I love learning so much when I delve into the Scriptures! Here we go:
Genesis 10-12
Lots of genealogy in this section! I just love those names!
So, the descendants of Ham, Shem, and Japheth are spread out among Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The Tower of Babel is built, but not in a way to glorify God. God comes down from the tower to confuse the languages of all the people in an attempt to slow down the spread of their sins.
What I found interesting in today's scriptures comes from the footnotes. At the time when God calls Abram to leave his country and to go to the land He promised him, Abram was polytheistic. Abram's father, Terah, and his whole family worshipped the moon gods, and probably others. The fact that when the Lord spoke to Abram and he followed showed great faith, faith that only took hold once the Lord called to him.
Of course, though, our faith is tested (see more about that in the Matthew section of this post), and Abram's was as well. Once Abram got into Egypt, he became worried that the people of Egypt would kill Abram in order to take his wife, Sarai, for themselves because she was so beautiful. (And also politically affluent as well, apparently.) Instead of relying on God to protect him, Abram concocted a scheme that got him into great trouble with the Pharaoh and required God to intervene. We will be tested as a part of our walk in faith, but we should not worry because God remains faithful to his promises. (I know, easier said than done sometimes.)
Matthew 4
At the end of Matthew 3, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptizer, and God speaks from the heavens and identifies Jesus as his Son. At the beginning of Chapter 4, Jesus is tempted by the devil.
Isn't this how it works? Once we have decided to commit our lives to Christ (or sometimes even to recommit, or whatever the case may be), that is when the devil, or as the footnotes call him, literally the tempter, we are tempted by sin! Our walk alongside Christ is not an easy one, and no one knows it better than our Savior himself. It is comforting to know that Jesus understands the nature of temptation; it helps him sympathize with me in my times of temptation. And heaven knows, there are many of those times :)
Blessings in Christ,
Dallas
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
BIAY - January 3
It's amazing to me how God can speak to us through scripture. Yesterday, I mused about how, like Cain, our attitude controls so much about our lives. Well, yesterday afternoon, I had myself a little pity-party over something totally small and out of my control. Blessed am I, however, that it didn't last very long because I heard the whispers of the Holy Spirit in my heart reminding me about my attitude. I was able to dust myself off, as it were, and move on. Praise God!
Today's readings were Genesis 7-9 and Matthew 3.
Genesis 7-9
I decided to take an extra fine point black pin and put a little star beside things I didn't know in what is supposed to be a familiar story. Today's reading is about the flood. Everyone knows this story, right? We've heard it in Sunday School, sang songs about it as small children, and heard everything about it as adults, right? Well, wrong-o in my case.
I'm going to quote directly from my NLT translation of the Bible here. The bold print is my own emphasis.
"When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. Take with you seven pairs - male and female - of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird." Genesis 7:1-3a
What what? Seven pairs? I never knew anything about seven pairs. I guess they did need to eat. If they ate the only two on the boat, that species would die out. It makes sense. I just never thought about it before. Mind blown, again!
So, the story goes like this. It floods; they float.
The first verse of Chapter 8 starts with this: "But God remembered Noah." I like the footnote that accompanies it. "This structural and theological center of the flood story does not mean that God had at any point forgotten Noah. This is covenant language reflecting God's faithfulness to his promise to ensure the safety of his covenant partner." Wow! Covenant partner! I love that. Later in the Bible, God makes a covenant with His people that makes access to Him more intimate, like what we know today. That makes ME a covenant partner with God! That is very intimate, is it not? I love covenant language; it just shows even more that I am an adopted daughter of God, that He loves me and wants only the best for me. Praise Him!
I think it's pretty great that after Noah gets his family and all the animals off the boat, the first thing he does is offer a sacrifice to God. He doesn't relax; he doesn't go for a walk to exercise his legs or breathe in the fresh air. Nope, he pays tribute to God. I bet being on that boat was not any fun; it wasn't a cruise ship, people! No doubt that it was difficult for him. However, the first thing he does coming out of a difficult circumstance is to praise God. What an example for us! No wonder Noah found favor with the Lord.
