Having attended Refuel north earlier this month, I’ve realized more than ever the importance of companionship in Christ. This is referenced in Genesis 2:18
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”
While this verse is more commonly used in the context of marriage, I think it works here as well. God knows it is not good for us to be alone, we need human interactions. We need friends that can hold us accountable, and support us always. That is a friendship only found in your brothers and sisters in Christ. God wants us to connect, to fellowship together, and to love each other.
-Julia Simon
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Why do you think there are two accounts of creation – one in Genesis 1:1-2:3 and one in Genesis 2:4-25? What do they have in common? What differences do you see? What is emphasized in each account?
How is the Garden of Eden described? Where have you most enjoyed a paradise setting created by God? How would you describe it? What do you most appreciate about God’s creation? What work do you like to do (or would like to try doing) in God’s creation?
List as many reasons as you can why it is not good to be alone. Some might come from Scripture, some from personal experience or what you have seen in others.
How do you view being created as a helper? God is described many times as being a helper (for example, Psalm 115:9-11). In what relationships can you become more of a helper? How?
How one starts a story has quite a lot to do with how the rest of the story plays out.
Once upon a time…
A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
And my personal favorite in fiction:
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
Today we start the story of creation, and the first four words tell us quite a lot.
In the beginning God…
Anything and everything that comes next depends on this text and, as such, these words are fascinating.
Apologetics is an art form and a science. Apologetics means, simply, “defending ones faith,” and so Christian Apologetics is about giving reasons for why we believe anything we believe. Why do we believe the Bible is the word of God? Why do we believe Jesus is the Son of God and Messiah? Why do we believe God exists at all? These are good questions and it’s important that you have general answers to them.
But Genesis 1:1 doesn’t answer them. Genesis 1:1 assumed God is. There is no argument for or against him. There is no argument about other gods or goddesses, about how this book is his word versus other books that say conflicting things, nor does it defend the “contradictions”that some non-believers point out in the text.
Genesis 1:1 just says “God created.” Simple. Easy. Plain.
But of course, it is anything but simple and easy and plain.
I could spend quite some time talking about my own interactions with the text, trying to understand it and science at the same time. I could work to show you whether this text is poetry or narrative and how the text in chapter 1 relates to the order of creation in chapter 2. I could tell you that through strong but loving conversations with important people I have worked out the perfect explanation to the text. I could tell you exactly how you should read this text, end of story, done, nice and easy.
I could tell you that, but I won’t.
My own interactions with the text have been difficult.
People smarter than me read this text literally verbatim as the God’s-eye view of what happened in Genesis. Other people, still smarter than I, say “it’s a metaphor and symbolical account of creation and we need to understand how to read this literately.”
I have come to some strong conclusions but truthfully I hold them loosely because I know what a struggle it was to get to where I am, and I could change tomorrow.
The only thing I can tell you with certainty is that this text tells us with all seriousness that God is not a distant observer of space-time, nor one and same with the universe, but a powerful mover-and-shaper of all things by the word of his mouth.
And because the story starts this way, it changes how the rest of the story plays out. God makes light and calls it good, and the metaphor of light is good in the rest of Scripture. God calls for the earth to bring forth plants. He invites creation to participate with him in the creative act, it would seem. God makes the creatures of the ocean, from the great “tanninim”, which could be interpreted as sea monsters, whales, or dragons, worshipped by other cultures. God creates with his mouth the very things that others worship, because all things exist due to his will.
Speaking of the will of God for creation, that brings us to the most important part of Genesis 1 in our reading today.
Humanity is part of but also the fulfillment of creation. God not only makes us, but he makes us in his image. He not only invites us to participate in the creative act, but even invites, empowers, and also demands that we rule over creation. And this is not one man given this role, but humanity, the many as both male and female. We ALL are made in the image of God.
Whatever we think about Genesis 1, what we learn is that humanity is made in the image of God, meaning we have value and worth given by God which cannot be taken away. We learn that God created so that there would be a people who would love him, as Genesis functions are the precursor to the central story of the Old Testament, the Exodus. And we learn that when God looks at his creation, with humans in the midst of a world he lovingly called into being, he says it is
“Very Good.”
