Genesis 9 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹ And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. ² The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. ³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. ⁴ But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. ⁵ And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

⁶ “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
    by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.

⁷ And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹ “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, ¹⁰ and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³ I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.¹⁴ When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.¹⁶ When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

 

REFLECTION

After the flood, at this new beginning of the human family, God again commanded Noah and his sons to fill the earth with their descendants (v. 1; cf. 1:28; 9:7). As with Adam, He also gave them dominion over the animals and permission to eat food with only one prohibition, not to eat animal blood. This is to instill in them respect for the sacredness of life, since blood is a symbol of life.

God also established a covenant with Noah and his descendants. “Covenant” is a vitally important Old Testament word which indicates a formal, legally binding commitment. In fact, this is a pure promise that God promised to bless humanity with faithfulness, and He prohibited murder. He also promised with a sign that He would never to destroy all flesh with a flood of water again. God appointed rainbow as the sign to remind and guarantee people of this promise.

­­God makes this first covenant with man as unconditional as it is undeserved. It is pure promise! There is no “ifs”. Instead God simply said, “I now make a commitment to you and your descendants. Never again. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Whatever humanity may do, God remains committed to this promise made to Noah.

The rainbow is a reminder to God of this specific covenant promise. But the rainbow reminds us of the character of God and the nature of our relationship with Him. 

Each time we see a rainbow, we are reminded that God is the God of promise, the God of grace. The rainbow reminds us that God comes to us with promises, not demands; that God in grace makes commitments to us that do not depend on our performance. We may fail God, but God will never fail us.

 

 

PRAYER

Father, thank you for your promises that you have made through Jesus Christ. Even though I know that I continue to make mistakes and at times unfaithful, I pray that you will forgive me and that I will have strength through Jesus to live in a worthy manner to your calling.

 

 

Genesis 8 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Flood Subsides

¹ But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. ² The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, ³ and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, ⁴ and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. ⁵ And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

⁶ At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made ⁷ and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. ⁸ Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. ⁹ But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. ¹⁰ He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. ¹¹ And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. ¹² Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

¹³ In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. ¹⁴ In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. ¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁷ Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” ¹⁸ So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. ¹⁹ Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

God’s Covenant with Noah

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹ And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.²² While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

 

REFLECTION

After a year in the ark, Noah emerged to offer a sacrifice to God and worship Him. At the time God made a solemn commitment never again to destroy all living creatures. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (v22)

The faithful response to God’s saving activity is always worship.  Worship is the focal point of this new relationship.  At the pleasing smell of sacrifices God promises never to destroy the earth again because of the sin of humankind. 

How has God’s grace been evident throughout this passage? How has His grace been evident in your life lately?

What aspect of Noah’s example—his obedience, faith, courage, endurance—is most meaningful to you in a situation you are facing?

 

 

Genesis 7 English Standard Version (ESV)

7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, ³ and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. ⁴ For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” ⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.

⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, ⁹ two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰ And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. ¹² And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. ¹³ On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark,¹⁴ they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. ¹⁵ They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. ¹⁶ And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

¹⁷ The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. ¹⁹ And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.²⁰ The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. ²¹ And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. ²³ He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.²⁴ And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

 

REFLECTION

Noah did everything just as God had commanded him. Note that this phrase is repeated 3 times in this chapter.  Noah may not be aware of the rationale and all the implications of God’s commands.

The author of Hebrews commended Noah as a man of faith: “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land.  He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told” (Heb 11:7).

Have you had the experience where you were commanded to do something that you do not fully comprehend? What was your attitude? Did you do as commanded? What was the consequence? Can you also think of an example such as this from God?

Prayer: Lord, I am grateful for this account of your obedient servant Noah who trusted you enough to honor you and obey you even when your instructions didn’t seem to make sense.  Thank you for the way this great ark typifies the grace of Christ who delivered us from the flood of sin and death.  Grant me humility and obedience even when your will doesn’t make sense to me.

 

 

 

Genesis 6 English Standard Version (ESV)

Increasing Corruption on Earth

¹ When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” ⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

⁵ The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah and the Flood

⁹ These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. ¹⁰ And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. ¹³ And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴ Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. ¹⁵ This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.¹⁶ Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. ¹⁷ For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. ²⁰ Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. ²¹ Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” ²² Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

 

REFLECTION

In Ch 5, we read that “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (5:24) Here, in this chapter, is another person who “walked with God.”

