January 3 - Excursus on the Births and Deaths of Adam and His Posterity

Adam and his children lived such a long time. I've always wondered how their lives overlapped. Was Adam alive anywhere close to the time of Noah? Was Noah alive anywhere close to the time of Abraham? et cetera. Well, I took a few minutes to document the births and deaths of Adam through Noah (well, not Noah's death yet).

First, I'm not certain where all of these men lived, so it's difficult to tell how much interaction they would have had with each other. This being said, they are family, and since it is so clearly recorded in Scripture that this was the lineage to carry on God's promise to Eve in Genesis 3:15, I don't believe it's a non sequitur or illogical stretch of the imagination to assume that these men knew each other and talked to each other - a lot!

Second, at my house, we seek to read Scripture daily, and remind ourselves of God's promises to us through Christ. If Adam did this, think of how many days, and years he had to tell the story of the creation, fall, and hope for redemption again and again to his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on down the line. He lived 930 years! That's 339,450 days! God's work in history, and God's word spoken to be repeated again, and again, and again. Also, Adam and Eve had other children. The story of God in creation, and the fall, was repeated again and again.

Third, the number of years these people lived gives an incredible amount of validity and trustworthiness to the words of Scripture. Over time, there would have been more and more people who could challenge the story if folks were trying to add false details to it. Over time, Adam, Seth, Enosh, etc., would have been able to correct errors that people had about the story. Consider this, Adam died only 126 years before Noah was born, and Seth died only 14 years before Noah was born. Lastly, Adam's grandson, Enosh, was alive 84 years into Noah's life. Wow! I'm looking forward to seeing if there's more overlap in the lives to come.

 

January 3, 2014 Devotional - Genesis 5 & 6, and Matthew 3

Genesis 5 – The Line of Seth

God created man in the likeness of God; He created them male and female. Then follows the lineage of Adam through Seth.

            Adam lived 930 years – had Seth at 130

            Seth lived 912 years – had Enosh at 105

            Enosh lived 905 years – had Kenan at 90

            Kenan lived 910 years – had Mahalalel at 70

            Mahalalel lived 895 years – had Jared at 65

            Jared lived 962 years – had Enoch at 162

            Enoch lived 365 years – had Methuselah at 65 – Enoch walked with God, and he

was not there, because God too him.

            Methuselah lived 969 years – had Lamech at 187

            Lamech lived 777 years – had Noah at 182

            Noah was 500 years old, and he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth

Genesis 6 – Sons of God & Daughters of Man

As mankind multiplied their daughters were taken as wives by the sons of God. They grew in wickedness, corruption, and violence. God was grieved and determined to destroy all flesh and the earth. Noah was a righteous man, and blameless among men. God established a covenant to preserve Noah and his family, and commanded Noah to make an ark for two of all living creatures, and to store up all kinds of food, and Noah did everything the Lord had commanded him.

Matthew 3 - John the Baptist
John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying, "Repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near!" John was spoken of by Isaiah in Scripture as one who would come to prepare the way of the Lord. John wore clothes of camel's hair with a leather belt and ate locusts and wild honey. People in the area were flocking to him and confessed their sins as they were baptized in the Jordan River. When he saw Pharisees and Saducees come for baptism he said "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don't presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." He baptized with water for repentance, but One will come after him who he's not worthy to untie His sandal, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. From Him will come judgment. Jesus then came from Galilee to be baptized. John tried to stop Him, but Jesus said to allow it in order to fulfill all righteousness. After Jesus was baptized He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. And there came a voice from heaven: "This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!"

