Genesis
Genesis begins with the overall account of Creation (1:1 - 2:3). Then the book speaks of 10 “generations” beginning at Gen. 2:4. These accounts or histories go into detail about a specific aspect of Creation, the creation of man, and then nine families that followed that creation. Note as you read the progressive ‘de-generation’ of man and also evidence that God is working out his Gospel promise of Gen. 3:15.
Genesis 6:1-22
Can we imagine a world in which there was no rain – we’re not talking drought here, but where no rain had ever fallen? It seems that was the way it was in Noah’s day (see Gen. 2:5 and 7:4) as God had another way of watering the earth. Yet we see God telling Noah about a thing called ‘flood’ (Gen. 6:17) and that he would send forty days and nights of something called ‘rain’ on the earth. Not only that, he also tells Noah to build essentially a box that’s 450’ long, 75’ wide and 45’ high, then fill it with all sorts of animals and the food needed for them and his family! Imagine how the people around Noah felt and responded as he did this and by his obedient actions testified to his living faith.
“‘World’ [in Scripture] is everything which wants to pull my heart away from God,” D. Bonhoeffer wrote. That is good to remember, for in his Word God has told us to do many things that the ‘normal’ people of the world would consider just as ‘crazy’ as Noah’s building an ark: for example - believing in God, believing the Bible, going to church, keeping the commandments, holding that his Son is the only Way, Truth and Life, and you can add to the list. Consider the example of Noah the next time God asks you to demonstrate your living faith before that ‘normal’ world.
Heavenly Father, grant that I ever confess you, even when, and especially when, you ask me to do things that seem ‘crazy’ in the eyes of the world. Don’t let me be intimidated by them. Rather, more than anyone or anything else, let me fear, love and trust in you. Amen
Genesis 11:10-12:4
(While we know the rest of his story – Abram did not. Consider that as you read Gen. 12:1-4)
While the names in chapter 10:4-31 may be a challenge, they are vitally important as they trace the line from Noah’s son Shem to Abram, whom God would eventually rename Abraham (Gen. 17:5). Gen. 12:1-4 is one of several great faith moments in Abraham’s life (and there were also some not so great ones as well). Just think of what it was like for this 75-year-old man to hear, “Leave everything you know and go in an unspecified direction to an unnamed land. I will let you know when you are in the right place.” Note how Abram demonstrated his living faith.
In his Word God often calls us to go and do something that is outside of our comfort zone –e.g. “Trust me.” “Stand up for the faith.” “Confess your sins to one another.” “Love the loveless.” “Think of me first in the use of money.” Etc. How might you, like Abram, demonstrate your living faith as you face and go into the ‘unknown’?
Lord Jesus, often you called your disciples “little faith-ers”, and they were, and so are we. Forgive me for so often facing the future fearfully. Grant me a living faith so that with the courage and strength that comes from you, I face and walk into the unknown, confident you are with me. Amen.
Genesis 15:1-6
It is now about 11 years later in Abram’s life – he’s 86, and, as Paul so undiplomatically puts it – he’s “as good as dead” (Rom. 4:19, see also Heb. 11:12). Note, however, God’s promise to him. How did Abram demonstrate his living faith? What Abram did is the key to salvation: we are saved by faith alone (see Hab. 2:4, Rom 4:1-3, 16-25, Gal. 3:1-11), but saving faith is never alone - it produces fruits. Thus, we see Abram believing what God said, but also acting in response to and on the basis of what God said (James 2:21-24).
What things in God’s Word seem impossible for you to believe and do? (For one, how about “Love your enemy”?) In response to these impossibilities how might you, like Abraham, demonstrate your living faith?
