The Image of God
Here’s to simpler times!
Genesis 2
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our own image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule .... God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it.”
First, let’s consider “in our image and likeness”. This separated man from the rest of creation. This was God separating man and woman from other living creatures as having lineage from God; a chip off the ol’ block. Read more
I’m Special!
Genesis 2
This chapter provides a deeper view into God’s creative process. Verse 1 says the creation was completed. God had created a self-contained system. No further creation is needed. The final part of the completed creation was man. Man was God’s steward or representative of God for “ruling” over the earth. Man was to rule over every aspect of God’s creation: the fish, the birds, the creeping things, the beasts, the vegetation, the trees and “everything on the earth that has life.”Read more
God Spoke
Genesis 1, Take Five
There are recurring themes to each day of creation. Every day began with God speaking. “Then God said” is repeated each day and some days a couple of times. Psalms 33:6 says, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and by the breath of His mouth all their host...for He spoke, and it was done.” Effortlessly, God spoke and created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. If we take a peek forward into Genesis 2:7 where the author gives more detail into the creation of man, we see the power of the breath of God as well. Read more
What a Week!
Pic taken at Pearl Harbor
Genesis 1, Take Four
The 31 verses of chapter 1 provide a description of the six days of creation. As part of my study and exploration of the chapter, I thought it would be helpful to see it outlined:
Day 1 – God created the heavens and the earth - formless, void, covered with water in darkness. The Spirit is moving over the surface and God speaks light into existence. God called the light day and the darkness night. Read more
Oh, To Be Young!
The sunrise from my home office balcony
Genesis 1, Take Three
A few words on the ‘apparent contradiction’ of a young earth versus old earth. As mentioned yesterday, a simple and literal approach to Genesis leads to an historical conclusion of a young earth; no more than 10,000 years old. How do we resolve this issue? Many theologians and Bible students have abandoned the simple and literal approach to Genesis and have chosen to interpret Genesis with modern science as their guide. In other words, modern science guides or becomes the authority over how we interpret. So, they change the meaning of “day” to mean an “age” or a long period of time rather than a 24-hour time period. Read more
This Little Light of Mine
Genesis 1, Take 2
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness night. And there was an evening and there was a morning, one day.”
Night and Day
On day one God created the formless and void earth which then existed in the dark. God then added light which created a separation of light and darkness. When light is added, darkness is overtaken. God named the time-period of light ‘day,’ and the time-period of dark ‘night.’ The lesser lights of the sun and moon are created on day four.Read more
Out of Nothing!
Genesis 1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” This is where it all began. Read more
Genesis
Why Genesis? The Introduction
I’m being drawn toward Genesis this morning and as such I am committed to a study of Genesis chapters 1-11. Genesis has 50 chapters and at a high level is divided in two sections. Chapters 1-11 are primitive history and 12-50 are patriarchal history. The primitive history has four significant events: creation, the fall, the flood, the dispersion of nations. The patriarchal history of Genesis has four significant characters: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.Read more
The Leaders Failure
2 Samuel 24
The last chapter of 2 Samuel is disturbing to me on a couple levels. First, just when you think David is growing older and wiser, he reveals again his selfishness and impetuous nature. It’s not just a rash, impulsive type of sin but a sin of arrogance that involves his people and stretches out for several months. Very disappointing! Why God chose him as the means of the Davidic Covenant and the heir of the Messiah, I’ll never understand. But on the other hand, I suppose that’s the point. Why he chose me for anything is a baffling reality as well.Read more