Genesis

February 15, 2014

February 15 – Weekend Passage

 

Genesis 6

The Corruption of Mankind

6 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Know the Story…

Pray for an open and teachable heart as you read through God’s Word and discover His truths.

Consider keeping a journal of what you are learning.

Read the Word: Read the passages provided.

Dig Into the Word: What’s the big story behind the passage?

Implications of the Word: What are the implications of this passage for my life today?

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

February 13, 2014

February 13 – OT Reading

 

Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

48 Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.” 12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground.13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 49

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

49 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

2 “Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;
And listen to Israel your father.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn;
My might and the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,
Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their swords are implements of violence.
6 “Let my soul not enter into their council;
Let not my glory be united with their assembly;
Because in their anger they slew men,
And in their self-will they lamed oxen.
7 “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will disperse them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?
10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 “He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 “His eyes are dull from wine,
And his teeth white from milk.

13 “Zebulun will dwell at the seashore;
And he shall be a haven for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
Lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 “When he saw that a resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,
And became a slave at forced labor.

16 “Dan shall judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 “Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned snake in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that his rider falls backward.
18 “For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.

19 “As for Gad, raiders shall raid him,
But he will raid at their heels.

20 “As for Asher, his food shall be rich,
And he will yield royal dainties.

21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose,
He gives beautiful words.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a spring;
Its branches run over a wall.
23 “The archers bitterly attacked him,
And shot at him and harassed him;
24 But his bow remained firm,
And his arms were agile,
From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 From the God of your father who helps you,
And by the Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 “The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And in the evening he divides the spoil.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him. 29 Then he charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. 31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah—32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 50

The Death of Israel

50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

4 When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” 6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9 There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed seven days mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12 Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So theysent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me,but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Death of Joseph

22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Know the Story…

Pray for an open and teachable heart as you read through God’s Word and discover His truths.

Consider keeping a journal of what you are learning.

Read the Word: Read the passages provided.

Dig Into the Word: What’s the big story behind the passage?

Implications of the Word: What are the implications of this passage for my life today?

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

February 12, 2014

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

But God Meant it for Good…

As we come to the close of our reading in Genesis, I was struck by the power of these words in Genesis 50:20, … “but God meant it for good.“

It is not easy to see the good when things are tough, especially when things just seem unfair, but Joseph did.  Joseph kept his eyes on God, his redeemer. Joseph believed in the promises of God, even through the evil storms he would face.

After plotting to kill him, his brothers instead find it more profitable to sell him into slavery.  Joseph is taken to Egypt, the lowest of slaves.  Yet through his integrity, faithfulness and hard work Joseph rises up the ranks. He is falsely accused by his benefactor’s wife and sent to prison.

While in prison, Joseph befriends the Pharaoh’s cupbearer and after two more years, he is brought in front of Pharaoh and again through his integrity, faithfulness and hard work, and the sovereign grace of God, rises to the rank of Prime Minister.

How did Joseph survive? He kept his eyes on God. Joseph knew God. He knew that God is sovereign and God is good. Joseph always gave the glory to God.  It was God who interpreted the dreams, not Joseph.

Joseph will eventually be re-united with his family, and live to enjoy his great grandbabies.

One thing we might overlook in this story of how God works is the pressure of the culture that surrounded Joseph.  Joseph would have been about 17 when he came to Egypt.  Joseph lived to be 110.  That means Joseph spent 93 years in Egypt in a hostile spiritual environment.

He was second only to Pharaoh.  Pharaoh was considered to be a god by his own people. Joseph must have been under intense and continuing pressure to conform to Egypt’s customs. Under similar circumstances, many would have capitulated. Yet Joseph remained a man of faith. He believed in a future hope – when his redeemer would come and save His people. Even on his deathbed Joseph knew God would restore his people and move them into the land of Canaan, as described in Genesis 50:23-24.

Joseph could look back on his life, the stormy times, times of hardship and loneliness and say… “but God meant it for good.”

