Genesis 13

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”


i thought maybe there were some lessons on how to handle conflict in here.  Abram saw the conflict addressed it head on and was a gentlemen giving Lot options and first choice on how to handle.  not sure he did it for dividends but it seemed to payoff.

Alternatively Lot was looking out for #1.  I think we will be reminded this did not turn out so well soon.

so maybe selfishly look out for others first.  how's that for twisted

knut

Genesis 12

18-19 Pharaoh called for Abram, “What’s this that you’ve done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ so that I’d take her as my wife? 

I can understand the fear and wanting to find a way that would not get him killed in his current situation....but, I don't understand this how he handles it.  This not only implies that Sarai lived at the palace, but Pharaoh "took her as his wife."  Which definitely means intimacy to me.  That one I can't understand.  I would venture to say there isn't a situation where I would choose that option with Kim.  I would rather be killed than let that happen.  Doesn't it seems odd?
If he had such great faith....it seems even stranger.  If God was actually talking to you.....in real conversation.  Promising you a legacy like no other.  Land and wealth that would fall to your offspring....is this the way you would react?

If I was God, sitting in that moment, I would be scratching my head!  I know this represents 1 of the 2 times Abram will show his lack of faith....and he will reap the rewards of it!

I also understand why Pharaoh is upset.  He unknowingly walked into this one.
But, kudos to Abram for have a smokin' hot wife!

tp

Genesis 11

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and Sarai his daughter-in-law (his son Abram’s wife) and set out with them from Ur of the Chaldees for the land of Canaan. But when they got as far as Haran, they settled down there.

Looks like I jumped the gun a little bit yesterday.  My take applies more to today with the language.

This verse caught my attention today.  This is one of the verses that people point to when trying to prove the bible isn't consistent or accurate.  When and How Abraham left Ur.  I think there are conflicting timelines given is 2 separate accounts.  I'll see if I can look it up.  Not buying or selling here.  Just noting the conversation that happens around these verses.

Acts 7: 2-4 is where Stephen tells the story of Abraham.

Ur of the Chaldees was in Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt before he moved to Charran, a city which in the Old Testament is called Haran. Stephen apparently wasn't thoroughly familiar with the ancient history of Israel's beginning, and got some of his facts mixed up. God did not call Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. The Holy Spirit tells a different story. But many Bible expositors, for reasons of their own, accept Stephen's version as the correct account of what happened, even though they know (or should know) that the book of Genesis tells it differently. 

Genesis 10

1-2 At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language.

This is probably a real stretch.  But, if you look at language today....its getting closer and closer together.  As we invent new words and new terms that every language adopts, it becomes closer.  The more of this that happens the faster technology moves and the more we create.   The end game to this is that everyone will eventually speak the same language.  This gets us back to the situation that God was avoiding by scattering everyone and making them speak different languages.
The other part of this is it sounds like God is almost fearful of what man will do if we are all working together in the same place.  Probably not for his concern, but for the concern that we will accomplish too much, too quickly.

Interesting.

tp

Genesis 9

3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Amen!  this is where we get permission to eat BBQ!  Reads a little bit like they were vegetarians up to this point, and now God is telling them they can eat the animals.

The portion of the chapter that talks about Noah getting drunk and falling asleep naked.....is weird.  It doesn't seem like a reason to curse a kid, does it?  Seems really harsh for something that Noah created in the first place, by putting himself in that position.  just sayin'

tp

Genesis 8

“Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."

Sad, isn't it?  Our master creator...ultimate God comes to the realization that our every move is underlined with evil, from the time we are kids.  

In my business that would be considered a COLOSSAL failure.  In fact, not only is the design a failure, but now I need to send my completely innocent Son into the mess.  Where the only way to fix it is for him to die!????  Really?  I think I know how I would react to that.  I would wipe the slate clean and try again, until I got a different result.

tp

Genesis 7

2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

I don't know that I've ever caught this before.  Seven pairs of every clean animal, and seven pairs of every bird.  Seven days from now.  The mental picture is 2 of everything.....but really its 14 of everything in these categories.  Interesting.  Second thing is the number 7.  Numerology is not my strength.  But, there is definitely significance to the number 7 pointing toward God, and his plans, actions, or way of doing business.
If they were in there for 150 days...what did they eat?  Were they eating the animals?  Or did they have a stock of herbs and cheeses? hahaha...


tp

Genesis 6

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

I looked back at our last time through this book, and we wrote about the Noah portion, understandably.  So I'm gonna forgo that, and ask some questions about the verse above. 

