fakes".

Dish Soup

Cuisine Greek

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

Total time 1 hour

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 300 g Lentils green (or other large)
• 1 piece Carrot
• 1 PC. Bulb onions
• 100 g Olive oil
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 pcs. Lemon
• 1 PC. Bay leaf
• 1 tsp. Rosemary or 1 sprig
• 2 l Water
• to taste Black pepper
• to taste Salt
• 1 tbsp. l. Soy sauce optional
• 2 tbsp. l. Sesame optional

Instructions

Notes

Lenten lentil soup is ready!

Olives also go well with fakes stew.

Bon appetit! Καλή σας όρεξη!

Lentil soup. Recipe with tomato

Recipe for lentil soup with tomato

Lentil soup can become gourmet dish, if cooked with tomato.

Dish Soup

Cuisine Greek

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

Total time 1 hour 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300 g - Green lentils or other large
• 100 g - Tomato puree can be replaced tomato paste- 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 pcs. - Paprika or sweet bell pepper
• 1 PC. - Carrot
• 3 stalks - Celery
• 100 g - Olive oil
• 2 l - Water or any broth
• to taste - Salt
• to taste - Black pepper
• 1 PC. - Bay leaf
• 1 tsp. - Rosemary or 1 sprig
• 3 cloves - Garlic
• 1/2 pcs. - Lemon
• 1 bunch - Fresh herbs parsley and/or dill, optional

So: The children grew up, and Esau became a man skilled in hunting, a man of the fields; and Jacob was a meek man, living in tents (Gen. 25, 27).

But the word that we have translated here as gentle , can also be understood as “whole,” that is, in his life he will fulfill his divine destiny.

Isaac loved Esau ... (Gen. 25, 28).

This is where it’s unclear! It would seem that Isaac - the prophet of God himself, the patriarch of God's people - should love Jacob, who is engaged in the study of the Law of God. But he loves Esau more. And here is even an explanation why: Isaac loved Esau because his game was to his taste, and Rebekah loved Jacob. (Gen. 25, 28).

If we take this text literally, in this reading, and leave it in this understanding, then the personality of Isaac fades! He loves Esau because of certain gastronomic preferences, because he cooks meat well! And in this case the words apply to it: Do not accept gifts, for gifts make those who see blind and ruin the work of the righteous.(Ex. 23:8).

Ideally, parents should treat their children equally well, without singling out or neglecting anyone.

But in reality everything is more complicated. Let's remember: Noah knows which animals are clean and which are unclean! Does he know? He knows! And Abel knows how to offer a sacrifice of the firstlings of your flock and of their fat(Gen. 4:4), as the Law says in the Book of Leviticus: And he will offer from the peace offering an offering to the Lord the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards(Lev. 3, 3).

And naturally, they conveyed these details - what is called Sacred Tradition, from mouth to mouth. For fifteen years, both Jacob and Esau watched Abraham do all this, he taught them, perhaps from the age of five, until the age of fifteen. Ten-year-old! Imagine having such a school director - Patriarch Abraham.

The prophets, apparently, also had the so-called “houses of the sons of the prophets,” prophetic schools, where youths from the age of five studied. The students of the “schools of the prophets” were called “sons of the prophets.” These are, apparently, the disciples whom the prophet Isaiah mentions (cf. Is. 8:16; 54:13). In biblical times, there were already various rules of training and education based on practical experience. The youth were to be taught according to their age (Proverbs 22:6).

So these words: Isaac loved Esau because his game was to his taste - can be understood this way, this is how this text can be expanded: “Isaac loved Esau because he prepared food according to the laws of God that were established” - because it is impossible to imagine that the patriarch Isaac (at a time when people already knew which foods were clean and which were not) ate anything illegal.

Here's an example. Remember, after the Flood, God commanded not to eat food with blood? Do not eat meat that has been cut from an animal while the animal is still alive. And naturally, if Noah knows which animals are clean and which are unclean, although they did not yet have the Pentateuch of Moses - it was a long, long, long time before that - but they knew all this. Therefore, Isaac could love Esau because he understood very well what kind of food is modest and what is not, how you can cook on fast days, and how you can cook something on a holiday, and the rules for slaughtering livestock and game. He especially knew about game, which was clean and which was unclean. For the Old Testament people this had great importance: to know what food can be sacrificed to God and what cannot. And then we can understand Isaac - why he valued his son Esau. Jacob studies the laws with his grandfather, with Abraham, Esau - in practice, drains and expresses blood, does everything as it should be.

And Rebekah loved Jacob. Why? The fact is that in the East, cooking meat is a man's job. And, of course, Rebekah was never allowed into this matter. Why did she communicate with Jacob more often? So, after all, he most often sat in the tent, studied with his grandfather Abraham while he was alive, and then Isaac was obliged to teach him.