And Joseph would look forward to a future hope with joy. As should all of us as we pray – “Thy kingdom come”…


Jim

February 10, 2014

The Family Tree

Genesis 5

So…“What kind of legacy are you leaving?” As I reflected on this passage, I was reminded of the importance of legacy. What am I passing down to my boys? Will the generations to follow be those who “call on the name of the LORD”? If someone were to read my genealogy years from now, what would stand out. This week’s passage is easily overlooked, but we should consider the important implications of it.

Adam had several sons…two are highlighted. Cain and Seth. Same parents, but very different destinies. What made the difference? Surely not upbringing or environment. Each made a choice. But that choice had ramifications for those who followed.

Cain’s rebellion and murder would mark his family line. Not all are painted to be the worst of the worst, but the literary markers that Moses gives us show that they are no less seed of the serpent, focused on the earthy, living in rebellion against God. Lamech is just the worst of…murder, polygamy, pride, twisted good. So what identifies the seed of the serpent today? Same kind of things. Focus on the earthy. Rejection of the heavenly. Rebellion against God.

And Seth’s (Enosh’s) choice to “call on the name of the LORD” would mark his family line as well. Not all are painted to be the best of the best. In fact we are given very little detail even of the heroes…Enoch and Noah. But again, the literary markers that Moses gives us show that they are no less seed of the woman, focused on the heavenly, seeking to live in relationship with God. Enoch is the best of…walking with God. So what identifies the seed of the woman today? Same kind of things. Walking with God, which is only possible through faith in Jesus, the Head-crushing Seed of the Woman.

But what about you? What kind of legacy will you leave? Much depends on where you are right now. Are you walking with God? Are you pursuing a life with Him in His kingdom? Have you trusted in Jesus? Do you have a heavenly perspective? If so, teach your kids. Introduce them to the story. Remind them often. Pray for them and with them. Show them what it means to join God’s grand rescue mission of pulling folks out of the flames of hell.

But maybe you are not walking with God. Maybe you’re not pursuing a life with Him in His kingdom. Maybe you haven’t trusted in Jesus. Maybe you are totally focused on the earthy. If so, beware. The path that you are heading down leads to destruction. Building earthly kingdoms is a hollow pursuit. The tragic death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a somber reminder. Fame, fortune, success…heroin, overdose, death. He was a captive in need of rescue. So are some of you. But hope is possible because God delights in plot twists…to rewrite our stories. Only He can change your legacy because the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman has already come in the Person of Jesus and has defeated the Adversary. And by believing in Him, you can be reconciled to Creator God and have a new destiny, a new legacy.

Until next time…stay salty.

February 6, 2014

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

As we transition from the life of Jacob to Joseph – I thought a few implications might be helpful to some of you.

One implication to this story involves the consequence of sin. The sin of deceit. Jacob deceived his father Isaac back in Genesis 27 with the skin of a goat.  Now, he is himself deceived by his sons with the blood of a goat. Although Joseph is alive, Jacob will suffer the loss of a child and the pain and grief that goes with it.

Also, remember Rebekah would not see her son Jacob again.  She would die before his return.  The deceit she “cooked” up with her son would cost her dearly as well.

As the story of Joseph unfolds much like the story of Job, we are reminded that the apparent hiddenness of God does not mean He is absent or uncaring. Our “Big” God is in control even when we cannot see it.

The promised Messiah will come through the line of Jacob, the nation of Israel.  God is moving His people to Egypt and the story of Joseph helps us to see how they get there. In the book of Exodus, coming soon, we will fast-forward 400 years, to witness their exodus from Egypt.

Another observation and implication some may not see is the reference to Dothan. Joseph is betrayed by his brothers at Dothan and sold into slavery. Hundreds of years later, in Dothan, a story unfolds of our mighty and “Big” God at work.

Often times our fears and anxiety are the result of spiritual blindness – we just do not see God’s hand.  In 2 Kings 6, (read it and we will give you extra credit) we read the great story of Elisha and the famous chariots of fire.  The servant of Elisha awakens one morning and sees the mighty Syrian Army surrounding the city.  They have come to capture Elisha. His servant, like many of us at times, does not see the mighty hand of God at work.

