Category: Genesis-BibleTrekToday
Trek through Genesis
Avoiding bad ‘connections’!
Scripture reading for January 14th: Genesis 37-40
The story of Joseph is a fascinating one! He was a dreamer and the youngest of 11 brothers. He was his father’s favorite and probably a little spoiled. He had unusual dreams that caused him trouble with his brothers! Because of sharing his dreams, Joseph was sold into slavery and taken to Egypt.
In his new role as servant to a wealthy Egyptian, Potiphar, he was noticed by his master’s wife. One day when Potiphar was gone, Joseph was propositioned by Potiphar’s wife: “Come to bed with me!” Joseph’s response was full of truth and godly wisdom: “My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:6-9) This happened day after day and Joseph continued to refuse her advances.
Adultery is a sin! It is a sin against God and another person made in God’s image and joined as one to their spouse. God hates sin and this sin causes lying, jealousy, hatred, violence and ultimately death. Adultery sows violence in a relationship and destroys marriages and affects children. (Malachi 2:13-16)
Joseph gives us some very practical advice about how to escape temptation. Our first line of defense is our feet! If we would just quickly remove ourselves from the temptation, how much easier we can resist! When we linger and begin to reason, we will always be defeated! Running away may seem cowardly but it is better than the mess caused by sexual sin!
“One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants were inside. She caught him by the cloak and said, “come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” (Genesis 39:11-12)
“Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed should be kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4)
Wrestling with God’s will?
Scripture Reading for January 13th: Genesis 32-36
Have you ever felt that God has told you to do something that you knew had the potential for trouble? Our first move away from home to pastor a church in Washington was like that. We were used to being around family and a loving church. We were not sure they would like us. We wrestled about moving our daughter in her senior year of high school. We had told God we would go anywhere, but not necessarily this far!
Jacob faced a similar challenge in his move back from Paddan Aram to his homeland. God commanded him to go back but he was concerned about the brother he had left behind nearly 20 years ago who was plotting to kill him. (Genesis 31:3, 13) Jacob had taken this brother’s birthright and stolen his father’s blessing. He had also just left his father-in-law upset by leaving. Jacob sent his family across the Jabok, a tributary of the Jordan River. He stayed behind to pray.
That night “a man wrestled with him until daybreak”. (Genesis 32:22-31) This “man” touched Jacobs hip socket and put it out of joint. Jacob would not let him go until this “man” blessed him. The man asked Jacob his name–“Jacob” (cheat, supplanter). The man changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” (wrestled with God and men and have overcome.) The nation of Israel was birthed by a man wrestling with God!
Wrestling with God isn’t a bad thing if we are desperate for His blessing! God loves it when we lay hold of Him as our only hope! It’s a sure way to true blessing; but we may walk with a limp! Thankfully, our old ways of cheating, lying and manipulation are left behind. We have a “new Name” written down in Glory and are destined to overcome!
And God said to him, “I am God Almighty, be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and community of nations will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” Genesis 36:11-12
Connecting our faith with the next generation!
Scripture Reading for January 11th–Genesis 27-31
“When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” Genesis 26:34-35
Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac to insure the godly line would be continued. Isaac and Rebekah had the twins Jacob and Esau. But Esau had a taste for Hittite women, not just one, but two wives at the same time! Esau was oblivious to the grief he caused his godly parents. He married them in spite of their marriage story and probably their godly training and advice.
God has placed those in authority over us to help us learn how to live and please the Lord. Choosing a mate is one of the most important choices we make in life. We should give godly instruction to our children to marry only believers. Unbelieving mates and unequally yoked marriages cause great grief and pain to believers and to the heart of God! We help them by setting an example of a godly marriage and home and helping them evaluate the kind of man or woman who would complement their personality. This person should always be a believer and strong person of faith! (2nd Corinthians 6:14-18) Why? God desires godly offspring! (Malachi 2:14)
Believing parents have a better chance of raising godly children, but it is not a guarantee because each person has a free will to choose faith or self. Teach your children and pray diligently for godly mates. Instruct them not to marry outside the faith! God is faithful!
” Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” Genesis 27:46
Isaac connects with God!
Scriptures for January 10th: Genesis 25-26
On our farm in Iowa, we had a dug well that was 110 feet deep. (Not a drilled well!) This well was about 4 feet across and my father and his dad and brothers had helped dig this well and brick it up. This ties with the story of Isaac nearly 4000 years ago!