Reveka could also love those activities of grandfather and grandson, son and father, since direct training of women was not expected.

And we read:

And Jacob cooked food; and Esau came from the field tired. And Esau said to Jacob, Give me something red to eat, this red thing, for I am tired. Hence the name given to him: Edom (Gen. 25, 29–30).

Blessed Jerome of Stridon interpreted the words of Esau this way: “Red”, or “red-haired”, in Hebrew it will be edom (אדם). Thus, because Esau sold his birthright for red food, he received the name Edom, that is, “red.” But! Perhaps the situation was much more complicated...

Saint Philaret (Drozdov) wrote in his Commentary on the Book of Genesis: “ Feed me red, red this. Esau does not call the food by its proper name, perhaps because he did not know what it was made of... Repetition in his speech expresses haste and greed. Edom. “That is, red.” – That is, pretending in his father’s eyes to be a man attentive to the issues of “permissible” and “impermissible,” he himself did not attach serious importance to these issues. So, being a hypocrite, he penetrated the heart of his own father Isaac!

He loves red, the sight of blood excites this man. He came from the field, he had not caught anything that day, and Jacob prepared red lentils, stew!

And Esau said to Jacob, Give me something red to eat, this red , he wants it! We are also in pursuit of a happy life in Russia in late XIX– at the beginning of the 20th century, they became interested in the ideas of socialism and also wanted this: red, red . They ran with red flags, they ran with banners - for what? For the sake of happy life! “We will live in palaces! - said the revolutionaries. “Everyone will be fed, shod, dressed!” And this Esau, this spiritual descendant of Nimrod, red, red wants! His followers are also ready to give up their birthright, the benefits of faith, for the sake of lentil stew.

Esau shows that the good of animal life is more valuable to him than the happiness of living in God

And this philosophy of Edom lives on in our time! In the prophetic texts, the name “Edom” means many things - it is no longer associated only with the historical Esau. “Edom” is a symbol of readiness to renounce eternal blessings because of earthly pleasures. With his hair coat, Esau-Edom shows that the good of animal and bestial life is more valuable to him than the benefits of the blessed happiness of living in God and with God. He wants to get everything now and now...

But Jacob said [to Esau], “Sell me your birthright now.” (Gen. 25, 31).

Is Jacob being cunning? NO! Jacob understands that such a person, with such low spiritual qualities, cannot be the leader of such a glorious family! He cannot be the patriarch of the people of God - his priorities are completely different. Previously, Jacob had not in any way disputed his birthright, but now that he had considered his brother, he said:

– Sell ​​me your birthright now , Now! I wouldn’t have asked you this before, but now I see, now I understand. – St. Augustine writes: “Before the blessing came, Esau was already tempted by the lentils that Jacob had prepared... and sold his birthright to his younger brother. He left with temporary satisfaction - the other brother left with permanent honor. Hence those in the Church who are slaves to temporary pleasures and satisfactions and eat lentils - which Jacob undoubtedly cooked, but Jacob did not eat. Idols flourished in Egypt more than anywhere else; lentils are the food of Egypt; therefore, the lentils represent all the errors of the non-Jews... Now add the following. There is a Christian people. But among the people themselves, only those from the family of Jacob have the right of birthright. Those who live according to the flesh, believe according to the flesh, hope according to the flesh, still belong to the Old Testament, but not yet to the New. They still share Esau's lot, but not Jacob's blessing."

Where did it start? October Revolution? There were bread riots! People shouted:

- There’s nothing to eat! Why do we need this king?! We will follow anyone! – This is the philosophy of Esau and “Red” Edom! Esau said: Behold, I am dying, what is this birthright to me?

Jacob said to [him], swear to me now. He swore to him, and [Esau] sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil food; and he ate and drank, and arose and walked; and Esau despised the birthright (Gen. 25, 33–34).

This is what many people are interested in! Eat, have fun and drink. And this is a serious problem... And the Lord, the Lord of hosts, calls you on this day to weep and lament, and to cut off your hair and gird yourself with sackcloth. But behold, fun and joy! They kill oxen and slaughter sheep; They eat meat and drink wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!” And the Lord of hosts opened it in my ears: This wickedness will not be forgiven you until you die, said the Lord, the Lord of hosts(Isa. 22:12–14).

There was a famine in the land, above and beyond the first famine that was in the days of Abraham; And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. The Lord appeared to him and said: do not go to Egypt; live in the land that I will tell you about, wander through this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Abraham your father; I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands; Through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 26: 1–4).