He cries out to Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

He does not see with his physical eyes what Elisha sees – the invisible world, God’s mighty hand – horses with chariots of fire.  It is only after Elisha prays that the servant can see them.

Hmmm…  only after prayer…

Until next time – keep reading…


Jim

February 3, 2014

Murder 1

Genesis 4.

So…“Why is the world so fascinated with/prone to violence?” As I reflected on this passage this past week, I was reminded over and over that ours is a culture of violence. Not only the seemingly senseless acts like that of mall shootings, school shootings, drive-by shootings, violence in the schoolyard, the workplace and behind the closed doors of many homes, but also the violence we celebrate in movies, at sporting events, in music, on TV… Like we said last week, God created a perfect world. All that He made was good, including the man and his wife. It was paradise…heaven on earth. What happened? Again, it’s difficult to describe the catastrophic results of a single act of rebellion. Welcome to life as we know it. Every act of violence, every natural disaster, every awful thing that has happened since is a direct result.

Cain’s act of violence…murdering his brother Abel…was just the first in a series of acts of violence that have colored the history of mankind blood red. Death would be a natural result of the curse, but murder is a microwave version that exposes the darkness of sin. It’s a direct result of the enmity, the hostility that the seed of the serpent (wicked) have toward the seed of the woman (righteous).

What is violence? It’s an affront to the image. Every act of violence is a physical attempt to eradicate the image of God. It flows from the serpent who is the enemy of God and of what’s good. And the ironic thing is, that the enmity is not just between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, but also between seeds of the serpent (and if we are honest, between seeds of the woman as well). When we celebrate violence, you can bet the serpent’s pleased.

But the good news…the bookends of this entire episode both include reference to the LORD and the hope of Genesis 3.15, that LORD would send the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman to defeat the serpent, to rescue us and all of creation, to provide the way back to Creator God. And He did just that in the Person of Jesus who absorbed every act of violence from the murder of Abel to the last violent act that will be perpetrated on planet earth when He was nailed to the cross. The innocent died for the guilty, so that we might be reconciled to our Creator by His grace through faith in Jesus.

But what about you? Violence is one aspect of suffering that is the result of sin. Along with pride, it reflects the character of the serpent, who we are told, was a murderer from the beginning. He likes nothing better than to see the image destroyed. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus…the seed of the woman…are at war with the seed of the serpent. Yet, as Paul reminds us, our struggle is not against flesh and blood…our warfare is against an unseen enemy and not against the captives he’s taken hostage. We are on a rescue mission – braving the horrors of hell to pull folks out. We are our brother’s keeper. Hope is possible because the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman has already come and has defeated the Adversary. And now we wait with all of creation for the time when He will come back to set all things right…for the new heavens and the new earth.

My prayer for us this week is that we would war against a culture of violence in our own lives…that we would see others as image-bearers, that we are our brother’s keeper, and that we would join God in His grand rescue mission of pulling folks out of the flames of hell.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Genesis series. Listen online at:http://www.centralchristian.org, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

January 29, 2014 Aside

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

So…  why Genesis?

Dr. D. A. Carson, in his book The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism argues that, in order to be effective witnesses to Christ in our age, we will have to go back to the Bible and learn to present our case as the Bible itself does.

With that thought in mind, we begin with the doctrine of God as Creator, who He is and what He has done. We help people to understand how human beings are created in God’s image and are therefore responsible to God for what they do.

We describe how we have fallen from that high calling and intent, and how we now need someone to rescue us from ruin.

We must trace the narrative line of the Bible, through Abraham, Moses, David, and the other great Old Testament figures up to the climactic appearance and work of Jesus Christ.

Carson points out that our world is as spiritually ignorant and pagan as the world into which the gospel of God’s grace, both in its Old Testament and New Testament forms, first came.

