Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - Genesis
Chapter
We are at the beginning of everything. This section of the book deals with the origin of the universe, the origin of order on this earth, the origin of life, the origin of man, the origin of sin, violence, disorder, and the origin of national and linguistic differences.
For his brevity and beauty of composition and style, this vignette on creation is unparalleled. God the creator dominates the scene. He speaks, and immediately order is formed, providing a beautiful dwelling place and abundant supplies for the most sublime creation of all: man. Majesty and power mark every sentence.
In response to the question, "WHO MADE ALL THINGS?", the Bible boldly declares: GOD... CREATED. In response to the question, "WHO IS BEFORE AND GREATER THAN ALL THINGS?", with equal boldness the Bible proclaims: IN THE BEGINNING... GOD. Heaven and earth are not God or gods; nor is God equal to nature. God is the creator, and nature is his handiwork.
Genesis 1:2-5
Although made by God, the earth was not ready for man. It was still in disarray, without form and void, and there was no light. However, there was activity. The Spirit of God moved continually upon the face of the waters.
The Bible does not mention any reason why the Earth was without form and void. Possibly as a result of the battle between God and Satan, when Satan rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven (to Earth; after all, now he and his fallen angels are living in the heavens, in the atmosphere above the Earth)..
THE DAY OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS.
Energy is a vital necessity for man's habitat, and light is energy. Therefore, God's first command was: LET THERE BE LIGHT (vs 4-5). The emphasis on God's spoken word is so great that each creative day begins with a command or expression of the divine will. Then comes the execution of the command and the culminating declaration: IT WAS GOOD..
Where there is confusion, emptiness, or darkness in your life, God has the power to speak and bring clarity and order. The light of God transforms chaos into purpose..
God does not depend on natural instruments to accomplish His will. He is the primary source of illumination, glory, and truth. Just as God made light shine in the darkness of creation, He shines in our hearts to give us the knowledge of His glory..
We are called to walk in the light, allowing God's Word to illuminate our decisions, family, and actions, rejecting darkness..
God still says today: "Let there be light". He desires to illuminate your path, renew your hope, and bring a new beginning. Surrender your "chaos" to Him and allow the light of Christ to shine upon you.
Genesis 1:6-19
THE DAY OF THE DIVIDED WATERS
The waters were separated, and above the earth there was an expanse. The word expanse or firmament conveys the idea of solidity. God is the Creator, and from this statement the Old Testament begins to show that nature is a creature and a tool.
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good" (v2 9-10) Then God said, “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind.” This was the third day (vs 11-13). On the third day, God formed a future habitat for man, who is a creature of the earth. Under God's command, land and sea separated, forming life and beauty and adorning the earth. The text does not describe how these separations occurred, nor is there a list of the dynamic and natural forces involved.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth” And it was so (vs 14-15). And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. That was the fourth day (vs 16-19). The pagans worshipped the sun, the moon, and the stars as gods and goddesses of formidable power. But for God, they have a function and nothing more.
We know that the moon is not luminous energy in itself, but a reflector of sunlight. But its unique position proves that God created it and placed it at that crucial position.
Which stars were created at that time is irrelevant. Scientists currently estimate that the universe has a total number of stars from 10²⁰ to 10²² (a 1 followed by 22 to 24 zeros), which is more than all the grains of sand on Earth.
Genesis 1:20-30
On the fifth day, God spoke to the waters, which produced creatures, and birds filled the air. In verse 21, we see another triad: the great whales... every living creature that moves... and every winged bird.
The text does not tell us how the waters collaborated with the Creator, but to emphasize the close connection between God and his creatures, the verb "created" is used. In the Old Testament, divine blessing is a creative act and an empowerment so that the one who receives it fulfills their destiny according to God's will. In this case, God's will is that creatures reproduce abundantly... according to their kinds. This act served to annul the previous condition of "emptiness."
THEN GOD SAID: "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds".
But this day would be the crowning achievement of the creative act. The deity, in deliberation, said: LET US MAKE MAN. This creature had to be different. God said that MAN had to be made IN OUR IMAGE, having a certain resemblance to reality, but lacking fullness. Man was to be ACCORDING TO OUR LIKENESS, having a general similarity to God, but not being an exact duplicate. He was not to be a little God, but definitely had to be related to God and be the bearer of the distinct spiritual characteristics that mark him exclusively as a being superior to animals.
So we have: "MAN MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD".
1- A spiritual being fit for mortality, vs 26.
2- A moral being who has the likeness of God, vs 27.
