Genesis 4-6

Today our Journey Through the Bible continues as we focus on Genesis Chapters 4 through 6, and the stories of Cain and Abel, Adam's Descendants to Noah, and Increasing Corruption on the Earth leading up to the Flood.  I'll break down each section and attempt to shed light on key themes within this section of scripture.

Genesis Chapter 4: 

This chapter focuses in on Cain and Abel, the two sons of Adam and Eve who were born after they left the Garden of Eden, following the fall.  Of the two brothers Abel was the keeper of sheep, which is the first time domestication is first specifically mentioned in the Bible.  Cain worked the ground and tended farming and things of that nature.  Although it's not mentioned in my Bible's notes - I think this once again shows God's direction of giving man dominion to take care of the earth and it's 'beasts.'  Cain was tending the earth and Abel caring for creatures of the earth.  

At some point in the adult life of Cain and Abel each of the brothers offers an offering to God.

"In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.  And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Can and his offering he had no regard.  So Cain as very angry, and his face fell.  The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire for you, but you must rule over it."

So why did God prefer Abel's offering over Cain's?  In this instance we have no textual information to suggest that God instructed them of what offering to give and Cain gave the wrong offering.  Scripture seems to indicate they were spontaneous offerings of thanks or that God's command was not recorded.

Also it is important throughout the Old Testament, God looks with favor on offerings of grain and other produce, just as He does on offerings of animals.  God favored Abel's offering not because Cain's wasn't good, but because Abel's was given in true faith, while it seems Cain was just going through the steps of the offering without the spiritual offering as well.  Although the outward appearance of his offering was good, it's the inner intent of the heart God looks to, which was in the throws of sin.  

Cain is very upset by his rejection.  Many of us can relate to this feelings.  I for one don't handle rejection well, whether it's a bad review of my book, or I fail a test or I just make a poor mistake I think it's easier to get angry from that rejection versus analyzing the root of the problem and trying to learn from the experience and gain a good moral.  However it's easier to hold onto that anger and give into sin and project our angry onto others.  

God urges Cain to accept his rejection and not take out his anger on his brother.  God tells Cain that if he does well he'll be accepted.  I take this to mean that he did not offer the fruit with a faithful heart and Abel did, so learn from his mistake and to not be jealous of his brother, for God will accept Cain as well if he does what is right.  God repeatedly reminds His people that He will be gracious to whom He will be gracious and will show Mercy upon whom He will show mercy (Ex 33:1)

Despite God's warning to Cain to let go of his anger, as it will only lead into sin, Cain goes against God.  Jealous of his brother, Cain murders Abel.  Two sins, jealousy and murder from not letting go of his anger and trying to work to please God.

"Cain spoke to Abel his brother.  And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.  Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

God knows that Abel is dead, but gives Cain the opportunity to admit wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness, instead Cain lies about his actions and tries to deceive God.

And the Lord said, "What have you done?  The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.  And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield you its strength.  You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer of the earth."  Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.  Behold you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.  I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."  The the Lord said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."  And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.  Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of nod, east of Eden.

Cain's punishment is twofold: expulsion form the land and life as a wanderer, but more importantly separation from God.  Instead of feeling repentance in his actions, Cain's response indicates selfishness - complaining that he has this fate and no remorse or guilt of sin.  Kind of like a teenager - who's not upset he did something wrong, but just upset they got caught and have to face the consequences.

Despite his anger at Cain's actions and reaction, God continues to care for his creation, Cain.  He ensures that he will not suffer the fate of Abel - and won't be murdered, by putting a mark on Cain.  This mark shows God's continued protection it also firmly instructs that no matter how badly you want revenge - vengeance only belongs to God.  We need to turn justice over to him and not try to enact revenge or justice, especially rooted in sin.  Killing someone because they murdered someone else is a sinful cycle.  

The next portion of the chapter briefly discusses Cain's line through Lamech, who is also a sinner.  The line of Cain's descendants is terminated with a brief genealogical summary because he does not inherit the promise of his parents - that promise comes through Seth who is introduced in verse 25, the final verse in Chapter Four of Genesis:

"And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel for Cain killed him." To Seth also a son was born and he called his name Enosh.  A that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord." 

Chapter 5 recounts the subsequent generations of Adam up to Noah

Chapter 6: in this section of primeval human history, humans as they begin to multiply fall into a extreme sin and wickedness.  Seth's descendants increasingly participate in the evil that overwhelms God's creation, preferring their own focus on worldly desires versus acknowledging God's will.  Recognizing that the human heart is a continual source of evil, God's patience is about to give way to judgment.  He decides to destroy the inhabitants of world in a flood, however in this apparent wrath, God shows of all things - MERCY.  He knew Noah to be a righteous man and spares his family and commands him to build an ark and fill it will all kinds of living creatures so when the flood had ceased, life would go on and rebirth through Gods mercy is shown.

