Year 7, Day 25: Genesis 26

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Role models are a powerful thing.  We learn from the people around us.  We pick things up.  Our behaviors usually rise and fall with the company we keep.  Want to be a person who makes good decisions?  Hang around people whose expectations involve making good decisions.  Want to be a person who is always in trouble?  Hang around people who are consistently finding ways to get in trouble.

If we read through the story of Isaac, this comes through crystal clear.  The most obvious way we see this is that Isaac models the sins of his father, Abraham.  When there is a famine in the land, Isaac turns to Egypt as Abraham had done.  When Isaac leaves his home, he tries to convince people that his wife is really his sister.  These are the tactics that Abraham did.  There can be little wonder that Isaac imitates his father.

However, this imitation is not all bad, either.  Does not Isaac prosper in a foreign land as Abraham did?  Does not Isaac find a way to live peaceably with his neighbors as Abraham did?  Does not Isaac dig wells and tend for those under his care as Abraham does?  Isaac learns many good patterns of behavior from his father, too.

I think this is a great lesson as we explore the witness of humanity as told to us in the book of Genesis.  We imitate the role models around us.  We learn from the people that we value.  If we pick good role models, we’ll pick up mostly good things.  Naturally, we will always be influenced by the sinfulness of others.  So we do need to be careful.  But for the most part, when we surround ourselves with good godly role models we will learn good godly things.

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Year 7, Day 24: Genesis 25

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 25 continues to give us a decent perspective on humanity – even among the righteous.  Let’s start with Abraham.  Do you hear what Abraham does after his wife Sarah dies?  Abraham takes more wives.  Granted, Sarah was dead.  There’s nothing particularly wrong with that action.  What is wrong is what happens when the kids come along.  The only kid who gets a notable inheritance is Isaac.  All of the other kids are paid off and sent along their merry way.  I find that rather interesting.  Naturally, Isaac is the boy of God’s promise.  However, what is the precedent that is created?  Furthermore, is that even God’s intention?

As we look further into the text, do you hear what the natural consequences to this human trait happen to be?  Isaac and Rebekah give birth to twins.  However, those twins are competitive.  They struggle with one another, even within the womb!  Human beings continue to wrestle and struggle and compete.  We still want to be the desired one while being content letting the others be the ones who are paid off and sent away.

Take a look at the last story in this chapter.  Jacob buys – or perhaps more properly, coerces – Esau into giving up his birthright.  Jacob is content taking what he wants and then tossing Esau to the side.  Even these brothers are not willing to be community without trying to get the best of one another, assert their superiority, and dominate over one another. 

Time and time again throughout this story of Genesis we have seen humanity at work.  Humanity doesn’t change.  We are who we are to the core.  Left to ourselves, we will demonstrate these traits again and again.  Only God can change us.

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Year 7, Day 23: Genesis 24

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 24 is all about obedience and trust.  The first place that we see obedience and trust is between Abraham and his servant.  Abraham asks the servant if he can trust him.  Then he sends the servant on a mission to find his son a wife.  Talk about the trust that Abraham had to place in the man!  He could have come back with anyone.  Abraham trusts that he will come back with a woman of God.

Naturally, the servant has to be obedient.  But in that the servant has to trust as well.  Do you read the parts that talk about the servant asking what happens if he can’t find a suitable bride?  The servant has to trust that Abraham will accept his discernment.  He has to trust that Abraham will release him should the task prove impossible.  Trust and obedience naturally go together.

As long as we are talking about the servant, do you hear the obedience and trust that he has in God?  No wonder Abraham trusts him!  The servant trusts God to be able to show him the right woman.  At the same time, the servant then has to be obedient to God once God shows him the woman to whom he should go!  Once more we see that trust and obedience are deeply connected.

And then there is Rebekah.  Here is a woman who meets a complete stranger and invites him home.  Of course, this would be the hospitable thing to do.  But she does more than that.  She listens to him.  She discerns his spirit.  She trusts him when he says that he will take her to a good man to marry.  She is obedient once she agrees to go.  Can you imagine the trust in God that you have to have to leave the only family you have behind and go to marry a person you’ve never met?

Trust and obedience often necessarily go together.  They complement one another well.  We can usually assert that one cannot happen in any grand way unless the other is also present.  It was true thousands of years ago; it is still true today.

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Year 7, Day 22: Genesis 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In this chapter, we hear about the death of Sarah.  There were two very interesting places of focus that my brain went to today.  First of all, do you notice how matter-of-fact this news is reported to us?  Sarah died at an old age.  Abraham mourned.  Then Abraham went to bury her.  There isn’t much emotion given here.

