Day 24 - Joshua 3:1-4:24 - Crossing the Jordan

Consecrated

The Israelites were on the cusp of entering the Promise Land. After 40 years of wandering in the desert which followed 400 years of slavery, they were finally about to receive the promise that God had given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And what does Joshua tell the people of Israel to do before God performs the miraculous wonders among them? Joshua tells the people to consecrate themselves. Consecration is the act of setting apart or making holy. In Leviticus 20:26, God says to the Israelites, “You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” God consecrated the nation of Israel for Himself. He set them apart. He also required them separate themselves from the other people around them. Jesus spoke a similar word to the disciples in John 15:19 when He said, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Once again, we see the picture of Jesus setting them apart from the rest of the world. Paul makes a similar charge to Christians in Romans 12:2 when he says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Peter, too, makes a similar charge in 1 Peter 1:13-15 when he says, “¹³ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” God desires to do tremendous wonders among us, but we too must first consecrate ourselves. We need to be holy as He is holy. Any part of ourselves that we keep attached to the world is not being set apart for him. When we consecrate ourselves, setting ourselves apart, we become vessels that God can work through. Paul presents this thought in Timothy 2:20, 21 when he says, “²⁰ Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

Raised Up

In Joshua 3:7 we read, “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.’” If we fast-forward to after the Israelites cross the Jordan river, we read in Joshua 4:14, “On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.” Unsurprisingly, we see yet another example of God making a promise and then fulfilling the promise. It’s unsurprising because God always fulfills His promises. What I found interesting here though is what actually happened. I want to use Tim Tebow to make my point here. Recently there has been a lot of hype around Tebow’s life and faith in Christ. In fact, it has been so hyped that while rifling through articles about Super Bowl XLVI on Sports Illustrated’s website, I came across this article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/more/wires/02/01/2080.ap.us.tebow.prosperity.preacher.1st.ld.writethru.0310/index.html. That’s right, a sports website had an article about Tebow canceling a speaking engagement at a controversial pastor’s church. What does that have to do with sports? Nothing. But Tim Tebow has become a compelling figure in our nation. My brother-in-law has an eager desire to learn about Christianity because he is in awe with what Tebow is doing. Yet, amidst the discussions, I’ve heard more than one Christian bothered by the publicity that Tebow has gotten, saying things like, “He’s just a man.” Is it that simple though? In this portion of Joshua, I believe that we clearly see that God allows certain people to be raised up. In Joshua’s case, the people stood in awe of him. And God was not only okay with it, He caused it to happen. Why was God okay with someone else being exalted? Because He was still getting the glory. I think the same case could be made for Tebow. Why is everyone making a big deal out of Tim Tebow and not fellow Christian quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Maybe it’s as simple as this: because God has raised him up. I am not saying that this is definitely the answer, but I’m just not sure why more people don’t think of it as a reasonable possibility. I think that we can struggle with what true humility is sometimes. We view it as pride when someone is exalted. But it’s only pride if someone exalts himself or tries to take the glory for himself. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to judge Tim Tebow.

Step of Faith

I think we can learn a lot from Joshua 3:15, 16 which reads, “¹⁵ and soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.” God had told the people the plan. God told Joshua that the priests needed to step into the Jordan in Joshua 3:8. Joshua relayed the plan to the people in Joshua 3:13. It is here in Joshua 3:15, 16 that we see the plan in action. Think about it though. Joshua goes out of the way to tell us that the Jordan was overflowing. The waters were raging. Stepping into a raging river would have taken some guts. It would have taken some faith. And yet the priests didn’t hesitate. They stepped in. God did not stop the river until they stepped in. They had to take that step of faith. In the same way, there are many times in our lives when God is waiting for us to take a specific step of faith before He moves. We need to be listening to what He tells us and obey when we hear it. Polly and I don’t have a lot of money. Some weeks we are barely squeaking by. We live on a budget. Yet the one thing we don’t budget is giving. We believe that if God tells us to give, then He is going to provide. This has worked to us to this point in our lives. We see no reason why it should stop. We need to be obedient to take the steps of faith that God commands us to.

Dry Ground

What a miracle! Not only did the Israelites cross through a river bed that had been plugged up, but the ground they were walking on was dry (Joshua 3:17). Think about how amazing this truly is. If you had the capability of stopping a river, I will guarantee you that the river bed will still be wet for quite some time. God is awesome!

Memorial

Joshua 4 tells us about Joshua’s command to the twelve tribes to each get a stone from the midst of the Jordan River while it was still blocked from flowing. Joshua told them to set them up as a memorial to stand for all generations to remember the miracle that God had performed for them. The rocks served as evidence that God had actually done what they claimed. They were likely big rocks that would have had to have come from the river. People didn’t have scuba gear back then. River stones would have been pretty compelling evidence. But the rocks didn’t only serve as proof to others (including future generations) that God had performed a miracle. The rocks also served as a reminder to those who passed through the Jordan on dry ground. I believe that we can learn a valuable lesson here. God performs miracles in all of our lives. All Christians have examples of times where God answered a prayer or came through with a miracle. I believe that it’s important for us to memorialize those things. We can do this in many ways. I think journaling might be the most beneficial way. But regardless how we do it, I think we need to do it. I think it’s important for us to remember what God has done. When we memorialize those moments in life, they serve as a witness to others and also as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us. I know that when I hit a rough patch in life and want to give up, I think back to all the times that God has come through before. When we remember God’s times of faithfulness, it reminds us how capable He is to meet all of our needs.

Day 23 - Joshua 1:1-18 - Joshua Succeeds Moses

Be Strong and Courageous

I have always been intrigued by the frequency of the phrase "be strong and courageous." We see God say this to Joshua in verses 6, 7 and 9. We see the phrase again in verse 18 but this time it's the people talking to Joshua. If we dig a little deeper and search back into Deuteronomy, we find this same phrase used 3 times in chapter 31 when Joshua was named as Moses' successor and commissioned. In Deut. 23:6, Moses says it to all the people. In Deut. 23:7, Moses says it to Joshua in front of the people (Interestingly, Moses also tells Joshua that God will never leave him or forsake him similar to what God tells Joshua in Joshua 1:5). Finally, God used this phrase when speaking to Joshua during his commissioning in Deut. 31:23. Tally that up and that means the phrase "be strong and courageous" was used 7 times with regard to Joshua: once by Moses to the people, once by Moses to Joshua, four times by God to Joshua and once by the people to Joshua. Talk about being surrounded by encouragement! God encourages our leadership, but it's also important for our leadership to be encouraged by his/her leadership as well as the people being led. Here is one practical example: God has called my pastor, Pastor Patrick to lead Calvary AG. Pastor needs to be encouraged by God. But Pastor also needs to be encouraged by the church board and Southern New England Ministry Network leaders as well as by all of us in the congregation. This model can be used in any ministry. We need to accept God's encouragement for our ministry, encourage those under our ministry, and encourage those overseeing our ministry. We always have a role in the process.