More on the Flood and Noah in my next entry.  I'm running a little behind on my timeline for posting.  Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy my entries.  

Genesis: "The Fall"

In today's entry we'll discuss one of the most pivotal and dismal moments in the turn of human history: The Fall, in which we as a race first choice to turn away from God, and fall into sin.  Adam and Eve's decision to go against God's will and do something they knew to be wrong sets up the rest of Biblical history.  It is at that moment God chooses to lead us in a path of redemption.  Genesis, Chapter 3 is the reason for all subsequent chapters and books in the Bible. In spite of man's disobedience and sinful nature God promises salvation for death.  This comes in the New Testament in the form of Jesus Christ, God's only son who died on the cross without sin, so we may come back to God and find redemption in Him.

Before summarizing Genesis Chapter 3 it's important to revisit key scripture from Chapter 2, which explains why Adam and Eve's actions are sinful.

Genesis 2:15-17 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

So may ask 'why is it such a big deal that Adam and Eve chose to eat a piece of fruit from a tree?'  It's a simple answer: Because God commanded Adam and Eve NOT to eat of that tree - this wasn't just an arbitrary command with no purpose.  God wasn't simply trying to exert his authority just to be authoritarian, he had a purpose in commanding Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree.  God knew that the tree was of the seed of sin and would show them both good and evil.  He knew that with this knowledge comes temptation and a propensity to fall into sin, which leads to death.  God knew that eating from the tree would lead us down a dark path.  His instruction wasn't out of want to deprive humans, but out of love and want of fellowship with us.

In Chapter 3 we see the worst aspects of man's free will, the propensity to sin and fall into temptation.  The chapter starts off by showing the manipulative power of evil, as Satan poses as a snake.  "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made."  Satan as the snake wants to turn man against God and does so subtly, by playing on Adam and Eve's emotions and rationality of thought.  It appears friendly, helpful even, while really this is a guise in an effort to force man to commit sin and disobey God.  

"He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?'

Temptation starts off as doubt, doubt in God's word and HIS command.  When the serpent (Satan) approaches Eve, he implies that God has selfish motives and forced humans to focus on their own motivations versus following the will of God. 

"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden neither shall you touch it, lest you die." But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

This shows that Eve knew that she would be going against God if she ate from the tree. However the serpent tempts her not by asking her if she wants to eat from the tree, but rather by directly contradicting God 'surely you will not die...' So temptation comes by first planting doubt and then to rejection of God's Word and then progressing to tempting Eve to become like God.  The serpent does not challenge the woman's understanding of God's instructions, but calls God's integrity into doubt, suggesting that the real reason God doesn't want them to eat the forbidden fruit that He wants to keep them from becoming like Him. The serpent offers Eve the power to establish her own standard of right and wrong and to define truth for herself - putting her own self interest before the will of God.  Ironically the selfish nature of sin, and turning against God isn't good for us - and ends up costing a high price - death.  

Even subsequently gave into temptation, as God made man to have free will, and gave a portion of the fruit to Adam as well.

"She took of its fruit and ate, and also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.  And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."

 It should be noted that in Genesis 2:25 prior to eating the forbidden fruit, scripture states: "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

The fruit made them immediately slip into a self-consciousness resulting in their union with God.  They felt a feeling of separateness produced a sense of shame from breaking with God and falling into sin.  

So it's bad enough they went against God's Will, however to top off, Adam and Eve hid from God, knowing what they did was wrong and self conscious without their clothing. 

"...the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" and he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and i was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."  he said, "Who told you that you were naked?" Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"  The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."

Okay so I know Eve didn't exactly help stop Adam from eating the forbidden fruit, but Adam knew it was wrong despite her tempting him and chose to eat the fruit anyway.  I think as humans we do this a lot, we do things we know are wrong just because others egg us on or we are trying to do what others do.  However in the end it's our decision whether or not to sin or stay true to God, and in trying to absolve oneself of blame like Adam did in the face of judgment is another sin in itself (in my opinion - and one we're all guilty of).  Interestingly enough, Eve won't accept full guilt either:

"The serpent deceived me, and I ate"

Okay so the serpent was manipulating and tempting Eve, but we have the power to overcome temptation through faith in God and our own personal moral compass of right and wrong.  The old adage "would you jump off a cliff if someone told you to?" has been overused, but it rings true here.  Adam and Eve both knew they had gone against God and done something wrong, and yet they chose to do so anyway and then worked to absolve themselves of guilt by blaming third parties, temptors, but not the decision makers for the choice to sin.

God is obviously upset, not simply because they deceived him, which is a major reason within itself, but more importantly because he knows what pain and suffering knowledge of both Good and Evil can bring.  God is good in his very nature.  He has no evil within his make-up, however he knows of evil and its destructive nature.  For once your know of evil the temptation of choice to do evil things over the morally right and good is always there, and a struggle for mankind.  

