Genesis 21

6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”


Just thought this was funny, thinking of Sarah just kind of chuckling to herself almost in disbelief can you believe it.  He said he'd give me a child but seriously I'm so old this is just dumb Denny.  Everyone will recognize this must be a miracle because this is just too crazy.

knut

Genesis 20

3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”


this world would be much fewer in numbers if God took the life of every single man or woman who was with a married man or woman.

I don't have much else to take here, but it is interesting that Abraham is again demonstrating lack of trust with his lies.  In fact its almost exactly the same situation as before, yet he does it and God continues to use him.

knut

Genesis 19

19 Your[c] servant has found favor in your[d]eyes, and you[e] have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die.


This acts captured in this chapter are pretty sick, kind of hard to even think about.  This verse did catch my attention though, even though the angels had saved Lot and his family he still does not place complete trust or obedience to their direction.  

How often am I the same?  Does He give me direction but I say well that would be good but how about this alternative instead of being obedient.  I don't think I'm that intentional in my lack of obedience but I wonder if when I don't think I getting direction from Him its because I'm not listening because I already have my own ideas.

knut

Genesis 18

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous ²¹ that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

2 questions come into my mind when I read this verse:

1.  Did God really need to go to Sodom and Gomorrah to see what was being done and what was happenning?  Didn't he know already?  This reads like a last minute decision to tell Abraham about the plan to go and see it, to probably destroy it.  There must be something a little deeper here.

2.  Most importantly........when I look at our society today, it makes me wonder what they were doing that was so much worse than today.  I shutter to think what God sees when he looks at our society.  Some parts are better than others, obviously....but I don't think there's any line that hasn't been crossed.  We have done and tried it all.  That scares me a little bit.  Can God hear my prayers above my own sin, and above all the pain and evil that is around me?...


BTW - I added some ads to the blog around the second week of August.  So far, it has generated 12 bucks.....crazy huh?  For doin' nothin'.   I'll keep you posted on how this is doing.  I think we should find a good charity, and donate the proceeds.  Let me know what you think here.

Genesis 17

So, here's the picture in my mind.
God talks to Abraham and tells him that all males need to be circumcised.  Then Abrahama appears in front of his men, and they are eagerly anticipating word from God......."well, what did he say?"  Abraham kicks the dirt a little bit, and then tells them they all will need to be circumcised.  "WHAT??!!!!" 
Can you imagine the looks on the faces of the men?  First of all, there's probably a couple in the crowd that are of my personality....and they are looking around asking, "what does that mean.....I don't know what that word means:"

I'm a little befuddled by this request from God.  The only thing I can think of, is that it is marking an area that is the most personal, and can get you into the most trouble....with the mark of God. 

What do ya think?

Genesis 16

I got nothing, I am struggling here reading about Abram being ok getting with his wife's slave, what is that about?

Genesis 15

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
    I am your shield,[a]
    your very great reward.[b]”

I took another read through this today.  Still struggle to get something our of it.  I like this verse, but it is followed immediately by questions from Abram.  That is the only take I had that when you hear God it is okay to ask questions, have a dialogue.  Maybe it wasn't so much doubt but wanting to gain understanding of what God was telling him?

knut

Genesis 14

I find Abram to be somewhat representative of a superhero.  He is wealthy beyond belief......even without caring or trying.  He defeats all these armies, in this chapter, and then accepts no payment for helping the king of Sodom.  It all sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

²³ that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

This line says to me that God already knew the plan for Abram, and wasn't going to confuse the story, with a possible looting of someone else's property.

See how it all ties together?......this God guy is really smart.  And that makes me reall happy.

Genesis 13

Abrams' wealth is what is catching my attention today.  I may be COMPLETELY off-base here.  But, it seems that Abram is prospering, not because he really wants it, but because he doesn't really care about it.  It almost feels like the Costanza effect of doing the opposite.  He tells Lot, if you go right, I'll go left.  If you go left, then I'll go right.  He isn't concerned with having the best of everything, and because of that,....it keeps falling into his lap. 