Naturally, this is not meant to be a play-by-play.  I’m sure Abraham had his moments.  I’m not trying to say that Abraham was an emotionless and cruel man.  We know he wasn’t.  But what I am trying to say is that life goes on.  Abraham has a very good attitude when it comes to the order of life.  Death is a natural part of life.  We can mourn it.  We don’t have to like it.  But it shouldn’t ruin our life when it happens, either.  We need to learn how to deal with it properly, put it into the greater perspective considering our eternal relationship with the Father, and surge ahead in life.

The second thought that hit me was how Abraham dealt with the native people of the land.  The second half of this chapter is a typical business transaction in the ancient world.  Here’s the typical process:

1. The subordinate (the one who is seeking something) offers a reasonable price.

2. The dominant (the one who has what is being ought) offers to give it for free.  Note, though, that it is expected that this offer will be rejected.  This offer to give it for free is meant as a word of hospitality designed to put the dominant in a light of graciousness, even if it isn’t real.

3. The subordinate acknowledges the graciousness of the dominant but insists on paying.

4. The dominant accepts the price.

This is pretty much exactly what happens here in this chapter.  This process is designed to reinforce hierarchy, reinforce the importance of generosity and fairness at the same time.

What neat about this is that because Abraham is treated in this manner, it shows that the native people of the land have accepted Abraham as one of their own.  Abraham has come in as a complete stranger and found a way to have himself accepted by the native people.  Note the contrast to what happens over the next 400 years when Joshua comes back and the Hebrew people are not accepted.  What it goes to show us is that individuals who are willing to conform are often accepted by the native people.  However, when massive groups of immigrants want to come into a land without desiring to conform, rejection and violence typically ensues.  In today’s culture, I think that is an incredibly important lesson to learn.

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Year 7, Day 21: Genesis 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 22 is one of those chapters that seems to make more and more sense each time that I study it.  I’m not sure if it is because familiarity with the passage breeds even more familiarity or if each time I study it I am 3 more years older and – hopefully – slightly more advanced in terms of wisdom.  For whatever reason, this chapter continues to unfold new things with each reading.

This chapter used to sound so foreign to me.  I used to ask what would possess a man to be willing to offer up his own son in a willing sacrifice, especially since such a sacrifice would be abhorrent to the God it was supposedly please.  However, I have since come to look more deeply into the words of Abraham and instead see a man of incredible faith.

For example, look at how Abraham answers his own son.  When Isaac asks where the sacrifice is, do you hear Abraham’s reply?  Abraham says that God will provide.  Abraham doesn’t say that he believes Isaac is the sacrifice.  Neither is Abraham trying to be coy with his words and hide the truth from Isaac.  Abraham genuinely does believe that God will provide.

How do we know this, given that Abraham even lifts up a knife against Isaac?  Look at what Abraham says to his servants.  He says that he and his son are going to go over and worship and then return.  Abraham believes that they will return.  Again, he is not trying to be coy and deceive his servants.  He genuinely believes that he and his son will return.  He has faith that God will provide.

So, why is it that Abraham lifts up a knife against his own son?  Honestly, Abraham is living out his obedience believing that God will provide.  God originally told him to sacrifice his son.  As hard as it is to do, he is living out his obedience.  But greater than his obedience is his faith in God’s promise.  God has already told Abraham that Isaac would be his heir and part of a lineage of uncountable generations.  Abraham believes the promise.  His faith is so great that he can act and believe in his obedience.

God does provide. The ram is provided.  Abraham believes into his obedience and at the last moment God rewards his faith and his obedience.

This makes me wonder what length I would go in obedience to God.  Thankfully, God is not asking me to sacrifice my immediate family.  But that doesn’t mean that Ha hasn’t asked me to make sacrifices.  This is a great day to contemplate just how happily I have been obedient to Him in my faith.

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Year 7, Day 20: Genesis 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I often think about the sins of one generation being passed down into the next.  We learn arrogance from others.  We learn greed.  We learn pride.  We learn anger.  We learn to hurt.  We learn to think about ourselves.  We learn to build walls.  We learn negative behaviors from those who are around us – those around whom we sent most of our time.

Granted, we do learn positive things, too.  We can learn to love, to share, too hope, to be humble, to think of others.  I don’t want this post to be completely negative.  We can learn good things if the community around us is good.  But that doesn’t change the fact that we learn bad habits, either.

As I read through this passage today, I couldn’t help but focus on Hagar’s son’s reaction to Abraham’s celebration with Isaac.  He laughs at it.  He scoffs.  He doesn’t join in the celebration; he sets himself against it.

Do you remember how Hagar treated Sarah after she became pregnant?  Hagar treated Sarah poorly, too.  Hagar has passed along her disdain for Sarah into her son so that he has disdain for Sarah and her child as well.