Day 17 - Exodus 3:1-4:17 - The Burning Bush

Holy Reverence

As we begin reading in Exodus 3, Moses is tending his father-in-law’s flock, minding his own business when he comes upon a bush that is on fire, but is not burning up. Moses doesn’t know what is going on but he is intrigued by this strange sight. When Moses went to investigate this strange phenomenon, God called out to him from within the bush. Moses responds by saying, “Here I am.” In Exodus 3:5 we read, “’Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” After God identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses hid his face as he was afraid to look at God. I love these opening verses of Exodus 3. What jumps out to me is not the fact that there was a bush on fire that wasn’t being burned up. I mean, that’s cool, but it’s not the coolest part of the story. What jumps out to me is the holy reverence that Moses had for God. God told him that he was standing on holy ground so that’s not the part that shows me Moses’ reverence for God. What shows me Moses’ reverence for God is when he hid his face being afraid to look at God. We could look at that and think Moses was crazy. If you had a chance to look at God, wouldn’t you take advantage of it? Well, you might feel that way. But Moses realized something important: God is holy. Who are we that we could look upon such a holy God and live? Really, I think that we need to have a viewpoint closer to Moses’ viewpoint. I believe that many people treat God as a mere man or as an equal. We are not God’s equal. We are not even close. We need to approach the things of the Lord with holy reverence and not ignorant nonchalance. We must be careful not to take God lightly.

God Cares

In Exodus 3:7-10, God tells Moses that He has heard the crying of the Israelites in their affliction as slaves in Egypt. God tells Moses that He is going to use him to bring freedom to His people. God cared for the Israelites through all their agony. In the same way, God cares for us. I’m sure the Israelites wondered if God was ever going to hear their cries and spear them from the brutality they faced. Sometimes we, too, might wonder if God is ever going to hear us when we have been crying out about a particular situation for a long time. When we face those moments, we should reread these verses and be encouraged that God cares!

It’s not about us

Exodus 3:11 says, “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” Exodus 3:12 begins by saying, “And God said, ‘I will be with you…” I love this short exchange. Moses questions God as to his qualifications for bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. Let’s be honest here. If someone came to us with that question, we would probably try to encourage them by pointing out all their experiences and characteristics that qualify them for the task, right? This is not at all how God responds, however. God basically says, “You make a good point. You’re right. You’re not qualified. But don’t worry, I’ll be with you, and I am qualified.” You see, it’s not about us at all. It’s about God’s ability to work within us. God seeks willing vessels. There’s a saying that I’ve heard which says, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” The truth is that God didn’t call Moses because He was qualified. God called Moses because that’s who He chose to use. God equipped him. The same is true for us. We can’t make our decision of whether or not we’ll obey God based on our qualifications; we need only to trust in His!

Enough Said

In Exodus 3:13, Moses asks God what name he should give the Israelites to show that God has truly sent him. I love God’s response in the next verse: “I AM WHO I AM.” I always read this as, “I AM…enough said.” God IS…and that’s all there is to it. The fact that God is who He is stands up on its own. We can think of all sorts of great reasons to worship God and to describe Him, but we really need to go no further than worshipping Him for who He is and describing Him as such.

Not Going to Be Easy

God gave Moses the game plan over the span of Exodus 3:16-22. God told Moses that he is to go to the elders of Israel and let them know that God is about to fulfill the promise He had given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God also tells Moses that he and the elders are to go to Pharaoh to request a three-day leave to worship God. God then tells Moses that He already knows Pharaoh will not listen so He will compel Pharaoh to let them go after a series of wonders. God even told Moses that the Israelites would have His favor in plundering the Egyptians. What interests me about God revealing the plan to Moses is that God didn’t lead Moses to believe that this was going to be a quick, easy process. God showed Moses that it would be tough. Basically He said, “Hey Moses, I want you to take on this task. Just so you know, getting Pharaoh to let you all go is going to be like pulling teeth for you. This is a very difficult journey ahead; it will not be easy.” Sounds pretty compelling, right? But, even though God let Moses know it was going to be tough, He had already reminded him that He would be with him. God had already let Moses know that he was going to find success in this process. In fact, God’s revelation about His favor for the Israelites to plunder the Egyptians must have been a real confidence builder. To finish the thought above, it’s like God said, “This is going to tough, but it’s definitely going to happen. It won’t be easy, but there will be victory. In fact, not only will you all leave, but you will gently plunder the Egyptians on the way out.” Even though God let Moses know how tough it would be, He didn’t leave him hanging. This may very well be the same for us at times in life as well. God may ask us to do something that is going to be incredibly difficult. Like Moses, we might even feel like we’re in way over our heads. But, in those times, we need to remember that if God has told us to do it, He will be with it and no matter how tough it may be, we will be successful in the end. We need to be sure to place our confidence in God.

Lose the Big BUT

We can read Moses’ response to God immediately after God told him the plan. Exodus 4:1 says, “Then Moses answered, ‘But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’’” In response, God gave Moses three signs to use: his staff turning into a snake, his hand becoming leprous and water turning into blood. Armed with these signs, Moses responded to God with…another BUT. We read this response from Moses in Exodus 4:10, “But Moses said to the LORD, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’” God replied by reminding Moses that He created his mouth and could teach him to speak. Armed with the commitment from God to speak for him, Moses responded to God with this, “But he said, ‘Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.’” This time, we read that God became angry with Moses. He told Moses that He would allow Aaron to be the person to do the speaking but that He would still speak directly with Moses. I feel like we can have similar responses to God sometimes. We like to inform God of reasons why we can’t do the thing He’s calling us to, as though He doesn’t know us better than we know ourselves. As we already established, if God calls us, then He will equip us. God will never tell us to do something that we cannot do. We should not seek to anger God by challenging Him. We need to lose the BUTs in our interactions with God and learn to simply say YES instead.

Day 16 - Exodus 1:1-2:25 - Birth of Moses

Multiplying

When Jacob came down to Egypt, his family was 70 persons (Exodus 1:5). Joseph and his brothers all passed away. Exodus 1:7 tells us that the people of Israel were fruitful and multiplied. This verse also tells us that they grew strong. They had become significant enough in size that it says, “…so that the land was filled with them.” To describe the situation as the land being filled with them would certainly indicate that they were many. When a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph, he felt that the Israelites had become too many and too strong (Exodus 1:9). Pharaoh’s solution to the “problem” was to treat them harshly (Exodus 1:10, 11). But, Exodus 1:12 says, “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.” And Exodus 1:20b says, “And the people multiplied and grew very strong.” We, yet again, see that though man has his plans, God’s will always wins out. God promised Abraham that He would bless him and make his people uncountable like the stars in the sky (Genesis 15). So, we should not be surprised to see the Israelites multiplying. Remember: God is always true! No man, not even the Pharaoh could alter God’s promise. In fact, the harder he tried to stop God’s promise, the more God’s promise proved true. Let us always remember this in our own lives. We may face persecution and/or hardship, but those things don’t dictate God’s will God can/will move in His sovereignty, no matter what mans’ plans might be.

Another Promise Fulfilled

The Israelite enslavement described in Exodus 1 is a fulfillment to what God told Abraham in Genesis 15:13. This is yet another reminder that God’s word is true.

Taking a Stand

In Exodus 1:15, we read that Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all sons born to the Israelites (in a further attempt to slow down the Israelites’ growth in number and power). Exodus 1:17 says, “But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” Even though the king of Egypt told them to do commit such a sinful act, they knew it was wrong and refused to obey. The midwives took a stand for what was right (out of a healthy fear of God). And even though Pharaoh was displeased with them (Exodus 1:18), God was pleased with them and blessed them, giving them their own families (Exodus 1:20, 21). We have many opportunities when we have to choose whether or not we will take a stand for what is right. We need to ask ourselves, “Who do I want to please? Man or God?” I don’t know about you, but I would rather fear God than fear men and please God than please men.