Noah lived in a totally corrupt society. Yet he himself was committed to a blameless life. Even more impressive is the fact when told by God to build a giant ark, Noah immediately set out to do so.

How long did Noah and his sons labor? When God made His decision to judge, mankind was given 120 years (v3). It was during that time Noah and his sons accomplished their tasks. And during all that time, Noah bore the ridicules made at him. He ignored them and kept on working, surrounded by the jeering laughter of his neighbours. Despite it all, Noah remained faithful. He had heard God speak. And “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him” (v22).

1 Peter 3:19-20 suggests that by the Holy Spirit, Christ Himself spoke through Noah in the long period that “God waited patiently” for Noah to finish his assigned task.

How important our faithfulness is. As we like Noah bear up under the pressure brought on us, Christ by His Holy Spirit speaks through us to the very persons who laugh and doubt. And this time, they may respond. Therefore, our faithfulness, when others jeer, speaks more powerfully than the words of the most gifted preacher the world has ever known.

The New Testament compares the severe judgment in the days of Noah with the judgment that will be poured out at the return of Christ (cf. Luke 17:26-30). How can you urge those around you to seek refuge in Christ?

PRAYER

Father, in this generation where people are becoming more and more distant from you and your laws, I pray that they will repent and come to know you. I pray that as a believer, that you would give me the strength to do the right things and preach the gospel of truth to those around me.

 

 

 

Genesis 5 English Standard Version (ESV)

Adam’s Descendants

 

(Chapter 4)

²⁵ 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.”²⁶ To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

(Chapter 5)

¹ This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.² Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.⁴ The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. ⁷ Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁸ Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.

⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. ¹⁰ Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.

¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. ¹³ Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters.¹⁴ Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. ¹⁶ Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.

¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. ¹⁹ Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. ²² Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.²⁴ Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

 

REFLECTION

There are at least three purposes for the inclusion of this genealogy.

1. It shows the development of the human race from Adam to Noah and bridges the gap in time between these two major individuals.
2. It demonstrates the truthfulness of God’s word when He said that people would die as a result of sin (cf. 2:17). Note the recurrence of the phrase “and he died”.
3. It contrasts the progress of the godly line of Seth culminating in Enoch who walked with God and experienced rapture (5:6-24) with the development of the ungodly line of Cain. Cain’s branch of the human race culminated in Lamech who was a brutal bigamist (cf. 4:16-24).

Although “death” is the destiny of humankind no matter how long a person may live, there is one person – Enoch who never faced death.  Enoch is an example of one who found life amid the curse of death.

The finality of death caused by sin, and demonstrated in the genealogy of Genesis, is in fact not so final. Man was not born to die; he was born to live, and that life comes by walking with God. . . . Walking with God is the key to the chains of the curse. One can find life if one “walks with God”.

The lifestyle of Cain’s family can be seen as a picture of humanity—technical progress matched by moral decline. How do you see this trend reflected in our own society? In our own families?

 

 

 

Genesis 4 English Standard Version (ESV)

Cain and Abel

¹ Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” ² And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. ³ In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, ⁴ 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,⁵ but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. ⁶ The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

⁸ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. ¹¹ And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.¹² When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ 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.” ¹⁵ Then 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. ¹⁶ Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

 

REFLECTION

The sin of Adam and Eve upset the intimate relationship between humankind and God.  Sin also had a direct effect on their children. 

Adam and Eve could not avoid observing this evidence of the spiritual death they unleashed on their descendants. What a heartrending experience for Adam and Eve that one dearly loved son killed by another. Adam and Eve knew that they themselves introduced into history the sin that expressed itself in Cain’s hostility and murderous act.

Why did God reject Cain’s offering? Some have suggested that Abel, in making a blood sacrifice, followed a prescription that God had given Adam and Even when He first clothed them in skins. Therefore, in offering produce Cain suggested that his best was good enough to offer God. Another suggestion is that the text specified Abel had offered his “firstborn” to God, whereas Cain simply offered whatever that was available. Either way, God’s reminder to Cain, “If you do what is right” (v7), suggests that Cain knew the right way to approach God, but was unwilling to do so.