3- An intellectual being with the capacity for reason and governance, vs 28-30.
Genesis 2:2-3
In the Ten Commandments, the relationship between God's six days of work and material things, leading to a day of rest, serves as the basis for man's observance of a day of rest (Exodus 20:8-11). This is a day instituted by God that must be respected. On this day, God's commandment for man to overcome nature is set aside, and man recognizes a higher law in which he surrenders to God. Man can work for six days, but he needs a day of rest to work for another six days.
Unlike the Babylonian sabbath, in which dangerous demons roamed freely, the Sabbath instituted here was sanctified by God. It was to be a day of joy and contentment, of inner renewal, and of praise to a merciful God. In pagan belief, certain natural forces, things, places, animals, or people were intrinsically holy, even divine: but nowhere in this creation story is holiness attributed to something that comes from nature. God reserved the Sabbath so that man might deepen his relationship with his Creator.
The basis of the Sabbath was shifted from the event of creation to the event of the resurrection; consequently, the time was changed from Saturday to Sunday. However, the same underlying principle persists; six days are given for man's dominion over nature, but the seventh day is the Lord's Day. It is the beginning of a new life through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And with that, the BEGINNING of the week.
Genesis 2:4-6
In the early chapters of the Bible, God clearly conveys His desire for our lives to be fruitful. Two things necessary for fruitful lives are balance and pruning. To maintain balance, we need to ensure we have the right amounts of healthy nourishment, rest, work, fun, time alone with God, and time to enjoy holy relationships.
Pruning is not always pleasant, but it certainly ensures that situations, activities, or relationships that wear us down will not continue to have that effect on us. This means that something needs to be cut or removed from our lives, but God promises great reward as a result—more fruitfulness than ever before!
Stay balanced by letting God, the wise Master Farmer, prune your life as He sees fit, and you will enjoy abundant times and great fulfillment.
Genesis 2:7
Man is presented as a creature of the earth. He is formed from dust. With profound interest, God breathed life into man, an act that highlights the fact that man's vitality and inner dynamics come directly from God. Any other object of man's affection and hope is an illusion. He is made out of two worlds; therefore, to be separated from God is to wither like the fruit of a cut vine.
1- Matter (Dust of the Earth): Represents human fragility and connection to the earth. Man was physically molded, indicating divine care and design.
2- The Divine Breath (Breath of Life): Unlike the creation of animals, God breathed directly into man. This "breath" represents physical, mental, and spiritual life, making man unique, in the image of God. 3- Living Soul: The combination of the body (dust) with the divine breath results in a human being, a living soul.
4- Theological Significance: Genesis 2:7 emphasizes that human beings are not merely matter, but spiritual beings who need communion with the Creator, being created to live in relationship with Him.
Connection to the New Testament: Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, contrasts Adam (the first living being) with Christ (the last Adam, who gives life), showing that man depends on God for eternal life.
In short, Genesis 2:7 reminds us that we are dust animated by God's own life, highlighting our dignity and our profound dependence on Him.
Genesis 2:18-27
Genesis 1:27 recounts that God created humanity with a binary gender system as male and female. At the end of the creation week, God declares that all His creation was very good (Genesis 1:31). Because God planned for gender binary and because He called it very good, it is clear from the Genesis narrative that the distinction between male and female is important. However, we may not recognize how important this is until we read the more detailed and expanded account of how God actually created the first man and the first woman in Genesis 2. It is in this context that God declares that it is not good for the man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). This is the first time something is said not to be good. The first bad thing recorded is that the woman had not yet entered the scene! This speaks volumes about the importance of women in God's design.
Then God put Adam to sleep and performed a kind of surgery, removing one of his ribs and then healing the wound (Genesis 2:21). From that rib God formed the first woman (Genesis 2:22). When God brought her to Adam, Adam recognized her worth (perhaps because he was first shown that he was alone). Adam understood that she was taken from him and that they were uniquely united (Genesis 2:23). Although equal in value, they were distinct in design. God completed His creative work, with woman as the final brushstroke, and the fundamental ingredients of gender, sexuality, and marriage were initiated (Genesis 2:24–25). God designed man and woman to be equal and yet very different. In a sense, they were opposites, and both were necessary to fulfill His design.
The Institution of Marriage – verses 22-24.
These Biblical passages prove that marriage is a divine institution. God personally performed the first marriage. In fact, marriage was the only institution that began before the fall of man. How sadly man's sin has distorted God's plan. God's intention is that marriage be an indissoluble and blessed union. A man and a woman united and exclusive of all others. Sin brought divorce, polygamy, concubinage, polyandry, adultery, promiscuity, and perversion.