In the final portions of this chapter, God curses the serpent, along with Adam and Eve for their sin.  The ultimate punishment of sin is death.  God promises immortal life if we obey him, sin is disobedience against God.  Therefore in sinning, Adam and Eve will eventually return to the earth as dust, in death. This punishment is to teach Adam and Eve a lesson, and is out of love.  God was betrayed by his own creation, however like a good father he punishes them for wrong, but starts to lead man back on a path of redemption.  Although open to interpretation, many scholars think that 3:15 refers to the promise of Christ, who will be born through a descendant of Eve, and in living a life without sin, HE will defeat the serpent, Satan and allow man to find his way back fully to God and the hope of eternal life.

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock
and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring [a] and hers;
he will crush [b] your head,
and you will strike his heel."

16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."

The chapter ends with Adam and Eve being banished from the Garden of Eden as punishment for their sin.  For sin keeps us away from God and therefore they could not remain in the Garden.

One major question readers of this portion of scripture ask is "Why?" Why did God create man to sin and why did he put the Tree of Good and Evil in the Garden of Evil.  It's not an easy question to answer however it all comes down to free will.  God knew that we had the propensity to sin, but in free will he also gave us the choice to chose Him and good.  Sure God could have created us to be immune to sin, but would that really be right?  How can one be truly moral when they don't have the power to Choose?  Freedom is God's gift to us: Freedom to Think, Freedom of Conscience, Freedom to follow God and Freedom, unfortunately to disobey him.  What virtue is there in following God, if in our make-up there is no other inclination, but to do so.  God wants fellowship with us, but he didn't want us to not have the choice to be with him - that love would be false and forced on our parts.  He wanted us to choose good and follow him.

As for why the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was in the Garden, well it goes back to free will and design.  By omitting it, God would have created a situation where man could not choose to follow him, but rather have no alternative.  God knew that man might be tempted to eat of the tree, however he hoped we would choose to follow His instruction to eat of the seed of sin.  It was not God who forced us to sin by placing the tree in the Garden, but by our own choice to allow ourselves to give into temptation and go against God.

Did God know we would fall into sin when he created us?  Why create us if he knew that we would disobey him?  God loves us, and wants fellowship with us.  God knew the consequences of man disobeying him.  He knew sin creeps in and shuts down happiness, and causes suffering and despair, but through it God also designed to lead man back to him and eventual work to offer eternal salvation and redemption of the world through Jesus Christ.  Throughout the Old and New Testaments one theme is prevalent - man is tempted and goes against God, God uses his authority when needed to instruct man why his actions were wrong, but continues to edge us closer to redemption.  God is the only way we can absolve ourselves of sin.  God is the only way we can have the strength of disposition NOT to give into temptation and to turn away from sin.  

It's important to realize that God does NOT cause the world's suffering, that comes from evil, and our nature to fall into sin.  However we have the choice and the ability to turn to good and God is purely Good.

In the next few days I will examine Cain and Abel and Noah.  I'm running a little behind on my readings, but will post ASAP. 

Upcoming Posts:

- Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood

- Feature on Episcopal Relief Development

- Weekly Lectionary readings

Weekly Readings (5th Week of Lent)

In this post we'll focus in on the three weekly Bible passages for the 5th week of Lent.  Lent is the period of the liturgical (church) year leading up to Easter.  In most Christian denominations it lasts for forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  In the Bible and in Christian faith the number forty represents a time of trial, chastisement, and trial.  It usually comes to a head in redemption or better understanding of faith in God.  The forty days in lent symbolizes the time that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. While in the desert, conditions were hard and Christ was tempted in the worst possible way as Satan did everything to try to make Christ sin, but Jesus did not give in.  The fact he faced every temptation and feelings that we as humans feel, and did not cave into that temptation - is how Christ was able to conquer Satan on the cross and in turn forgive use of sin. 

Today's readings include Ezekiel 37, referred to as The Valley of Dry Bones - an Old Testament account of Israel's strife, but God's promise of redemption for the nation of Israel and all nations through Christ.  The Epistle is a letter to the Romans (8:1-11), and The Gospel comes from John 11.

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 37: 1-14 "The Valley of Dry Bones."  

Background: Ezekiel was an Old Testament priest who prophesied for twenty-two years in the 6th-century B.C.  The Book of Ezekiel recounts his visions while exiled in Babylon.  Contextually The Book of Ezekiel takes place in a time of turmoil for the nation of Israel as Judeans have been exiled from their home by the Babylonian Empire. Given the strife and uncertainty surrounding the Judean nation.  With a power so strong in Babylon, who worshiped false gods and idols, and yet had power it was easy to be tempted away from the one true God.  Ezekiel's prophesies reaffirm God's covenant with Israel and promise that they will be restored again and alludes to the coming of Christ.