It would seem that the same promises that were given to Abraham are repeated here. Yes. But precisely in connection with the fact that Isaac did not go to Egypt, although it is said about this famine: There was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham , —why does Moses remind us of the days of Abraham? Abraham went down to Egypt because of starvation, and what followed was God's punishment: And the Lord said to Abram: Know that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them, and they will oppress them for four hundred years.(Gen. 15, 13). He, Abraham, went to Egypt for bread - and the Jews will move to Egypt because of the bread.

Believers become truly free when they are governed by people of the same faith as them.

But where did 400 years come from? They were in slavery, if you carefully calculate everything, they ended up for 210 years, we have already talked about this - I will remind you for those who have not heard. It was precisely because Isaac did not follow the path of his father, who descended into Egypt, but imitated his father in the best, and not in the worst, that God reduced the time their descendants spent in slavery by almost half: instead of 400 years, they received 210. But in reality they were in enslavement even less than 210 years, for this number means All during their stay in Egypt, and they were enslaved only when Joseph and all those who came with him to Egypt died. And Joseph died and all his brothers and their whole family; and the children of Israel became fruitful and multiplied, and grew and became exceedingly strong, and the land was filled with them. And a new king arose in Egypt, who did not know Joseph... And they appointed work commanders over him so that they would exhaust him with hard work. And he built for Pharaoh Pithom and Rameses, cities for stores, [and He, otherwise Heliopolis](Ex. 1, 6–8, 11). But why did we read: know that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will enslave them, and will oppress them for four hundred years(Gen. 15, 13)? The answer is obvious: to live under the rule of the Canaanites and Egyptians means, as it were, to be in captivity among the pagans (atheists). And although internally they - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - were free, surrounded by pagan temples, they felt themselves under the yoke of the devil and his servants. Believers become truly free when they are governed by people of the same faith as them, and until we are freed by God from the power of atheists and infidels, we must recognize ourselves as being in occupied territory.

The following is noteworthy in verse 4: I will multiply your descendants ... Offspring are many! I will multiply your descendants , – offspring again: many, – like the stars of heaven, I will give to your descendants all these lands; Through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed . It is not said: “In your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed,” but - in your seed ! As it is said about ONE thing, in singular. This is about Christ! And the apostles paid attention to this text, noting that when it speaks of descendants, it is about many, and when it is said that in your seed all the nations of the earth will receive a blessing, this is about Jesus Christ, Who commanded the apostles: Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit(Matt. 28:19). And only in Christ and with Christ did blessing come to many.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians: But promises were given to Abraham and to his seed. It is not said: and to descendants, as if about many, but as about one: and to your seed, which is Christ(Gal. 3:16). – And Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus teaches: “And the Old Testament Scripture calls the promise that was to Abraham the covenant of God. Therefore, it is impossible that any addition or violation should follow in it as a result of the law that occurred after a long time. The God of all promised to bless the nations with the seed of Abraham; and this Seed is the Lord Christ Himself. For by Him this promise was fulfilled and the nations received the blessing. All the others, even those who have achieved the highest virtue, Moses, Samuel, Elijah, in a word, all who descend from Israel by nature, although they are called the seed of Abraham, are not the Seed that brought the source of blessing to the nations. For this says the divine Apostle: does not say: and by seed, as about many, but as about one: and to your Seed, who is Christ. Consequently, it is not because they also descend from Abraham that they are called the seed of Abraham, but because Christ in the proper sense has this name, as the only one who had the promise to bestow blessing on the nations. God said: All the nations of the earth will be blessed because of your seed(Gen. 22, 18). But the peoples did not receive this blessing from anyone else. Therefore the divine Apostle proves that the promise is stronger than the law.”

The Lord goes on to say why He blesses Isaac: Because Abraham [your father] obeyed My voice and kept what I commanded to observe: My commandments, My statutes and My laws. (Gen. 26:5). You will not be able to find in the Book of Genesis when the Lord taught Abraham what commandments, statutes, laws are with all the gradations and subtleties. But God was Abraham's true Teacher. In the Holy Spirit, Abraham knew the Law of God, so what we call Holy Tradition is the presence of the Holy Spirit among the people of God. After all, the Holy Spirit is the One who teaches and guides us into all truth! Said: But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have told you” (John 14:26). So, Isaac settled in Gerar(Genesis 26:6). He (Isaac) does not go to Egypt, he settled in Gerar, but Abraham was once here. Abraham prayed and begged God for this place. Here Abraham had problems in connection with Sarah.

The inhabitants of the place asked about [Rebekah] his wife, and he said: This is my sister ,  – here he imitates his father! – because he was afraid to say: my wife, lest they kill me, he thought, the inhabitants of this place are for Rebekah, because she is beautiful in appearance (Gen. 26:7).