The serpent crept stealthily into the tranquil garden like a sinister visitor. As the story progresses, the serpent is presented everywhere as an instrument of some hidden spiritual power. In the New Testament, Jesus relates the serpent to the devil (John 8:44), as does Paul (Romans 16:20, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2:14) and John (Revelation 12:9, 20:2).
The serpent began to speak with an expression of surprise: "YOU SHALL NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN?" and proceeded to erroneously quote God's original command, making it absurd. The original prohibition was related to only one tree, but the serpent said "OF EVERY TREE," note that this technique of distorting words has been used since the beginning. It is the corruption of language already being used from the earliest times. The phrase in 2:16 is found in the permissive order and not in the negative order (2:17). The serpent questions God's goodness: He was too restrictive, unnecessarily withholding valuable benefits.
This first question was seemingly innocent, but it deceived the woman, causing her to also misquote the command. She made the prohibition much stronger than it actually was. God did not say: DO NOT EVEN TOUCH THE FRUIT OF THAT TREE (v. 3). But He made the threat of punishment much more serious than LEST YOU DIE. She unknowingly made the command irrational and the punishment a mere possibility, instead of an inevitable outcome. The woman missed a golden opportunity to defeat the serpent's suggestion. Had she quoted the command correctly and adhered to it, the enemy would not have been able to proceed with his intent. The woman should have realized that animals do not speak and, therefore, should have perceived the evil.
The serpent perceived the advantage and proceeded to categorically deny the truth of God's punitive declaration, stating positively: YOU WILL NOT DIE (v 4). He focused his attack on inciting resentment against the restriction and arousing a desire for power.
Genesis 3:4-5
The serpent focused its attack on inciting resentment against restriction and stirring up a desire for power. God was using the purpose of death as a device to withhold from humankind the discovery of something – THEIR EYES WILL BE OPENED. Was He not preventing man from possessing a good that man had a right to have? The serpent was accusing God of improper motives, of selfishly keeping man at an inferior level of existence. Man's true destiny, the serpent indicated, was TO BE LIKE GOD. The main characteristic of the divine being was the power to know GOOD AND EVIL. This knowledge was not abstract knowledge, but the practical ability to know all things, including the intelligence to invent and establish ethical standards.
Ingeniously, the serpent suggested that disobeying God's command would result not in death, but in a full and rich life for man. No positive promises were made, only the suggestion of possibilities that were fascinating and mysterious. This was the core appeal of paganism, the belief that great achievements, profound thought, or carefully observed ritual would introduce a person into the divine realm. This is also man's basic sin: to achieve the state of being absolutely free and self-sufficient.
So we have: THE SERPENT'S APPEAL:
1- To physical desire
2- To intellectual curiosity
3- To the disposition for self-affirmation.
It was very sad that the woman listened to the serpent. And the devil managed to plant in the hearts of men the same desire he had to be equal to God, or better than God, or above God. Today, with the rise of the internet and podcast channels, old philosophies and deceptions have come to light and become a source of curiosity for many, such as the lies about God in Gnosticism. It is necessary to be careful because, just as the enemy deceived Eve with sneaky words and sophisms, many teachings today bring more of this same deception. Beware! Watch, pray, and study the Bible, which is the Word of God.
Genesis 3:9-13
The question, "WHERE ARE YOU?", was not asked by God to find out their whereabouts, but because He wanted to elicit a response and make the man and woman come out of hiding through their own confession.
Adam's answer, "I WAS AFRAID", clarifies the reason for their hiding. The devil's lie was revealed; eating the fruit of the tree did not make man like God, as the serpent suggested, but compromised his true essence of being human before God.
God knows good and evil from the perspective of divine and sovereign goodness. But man, being dependent on God, can only know good and evil from the perspective of disobedience to God's will. The knowledge of good and evil came along with guilt and fear.
The first question was asked directly to the man: "HAVE YOU EATEN OF THE TREE OF WHICH I COMMANDED YOU NOT TO EAT?" (v. 11). Adam had no excuse because he knew what the command was. It was a simple and clear prohibition. But Adam did not face his responsibility; he passed the blame to his wife - SHE GAVE ME FRUIT OF THE TREE - and did not God give her to him? Surely, she was trustworthy as a guide for action.
The WOMAN also tried to evade responsibility, saying: THE SERPENT BEGUILED ME (v. 13). Then she realized that the serpent "made a fool of her".
So we have:
1- Sin causes personal guilt
2- Sin separates God and man
3- God seeks sinful man
4- God forgives man's guilt.