Cast into the Nile

Since the midwives refused to do Pharaoh’s bidding, Pharaoh turns to the Egyptians. Exodus 1:22 tells us that Pharaoh commanded all his people to cast every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile. In order to spare her new baby boy’s life, a Levite woman hid him for three months before making a basket and placing him in the Nile (Exodus 2:1-3). Continuing along in the following verses, we see that this baby was discovered by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who was pleased to find him. God even worked it out that the boy’s own mother would wean him and raise him. This serves as a good reminder to me that we are simply stewards of the children God blesses us with…they are really his. Also, it’s interesting to me that he too went into the Nile, as all other baby boys did, but God spared this baby from it. Once again, we see that God’s purpose will always win out.

Can’t Hide Sin

Sometimes we think we’re so slick at concealing our sins. We think that we can sin and we can get away with it. Moses was no different…he thought the same thing. Exodus 2:11 tells us that he saw a Hebrew being mistreated, being beaten by an Egyptian. We read in Exodus 2:12 that Moses looked around to make sure nobody was looking before he struck down the Egyptian, killing him, and then buried him in the sand. In the next verse, we read that when he went out the next day and saw two Hebrews fighting with each other, he tried to stop him. In verse 14, the man asked Moses if he would kill him just like he had killed the Egyptian. How did the man know about Moses killing the Egyptian? Moses had been careful to look around first to ensure nobody was looking. The truth is, however, that no matter how secret we may think our sins are and no matter how well we think we can hide them, our sins will always find us out (Numbers 32:23). As a result of Moses action and people finding out about it, he had to flee from Pharaoh (who wanted to kill him). There are always consequences for our sins.

Sojourner

Exodus 2:22 tells us that Moses and his wife Zipporah have a son. Moses named him Gershom. Why did Moses name his son GershomPromise Land. We, too, are only sojourners in a foreign land. This world, with all it has to offer, is only temporary. This is not our real home; we’re just passing through. We will continue to be merely sojourners until we enter the eternal Promise Land: heaven.

God Remembers…God Knows

Exodus 2:23-25 says, “²³ During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. ²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵ God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” I love this reminder to us. As I’ve said more than once already, God is always true to His word and faithful to His promises. The Israelites cried to God and He heard them. He not only heard them, but He remembered His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God saw them and He knew. The same is true in our lives. God hears us when we cry out to Him. And He remembers us. He sees us and knows. We can have complete confidence that God will always hear us and remember us, no matter how bleak things may seem.

Day 11 - Genesis 37:1-36 - Sold into Slavery

In the Land of Canaan

I love how this chapter begins by saying that Jacob lived in the land of Canaan. We read in Genesis 12:5-7 and 15:18-21 that God promised to give Abraham (at the time, Abram) the land of Canaan. So, in this passage, Jacob is already in the land that God has promised. But, as we read in Genesis 15:13, Abraham’s people are going to live in slavery in Egypt for 400 before they get to live in the land for good. We know from the last chapter of Genesis and the book of Exodus (and various other places in the Bible) that this did, in fact, happen. Isn’t this interesting? Jacob was already in the very place that God was eventually going to bring his people back to. This begs the question, “Why didn’t God just let them stay in the land?” We could look at this practically and say they weren’t large enough yet able to displace the Canaanites from the land. And this very well may be true. But I think the best answer is simpler, “Because staying in the land wasn’t God’s plan.” At first view, this may look like a “cop out” answer. But, I don’t think it is. God had a purpose to bring the Israelites through slavery before freeing them and allowing them to enter the Promise Land. We might get more into some of what that purpose might have been in a later discussion (though, to be fair, we might not), but that’s not the point I’m trying to make here. The point I am trying to make is this: I think that we have to be comfortable with “Because it’s not God’s will” being a satisfactory answer in our lives. Sometimes we might look at a situation and think that we have a better answer or a less arduous path.  The truth is, however, that God always knows what is best and we need to trust His will no matter what. It’s never as important for us to know why God does something as it is for us to obey.

Favorite and Least Favorite

Genesis 37:2-4 gives us a short introduction to Joseph. Joseph was 17 years old at the time of the account of this chapter. We learn two very important, interconnected facts. Joseph was his father’s favorite but the least favorite of his brothers. This is no coincidence. As Genesis 37:4 indicates, it was because Joseph was favored by his father (he was loved more than his brothers) that his brothers hated him. They did not get along. I’m sure this was not helped by the fact that Joseph told on his brothers when they did something they weren’t supposed to.

He Had a Dream, Actually Two

We read about two different dreams that Joseph has regarding his brothers. Although the dreams are different, they have the same meaning. If they have the same meaning, then why would there need to be two dreams? Pharaoh had two dreams with the same meaning in Genesis 41. While giving Pharaoh the interpretation of his dreams, Joseph said, “And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.” (Genesis 41:32). Though it does not give a reason for Joseph’s two dreams in Genesis 37, perhaps the reason is the same. That is to say that perhaps Joseph had two dreams with the same meaning because it was a thing fixed by God and would come about shortly. Regardless, the two dreams can be summarized as follows:

1. In the first dream (Genesis 37:7), Joseph and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field when Joseph’s sheaf arose and stood upright. Joseph’s brothers’ sheaves gathered around Joseph’s sheaf and bowed down to it.
2. In the second dream (Genesis 37:9), the sun, moon and eleven (same number as the number of Joseph’s brothers) bowed down to Joseph.

As I said, these dreams have a similar interpretation to each other. Each depicts Joseph’s brothers bowing down to him. The only difference between them is that the second dream expands to include Joseph’s parents also bowing down to him. Genesis 42-43 shows the fulfillment of these dreams as Joseph’s brothers bow down before him.

Reaction to the Dreams

When Joseph told his brothers the first dream, we read that they hated him even more than they had already (Genesis 37:5, 8). When Joseph told his brothers the second dream, we read that they became jealous of him (Genesis 37:11). We read in Genesis 37:10 that when Joseph told his father the second dream, Jacob initially rebuked him for the dream, but in Genesis 37:11 we’re told that Jacob “kept the saying in mind.” In some ways you could say that Jacob’s initial reaction was similar to that of Joseph’s brothers. None of them seemed happy to be hearing that they would bow down to Joseph. But what they did with that information was completely different. Joseph’s brothers, who already hated him, allowed the dreams to cause more hate in their hearts for Joseph. Joseph’s father, who loved him, did not allow the dreams to cause hate. He kept them in mind. He never eliminated the possibility that the dreams could be true. We know that Jacob had himself experienced the Lord speaking to him in a dream (Genesis 28) so I think he was open to the notion that what Joseph was saying may have been true. I think this situation also teaches us about how hate can cloud our judgment. The hate in the brothers’ hearts didn’t allow them to accept the possibility that the dreams were true; it only allowed them to hate him more. Joseph’s brothers had hate, jealousy and bitterness in their hearts. We need to be careful never to allow those things to remain unchecked in our hearts, because they will only breed more negative thoughts and feelings. If they had already dealt with the hate they had in their hearts toward Joseph, they may have responded more in the way that Jacob did: initially annoyed but ultimately intrigued.