January 2, 2014 Devotional - Genesis 3 & 4, Matthew 2

Genesis 3 – The Fall 
A serpent that God made deceived the woman, and she disobeyed God, and the man followed in disobeying God. God punished the serpent by cursing it and promising its defeat through the offspring of Eve. Eve was punished by experiencing difficulty in bearing children and desiring for her husband. Adam was punished by the difficulty it would take to work the ground for food, and in the certainty of death. The man’s name was Adam, and he named the woman Eve, because she was the mother of all living. God is seen as a plurality again, and he killed animals to make clothing for Adam and Eve, and He banished them from the Garden of Eden, and stationed cherubim with a flaming, whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 4 – Cain Murders Abel 
Adam and Eve had Cain and the Abel. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer. God regarded Abel’s offering of the firstborn and fat portions more than Cain’s offering from the field, which indicates two things, that Cain’s heart was wrong, and that his offering was not the first fruits that were the best and most desirable. In anger and depression Cain killed Abel. God pronounced that the ground would no longer bear him fruit and he became a wanderer, who was not to be killed by others. Adam and Eve had another Child, Seth, and in His time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

Matthew 2 - Wisemen/Fleeing to Egypt/Massacre of Infant Boys/Settling in Nazareth
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, kings came from the east to Jerusalem asking where the one born King of the Jews was, for they had seen His star. Herod and all Jerusalem was disturbed. He asked the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah was to be born, and they replied from Scripture "Bethlehem of Judea". Herod summoned the wise men to find out when the star appeared, and asked them to report to him where the Child was so he could "worship" Him. They left, and the star led them to Jesus. They went in the house and saw Mary with the child and gave treasure of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In a dream they were warned not to return to Herod, so they returned home on another route. Then an angel of the Lord told Joseph in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt and stay until he told him, because Herod is going to search for the child to destroy Him. In the night Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escaped. When Herod learned that the wisemen outwitted him he gave orders to kill all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and younger. All of this was to fulfill Scripture in Jeremiah. After Herod died an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel, he obeyed. Because Herod's son, Archelaus, was ruling Judea, Joseph was scared to go there, and after being warned in a dream he withdrew to Galilee. There they settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill Scripture that He would be called a Nazarene.

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.

Exodus Chapter 2 ~ Introducing Moses/God Hears, Remembers, Sees, & Knows

Exodus Chapter 2

A Levite Baby
A man from the house of Levi took a Levite wife. She conceived and bore a son and hid him for 3 months. She could hide him no longer, so she made a basket of bulrushes (papyrus reeds) and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank (v. 3). His sister stood at a distance to see what would be done with him (v. 4).

Discovered by Pharaoh's Daughter

Pharaoh's daughter saw the basket among the reeds when she came to bathe in the river. She sent her servant woman and she took it (v. 5). She opened it and saw the child crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." (v. 6)

Raised by His Own Mother
The baby's sister said, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" (v. 7) Pharaoh's daughter said, "Go." The baby's sister called the child's mother, and Pharaoh's daughter said, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the baby's mother took the child and nursed him (v. 8-9).

Adopted by Pharaoh's Daughter
When the child grew older his mother brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because...I drew him out of the water." (v. 10)

Moses, All Grown Up - Murderer
When Moses was grown, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people (brothers) (v. 11). He looked around and didn't see anyone, so he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (v. 12). The next day 2 Hebrews were struggling. Moses said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?" (v. 13) He answered, "Who mad you a prince and a judge over us?  Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought "Surely the thing is known." (v. 14) 

Moses, All Grown Up - Fugitive
When Pharaoh heard he sought to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. 

Moses, All Grown Up - 'Sitting by a Well'
Moses sat down by a well (v. 15). The priest of Midian had 7 daughters, and they came to draw water to fill the troughs for his flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock (v. 17). When they came home to their father Reuel. He asked how they were able to come home so soon and they said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock." (v. 18-19) Reuel said, "Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread." (v. 20)

Moses was content to dwell with the man, and Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah (v. 21). She gave birth to a son and he called him Gershom, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." (v. 22) [Gershom sounds like Hebrew for "sojourner"]

The Continuation of the Sufferings of Israel
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God (v. 23). God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel - and God knew (v. 24-25).

Reflections on Exodus 2
The glance of chapter 2 turns to focus on one life within Israel - Moses.