-Jake Ballard
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
How do you interpret Genesis One? I encourage you to accept church tradition/theology and challenge church tradition/theology, to accept scientific discoveries and challenge scientific discoveries. In both “church” and “science”, we find truth. But, we need to balance truth with wisdom, and see that much that comes from both “church” and “science” are interpretations and value judgments, rather than simple, plain truths. How will you continually seek to understand God’s word? Who do you turn to listen to about church tradition, theology, science and how to interpret each of those factors?
Even though Genesis One assumes the existence of God, and doesn’t try to argue for him but just proves him via his actions with his people, how do you answer the questions presented above? : “Why do we believe the Bible is the word of God? Why do we believe Jesus is the Son of God and Messiah? Why do we believe God exists at all?” What is your answer for your friend who might ask you any one of these questions. If you don’t have a ready answer, then are you “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”?(1 Peter 3:15)
Too often we are told that humanity and all life is a cosmic accident brought about by the random chance of amino acids bursting forth into life in a hot pool of water millions of years ago (a bad interpretation of science, see above). However, this is not true. You are not a cosmic accident, but the keystone of God’s creative act. How does it make you feel that you are part of the final creation of God in Genesis One? Do you believe that God made this world and then declared that it is all very good? How can you honor the role to rule over creation that God has given you and how might you enjoy the very good creation of God this week?
After Jacob had served Laban in Padan Aram for 20 years, God told him to go back home. It was finally time for him to face his past. Remember, he had cheated his brother Esau, and had run for his life. He had about 500 miles to go to get home. He sent some servants ahead to let Esau know he was coming home. When the servants returned, they told Jacob that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men. Jacob was terrified, and prayed a beautiful prayer that is recorded in Genesis 32:9-12.
He started, “Oh God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac…”. In this section, I see Jacob acknowledging the history his family had with following God, ever since God called Abraham in Genesis 12.
He continued, “O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and to your relatives, and I will make you prosper’. ” In this section, I see Jacob acknowledged what God had told him to do, and he had followed what God had told him to do.
Next, he acknowledged his own unworthiness, praying, “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.” And he acknowledged what God had done for him, even though he was unworthy.
He continued, “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.” In this section, he admitted his fear to God, and then he finally got around to begging God for what he needed help with – “save me”. Note that he didn’t give God suggestions as to how God could solve the problem. He just turned it over to God.
He concluded with, “But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’.” He closed with reminding God of His promises.
In this prayer, I see a potential model for our own prayers. It goes sort of like this:
Start by thanking God for his provision until now for our family, including for our ancestors.
Today, God speaks to us through His word. I think it is important to be familiar with his word and follow his word. And I think that’s a perfectly fine topic to bring up in prayer, “God, you said to …, and I have done that as you commanded.”
I believe we need to humble ourselves before God, and acknowledge that we don’t deserve all he has done for us. I think it also helps to remind ourselves in our prayers what God has done for us. (We don’t need to remind God. He already knows.)
We should admit whatever we’re feeling to God. (He already knows anyway, but it helps us maintain an open channel of communication with Him.)
We are finally at the point in our prayer where we should clearly lay out the problem we’re facing. And we don’t need to offer God suggestions as to how He could solve our problems. He can come up with solutions better than we can even imagine.
I think in the closing of Jacob’s prayer, he was not just reminding God of the promises God had made. I think he was also looking forward to those promises himself. We should do the same.
And I think it’s fine to pray something like, “God, you promised that everything works for the good of those who love you. I don’t understand how that is possible in the situation I’m in right now. Please open my eyes to understand that, or at least to accept it as truth. I know you have promised that nothing can separate us from your love, not even death. God, things aren’t looking very good from my perspective right now, but I’m holding on to your promise that when Christ returns, you will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. God, I’m really wanting that now. Please keep me focused on you, and living for you. And please send Jesus soon. Amen.”
In Genesis 29, Jacob arrived in Padan Aram and found his first cousin, Rachel, at a well. I’m immediately reminded of Genesis 24, where Abraham’s servant came to this same place, probably to this same well, and found Rebekah, the then-future wife of Isaac. We’re not told if Jacob had prayed for God’s direction like Abraham’s servant did in Genesis 24. But we do know Jacob went there not only to run away from his brother, whom he had cheated, but also to find a wife. And bonus, Rachel was a virgin and was gorgeous.
After spending a month working for Laban, Jacob’s uncle, and working hard the whole time, Laban asked what wages Jacob would like as he continued to work for Laban. In Genesis 29:18, we read, “Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” He must have really been in love, because we’re told, “So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” Wow, that sounds like a romance novel (although I haven’t actually ever read one).