Passage:

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley, it was full of bones.  And he led me around among them, and behold, there were many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.  And he said to me, "Son of man, 'can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know."  Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.  Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter your and you shall live.  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

So I prophesied as I was commanded.  And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And I looked and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them.  But there was no breath in them.  Then he said to me, Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.  Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and 'our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will bring you into the land of Israel.  And you shall know that i am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves.  O my people.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.  Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord."

Okay so let's dissect the Valley of Dry Bones.  I don't know about you, but when I first read this passage I was confused.  It reminded me of a fantasy or ghost story as I visioned the dead, dried out bones suddenly rattling and coming to life.  It took me a few reads before I began to understand the meaning of the this scripture, and once I did I was in awe of it's message of hope and the promise of God's commitment to use, even when we stand clinging to life in the desert.

In this passage the Lord appears to Ezekiel in a vision.  In the vision the Lord puts Ezekiel into the middle of a dry, dismal valley where a pile of human bones were baking dry and white on the valley of the desert floor.  The valley is a symbolism of Israel's despair, exile and the belief they were destined to die as a nation and 'indeed cut off."  The bones symbolism the house of Israel.  

God asks Ezekiel if he believes the bones can come to live, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Ezekiel by this point in the scripture had previously witnessed the miraculous hand of God and had  a strong faith in God's abilities.  So instead of answering the way you and I would, "No bones cannot live," Ezekiel's responds with faith: 'O Lord God, you know.' 

God then dramatically shows Ezekiel his power over life and death.  God first instructs Ezekiel to preach to the bones in an effort for the dead, dry bones to come to life once more. Surprisingly the bones begin to rattle and come together in human form, soon flesh is put on the bones and the four winds of the world blow breath into the bones.  Suddenly the valley of dry dead bones is alive because of God and given a new life.

So the desert symbolizes exile of the nation of Israel and a time of trial and uncertainty.  The Bones represent the whole house of Israel and though dead at first they come to live and God offers a promise of a new life and message of hope for his people of better things to come and a new life (eventually in Christ)

Fulfillment of Prophecy: 

1) 50 years after Ezekiel's prophecy the Israelites began to return to Jerusalem.

2) The long-term promise of God's ability to conquer death (death is a result of sin) by salvation in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.

Epistle: Romans 8:1-11 *Note* And Epistle is a letter, and in this case is a collection of letters the Apostle Paul wrote to people in Rome to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Romans is the longest of the Pauline Epistle books within the New Testament

Passage: Romans 8:1-11 "Life in the Spirit" 
 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 

 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 

 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Romans discusses how we struggle with sin and our chance of salvation through Jesus Christ.  God's Law declares that all people who sin, thus breaking the law deserve to die.    Howeer in this Epistle, Paul concisely summarizes God's reverse declaration for those who follow Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately we all become subject to sin and giving into temptation and because of this sinful nature even the best of people cannot fully uphold God's law.  In God's compassion and love he sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to fulfill the law for us, as we cannot do it ourselves.  

Christ was able to do what we can not.  Lots of people assume that when Christ (God) came down to earth he didn't face the temptations or hardships we face on a day to day basis, but this is not true.  Jesus faced every temptation and had the same emotions and experiences as we do.  However despite being tempted and having the same feelings and emotions we as humans face, Christ did not cave in.  He fully upheld God's Law, and did not give into temptation.  Christ did not sin although we see him tempted in many ways: by Satan in the desert and even while on the cross, Christ held firm and died free of sin, therefore allowing us to be saved and have eternal life.

Gospel Reading: John 11 "The Death of Lazarus, I am the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus Weeps and Jesus Raises Lazarus." 

Chapter 11 of John is one of the landmark stories of Christ's ministry and his miracles.  The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead directly set the wheels in motion for Jesus unfair arrest and crucifixion.  It once again reinforces the power of God, Jesus as a man with compassion and feeling (when Jesus wept it shows how he felt sadness, pain and emotions exactly as we do).

This is a long passage and one that deserves an entire blog entry so for now I'll run down the basic outline of John 11 and highlight key themes.

The chapter deals with the death and resurrection of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus and the  brother of Martha and Mary.  Lazarus lived in the small village of Bethany east of Jerusalem.  When he fell ill, word was sent to Jesus of Lazarus's illness.  When Jesus heard of it he said "This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, instead of rushing back to save him it was decided to wait an extra two days.  This delay was not out of love or compassion for Lazarus, who was a dear friend, in fact it was the opposite. Essentially Jesus saw this as a good opportunity in his last days to show the power of God over death and Christ's manifestation of power and grace obedient to His Father's will.  Jesus knew that even if Lazarus died, through his father in heaven, he would have the power to raise Lazarus from the dead.