Realizing that God does ultimately watch over her and protect her, we should make sure that we understand that the person to blame for their dismissal from the camp of Abraham is Hagar.  She treated Sarah with contempt and she taught her child to do the same.

This causes me to sit back and wonder about myself.  What habits have I picked up from those around me?  What habits am I passing on to others?  Am I passing along my love that God imparts in me or am I passing along the sinfulness within?

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Year 7, Day 19: Genesis 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The judgment of a righteous man can sometimes be flawed.  This is important to remember, because it helps to keep us humble. Every single one of us is one tense moment away from making a bad decision.

Check out Abraham in this passage.  Once more Abraham goes into a foreign land and says that Sarah is his sister.  At the end of this passage, we learn that this isn’t actually a lie as Sarah is his half-sister.  But the reality is that he is saying this to avoid disclosing the truth that Sarah is his wife.  Intentionally not disclosing the truth is just as bad as lying.

However, this isn’t the worst of it in my opinion.  Look at what Abraham gives as the motivation for this act.  He does this act because he decides that there is no fear of God in the land.  Who is Abraham to make that determination, especially since Abimelech does seem to have some kind of relationship with God!  Abraham’s eyes are blind to the relationships with God that surround him.

These are both incredibly easy mistakes to make – mistakes that I have made rather often.  It is easy to avoid disclosing the truth to save face, protect oneself, or simply avoid a necessary conversation.  It is easy to feel like there is no love for God in a place when we truly are not in a position to make such a determination.  But these are mistakes.

If there is any consolation in this, we need to remember that Abraham was a righteous man.  He wasn’t perfect, but He was righteous.  God knows that we will make mistakes.  He cares more about our ability to repent and follow Him than our ability to live up to His perfection.

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Year 7, Day 18: Genesis 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 19 is primarily about faith versus unfaith.  No, I’m not talking about the judgment of Sodom.  Clearly, that is God judging sinful people who have absolutely no intention of repenting or changing.  They are judged horrifically, yet righteously.  They are wiped from the face of the earth with fire from heaven.

When I talk about faith versus unfaith, I’m talking about Abraham, Lot, and Lot’s wife.  Let’s take a look at Lot’s wife first.  In fleeing the city, she turns around and looks upon Sodom.  She turns into a pillar of salt.  She has trouble leaving the world behind.  She is likely putting on display that she really would rather have not left Sodom behind.  It’s too hard for her to let go of the worldliness around her, so she is judged into becoming a pillar of salt.

To confirm this, let’s look at Lot.  Do you see how Lot behaves?  Yes, Lot tries to spare the Lord’s messengers.  He knows the behavior of the city, thus he intercedes and invites them into his house.  But look at what happens.  Lot offers up his virgin daughters instead!  When the angels urge him to leave, Lot drags his heels!  Quite literally, the Bible is clear that even in the face of impending destruction, Lot and his family have to be dragged out of the city by the messengers of the Lord.  When they do get away, God tells Lot to go into the hills.  But this is too much for Lot.  He doesn’t want to live apart from the trappings of the world.  He argues to be allowed to go to Zoar.  This is the makings of a man who is struggling to have faith in God and leave the trappings of the world behind.

To confirm this even more, do you notice the short little story about Abraham in this passage?  Abraham has no trouble at all when he comes and looks at the destruction that God is doing.  Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt when she looks, yet Abraham looks upon the destruction and nothing happens at all.  This truly does give us the absolute confirmation of the difference between a person of faith and a person of struggling faith.  People with great faith can look upon sin and destruction and not waver.  People of faith have the righteous perspective necessary to live in the world yet be fully in relationship with God.

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Year 7, Day 17: Genesis 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Genesis 18 we have two interesting interactions with the Lord.  Both Abraham and Sarah come face to face with God’s messengers and have dialogue.  However, the dialogues go two completely separate routes.

Sarah is eavesdropping by the door when she hears that she will bear a child within the next year.  Sarah laughs!  Truthfully, I think I would laugh, too.  The thought of an elderly woman giving birth to a child is next to impossible.  I would be prone to laugh.  Don’t get me wrong.  I wouldn’t laugh because I think it impossible for God.  Nothing is impossible for God.  I would laugh because of the impossibility for human beings.

However, where the interaction goes wrong isn’t Sarah’s laugh.  Where the interaction goes wrong is when Sarah lies about what she said.  God confronts her about her laugh and Sarah denies laughing.  Granted, she was afraid of getting punished for laughing at God.  By lying, however, she is only increasing her chance for punishment!  Human beings often compound wrongdoing in an attempt to escape punishment, only bringing greater punishment upon them.