At the end of seven years, there was a big wedding ceremony. When Jacob woke up the next morning, he woke up with Rachel’s older sister, Leah. Laban had tricked Jacob, and had him marry the wrong girl! Personally, I can’t imagine how this happened. Did Jacob celebrate a little too much to notice who he was marrying? Leah had to be complicit in this subterfuge. Did Leah keep her veil on until it was dark? Did she not talk, because presumably the two sisters’ voices sounded different. Where was Rachel while all this was happening?
Regardless of the answer to any of these questions, Jacob had been tricked into marrying the wrong sister. After complaining to Laban, he agreed to work another 7 years for the wife he really wanted, and married her a week later.
Polygamy may sound wrong to us, but there are several examples in the Old Testament of men marrying multiple women. Having said that, there are no examples of this working out well anywhere in the Bible. According to Jesus in Matthew 19:4-9, God intended from the beginning that one man would be married to one woman for life.
Anyway, Jacob had tricked his father, and had cheated his brother. Now, Jacob was tricked by his father-in-law, and (spoiler alert) he would be cheated by his father-in-law repeatedly for 20 years.
This is an example of a principle that we see demonstrated throughout scripture, and in our lives today. We read in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” You may have heard the old axiom, “What goes around comes around.” Basically, these both mean the same thing – everyone eventually has to deal with the consequences of their actions.
But wait, God had promised rich blessings to Jacob. Shouldn’t God have prevented Jacob’s problems? Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Followers of God are promised, in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” This takes away God’s punishment for our sins, but it doesn’t take away the natural consequences of our actions.
Despite this, we can still rely on another promise, found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
In his early life, Jacob was opportunistic and deceitful – looking out for number one. After working for Laban for 20 years of hardships, Jacob grew to understand that God was looking out for him (See Genesis 31: 38-42).
I think this isn’t just the story of a historical character and his family. I think these truths still hold true for us today, and we can learn from them. God will forgive us if we confess and repent. But we will receive natural consequences for our actions. Despite this, if we are living in a right relationship with God, everything, even those natural consequences will turn out for our good.
There is an easier way. We can save ourselves a lot of pain and trouble by just following God from the start. But we each have to make that choice for ourselves. What’s your choice?
In Genesis 28, we find the story of “Jacob’s Ladder.” Jacob had deceived his father, Isaac, and had “stolen” the blessing intended for Esau. Jacob was on the run to move in with his uncle, roughly 500 miles away, so his brother Esau wouldn’t kill him. That night Jacob had a dream with angels going up and down a ladder between God and Jacob. When God spoke to Jacob, He didn’t condemn him for his trickery; instead, He extended the covenant to Jacob that He had made with Abraham and with Isaac. God promised Jacob that he and his descendants would inherit the promised land, his descendants would be numerous, and all nations on earth would be blessed through Jacob and his descendants. God also promised He would be with Jacob wherever he went.
When Jacob woke up, his first response was surprise and fear. He named the place “Bethel” which means “the house of God”. He set up this stone pillow as an altar and worshiped. Finally, he dedicated his life to God.
According to “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe, “The ‘if’ found in many translations of verse 20 can also be read ‘since’. Jacob wasn’t making a bargain with God; he was affirming his faith in God. Since God had promised to care for him, be with him, and bring him back home safely, then Jacob would affirm his faith in God and would seek to worship and honor Him alone.”
I see several applications for us.
As I understand it, the ancients believed gods (with a little “g”) were local, and if you left an area, you left the protection of the local god. In this encounter, Jacob thought he had stumbled into the “house of God”, but found that God isn’t limited like that. Since God would be with him everywhere, everywhere can be the house of God. According to James 4:8, if we come near to God, God will come near to us.
Once Jacob encountered God, his first response of surprise and fear quickly turned to worship. When we first encounter God, we may also be struck with surprise and depending on the circumstance, fear too. I think it is important for us to continue on to the worship stage as Jacob did. Note that the altar he built wasn’t for offering sacrifices, it was really more of a memorial that reminded him of his encounter with God. When we encounter similar milestones in our own lives when God has done something noteworthy for us, I think it is important for us to set up a memorial of some sort. Ideally this is something physical, that we can look at and be reminded of what God has done for us.