When Jesus arrived at Lazarus's house, he had been dead four days.  This is significant because in Jewish tradition of the time, it was believed the spirit of a person hovered over the body for three days.  By the fourth day all life was gone, so to raise someone from death on the fourth day was a true miracle and something only God could do.  

Jesus met with Martha who said: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died..." Jesus proceeds to tell her: "Your brother will rise again." Martha replies: "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."  Jesus then said to her this famous and important statement: "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?" Martha said she believed in his words and Jesus proceeded to the tomb of Lazarus. En route he sees Mary and we see how despite being God, Jesus feels human emotion as we do:

"(33) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he 'was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. (34) And he said, "Where have you laid him?" The said to him, "Lord, come and see." (35) Jesus wept.  So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 

Jesus went into the tomb, a cave, where Lazarus was being held, and it stunk of death and the body was beginning to decompose.  Jesus said a prayer to his Father, God "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I Knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me." When he had sad these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out."  The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

As we draw closer to Easter, this story is a turning point in Jesus ministry. The miracle of the raising of Lazarus, is the climax of John's "signs". It explains the crowds seeking Jesus on Palm Sunday, and leads directly to the decision of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin to plan to kill Jesus - and is the first domino to drop so Christ's ultimate sacrifice occurs: dying on the cross to forgive us for sin.

Thanks for checking out my blog.  In the next few days I will be posting summaries from the Chronological readings in Genesis from the time of the Fall to the Flood.  I will also be doing a feature on Episcopal Relief and Development, a non-profit organization headed by the Episcopal Church to help those suffering worldwide.

Genesis: The Creation Hymn

Genesis 1-2:25 "The Creation Hymn"

The Creation Hymn details how the universe was created. As I mentioned earlier it is important to remember that The Bible begins with God, not with philosophic arguments for His existence. God has always been and always will be. It's hard for us to understand this concept as we on earth have such a definite timeline versus the infinity of God's time, of course once we cross over after this life we will begin to have a clearer understanding of this infinity. However on earth we do not, and that's why trusting that God has been, and always will be is a key element to faith.

I like to think of it like this. To us some of the oldest structures are the Pyramids (just an example) and they are approximately 4500 years old. You look at a mountain in the Rockies and some of that rock is 1.4 billion years old...God's time is similar to that rock...it is stable and linear. We come into the time line later on, however the creation of the universe and the events in the Bible and occurring now are part of God's master plan.

Okay so we all know that God created the Universe in Seven Days. Creationalists believe that each day was a 24 hour period, others feel that God's 'day' was a longer period. I tend to agree with the latter, but respect the Creationalist theory. The word "day" is used in Scripture in four ways 1: that part of the solar day of 24 hours, which is light. 2) a period of 24 hours, 3)a time set apart for some distinctive purpose as "The Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27)" and 4)a longer period of time, during which certain revealed purposes of God are accomplished. The use of "evening" and "morning" may be held to limit "day"to the solar day, but frequent parabolic use of natural phenomena may warrant the conclusion that it simply means that each creative day was a period of time marked off by a beginning and ending

God's Creation of the World is presented in three stages over the course of seven days:

- Declaration of the creation of matter out of nothingness

- Ordering of Creation

- Filling of Creation, in which God puts inanimate objects and animate beings on the earth.

God enacts three creative acts within the 7 days chronicled in the Creation Hymn:

1. The Heavens and the Earth

2. Animal Life and vegetation

3. Humans

Let's break down the days:

Day One:

Passage: Genesis 1:1-3  1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

God's initial creative act resulted in shapeless matter that God molded and arranged or ordered in several stages.  The Light mentioned was not the sun, which did not become visible until the fourth day.

Day Two:  6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 

God introduces three fundamental distinctions in the physical world: sky, sea, and dry land

Day Three:  9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

The Third Day of Creation is a biggie.  It is on this day that vegetation, which will allow future animals and human life to be sustained on the earth as the vegetation provides food, shelter and we know know regulates our air and seasonal weather.

Day Four:  14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

The Fourth day God creates the sun, moon, and stars...the stars help guide the seasons and days and years are created.  I read in a guide to the symbolism of numbers in the Bible that the number '4' represents creation, which is evident in this passage.  The Four Seasons the four corners of the earth, etc...not a major point, but very interesting!  

Day Five:  20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

God creates the birds and fish of the sea.  He also issues his first explicit blessing in  in the Bible.  By pronouncing a blessing, God granted the power of procreation to the animals he created.  His blessing shows his consideration for the creatures welfare ad care.