Moses Is Dependent
From the characterization of Charlton Heston in 'The Ten Commandments' to Dreamworks' 'Prince of Egypt' we see a completely different depiction of Moses in Exodus. The salvation of God's people from Egypt would first be brought about through God's providence in the lives of a number of women. From Shiphrah and Puah in chapter one, to Moses' mother, his sister, Pharaoh's daughter and her servant. God is working to deliver his people through the courage, mercy, and provision of women. This is a beautiful picture of how the Lord works mightily through the lives of women. Courageously sacrificing one's life for the sake of another, a weak little child, is a glorious ministry in the sight of God. Here, in the book of Exodus, we see that this is what God uses to bless all the peoples of the earth by further fulfilling His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Moses Is a Fearful Sinner
Notice that Moses is a murderer. In the act of seeking to save a Hebrew from an Egyptian he becomes a murderer, and the next day, a Hebrew only mocks Moses. The text doesn't tell us how this Hebrew knew, the man he tried to save obviously is spreading the word. Overnight Moses goes from being royalty in the land of Egypt to being a fugitive on the run with a warrant out for his death. Here again we see the theme of fear. Moses was afraid when he realized his murder of the Egyptian had been found out (v. 14). What does he do? The common cultural depiction of Moses would probably have him stay like some kind of off the grid secret agent. No, Moses flees into the wilderness in fear.

A Well
Moses' life carries on in the wilderness. When we see him at the well our 'biblical theology' antennas should be going off. In the history of Israel, wells have become almost synonymous with marriage (Isaac & Rebekah in Genesis 24:10-67; Jacob & Rachel/Leah in 29:10-12), and sure enough this is what this stop leads to. God provides for Moses through his "saving" of the women from the shepherds (the only saving Moses has been able to do so far), meeting Reuel, and marrying Zipporah. By God's kind providence Moses' life seems to be vectoring in a slightly different direction. Again, while Moses' kindness results in "saving" Reuel's daughters, Reuel becomes God's instrument of saving Moses in the midst of his sojourning. Again, we see that Moses is hardly the stuff of what our culture would depict as a hero. He's constantly in need of being saved by others. God is using this to shape him as a meek man. Moses' trials are not arbitrary. His trials are preparing him for something. The name of his first son is a good description of the humility Moses is learning: Gershom or "sojourner." He is a stranger in this world, utterly dependent upon God and God's work through others.

God Hears, Remembers, Sees, & Knows
I love verses 23-25. I don't love the suffering of Israel, but I love the attributes of God that Israel's suffering highlights. He is omni-hearing, omni-knowing (omniscient), omni-seeing, and all of these omni's point to his omnibenevolence and love for His people. He has not forgotten. The fear of the Lord exhibited in Puah and Shiphrah in chapter 1 is proving to be trustworthy. God knows the trials of His people. He knows what they face. 

This is a good reminder to me. When I despair because of the difficulties I see in this broken world it is comforting to know that God hears, remembers, sees, and knows. I know with even more certainty that this is true because of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." 

In Christ God knows my trial in an even more intimate way than I do. Most of all, He knows our trials not only of socio-political oppression, but our trial of sin. He who knew no sin, became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Praise God, that He hears, remembers, sees, and knows the trials of His people. We can trust with confidence that in Christ He has satisfied His wrath for our greatest trial, our rebellion and sin against him. Praise God, that He hears, remembers, sees, and knows our trial of seeking to persevere in a world that often is buffeted by the waves of evil and depravity. He is trustworthy to save.

Exodus Chapter 1 ~ Fearing God & Longing for Salvation in the Face of Oppression & Infanticide

Exodus Chapter 1

The sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob were:

(1) Reuben (2) Simeon (3) Levi (4) Judah (5) Issachar (6) Zebulun (7) Benjamin (8) Dan (9) Naphtali (10) Gad (11) Asher

Jacob's descendants numbered 70 persons (v. 5). Joseph, his brothers, and all that generation died, but the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them (v. 5-7).

Egyptian Oppression of Israel
A new king arose in Egypt who didn't know Joseph. He told his people that Israel was too numerous and too strong, so they should deal shrewdly with them, in case they multiply and war breaks out and they join Egypt's enemies and escape (v. 8-10). The Egyptians set taskmasters over Israel to afflict them with heavy burdens. The Egyptians made them build store cities, Pithom and Raamses (v. 11). The more they were oppressed, the more thy multiplied, so the Egyptians were more in dread of them. The Egyptians ruthlessly made Israel work as slaves, made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick, and field work.