Because of a famine, Isaac camped in the Valley of Gerar in the land of the Philistines and reopened the wells of his father Abraham. Wells were important for several reasons. They provided precious water in the desert that enabled crops, animals and humans to have refreshing and life. They provided a gathering place for communities to get this water daily for their use. (Jesus met the woman at the well in John chapter 4.) Wells also provided a means to increase a family’s wealth and provide for offspring.
Because of a famine, Isaac went to Gerar of the Philistines. God told him to stay there and gave him the promise of the land and descendants as the stars in the sky. (Genesis 26:2-6) Isaac obeyed and planted crops that year. God blessed him with a hundred fold return! Jealousy caused the Philistines to stop up the wells of Abraham that Isaac had been using. He moved on and dug new wells and God provided fresh water every time! God met him at Beersheba and blessed him! (Genesis 26:24-25) Isaac responded with an altar and another well.
The lesson for us is to dig for water wherever we are planted. We dig by going to Jesus and asking daily for His will and provision. May we, like Isaac, leave a legacy of wells of refreshing and blessing everywhere we go! May we re-dig the wells of our godly fathers!
“Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.” Genesis 26:19
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14
Faith connects with God’s pleasure!
January 9th Scripture Reading: Genesis 21-24
In 1992 while attending a pastor’s conference in California, a man gifted in prophetic ministry gave my wife and me a word from the Lord. He told us we would have children in our later years and that they would be a blessing. Several months later at our home church, a visiting evangelist picked us out of 700 people and gave us the same word. Seven years later, in August of 1999, we traveled to Russia and adopted two daughters! As we had prepared to do this, we had forgotten the words of prophecy. Our son reminded us and I found a copy in my file confirming our decision. God does know the end from the beginning! (Isaiah 42:9)
God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah in their later years. They waited 25 years and the promise finally came to pass. God waited until it was impossible for them to have a child and then did the impossible! Sarah had laughed at the angel’s announcement a year earlier. Abraham named the child “Isaac” which literally means “laughter”. In their old age they experienced the sound of laughter–the laughter of faith. Every time they spoke the child’s name they were reminded of God’s miracle!
Biblical faith always trusts in God and his ability to bring his promises to pass. It is not faith in our ability to believe! When God brings to pass what He promised, laughter is a great response! God has a great sense of humor! He loves making us laugh too! Who wouldn’t want to connect with a God like that!
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and 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 in unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.” Romans 4:18-21
Wickedness leads to disconnection from God
January 8th Scripture Reading: Genesis 18-20
An ongoing debate and cultural war is going on in our society concerning gay and lesbian rights. This issue is nothing new! From Abraham’s time over 4000 years ago, we have a record of people involved in this kind of sexual behavior. “Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:20-21)
Abraham had interceded with God and knew that God as the judge of the earth would not destroy the righteous along with the wicked. (Genesis 18:25) In response to the reports of wickedness, God sent two angels to Sodom to rescue Lot and his family before judgment fell. As these angels were visiting with Lot, the men of Sodom came knocking on Lot’s door, demanding to have those visitors (the angels) for their own sexual pleasure. Lot pleaded with them, “Please don’t do this wicked thing.” (Genesis 19:6) But they began to move to break down his door. The angels intervened, pulled Lot inside, and struck the men blind so they could not find the door. They then warned Lot to gather his family and leave because they were under orders from God to destroy that city. Lot tried to warn his son’s-in- law about the coming destruction and they thought he was joking! (Genesis 19:14)
All sin is wickedness. It brings separation from God and ultimately His judgment. Many today think Christians are jokers to teach that this sexual sin is wicked. “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. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:24-26 Those who perished weren’t laughing!
Abraham, Sarah, and Ismael!
January 7th Scripture Reading: Genesis 15-17
Sarai suggested to Abram that he have a child by her maid, Hagar, to fulfill God’s promise of offspring since she was still barren. A child resulted and trouble ensued! Hagar felt superior and Sarai was jealous. The child, Ishmael, became a source of trouble in the house and was prophesied to be one who would cause trouble (Genesis 16:12). In fact, we are today experiencing trouble in many areas of our world from Ismael’s offspring!