Genesis 3:14-15a
PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE VERDICTS
The sins committed are reflected in the punishments, which were applied in parts.
The SERPENT was cursed. The serpent posed as supremely wise, but its way of moving would always be a symbol of its humiliation.
The punishment would involve ENMITY, hostility between you and the people. The SEED of the serpent, which Jesus relates to the wicked (Mt 13:38-39; Jn 8:44), and the SEED of the woman, both have a strongly personal meaning. God said to the serpent: The seed of the woman WILL BRUISE YOU (vs 15). Compare Paul's reference to this in Romans 16:20 - THEN THE GOD OF PEACE WILL SOON CRUSH SATAN UNDER YOUR FEET. The serpent could only bruise the heel of the woman's seed. In fact, "to bruised" is not strong enough to translate the Hebrew term, which can mean to grind, crush, destroy. A bruised head that leads to death is contrasted with a crushed heel that can be healed. Verse 15 is called the "proto-Gospel" because it contains a message of hope for the sinful couple. EVIL IS NOT DESTINED TO BE VICTORIOUS FOREVER; God had in mind a Victor for the human race. There is a strong Messianic character in this verse.
For some, this is the first prophecy in the Bible. When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in a beautiful place called the garden of Eden. He created many different trees and said that they could eat from any tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed, that is a sin: sin always has a price. God decreed seven judgments because of sin.
- Satan is forever cursed.
- Satan's head will be crushed in the end.
- Throughout history, there will be conflict between the serpent and the fallen angels, and the offspring of the woman, between good and evil.
- Throughout history, women will experience pain during childbirth.
- Throughout history, a woman will have to submit to her husband.
- Throughout history, man will have to work to feed himself.
- Throughout history, human beings will die.
This prophecy is always fulfilled, but it will not be fully fulfilled until after the Millennium. Satan suffered a great defeat when Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins.
It is heartening to know that Jesus will eventually defeat satan, and what God started in the garden of Eden will be completed in eternity. The fall of Adam and all that satan has done in the past or will do in the future will not frustrate God's original plan.
So stay strong!
Genesis 3:16
Here in Brazil this week (Sunday) Mother's Day is celebrated. So I would like to talk about some biblical mothers. And starting with her who is the MOTHER OF ALL LIVING, Eve.
Eve's voice is like a warning from ancient times to every woman to follow the path of obedience. It rings out like a note of hope when a woman fails; she encounters God's justice, but she also experiences His grace.
Purity and innocence were shattered when the serpent entered the scene. Eve chose to believe Satan's lie. She was free to put her will above God's and so she did.
Expelled from her pleasant home, Eve conceived and had children. Her joy at their birth was turned into pain, as foretold by God. Cain killed Abel and was banished and Eve was left childless until the grace of God, once again, visited her giving her another son, Seth, who became the ancestor of the Messiah.
The sentence for the woman was "suffering during pregnancy". Pregnancy, in itself, is not a condemnation. Children are the inheritance and reward of the Lord (Ps 127:3). When giving birth, a woman has the opportunity to join hands with the Creator in the multiplication of humanity. Imagining a pregnancy without difficulties is difficult, but apparently this was the Creator's original plan.
Genesis 3:17
God placed a curse directly on the earth instead of placing it on man. Adam was commissioned to work the land, but it would no longer be for pleasure. Man so easily submitted to the woman's appeal that he ate the forbidden fruit. Now his work on the land would be mixed with pain (v. 17). On all sides he would be confronted by competitors: THORNS AND THISTLES (v. 18), which grow profusely without cultivation and do not produce food for man.
Physical death would not be immediate, but it would be inevitable, FOR YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN (v. 19). The type of death that man suffered immediately was spiritual: separation from God, the (Holy) Spirit was immediately withdrawn: No more direct speaking/communication with God was possible.
Genesis 3:20-23
Adam names his wife Eve, which means "to live". Literally, Adam called his wife "life" because she would be the mother of all living souls. God made garments of skin and clothed them with them (more next time). This is seen by many as the first animal sacrifice. Up to this point, humanity had not been given permission to eat animals, only plants; permission to eat animals does not occur until Genesis 9. Blood was shed for the death of another in order to provide the garments that God provided by His grace. Later, Israel would offer animal sacrifices to remedy their sins.