And he lived there a lot of time, among these Canaanites - just like you and I have lived since childhood among people of different political and religious formations...

But when he had already lived there for a long time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out the window and saw Isaac playing with Rebekah his wife. (Genesis 26:8).

These outsiders who surround us, they always strive to find some kind of incriminating evidence on us. “Look out the window” in the language of the Bible means the same as in Russian – “look through the keyhole.” Remember when the prophet Daniel prayed, he opened his windows to Jerusalem? But there was a ban: no one could pray except to the idol. And he prays for this city, and there are such faces of spies sticking out who were spying on him! They heard and saw, probably, how he prayed, they probably wrote it down on clay tablets: yeah, he’s not praying to an idol, that’s it... now we’ll send an informer... (cf. Dan. 6:10-13).

Believe me, brothers and sisters: we believers always have ill-wishers! Angry people will say about us that we are irritable. Lustful people will say about us that we are adulterers. Unscrupulous people will say about us that we steal... And all these rumors that can circulate around any of us do not actually indicate our condition! They testify to the immoral environment in which we are forced to live among the modern Canaanites.

What means: plays ? This Hebrew word“metsakhek” (מְצַחֵק), in this case meaning affection between husband and wife.

But here, in his understanding, Abimelech saw that he (Isaac) was taking liberties. And he realized that this was his wife.

And Abimelech called Isaac and said, Behold, this is your wife; How did you say: she is my sister? Isaac said to him: because I thought that I should not die for her sake. But Abimelech said [to him], “What hast thou done to us?” As soon as one of [my] people had not copulated with your wife, you would have led us into sin. And Abimelech gave commandment to all the people, saying: Whoever touches this man and his wife will be put to death. (Genesis 26:9–11).

It was very complex world, in which those people lived, it was a difficult environment. But about the last times, about the very last times, we find the following words from the prophet Daniel: and a time of trouble will come, such as has not happened since people existed until now; But at that time all of your people who are found written in the book will be saved.(Dan. 12:1). That is, the most difficult times are ahead! The most difficult tests are when you have to save your wives, show some kind of cunning so that they are not attacked.

Although the fear of committing a sin was present there, unlike our modern world.

And now, on the streets of our cities, aliens are openly encroaching on our girls. They allow themselves to “metzahek” - to play with them, flirt, talk indecently to them! And people no longer know what to do. How can they keep their children safe?

The Book of Genesis is a school for survival of a believing family in a godless world

Therefore, all these lessons have practical meaning for us. The book of Genesis from the 12th to the 50th chapter is a school of survival for a believing family in a godless world!

And Isaac sowed in that land, and that year he received barley a hundredfold: so the Lord blessed him. And the man became great, and increased more and more until he became very great. He had flocks of flocks and herds of cattle and many arable fields, and the Philistines began to envy him (Genesis 26:12–14).

The Lord will always take care of His believers to the end, the Lord will always help us! And we sometimes wonder: how do we manage to survive in such difficult conditions? But this God's help cannot be too open, because the envy of others would then destroy us. Therefore, the Lord, so to speak, helps us in doses. He provides the essentials that we really need. As the Apostle Paul says in his Epistle to Timothy: Having food and clothing, we will be content with that. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts that plunge people into disaster and destruction.(1 Tim. 6:8–9).

And now - envy on the part of the Canaanites. Isaac became a great man, and the Philistines became jealous of him.

And all the wells that his father's servants had dug during the life of his father Abraham, the Philistines filled them up and covered them with earth. (Genesis 26:15).

All the wells were filled up and covered with earth! But! In that area, a well is a source of life. And in the biblical understanding, a well is a symbol clean water the word of God! Because river water is not clean, it is flowing and carries river sand and debris. By the way, the river allegorically means heresies. And the wife fled into the desert, where a place had been prepared for her by God, so that they would feed her there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days<…>When the dragon saw that he had been cast to the ground, he began to pursue the wife... And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she would fly into the desert to her place from the face of the serpent and there would feed for a time, times and half a time. And the serpent sent water like a river out of his mouth after his wife, in order to carry her away with the river(Rev. 12, 6; 13–15). Why did he let the river flow? And these are heresies and delusions. That is, not only will the Church be persecuted in last times, so the evil one will also let in false water, as if letting it out of his mouth! And the well is clean water. And the deeper the well is dug, the purer the water. And so they filled up the wells with clean water.

There was a period in our history when temples were destroyed. And now many temples stand destroyed, unrestored. It’s as if the wells of grace are clogged with dirt, rubble, stone, sand... and also with our indifference, inattention and cowardice.