Jacob’s next step was to dedicate his life to following God. I think this step is imperative for us. Given what God has done for us so far, our natural response should be, “Since you have brought me this far, and since you have made such great promises to me – the promise of eternal life if I remain faithful until Christ’s return, because of these things, I will live the rest of my life for you, God.”
As the story continues, Jacob had many hardships throughout his life. Despite them all, God was still with Jacob. And Jacob remained true to God for the rest of his life.
Psalm 46:7 says, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” God kept his promises to Jacob, and he will keep his promises to us.
The real question is, will you remain true to Him?
After serving God for 100 years, “Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years”. This fulfilled a promise God had made to him in Genesis 15:15, when God had promised Abraham that he would die in peace at a good old age.
In addition to a great quantity of life, I think Abraham had also enjoyed a great quality of life for all those years. At the end of his life, he could look back with satisfaction, and even then could still look forward with anticipation to God’s promises. Promises including: Abraham and his descendants would inherit the promised land forever, his descendants would be as numerous as the sand and the stars, and that all nations on earth would be blessed through him.
I suspect only a small minority of people can face death like this. I’m guessing most look back at their life with regret, and look ahead with fear.
You may be wondering how Abraham could die in peace, with peace. I believe it all comes back to his relationship with God. We’re told that Abraham was God’s friend (2 Chron 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23). In Hebrews 11, we’re told that Abraham died in faith, having not received what was promised, looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
You may be wondering how Abraham developed such a close relationship with God. I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t by following the law. He died hundreds of years before God would give the law to Moses. He didn’t become righteous by circumcision, because he was declared righteous years before he was circumcised. Back in Genesis 15, God made a promise to Abraham, and in verse 6, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Abraham became right with God, because Abraham believed God. And in so doing, Abraham became a model of how all of us can become right with God. Paul used this example in Romans 4 to argue that all are justified through faith alone.
Ephesians 2: 8-10 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
In chapter 2, James used Abraham as an example to demonstrate the importance of proving faith by deeds. We aren’t saved by works, but those works prove our faith. And lack of works proves lack of faith.
Abraham left quite a legacy. When God reiterated His promise to Isaac, as recorded in Genesis 26:3-6, we read, “…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, BECAUSE (emphasis added) Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees, and my laws.” Did you catch that? All of this was because Abraham was faithful to God.
The New Testament starts with, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” God had promised Abraham that all the world would be blessed through him, and God kept his promise.
I’d like to leave you with a few questions..
Have you thought about preparing now to face death when it comes? Ecclesiastes 12 encourages us to start young. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.” Verses 13-14 go on to say, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Are you living by faith? Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” And are you demonstrating your faith by your actions?
Finally, what legacy are you leaving? Exodus 20: 5-6 says, “…I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
In Genesis 24, we find the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for his beloved son Isaac. It’s interesting that the story of creation as recorded in Genesis 1 required only 31 verses, but that this chapter about a wife for Isaac, with its 67 verses is the longest chapter in Genesis. In addition to the obvious story we read in this chapter, I think there are additional things we can learn from this chapter. As I read about the story of finding a wife for Isaac, I see a parallel with GOD (Abraham in this story) finding a bride (the church for Christ, Rebekah for Isaac) for His beloved son, Jesus (Isaac in this story). I also see lessons for us to consider when seeking a spouse. This will get long, but I’ll try to touch briefly on the story, the comparison with God, and application for marriage.
Abraham had been following the Lord for 65 years by this point in our story. Abraham wanted to arrange the marriage for Isaac to the right wife, before he died. The story starts with Abraham giving instructions to his servant. Genesis 24: 3-4 says, “I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I’m living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
The servant travelled hundreds of miles (possibly nearly 500 miles) with servants and 10 camels loaded with gifts to get to where Abraham’s relatives lived. Once he got there, before doing anything else, he prayed, as recorded in Genesis 24: 12-14, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, “Please let down your jar that I may have a drink. And she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.” He not only prayed, he also asked for a sign to know who was the right one.
While he was still praying, Rebekah came out to draw water. He asked her to give him some water – which she did, and then went ahead and watered his camels too, without being asked. (Note: a single thirsty camel can drink up to 40 gallons of water – she was obviously a hard worker.) During all this, the servant just watched quietly and waited.
He then asked, “whose daughter are you.” Once he found out she was related to Abraham, he immediately bowed down and worshiped God. When he did this, Rebekah ran back home to tell her mom what happened – leaving the servant at the well.
