Genesis 2-4

Genesis 2

God completed His creation by making a companion for the man.  The woman came from man, so he felt a closeness to her that he would not feel with any other part of creation.  Similarly, we should feel that same closeness with God, since man came from God in His image.  Adam and Eve had everything they could need, an more.  They were vegetarians.  God apparently did not intend for there to be death in creation, for they only ate plants.  They were naked, because to have clothes would have caused the death of some animal.  They were supposed to take care of creation.  God instituted marriage.  He intended for the two to be inseparable, and there was no reason for them to feel shame.  God only placed one restriction on the people there was one tree in all of creation that they were not allowed to use for food.

Genesis 3

My goal here is not to give a recap of what is in scripture, but rather just to tell what I see as I read.  The fall of man was effected by Satan mixing in just enough truth with a lie to make the statement look right.  God’s restriction was on just one tree, not all.  Eve fell victim to something that gets us all, especially me - spending to much time wanting what we don’t have, rather than appreciating what we have been given.  You notice here that both Adam and Eve felt shame after their disobedience.  They walked with God and welcomed Him before.  Now they couldn’t even look at Him, and didn’t want to be seen by Him.  Obedience breeds confidence!  Disobedience breeds discontent and despair.  After the fact, they both wanted to blame someone else for their failures.  Adam even wanted to blame God!Life lesson - if God puts you where He wants and needs you to be, you can’t blame Him if you aren’t obedient to His calling and commands.  Finally, just because you fail, or disobey, that doesn’t mean that God is not with you.  It just means that you have to work harder because of it.  Obedience the first time always makes th work and the journey more productive.

Genesis 4

This is the first warning from God that whatever is in your heart will rule over your life.  These are Jesus’ words in John 8.  (Yes, I know I’m jumping ahead, but these passages are connected!)  Sin will rule and ruin you if you don’t get your heart right with God.  This passage makes me wonder, where did these other people come from?  I wish I had a good explanation.  There is no mention of Adam and Eve having daughters.  This is something I just don’t have an answer for.  Whatever the answer, God is beginning to reveal himself to the people in a very personal way.  They now have to decide if they will follow Him or reject Him.

Challenge for the New Year

I have purposed this year to read my Bible every day.  I am trying for 2 or 3 chapters each day, but if I need to do less, I will.  I will follow this each day by journaling on what I have read.  This is something I have never done.  I am doing this in hopes that I will gain a better understanding of what God has said in His word.  I’m not going to go into deep exposition, word study, or cross referencing.  I just want to get down what God has spoken to me each day.  I hope you will follow along with me, and do this challenge yourself.  May God bless you in the reading of His word!

Genesis 1

The Word of God begins by describing His creative acts.  It is unapologetic in giving credit to WHO did the work - In the beginning GOD…!  No one else was present and no other force was needed to effect the creation of all that is.  Three things that stand out in the creation story: 1) God put everything in place exactly how and where He wanted it to be.  It is so precise that you can use the stars for a calendar.  2) Although all of the animal kingdom, including man, would share creation, we are all intended to be unique and different.  Therefore, we are all intended to reproduce our own kind with our own kind.  God didn’t throw things in a bag and mix them up, and He doesn’t intend for us to do that either.  3) Although God says that creation is “very good,” man is the only part of creation that was made in God’s image.  We were intending to be the crowning glory of God’s work, and were given charge over it all.

A Holy God

Today I was reading Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love”.  In the chapter I was reading, Chan referenced scripture passages from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 in describing the majesty of the throne room of God.  Both biblical writers described an amazing scene of glory and majesty around the throne of the Creator of our universe.  

Isaiah recorded the words of one the creatures at the throne as this - “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3).  

John recorded these words - “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and is and who is to come.”  

John also recorded the words of the twenty four elders who threw down the crowns they had earned through their service to God.  They said, “Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

These words were spoken by glorious creatures who were in the very presence of God.  They were able to see Him and experience Him every day in all His majest.  In this presence, all they could do was worship a holy God.  I have read these verses many times, and I have tried to picture what this scene must have looked like.  I think I can come up with a fair picture of the beings that surround the throne, and they are magnificent.  However, I cannot form a picture in my mind that is God, the One seated on the throne.  The reason for this is that God is not worshipped for what He looks like.  He is worshipped for what He is, and what He is, is holy.

The most descriptive and consuming word used for God is Holy.  It literally means that God is set apart from us with nothing else that can compare to Him.  It is no coincidence that an Old Testament prophet and a New Testament apostle both heard God worshipped as “holy, holy, holy.”  God is an eternal God who has always been, and always will be.  He is powerful enough to create everything you can see with your eyes and everything you can’t see.  He is able to set the standard for how we should live because He is the standard.  

As I am trying to write these words, I am at a loss for words.  I cannot describe the God that created me.  Perhaps I am just not as adept at putting words together as many people that I have read.  I am frustrated because I cannot say what I want to say.  What I desire to express does not come easily.  

This is my witness.  God is God.  He is holy.  He alone is worthy of all praise and honor and glory.

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty!

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