We praise you, Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the word “impossible’ is not part of your vocabulary. May we comprehend that truth, so when you call us to believe or do the ‘impossible’, we respond, “Your will be done.” Amen
Concerning Genesis 17:23-27 Luther wrote:
“All these statements deal with the praise of Abraham’s obedience, which must nevertheless be regarded in such a way that we do not maintain that Abraham was justified by it. For it is not works that justify a person, but a righteous person does righteous works. Yet the works show that faith is being put into practice and that through them it increases and becomes fat, as it were. For while Abraham carries out this act of obedience and is circumcised together with his household, faith thinks of God, who gives us His promises and accepts us.
Thus Peter (2 Peter 1:10) tells us to certify our election by doing good works, for they bear witness that grace is effective in us and that we have been called and elected. On the other hand, an inactive faith—a faith that is not put into practice—quickly dies and becomes extinct; but when faith has become extinct, it is doubtful whether we have been elected. But he who progresses in the unremitting exercise of his faith concludes: “I am not in the large group that is against Christ; I am for Christ. I do not deny the Word, and I do not persecute the church. Hence I have been called to the kingdom of God and have been elected.”
“But if I fall because of weakness, I rise again; I grieve over my sin and pray for forgiveness. Thus, through the very works of repentance and love I realize that I am one of those who have been snatched from the conflagration of Babel or from the dregs of the world.” Thus, even though this obedience does not justify, it nevertheless gives evidence of faith and makes it manifest, as it were, so that it can be seen. Therefore Revelation (22:11) states: “He that is righteous, let him be righteous still.” Just as those who occupy themselves with works of unbelief continually become more and more unbelieving, and through that continual effort sin gains strength, as it were, so, vice versa, faith increases in those who practice godliness. As a result, they conclude with certainty that they belong to the church.” Luther’s Works, W. AE, 3, 169-70.
Genesis 18:1-33
It is now 13, yes, 13 long years later. Abraham is 99, and yet another conversation with God! How blessed Abraham was to now have the LORD literally standing in front of him repeating his promise that a son would be born. Think of it - Abraham is 99, Sarah is 89 – and a son is to come from them? Yes! Within a year. While that is a wonder, there is, may I say, a greater wonder. Reread vv. 22-33. With due respect, perhaps with some pious trembling, what did Abraham do?
How is your living faith? When was the last time you stood before God and spoke to him as respectfully, yet directly and bluntly as Abraham did in verse 25? When was the last time your prayer life had the same bold persistence and holding-God-to-his-Word aspect as Abraham’s had? In Christ, you can, you know. Read his words in Luke 11:5-13.
Lord, teach us to pray. Amen.
Genesis 22:1-19
And once again we hear God speaking to Abraham. Before it was to speak of blessing and promise and a son, but not this time. “I want you to sacrifice your son, your only son, Abraham,” were the words that entered this loving father’s ears. And once again, in faith, he responded by doing what the LORD told him to do. Did you also catch Abraham’s powerful word of faith – you might say it was his “confession of faith”? It’s found in verse 5 as he ‘spoke’ to the young men who had accompanied him and Isaac on the trip to Moriah. He said, “We’ll be back”, not “I’ll” but “we’ll” be back he said. Read Heb. 11:17-20 to see what it has to say about this event.
At times in our life God may ask us to show and confess before all our living faith by our hoping against hope (Romans 4:18). We might think of such situations as: hearing that we have a serious and fatal illness, losing a job, being involved in a tragic accident, losing our home to foreclosure, or the death of a spouse or a child or a marriage, etc. Thank God, by his promise, power and strength, in living faith we can meet the challenge he has placed before us and go forward in living hope (1 Peter 1:3-9).
God of all hope, who gave us a living hope through your Son’s resurrection, in hopeless situations may we before all confess our confidence in you, for truly “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth”. Amen.
Genesis 32:1-32
We see Jacob in a very uncertain moment – he is about to see his brother Esau for the first time in 20 or so years – a brother who, the last time we had heard, wanted to kill Jacob (Gen. 27:41). Again, while we have the luxury of knowing how events turned out, Jacob, at this moment, certainly did not know. What a gut-wrenching moment it must have been to hear that Esau was coming out to meet him, and with 400 men no less! Yet notice what Jacob did in living faith (vv. 24-31) – he wrestled with the Greater one – and insisted that he would not let Him go until he had received a blessing, and in that faith, he went forward.