And when Isaac is faced with this problem, his main life goal will be to dig out his father's wells. When we Orthodox people XXI century, they ask: “What goal do you set for yourself?” – we must know that our goal is to clear the wells of the crystal water of the Orthodox faith. Remove from them all the dirt, all this rubble, so that the teaching of the Holy Fathers will prevail! So that the word of God, pure, without impurities, is accessible to understanding.

What about the Philistines? They dumped and covered everything with earth! Isaac moves away from there, he camps in the valley of Gerar, that is, away from Gerar itself:

And Isaac departed from there, and pitched tents in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, and which the Philistines had filled up after the death of Abraham [his father]; and he called them by the same names that [Abraham] his father called them (Gen. 26, 17–18).

We need to return the names to our temples! We need to return the names of our villages, our cities, our streets, if they have been renamed. And Isaac was such a person. He dug wells that the pagans had covered with mud, because these were his father’s wells. And our nation will not be reborn until we cleanse all the shrines of the Russian land from the rubble and garbage that these contemporary Philistine demons threw there...

Isaac understands that it is necessary to revive his father's tradition. We must strive to revive the tradition of our fathers. Love for the word of God must fill our hearts, we must go deeper into the knowledge of the word of God! And the deeper the well, the more effort, the cleaner the water will be.

(Gen. 26, 19).

So Isaac restored all the wells that his father, the patriarch Abraham, had created, and found his own well of living water!

And it is obvious that Abraham’s experience of communion with God is completely independent and unique in its own way. And Isaac does everything to protect this experience, to preserve it. But also to increase it. God is not only the God of Abraham, He is the God of Isaac too! That is, Isaac has his own experience of communion with God. And it is unique, just as the experience of communion with God of every person in his generation is unique.

And this source, the well of living water that Isaac’s servants dug, is evidence that life goes on. That the struggle between magism and monotheism, paganism and monotheism is going on.

And the shepherds of Gerar argued with the shepherds of Isaac, saying: Our water (Gen. 26, 20).

But they don’t need water - they had enough of it in their cities. They argue about seemingly nothing: “Our water!” Why then did Abraham’s wells fill up? They want to take possession of this well of clean water. How the world now wants to control everything, including the Church and its property! They strive to keep everything under their fingertips so that at the right moment they can throw rubble and dirt into the pure sources of our confession.

And the shepherds of Gerar argued with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Esek, because they argued with him. [When Isaac moved from there,] they dug another well; they also argued about him; and he called his name Sitna. And he moved from here and dug another well, about which they no longer argued, and called its name Rehoboth, for, he said, now the Lord has given us a spacious place, and we will multiply in the earth (Gen. 26, 20–22).

The word “Esek” means “dispute”, “discord”.

The word "Sitna" means "obstacle".

The word "Rehoboth" means "spacious place", " free place».

That is, when we stop arguing (Esek) and bickering with outsiders, we will remove the obstacles (Sitna) standing in our way and gain freedom (Rehoboth) from their (pagans and atheists) power over us. Said: Let not your springs overflow in the streets, nor let your streams of water over the squares.(Prov. 5, 16); and further: Do not give holy things to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.(Matt. 7:6). We must not argue and argue with them, but ignore their claims to dominance and control. But if we submit to the power of the wicked, who require us to submit to their godless laws, then we will certainly suffer. There is a time when a man rules over a man to his detriment.(Eccl. 8, 9); Adulterers and adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity against God! So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God(James 4:4).

But let's return to our story...

What else could these wells mean? These are strategic places for missionary work! Better places can't be found in the East. What is a well? This is a place where all kinds of people gather. And the person who controls the well can organize any conversations and celebrations at this well. People didn't read newspapers, there were no magazines, there was no television, there wasn't even the Internet. There were wells - they learned everything from the well! And whoever controls the wells controls the situation.

So everything information flows ended up in the hands of Patriarch Isaac. He fought not only for water: how much water does a person need? Well, three liters a day, you can get by with even less. He wanted to control the flow of human thought, the exchange of information - he is God's prophet! And these were centers of missionary service in the name of the ideals of monotheism against paganism. And demons fight with the hearths where the word of God is spreading, they resist it. But Isaac continues his work, restoring his father’s wells and finding new ones.

And, believe me, the more we delve into the knowledge of God and His Word, the purer the water will be, the more joyful it will be personal experience communication with God; but with the greater hatred the devil will rise up against us through his minions. The examples of the patriarchs are examples of uncompromising life and struggle, these are examples of the lives of people for whom the will of God, His, God, decrees, statutes, laws were above all! We see how similar they are to each other, how they replace one another - the Book of Genesis shows how one generation of older believers can influence the next, younger generation.