So… follow me and many others as we explore these great themes through Genesis. I challenge you to hang in there and do the reading, listen to the Sermon series, review the discussion questions and read through Genesis in awe of our mighty God and the people He called to be His own.

In the next couple of days, I will post a few thoughts on the story of Abraham and highlight portions of the story that might help you to dig deeper.

Until then…

Jim

January 27, 2014

The Wages of Sin…Is Death

Genesis 3.

“Why do bad things happen to good people…in other words, How did we get into this mess?” God created a perfect world. All that God had made was good, including the man and his wife. It’s paradise…heaven on earth. What happened? It’s difficult to describe the catastrophic results of our first parents’ single act of rebellion. Welcome to life as we know it. Every instance of violence, every natural disaster, every awful thing that has happened since is a direct result.

What was the sin of the garden? It was rebellion. It was pride in its purest form. The Image-bearers were not satisfied with merely bearing the Image…they wanted to be the image. Instead of trusting their loving Creator who had so “fearfully and wonderfully” made them, who had entrusted them with imaging Him to His creation, who had made them king and queen on planet earth, they rejected Him and spurned His love. They sought to oust Him and take His place. They wanted a shot at the title.

As readers of the story, we want to shout, “No! Don’t do it! You don’t know what you are doing!” But lest we too quickly fault our first parents, we see that same act of rebellion repeated legion in our own lives. If man and woman in a perfect environment fail to follow God on their own, what hope would the Israelites have being surrounded by peoples who only sought their ruin. What hope do we have? Our only hope is God. Only He can give us the desire and the follow-through to follow Him. I love that the LORD God (Yahweh Elohim) shows up.

That’s why I love Genesis 3.15…what we couldn’t do for ourselves, God will do, when He sends His Son as the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman. Whose dying words, will be, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” It’s the key to the entire Bible, the proto-evangelium, the first gospel, the beginning for the search for Messiah. The OT chronicles the search for the Seed and Israel’s failure in following God. The NT tells of us coming and the implications thereof for those who would follow God.

But what about you? Do you find yourself asking like Job, why is this happening to me? Why do bad things happen to good people, and why do good things happen to bad people? Our expectation from the garden is suffering. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus…the seed of the woman…are at war with the seed of the serpent. Guess what side the culture is on? Adam gave up not only his innocence in the fall, but also his right to rule. He gave that to the serpent…“the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”  So those who follow God suffer both the effects of a fallen world, and the attacks of the enemy who is hell-bent on destroying us. But hope is possible because the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman has come and has defeated the Adversary. And now we wait with all of creation for the time when He will come back to set all things right…for the new heavens and the new earth.

My prayer for us this week is that we would recognize the amazing love of God who didn’t give up on us even in our rebellion, but who has pursued us and did what we could not do, provide the way back to Himself through Jesus, the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Genesis series. Listen online at:http://www.centralchristian.org, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

January 20, 2014

In the Image of God

Genesis 2.4-25

As I reflected on this passage and especially how it relates to Genesis 1.26-28, I kept coming back to the question, “How do my beliefs about creation impact my view of life?” As Moses drills down on the image of God in man and the implications thereof, it has a huge impact on my relationship with God, my relationship with myself, and my relationship with others.

Far from being an accident, God is intentional about His creation. We are more than the product of time and chance…we are not a cosmic accident. We were created, we were fashioned to have a relationship with the Creator. Unlike the gods of the Egyptians, who were distant and impersonal, the God of Israel is both personal and powerful, imminent and transcendent. He is Yahweh Elohim (LORD God). When the Hebrews that the LORD was concerned with them and that He had seen their affliction, that revelation caused them to worship…it should cause us to do the same.

But that should also impact the way we see others. C.S. Lewis once said, “You have never met an ordinary person…everyone you meet is immortal.” Everyone you meet is immortal. From the homeless man on the street to the guy who cut you off in traffic to those who have blown up their lives making bad choices to those who have “done everything right”. As image-bearers of Creator-God, of the King, each and every person is of infinite value…God does not create throw-aways.

