Pastor Wiley's Journey In Genesis

Sex in the City

2007-10-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

This week we cover chapter 34. Many teachers like to skip this chapter. Even some commentators skip it. James Boice says, "This is another proof of Divine origin. Man would not have included such a sordid story."

Dinah, Jacob's daughter by Leah is raped by the prince of the neighboring village.

Her brothers go off the deep end while her dad never gets out of the wading pool.

Do you think her brothers acted correctly? We'll see this Sunday.

Is God really in this?

2007-09-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

Jacob, now with his problems (Laban) behind him, must still face his problems ahead.
Remember, it was because of his brother's (Esau) threats that Jacob left. His mom said, "go to my family in Haran for a few days. When your brother cools off I'll send for you." That was 20 years ago!
Now, as far as we can tell Jacob's mother is dead and it's time to see Esau, the brother Jacob cheated and stole from 20 years ago. Will Esau meet Jacob with open arms or a drawn sword?
As we look at Jacob's actions this week (Genesis 32:1-21), we will note how he fluctuates between faith in God and despair over seeing his brother.

Back in the Saddle

2007-09-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

After taking the month of August off, we now continue with our journey. Last week we spoke of Jacob's desire to leave his Uncle/Father-in-law Laban. If you were there you will remember that we looked at the three things that led Jacob to his departure: 1. He had the desire, 2. He had the right circumstances, 3. He had a word from God. Any two of those are good enough, but Jacob had all three.
This Sunday we will look at the interaction between Jacob and Laban when Laban catches him in Gilead.
How do you handle your problems? Do you run like Jacob or handle them head on? On we go...

This is a crazy story!

2007-06-21T16:32:00.000-04:00

Most people want to take sides when they read Genesis 27--- the story of Jacob stealing Esau's blessing. What do we make of such a crazy story of senility, deception and loss? Who is in the right? Who is in the wrong?
In his book, "The GENESIS of ETHICS" Burton Visotzky asks these questions:
Is it okay to put aside personal morality for the greater good?
Is it okay to deceive your spouse if it furthers God's plan?
Is it okay to teach one son to lie and steal from his brother?
AND,
If God has spoken, is there any need to justify what otherwise seem to be unethical actions?
All of the above questions arise from the story. We will try and answer them this Sunday. I welcome your comments to this post.

Goodbye to a faithful generation

2007-06-12T14:31:00.000-04:00

This past week we said goodbye to both Abraham and Sarah. They both died at a ripe old age and were "gathered to their fathers."
Now we say hello to the "account of Isaac," but in fact the story quickly moves to Isaac's son Jacob.
Will Jacob be faithful? Will he follow in grandpa Abe's footsteps? Will he commit the same mistakes? We will see now over the next several weeks.
I invite you to be a part of our services, or listen to the podcast.

The Promise Continues

2007-05-25T13:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted here. I even thought I would cancel the blog altogether. But, I decided to keep it going a little bit longer.

This week Isaac finds a wife. Well, actually Abraham's chief servant finds her. Well, actually God prepared her (probably from birth) and led the servant to her. This is a story of God's never ending activity as He guides the promise to fulfillment.

This week we hear the last recorded words of Abraham. He comes into the story with a promise of God. He goes to his grave with the promise on his lips.

The Break is Over

2007-04-13T15:49:00.000-04:00

It is always good to take a break from what you are doing, but always good when you come back. We have now been two weeks out of our journey. Palm Sunday you enjoyed a visit from Justin Kron and Chosen People Ministries as he shared "Christ in the Passover." I hope you enjoyed Justin and what he had to share. I enjoyed listening for a change, to a friend of mine as I visited the church he serves.

Then last week, "Easter Sunday," we received a visit from the Apostle Peter himself as he reminisced of his time with Jesus.

This next Sunday we get back to our journey. As we discuss a minor player in the story (Hagar) we find that God is not only concerned with the "important people," but the down and out and oppressed as well. I don't know about you but this is good news to me. I've got to admit, I probably feel like Hagar more often than I do Abram.

See you Sunday.

Daily Scripture Readings This Week

2007-03-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

This week, there are no additional Bible readings beyond Genesis 16. So, it's a light week ... just one chapter to keep up with throughout the week.

Week 12 Scripture Reading: Genesis 16

2007-03-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."

"Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery.