Rebekah’s brother, Laban, came out to invite the servant to come home with him. Before the servant would even eat, he wanted to tell the reason for his visit. Once he told them about Abraham, and Isaac, he asked the family if Rebekah could marry Isaac. They decided to leave that up to Rebekah, who said, “Yes.”
The servant gave both Rebekah and her family many gifts. The servant also told how rich Abraham was, and that he had given everything to his son Isaac – indicating how rich Rebekah would be once she married Isaac.
The next day, the servant wanted to take Rebekah and go back home. Her family wanted to wait a while. They asked Rebekah, and since she was eager to go too, they left right away.
As soon as they got back to Isaac, the servant gave an account to Isaac of all he had done. Then Rebekah married Isaac, and they lived happily ever after – or at least, “So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”
Parallel: I see similarities between Abraham as a loving father, and God. And between Isaac, who had a miraculous birth, and was obedient to the point of being sacrificed, and Jesus. Rebekah, the bride for Isaac, reminds me of the church as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24).
Neither Abraham nor Isaac went to find a bride, instead, Abraham sent a faithful servant, who swore to be obedient to Abraham’s wishes. The unnamed servant referred to Abraham as “my master” 19 times in this chapter. Everything he did was to obey and serve his master. (We would do well to take this to heart ourselves, as servants of God.) Neither God nor Jesus are physically present today to build the church. God sends faithful servants to invite “sinners” to become “the bride of Christ”.
The servant was eager to complete his master’s mission. Once the bride accepted the invitation, she too was eager to complete the task. I think it’s imperative that we faithfully serve God eagerly. Also, once a person decides to accept the invitation to join God’s family, I think it is imperative they respond quickly, otherwise, they may slip away.
The servant gave gifts that were sort of a down payment of immeasurable wealth Rebekah would receive once she joined the family, which is reminiscent of 2 Cor 1:22 which says God’s Holy Spirit in believers is a deposit, guaranteeing the promise that is to come.
Finally, when the servant got back, he had to give an account to Isaac, which reminds us that one day, each of us will have to give an account of our lives (Romans 14:12) and even for every idle word we say (Matthew 12:36). Will we be a “good and faithful servant?”
Application for marriage: Christians should not marry non-Christians. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says that believers should not be unequally yoked to unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 7:39 says that if a woman’s husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants, but only a believer.
Christian’s should pray for God’s direction, ask God for confirmation, watch the person’s character to see if this may be the right one, verify they are a hard worker and they are in the right family (the family of God) – all before ever considering asking (or accepting) “will you marry me”.
God had promised Abraham, in Genesis 17:19, “Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”
At this point, Abraham was over 100 years old, and had faithfully followed God. In Genesis 12, Abraham obeyed when God told him to leave his country and family. Abraham allowed Lot to take the lush land around Sodom in Genesis 13, and trusted God to provide for his own flocks and herds on barren mountains. In Genesis 15, Abraham trusted God’s promise that he would have a son in his old age, and God counted that faith as righteousness.
In Genesis 22:2, we find God commanding Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
This doesn’t make sense. God had explicitly promised that God’s promises to Abraham would be passed down through Isaac’s descendants, and now God was commanding Abraham to sacrifice him – apparently destroying the promise He had made to Abraham.
By this point, Abraham had developed a very close relationship with God. In fact, we’re told 3 times in the Bible that Abraham was God’s friend (2 Chron 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23) – and as far as I know, Abraham is the only person in the Bible of whom this is said.
We’re told in Hebrews 11:19 that Abraham reasoned that God was able to raise the dead, and that He was going to keep His promise.
So early the next morning, Abraham took Isaac and 2 servants and left for the place God told him to go. When they got close, Abraham told the servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and we (emphasis added) will come back to you.”
As they got even closer, Isaac asked his dad, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Can you imagine how this must have broken Abraham’s heart, looking down into his son’s questioning face, knowing that in a few minutes he would be killing his beloved son, who would be the offering? Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb.” (Actually, God had provided Isaac – as a miracle baby in his parent’s old age.) When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, tied up Isaac, and laid him on the altar.
As he was getting ready to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and stopped him. Abraham then saw a ram caught in the brush by its horns, and sacrificed it instead. God then promised Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 22:16-18, “I swear by myself, declared the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore… and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
I could point out all the similarities of Abraham’s being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, and God being willing to sacrifice His Son, Jesus. I could point out the significance of another quote from this chapter, “Jehovah Jireh – on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (This was the mountain where Soloman’s temple was built hundreds of years later.) I could point out the importance of obeying God, and the benefits that result.