Law of Depravity

Genesis 37:18 says, “They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.” We read in verse 19 that the brothers were still bitter about his dreams as they referred to him as “the dreamer” and in verse 20 they say that they will kill him and see “what will become of his dreams.” Because they had allowed these emotions of hate, jealousy and bitterness to fester unchecked in their hearts, their hearts were open to more sin. Unchecked sin is like a doorstop keeping the door of our hearts open so the enemy can gain access and introduce new sins. Their initial sin of hate was not premeditated, it was reactionary. But their plan to murder Joseph was done with premeditation. This is a classic example of the “Law of Depravity” at work. Small sins left unchecked lead to bigger sins which lead to bigger sins and so on. And not only do the sins become greater in number and scale, but they also become easier to commit. I always say that no man wakes up one morning with a completely healthy marriage and then goes to bed that night with another woman. Sins build on top of other sins. They always start simple and then get worse. If we don’t check our hearts, we are headed down a dangerous path that will not likely end well. This is why we must pray and ask the Holy Spirit to check our hearts and reveal sins to us.

Rescued, Sort of

Genesis 37:21 says, “But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, ‘Let us not take his life.’” In Genesis 37:22-24 we see that Reuben comes up with a solution to save Joseph. Instead of killing him, they only strip him of his robe (the one that his father gave him) and threw him into a pit. I’m not really sure how much credit to give Reuben. I mean, on the one hand, I love the fact that Reuben stood up to his brothers and spared Joseph’s life. I think it seems pretty clear that his intentions of sparing Joseph were pure because after Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery (Genesis 37:25-28), Reuben went back to the pit to get Joseph (Genesis 37:29). We can tell from what happens that Reuben genuinely expected him to be there so he could save him. This also means that Reuben wasn’t in on the plot to sell him. So, from that standpoint, I guess I can’t really fault Reuben. But on the other hand, I can’t help but feel like Reuben could have done more from the onset. Even though his intentions were good, I’m not sure he went about it the right way. Maybe he was afraid that if he sided with Joseph too much, he too may have faced his brothers’ fury. I just feel like he could have handled the situation better. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. I will at least say this: Reuben was purer than his brothers in his heart.

The Cover Up

So, what happened after Joseph was sold into slavery? His brothers tried to cover it up. In Genesis 37:31, 32 we read that they took Joseph’s robe and dipped it into goat blood and then brought it to their father. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t say that they claimed Joseph was dead. They simply brought the robe dipped in blood to their father and asked him to identify it as Joseph’s. From there, they let Jacob connect the dots on his own Genesis 37:33). I’m sure that in their minds this probably justified them. I mean, they “technically” weren’t lying to their father, right? Of course, we see right through that. They intentionally went out of their way to kill a goat and dip Joseph’s robe in the blood to make it appear as though he was dead. They were using deception and they were wrong to deceive their father, regardless of whether or not they specifically said Joseph was dead. I think we all must be careful not to make this same mistake. We can rationalize our sin and try to justify ourselves, even though we know what we’re doing is wrong. Not telling the truth is the same thing as lying.

It’s Their Story and They’re Sticking to It

It was bad enough that Jacob’s sons deceived him, but I think it got worse. We see Jacob’s reaction in Genesis 37:34 which says, “Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.” Jacob was heartbroken; he was devastated. Yet, even still, Jacob’s sons did not tell him the truth. In verse 35, Jacob basically says that he misses Joseph so much that life is no longer worth living. Even still, they do not tell their father the truth. In fact, earlier in Genesis 37:35 we read, “All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him…” So, according to this verse, Jacob’s sons “tried” to comfort him. Of course, they could have, at any moment, brought him some actual comfort by coming clean, but they stuck with their deception. They cared more about covering up what they did than they did about their father being comforted.

Meanwhile…

I love that after reading many verses about Joseph’s brothers and their hatred for Joseph and their plot and their deception, Genesis 37:36 begins with the word “meanwhile.” To me it’s almost like it’s saying, “Man has his plans, but "meanwhile" God is orchestrating His will!” Joseph’s brothers are busy doing their thing; “meanwhile” God is doing his. This brings to mind one of my favorite proverbs. It is found in Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”

Day 7 - Genesis 15:1-21 - God's Covenant with Abram

The Promise Expanded

We discussed God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 12 in the last study. Here in the first 5 verses of Genesis 15, we see a little more detail into the promise. In Genesis 15:4, God told Abram that He would give him a son of his own to be his heir. And as we referenced in the last study, God told Abram that his offspring would be so many that they would not be able to be numbered (15:5).

Justified by Faith

Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” This is incredible. We know that Abram was at least 75 and that Sarai was at least 65 years old. They were past the standard reproductive age. Yet God tells Abram that he will become a great nation and that it will be through his own son. I don’t know about you, but I might be double-checking that I heard the Lord correctly. Yet, this verse tells us that he believed God. Furthermore, that faith was counted to him as righteousness. In fact, while proving that we are justified by faith and not by our works, Paul references this verse as an example (Romans 4:3). We need to be people that believe God when He tells us something.

Covenant Preparations

In Genesis 15:8, Abram asks God how he will know that he will possess the land God had promised him. God replied by telling Abram to prepare a covenant (Genesis 15:9-11). During this time, people would cut animals in half and place them on either side of an area. The parties making the covenant would each then walk between the pieces. By walking between the pieces, they were essentially saying, “If I break my end of the deal, let me become like these animals.” In other words, they were saying, “If I don’t follow through on my part of the covenant, I die.” This same process is referenced in Jeremiah 34:18-20.

Slavery Foretold

We read in Genesis 15:12 that a deep sleep fell on Abram. During this sleep, God told Abram that his offspring would be slaves for 400 years. Of course, we know that this did in fact happen and can be read about in the beginning of Exodus. We also know that Abraham did not keep this to himself. In Genesis 50:24, 25 Joseph tells his brothers that God will bring them up out of Egypt. In fact he was so certain that he made them promise that they would take his bones with them when he went. James confirms that this is what Joseph was referring to in James 11:22 which says, “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.”

One-sided Covenant

Genesis 15:17 says, “When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.” Genesis 15:18-21 continues to say that God made a covenant with Abram that He would give him the land He promised. As we discussed above, during this time a covenant was made by cutting animals in half and with each party passing through the pieces. What makes this covenant unique is that only one party passed between the pieces: God! God did not require Abram to seal the covenant with Him in return. So, basically what God was saying (if we use my interpretation of how the covenant might be worded above) was, “If I don’t fulfill my end of the deal, I die. If you don’t fulfill your end of the deal, I die.” God was the only one taking the responsibility of consequences of the covenant if it were broken. And we know that God fulfilled the promise He made here to Abram. The Israelites did not hold up their end of the covenant which was to honor God. So, the moment that Jesus died upon the cross, God fulfilled the covenant that He made to Abram. God already knew that Jesus would have to come and die. That’s why God made the one-sided covenant. What an awesome, loving, compassionate, just, holy God that we serve!