We have established that when Abraham died, Jacob and Esau were 15 years old. So he taught them. Then the next generation will come. The time will come when Jacob will lead his entire community. And the day will come when at Jacob’s well the Samaritan woman will talk with the descendant of Abraham according to the flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 4:6-7).

And it is very significant that Isaac discovers a source of clean water, living waters (Gen. 26:19), gushing out of the ground, when he dug up all the wells of his father, filled up by the pagans.

The revival of Russia will happen when we restore all the churches

This is a very serious hint for us: the revival of Russia will occur when we restore all the churches. And if we really restore all the temples, this will change the situation. Speaking about churches, I mean not only those places where our ancestors prayed, but, first of all, it is necessary to restore faith in the format in which our ancestors believed.

Restoring the temple does not only mean restoring the walls: it is necessary to restore the ancient piety that existed in Holy Rus'. And then we can expect new blessings from God. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will punish him: for the temple of God is holy; and this temple is you(1 Cor. 3:16–17).

And when Isaac restored all the wells of his father, cleared them of dirt, from what the pagans had thrown there, only then does he discover a source of living water. Therefore, when we seek revival for our land, we must understand that it occurs when we renew the faith of our fathers. What Isaac did when restoring the wells of his father, the patriarch Abraham. Blessed Jerome, interpreting verse 19-26 of the Book of Genesis: And Isaac's servants dug in the valley [of Gerar] and found there a well of living water, writes: “And here instead of “valley” it says “stream.” Because in the valley you can never find a well of living water." That is we're talking about about a source, a stream that becomes a channel and fills the entire valley, turning it into a stream. So spiritual life begins with the restoration of what little has been lost, and with a careful attitude towards spiritual life it turns into a rapid stream. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water(John 7:38).

From there he moved to Bathsheba. And that night the Lord appeared to him and said: I am the God of Abraham thy father; Fear not, for I am with you; and I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of [your father] Abraham my servant (Gen. 26, 23–24).

We must pay attention to these words Special attention. God appears to Isaac and says: I am the God of Abraham . Several centuries will pass, and God will appear to Moses and say: ... But now He calls Himself I am the God of Abraham . This is very important when children profess the faith of their fathers. God, being self-sufficient, is not ashamed to call Himself the God of certain people. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(Ex. 3:6), He will say to Moses. Because God reveals Himself in the faith of these amazing people. The faith of the saints tells us right direction to God. As the Book of Song of Songs says:

– Tell me, you whom my soul loves: where do you graze?..  

“If you do not know this, most beautiful of women, then follow in the footsteps of the sheep and feed your kids near the shepherds’ tents.” (Song. 1, 6–7).

And the Church finds her Bridegroom, imitating the saints. That is, when we imitate the saints, follow in their footsteps, we come to the Heavenly Bridegroom Jesus Christ. Said: Imitate me, brothers, and look to those who walk in the image that you have in us.(Phil. 3:17); and further: Remember your teachers who preached the word of God to you, and, looking at the end of their lives, imitate their faith(Heb. 13:7). That is, following in the footsteps of the sheep, which always follow the Shepherd, we get closer to Him Himself. For example, the Apostle Paul once exclaimed: Therefore I beg you: imitate me, as I imitate Christ.(1 Cor. 4:16).

These words: I am the God of Abraham your father; do not be afraid, for I am with you , spoken to Isaac, resemble those that both Abraham and Moses once heard later.

And it was very important for Isaac to hear these words, because he entered into confrontation with the pagans, he restored the wells that were filled up by them. It probably wasn’t easy, there was probably resistance, but he, overcoming all difficulties, fulfills his duty to his deceased father and restores all the wells.

It is very important here that the Lord does something for the sake of His servants. This means that our prayers to the saints have a biblical basis, this is very important to realize.

(Gen. 26, 25).

That is, when the father’s wells are restored, something new can be built here, but as if on the old foundation, on the faith of Abraham.

If we tried to evaluate the lives of these people from the point of view modern world, then their life was in constant motion, it was very hard life. The Apostle Paul writes: By faith Abraham obeyed the call to go to the country that he had to receive as an inheritance, and he went, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as if it were a stranger, and lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, joint heirs of the same promise; for he looked for a city that has foundations, whose maker and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself (being barren) received strength to receive seed, and out of season she gave birth, for she knew that He who promised was faithful. And therefore from one, and, moreover, a dead one, as many were born, as there are many stars in the sky and as countless are the sand on the seashore. All these died in faith, not receiving the promises, but only saw them from afar, and rejoiced, and said about themselves that they were strangers and strangers on earth; for those who say so show that they are looking for the fatherland. And if they had in their thoughts the fatherland from which they came, they would have time to return; but they strove for the best, that is, for the heavenly; therefore God is not ashamed of them, calling Himself their God: for He has prepared for them a city(Heb. 11:8-16).