The neph-what?  Breeding with the human women made what?  I did some digging into this one.  It seems there is no clear explanation, only possibilities.  Perhaps fallen angels were mating with human women, or maybe possessed men were doing the same.  There is even a theory that the Nephilim were aliens.  But, there is no correlation to logic that I can find.  The latin for "the fall" or naphal, seems to point toward the first possibility.  What I think, is also strange is that the Nephilim are also mentioned in Numbers. 

Bottom line....there's a lot we don't know, and don't understand.  There is a vast amount of "God history" that happened prior to "man's beginning."  I need to be ok with this uncertainty, and know that God is God.

tp

Genesis 5

 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

I know the genealogy is important, but sometimes I get lost in it.  But, this verse jumped out at me.  It's the only example like it in this chapter.  All the men mentioned came to their end in a "death."  Enoch is the only one that reads differently.  The description of him and his relationship with God is also mentioned uniquely.  Perhaps God spared him a typical death.....could have been and Elijah type situation?...not sure.

The other thing that strikes me is how long these dudes lived.  Looks like the average is around 800 years-ish.....so that means thousands of years passed between Adam and when we land on Noah.  Crazy.  What does someone look like that is 700 years old.  And how are these guys becoming fathers in the their late 100s?  Different rules back then, I guess.

have a great weekend!
tp

Genesis 4

4 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Many questions in my mind when reading this chapter.  The verse above makes it sound like sex wasn't a thing until the eating of the fruit......do you read it that way?  Maybe I'm reading more into verse 1 than is really there.

Second observation is that it took 2 generations of people before someone killed someone else.  That is REALLY sad!  It didn't take long for the selfishness of man to rear its ultimate head.

Third, its not totally clear as to why God put favor on Abel and not Cain.  I'm assuming it was because Abel brought offerings from the BEST of his work...and it says that Cain just brought some of his stuff....it doesn't say the best.

Fourth.
17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. 
Where did his wife come from?  Was she his sister?  Were there other people around at the time?  Hhhhhmmmmm.. she just pops in there.

So many questions.  I didn't even touch on the question of how these stories relate to the theory of evolution.  Is there any possible connection between the theories?  Is this a "representation" of early man?  Is it literal?  Does this take place once God has evolved man?  It doesn't read that way?  Did God create the earth 10 minutes ago, and all of our thoughts and memories were all placed in our heads?.......BBBOOOMMMMM!!!!! mind blown......not.....smart......enough!

tp

Genesis 3

22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

gonna skip over what I know I wrote about last time, and talk about this verse.  I'm not sure it caught my attention last time.  This makes it sounds like because Eve picked the fruit and ate it, and gave it to Adam....their eyes were opened and they knew good and evil.  But, if Adam picked from the tree himself....they would live forever.  I wonder if that is because Adam potentially picked the fruit or if its a function of eating the fruit twice?  Or are there different kinds of fruit on the tree and different reactions if you eat it?....not sure.  I find it interesting that this verse is included.  There must be something here for us to learn.  Or is it as simple as the reason they were banished?

tp

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. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Not a huge take today....more like a little hmmmmm.

We may find in the next couple of chapters that God repeats this command in the presence of Eve....but, in this case he is only giving it to Adam.  Interesting if you follow that nugget down the rabbit hole.

I love the picture that God is creating Adam, and all the animals, from the dust of the earth.  It gives a great circular picture of us coming from the earth, and then returning when we die.  All energy....moving from one thing to the next....and then back again.

tp

Genesis 1

“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

We've talked about this before...but, I love the thinly veiled reference to Jesus and the Holy Spirit here.  It doesn't say God made them in his image.  It says in "our image."  It's somehow comforting to know that the human experience is a blip in the overall plan of the Big Three.  They are in control.  We are just along for the ride, and need to make the decision to believe and follow.  
Why wouldn't you?  If you really soak in thought of eternity being backward and forward.....and then think of my own existence within that?  Its minute.  Its the snap of a finger.

tp

Revelation 22

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

I just took note today that while heaven is perfect, it will not be the exact same experience for every person.  What we do with the time he has given us on earth matters.  He says his reward that he will give us is tied to what we have done.

Quite frankly, I'm not sure I'm earning a huge reward with my effort day to day.

knut

Revelation 21

“It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

I copied this one because God LITERALLY says this is important and true.  It is a declaration of his power, and taste of what he will do for us.....and a little bit more of what we should stay away from.  Interesting.

This chapter also goes into a very detailed description of the new Jerusalem.  Much like the description of the temple in the old testament.  All same/same/similar.