Day 6 - Genesis 12:1-20 - The Call of Abram

A Common Theme: Obedience

It seems that there is one clear, definite characteristic that great men (and women) of God have in common: obedience. Abram is no different. Genesis 12:1 says, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:4 begins with, “So Abram went, as the LORD had told him…” Notice what God is really saying to Abram in verse 1: “Leave everything you know and are comfortable with to go to a place you’ve never been.” God doesn’t even tell Abram where He’s going to take him. And to Abram, it didn’t matter. The “where” didn’t matter because he trusted the “Who!” May we too be men (and women) who go when God’s tells us to where God tells us, without question or hesitation. We should never be worried about the where, because we have confidence in the Who!

Pretty Amazing Promise

Look at God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2, 3: “2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Wow! First, God promises to make him a great nation. Next, God blesses his name. Then, God says He will bless those who bless him and curse those who dishonor him. Finally God promises to bless the whole earth through him. Let’s take a little closer look at each of these promises:

1. A great nation – Have you ever seen how proud people are when they become grandparents? Furthermore, have you ever seen how proud people are when they become great-grandparents? And they’re not only proud of the first grandchild or great-grandchild. They’re proud of each one. And they keep count. Have you ever wondered why that is? I believe it’s because we all have a desire to leave a legacy. The larger the family, the larger the potential of that legacy. God promises Abram that He is going to make him a great nation. That is a pretty amazing legacy. If we look a little deeper though, something else should jump out to us as clearly evident: According to Genesis 12:4, Abram was already 75 years old, and he didn’t yet have any children. Imagine being a person who doesn’t have any legacy (no children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) at 75 years old. How excited would you be if God told you that not only will you have a legacy, but it will be great (greater than the stars in the sky [Genesis 15:5]).
2. A great name – I am intrigued by the contrast between this situation and the one from our previous study in the previous chapter. The people who tried to build the tower to heaven in Genesis 11 did so in an attempt to make a name for themselves. No name was made for them. From what we read, Abram did not attempt to make a name for himself. He was a humble man. A name was made for him. It is impossible to make a name for yourself (no matter how hard you may try). Only God can make a name for us. And ironically, the only way that happens is if we don’t desire it.
3. A blessing and a curse – Have you ever had a friend that you decided you would always want to be with you if you ever got in a fight? You know, the strong, tough one who gave you a little bit of a sense that nobody would want to mess with him and thus wouldn’t want to mess with you. Well, multiply that by infinity and you will know what Abram must have felt like. Basically God tells Abram that He’s got his back. The even more amazing, awesome, humbling thing in all this is that God has our back too.
4. A blessing for all – The last part of the promise is easily the most awesome. God tells Abram that it will be through him that all families will be blessed. This is a clear reference to the fact that Jesus, the Savior of mankind, would be born as a descendant of Abram. It was through his line that God the Father chose to send God the Son to die as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. After all, there is no way to the Father but through Jesus (John 14:6)

Praising God

There are two occasions where we see that Abram built an altar to God (Genesis 12: 7, 8). The first altar Abram built came after the LORD appeared to him – because of something God had done. The second altar Abram built came out of his desire to call upon the name of the LORD. I think that our praise to God needs to include both these same elements. We need to praise God in response to all He does and we need to praise God just because of who He is!

Famine

It’s so intriguing to me that Abram went to Egypt as a result of there being a famine in the land where he was. As we read in Genesis 41-47, this is the same situation that ultimately led Jacob and his offspring to travel to Egypt and live there. In fact, they remained in Egypt for hundreds of years (in slavery) before God led them back to the land He promised (Promise Land) through Moses and Joshua.

Beautiful Woman

Genesis 12:4 tells us that Abram was 75 years old when he left on his journey. Genesis 17:17 tells us that when Isaac was born, Abraham (his name had just been changed from Abram) was 100 years old and Sarah (her name had just been changed from Sarai) was 90 years old. This means that Abram was 10 years older than Sarai, which means that when Abram was 75, Sarai was 65. So, Sarai was at least 65 years old when Abram is convinced that her beauty will work against him and he asks her to say she is his sister instead of his wife (Genesis 12:11-13). And Sarai was at least 65 when the Egyptians saw that she was beautiful and the princes of Pharaoh praised her to Pharaoh so that she was taken into Pharaoh’s house (12:14, 15). I would think that based on the evidence in this passage, Sarai was incredibly beautiful…at 65 years old! How is this relevant? Well, it was because of her beauty that she ended up at Pharoah’s house and it was because of her beauty that Pharoah dealt well with Abram, giving him wealth—sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys and camels (12:16). It’s no coincedence that these things happened. God had it planned all along.

Sanctity of Marriage

I had an unsaved friend recently comment to me that there is no longer sanctity of marriage. He said it is only a myth. I, of course, took offense to that statement. As I explained to my friend, it’s not that there is no longer sanctity of marriage, it’s that many people don’t respect or honor that sanctity. We see how clear God is on the sanctity of marriage in Genesis 12:17-20. Sarai was already married to Abram and God did not approve of another man (even the most powerful man in the nation) messing with a married woman. God created marriage. And God created the sanctity of marriage. By definition, marriage has sanctity. We simply choose whether or not we will respect and honor it. If we disrespect and dishonor it, we disrespect and dishonor God!

Day 5 - Genesis 11:1-9 - Tower of Babel

Perfect Communication

We see in this passage that all mankind spoke the same language. There was perfect communication. Think about how many times miscommunication and language barriers have caused significant issues and crises. Have you ever heard someone say, “If they want to live here they can learn our language?” I’m sure you have. Why do people get so heated about such a simple topic? Well, our lives are really based on our ability to communicate. When there is a breakdown in communication, it leads to uneasiness and frustration. Look at most marriages that have failed. There can be many things that spark a divorce, but a basic breakdown in communication is typically a big part of the problem (or the thing that prevents a solution). Could you imagine if we never had any trouble communicating with anyone else? Could you imagine how convenient it would be if everyone spoke the same language? We wouldn’t have such a struggle translating the Bible into indigenous people’s languages. Well, as cool and convenient as it would likely be, according to our text, it would also be dangerous. Why? Because we are sinful and we would use to convenience of perfect communication for evil and not for good. How do I know that? Because it’s exactly what happened in this passage. Genesis 11:4 says, “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’”

Self-fulfilling Prophesy

I’m going to be honest. Of all the times I have ever read this passage of Scripture, I think this is the first time that this really jumped out at me. Looking again in Genesis 11:4, we read that the reason they wanted to build a tower and build a name for themselves was so they would not be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. They did not want to be dispersed so their solution was to build a tower. Interestingly enough, however, we see that the reason they were dispersed over the face of the earth was because they built the tower. How often do we think that we have the wisdom to find a “solution” to a “problem” only to discover that our “solution” is actually what created the “problem?” This is what happens when we trust our own wisdom over God’s.

Who’s Getting the Glory?

As we referenced above, the people did evil by building the tower. It wasn’t so much the building of the tower that was the issue. It was the heart behind the building of the tower. We see in Genesis 11:4 that they wanted to make a name for themselves. We actually see their hearts prior to that when they decided to build themselves a city and a tower. Notice that they didn’t want to build a city or tower for God. Any time we are building things (ministries, families, careers, etc.) for ourselves instead of God and any time we are looking to make a name for ourselves instead of God then we are being selfish and sinful. We need to make sure that everything we do in life is for God and for His glory. I have a saying that God gave me when I was running one day that keeps my heart focused on why I run: “in His strength. for His glory.” Each time I run, I pray that to Him: “Lord, let me always run in Your strength and for Your glory.” This has impacted other areas of my life before running. Let’s make sure pride doesn’t hold us back from what God has in store for us.