And he built an altar there , we read about Isaac, — and called on the name of the Lord . What does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord”? The fact is that in ancient times there was a special reverence for the name of God. When the four-letter name “LORD” was pronounced in the Jerusalem Temple—this was done only once a year—the entire people fell on their faces. And only the high priest could pronounce the name of God: this was the case in the Old Testament church. And calling on the name of God means submitting this area to God. Isaac built an altar to God and called on the name of God. The very name that we bless and hallow: “Hallowed be your name“- and which for us, Christians, is revealed in the name JESUS ​​(יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), for the name Jesus directly stems from the four-letter name of God, and in it we see the first three letters - י yot, ה het and ו vav. And the apostles directly taught about the name of the Son of God: He is the stone that was neglected by you builders, but has become the head of the corner, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given to people by which we should be saved(Acts 4:11–12).

So Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. And he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. And he pitched his tent there, and Isaac's servants dug a well there [in the valley of Gerar] (Gen. 26, 25). That is, not only the altar, but a pitched tent and a dug well is a place where one can live. The spread out tent allegorically denotes the presence of Divine grace, Divine radiance over this place, and special Divine protection. The tent also means a place of teaching and joint prayer of the children of God.

And someone has limited and continues to limit their interests to a bowl of lentil soup...

Velasquez . « Esau sells Jacob's birthright for lentil stew." . 1800

“Selling for lentil soup” means exchanging something significant, truly important, for something momentary that has no true value.

In other words, greatly reduce the price. For example, this can be said when a person leaves his family for a short-term relationship on the side. Or when an alcoholic gives up his apartment for a box of vodka.

In general, the meaning of the expression is clear.

Lentil soup is really something of little value. But why is she specifically mentioned in this catchphrase?

The fact is that the phrase about stew comes from one biblical history, which talks about just such an unequal exchange.

IN Old Testament The book of Genesis tells that Isaac, one of the Jewish patriarchs, had two twin sons - Esau and Jacob. Esau was born first, and Jacob followed, holding on to his brother’s heel. This circumstance determined the fate of the brothers. According to ancient law, Esau was considered the firstborn. And this meant that he received the right to his father’s inheritance, honor and respect in society, as well as his father’s blessing, which in those days was not just words, but was valued almost more than inherited wealth.

Esau became a skilled hunter and spent all his time in the fields hunting. One day he returned home very tired and hungry. At this time, Jacob prepared lentil soup. Esau asked his brother for this food, to which Jacob offered an exchange: he would give the stew, and his brother would give him the birthright. Esau was so hungry that without thinking, he said: “Here I am dying, what is this birthright to me? Jacob said: Swear to me now. He swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.” This is where this expression came from - “to sell for lentil stew.”