Day Six: 4 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The Sixth Day is a major day in the Creation Hymn for a number of reasons.  First, God created livestock, animals/creatures, which could roam on the earth's land, not just in the sea or sky.    Most importantly this is the day God created us - he created Man.  God then blesses the human race (then Adam and soon to be Eve) and gives them dominion of the earth.  This shows that God puts us as caretakers of the earth and to tend his creation.

God made us in HIS image, which has typically come to mean that man is personal, rational, and a moral being. While God is infinite and man finite, nevertheless man possesses the elements of personality similar to those of the divine Person: thinking, feeling, and willing. It is important as humans to remember that God made us, and gave us dominion over the world, however God is above us in all things, and anything we choose to do on this earth should be in accordance with his will, not our own pride or selfishness. We will discuss this a bit more in the next entry when we discuss Adam and Eve, the Fall, and Adam's line.

I also think it's interesting that Man was created on the Sixth Day.  In the Bible the number 7 is typically associated with God's divinity.  Man is made on a day just short of seven, showing how we are made in the likeness of God, but that God is above us.  

Another Note: I think it's very topical to consider the task that God gave the human race.  He gave us dominion over the creatures of the earth and vegetation, however in that gift, God expected us to tend and take care of the earth he'd given us to live off of.  He expected us to respect and care for the earth and the creatures inhabiting it.  This wasn't just a silly request, but a practical one.  God knew that as long as we cared for the earth then we could live off of it.  Unfortunately we have faltered on our responsibility and we will suffer for it.  As the efforts of pollution and lack of conservation takes hold, we will be faced with extreme weather and will be forced to either change our ways or face the consequences of our actions.  I'll be the first to admit I'm guilty of contributing to the pollution, however if we make small steps to change our ways and take on the task to preserve the earth as God commanded us then I think we can do a lot of good.

Day Seven:  2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Insights:

"it was good..." So why does God say that refrain at the end of everyday in the Creation Hymn?  God judged that this first step in ordering His creation conformed to His will.  God is purely good and therefore everything he creates within his will is good.  Don't kid yourself, God was logically planning and crafting a creation that was pleasing to him.  He thought it out to the smallest detail.  When you look at a craggy cliff or a rambling creek, God planned it all to a tee.  I personally believe that God uses natural forces, and science to mold the mountains and sea, because God is a logical God.  He has a plan and when you step outside notice the grass and wind and the trees and God's hand crafted it.  

In Genesis 1:26 scripture says "And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..."  Why the 'we'?  A lot of people unfamiliar with the Christian faith have a hard time understanding the Trinity.  We are a monotheistic religion, however God is made up of a Trinity: God, Christ and the Holy Spirit - the form one God - The Trinity. At first it's easy to assume that God didn't have the plan of sending Christ to save man thousands of years after the world's creation, but here we see the vastness and preeminence of God's plan.  

Quote from Study Bible: While affirming the singularity of God, it is not unusual for the Old Testament (OT) to use the plural when speaking of God and his activities.  This anticipates the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  

Some scholars believe this to only be a grammatical device, a plural of majesty or an honorific plural, with no specific theological significance.  I personally tend to think that when God refers to himself as 'We' it foreshadows the Trinity as from the offset of the fall, it seems obvious that God is working toward Christ and ultimate redemption for mankind.

Thanks for reading this entry.  Next up in this Weeks Chronological readings I'll summarize Adam and Eve and the Fall.  I'll also be posting another entry soon on the Lectionary readings and their significance in the 5th Sunday of Lent. 

Genesis:An Introduction

The word Genesis comes from the Greek word 'to begin."  It is the beginning of our story and our communion with God.  It is first book in the Christian Bible/Old Testament, and Hebrew Pentateuch. It's key theme is 'beginnings': The Beginning of the World, Creation of Man, the founding of the Hebrew Nation.

I think a lot of people look at the Old Testament God as a wrathful God, and not as personable as Christ. However it is important to remember that the Trinity is one God and the God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament. However if you really examine the Old Testament readings you'll find a God full of love, forgiveness and compassion. From the very first verses of Genesis we can see that God had a plan and he knew from the beginning that He was going to use the events described in the Bible as a main instrument in the Redemption of Man. The Bible is a tool in which to access God's word, but we must also remember it is through a personal relationship with God, we can only truly understand the true meaning of the Word.

Tradition states that Moses wrote Genesis, and however the scripture contained in Genesis was no doubt used long before Moses as Abraham, or Noah,or Enoch, or Adam began to pass down historical information through generations. God dictated to Moses what needed to be written down, and I personally believe that the events detailed have a specific meaning and purpose in the greater understanding of faith. God has a distinct lesson and purpose in detailing certain events.

The Book of Genesis spans 2000 years and divided into two major parts and several historical subsections.

Chapters 1-11 focus on the creation of the world and it's earliest human families, and their interaction with God.  

Chapters 12-50 tells the story of the ancestors of the people of Israel and focuses on the Hebrew people as God's chosen people.