In the other example, we see Abraham discussing the righteousness of people with God.  God sets a bar of saving Sodom if there are 50 righteous people.  Abraham begins to barter with God.  Notice that Abraham doesn’t bring God’s character into question.  He doesn’t question whether God is acting righteously at all.  Abraham is simply trying to find God’s limit of righteousness.  In doing so, notice that Abraham actually barters God the whole way down from 50 righteous people to 10 righteous people.  God allows Himself to be moved by Abraham because Abraham is respecting God’s righteousness.

We can learn a good bit about ourselves and God in looking at these passages.  We do enjoy conversation, even discussion.  We enjoy finding the limits set by other people.  We enjoy the probing that comes with socialization.  But we are also prone to lying when the greater community confronts us about our failings.  That is just who we are.

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Year 7, Day 16: Genesis 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here

No sooner do we leave the story of Hagar, hearing God’s call for her to obey Him and return to Sarah, that God comes to Abraham and reminds him of the covenant.  In fact, it is in this chapter that God changes Abram’s name (Exalted Father) to Abraham (Father of many nations).  Pay very close attention to what it is that God says.

God reminds Abraham that his offspring will be numerous.  God reminds him that his people will receive the land of Canaan as their inheritance. God reminds him that it is Sarah who will bear him a son.  God also reminds him that He can take care of Ishmael, too.

However, make sure that you keep reading.  Look at what God continues to say.  “You will keep my covenant.”  Abraham’s part of the deal is obedience.  Abraham’s obedience begins with submission to God.

Do you hear the continuation of the pattern that we started to hear in the example of Hagar yesterday?  Hagar was told to obey.  Then, she was told to submit.  She was told to submit in spite of any hardship that she might face.

This is the pattern.  God doesn’t ask for us to do grand things.  He doesn’t ask us to rule the world.  He doesn’t ask us to dominate over others.  God asks us to submit.  He asks us that we keep our covenant with Him by submitting to Him.

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Year 7, Day 15: Genesis 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Have you ever heard about the prosperity gospel?  It goes something this this.  God loves you.  God wants to bless you.  If God loves you and wants to bless you, then if you just do things the right way you’ll be rich, happy, and have an easy life.

The prosperity Gospel leads us to a place where we believe that we can evaluate our success at being obedient to God based on how things go for us.  It leads us to believe that the wealthy are closer to God, that those with easy lives are closer to God, and those who have few struggles are closer to God.

By the way, the prosperity gospel is utter hogwash.  Maybe you heard of a guy named Daniel, who was called to go into both a fiery furnace and a lion’s den because of his faith.  Or perhaps you’ve heard of a prophet Jeremiah who was hated by the people of his time and spent much of his time living in the prison of a besieged city!  Or perhaps you have heard of a man named John the Baptizer who was beheaded on account of his calling to speak the truth.  Or maybe you’ve heard of a guy named Jesus, who was crucified because it was God’s plan.  I could keep going.  Our prosperity and ease of life is a horrible measure of God’s love for us.

As another example, look at this woman named Hagar.  Her mistress asks her to bear a child with her husband.  She complies.  Granted, once she is pregnant she treats her mistress with contempt, which she shouldn’t have done.  That leads her mistress, Sarah, to mistreat her in return.  Hagar runs away, and Go finds her in the wilderness sulking.

But do you hear what God’s messenger says to her?  God doesn’t say, “Oh, I love you.  Let’s make your life easy.”  No, God says, “Go back to Sarah and submit to her.”

God doesn’t call us to the easy life.  God calls us to live in truth and submit to Him.  He calls us to submit to the authorities around us.  That’s why the true gospel is different than the prosperity gospel.  We can’t evaluate how close we are to God by how full our life is with pleasure.  We can evaluate our closeness to God by the level of obedience in our life.

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Year 7, Day 14: Genesis 15

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I think it is interesting to look at a person’s priorities in life.  We all have them, there’s no use denying it.  We all have things that make us tick.  We all have things for which we strive.  What’s neat about humanity is that these things are all different for each person.

Let’s look at Abraham.  God comes to him and says, “I am going to cause you to prosper.”  Do you notice Abraham’s response?  He immediately asks God what good it will do if he doesn’t have an heir.

Naturally, we need to understand the ancient mindset.  First of all, wealth wasn’t evaluated using bank accounts or even coins.  Wealth was evaluated by the size of your herd, the land you controlled, and the number of servants and slaves for whom you could provide.  Wealth was also determined by how many children for whom you could provide.

I firmly believe that when Abraham asks God about an heir, it isn’t an emotional plea for children.  I don’t honestly think that he is feeling sad because he is not a father.  I think that Abraham is evaluating God’s promise to him and realizing that when it comes to children, everyone will consider him poor because his lack of children demonstrates a possibility that he can’t provide for them.