There Goes that 1^st Person Plural Again

In Genesis 11:7 the LORD said, “Come, let us go down…” Notice that the 1^st person plural pronoun being used. This is yet another reference to the trinity, even way back here in Genesis.

Coming to America

Have you ever wondered how people ended up in America since Noah and his family (from whom we all descend) were in the Middle East? Well, this passage is the answer. As the penalty for the selfish, prideful sinfulness of the people, they were dispersed over the face of all the earth (Genesis 9:9). America is part of all the earth, so it’s reasonable to say that this is when people started living here and in all other various parts of the world.

Day 4 - Genesis 8:1-9:17 - God's Covenant with Noah

Never Forgotten

I like how Genesis 8 begins: “But God remembered Noah...” The flood waters were raging and every living thing not on the ark (except for the fish) was utterly destroyed, but God did not forget Noah and all who/that was with him. I think that sometimes we go through difficult times in our lives when the metaphorical flood waters are raging and where all our certainties become uncertainties and when our life as we know it changes. And in those times, we may feel similar to David when he wrote, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1). Sometimes we may feel like we have been abandoned. I think this verse serves as a good reminder to us though. In the same way that God remembered Noah, He always remembers us. Even David recognized that in truth God was not hiding at all. He finishes that same psalm by saying, "¹⁶ The LORD is king forever and ever, the nations perish from his land. ¹⁷ O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear ¹⁸ to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more." (Psalm 10:16-18). Even though we may sometimes feel like God has abandoned us, he most certainly has not! Mary Stevenson penned a popular poem that states this question and then gives a beautifully poetic answer that we should all conclude to be true. The poem is called “Footprints in the Sand.” It goes as follows:

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?”

The Lord replied,

“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you.”

Testing the Waters while Waiting on God

God's plan and timing is perfect. And He doesn't often send us a calendar invite to know exactly what's going on and when. Don't misunderstand me, He will let us know all the details when we need to know them. But in the meantime, God expects us to test things out for ourselves. Truly, we spend a lot of time waiting on God for what's to come. And in the meantime we need to be certain that we are doing the best with what we know to do then. We should never sit around doing nothing while we're waiting. Notice in this passage that Noah tested the waters on his own while waiting for God to tell him what to do and when to do it. Let's look at the order of how things went. First, Noah sent a raven to see if the land had dried up yet (Genesis 8:7). After the raven returned, Noah sent a dove. The dove couldn't find a dry place so it too returned (8:8, 9). After seven days, Noah again sent the dove. This time, the dove came back with an olive leaf (8:10, 11). After seven more days, Noah sent the dove out once more. This time the dove did not return (8:12). Noah then took the roof off the ark and saw that the earth was dry (8:13). Finally, after another month and 26 days, the earth had completely dried out and then God told Noah to leave the ark, taking everyone and everything out with him (8:14-17). Noah once again did as he was told (8:18, 19). Let me give an example: You may be wondering what ministry God might want you to be involved with. But if you haven't heard clearly from God, that doesn't mean you should just sit and wait. You should test the waters by asking more information about a certain ministry or trying one out. (It's often times not until after we test the handle that God shows us that the door is open.) And all this should be done in conjunction with prayer.

Sweet Aroma

After leaving the ark, Noah took some of every clean animal and every clean bird and offered them as a sacrifice to God (as we mentioned in the last post) (Genesis 8:20). What's amazing to read about, however, is not the sacrifice. The amazing thing to read about is God's response. Genesis 8:21, 22 says, “²¹ And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. ²² While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.’” Notice that what God says is not directed toward Noah or anyone else. It says that God said in His heart. That's such an amazing thought. Noah's offering so pleased God that it caused Him to say in His heart that He would never destroy every living creature again. We are nothing in comparison to God. Yet, He loves our offerings. I encourage us to keep this picture of God's satisfaction in mind next time we worship God with songs, dancing, offerings, etc.

Replenishing the Earth

God gave Noah and his sons an amazing task. They were responsible to replenish the earth. God did not choose to re-create man. God told them, “’Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." (Genesis 9:1b; this is restated in 9:7 as well). We see this fact confirmed in Genesis 9:18, 19 when it says, “¹⁸ The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) ¹⁹ These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.”

From Herbivore to Omnivore

Genesis 9:3, 4 offers the first time that we see God telling people to eat animals. Up until this point, it seems that they ate only plants. In Genesis 3:18b-19a God told Adam, “and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” When God was telling Noah what to bring on the ark, He told Noah in Genesis 6:21, “Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” This is by no means proof that they had never eaten animals, but if it wasn't, then why did God take the time to say it?

Taking the Rainbow Back

Certain groups (and one in particular) have claimed the rainbow as a symbol for their cause. The rainbow already has a more significant meaning though, so I'm here to take it back. Next time you see a rainbow, let it serve as a reminder of God's covenant to Noah that He would never destroy all the living creatures of the earth again, because that's what God is remembering when He sees it! (Genesis 9:13-17)

Day 3 - Genesis 6:5-7:24 - The Flood

Standing Firm, Even When You're the Only One

Before we get into the account of the flood, let's quickly look at what brought it about. Genesis 6:5 says that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” This is amazingly strong language. EVERY intention; ONLY evil; CONTINUALLY. This wasn't a case where people's bad decisions outweighed the good, this was a case of there only being bad decisions made. In fact, it was so bad that only Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8). Genesis 6:9b continues to tell us that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” We currently live in a world full of wickedness. But, for as wicked as this world is, I would like to think there is more than one whom God could consider righteous and blameless. Everyone else in Noah's day was ONLY doing evil CONTINUALLY...every other person! Yet, Noah stood fast and firm in his walk with God. Noah didn't use the wickedness of the world as an excuse to live with the same evil intent and neither should we. Noah remained rooted in God and so should we. There may come a time when we are the only one left standing and if it does, we must stand firm!

Obey Completely

Sometimes when God speaks to us, He simply gives us guidelines. But sometimes when God speaks to us, He gives specifics. In Genesis 6:14-21, we see God give Noah some very specific details. God told Noah what to build (ark - Genesis 6:14), what wood to use (gopher - 6:14), what to include (rooms - 6:14), what to cover it with (pitch - 6:14), the blueprints (300 cubits x 50 cubits x 30 cubits - 6:15), how to cover it (roof - 6:16), how high the roof should be (one cubit above - 6:16), how to enter (door - 6:16), where to put the door (in its side - 6:16), how many decks to have (three - 6:16), who to bring (Noah and his family - 6:18), what to bring (two of every animal, bird, creeping thing - 6:19, 20), which gender each animal should be (one male, one female - 6:19), what else to bring (every sort of food that is eaten for Noah and the animals - 6:21). I would say that this is pretty specific. God didn't just tell Noah to build and ark. God told Noah HOW to build the ark. As I said, sometimes God is specific and sometimes He's not. The key is what we do with what God tells us. Perhaps the most important verse for us is found at the end of the chapter. Genesis 6:22 tells us, “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Genesis 7:5 says, “And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.” Noah did everything exactly the way that God commanded him to. We need to be equally obedient.

Genesis 7

Two by Two, Right?