God promised that on the day they sinned, Adam and Eve would experience death. What kind of death do they experience here? Death means separation. Physical death occurs when the human spirit separates from the body. Adam and Eve are now separated from paradise, separated from immortality. They are separated from the special relationship with God, they are separated from innocence, they are separated from eternal life and creation. They are even separated from themselves, seeking to shift the blame onto each other instead of taking responsibility for their actions. Finally, upon being exiled from the garden, they are condemned to physical death.
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken (vs 22-23).
The man and woman had sought to be like God, who knows good and evil, as beings who are sovereign. But they could never attain this status. They only possessed the breath and image of God. As a result of their intrusion into a realm that was not theirs, it was a denial of their creaturely status and a rebellion against the uniqueness of the Creator. Man had to be denied access to the tree of life so that he would not become fixated on rebellion and live eternally in sin, eternally separated from God, but they would receive the opportunity, through Jesus Christ, to be reconciled with God.
Genesis 3:21
Satan used the body of a serpent and spoke half truths to seduce Eve. Eve offered the forbidden fruit to Adam. Now he had a free choice:
- Or to choose for his wife and AGAINST God
- Or to choose for God and not to eat the forbidden fruit.
Adam chose wrong because of his CONSCIOUS choice, sin is passed on through the sinful male seed, while the female egg is sinless (the egg of the VIRGIN Mary was sinless).
The covering with fig leaves, which digest, did not help.
It was God Himself who killed an INNOCENT animal (s) to make garments, because without shedding of blood there will be no forgiveness.
Jesus made the PERFECT sacrifice. The blood (and water medical evidence of His death) spewed from His body as the soldier stuck the spear in His side.
For anyone who believes in this sacrifice of Jesus Christ, is the possibility of eternal life in Heaven. It is a personal choice, just as Adam, the first man, had to choose. The choice that one makes, has its own consequences.
Genesis 3:7 en 21
Verse 7 Their eyes were opened; they immediately knew the difference between right and wrong. They were aware of their nudity. And now the first people advanced to private action. They try to hide their nakedness. How? By an act of OWN power. They hack leaves. Leaves that, after the hack, die and wither and take away their covering. So a constant hacking is in order to continue to cover their nakedness. Man is UNABLE to provide for an everlasting solution to the separation between God and man. The SOLUTION takes place in the first instance in verse 21 and the final solution through the death and resurrection of God's son, Jesus Christ.
Man did not become equal to God. In his stupidity, he makes a covering of leaves that wither. Man did not obtain the omniscient knowledge of God!
Verse 21 Here many read superficially over this text, but it is one of the two most important events in the Bible. The basis for the second.
In verse 7 the people had taken leaves to cover their nakedness, a private human power! Man thinks himself to be able to release, but with a solution that soon decays.
Clear in this verse is that God does not accept this solution. The leaves wither and do not cover any more. God Himself kills an animal, kills an innocent animal in the man's place. Similarly, Jesus was nailed innocently to the cross and slaughtered for the sins of man. The animal had no debt; Jesus had no debt. The fault of the man was here transferred to the animal; the debt is transferred from the believer to Jesus at the cross. Adam and Eve had to wear the skin of the animal the rest of their lives. Probably for each one, one animal was slaughtered because the Bible talks about garments of skins. However pointing to Jesus, His ONLY ONE sacrifice is sufficient for WHOLE MANKIND and everlasting!
The skin of an animal is going to last a lifetime, not a temporary covering of leaves that wither. Once Jesus brought the sacrifice, which applies for life of man.
The rest of their lives, Adam and Eve will be aware of their wrong choice, from their sin through the clothing of the innocent slaughtered animal. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins; Hebrews 9:22 is fulfilled here.
The human act of covering by leaves is undone. Poor man who thinks he can perform his redemption by his own work. His or her fate by rejecting God's solution is an eternal separation from God after death.
A terrible aspect of sin is that it cannot be easily isolated or obliterated. It progressively executes its devastating work in society, from generation to generation. The sin of Adam and Eve did not cause misfortune only in their lives; it passed from father to son, from generation to generation. The story in chapter 4 painfully illustrates this fact, and the genealogies extend the repercussions of evil throughout all generations.
The story of the two boys born to Adam and Eve highlights the repercussions of sin within the family unit. The boys, Cain and Abel, had remarkably opposite temperaments. Cain enjoyed working with cultivated plants. Abel enjoyed being with live animals. Both had a religious disposition. Adam and Eve's sons brought sacrifices to the Lord, the first sacrificial incident recorded in the Bible.
The fact that Abel also brought the best parts of the firstborn lambs means that he recognized that "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22). This was made very clear to his parents in Genesis 3:21, and undoubtedly his parents passed on this teaching. For the reason that Cain did not want to acknowledge this "without the shedding of blood," but instead offered a sacrifice of HIS OWN works, his sacrifice was rejected by God. After all, this sacrificed animal pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus, who died for sin.