For the record, I also wonder if this isn’t why God gives Abraham only one child.  God needs to give Abraham an heir, of course.  But could He also be keeping him humble by only giving him one as a check on his prioritization?

In the end, do notice that Abraham believes God’s promise.  God exposes Abraham’s character, potentially even a flaw.  God and Abraham even have a legitimate dialogue about God’s promise.  God accepts Abraham's critique, even!  But Abraham still believes.  Abraham trusts.  This is the important part of the story.  God comes to Abraham and Abraham listens and believes.

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Year 7, Day 13: Genesis 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here

You really know who your friends are when your life isn’t going well.  We are all familiar with the people who want to be our friends when we have something to offer.  If you’ve ever won something enviable, you know this feeling.  But that isn’t a true display of friendship.  Genuine friendship are people who are with you regardless of your situation.  They are there in the good times.  They remain there in the bad times.

For example, take a look at Lot.  He gets caught up in a war between the people living in and around Canaan.  He is defeated and taken captive.  His stuff is taken as plunder.  He’s a foreigner living in a foreign land.  He doesn’t have a family clan to defend him.  But he does have Abraham.  Abraham is a true friend.  Abraham comes to his defense, rescuing him from the hands of those who captured him.

However, it is often true that a friend of a friend is also a friend.  Notice that Abraham isn’t alone in coming to Lot’s aid.  Some of Abraham’s allies go with him to rescue Lot.  Lot is the beneficiary of Abraham’s friendships, too.

It is important to have friends.  We all like to have people to celebrate with us when things are good.  But we all also need people to be there for us when we need rescued.  We need people to remind us about joy and peace when life conspires against.

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Year 7, Day 12: Genesis 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Trust and generosity go together. They are accompanied rather well by concern for others.  These are the natural traits of those who walk with God.

Take a look at Abraham (Abram) in this passage.  He and Lot leave Egypt, knowing that the drought in Canaan is over.  While being in Egypt, their wealth prospered.  In other words, their flocks grew in size.  By the time that they get back to Canaan, they realize that their wealth is causing strife.  Their shepherds are starting to quibble among themselves as they try to provide water, food, and security for the flocks.

Look at Abraham’s response.  Abraham turns to Lot and says, “You pick.  Whichever you pick, I’ll take the other.”

This is a cool response for two reasons.  First of all, it shows Abraham’s perspective.  Abraham knows that God can prosper him wherever.  Abraham’s faith in God allows him the freedom to be generous with others.  Abraham’s trust that God will keep His word allows him to be gracious to Lot.  Our ability to be gracious and merciful starts with God.

Second, do you realize what Abraham could have said?  He could have said, “I’m older and wiser.  I have more than you.  You’re an orphan.  I’ll pick, and you get the privilege of leftovers.”  He had all the rights to do that, but he didn’t.  He set aside his privilege and allowed Lot the ability to choose.  He thought of Lot before his own rights.

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Year 7, Day 11: Genesis 11-12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

As we move past the flood account and draw closer to ancient human history, we get a very real perspective of humanity given to us.  I have always appreciated the Bible’s ability to give us an honest perspective of humanity.  These stories are not over-glorified accounts of magnificent human beings who are superior in every way.  These are human beings, flawed as us all.

Let’s start with the tower of Babel.  Here are a group of people who show simple human instinct.  They get together and want to build something with which they can make a monument of what they are doing.  They’ve created a society and a culture.  They set out to build a great tower to proclaim their greatness.  That seems like such a good, human idea.  But it’s not.  god knows that if these people build this monument, they will stay there and try to preserve what they have.  They won’t progress.  They won’t go forward.  They will try to constantly live in the past, contemplating how great they have become.

Then we move on to the witness of Abram’s father, Terah.  Do you hear that it was actually Terah who planned to go to Canaan?  No doubt God called him to go.  But he only got so far. He got to a place that looked nice and became satisfied.  He didn’t go the whole way to Canaan.  He found a place of contentment and stayed there.  That’s also a very human thing to do.

Finally, we hear about Abraham (Abram).  He hears God’s call and makes it the whole way to Canaan.  In fact, he stays there for a while and then heads off to Egypt because of a famine.  But while he’s there, he seeks his own glory and protection.  He lies about his wife.  He treats her like a sister, allowing her to be with Pharaoh and his household.  Naturally, God doesn’t approve and Pharaoh’s household suffers.  Abraham is caught in the act.  He lies to preserve his life and allow himself to prosper.  Again, that’s a very human thing to do.

Do you see what I mean?  These are very human people with human traits.  They aren’t perfect.  They aren’t superhuman.  They are simple people who love God but occasionally make mistakes. But God still continued to be with them, mistakes and obedience and all.