Genesis 17 recorded another visit by God to Abram and Sarai. Abram was now 99 years old and Sarai was 90. God confirmed His promise to them through a covenant. Covenant partners of that time exchanged names. God’s covenant name was “YHWH”, Hebrew letters that were pronounced only with a drawn out “h” sound. God changed Abram to “Abraham” and Sarai to “Sarah”, adding part of His name to theirs. Abram meant “Exalted Father” while Abraham meant “Father of a multitude”. Sarai’s new name meant “Princess”. God took Abraham’s name too! He became know as the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. God also gave them a physical sign of the covenant: circumcision. This mark on the male organ carrying the “seed”, would remind Abraham of God’s promise and mark his offspring.
Abraham is known as the father of faith because he believed God and God credited him with being righteous! (Genesis 15:6) We are made right with God exactly the same way! By faith in Jesus we are credited with righteousness. We get the Name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit who circumcises our hearts and marks us as belonging to God. God writes our name in the Book of Life and we have an eternal inheritance in Him!
“Having believed, you were marked in Him (Christ) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His Glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
Abraham and the faith connection!
January 6th Scripture Reading: Genesis 12-14
About 2000 years before Christ or about 400 years after the tower of Babel, God spoke to a man in Ur of the Caldeans in the land that is now called Iraq. This man’s name was Abram; he was about 75 years old and married to a lady named Sarai. They were childless and already beyond the years of childbearing.
God gave Abram eight specific promises: (1) I will make you a great nation, (2) I will bless you, (3) I will make your name great, (4) You will be a blessing, (5) I will bless those who bless you, (6) I will curse those who curse you, (7) All peoples of the earth will be blessed through you, (8) To your offspring I will give this land (Canaan) (Genesis 12:2,3,7)
God then asked Abram to leave his home country and travel to a country that He would show Him. Abram obeyed God by faith in His Word. God, who is sovereign, chose Abram and revealed His promises to him. Abram believed God and acted. This is what faith is in its simplest form. Faith looks at what God promised and considers God faithful to bring about their fulfillment!
God calls us to a walk of faith with Him. It is by faith that we connect with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. We are called to trust God to bring His promises to pass in our lives. “Yet he (Abraham) did not waver in 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.” (Romans 4:20-21) “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)
From Noah’s Family came the nations!
January 4th Scripture Reading: Genesis 10-11
In preceding chapters of Genesis we saw that God chose Noah to rebuild the population of the earth again. God blessed Noah and told him and his family to be fruitful and fill the whole earth. (Genesis 9:1) But Noah’s grandson, Nimrod, led a rebellion around 100 years after the flood. He gathered family members together on the plain of Shinar (Ancient Babylon, current Iraq). They decided to build a tower at Babel that would reach to the heavens and to make a name for themselves and resist being scattered over the face of the earth. (Genesis 11:1-4)
But God came down! God realized that with one language and Nimrod’s rebellious leadership that nothing would be impossible for them. He confused their language and scattered them over the earth and stopped their building.
God did one more thing that insured that they would not get back together for rebellion. Genesis 10 is a genealogy of the sons of Noah. One of Shem’s grandsons, Eber, had a son, Peleg. Peleg means “division” and verse 25 states that “in his time the earth was divided. . “. Some creation scientists believe that this is when God could have separated the continents following the judgment at the tower of Babel. Those scattered people groups represented by the 70 family groups of Genesis 10 formed the nations of the world that we see in existence today. (see The Genesis Record by Dr. Henry Morris, pages 260-261) A side note is that “Eber” is probably where the name “Hebrews” was derived.
“From one man He (God) 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 and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:26-27
God connects with Noah–through faith!
Scripture reading for January 3rd–Genesis 6-9
God saw that the man that He had made in His own image had turned to wickedness instead walking in faith in God’s Word. God’s heart was grieved and filled with pain because of this refusal to connect with Him. Man has a free will to choose his own path instead of God’s, but must accept the consequences. Sin always brings God’s judgment, and ultimately death.
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8) God’s eyes are always looking for a way to show favor and mercy! His eyes are looking for any who would be humble and teachable that He might connect with them. God revealed to Noah his plans for judgment of the wicked and a polluted earth. “Noah did everything just as God commanded Him.” (Genesis 6:22)
God did exactly what He said He would do on a specific day in Noah’s life! “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the 17th day of the second month–on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of heaven were opened.” (Genesis 7:11) In the New Testament, Jesus taught that it would be just like the days of Noah when God would again judge the wicked of the earth. (Matthew 24:36-39) But this time it would be by fire! Jesus is waiting patiently for all who will respond to Him, but “a day” is coming!
“By these same waters the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. . . .The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2nd Peter 3:6-7, 9)