The first indication is presented almost immediately. Cain could not bear the fact that God had instituted the sacrifice of an INNOCENT animal. The Lord's preference for Abel, who met God's requirements, filled Cain with fury. Cain desired to be "the first" and bring a sacrifice of HIS OWN works.
Today it is no different; people want to achieve reconciliation through their own strength and works. They reject the work of Jesus Christ and do not wish to acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.
The Lord was not absent at the time of worship. He approached Cain and gave him a warning. God did not condemn him directly, but through a play on words informed Cain that he was in real danger.
Adam and Eve's sin was the beginning of a moral crisis on earth. Cain, their son, killed his own brother, Abel. Cain withdrew from the presence of God, and society got worse. When Lamech, son of Cain's great-great-grandson, came on the scene, he was a polygamist, married to two women. And in the days of Noah, almost two thousand years after Adam, great evil covered the land. So, God decided to destroy His creation with a flood.
Sin is not only a degenerative disease, it is also contagious. Being very serious, it is to be expected that it will not stop having a negative influence on individuals and society. It did not take long for the fallen man to discover the ways of sin.
God is very loving, but He is also holy. He is very patient, but the man is not free to do whatever evil he wants. God cannot and will not ignore the sin of a corrupted society forever. He will punish the guilty.
The flood part of this prophecy was fulfilled, but Jesus made a comparison between the wickedness in the land during the days of Noah and that which will exist during the end times, in the tribulation. He said: "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man." (Matthew 24:37-39). The bad news is that humanity will get worse and worse. But the good news is that Jesus will return and put an end to it.
A PROMISE TO BE REMEMBERED
After the flood, Noah's first act was to build an altar and offer a sacrifice to God. He was particularly humbling himself, giving thanks to God for saving him and his family and declaring his faith. God was pleased with this and promised that as long as the earth would existed, there would always be different seasons.
This prophecy is always being fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled until the earth is destroyed sometime after the Millennium.
What God promises, He fulfills!
- FAITH IS AN EXAMPLE THROUGH THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM. A friend of God (James 2:23).
- We learned that faith is not perfect character or integrity. Rather, faith is appropriating God and his Word.
- In doing so, Abraham became the model of faith for the believer.
DO NOT FEAR when God's guidance takes some direction you do not understand. He knows what He's doing. - BELIEVE IN GOD'S PROMISES TO YOU. He knows how to fulfill them, although you may not know (Gen 15:6).
AVOID fulfilling God's promises by your own strength (Gen. 16:1-4).
TRUST that God will provide according to His promises. Caring for you is part of His nature (Gen. 22.1-17). - God's providence is strategically located along the path of faithful obedience.
The Lord appeared to Abraham a second time and, on that occasion, told him that He would give the land of Canaan to him and his descendants forever.
God also told Abraham that he would have a large number of descendants. So many that no one could count them.
God gave this land to Israel, but there is a problem. Muslims do not believe that the God of Israel is the true God. They worship Allah and believe that he gave them the land. This makes the conflict over land a theological conflict. The question is: who worships the true God? The media and the crowds are lining up against Israel, and at the same time, STANDING AGAINST GOD. It will take the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ for the problem to be resolved. But make no mistake: God's word says what He will do just that.
The people of Israel inhabited the land several times, but because of sin, God allowed them to be temporarily removed a few times. Thus, the part of this prophecy related to the land is always fulfilled, but it will only be fully fulfilled in the Millennium.
- Abraham is the father of those who believe. Faith is exemplified throughout your life.
- From this “friend of God” (James 2:23) we learn that faith is not a perfect character or integrity. Rather, faith is appropriating God in his word.
- In doing so, Abraham became a model of faith for the believer. His life shows how we benefit when we believe what God says, despite the evidence to the contrary.
- Do not be afraid when God's guidance takes a direction you do not understand. HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING! (Gen. 12: 1-9).
- BELIEVE IN GOD'S PROMISES TO YOU. He knows how to fulfill them, although you may not know (Gen. 15:16).
- TRUST THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISES. Watching for yours is part of your nature (Gen. 22: 1-14).
- God's providence is strategically located along the path of faithful obedience!
God bless you! He called you and put you where you are! So, ONLY BELIEVE.