Instead, I want to comment on who, when, where, how, and why of God’s provision.
Who: God tested Abraham with a very difficult test even after a life of serving God. We see that God provided the ram in this case only after Abraham trusted and obeyed God – even though it didn’t make sense. Assertion: God provides for those who trust Him and obey Him.
When: God provided for Abraham at the very last minute, not before. We’re told in Hebrews 4:16 that we will “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Assertion: God provides precisely when we need something, not when we think we need it. (i.e. according to God’s timing.)
Where: God provided for Abraham only after Abraham went where God told him to go, and after he obeyed everything God told him to do. Assertion: God will provide if we are where He wants us to be. We should have no expectation of receiving God’s provision if we aren’t where He wants us to be.
How: God didn’t send an angel from heaven with an offering for Abraham to sacrifice, God provided a normal ram, caught in a normal thicket, by it’s normal horns. And God didn’t send a whole flock of sheep, just one ram, because that was all that was needed. Assertion: God will usually provide in ways that are very natural – don’t look for miracles.
Why: In times of testing, it’s easy to only think about our problems, and focus on, “why is this happening to me?” I think there may be two general reasons why trials come. First, we are told in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Note that this only applies if we are living according to His purpose. Also note that trials are by definition difficult, and won’t seem to be beneficial at the time. Second, ultimately, everything is for God’s glory. Isaiah 43:7 says, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory…” We see an example of this with God destroying Pharaoh and his army for God’s glory in Ex 14:4, 17. Assertion: God allows trials and gives provision for our good and for His glory.
The bottom line is, if we are faithfully following God, times of testing will come. If we remain true to God, if we are where He wants us to be, and if we are obedient to Him, he will provide what we need (not necessarily what we want), at the very last minute, usually through normal means – and this is for our good. If we aren’t following God, the times of testing may just be to bring Glory to Him. I’d rather be in that first group. How about you?
I think we can assume it is universally known that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire from heaven for their wickedness. In Genesis 19:1, we read that Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. Historically, important people, like city elders, would sit in the gateway of a city to judge between parties in a dispute, or businessmen would congregate there to transact business.
2 Peter 2:7 tells us that Lot was a righteous man. And yet, there he was sitting at the gate of a very wicked city. This suggests to me that he was assimilating into the wicked city. I think Lot’s decline started in Genesis 13, when Lot and Abraham had to separate because the land couldn’t support all their flocks and herds. Lot greedily chose to live in the lush fertile valley near Sodom, and left the barren, rocky heights for Abraham to graze his flocks. In Genesis 13:12, Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom. In Genesis 14:12, he lived in Sodom, here, in Genesis 19:1, he was sitting in the gateway of the city, easing his way into assimilating into the sinful city.
Even though Lot was a righteous man, he apparently didn’t exert much Godly influence over the locals. In Genesis 18:32, God said He would spare the city if only 10 righteous were found there. As it was, only Lot was considered righteous. Not only did he not convert others in the city, he couldn’t even convince his own future sons-in-law to leave the city with him. (And arguably, he didn’t have much positive influence over his own daughters. Read Genesis 19:30-38 as proof.)
Despite Lot’s poor judgment in choosing where to live, God was very merciful to Lot by sending two angels to lead Lot and his family out of the city before sending judgement. Once they were clear of the city, God rained down fire and burning sulfur on the cities of the plain, and everything and everyone was destroyed. Everything Lot had owned, everything he had worked for literally went up in smoke. Unfortunately, Lot’s wife looked back, presumably longing for what she had left behind. She died as a result of this.
We’re told in 2 Peter 2:6, “… he (GOD) 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…” This story in Genesis 19 is an example of what will happen when Jesus returns, when He will save the righteous, and destroy the wicked by fire.
In Luke 17, Jesus is talking about conditions before the second coming of Christ. Luke 17: 28-32 says, “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, no one who is on the roof of his house with his goods inside should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife.”
I think there are several applications for us.
