January 1, 2014 Devotional - Genesis 1 & 2, and Matthew 1

Genesis 1:1-2:3 – Creation 
God exists in a plurality, and He rules over all things. He created all things out of nothing in six days by speaking, and created man and woman in His own image to subdue the earth and to rule it. He pronounced His pleasure with His creation by saying it is very good. He blessed the seventh day, pronouncing it as holy, and He rested from His work of creation on this day.

Genesis 2:4-25 – Adam & Eve in the Garden 
God powerfully sustained life on the earth before He put the regular natural processes into motion. God put the man in the garden of Eden to work it, and commanded him not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God saw that it wasn’t good for man to be alone, so He created woman to be a helper to him out of the his rib. Out of this couple God established marriage between man and woman, that through their bond they would become one flesh. Once marriage was established, and the man was no longer alone, God saw that it was very good.

Matthew 1 - Genealogy & Birth of Jesus 
This is the historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: First 14 - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, Hezron, Aram, Aminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David. Second 14 - Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jechoniah/Exile. Third 14 - Jechoniah, Salathiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, Joseph (husband of Mary who gave birth to), Jesus, who is called Messiah. The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way. His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit before they came together. Joseph considered divorcing quietly, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and told him that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he is to name Him, "Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." This was to fulfill Scripture, that a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel ("God with us")." Joseph did as the Lord's angel had commanded and he married Mary, but didn't know her intimately until after she gave birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.