HAGAR - REJECTED BUT NOT ABANDONED - Who was Hagar? She was an Egyptian servant who was acquired by Sarai and Abraham when she, along with Lot, moved from Canaan to Egypt in order to escape the famine. The relationship between a servant and her master's wife consisted of honor, obedience and loyalty. Since Sarah was barren, Hagar could step in as a surrogate mother, which was perfectly legal, although it was a clear violation of God's law (see Genesis 2:24) and is evidence of Abraham and Sarah's lack of faith.
Now imagine that as a slave, Hagar never had anything, no family, no possessions, no husband... nothing. And then she was chosen to have the boss's child, she could not contain herself... as they say today, pride and self-worth went to her head. Maybe she thought she was better than her mistress, because she could give her boss a son, something that Sara, with all her wealth, could not. Maybe she even thought she could take Sara's place! There are people who are like this when they do not have much life experience, they act with pride when they achieve something.
Sara reacted and showed who the mistress was there. She started complaining to Abraham and he told her to take responsibility for her maid. So Sarah acted harshly, and because of Sarah's mistreatment, Hagar fled.
And it was in this situation that God revealed himself to this runaway slave (Thou art a God of seeing). This tells you that God is good and in the midst of our greatest afflictions He sees us and comes in our favor.
Hagar may represent the large number of resourceless and disadvantaged women today. They are not outside of God's watchful care under any circumstances. Just as God provided what Hagar needed, she will provide what you need. Twice the angel of the Lord came to assist her (Gen 16:7; 21:17). God was with Hagar and her son in periods of crisis and at other times too (Gen 21:10).
Hagar can also represent many abandoned single mothers who go through such near-death despair as happened to Ishmael, and there is no one to help you, it is just you and God. In the God who sees all things, Hagar found refuge and life. And the same God can do for you too.
IMMEDIATE obedience is the only type of obedience that exists.
DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE
Whenever God calls us to a duty, He is offering us a covenant with Him, performing the duty is our part, and He will do His part by blessing us richly.
The only way to obey is to obey "that same day," as Abraham did.
Luther said that "the true believer will crucify the question: Why?" He will obey without asking.
I do not want to be one of those who, if they do not see signs and wonders, the I would not believe. I want to obey without question.
Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience is the strength of that fruit.
Many couples want to have children in their marriage. In fact, children are part of God's plan for a man and woman united in marriage since God instructed Adam and Eve to be "fruitful" and multiply (Gen. 1:28).
Sterility is defined by the medical community as the inability to achieve pregnancy after a year or more of sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives or the inability to carry repeated pregnancies to term.
Barren couples were not abandoned by God. God does not give children to all couples. But this does not mean that He does not have a different blessing for your life. Notable women in the Bible were not associated with the blessing of bearing children: Midian, Esther, Priscilla, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene.
Sara had a good marriage with Abraham, it seems they had a common mind, affinities, she wanted to be a mother, build a family, he wanted to give her this happiness and agreed to the arrival of a son through Hagar. How would Abraham know that this would not be the son of promise? In chapter 15:4 the Lord said that Eliezer would not be the heir, but would be someone begotten by Abraham. BUT HE WHO SHALL BE BEGOTTEN OF YOU SHALL BE YOUR HEIR. He did not talk about Sara. He thought that Sara's idea might be good.
Following the story, we see that it went wrong, Sara and Agar did not adjust, there was no harmony. What happened was jealousy, intrigue and envy to the point that Hagar had to leave the scene with Abraham's long-awaited son.
Back to square one. Time passed and Abraham and Sarah entered the stage of impossibility, naturally speaking. Sarah may have thought that she did something wrong, that she hindered God's work and now God would no longer bless her. All lost. Her experience as a mother swings from feelings of skepticism, embarrassment, envy, and cruel criticism to a feeling of intense joy and ecstasy. Even though Sarah fell into sin, God faithfully kept the promise that she would be "the mother of many nations" (Gen. 17:16).
The name Isaac is linked to laughter. Isaac ("He laughs") shows not only the laughter of Abraham and Sarah, but that God also smiles on His children.
Genesis 18:17-18
- The inhabitants of two cities that existed while Abraham was alive were particularly bad, so God decided to destroy them. But God had a special relationship with Abraham, and this raised a question: 'Should I hide my intentions from Abraham', since I promised that he will become a great nation and a source of blessing for all people?
- How beautiful is the suggestion made by the divine soliloquy!!! 'Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?' God's friends are allowed to know his secrets, precisely because they are his friends. God regards Abraham as someone who had a right to know what he was about to do (Psalm 25:4; Amos 3:17).