Of course, later, God makes the covenant with Noah that he will never destroy the earth by flood again. The sign? A rainbow. How sweet. What's not so sweet, though, is the footnote that accompanies this part of the story. "This promise does not prohibit worldwide judgment, but it restricts the means by which God will do it." Gulp. And there you have it.
Later on, after the covenant-making and the command to be fruitful and multiply, Noah had some wine (which the footnotes say is a gift from God), but... he had to much, became drunk, and passed out naked inside his tent. (The footnotes say though wine is as gift from God, drunkenness is a sin.) The scriptures never label Noah as perfect; they describe him as finding favor with God. We are all subject to sin, are we not?
So anyway, here's Noah, laid out naked and drunk, and one of his sons, Ham, walks in and sees him this way. Instead of covering him up to preserve his dignity, he runs and tells his brothers! They walk in and cover him up since Ham didn't.
When Noah awakes, he curses Ham, but blesses his other sons, Shem and Japheth. Ham's descendants will serve the descendants of Shem and Japheth. Specifically, Noah curses Ham's son, Canaan. "May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives." (Genesis 9:25) The footnote tells us here that "Noah's curse foresaw Ham's actions as morally representative of Ham's descendants through Canaan."
What suck out most to me, however, was that Ham was cursed because he chose to gossip first instead of provide aid. This makes me think about gossip with friends and family, in workplaces, even at church. Why do people, in general, rush to gossip instead of provide help for someone? Is it hardwired in our sinful nature? This story makes me want to reevaluate what I say about others instead of offering help to them. I don't go out of my way to be a gossip, but I do confess that I can get caught up in it. Sometimes I even start it, though I don't plot ways to be malicious. This is something that I can focus on in the start of a new year.
Matthew 3
This is the story of John the Baptist, or as we at our Presbyterian church call him, John the Baptizer.
I love that John knows his place in God's will, that he is subordinate to Christ the Messiah. He paves the way, preaching about what and who is to come. John gets people to repent of their sins and be baptized, helping to prepare their hearts to receive the message that the Messiah brings to them. He even calls out the Pharisees, telling them that basically, they better get their hearts "right" or that they will be cut away from the believers when Jesus comes.
John knows that he is unworthy to baptize Jesus. He says he's not even worthy enough to carry his sandals. The footnotes tell us that servants didn't even carry their masters' sandals; that was a job relegated to the lowest of the low - the slaves. John puts all his focus and all the glory on God and the Messiah. He's another great example for us to follow. He does God's will, he does good things, but every single bit of the recognition and glory to God. Amen!
When Jesus asks to be baptized, John doesn't even want to do it. "Lord," he cries, "it should be the other way! You should be baptizing me instead!" But Jesus knows that he has been commanded to be baptized, and John baptizes Jesus in the river. I would have loved to have been there for that.
Then the heavens opened up, a dove descended, and God called out to Jesus, giving him the title of Son. "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." (Matthew 3:17) I know I'm not Jesus. I know I'm not perfect. I know I'm a sinner. But I look forward to going to heaven one day, standing in front of God, the Father Almighty, and I want to live my life in a way that when I get there, he can say that I have brought him great joy.
In Christ,
Dallas
Today's readings were Genesis 7-9 and Matthew 3.
Genesis 7-9
I decided to take an extra fine point black pin and put a little star beside things I didn't know in what is supposed to be a familiar story. Today's reading is about the flood. Everyone knows this story, right? We've heard it in Sunday School, sang songs about it as small children, and heard everything about it as adults, right? Well, wrong-o in my case.
I'm going to quote directly from my NLT translation of the Bible here. The bold print is my own emphasis.
"When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. Take with you seven pairs - male and female - of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird." Genesis 7:1-3a
What what? Seven pairs? I never knew anything about seven pairs. I guess they did need to eat. If they ate the only two on the boat, that species would die out. It makes sense. I just never thought about it before. Mind blown, again!
So, the story goes like this. It floods; they float.