So 1-11 - early History of the whole world, and 12-50 early History of people of Israel...

Genesis can be summarized by four major events: the creation (chapters 1-2), the fall (chapters 3-5), the flood (chapters 6-9), and the confusion of languages of the tower of Babel. The last division of Genesis, chapters 12-50, can be remembered by its four main characters: Abraham (12:1-25:18), Isaac (25:19-26:35), Jacob (27-36), and Joseph (37-50). 

Here is an outline of how Genesis is subdivided:

"Creation Hymn" 1:1-2:3: The Creation Hymn details the majestic creation of the universe. It is important to remember that the Bible begins with God. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." It does not start with philosophic arguments for His existence.

"The Generations of Heavens and Earth" (2:4-4:26)

"The Book of the Generations of Adam." (5:1-6:8)

"The Generations of Noah." (6:9-9:28)

"The Generations of the Sons of Noah." (10:1-11:9)

"The Generations of Shem" (11:10-26)

"The Generations of Terah": (11:27-25:11)

"The Generations of Ishmael" (25-12-18)

"The Generations of Issac" (25:19-35:29)

"The Generations of Esau" (36:1-43)

"The Generations of Jacob." (37:2-50:26)

We will focus in on each of the important events in this premiere book of the Bible in the coming weeks.

A Brief Introducton to the Bible

Before we leap into Genesis here are some things to consider to help you better understand The Bible:

The Bible is divided into two books: The Old and New Testament.  Both are important facets to understanding, God and better understanding our salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament is the Account of a Nation (The Hebrew/Israelite Nation).  The Old Testament is comprised of 39 books including 17 Historical, 17 Prophetic and 5 Poetical

- Historical: Describe the Rise and Fall of the Hebrew Nation.  Examples include Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Esther, etc...

- Poetical: Literature of the Nation's Golden Age.  Includes: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs.

- Prophetic: Literature of the Nation's Dark Days and focus on coming of Christ

The New Testament is the Account of a Man, Jesus Christ, who was born in the flesh, the Son of God to die on the cross, free of sin so that our sins may be forgiven.  You'll see reference to Christ and his coming early on in the Old Testament.  From the minute Adam and Eve chose to sin, God was working towards Christ's coming and redemption of man through Christ's blood on the cross.  If you bear this in mind when reading the Old Testament, it will help bridge the gap between the two books.

The New Testament is divided into the following sections:

4 Gospels: The MAN whom the Nation Produced.  The Gospels tell a testament of God's only son, Jesus Christ coming down to the earth to live in human flesh and die to save us from sin. Christ was able to save us from sin because he faced every temptation known to man, but did not sin.  His death on the cross was a sacrifice to redeem man, although Christ did not deserve to die.  

Acts: HIS reign among all nation's begins.  Acts details the beginnings of the Christian church after Christ's death and resurrection.  

Epistles: There are twenty-one Epistles, letters written to educate and shed light on Christ's Teachings

Revelation: Forecast of His Universal Dominion

The Bible is a book written over many authors over a gap of centuries and yet it was inspired by one: God.  Although many feel you cannot take the Bible literary, you can trust that every word within it's binding was divinely inspired by God and is God's Word, even if it was written down by human hands. 

How to Read and Study the Bible (Summarized from my Study Bible Notes): Here are some helpful tips for understanding the Bible

I. The Lord Works through his Word: The Lord speaks his word throughout the Bible, through Jesus Christ's teachings and His words and the words of the Bible.  The Lord Works i Two Ways: Law and Gospel: The Law teaches us moral ways and right and wrong, but it cannot in itself save sinners, that redemption comes through Christ's Word in the Gospels.  The law sows us our sins and drives up toward repentance.  The Gospel shows us how, when we falter from God's law we can find redemption through Jesus Christ.

2. Scripture Interprets Scripture: The scripture teaches and connects with other scripture.  The Scripture Agrees within itself.  That being said the Scripture should also be interpreted through context.  You can find a passage to argue anything under the moon in the Bible, but if you don't understand the context of the scripture and it's meaning you may be falsifying an argument and claiming scripture for something that's not really being said within the passage.

3. The Holy Spirit Blesses the Use of God's Word through faith: The Holy Spirit opens our hearts to interpret scripture the way God wanted us to interpret it and helps to lead us toward a trust/faith in the Trinity through it.

Embarking on a Biblical Journey

Welcome to Journey Through the Bible, a website focused on studying Biblical scripture, history, and themes in an effort to develop a spiritual understanding through God and His Word.  My name is Adele and I recently decided to embark on a journey to read through the entire Bible start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.  Each week I will summarize the scripture I've read and offer helpful insights to strengthen one's faith and better know God. From time to time I'll also post topical articles related to Christianity, archaeology, and scripture.  I invite you to join in on this journey and post your insight from the scriptures and your personal walk with God.