"Who was replaced by Santa Claus on the initiative of a member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, Bolshevik Pyotr Postyshev (Very informative article!) One of the first blessed ones glorified in Rus' is Procopius of Ustyug. He lived exactly where the residence of the Russian Father Frost is now located. I wrote about this amazing saint , an article this year was published in the newspaper "Life". In the homeland of the fairy-tale Father Frost, in Veliky Ustyug, there was a real predecessor of the famous fairy-tale hero. Saint Procopius of Ustyug lived in the snow back in the 13th century, worked miracles and delighted children with gifts at Christmas When the federal project “Homeland of Father Frost” was solemnly launched in 1998 and the ancient Vologda city was designated as this place Veliky Ustyug, no one expected that it would turn out to be a sniper hit, right on target. Church hierarchs then accepted the official ascension of Father Frost to the state level with hostility. Like, in Christian countries, Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, is in charge of Christmas trees and gifts, but in our country a pagan character has been elevated to this important position. After all, in fairy tales and films, Russian Grandfather Frost is a magician and wizard, in whom there is not a drop of saint. Archbishop of Vologda and Veliky Ustyug Maximilian then publicly stated that the church would support the project if “ official biography» Santa Claus will be mentioned that he was baptized. And in the heat of debate, it never occurred to anyone that it was in Veliky Ustyug that seven centuries ago there lived a righteous man, who could well be considered the prototype of the fairy-tale hero beloved by Russian children. Life The similarity of Procopius of Ustyug with the lord of blizzards and blizzards is simply amazing, and the biography is much more interesting than any fairy tale. In ancient chronicles it is written that Procopius was from the German city of Lubeck, that he was a Varangian from a noble family. Having sailed to Novgorod on a ship with goods, the stranger was amazed by the beauty of the temples, the ringing of bells and the splendor Orthodox worship. Procopius converted to Orthodoxy and decided to become a monk. To begin with, he donated all his goods to people in need. You can imagine what a queue and crush there was during this distribution of imports on the eve of the holiday! The Novgorodians, who did not receive gifts, flocked to the Khutyn Monastery, which is near Novgorod. They probably wanted to look at the eccentric who, like St. Nicholas, donated all his wealth to the poor. But such popularity did not please Procopius. “Human glory, which deprived his humble heart of peace, became an unbearable burden for him,” it is written in the life of St. Procopius of Ustyug. “Fearing that he would lose his heavenly glory because of her, he began to ask to leave the monastery somewhere where no one would know him.” Procopius took nothing on the road except a blessing. In shabby rags, barefoot, with a wooden stick, he reached Ustyug. But there was no refuge for the beggar there: the wanderer, who spoke Russian poorly, was driven out from everywhere, considered a madman. During the day he prayed in church, and at night he slept under open air, on the porch of the Church of the Assumption Mother of God. Even in winter, in severe cold - until old age! At first, people gave alms to Procopius reluctantly, considering him a dirty holy fool, but God, as a reward for his humility, gave him the great gift of foresight and prophecy. When they wanted to thank Procopius, he gave what he received to the children who constantly surrounded him. The poor old man living in the open air was nicknamed “father in the frost.” The city learned the power of his prayer and foresight in 1290, when the saint predicted that a stone cloud was moving towards the city and with his prayers on July 25 warded off trouble: cobblestones fell from the sky to the side. “And for a long time the broken scorched forest was visible, over which the wrath of God broke out, sparing the city, as fear and testimony to future generations. “- appears in the ancient chronicle. Only a few in Veliky Ustyug knew about Procopius's merchant past. Among them is the priest Simeon, the father of the future Saint Stephen of Perm. He was the first to leave written evidence about Procopius. "IN Last year During the life of Procopius, the winter came so severe that birds fell dead and many livestock died. Many people froze in the city and surrounding areas. One can imagine what it was like for the naked Procopius on the cathedral porch in this frost; he had neither a bed nor warm clothes. When the blizzard subsided, the holy fool came to the house of the cleric Simeon and told what happened to him at night: “I prayed for the salvation of my soul, every breath seemed to be my last, my body became numb and turned blue. Suddenly I felt warmth and saw before me a beautiful young man, whose face was so bright that it was impossible to look at him, as if a ray of sun was shining on him. In his hand he had a branch blooming with flowers that emitted wonderful heavenly aromas. He called me by name, hit me in the face with this branch, and I felt warm, like in summer.” That same year, in the middle of summer, on July 8, 1303, another miracle occurred. It began to snow, a blizzard began to blow, and when it ended, they did not see Procopius on the porch. Only in the evening his body was found near the gates of the nearby St. Michael the Archangel Monastery (this monastery turned 800 years old this November) under a snowdrift that did not melt. Snow wrapped the deceased “santa in the frost” like a shroud. Miracles and healings continued at his grave, so the Moscow Council in 1547 canonized the righteous Procopius. Tradition Surprisingly, confirmation that the miracles of St. Procopius are not a legend has already been found in our days. Professor Pavel Florensky, a famous geologist, together with his colleagues studied samples of stones that fell on the Kotovalsky forest near Veliky Ustyug seven centuries ago. And I came to the conclusion that these are samples of a rare rock that is found in the Kandalaksha Bay area of ​​the White Sea. And they were brought here, judging by their characteristic surface, not by a glacier, but by a tornado! Well, the fabulous Santa Claus, it turns out, is our contemporary: he first appeared on children's party in January 1937, in the capital's House of Unions. And he was born on the initiative of a member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, the old Bolshevik Pyotr Postyshev. Back in 1935, he published an article in the Pravda newspaper in which he proposed organizing a New Year celebration for children, rethinking Christmas traditions in a party way. On November 18, in Veliky Ustyug this year a holiday was held in honor of the birth of the Russian Father Frost, which kicked off the New Year's celebrations. - This is kind fairy tale hero, but when receiving him in his home, let everyone know that in Rus' there is another “grandfather from the cold,” a real one and much more ancient,” Archpriest Dmitry Fomin, rector of the Cathedral of Righteous Procopius in Veliky Ustyug, tells me. - And he will remember kind words a saint who generously helped people asking for help. Many guests who came to Ustyug from all over the country and from abroad for the holiday of Father Frost come to our church to venerate Saint Procopius. And he helps in all matters, sending gifts from heaven according to our faith."