But what about you? How do your beliefs about creation impact your view of life? How does it impact the way you view yourself? Others? The environment? For four hundred years, the Israelites had been told that they were an accident and that their value was determined by the number of bricks they could produce…their contribution to society. And for over two hundred years we have been told the same thing. We have been told by some very intelligent people that we are an accident…the product of time and chance and that our value is based on our contribution to society. So the homeless person is somehow less than the guy in the oval office; the janitor than the CEO; the physically or mentally challenged than those who are “normal” whatever that means. But Genesis presents an alternate view. This isn’t it. We are not an accident. You are not an accident. God has created us for so much more. And though the image is marred, we are still image bearers of the King. And that image is restored in Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God and the perfect Man. The One who came to rescue us and provide the way back to Creator-God.

My prayer for us this week is that we would realize our infinite worth in God’s eyes, and that we would begin to see others in the same way.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Genesis series. Listen online at:http://www.centralchristian.org, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

January 13, 2014

In the Beginning…

Genesis 1.1 – 2.3

As I reflected on this passage, I was struck by the disparity between what the world says about the origins of life and what God says, and the implications for the question of purpose. Whether it’s the Egyptians view of a battle between the gods, or the atheistic evolutionary view that we are a cosmic accident…the result of time and chance, the resulting impact on the way we view ourselves, each other and planet earth is the same…negligible, forgettable, expendable.

I shared a tweet this past week, “Genesis presents a better, higher view of the world we live in…a world that reflects the creative genius of its benevolent Creator.” Several years ago, there was a movie that came out called “Contact”. Jodie Foster is the main character. As a little girl, looking through her first telescope, she was blown away by the enormity of the universe and came to the conclusion that there must be other intelligent beings out there…with billions of stars, surely the conditions that allowed for the cosmic accident that is life on planet earth was repeated elsewhere, because if not, what a waste. Looking at planet earth from a non-biblical perspective can easily lead you to that conclusion. The earth is an average planet with an average sun in an average solar system within an average galaxy…but from a biblical perspective, as Moses tells God’s story, the sun moon and stars, the universe itself is created for the benefit of earth-dwellers. My God is a big God who does big things. He does nothing halfway. And though some might consider the earth ordinary, God delights to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. He brings order from chaos, life from death, where sin abounds, grace superabounds…

Paul says in Romans 1 that there is sufficient evidence of God’s existence. His fingerprints are all over His creation. But when we deny that He exists, when we ignore that evidence, then become fools and worship creation rather than the Creator. Whether that worship takes the form of idols carved from wood, animals or celestial beings, or our own intellect…taking the God out of the equation always leads to idolatry.

The Israelites were an average people…not the most numerous, or most powerful, or smartest, or best looking…but God would use them as a conduit of blessing for the world. Paul, writing to the Corinthians says, “God has chosen the weak things of the world to profound the strong…” He’s chosen us, called us, rescued us…for extraordinary purposes. My God is a big God who delights to do big things, to take the average, the ordinary and make it extraordinary.

But what about you? How do your beliefs about the origins of life, the creation of the world impact your worldview? How does it impact the way you view yourself? Others? The environment? The Israelites were a people submerged in a hostile culture that offered a competing worldview…a worldview that was diametrically opposed to a biblical worldview. And like them, we too are submerged in a hostile culture that offers a competing worldview that opposes a biblical worldview. And like the Israelites we have a choice to follow God or be overwhelmed, taken in and deceived by a culture whose conclusion about life is that it’s meaningless.

Take the time this week to look up at the stars…creation should point us to the Creator. The result is always worship…of one or the other. My prayer for us this week is that we would be absolutely blown away by the lavishness of God who spared no expense to have a relationship with us…from the extravagance of creation to the superabundance of His grace. And may we with the psalmist proclaim, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

G.K. Chesterton, “The most important thought you will think today will be your thought about God.”

Until next time…stay salty.

This week we started our new Genesis series. Listen online at: http://www.centralchristian.org, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster