Results tagged “Bible - Pentateuch”

Joseph experienced disappointment after disappointment. His brothers conspired to kill him, but instead, sold him as a slave. While a slave in Egypt, he was wrongfully accused of rape, and thrown in prison. While in prison, he was forgotten by an inmate he helped. Alone and abandoned, Joseph's series of unfortunate circumstances results in his promotion to the second-highest place of power in his known world. Just as he was getting over his past, through a "chance" encounter, God brings him face-to-face with his brothers who sold him into slavery. How will he respond? With violence (he has the power of Egypt behind him)? With humiliation? Or will he choose the path of reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing? This message is a brief overview of Joseph's life. Joseph is a powerful example of the truth, "Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backwards." Joseph learns the mystery of providence, that God's divine purpose can be realized in and through (and sometimes, in spite of) pervasive sin and evil.
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Genesis 50:19-21 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones." In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them. »more

On the run from his brother Esau who wants to kill him, Jacob finds himself alone, vulnerable, and frightened. At this point in his life, God appears and promises to be with him throughout all his journeys, and faithfully bring Jacob back to his home. Jacob makes a vow to God and proceeds to his mother's homeland in order to find a wife. But he finds more than he bargained for! He meets himself in Laban - another deceiver! Through deception, jealousy, polygamy and more, the twelve sons of Jacob are born. When he returns home twenty years later, he finds himself in the same situation he experienced upon departure: He is alone, vulnerable, and fearful for his life. Will Esau murder him? Jacob wrestles all night with God and is wounded, but he prevails. He admits that he is Jacob the Deceiver and God changes his name to Israel - the One who Strives with God. Though Jacob is not worthy of God's blessing, he struggles with God - and it is this struggle that God honors. Through this long experience - There and Back Again - Jacob's life is transformed and he becomes a man of faith!
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In many ways, Isaac is a transitional character. He is the child of promise, the one whom Abraham and Sarah gave birth to in their old age, after waiting for so long. Isaac is also the father of two twin brothers - Esau and Jacob - who could not be more dissimilar. The feud between these two begins in the womb. Jacob, the deceiver, takes advantage of Esau and steals his birthright. (But Esau is also too blame, because he "despised" his birthright.) Later, Rebekah hatches a plan that will allow Jacob to steal Esau's blessing. This crazy plan works and Jacob receives Isaac's blessing. But this action is not without consequences. Esau is determined to kill Jacob, so he must run for his life. It is at this low point that God begins to develop faith in Jacob, whose name will be changed to Israel.
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After 25 years, God's promise to Abraham is finally fulfilled. Isaac is born! But no sooner is God's promise fulfilled than God asks Abraham to do something strange: "Abraham, take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim writes, "While the frightening, even bizarre, character of the divine command ought not to be discounted, it should not be exaggerated either." What is the point of this narrative? Join us as we wrestle with God's testing of Abraham. After 25 years of success and failure, doubt and disbelief, Abraham has come to trust in God's faithfulness. Why? And what does this mean for us?
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Bible Passage Covered: Genesis 20 - 22 »more

In this session, we trace Abraham's journey of faith from his arrival in the Promised Land to his laughter over God's promise to allow Sarah to give birth to a child in her old age. We cover Abraham's faithlessness in Egypt, his meeting with Melchizedek, God's unilateral Covenant with Abraham, Sarah's attempt to provide a surrogage mother, the sign of circumcision, and God's explicit promise that Sarah will give birth to the child of promise, Isaac. Abraham and Sarah experience the tension of living between Promise and Fulfillment. Sometimes faithful, sometimes faithless and fearing, we experience Abraham and Sarah's growing faith and confidence in God - a faith that will come to its climax in Abraham's Test of Faith in Genesis 22!
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Bible Passage Covered: Genesis 12 - 17 »more

The Bible's accurate portrayal of a good-but-flawed humanity clearly demonstrates that redemption comes not through human initiative but through divine faithfulness. The story of the Bible is the story of a God who is active in human history, bringing blessing in the midst of a fallen world. The good news begins in Genesis and climaxes in Christ! »more

The flood brings a new beginning. Yet, in spite of this fresh start, the human heart remains the same: "the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth" (Genesis 8:21). Creation begins anew, but the climate has changed considerably. God makes accommodations for a creation corrupted by human sin by giving laws intended to curb human sin. God does this because God remains committed to the original blessing (Genesis 1:28). God's covenant with all creation will guarantee that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. In this session we consider new developments after the flood, including Noah's sin and the Tower of Babel
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The flood returns creation to its original state, but with significant changes. Sin still remains. Creation is no longer "very good" but "corrupt." The human heart is not innocent, but clouded by sin. Since humankind's future flourishing cannot depend on human faithfulness, God's covenant now supports and sustains God's relationship with creation. »more

Unfortunately, when most people think of the Genesis account of the flood they lose sight of its meaning in the developing story of Genesis. When we view it as a nice children's story (What child does not love animals and boats?) or focus on the unimaginable scale of destruction wrought by the flood, we miss out on the meaning of the story - what it teaches us about God and God's ways with fallen humanity. Clearly, the flood account has been greatly misunderstood. The story of the flood is not about God's wrath or anger. Not once does the account state that God is angry or wrathful. Instead, we discover that God is disappointed and grieved. The purpose of the flood is not the destruction of creation, but rather, its preservation. The flood is about a new beginning and hope for the future grounded in God's unconditional covenant with creation. God is unwilling to abandon creation and would rather suffer the pain of humanity's continued sinfulness rather than bring creation and humanity to a grinding halt.
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The story of the flood is not about God's wrath or anger. God expresses sorrow, disappointment, and regret. God grieves because God loves. God does not stand in an indifferent or remote relationship to what has happened, but personally enters into its brokenness and works on it from within. This covenant faithfulness comes at a cost to God. »more

Genesis 4 and 5 are transitional chapters that take us from Adam to Noah. Along the way they chronicle the escalation and scope of human sin. Alongside this downward spiral, we find small pockets of light. It reveals the good news that, in spite of human sin and its progression, God remains determined to bless. In this session, we cover the first city, the rise of human culture - arts, technology, and religion, the cycle of violence reflected in Lamech's savage song of vengeance, and Enoch's walk with God and his strange and unusual end. Though these chapters are merely transitional, they fill in humanity's story and set the stage for God's call to Abraham.
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God places two possibilities before Cain. "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). God's acceptance is not limited to our past actions. Cain can change his future is he heeds God's warning. And the warning is clear: "Sin is crouching at your door." Sin is portrayed as a ravenous wild beast lurking at the door of Cain's heart, waiting to gain entrance. It is a beast that is ready to pounce at every possible opportunity. "Its desire is for you." Sin has a "desire" for Cain. It "lusts" after Cain with beastly hunger. In the story of Cain and Abel, we discover that sin is a very real threat to human flourishing. Our freedom is found in obedience to God's counsel. Our struggle against sin is a lifelong challenge. A good society begins with good people. Cain's social injustice is fueled by Cain's personal sin - sin Cain refuses to acknowledge and restrain.
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In the story of Cain and Abel, we discover that sin is a very real threat to human flourishing. Our freedom is found in obedience to God's counsel. Our struggle against sin is a lifelong challenge. A good society begins with good people. Cain's social injustice is fueled by Cain's personal sin - sin Cain refuses to acknowledge and restrain. »more

The curse that comes about through human sin is in direct opposition to God's original intent of blessing. Thankfully, God's blessing continues in spite of the curse. Marriage, reproduction, and harvest will continue. But because of the curse, pain and turmoil will accompany human efforts to sustain life, bear children, and produce food. »more

The bitter and unintended consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience are vast. Their sin wreaks havoc in their relationship to God, one another, themselves, and their environment. Every sphere of life - family, work, culture, and community - is adversely affected. The curse that comes about through human sin is in direct opposition to God's original intent of blessing. Thankfully, God's blessing continues in spite of the curse. Marriage, reproduction, and harvest will continue. But because of the curse, pain and turmoil will accompany human efforts to sustain life, bear children, and produce food. The first few chapters of Genesis describe how death encroaches upon life. Paradise is lost through human sin. It will only be regained through the abundant grace of God - grace that is greater than human sin.
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At the heart of every temptation is the subtle accusation, "God is not good." Therefore, "God can't be trusted." At the deepest level we are dealing with matters of trust. Can we trust God even when we don't know the whole story - like a child must trust a parent? Or should we trust only ourselves, short-circuiting a relationship with God?
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Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 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 die." 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?'" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. »more

At the heart of every temptation is the subtle accusation, "God is not good." Therefore, "God can't be trusted." At the deepest level we are dealing with matters of trust. Can we trust God even when we don't know the whole story - like a child must trust a parent? Or should we trust only ourselves, short-circuiting a relationship with God? »more

Adam and Eve will learn "the knowledge of good and evil" by means of the tree - either through resisting evil's persuasive influence or by disobeying God and experiencing evil's destructive power. The choice boils down to either (1) self-dependent autonomy or (2) God-dependent faith and obedience. The same choice stands before us today. »more

God's psalmist poetically describes humankind in the following manner, "You have made human beings a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5). What is it that caused the psalmist to speak in such elevated and beautiful language? The answer lies in the pregnant phrase, "the image and likeness of God." »more

Life in the Garden is good, indeed, it is very good (Genesis 1:31). But it is not perfect. God's good creation allows considerable room for growth and the development of potentialities inherent in humanity. But this potential for growth also brings with it the possibility for decay. One is not possible without the other. Adam and Eve will learn "the knowledge of good and evil" by means of the tree - either through resisting evil's persuasive influence or by disobeying God and experiencing evil's destructive power. The choice boils down to either (1) self-dependent autonomy or (2) God-dependent faith and obedience. The same choice stands before us today.
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Genesis 2:15-17 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 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 die." »more