He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

- Genesis 16 NIV

Saturday 3/24 Scripture Reading: Exodus 32:11-13

2007-03-24T01:00:00.000-04:00

But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' "

- Exodus 32:11-13 NIV

Friday 3/23 Scripture Reading: Romans 4

2007-03-23T01:00:00.000-04:00

Romans 4 again. :-)

Thursday 3/22 Scripture Reading: Genesis 26:2-4

2007-03-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed...

- Genesis 26:2-4 NIV

Wednesday 3/21 Scripture Reading: Romans 4

2007-03-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

Read Romans 4 again, along with Genesis 15.

Tuesday 3/20 Scripture Reading: Genesis 22:17-18

2007-03-20T01:00:00.000-04:00

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

- Genesis 22:17-18 NIV

Monday 3/19 Scripture Reading: Romans 4

2007-03-19T01:00:00.000-04:00

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

- Romans 4 NIV

Week 11 Scripture Reading: Genesis 15

2007-03-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."

Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."

But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"

So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

- Genesis 15 NIV

Saturday 3/17 Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 2:4-9

2007-03-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

- 2 Peter 2:4-9 NIV

Friday 3/16 Scripture Reading: None

2007-03-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

No Scripture reading today. Reread Genesis 13-14.

Thursday 3/15 Scripture Reading: None

2007-03-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

No Scripture reading today or Friday. Reread Genesis 13-14.

Wednesday 3/14 Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7:1-4

2007-03-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.

- Deuteronomy 7:1-4 NIV

Tuesday 3/13 Scripture Reading: None

2007-03-13T01:00:00.000-04:00

No Scripture reading today, Thursday or Friday. Reread Genesis 13-14.

Monday 3/12 Scripture Reading: Genesis 19:1-25

2007-03-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."

"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."

When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."

He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.

- Genesis 19:1-25 NIV

Week 10 Scripture Reading: Genesis 13-14

2007-03-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

Genesis 13
Abram and Lot Separate 1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.
14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring [a] forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

Genesis 14
Abram Rescues Lot 1 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, [b] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea [c] ). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother [d] of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem [e] brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator [f] of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be [g] God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself."
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

- Genesis 13-14 NIV

Saturday 3/10 Scripture Reading: None

2007-03-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

No additional Scripture reading for Saturday, March 10th. Just read through Genesis 12 (the weekly passage) again.

See you tomorrow morning for another leg of our Journey in Genesis.

Friday 3/9 Scripture Reading: James 2:23-24

2007-03-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

- James 2:23-24 NIV

Thursday 3/8 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:8-10

2007-03-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

- Hebrews 11:8-10 NIV

Wednesday 3/7 Scripture Reading: Romans 4:13-18

2007-03-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

- Romans 4:13-18 NIV

Tuesday 3/6 Scripture Reading: Acts 7:2-8

2007-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'

"So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. God spoke to him in this way: 'Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.' Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

- Acts 7:2-8 NIV

Monday 3/5 Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 9:7-8

2007-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

"You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

- Nehemiah 9:7-8 NIV

Week 9 Scripture Reading: Genesis 12

2007-03-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."

When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Sons of God!

2007-02-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

Last week we answered the question "who were the sons of God" in Genesis 6:2.
I believe the Bible interprets this for us. They were angels fallen from heaven.
The same phrase (Ben Elohim, Sons of God) is used in the OT four other times
Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:7 and Psalm 29:1. You can see in these texts, that "son's of God" are angels. The NIV even translates the term angels in all these accept Genesis 6:2 where they simply write "sons of God". Even more interesting is that the NT refers to the event: 1 Pet 3:18-22, Jude 6.

Someone approached me after service with there Study Bible. The text note for Genesis 6:2 said, "this cannot be referring to angels because Jesus said, "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven." (Matt 22:30 NIV) Here are my thoughts about this statement:

1. Jesus did not say the angels "can't" marry in heaven. He said they "don't" ,marry in heaven.

2. Jesus was talking about "angels in heaven". Genesis 6:2 is talking about rebellious angels having come to earth.

3. It is very possible that angels in heaven do not marry because there are no female angels. Every word for angel, both in OT Hebrew and NT Greek is in a masculine form. All the names we have for Arch Angels are male. The beautiful female angel comes from art beginning in the nineteenth century. Biblical angels are not beautiful females with long flowing hair and white gowns. They are sword wielding warriors.

Who would have thunk it?

2007-02-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

We had a great time last Sunday. Who would have thunk that the "begats" could be so interesting. It is so awesome how God wove these genealogies (beginning in chapter five) into Genesis. We can see God's plan to bring about "the seed" from 3:15 early in the Genesis story. if you missed the message, "Adam and the Seed," be sure and listen at www.AtTheVine.org or go to your itunes and search, "The Vine."

Daily Scripture Readings: Week 5 - The Fall

2007-02-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Weekly Reading: Genesis 4

Monday: Romans 8:19-28
Tuesday: Romans 7:7-13
Wednesday: Romans 8:1-4
Thursday: James 1:14-18
Friday: Hebrews 11:4
Saturday: 1 John 3:12

For more info, quiet time / small group questions, etc, check out this week's point guide.

Sunday, February 4: The Fall of Mankind!

2007-01-31T11:16:00.000-05:00

Genesis chapters one and two give us this beautiful picture of creation. Genesis one gives us the cosmic view. Genesis two gives us a more intimate view of God creating, suscitating, standing up, and bringing woman to present her to man.

Warning: This is a set-up. All that is good in chapter one and two will be destroyed in the few verses of chapter three. Romans 8:19-23 reminds us that "all" of creation was ruined, at least raped of its original glory. And, that all of creation groans awaiting the day when full redemption will come and all be restored to its original form and blessedness.

Notice the deception of the serpent even in his original question to woman. "Did God really say you can't eat of 'any' tree in the garden?"

Hang-on. We will pull some great lessons from this text this Sunday.

Daily Scripture Readings: Week 4 - Adam and Eve

2007-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Weekly Reading: Genesis 3

Monday: Psalm 8
Tuesday: Psalm 103:14-22
Wednesday: Mark 10:1-9
Thursday: Revelation 2:7
Friday: Revelation 22:14
Saturday: Revelation 22:19

For more info, quiet time / small group questions, etc, check out this week's point guide.

Saturday 1/27 Scripture Reading: Acts 17:24-28

2007-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

[Paul, before the Areopagus in Athens, a meeting of highly-educated and influential leaders - the philosophers of the day...]

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' "

- Acts 17:24-28 NIV

Friday 1/26 Scripture Reading: Psalm 8

2007-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

- Psalm 8 NIV

Thursday 1/25 Scripture Reading: Job 26:7-11

2007-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.

He wraps up the waters in his clouds,
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.

He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds over it.

He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters
for a boundary between light and darkness.

The pillars of the heavens quake,
aghast at his rebuke.

- Job 26:7-11 NIV

Wednesday 1/24 Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 9:6

2007-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

- Nehemiah 9:6 NIV

Mankind and their Environment

2007-01-23T21:42:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we went through the seven days of creation. Of course God rested on day seven, thus creating what would later be known as "The Sabbath." This week ahead we will get into Genesis two and into the details of mankind's beginning. Remember, all we find out in chapter one is that God created them male and female in His image. We will find out a lot more of the specifics of that creation in chapter two. Hey what about the Sabbath. I've heard several Christians say that Sunday is now the sabbath. Is that true? What do you think about that? Another question is this: Do you know where the Garden of Eden was on a current map? Do a web search of "Iraq in the Bible." You might be surprised of what you find.

Tuesday 1/23 Scripture Reading: Psalm 96:5

2007-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

- Psalm 96:5 NIV

Monday 1/22 Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 10:11-12

2007-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Tell [Isreal] this: ' These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.' " But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

- Jeremiah 10:11-12 NIV

Parenthetically, verse 13 continues... "When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses." In fact, I would recommend reading all of Jeremiah 10. Great stuff!

Week 3 Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:4-25

2007-01-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created...

When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens — and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams [mist] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground — the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [pearls] and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush [possibly southest Mesopotamia]. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [took part of the man's side] and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [part] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', for she was taken out of man."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

- Genesis 2:4-25 NIV

Saturday 1/20 Scripture Reading: Romans 1:20

2007-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

- Romans 1:20 NIV

Friday 1/19 Scripture Reading: John 15:15

2007-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said,] "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

- John 15:15 NIV

Thursday 1/18 Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-17

2007-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

- Colossians 1:15-17 NIV

CREATION: FACT OR FICTION?

2007-01-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

Some people believe that the creation story found in Genesis is a story of collected myths that were circulated for many centuries until someone (Moses) collected them and formed them in a book, later named Bereshit from the first word in the text which means in English "In the Beginning." We know it by the Greek name "Genesis." There are even Christians who take this view. You will find in this series that I do not pay dues to this camp. I believe that Genesis is a true historical, although not detailed, account of creation. I take a literal six, twenty-four-hour day view and will show why I believe so. This Sunday we will get into the text and cover the whole creation story in chapter one of Genesis. Do you think there are difficulties in the literal six-day approach to Genesis? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the issue.