The first verse of Chapter 8 starts with this: "But God remembered Noah." I like the footnote that accompanies it. "This structural and theological center of the flood story does not mean that God had at any point forgotten Noah. This is covenant language reflecting God's faithfulness to his promise to ensure the safety of his covenant partner." Wow! Covenant partner! I love that. Later in the Bible, God makes a covenant with His people that makes access to Him more intimate, like what we know today. That makes ME a covenant partner with God! That is very intimate, is it not? I love covenant language; it just shows even more that I am an adopted daughter of God, that He loves me and wants only the best for me. Praise Him!
I think it's pretty great that after Noah gets his family and all the animals off the boat, the first thing he does is offer a sacrifice to God. He doesn't relax; he doesn't go for a walk to exercise his legs or breathe in the fresh air. Nope, he pays tribute to God. I bet being on that boat was not any fun; it wasn't a cruise ship, people! No doubt that it was difficult for him. However, the first thing he does coming out of a difficult circumstance is to praise God. What an example for us! No wonder Noah found favor with the Lord.
Of course, later, God makes the covenant with Noah that he will never destroy the earth by flood again. The sign? A rainbow. How sweet. What's not so sweet, though, is the footnote that accompanies this part of the story. "This promise does not prohibit worldwide judgment, but it restricts the means by which God will do it." Gulp. And there you have it.
Later on, after the covenant-making and the command to be fruitful and multiply, Noah had some wine (which the footnotes say is a gift from God), but... he had to much, became drunk, and passed out naked inside his tent. (The footnotes say though wine is as gift from God, drunkenness is a sin.) The scriptures never label Noah as perfect; they describe him as finding favor with God. We are all subject to sin, are we not?
So anyway, here's Noah, laid out naked and drunk, and one of his sons, Ham, walks in and sees him this way. Instead of covering him up to preserve his dignity, he runs and tells his brothers! They walk in and cover him up since Ham didn't.
When Noah awakes, he curses Ham, but blesses his other sons, Shem and Japheth. Ham's descendants will serve the descendants of Shem and Japheth. Specifically, Noah curses Ham's son, Canaan. "May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives." (Genesis 9:25) The footnote tells us here that "Noah's curse foresaw Ham's actions as morally representative of Ham's descendants through Canaan."
What suck out most to me, however, was that Ham was cursed because he chose to gossip first instead of provide aid. This makes me think about gossip with friends and family, in workplaces, even at church. Why do people, in general, rush to gossip instead of provide help for someone? Is it hardwired in our sinful nature? This story makes me want to reevaluate what I say about others instead of offering help to them. I don't go out of my way to be a gossip, but I do confess that I can get caught up in it. Sometimes I even start it, though I don't plot ways to be malicious. This is something that I can focus on in the start of a new year.
Matthew 3
This is the story of John the Baptist, or as we at our Presbyterian church call him, John the Baptizer.
I love that John knows his place in God's will, that he is subordinate to Christ the Messiah. He paves the way, preaching about what and who is to come. John gets people to repent of their sins and be baptized, helping to prepare their hearts to receive the message that the Messiah brings to them. He even calls out the Pharisees, telling them that basically, they better get their hearts "right" or that they will be cut away from the believers when Jesus comes.
John knows that he is unworthy to baptize Jesus. He says he's not even worthy enough to carry his sandals. The footnotes tell us that servants didn't even carry their masters' sandals; that was a job relegated to the lowest of the low - the slaves. John puts all his focus and all the glory on God and the Messiah. He's another great example for us to follow. He does God's will, he does good things, but every single bit of the recognition and glory to God. Amen!
When Jesus asks to be baptized, John doesn't even want to do it. "Lord," he cries, "it should be the other way! You should be baptizing me instead!" But Jesus knows that he has been commanded to be baptized, and John baptizes Jesus in the river. I would have loved to have been there for that.
Then the heavens opened up, a dove descended, and God called out to Jesus, giving him the title of Son. "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." (Matthew 3:17) I know I'm not Jesus. I know I'm not perfect. I know I'm a sinner. But I look forward to going to heaven one day, standing in front of God, the Father Almighty, and I want to live my life in a way that when I get there, he can say that I have brought him great joy.