Order to Kill Their Baby Boys
The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah ("brightness") and Puah ("splendid"), to kill the sons that were born, but, "the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live." (v. 16-17) The king of Egypt called the midwives and said, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?" (v. 18)

The midwives said, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." (v. 19) So God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and grew strong (v. 20). Because the midwives feared God he gave them families (v. 21). So Pharaoh commanded all his people to kill every son born to the Hebrews by casting them into the Nile river, but let every daughter live." (v. 22)

Reflections on Exodus 1
The first couple verses show that this is the continuation of the narrative in Genesis. Where Genesis left off, Exodus begins. Exodus means "going out". 

First, in this chapter we see that a fear rose up in Egypt because the Hebrews were prospering. So they oppressed the Hebrews with forced labor and made their lives bitter. In Genesis 15 even as it became dark as the Lord told Abraham that his posterity would be oppressed in Egypt for 400 years, here we see the literal descent of the Hebrews into darkness. Their lives were bitter. Is there any hope in the midst of this trial? Notice too, that this is coming up to the end of 400 years. Year after year, generation after generation of this people descended into the darkness of this bondage and slavery. These were real people undergoing real hardship for centuries. Would Yahweh hear? Would the promised deliverance ever come? Will God send His promised Messiah? All of these questions are present as the baton of the history of redemption is passed from Genesis to Exodus.

Second, can you imagine being ordered by the leader of your nation to head up the slaughter of the children of your own ethnicity? I pray that with the modern national interest in healthcare that this will not be something we face. Pharaoh told the Hebrew healthcare professionals of their day (the midwives) to kill the children. One of the measures of how evil a society is, is displayed in how it treats its children. Indeed, this was a dark providence in the life of Israel. The modern moment is different in some of its nuances, but the prevalence of abortion in our lifetime has to be comparable to the evil and depravity of the Egypt of Exodus. I pray that God would pour out His mercy and bring our holocaust to an end.

Third, did God bless a lie told by Shiphrah and Puah here? First, The description that they, "didn't do as they were told," doesn't necessarily mean they were pursuing an act of civil disobedience and then turning around and lying. It may be that they didn't kill the boys, because in God's providence they were spared the opportunity: "[T]he Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." Perhaps they didn't do as they were told because they didn't have the opportunity to do as they were told. There's no reason to assume they are lying. It may be that they feared the Lord, and didn't want to do this, and they didn't murder the baby boys, because in God's providence they weren't given the opportunity. I lean to this view.

Second, if they were lying there's no reason to conclude that the lie is the reason that the Hebrews are being blessed. Alan Cole is helpful on this point, "Even if they lied, it is not for their deceit that they are commended, but for their refusal to take infant lives, God's gift." (Cole, 62) Perhaps this is another display of the complexity of how the Lord works in His providence in and among a fallen and sinful world. God was kind to the midwives, because they obeyed Him and not Pharaoh. If they lied, there is no reason to assume that the lie is the reason that Yahweh was kind to them.

Third, when the text says, "He gave them families," (v. 21) it seems to be referring to, "the people," (v. 20) or the Hebrews in general, not only the midwives. John Calvin is helpful on verse 21, "It is not at all my opinion that this should be expounded as referring to the women, and I am surprised that many interpreters have been grossly mistaken on so clear a point. All are agreed that the pronoun is masculine, and therefore, according to ordinary usage, should refer to males." (Calvin, Vol. 2, 36) It appears the masculine pronoun refers to the people in general, not just the midwives. Because of God's providence in the lives of these two women God's people prospered. You may be one person, but God is all-powerful, and He may do amazing things through you for the sake of His glory.