- God revealed himself to be a plan for Abraham and then cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Abraham's descendants eventually became the nation of Israel. During the Millennium, Israel will be the great nation foreshadowed in the Bible.
The whole earth (believers) was blessed when Abraham's descendant named Jesus died for the sins of the world. Other blessings will be fulfilled at Jesus' second coming. Those who are part of the covenant with God have a special relationship with him.
Isaac, Abraham's son, married at the age of 40. Rebekah, his wife, was barren, and he prayed for her during 20 years. When Isaac was 60 years old, Rebekah was healed in answer to his prayer, conceived and gave birth to the twin sons, Esau and Jacob.
Lessons on Isaac's prayer:
- There is no lost cause when we put it in the hands of God.
- Victory in prayer requires perseverance. Isaac did not fail to insist on God.
- He was specific in his prayer.
Time of praying is necessary, to experience the power of God through prayer!
Today, in many countries around the world, Valentine's Day is celebrated. There are many versions about the origin of this day. But the most publicized is:
The one that pays homage to a Roman priest who believed in love. The most accepted version of this story says that, in the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II banned marriages. And yet Valentine continued to have ceremonies, because he believed that marriage gives meaning to life.
But the emperor found out and ordered the priest to be arrested. And then comes the most romantic detail: a jailer's blind daughter, named Artes, went to visit Valentine in prison. The two fell in love so much that the young woman regained her sight. But the emperor didn't care and, on February 14, 270, he beheaded Valentine.
But what is love? At first love is action, not words. Love is what love does. So today is a good day to remember a biblical passage that will not let us be carried away by the tide of empty romanticism. I Corinthians 13:4-13:
"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
As we see in the text of Genesis 29:20 Jacob worked 7 years for Rachel and it seemed like just a few days because of how much he loved her.
Mainly, the girls are very attentive to the boy's words, promises and affection, but they don't pay attention to what he really does for her. For example, he talks a lot about marriage, but has never bought an engagement ring or made a formal proposal, or, he talks a lot about getting married but does not get a job. Or he gives a ring with promise, they have sex, but never get married. Girls want to get married, but sometimes they don't know how to fry an egg and they don't have the will to learn. Pay attention to the details.
Last but not least, love God above all else. If God is the center of this union it will go well. When we love God first, we obey her commandments.
Since Laban became hostile to Jacob, he became more sensitive to God's dealings and got help and guidance. Now a visitation from angels God awoke him again and, to some extent, prepared him for what was to come. Mahanaim means: two camps or two groups. It concerns the camp of Jacob and the invisible and surrounding camp of the angels of God who protected Jacob and his family. Here we see that:
- Angels of God meet us on the dusty road of ordinary life. You know, those critical moments in life when we say: “only God for me”... yeah... He's watching... He finds us.
- The angels of God meet us punctually in time of need. You know, in situations where I have heard people say: “I thought, I am going to die, there is no other way and help arrived at the right time!”.
- The angels of God appear in the form we need: in the case of Jacob, the army of God.
Joseph was faithful to his vision. His life proves that a vision drives people away from sin (Pr 29:18). Because he believed in what God had shown him, he remained firmly faithful and loyal in all his relationships, especially with God.
People who are faithful to God's project will enjoy the willingness of God and neighbor and will be successful in their endeavors. They will receive the reward despite any difficulties they have encountered along the way.
- CLAIM THE GOD'S VISION TO YOU Genesis 37:5-10.
- EXPECT GOD'S FAVOR IN THE NEXT SIGHT. HE GUARANTEES FAVOR AND SUCCESS TO THE FAITHFUL! (Genesis 39:4)
- STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. DO NOT MAKE CONCESSIONS, especially when his vision is slow to be fulfilled (Genesis 39:9).
- BELIEVE GOD IS ENOUGH! He has given you the gifts you need to accomplish your purpose through you (Gen 41:14, 57).
Trust in the sovereign providence of God! He makes all things obey for your benefit when you STAY FAITHFUL to your calling and purpose (Gen. 45:7).
God can speak to us today through dreams, just as He did in Joseph's time. But we need to be balanced in our approach because many of our dreams are not from God. I know people who have dreams every week, and they are silly dreams and people go to websites on the internet looking for what it means and to be a good thing they are anxious waiting to happen. If it is something bad, they are afraid! So it really does not work with a dream of God. We need to be balanced in our approach because many of our dreams are not spiritual. If God is trying to show you something or speak to you through a dream, I believe He will confirm it in your heart if you ask Him for wisdom, use discernment, and stay in tune with His Word and God also explains the meaning to you. Because that is His Purpose.