First, if you don’t have a relationship with the Lord, it’s imperative you fix that right now. Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
Second, If you do have a relationship with the Lord, continuously work on strengthening that relationship with the Lord. Especially since we don’t know when Jesus will return and we don’t know when we will die. We should live in such a way that we would always be ready to give an account for our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:10 reminds us: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Next, we should all carefully choose the situations in which we find ourselves, and seriously consider whether we are being conformed to the patterns of the sinful people around us, or if we’re influencing others for the Lord.
Finally, we should not become too attached to the world or anything in it.
1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”
I’ll close by challenging you to follow Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
–Steve Mattison
Follow the 2021 SeekGrowLove.com Bible reading plan to read the Bible in a year – with an Old Testament and a New Testament/Psalms/Proverbs reading each day. Together let’s Seek God, Grow spiritually and Love Him and others more and more!
I’ve covered quite a lot this past week about the truth of the Bible, especially in contrast to what some scientists say about certain matters. My goal has been to try to steer folks back to a belief in what the Bible plainly says and to also demonstrate that scientific observation actually supports what the Bible says. I have seen too many cases of believers who start to question if the Bible is accurate in a certain area, and then begin to question at what point you can actually trust scripture.
I believe we can trust the Bible for many reasons, not the least of which is that real world evidence supports it. Theologian John Wycliffe once said, “On all domains of doctrine and in life, the authority of scripture is to be placed higher than all human understanding, for it is God’s word and as such the highest authority.”
Some people point out that the Bible is not a science textbook and so we shouldn’t put too much stock into what it says on science-related topics. My first response is usually, “Thank goodness it’s not a science textbook. Those are always being corrected and updated but the Bible has stood the test of time.”
There is one particular issue that I hear brought up time and time again in regards to the Bible not being trustworthy, and that is an apparent contradiction in Genesis chapter two, in the detailed account of Adam and Eve.
If you will recall, Genesis chapter one states that God created vegetation on day three, but did not create man until day six. But chapter two seems to indicate a different order.
Genesis 2:4-7 (NIV) – This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no shrubhad yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
So which came first the chicken or the egg, or in this case, the man or the brussel sprouts?
Let’s read the passage in the New King James version to see if it sheds any light on this apparent contradiction.
4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Aha! So it wasn’t that there were no plants when Adam was created, in the more detailed chapter two summary, it’s that certain types of plants were not created until after Adam was created. Specifically, what we would consider crop-like plants. That is made clear when it says part of the reason the plants had not been created yet is that there was no man to work or till the ground, so it should be clear these were crops. Soon after God created Adam, He created the Garden of Eden to place Adam and Eve in, and there God finally created these edible plants for them.
But doesn’t it say in Genesis chapter 1 that God created EVERY plant on day three? In fact it does not say that.
Genesis 1:11-13 – Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
Nowhere does it suggest that God created EVERY plant on day three. Contrast that with:
Genesis 1:20-25 – Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
It seems clear to me that there is no contradiction. Not all of the plants were created on day three. Instead God waited to create the plants intended for human consumption until after He created humankind. Those plants were created as part of the Garden of Eden, where God placed Adam and Eve.
Why does talking about Creation matter? Primarily, because studies have shown that anywhere between 70 and 88% of kids that were active in youth groups leave the church within a couple of years of graduating.
When we teach our kids that either the Bible is wrong in places, or tell them the Bible despite what some scientists claim, but then do not back that up with good reasons, we are setting them up to question their faith. Or when we try to fit millions of years and evolution into scripture, as many well-meaning Christians try to do, eventually many young people come to the conclusion that it doesn’t actually fit, and then they also find themselves questioning their faith.
But when kids are given the evidence that actually supports what scripture says, wow, what a difference that makes! I have seen it first hand many times.
If anyone has any questions or comments regarding the devotions dealing with creation, please reach out to me at gregrlandry@gmail.com.
SeekGrowLove Editor: We thank Greg for giving us all a week of devotions on creation and God’s reliable Scriptures. We can benefit greatly from the many years Greg has studied and analyzed the creation and evolution arguments. As we reaffirm the truth of God’s Word and understand the errors of some scientific theories that attempt to strip God of His power, might and even existence, we develop a deeper love for God, His Almighty power, and truth. As supposed inconsistencies with God’s Word are explained logically, we are reminded that God is right – again and again and forever and ever. May we love Him and trust Him more and more.
This coming week we will hear from Steve Mattison as he connects with God’s word in Genesis and guides us in continuing to SeekGrowLove. If you got behind on your Bible reading at all now is a great time to get caught up.
Seek Grow Love 