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Year 7, Day 10: Genesis 10

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 10 gives us a really neat geography lesson.  Yes, I’m serious.

First, we hear about the people of Japheth.  Japheth’s people go north.  These are the people of Asia Minor, Greece, Thrace, and southern Europe.  By and large, they are nearly irrelevant for the rest of the witness of the Old Testament.  But we’ll come back to this point.

Second, we hear about the descendants of Ham.  Ham’s descendants become the main opponents to God’s plan in the world.  These are the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Philistines (specifically), and most of the other people found in the region of Israel.

Third, we hear about the people of Shem.  It is from his name that we derive the word Semitic.  These are Abraham’s people.  These people are the people who settled in the areas of Iraq and Iran.  The Persians are from Shem.  The Assyrians come from Shem.  The people of Lebanon and Syria come from Shem.

Why is all of this important?  Do you remember the odd little story about Noah’s drunkenness last chapter?  Pay attention, because this goes to show us that human beings don’t change much once we get an identity.

Remember that it was Ham that who could have cared less about Noah’s dignity.  It is Ham’s descendants that will be the primary antagonists to the Hebrew people throughout all time.  Ham starts off caring about himself and his desires and not caring about others.  It isn’t a surprise that these people by and large continue to oppose what God is at work doing in the world.

Also remember that it is Japheth and Shem who come along and preserve Noah’s dignity.  These are people who do care about others and do look to the needs of others before themselves. These are the people that God continues to use all throughout history.  Abraham comes from Shem.  The Assyrians, who God uses to judge his own people, come from Shem.  The Persians, who God uses to return His people from exile, largely come from Shem. 

Furthermore, do you remember the descendants of Japheth that we talked about earlier?  To whom does the Gospel spread after Christ’s death?  Who become the primary preachers and teachers for dozens of generations after Christ?  Naturally, it is the descendants of Japheth.

I think that it is really neat how these generations play out in connection to the story about Noah’s drunkenness.  It does truly go back to identity as a people.  I’m not trying to say that people can’t change their identity.  Through Christ, all things are possible, including changing identity!  But it is really a neat connection between identity and action.  It is also a really neat place that we can stop, sit back, and reflect on from where our identity come.

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Year 7, Day 9: Genesis 9

Theological Commentary: Click Here

At the end of Genesis 9 we have an odd little story that doesn’t get much press.  It starts off by telling us that Noah liked to work the ground.  I can imagine why someone who spent so much time on a boat surviving the flood found a passion for tilling the soil.

Noah grows plants.  In fact, Noah likes grapes – wine in particular.  He liked wine so much that one day he becomes dunk.  Noah struggles with impulsive behavior.  Mind you, there weren’t too many other people around at the time, so it’s not like this act had too many potential consequences.

Noah’s sons become aware of his state.  Ham, the father of Canaan, sees Noah and points it out to his brothers.  In other words, Ham demeans Noah.  Ham mocks his father.  Ham is willing to let his father’s reputation be tarnished in the eyes of others.  Ham demonstrates his humanity.  Ham is looking out for himself, not for others.

Noah’s other sons demonstrate their compassion for Noah.  Shem and Japheth go in and cover Noah in his drunken state.  They do what they can to help their father.  Noah had done something unwise, but Shem and Japheth showed that they cared more about Noah than their own enjoyment.  They cared more about saving Noah’s honor than trying to make themselves seem better by tearing Noah down.

This is a great concept to end this day upon.  When we have the opportunity to watch someone else fall, do we get others to look or do we reach out a hand and try to prevent as much of the fall as possible?  Are we looking out for ourselves or for others first?

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Year 7, Day 8: Genesis 8

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The rains come.  The rains keep coming.  It rains longer and harder than it had ever rained before.  Noah and his family are safely conveyed through the storm by the ark.  In fact, they live on that ark for a year waiting for the waters to subside.  Talk about cabin fever!

This leads me to the end of the chapter.  The first thing that Noah does when He gets off the ark is to offer up a sacrifice to God.  I find that notable.  After being closed up for so long, I would image that Noah would be itching to get out, stretch his legs, explore the land, even figure out some permanent shelter.  But no.  The first thing that Noah does is to offer up a sacrifice to God.  That’s remarkable.

On the other hand, think about what Noah’s been through.  He’s just seen rain wipe out all of humanity.  He knows it could’ve been him, too.  From this perspective, it’s easy to see why he does a sacrifice first.  He’s got every living reminder of God’s grace within a hundred yards of his current location.

What I find in this is truth that we should carry with us.  As we go through life, it is easy to get in ruts and forget to give glory to God.  It’s easy for us to look at Noah in our everyday life and be amazed at his willingness to put God first.  That’s a good thing.  But we shouldn’t get down on ourselves, either.  Those of us who are in a meaningful relationship with God will remember to give God glory, especially when we find ourselves in circumstances where we are reminded of how easily we might have missed out on salvation.

