Genesis 2-21 (What’s it like to read the entire bible? How about we find out?)

I have to apologize once again for reading but not posting. I’m finding it sometimes easy and sometimes difficult to write.

Let’s do a mile-a-minute overview…

• Genesis 1
  • God declares the Sabbath Holy and purposed it for rest.
    • Never forget that Sunday was purposed for rest. As this year goes by, try to remember the number of Sundays where you truly relaxed.
  • An account is given again of the six-day creation, this time including a few more details, like where the garden was, how God created animals in Adam’s sight, and how Eve came to be.
    • A somewhat popular “contradiction” is brought up concerning why Genesis 1 and 2 differ in the order. Google around for the apologetics regarding the purpose of each chapter.
    • Details are important in the bible. Unlike many historical documents, the bible contains detail, and sometimes goes on at length, that you might consider useless. But, thousands of years later, they turn out to be very pivotal in proving the accuracy and truth of God’s Word. Genesis 2 includes details about the surrounding lands, the borders of Eden, some special characteristics about each area.
    • It’s a subtle point, but one that is probably important. If God had not shown Adam that He created the animals, Adam might have had reason to doubt God, who walked with Adam and Eve if the garden, had really created all of this. Perhaps He was just taking credit? The bible is incredibly fascinating when you look at it in this level of detail.
  • Genesis 3
    • How Adam and Eve were tempted and broke the first and only rule to that point.
      • Apt: “When you break the big laws, you do not get freedom; you do not even get anarchy. You get the small laws.” – G.K. Chesterton
  • Genesis 4
    • The first murder. Cain murders Abel.
      • Cain’s judgement was to be an outcast. The first murder didn’t result in death as a punishment. Selah.
  • Genesis 5
    • Genealogies!
      • “Enoch walked with God, and he was not there, because God took him.” (Genesis 5:24) How many can claim to have escaped this life without death?
      • “So Methuselah’s life lasted 969 years; then he died.” (Genesis 5:27) Oldest man who ever lived.
      • “Lamech was 182 years old when he fathered a son. And he named him Noah, saying, ‘This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.'” Five chapters into the bible and we already have Noah foreshadowing the destruction of all created life.
  • Genesis 6
    • Fascinating chapter because it seems to hint at something beyond what we would consider normal man living with human-kind.
    • “When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves.” (Genesis 6:1-2)
    • “The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterwards, when the sons of God came to the daughters of man, who bore children to them. They were powerful men of old, the famous men.” (Genesis 6:4)
    • God sees that all mankind has evil intent in their hearts, except Noah. Noah is told to build a boat to survive a flood that will wipe out all life.
  • Genesis 7-9
    • Noah and his family enter their boat, the ark, and the flood strikes the earth.
    • The flood recedes, Noah and his family and all the animals get out and start the earth anew.
    • Noah sacrificed offerings to God and God promised never to wipe out the earth again.
    • God put the rainbow in the sky as a testament to this.
  • Genesis 10
    • Family records!
      • Immensely boring, but remember those details that have survived thousands of years are of use, even if we don’t see it. They will, if they don’t already, lend credibility and historical accuracy to the bible and more people will trust in God as He has done something amazing with His Word.
  • Genesis 11
    • The Tower of Babel / Babylon
      • This one is interesting because God indicates that mankind can achieve anything if we were but united.
      • That sounds great, but would corrupt hearts really do what is right in that situation?
      • Clearly our own governments should be example enough of what damage small groups of people in unison can do
    • More genealogies!
      • Trust me, these things that seem useless are critical.
      • When you realize you can trace Jesus’s lineage all the way back to King David and before, and when you realize how many things needed to go right for that to happen, you should be amazed.
  • Genesis 12-21
    • God’s master plan is begun with Abraham
    • God calls out to Abraham and Abraham follows even though he is told he won’t live to see what God is promising. Selah.
    • Little things come up, like white lies (Abraham tells everybody his wife is his sister so he won’t be harmed), and two brothers needing to separate to keep the peace (Abraham and Lot).
      • These things are interesting because they’re all the things you would think a Holy Bible, God’s Own Word, wouldn’t have because they seem unimportant. But this is God’s Word, He sees the end from the beginning, and He has chosen these things for a reason.
      • Abraham has a son by one of his slaves and, wouldn’t you know it, two significant women in his life just isn’t going to end well. Take heed in the twenty-first century folks.
      • Abraham’s wife is old and barren and has not been able to have a child, but God promises that she will. And she does, though neither can believe that she will.
      • God introduces circumcision for Abraham and all his descendents to confirm His convenant with Abraham.
        • Even today, you will randomly hear a study indicating circumcision is a practical step in cleanliness, even to the level of reducing the chance of catching certain diseases. This kinda stuff that we only now understand as having practical benefits just keeps coming up in the bible. It’s truly awesome when you’ve gone through the entire thing.
    • Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed for their wickedness.
      • Abraham makes a plea to save Sodom if some there are found righeous.
      • Lot and his family are saved from the destruction
        • It is interesting to note that Abraham asked God if He would destroy the towns if only 10 righteous people were found. God said He would not destroy the town if that were the case.
        • The account is told whereby it appears angels meet Abraham and continue on to Sodom. They are invited in to Lot’s abode. Wicked men of the city ask for the guests so that they can rape them. Lot offers his virgin daughters (who may actually have already been engaged to be married; Genesis 19:14) to the men outside.
        • The angels end up destroying the town.
        • Lot’s family was large (large enough to cause problems just for sheer size with his brother earlier), so no doubt him and his family would have been considered a righteous group of people if they actually had been.
        • But Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.
        • Meaning, Lot and his family were not considered righteous (would you consider them to be if he offered his daughters up to evil men?).
        • So, God certainly would have spared the town if 10 had been found, and I believe even if one had been found, but it seems that none were found.
        • Were the righteous destroyed with the wicked? In this case, it appears no, they were not, and even some wicked ones were spared on account of Abraham.
        • God’s mercy is ever-present, ever waiting to show itself.
          • Keep this in the back of your mind for later books when you’re wondering where God’s mercy is.

There are so many little points that could be written. Entire sermon series are written on only a few of the verses found in these chapters.

Every time I pick up the bible these days I think to how amazing it is that God kept a history like this.

I find it amazing how little details come back thousands of years later and give us even better confidence than we had before in the legitimacy and accuracy of the Word.

I think it’s incredible to see how the character of God is revealed in His Word. His love, mercy, generosity, commitment, and more, everything that isn’t explicitly attributed to God in word is here for those who would simply read it and see how God dealt with situations in history.

You might have a thousand songs and poems say “God is,” but having the bible say “God did” paints a picture worth a thousand words holding more authority than anything written by man.