Even many unchurched kids have some familiarity with the account of Noah and the flood. The movie “Evan Almighty” was based around this biblical account. Most people could probably tell you that there were two of every animal (one male, one female). That is the case, right? Well, not exactly. Genesis 7:2 actually tells us that God commanded Noah to take seven pairs of all clean animals (male and female) and one pair of all unclean animals (male and female). Genesis 7:3 also includes birds among those that Noah was to bring seven pairs of with him on the ark. It's easy for us to understand why Noah needed to bring a male and female of every animal - so they could procreate once off the ark and replenish the earth with their species. Why, though, did Noah need to take extra clean animals? We must remember what clean animals were used for: sacrifice. In fact, if we skip ahead to Genesis 8:20, we see that after exiting the ark, “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

God Fulfills His Promises

In Genesis 7:4, God told Noah, “For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” In Genesis 7:17a we read, “The flood continued forty days on the earth.” In Genesis 7:21-23, we read “²¹ And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. ²³ He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.” God did exactly what He said He was going to do. People make promises and break them just as quickly, but God never breaks His promises!

Further Proof of the Flood #1 - Various Accounts

Did you know that there are accounts of a great flood from many different cultures all around the world? Some of these cultures never heard of the Bible but still have similar accounts. Is this a coincidence? I don't think it is a coincidence at all. I think that it's further proof that the flood actually occurred. I know that some of the elements have changed in the various accounts and some have added their own false gods into their accounts and such, but I believe that they all have the same origin: the account of the flood from the passage we're studying today. If they come from the same flood, then why are there differences? Have you ever played the game “telephone” in your life? That's the game where someone whispers a phrase into someone else's ear, who in turn whispers it into someone else's ear and so on until it goes around the circle. Usually what the last person hears is not at all the phrase that started. I believe that this is what happened with regard to all these flood accounts too. I believe the truth is what we read in the Bible. I believe that the truth in these other accounts have been distorted over the years. But the fact that they have the same basic elements indicates authenticity in my opinion. In searching out some of the other accounts online, I found a website that seems to do a good job of compiling and comparing some of the various accounts. I haven't read them all but from what I did read, it's truly quite compelling. I encourage you to see for yourself (Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the organization or website attached to the following link and I have only looked at the compiling of flood accounts. I am in no way promoting or supporting any theological viewpoints or positions held by anyone with regard to theology as I have not researched that aspect of this organization or website.) http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html

Further Proof of the Flood #2 - Whale Bones

A friend of mine tipped me off to this news a couple of months ago. I will provide a link to the story (I just pulled up one account during a google search, but you could certainly find many others) but first let me briefly share the key element of the story and why I think it's important. The bones of 75 whales were found in the Atacama Desert in Chile in June 2010. There is much debate as to how the whales got there. I think there's actually a pretty easy explanation: That's where the whales were geographically when the flood waters subsided. As a result, they were stranded. Here is the link to the news article I pulled up from 7 News in Queensland, Australia: http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/latest/11910814/mystery-of-whale-bones-found-in-chilean-desert/ 

Day 2 - Genesis 3:1-24 - The Fall

The Deceiver

It doesn't take long into the Bible to see satan do what he does best: deceive. What satan does here is the same he often does to us...it's all about manipulation and causing us to doubt. Notice that the serpent didn't begin by telling Eve that she should eat fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Instead, satan started with a question - a slyly worded question - to cause Eve to doubt what God said. The questions the serpent asks as phrased in Genesis 3:1 asks, “’Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’” Notice how the serpent uses the word "actually." The serpent doesn't start off by saying that God didn't mean what He said. Instead, the serpent starts by causing her to question if she heard God correctly. Many times in our own lives, this is the same tactic that satan will use. Have you ever heard something from God, only to begin doubting it right after? We ask ourselves, “Did God really want me to do this?” When those moments of doubt come, we must stand firm in what we know to be true and not allow satan to try to deceive us. Eve seems to answer with certainty that she knew what God had said, so the serpent seems to move to tactic 2: Challenging God's word. If we look back to Genesis 2:17 we see that God said, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” In Genesis 3:4 we read, “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.” The serpent completely contradicts God. Then, satan gets Eve how he gets to most of us: pride. Notice that the serpents net line to Eve as recorded in Genesis 3:5 is telling Eve that if she eats the fruit she will be like God. That sounds like a compelling argument that seems pleasing to us when we hear it, but let us not be confused...we will NEVER be equal to God. He is our Creator. We are His created. We must be careful not to be deceived in the same way that Eve was. Let us remember Jesus' words in John 8:44 when He says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” And often times, his lies are the worst kind: twisting the truth.

The Blame Game

Adam and Eve had just sinned against God by disobeying His command. They hear God walking in the garden (which is so awesome that they had the opportunity to see God and fellowship with Him so closely) and they hid themselves because they were afraid because they were naked. God asks them how they knew they were naked (of course, God - Who knows everything - already knew the answer), was it that they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Let me sum up Adam's response in Genesis 3:12, “It was Eve's fault.” And now let me sum up Eve's response in Genesis 3:13, “It was the serpent's fault.” Adam and Eve admitted their guilt, which was good. God gave them the opportunity and they did not try to lie (which only makes things worse). Though they admit their guilt, they go right to excuses and start the blame game. Have you ever been guilty of playing the blame game? I know I have. But let's be honest to ourselves. We are responsible for the decisions that we make.

Consequences

There are always consequences for our bad decisions. Even when we ask and receive forgiveness, we, often, still have consequences to face. For example, if I robbed a bank, I could ask God to forgive me and as long as that request was sincere He would. Even though God would forgive me, I would still go to jail. There are consequences for our actions. Aside from the greatest consequence for Adam and Eve's sin (which we will discuss in our next section), there are some other peripheral consequences, including: enmity between snakes (which as a result, would have to slither on their bellies) and mankind, painful childbirth, toiling labor with thorns and thistles, no longer having only scrumptious fruit to eat, etc. (Genesis 3:14-19).

Substitutionary Sacrifice Initiated

My favorite verse of this chapter is one of my favorite verses of the entire Bible. In just a few simple words, I believe that the loving, compassionate yet just mercy of God is shown. And if we're not paying attention, it's easy to miss it (I did for quite a long time). Genesis 3:21 says “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Did you catch it? If not, read it again and see if it jumps out at you. As we discussed in the previous reading of Genesis 1, 2, Adam and Eve were vegetarians. There is no indication that they ate animals. In fact, there is no indication that an animal had ever died. So that begs a big question in Genesis 3:21, “Where did the garments of skin come from?” Let's back up just a little bit for a moment. Remember we discussed that God said that if they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil then they would die. We know that God's word is truth. So, why didn't Adam and Eve die? Some suggest that the death only referred to spiritual death. I believe that this is certainly part of the equation, but not the whole picture. I believe that the reason Adam and Eve didn't die in the garden that day was because God allowed an animal to die in their place...the first substitutionary sacrifice, the first act pointing to Jesus death for our sins on the cross. Why do I think this? Let's look at what we know from the text and its context. God killed an animal in order to give them the garments of skin to use as clothes. Jumping ahead for just a moment, we see Cain and Abel bringing sacrifices to God in Genesis 4:3-7. Cain brought an offering of fruit but Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. Genesis 4:4b, 5a says, “And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.” The sacrificial system did not begin with Abraham or Moses. We know this because Abel was already bringing a proper substitutionary sacrifice. And I believe that God did so for Adam and Eve also, showing them what they must do in order to live.