Life can be frightening, after all who or what are we? By ourselves we are nothing, helpless and hopeless. But who says we believers are by ourselves? Read Psalms 56 and 118, John 16:33, Romans 8: 28-39, I John 5:4. By the Spirit take these promises of God to heart, then when danger comes, in faith, grab ahold of God, insist on his blessing and then with him by your side go out to face your Esau’s!
God of Jacob, the One we need not fear, for in Christ you have loved us with an everlasting love. In times of danger, may we have the wisdom of faith to first wrestle you and seek your blessing, so we meet danger, not alone, but with you. Amen.
Genesis 37 and 39
Do the good guys always finish last? These two chapters, and previous chapters of Genesis, seem to say so. Joseph, the good-looking favorite son of his dad Jacob, knew trouble. His dad had to flee from Laban, the only grandfather Joseph knew (Gen. 31), his step-sister Dinah was raped (Gen. 34) and because his step-brothers Levi and Simeon had violently and treacherously revenged that act – Jacob and his family had to flee again. Shortly after that (perhaps also in large part due to that?) his mother died giving birth to his brother Benjamin (Gen. 35:16-20). And then there was a pack of older step-brothers who 1) could not stand him, 2) in hate threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave, and 3) had an attitude of “Hey, we got rid of a pest and even made a buck off of him. Why should we give a rip about how horribly we will hurt our old man by our hatred and conspiracy and lies?” When things were looking up for Joseph in Potiphar’s house, insult was added to injury, salt was thrown into and ground into his wounds when a lusty adulterous mistress – the boss’s wife! - liked what she saw when she saw Joseph – and set her mind on ‘having’ him. Joseph’s living faith was evident in his repeated confessions of faith to her when by his words and actions he emphatically said, “NO!” (For a sad contrast, read Gen. 38 where big brother Judah showed his disregard for God’s wedding gift of sexual intimacy.). And for this Joseph’s thrown in jail!
Our world still thrives on indulging in and excusing profane behavior – in any and every form. “Everybody else is doing it.” “I deserve some pleasure.” “Nobody’ll know.” etc., etc., etc. But by God’s grace, power and promise when facing such temptations and their tempting voices we, like Joseph, can resist them and flee (James 4:7, Titus 2:11-13, 1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Peter 1:3-9). Yes, there may be, and probably will be, negative responses and consequences to our confessions. But as one man in living faith put it, his only goal in life is to one day hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Father, the voice of temptation is sweet, alluring and seductive. Forgive us the times we have paid attention to it and given into its enticing song. Grant us the same living faith Joseph had so the next time we hear sin’s voice, we are appalled, repelled and disgusted by it and immediately confess our faith in you by words and actions that say, “NO!” In Jesus, Amen.
Genesis 39 and 40
Have you ever had one of those jobs that just stunk (stinks)? You know that job, the long commute, the horrible hours, the depressing conditions, the unhappy supervisor and coworkers, the boredom, the tedium – where no matter what you did/do you could/can never get ahead or make a buck. That job where it was simply a joy to get the day done, go home and forget about it.
Joseph had TWO of those jobs – AND HE COULDN’T GO HOME at the end of the day – the job is where he lived and he lived where his job was – both as a slave and a prisoner. But trusting in God and serving him HE THRIVED IN AND AT BOTH. And in both and by both, God was preparing him for the role he would eventually have as second in command in and of Egypt. In the Lord can we really have a no future, dead-end, going-nowhere, meaningless job? Really.
Lord, remind me how blessed I am to have work to do! Remind me also that in whatever work you have given me to do, YOU, are training me for something and using me somehow. Let me be a Joseph while I work, reflecting your glory and my love for you by carrying out the job you have given me faithfully. O God, in my work let my light shine, that others may see that light and glorify you. Amen.