Schedule and Topics:

I was recently gifted a very nice study Bible by my Aunt, which offers many devotional plans and suggested scripture.  Each week I will go through the daily readings starting with Genesis Chapter 1 with an end goal of finishing the Bible in its entirety within two-years.  I could possibly speed the process up, but for now I'll stick with the two-year plan as my goal isn't simply to finish the Bible, but to understand what I'm reading and I think it's better to focus in on the text versus speed reading.

If you are looking for a viable option for finishing the Bible quicker I suggest "The Bible in Ninety Days." Essentially you read twelve chapters per day and finish within three months.  The guidebook and devotional is a great complement to this Bible Study as well.

 Bible in Ninety Days. 

In addition to the weekly reading from the chronological order of the Bible, I will also focus in on three weekly Lectionary passages taken from the Old Testament, Epistles, and Gospel in coordination with the Sunday calendar.  

Things you will need...If you want to follow me on this journey I suggest investing in a good study Bible.  The NIV version is very good and offers insightful footnotes, and is fairly affordable through Amazon.  If you cannot invest in a Bible, there are lots of great resources on the web, where you can access scripture and find devotional information.  I recommend      Bible Gateway, an online site with complete biblical texts from over 100 various translations.

Another great resource is Halley's Bible Handbook, a sort of Cliff's Notes to the Bible with excellent insight on the scripture, it's context and symbolism.

Topics: Our main focus will be on the Biblical Text and how the Holy Spirit speaks through scripture, however occasionally I'll post entries on Christian art, archaeology, book reviews on relative reading, along with history related to the Bible and Christian faith.  

In a subsequent entry I'll post the monthly readings, along with my blogging schedule. 

A Question of Faith:

A little about me.  I was born and raised in Raleigh NC.  I grew up attending a local Presbyterian Church.  I currently attend the Episcopal Church.  I do not classify my faith in terms of denomination, but rather the fact that I'm a Christian.  I think all denominations from Catholic to Lutheran to Episcopalian to Methodist and Presbyterian all follow the tenets Christ laid out for us in the New Testament. I think that in order to live a fulfilled life in Christ it's important to establish a personal relationship with him through the Holy Spirit, attend services when you can as fellowship is important in strengthening faith and community, and of course read the scripture - as the Bible is a guidebook inspired by God to help us understand Him and His place in our lives, and our purpose in this world.

 I've been blessed in that from an early age I had a understanding and faith in Christ.  I know for some faith is a struggle and it's not as easy to believe in something you cannot see or fully understand. 

 God gave man brainpower and an understanding of reason and the ability to use it in worldly things: science, history, writing and language.  I think the first step towards embracing the Word of God and his existence is first understanding that God is not of this world. God  created this world and created everything in this world, but God is out of this world, a supernatural presence and the divine being. That can scare off some, as they reason 'if I can't see it, feel it, or understand it in earthly terms - then how can it be real?'  

First it's important to understand that God transcends worldly things, and his presence extends the human spectrum of understanding.  Submitting to the idea that God is out of this world and we as humans cannot fully grasp everything about his presence is a first step to embracing His truth.  This is a leap of faith, but if you can let go having to fully understand how God works, and simply that he exists is a first step.

On a second point, I think it helps to look at the world around you and you will find God.  I love to hike and enjoy nature.  When on a walk you notice how miraculous things in even the tiniest leaf.  Of course being people with rational minds we tend to assume just because something is logical or works within structure it can't come from God's creation.  If you think about that argument it doesn't make sense.  The universe and the world, which we live in is a system of parallels and definite contrasts - I don't know about you but I find it illogical to think that the earth and the Universe is so exact simply by random combustion and without the hand of a divine draftsman.  If anything everything would be more random and unstructured, from the stars, to the seasons, to the lifespan of the butterfly, etc...I no scientist, but when you see such extreme beauty and creation in the world around you, so perfectly constructed, like a painter analyzes his palette so is the world...I think it's easy to find God in nature and within our lives if you are willing to let go of rationalizing and embrace the simple understanding that God created this world.

I think those who bash Christianity don't really understand its tenets.  Ignorance can often lead to fear of understanding something like religion.  Christianity at it's core is about love, compassion, hope, forgiveness and understanding - universal themes for any race, creed or person on this earth.  Many see God as vengeful something we'll examine in the Old Testament readings, but even when God shows his ire and wrath within that justice is compassion and forgiveness for even the worst sinners. Remember that God is loving and cares for you.  When we sin of course we are doing wrong against God, but he offers us salvation in spite of our ways to ensure we have a spot in His eternal kingdom in heaven. 

Whether you come in as a devout believer, a person searching for answers, or a skeptic, I invite you to join me in studying the Bible!