The Other Tree

Last time, we discussed how we may sometimes forget that there was another tree specifically mentioned to be in the midst of the Garden of Eden: the tree of life. We read in Genesis 3:22-24 that if they were to eat of the tree of life they would live forever. It's safe to say that had they eaten of it prior to being banished it would have had the same result. And as we discussed last time, there is no indication that they were forbidden from eating of it. But, they did eat fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so God banished them from the garden and placed the cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. Notice that God did not simply remove the tree of life. Instead, He guarded the way to it. In the same way that we read about the tree of life at the beginning of the Bible, it is also mentioned at the end. In a description of Heaven, the tree of life is indicated to be on either side of the river of the water of life (Revelation 22:2). Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Finally, Revelation 22:18, 19 reads, “¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

Day 1 - Genesis 1:1-2:25 - Creation

The Triune God

It is here in Genesis 1 that we first see the Trinity at work. We see the Father, the Son (the Word that was spoken) and the Holy Spirit (hovering over the waters of the deep). We know that the Word spoken was the Son, Christ Jesus, because of what we read in John 1:1-3, which says, “¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” It is also worth noting that Genesis 1:26 uses the plural as it says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

How God Created

I have heard many debates surrounding the creation of the world. I feel like we need to be careful not to add to or remove anything from what the Genesis 1 account tells us. Genesis 1 is written as beautiful poetry and was never intended to be used as a science book detailing the specifics of creation. We need to look no further than the account of Noah and the Flood or the book of Leviticus to see how specific God can get when He wants to be specific. We don’t see the exact way that God formed everything (including man). What we do see is two key truths: 1. God created; 2. He did so through by speaking.

Beautiful Poetry

As indicated above, I believe that Genesis 1 is written with beautiful poetry. A good friend once pointed out that nothing more greatly shows the beauty of creation than a sunrise and sunset. My friend then pointed out that a sunrise and sunset is indicated in each day during the biblical account of creation when we are shown that there is morning and evening in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23 and 31 of Genesis 1. Regardless whether or not that phrase is used at the end of each day to give a picture of a sunrise and sunset, it is certainly hard to argue the point that ending each day with that phrase is meant to be poetic. The most beautiful piece of poetry that I see in Genesis 1 is the picture we are given in verse 1 and then how it’s followed up. In verse 1, we see that the Spirit of God is hovering over the waters of the deep. Another way to translate Spirit of God is Breath of God. I see this picture of the Breath of God hovering, just waiting for creation to occur. Then, all of a sudden, the Breath of God is no longer left hovering as God speaks forth His Word. Eight different times in Genesis 1 we see that “God spoke” in a direct connection to creation (verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, and 26). I believe that the Genesis 1 account of creation is accurate and how things actually happened. I also believe that it was written with beautiful poetry, which is fitting for the beauty of the event (the creation of the world) being described.

It Was Good

God doesn’t make mistakes. And God certainly didn’t make any mistakes during creation. On seven different occasions in Genesis 1 (verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, and 31), we see that God saw His work and that it was good. I was challenged a few years ago when I said I had a bad day. I was reminded in my heart that God created that day and all that God creates is good. I have no right calling something bad that God called good. Some days are more challenging than others, but they are all good. How do I know? Because God creates them all. I think this is also important for some people to see because they may not think very highly of themselves. Let’s be honest, some people don’t feel smart or funny or beautiful or whatever other shortcoming they may feel. Let us be reminded by this portion of Scripture, though, that God did not make any mistakes when He created any of us!

Imago Dei

We were made in the image of God. How cool is that? When some try to claim that humans are just another kind of animal or when people even put animals ahead of humans, I like to remind them that we were created with a huge difference: unlike animals, humans were created in the image of God. We are reminded of the significance of this truth in Genesis 9:6 when God told Noah and his sons:

“’Whoever sheds the blood of man,

  by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.’”

Vegetarian

Genesis 1:29 seems to indicate that Adam and Eve were created as vegetarians. God gave them the fruit of every tree (except one as we see in chapter 2 and will discuss shortly) to eat. And Genesis 1:30 shows us that the greens were originally intended for the animals. While this may seem insignificant, I believe that its significance will be seen when we read and discuss chapter 3.

The Sabbath

Genesis 2:1-3 tells us that after six days of creation, God took the seventh day to rest. God is all-powerful and He was certainly not so overwhelmed by fatigue that He needed to take a nap. God, in His great wisdom and love, was setting aside that day (that’s what it means to make something holy: to set it apart) for our benefit. He was also creating a situation for us to always remember His glory in creation. We know this is true because in reading the Exodus 20 account of the Ten Commandments, it says in verses 8-11, “⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Is the Sabbath supposed to be Saturday or Sunday? I think that’s the wrong question. We need to ask ourselves what it means to Sabbath (or to rest). We need to make time to rest in God and remember Him for His glory in creation.

Adam and Eve

Genesis 2 gives us a little more depth than Genesis 1 did with regard to the creation of Adam and Eve. We know that Adam was created from the dust. Most importantly, though, we see that God breathed life into Adam. I just think that’s awesome! The creation of Eve is completely different, however. God used Adam to create Eve. Like many translations you may be using, my English Standard Version of the Bible says that God created Eve from Adam’s “rib” (Genesis 2:21, 22). It is noteworthy, however, that the Hebrew word used here is tsela. Many scholars believe that a better translation for this might be “side.” In fact, it is believed by many (including me, though I am no scholar) that Eve was created from more than simply a small bone rib. It seems that Eve may have been made from a larger portion of Adam’s side. In fact, we know for certain that it wasn’t only a bone as the following verses (23, 24) indicate that Eve came from Adam’s bone and flesh. Verse 24 is why we say that when a man and woman get married, the two become one. Some people use unity candles to signify this truth during a wedding ceremony.

The Two Trees

There is a lot to be said about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From what we read in Genesis 2:16, 17, this is the one and only tree they are forbidden to eat from. If they weren’t to eat from it then why was it put there? This is a question that has been asked throughout the ages. Why has it been stumping people for so long? Because the Bible doesn’t come right out and tell us the specific answer. All I can tell you is what I believe to be true. I believe that we are free will beings. God created us to worship Him, but I believe that He wanted us to choose to worship Him. Why is choice so important? As a dad, I like to make this analogy: is it more meaningful to you when to tell your child to kiss you and they do or when they kiss you without you telling them to? I argue that it means much more to be loved by someone without making them love you. In truth, if you have to make someone love you, it’s not real love. I believe that God wanted us to choose to love Him (while also understanding that we cannot make that choice without the power of the Holy Spirit). We will see the tree of the knowledge of good and evil become incredibly important when we read and discuss Genesis 3. So, what about the other tree? I believe that it’s easy for us to pay so much attention to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that we can forget that there is another important tree mentioned in this chapter. Genesis 2:9 tells us that the tree of life was also in the Garden of Eden. And we never see any indication that they were commanded not to eat from it. So, why didn’t they? This might go under the old “woulda, shoulda, coulda, didn’t” category, but I don’t believe this is a question that can actually be answered, just something I wonder. Like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we will see the greater significance of the tree of life when we read and discuss Genesis 3.