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Year 7, Day 7: Genesis 7

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I Genesis 7 we have the beginning of the flood narrative proper.  Noah is saved, he and his whole family.  It’s a very neat story, although I will point you to the theological commentary that I wrote 6 years ago if you want a perspective that suggests we might not want to think of Noah as the perfect servant.

Today, though, I want to focus on God’s consistency.  God delivers.  He is a God who delivers people.  In fact, He is a God who delivers people through others.  He is a God that works through some so that others can experience His love.  Not just Noah is saved.  Noah’s whole family is saved through Noah’s obedience.

Don’t get me wrong.  I know most of the people on the earth die.  I’m talking about this passage symbolically, now, not literally.

The pattern that God is setting up for us in this story is that He is a God who uses obedient leadership to save others.  He’ll do it again in Moses.  He’ll do it again with Joshua.  He’ll do it again with Samuel.  He’ll do it again with David.  He’ll do it again with Hezekiah.  He’ll do it again with Josiah.  He’ll do it again with Daniel.  He’ll do it again with Ester.  Of course, all of these examples are going to lead us to the fulfillment of His plan.  He’ll do it once and for all on a spiritual level with Jesus.

We are saved not through our own work but through God’s.  We have salvation through Jesus, not because we earned it ourselves.  That’s the boat, figuratively and literally, that Noah’s family find themselves in, too.

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Year 7, Day 6: Genesis 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Gen 6 gives us more of the same as Genesis 5.  We open with a lament from God.  He regrets putting mankind on earth.  God knows that mankind is sinful.  In fact, notice the verbiage that the Bible actually uses.  God knows that human hearts have evil desires continuously.  It isn’t that we occasionally make the wrong choice.  Our problem is that we are continuously making the wrong choice.  Our hearts are always after evil.  Therefore, God regrets that He created human beings within His creation.

That’s a really bold thing to say.  Ponder that for a while.  God regrets putting humanity on the earth.

However, as we learned yesterday, we see that God sticks it out with us.  While He does have regret, that’s not His strongest emotion.  God plans to blot out all life on the earth, but He hangs out with the loyal ones.  He seeks the righteous, even in His moments of regret!  God could have easily eliminated humanity and been righteous.  But He doesn’t do that.  He finds a righteous remnant and starts over with Noah.  He gives second chances.  He would rather reach out in hope and give another chance than to fully condemn and walk away.

Ponder that for a while.  God may have His regrets about humanity.  But He loves us and desires relationship with us even more.

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Year 7, Day 5: Genesis 5

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we arrive at the first of the genealogy passages.  On the surface, these passages don’t seem to contain much.  In truth, some contain more than others.  In this particular genealogy, I don’t find that there is too much depth.  We’re honestly not told much about any of the characters other than their age and the son that we are meant to remember.  In summary, the author is simply trying to move us from Adam to Noah.  That’s the point of this passage.

That being said, there is something that we can take away from this.  We have had four chapters in Genesis.  The first two chapters were all about God’s creative work.  The last two chapters were about mankind’s sinfulness and our destructive influence over His creation.  Then we hit this genealogy.

What can we say about this?  God is there through it all.  Mankind may rebel.  Mankind may sin.  Mankind may selfishly act in the conceptions of our own desires.  But God does not abandon us.  He raises up faithful people around us.  He continues to walk with those who desire to walk with Him regardless of what the sinfulness of mankind does in the world around us.

There may not be a grand story in this chapter from which we can pull a moral out of the story.  But there is a message.  God is with us.  He does not abandon us.  Our sinfulness may rage and shape the world around us, but He is still there waiting for relationship with us.

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Year 7, Day 4: Genesis 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I love talking about Genesis 4. Truth be told, I love talking about the book of Genesis as a whole.  There are so many good stories with lessons we can learn about humanity in general within the book of Genesis.  For example, take Cain and Abel.

I can’t read this passage without remembering a long struggle I had with this chapter.  Why does it seem like God cares for the sacrifice where an animal had to die and doesn’t care for a sacrifice of grain?  Is God a carnivore?  (Of course not.  In fact, the book of Leviticus describes pleasing sacrifices to God that involve grain and animal.)  Does God play favorites?  (No, but he does honor those who choose Him, naturally).  What is going on here has more to do with the motivation of the sacrifice.  Cain gives a sacrifice.  Abel gives a sacrifice of his firstborn in the flock.  Cain is giving any old sacrifice; Abel is giving an honored gift.  The difference is less in what is given and more in how it is given.