I like it.
short and sweet today

Genesis 12

2 things jump right out to me on this one.

1.  ⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
We had a question a couple of days ago about the curse of Cannan.....well, now we are seeing the down-the-road result of that.  They will be dispersed from their land.  What's so intriguing to me about this situation, is the fact that Noah started the ball rolling, by getting drunk in the first place....and now a nation is cursed because of it.

2.¹¹ As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
This is the first time we see Abram making a choice to not "completely" trust in God.  He is doing what God has commanded, but he is making sure he has his backup plan in place.  I'm amazed at all the great heros of the bible, and how many times they don't do the right thing, or don't act the right way, or just down-right disobey what God is telling them.....and yet, somehow they are still heros of history.  David is even called a "man after God's own heart". 
That gives me a greater understanding of God's true grace, and makes me feel better about myself in the selfish choices I seem to make.

have a good race this weekend!

Genesis 11

If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

I have a friend that works with me here at GM, and he has a theory about language.  His theory states that eventually the world will speak 1 language.  As more and more words are brought into existance, in the modern world, every culture/country adopts the same word.....like "t-shirt".  So, eventually, the theory goes, everyone will speak the same language.  Its interesting to think about that in terms of what's written in this chapter.  If the theory is true, then what is God thinking about that convergence?  It seems that today, with the advancement in technologies, language isn't as much of a barrier as it would have been in those days anyway.
I'm intrigued by the fact that God was uneasy about seeing what "man" could accomplish, when working together......too much, too quick isn't a good thing.

I've had conversations with my small group about how fast the world has advanced in the last 100 years.  If you look back at all of histroy, there are long periods of time when the world really wasn't advancing at all....from the stone ages to the mideval times.  There was advancement, but at a snails pace....and then all of the sudden, BOOM!
What gives?
I don't know?
Where is it pointing us?
I don't know?

I have a feeling we are going to look back, someday, and say, "why didn't I see it coming".....whatever "it" is.

Genesis 10

⁸ Cush was the father^[c] of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth.

This might be the best line in the chapter......for some reason the name nimrod just makes me laugh.  And, the fact that he was a "mightly warriror"......good stuff.

This would have been a good chapter to read, when Kim was pregnant.  Just to get name ideas.  Such as Arphaxad.  Where else can you get inspiration like that?

Genesis 9

It seems a little harsh that Noah cursed his son for something he did......doesn't it?  I can't quite put that one together.  I read it in a couple different translations, but its strange.  Is this the first time we see tha the sins of the father are visited on the sons? 
I typed it into yahoo, and it took me to Wikipedia......there's a lot written in there.  Some seems to make sense, and some really doesn't.  I think its interesting to note that this is the first time nakedness is a subject of text, since Adam and Eve first discovered their own nakedness in the garden.

hhhhhmmmmmmmm

Genesis 8

¹⁰ He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!

So, I'm not sure how to read that.  Are we to assume that the olive leaf grew in the 7 days that Noah waited here?  Seems strange.

I do like the detail though.  It seems to give credible evidence that the author knew what he was talking about.

I'm continually blown away by Noah's faith in God.  Not only to have built this thing, with everyone around him making fun of him, and mocking him.....but, now he's out floating.  It would seem hard for me to even have enough faith, after all the months, that God will eventually make the waters receed.  I would have a very CLOSE eye on my food supply, and the calendar.....planning it all out.  Knowing what day I would be screwed. 
Maybe that's a good way to look at it.
I'm looking at the faith as being something that I'll need God to do by this date, or I'm in trouble.
Noah didn't look at it that way at all.  He seems to have complete trust that God will take care of them all the way along.

admirable. and something to work toward. 

Genesis 7

23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.