In Christ,
Dallas
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Bible in a Year - January 2
Today's assigned scripture is Genesis 4-6 and Matthew 2. Without further ado, here we go!
Genesis 4-6
This is the story of Cain and Abel and the story of Noah. It's all so fascinating. I learned from the footnotes that Abel's name means "breath, vapor" or "meaningless." It was a name that foretold his tragically short life. So sad!
What I took most from chapter 4 is the difference in the sons' attitudes. Whereas Abel gave the first and best in his offering to God, Cain just gave some, and then he was ANGRY when God did not accept his offering. Later, Cain gets angry with the Lord AGAIN when God punishes him for the murder of his brother! (Anyone else want to shout "Duh!" at this point? Because I do.)
Our attitude defines so much about us. It determines our motives, how we give and love others, how we serve God, how we react to difficulties, and everything else in our lives! Reading about Cain's angry heart makes me want to be sure I am constantly aware of my own heart so I set an example for my son, and also in order for the light of God to shine through me in order to glorify Him. Nothing about Cain's attitude brought glory and honor to God, that is for sure.
Still in chapter 4, we lean about a descendant of Cain's named Lamech. Not only did he practice polygamy, he also murdered a man. When God saw what Cain had done, He issued a punishment and a warning that anyone who killed Cain would be punished seven times. Well, Lamech had the audacity to issue his own warning (God didn't), saying that anyone who killed him (Lamech) would be punished seventy-seven times! So he didn't wait for God to issue a warning, and he even multiplied it to be more than what the Lord said was the maximum punishment! All I can think if here is the middle daughter on the TV show, Full House - "How rude!"
Chapter 5 was all about the genealogy again. You know I love those!
In Chapter 6, Noah receives the directions from the Lord about the ark and also receives the first explicit covenant promise from Him. How blessed was Noah to have found favor with the Lord! Noah's name means "rest" or "relief." His earthly father had hoped that Noah would bring relief from the hardships of farming. Instead, his Heavenly Father had other plans of relief for Noah. I love that God has a plan for us, and that His plans are far greater than anything that any earthly person could imagine!
By the way, that boat was HUGE! Just sayin'.
I love the footnote that I read, saying this: "Noah was to build a door and God would close it. God was the captain of this peculiar boat with no sail or rudder." This makes me want to jump up and shout AMEN! But I won't, as my son is still sleeping. ;)
Matthew 2
Ahh, the story of the wise men. The magi. The royal astronomers. I learned just a few years ago that the wise men didn't appear at the manger. I remember feeling like my mind had been blown! Whoa! The scripture says that they visited Mary, Joseph, and the child at a house. They'd been following the star for nearly two years! It still blows my mind. It makes me want to take everybody's wise men off their nativities! I don't suppose that'd be very sweet of me, though.
Also, Herod was paranoid and scary! Thank goodness the Lord warned the magi not to return to Herod in a dream. And how senseless of Herod to kill all the baby boys under age two for fear of losing his power to the Messiah! Of course, murder was no stranger to Herod as he'd murdered some of his wives and sons before. Again, our attitudes determine so much of our character.
I love etiology and figurative language, so I loved reading this tidbit in my Study Bible: "Caesar Augustus once said that he would rather be Herod's swine than his son (a play on words in Greek since the two words sound alike-hus, huios)."
Looking forward to more!
In Christ,
Dallas
Genesis 4-6
This is the story of Cain and Abel and the story of Noah. It's all so fascinating. I learned from the footnotes that Abel's name means "breath, vapor" or "meaningless." It was a name that foretold his tragically short life. So sad!
What I took most from chapter 4 is the difference in the sons' attitudes. Whereas Abel gave the first and best in his offering to God, Cain just gave some, and then he was ANGRY when God did not accept his offering. Later, Cain gets angry with the Lord AGAIN when God punishes him for the murder of his brother! (Anyone else want to shout "Duh!" at this point? Because I do.)