Wednesday 1/17 Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:1-4

2007-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our [your] joy complete.

- 1 John 1:1-4

Tuesday 1/16 Scripture Reading: John 1:1-5

2007-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood [was not overcome by] it.

- John 1:1-5 NIV

Monday 1/15 Scripture Reading: John 4:24

2007-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

- John 4:24 NIV

Week 2 Scripture Reading: Genesis 1 again

2007-01-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Even though it may feel like you may not get anything out of reading Genesis 1 again, that's rarely true in my experience. Give God the time each morning to read through the passage again, and ask Him to provide fresh new insight.

Here's the text.

Saturday 1/13 Scripture Reading: Romans 10:5

2007-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."

- Romans 10:5 NIV

IN THE BEGINNING GOD!

2007-01-12T15:23:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to this Sunday. We are going to look at the first four words of Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God." I will try and answer two questions: 1. Can we prove there was a beginning? and 2. Can we prove the existence of God without using the Bible? I'm curious. Do any of you keeping up with this blog have any ideas of how we can go about doing that? Can we prove God's existence outside of what the Bible says about Him? I'd love to hear you comments. See you Sunday.

Friday 1/12 Scripture Reading: John 7:19

2007-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"

- John 7:19 NIV

Thursday 1/11 Scripture Reading: John 5:46-47

2007-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said] "If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

- John 5:46-47 NIV

Wednesday 1/10 Scripture Reading: Ezra 6:18

2007-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

- Ezra 6:18

The First Active Week of our Journey. Here's how it works

2007-01-09T16:03:00.000-05:00

Hey folks, the first week of our journey was a great one. We did a brief overview of Genesis as we answered the question, "Why study Genesis"? I hope you were challenged to stick with us. I am always deeply surprised at how much I grow when I sit down and deeply study a text, even a text I've studied several times. God always shows me something new. I have already been deeply enriched in my preparation. Next week we will talk about the first 4 words in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God." I have already had a few blog comments this week. I hope you join in.
Here is how it works: Once you get your sign-in (only registered users can comment) you can make comments about the blog. Only two people can actually post a blog, myself and Jeff Block. Jeff is going to post the daily Scripture readings for me. To make a comment or ask a question, simply hit the comment button under a particular blog and follow the instructions. I will then respond by making a comment about your comment.
Remember if you've missed a message, just go to Atthevine.org and hit the JIG icon.

Tuesday 1/9 Scripture Reading: Exodus 34:27

2007-01-07T20:55:00.000-05:00

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."

- Exodus 34:27

Monday 1/8 Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 3:16

2007-01-07T20:50:00.000-05:00

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

- 2 Timothy 3:16

NOTE: There is a typo in this week's point guide. The guide says 1 Timothy 3:16, but the intended passage is 2 Timothy 3:16.

Week 1 Scripture Reading: Genesis 1

2007-01-07T20:48:00.001-05:00

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

- Genesis 1 NIV

Daily Readings Posted

2007-01-07T20:35:00.000-05:00

Greetings, all... My name is Jeff Block, and I'm with the Community Life ministry at The Vine. I love that Mike is orchestrating a blog to discuss our journey together through the book of Genesis, and I'm kindof a blogging type myself, so I asked if I could help out.

As you know, each Sunday, the church is publishing a "point guide" which outlines daily Scripture readings and study questions related to our journey. Starting tomorrow, we will be posting the daily Scripture reading each day to the blog. We encourage you to take the time to read through the passage, and post questions or comments here - in this blog.

For more information about the Journey in Genesis or to download the latest point guide, check out the JIG home on the web.

In Depth Study Class

2006-12-20T13:40:00.000-05:00

Another creative element to our journey in genesis is the creation of a new in depth study class taught by one of our elders, art wagner. The class will begin (along with the journey) the first sunday of january and continue each week 8:30 to 9:30 am in the wee worship room. Art will be able to go deeper into the text than we can in our am service. Anyone who would like to may attend.

2006-12-12T14:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Planning is under way for our new "journey in genesis." The journey will include this blog site, take-home point guides, plus other creative elements. The first week we will do an introduction to the book, "why is this important." The second week will be, "in the beginning God." The third week will be, "creation fact or fiction" which will include an art show in the auditorium. So far I've themed out 35 weeks. Whew.