I did some more googling this morning, wondering about all the bugs in this world and how Noah might have delt with keeping them alive.  Didn't find the answer but I found lots of people slamming this account of Noah and all people who believe this stuff.

little doubts crept in, then I think about how easily these people dismiss the bible for pieces they can't understand but how easily they accept evolution and the big bang which have equally actually more difficult gaps to understand.

so exactly how long do you have to stare and look at a rock floating through space before it spontaneously explodes into life?  rock time bank life, yeah that makes tons of sense.  and even if it did, where did the original rock come from?  the creation explanation in the bible can be a hurdle for people, but at least it recognizes the fact that something supernatural would have to occur for life to come into existence.  and really how could he write a book we could all understand about every detail of his creation.  the more i write the more I kind of think and laugh to myself at those who look down their nose at us.  they have a huge plank in their eye.

later,
knut

Genesis 5 and 6

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

It had to seem crazy to Noah, but he did exactly as told by God.  I want to be like Noah in that regard and to do so requires hearing God with that kind of clarity which I can say I don't.  Gina has a connection much more like that, she knows when she is hearing his instruction verses her own thoughts I don't feel like I can discern that.  

Careful what I wish for though, not sure I'm ready to build my version of the ark.  He had to take some serious heat for that one.

If you haven't looked at that link I included you should.  I did a search on dinasaurs last night which had a great illustration of how the bible accounts connect with archeology and Noah's ark.
knut

Genesis 4

17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.


so I Google 'where did Cain's wife..." and it finished my sentence "...come from?"  I was struggling with the origins of other people.  I found this website.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/who-was-cains-wife

I have faith, but sometimes lack the depth to explain parts of the bible that may be stumbling blocks for new believers.  This site may give me some aids. I think the evolution theory that everyone so readily accepts has huge gaping holes in it and no one seems to sweat it, I was glad to see in writing at the end of this guys story one of the thoughts I've often had about the flaws of evolution.

no takes just some rambling---
knut

Genesis 3

²¹ The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

This represents the first time an animal was sacrificed, to cover our sins.  This later translates, I believe, into the animal sacrifices that we see in the old testament.
 
Its really interesting to read this chapter.  The way its constructed, and the way it reads.  I find myself looking for meaning in every word.  From the punishments that God hands to the man and the woman, and the verbage that's used, even describing their physical positions in relation to each other.  The enitre time the serpent is talking to Eve, it seems like, Adam is standing right there....but, not interacting.  Not stopping.  Not stepping in.  Not saying anything.  And then when God asks what's happened, he pipe right up, to blames it on Eve.  Just like a little kid.
It seems right from the start, the relationship between man and woman was a tough one.  Even before they were kicked out of the garden.  Even in the "perfect situation" for them, they didn't act perfectly toward each other.

interesting...........

Genesis 2

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 

from Tom VanderWell:
I get a kick out of people who picture eternity as ever-lasting retirement – floating around on clouds and doing nothing but eating, sleeping and playing our harps. The reality is that God is a worker. He spent six days working before He rested. Then He creates man to work the garden. Work – being productive – is part of our Christ likeness.

didnt have a take of my own, but I like his perspective.
knut

Genesis 1

I picked Genesis because its my favorite book.  So many great stories.  So much to be learned from what's in there.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness....

I love that verse.  It assures me that there is a tremendous amount of history (in God's story)  that happened before the earth was formed.  And, that it was God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit acting all together in the creation process.  Its wild to think about.  Before the first sin was committed, before God offered the first choice, and it wrong decision was made......The Big 3 were there.  Can you imagine what Jesus must have been feeling as he looked down and saw Adam and Eve making the selfish choice?.....it must have been heart breaking knowing what that would mean.  I'm getting ahead of myself a little bit here.  Just thinking thru what it must mean if the Big 3 were truly all there for the creation process. 

anyway....fun stuff to thing about.  Max and I were having a late night conversation last week about this sort of stuff.  He was fascinated by the thought of the story of man-kind only being a portion of the total history of God.  That's a mind bender.  He said, "God already threw lucifer out of heaven before Genesis, right?  So, there must be a LOT of story to be told there, someday."  I though that was insightful on his part.  I was surprised that he had put that all together.  I didn't until i was MUCH older.

peace