Our attitude defines so much about us. It determines our motives, how we give and love others, how we serve God, how we react to difficulties, and everything else in our lives! Reading about Cain's angry heart makes me want to be sure I am constantly aware of my own heart so I set an example for my son, and also in order for the light of God to shine through me in order to glorify Him. Nothing about Cain's attitude brought glory and honor to God, that is for sure.
Still in chapter 4, we lean about a descendant of Cain's named Lamech. Not only did he practice polygamy, he also murdered a man. When God saw what Cain had done, He issued a punishment and a warning that anyone who killed Cain would be punished seven times. Well, Lamech had the audacity to issue his own warning (God didn't), saying that anyone who killed him (Lamech) would be punished seventy-seven times! So he didn't wait for God to issue a warning, and he even multiplied it to be more than what the Lord said was the maximum punishment! All I can think if here is the middle daughter on the TV show, Full House - "How rude!"
Chapter 5 was all about the genealogy again. You know I love those!
In Chapter 6, Noah receives the directions from the Lord about the ark and also receives the first explicit covenant promise from Him. How blessed was Noah to have found favor with the Lord! Noah's name means "rest" or "relief." His earthly father had hoped that Noah would bring relief from the hardships of farming. Instead, his Heavenly Father had other plans of relief for Noah. I love that God has a plan for us, and that His plans are far greater than anything that any earthly person could imagine!
By the way, that boat was HUGE! Just sayin'.
I love the footnote that I read, saying this: "Noah was to build a door and God would close it. God was the captain of this peculiar boat with no sail or rudder." This makes me want to jump up and shout AMEN! But I won't, as my son is still sleeping. ;)
Matthew 2
Ahh, the story of the wise men. The magi. The royal astronomers. I learned just a few years ago that the wise men didn't appear at the manger. I remember feeling like my mind had been blown! Whoa! The scripture says that they visited Mary, Joseph, and the child at a house. They'd been following the star for nearly two years! It still blows my mind. It makes me want to take everybody's wise men off their nativities! I don't suppose that'd be very sweet of me, though.
Also, Herod was paranoid and scary! Thank goodness the Lord warned the magi not to return to Herod in a dream. And how senseless of Herod to kill all the baby boys under age two for fear of losing his power to the Messiah! Of course, murder was no stranger to Herod as he'd murdered some of his wives and sons before. Again, our attitudes determine so much of our character.
I love etiology and figurative language, so I loved reading this tidbit in my Study Bible: "Caesar Augustus once said that he would rather be Herod's swine than his son (a play on words in Greek since the two words sound alike-hus, huios)."
Looking forward to more!
In Christ,
Dallas
Bible in a Year - January 1, 2013
I am thrilled to say that 2013 is the year I'll be reading the Bible from beginning to end! Recently I was installed as a deacon at my church, and I've heard the topic come up a few times at diaconate gatherings. When my husband gave me a beautiful new NLT Study Bible for Christmas, I knew this new year was the time to do it! I could feel the Holy Spirit guiding me in that direction as I flipped through the scriptures.
I am using the Old & New method I found online where I'll read an Old Testament Passage and a New Testament passage each day. I look forward to sharing my "journal" here on a daily basis.
On January 1st, I was to read Genesis 1-3 and Matthew 1. That sounds fairly simple, right? Well, it's a Study Bible, and I love history and reading, so I read all the "extra" stuff before I actually read the passages. The history of the OT, the maps, debates on authorship, the councils to decide which books would be used, why, and which offer they should go in. I read about literary character of each book, historical timelines, descriptions of people and places. Then I read the same just for Genesis! Whew! Of course, I read the same thing for the NT and just for Matthew.
Study Bibles also have "themes," and I read 3 for the Genesis assigned reading and 1 for Matthew. I literally spent hours in the Word. I loved every minute.
So, here's what I learned:
Genesis 1-3
I don't guess I ever realized that the command not to eat the fruit of the tree of life was given to Adam before Eve was created. Satan, that sneaky serpent, knew not to go to the person who received the original commandment! No, he went to Eve who heard it second-hand. (That still doesn't excuse her.) I also didn't know that she exaggerated the command in her replies to the serpent. Interesting stuff!