Or, take a look and God’s response.  He comes and talk to Cain after he has killed his brother.  God asks Cain a question.  God gives Cain an opportunity to repent and confess.  God knows the answer to the question He asks!  Unfortunately, look at what Cain does.  Cain dances around the question.  He skirts the issue.  Rather than acknowledge his sin, he is trying to get away with it!  Human beings don’t like getting caught.  We don’t like being wrong.  We can’t hide anything from God, but oh do we try.

Third, look at God’s response to Cain’s lack of repentance.  There is judgment.  There are consequences.  But do you see God’s grace?  Cain still goes out and has an opportunity for life.  He has an opportunity to have family and children.  There are consequences, but God doesn’t jump straight to absolute condemnation without giving us multiple chances at life.  He is righteous in His judgment, but He is also gracious.

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Year 7, Day 3: Genesis 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 3 is a very intriguing chapter on many levels.  For example, take the actions of the serpent.  Clearly he is an antagonistic deceiver.  He directly contradicts God’s command, doing it in a way that seems pleasing to the woman.  He tempts.  He makes rebellion sound like fun.  He makes rebellion sound like personal gain.  He seeks to ruin our relationship with God while covering his motivation with the ability to focus us on ourselves and our desires.  Such is the role of sin and temptation in our life.  Take any moment of sin in our life and I’m willing to bet that the commentary above applies to it quite well.

And then there is Adam and Eve.  They want to believe the temptation.  They want to exceed what God has set before them.  They think they know what better is.  They think they know the blessing that will come from being able to be like God and distinguish between good and evil.  Don’t get me wrong – it is a good thing to be able to distinguish between good and evil.  But look at what they give up.  They give up eternal life.  They give up a personal face to face relationship with God.  In desiring to be able to distinguish between good and evil on their own, they distance themselves from the being who is the best judge of good and evil!  So often we think we want something good without truly knowing the consequences.  We believe the lie because we want to believe the lie.

And there is the notorious blame game.  When they get caught, nobody accepts their responsibility.  It’s always someone else’s fault.  In our own eyes, we are the victim of circumstance, not the one who choses evil.

Genesis three gives us humanity to its core.  This is who we are.  This is our good side and it is our bad side.  Our curiosity is our great strength.  But it is also our terrific downfall.  The more we are aware of our faults, though, the more we can watch out, repent, and correct ourselves when we make the wrong choice.

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Year 7, Day 2: Genesis 2

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Most of Genesis 2 is dedicated to the story regarding the creation of mankind.  God forms man, calling Him Adam.  Adam names all of the creatures, however, a true companion for Adam isn’t found among the other created animals.  Therefore, God creates Eve in order to be a true companion for Adam.  Do you hear what Adam says?  Adam calls her a true companion.  She is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone.

As I read through these words, I’m left once more with a general impression of God’s generosity and compassion.  God was concerned with Adam’s place in the world and his potential loneliness.  God desires us to feel satisfaction in our sense of community.  He wants us to feel love.  He wants us to belong.  God doesn’t want us to be alone and feel as though there are none like us.  He wants us to feel loved, belonging, and purposeful.

Second, Adam reflects this sense of God’s love.  Adam embraces Eve and her presence in his life.  There is no competition.  There is no need to show dominance or dominion.  Adam accepts Eve.

I wonder how well humanity reflects God’s love today.  Do we embrace the presence of one another?  Do we look upon each other in community, celebrating what we bring to this life?  Or are we focused on ourselves, irritated when other people infringe upon our life, our goals and our agendas?

In Genesis 2, we are filled with a sense of God’s love and His desire for genuine community.  That’s an idea worth emulating.

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Year 7, Day 1: Genesis 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I read Genesis 1, I am always filled with an overwhelming sense of goodness.  Yes, part of it is because everything that God creates is good.  But the sense of goodness is for a deeper reason than that.

This is really a chapter about God’s provision for us.  God starts with the things far away and establishes them in the world.  We’re talking about the laws of physics, the stars, the planets, everything.  God does it all with us in mind.

Then, God creates the things closer to home.  He creates our planet.  He gives our planet water, which is crucial to our life.  Naturally, this has us in mind as well.

Then, God creates the plants oxygen producing green plants, of course.  He gives the water life within it.  He then places animals on the dry land, too.  He fills the world with things that we need, things that will bring us happiness, things that will need a caretaker.

Then, God creates us.  He creates us in His own image, even.  But He places us in an environment where we can succeed, flourish even!  God’s provision is good indeed.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not trying to say that God created the world solely for our sake.  God created the world for His sake and His pleasure.  It pleased God to create the world.  But in doing so, He created an environment wonderfully equipped to sustain us.  That is why this chapter is full of goodness for me.

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