Fourth, what is the "fear of God" we see in verses 17 and 21? This is a concept that was introduced in Genesis (20:11; 22:12; 31:42, 53; 42:18). What does it mean? Well, from what we've seen so far (and from what we see in the rest of Scripture) "the fear of God" indicates trust, faith, obedience, belief, respect, reverence, awe, concern, worship, service, and love of Yahweh. The "fear of God" is a Hebrew idiom basically saying "the worship of God". We see in the wisdom and prophets that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Isaiah 11:2; 33:6; Micah 6:9). In this text we see the Hebrew fear of God contrasted by another fear, namely the Egyptian fear of man (the Hebrews). They were afraid of them because they were multiplying and growing stronger as a people. The Egyptians were afraid of an enslaved and weak people. The Hebrews were afraid of the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God who exercises His meticulous sovereignty over the cosmos. Notice that fear drives both of their behavior. Our identity is shaped by what we fear. Often, what we fear is what we worship, and it controls us. What do you fear? In this text the Egyptians are understanding their identity in relationship to the Hebrews, and the Hebrews are seeking to understand their identity in relationship to Yahweh. The only true understanding of self comes in light of the knowledge and worship of God (the "fear of God").

The Egyptians may have forgotten their history (v. 8), but the Hebrews haven't forgotten theirs. They still trust God. After 400 years of bondage, they are still trusting in God. It may seem He is distant in their suffering. It may seem that He does not know. It may seem that He does not hear and has abandoned them, but they know that God is trustworthy. Here in the hearts and lives of two women, we see that God's people keep trusting Him even as their circumstances appear to lie about His care. In this chapter we are on the cusp of seeing clear evidence that their fear of God is not irrational (we have evidence from their past too, but a particularly strong demonstration of it is coming in Exodus). Indeed Yahweh is near. He knows. He hears and has not abandoned them.

Jesus Christ

In Exodus 1 we stand with Israel, as those who can't quite see the fullness of the beauty of the redemption that is to come. The only thing we see is the glimmer of hope that rests in the Hebrew fear of God. God reveals more and more knowledge about what His ultimate salvation will look like, but the entire Old Testament stands in a similar position. On the other side of the cross we have a wholly different and yet similar experience.

Wholly Different - We have seen the Messiah that the Hebrews trusted would come from God, Jesus Christ. The second person of the triune Godhead came and lived the perfect life we all should have lived. He died a substitutionary death in the place of His people. He bore the eternal wrath of God in His body on the cross, satisfying God's eternal wrath. Jesus was raised from the dead justifying those who turn from their sin and believe in this good news. Full salvation has come and is offered to us in Jesus Christ. We have seen God's salvation, not just from a governmental force in the world, but from our sin, and from the eternal wrath of God. 

Similar - The world is still fallen. Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father and makes intercession for His people even now. He has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit, and now, we await His glorious revealing. Salvation has been accomplished and applied in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it has not yet been fully consummated. Jesus will come back one day. So for now we wait and long for our Savior. We share of the good news of the Jesus Christ while we wait.

This is instructive for us as believers in Christ. Even as we wait for Jesus Christ to return to take us to be with Him were He is, we know some of what the Hebrews were facing. Many Christians in this age are being persecuted for their faith - death, mocking, pushed to the fringe of society, etc. (if you disagree think of Christians not only in the West, and you will realize your disagreement is unwarranted). It will not always be this way. God not only heard the Hebrews at this time. He hears our cry for final redemption too. This has been the cry of the church throughout the ages, "Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20) We walk in the fear of God now, even as we wait for the horizon of eternal blessedness to be revealed when the final trump will resound and the Lord will descend.

Genesis Overview & Wrap-Up

Genesis Wrap Up

Here's a one sentence summary of Genesis: “God sovereignly creates and sustains all things by His providence, and He chooses to save a people, and promises a 'Christ' through His Word.”

Here is a compilation of all my posts on Genesis:

1. Genesis Chapter 1 ~ In the Beginning

2. Genesis Chapter 2 ~ A Covenant God & Covenant People

3. Genesis Chapter 3 ~ The Fall & Covenant of Grace/Redemption

4. Gleanings from Genesis Chapters 1-3

5. Genesis Chapter 4 ~ The Affects of Sin and the Offspring of Eve

6. Genesis Chapter 5 ~ Ten Generations of Adam & The Introduction of Noah’s Family

7. Genesis Chapter 6 ~ Warning of Wrath and the Promise of Another Covenant

8. Genesis 6:6 & the Impassibility of God

9. Genesis Chapter 7 ~ The Flood!

10. Genesis Chapter 8 ~ 377 Days Flood and the Noahic Covenant

11. Genesis Chapter 9 ~ Noah: Covenant, Sin, Children, Death

12. Genesis Chapter 10 ~ The Generations after Noah

13. Genesis Chapter 11 ~ Terah to Abram

14. Genesis Chapters 10-11 ~ The Noah Tree

15. Genesis Chapter 12 ~ God's Covenant with Abram

16. Genesis Chapter 13 ~ Abram in Canaan & Lot in Sodom

17. Genesis Chapter 14 ~ The Priest Melchizedek & The Introduction of the Tithe

18. Genesis Chapter 15 ~ God's Covenant with Abram, Part 2

19. Genesis Chapter 16 ~ Surrogate Pregnancy: Hagar and Ishmael

20. Genesis Chapter 17 ~ New Names & Circumcision

21. Genesis Chapter 18 ~ A Hearing God Who Is Just in His Judgment

22. Genesis Chapter 19 ~ Judgment for Sin on Sodom & Gomorrah                 

23. Genesis Chapter 20 ~ An Attempt to Rely on Self Rather Than God

24. Genesis Chapter 21 ~ Hagar & Ishmael Depart, God Fulfills His Promise in Isaac

25. Genesis Chapter 22 ~ Child Sacrifice - The Gospel

26. Genesis Chapter 23 ~ The Death and Burial of Sarah

27. Genesis Chapter 24 ~ Isaac Marries Rebekah

28. Gleanings in Genesis 24 ~ Marriage

29. Genesis Chapter 25 ~ Abraham's Death & The Birth of Esau and Jacob

30. Genesis Chapter 26 ~ The Covenant Passes to Isaac

31. Genesis Chapter 27 ~ Jacob Deceives, is Blessed, and Flees

32. Genesis Chapter 28 ~ Jacob Sets out for a Wife and Sees a Ladder

33. Genesis Chapter 29 ~ An Unexpected Wife and Family
34. Genesis Chapter 30 ~ Family Growth Through Rivalry and Jacob’s Prosperity

35. Genesis Chapter 31 ~ Jacob's Departure and Cutting a Covenant

36. Covenants in Genesis Part 1

37. Covenants in Genesis Part 2

38. Covenants in Genesis Part 3

39. Genesis Chapter 32 ~ Jacob Wrestles With Yahweh

40. Genesis Chapter 33 ~ Jacob & Esau Meet in Peace

41. Genesis Chapter 34 ~ Vow, Violation, Vigilante, Vengeance, & Vexation

42. Genesis Chapter 35 ~ Israel, the Nation of God's Christ

43. Genesis Chapter 36 ~ Descendants of Esau, Seir the Horite, Rulers of Edom, & Chiefs of Esau/Edom

44. Genesis Chapter 37 ~ Favoritism, Tattling, Dreams, & a Plot of Murder

45. Genesis Chapter 38 ~ Judah's Intimacy with His Daughter-in-Law

46. Genesis Chapter 39 ~ The LORD Was With Joseph In Potiphar’s House And In Prison

47. Genesis Chapter 40 ~ Two Dreams, Two Correct Interpretations Given

48. Genesis Chapter 41 ~ Pharaoh's Dreams & Joseph's Redemption

49. Genesis Chapter 42 ~ Joseph's Encounter & Test of His Brothers

50. Genesis Chapter 43 ~ Judah's Substitution, Return to Egypt, & Joseph's Benevolence

51. Genesis Chapter 44 ~ Judah's Substitution Part 2 & Joseph's Silver Cup Test

52. Genesis Chapter 45 ~ Divine Sovereignty, Part 1

53. Genesis Chapter 46 ~ Israel Goes to Egypt

54. Genesis Chapter 47 ~ God's Sovereignty, God's Blessing, & God's Promise

55. Genesis Chapter 48 ~ Nation Building, Adoption, & the Kingdom of God

56. Genesis Chapter 49 ~ God's Covenantal Promise & Jacob's Blessing

57. Genesis Chapter 50 ~ Jacob's Burial, Evil for Good, & Joseph's Death