Of course, the blame shifting that occurs when God inquires about the fruit makes me nuts! That part of the story always disappoints me. I can only imagine God's disappointment. It also makes me reflect on my own marriage. Am I like Eve, blaming my sins or marital discord on something else? Something to think about...
Matthew 1
I love this chapter. I knew that Jesus was in the line of David through Mary (as told in Luke), but I had no idea he was also a descendant of David through Joseph as well!
From reading the footnotes, I learned that an engagement in those times was a binding contract that couldn't be broken without a court of law. It makes me think of all the engagements that break up before they make it to the altar. I wonder if people would take engagement (and marriage) more seriously if it were that way now.
I also love that when Joseph suspected Mary of unfaithfulness, he didn't publicly humiliate her. He decided to go quietly to court to end their engagement. What a good man! But of course, before he could, an angel appeared to him. I love that he was a Godly man and had faith as strong as Mary's! He wasn't freaked out, he didn't deny or question what the angel told him.
This makes me think that God really does put thought into the partners He chooses for us! My husband isn't perfect, and the Lord certainly knows that I'm not, but I do feel He led us together and blessed our union. He certainly knew what he was doing when Joseph and Mary were betrothed!
On a separate note, does anyone else marvel at the names in all those genealogy passages? I love trying to read them all aloud! I guess that's in part because I'm a nerd, but I just think all those names are fascinating. Alas...
I didn't want to stop reading yesterday, which bodes well for finishing the Bible in a year!
In Christ,
Dallas
I am using the Old & New method I found online where I'll read an Old Testament Passage and a New Testament passage each day. I look forward to sharing my "journal" here on a daily basis.
On January 1st, I was to read Genesis 1-3 and Matthew 1. That sounds fairly simple, right? Well, it's a Study Bible, and I love history and reading, so I read all the "extra" stuff before I actually read the passages. The history of the OT, the maps, debates on authorship, the councils to decide which books would be used, why, and which offer they should go in. I read about literary character of each book, historical timelines, descriptions of people and places. Then I read the same just for Genesis! Whew! Of course, I read the same thing for the NT and just for Matthew.
Study Bibles also have "themes," and I read 3 for the Genesis assigned reading and 1 for Matthew. I literally spent hours in the Word. I loved every minute.
So, here's what I learned:
Genesis 1-3
I don't guess I ever realized that the command not to eat the fruit of the tree of life was given to Adam before Eve was created. Satan, that sneaky serpent, knew not to go to the person who received the original commandment! No, he went to Eve who heard it second-hand. (That still doesn't excuse her.) I also didn't know that she exaggerated the command in her replies to the serpent. Interesting stuff!
Of course, the blame shifting that occurs when God inquires about the fruit makes me nuts! That part of the story always disappoints me. I can only imagine God's disappointment. It also makes me reflect on my own marriage. Am I like Eve, blaming my sins or marital discord on something else? Something to think about...
Matthew 1
I love this chapter. I knew that Jesus was in the line of David through Mary (as told in Luke), but I had no idea he was also a descendant of David through Joseph as well!
From reading the footnotes, I learned that an engagement in those times was a binding contract that couldn't be broken without a court of law. It makes me think of all the engagements that break up before they make it to the altar. I wonder if people would take engagement (and marriage) more seriously if it were that way now.
I also love that when Joseph suspected Mary of unfaithfulness, he didn't publicly humiliate her. He decided to go quietly to court to end their engagement. What a good man! But of course, before he could, an angel appeared to him. I love that he was a Godly man and had faith as strong as Mary's! He wasn't freaked out, he didn't deny or question what the angel told him.
This makes me think that God really does put thought into the partners He chooses for us! My husband isn't perfect, and the Lord certainly knows that I'm not, but I do feel He led us together and blessed our union. He certainly knew what he was doing when Joseph and Mary were betrothed!
On a separate note, does anyone else marvel at the names in all those genealogy passages? I love trying to read them all aloud! I guess that's in part because I'm a nerd, but I just think all those names are fascinating. Alas...
I didn't want to stop reading yesterday, which bodes well for finishing the Bible in a year!
In Christ,
Dallas
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