 

God told Adam and Eve that death would follow disobedience. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men^[e] because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). We all live with the tragic consequences of Adam’s fall.

Reflect on your own family relationships and ask God to reveal to you how sin has upset some of the close relationships.  Confess before God and ask for forgiveness.  Allow God to show you how He may use you to amend broken relationships.

 

 

 

Genesis 3 English Standard Version (ESV)

 

The Fall

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ 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.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely 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 themselves loincloths.

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”¹² The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 

REFLECTION

The first two chapters of Genesis speak of God’s amazing Creation.  Chapter 3 speaks of the rebellion of humankind.  This rebellion against God is called sin. As sin entered the beauty of creation, destruction followed. Though we see judgement from God, we are see His mercy in sparing the lives of Adam and Eve. We know that it is from this point, that the Bible details God’s intricate and loving plan to redeem, restore, and, reconcile creation back to himself after what happened in this chapter.

God knows everything and yet He still called out to Adam asking, “Where are you?”  Do you hear God calling you today? When are the times you most tempted to hide just like Adam?  Is it comforting or dreading that God’s calling you at such times?  Why? 

Prayer: Lord, I realize that though I have not sinned as Adam and Eve has, however, there have been numerous times in the past where I actively disobeyed you just as Adam and Eve have. I have sought to experience life on my terms.  By Your grace, I acknowledge this sin of pride and ask you to be the Lord of my life. Cleanse me of all that is contrary to Your purposes and character so that Christ may be all in all. Amen.  

 

 

 

 

Genesis 2 English Standard Version (ESV)

 

The Seventh Day, God Rests

¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ² And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. ³ So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The Creation of Man and Woman

⁴ These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

⁵ When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, ⁶ and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— ⁷ then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. ⁸ And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁰ A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. ¹⁴ And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely 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 surely die.”

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”¹⁹ Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

 

REFLECTION

In chapter one of the book of Genesis, we see the description of the overall process of creation. In chapter 2, we see God’s love and care for his creation, the most important of which, humankind. We see God here creating a helper for man, a woman.

God put man and woman in the garden where they could be safe and rest. It is also God’s intention for them to have continual fellowship with God (cf. 3:8). God gave Adam the freedom of choice. Adam received clear instructions about how he ought to behave in the Garden of Eden. If he ate from the tree of life, he could hope for eternal life. But once he tasted of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he faced the terrible threat of death.

God did not plant the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” to trap Adam, but He gave him a choice to obey Him or disobey Him. Adam and Eve were free to do anything they wanted, except eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This is to give them the opportunity to choose that which was right and good, even as God chooses to do good.

Has there been a time in your life where you experienced a “slice of heaven” moment?

Has there been a time where your choice led to undesirable consequences?

How has this impacted the way you make your choices in your daily life, your work, your rest, and your entertainment?

PRAYER

Father, I pray that I am able to learn and understand you better. I pray that I may have discernment and guidance from you. Teach me to read the bible and grow in wisdom so I may learn more about your will in my life.

 

 

Genesis 1 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Creation of the World

¹ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God 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.

⁶ And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”⁷ And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸ And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

⁹ And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

¹¹ And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. ¹² The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. ¹⁷ And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

²⁰ And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” ²¹ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

²⁴ And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.²⁵ And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

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

²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ²⁹ And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. ³⁰ And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

 

REFLECTION

Get yourself acquainted with the story of the Creation, again, by reading through this very first chapter of the first book of the whole Bible. Or you may listen to it online. (See yesterday’s 260 for links.)

God created the heavens and the earth. In three days, God made the uninhabitable earth productive by dividing light and darkness, waters and dry land, the world above from the world below. Then in three more days, He filled the uninhabited earth with life. The orderly process of creation moves from formation of a unique setting for life, to populating earth with animal life, to the creation of beings in God’s own image. Man, the crown of the completed creation, is destined for dominion.

The creation account reveals that God is the origin of the order, beauty and harmony that we see in the universe today. In what areas do you need to trust God to produce these qualities in your life (think about school, work, family, and etc)?

DISCUSSION

Do you find this account to be problematic with your understanding of science?

PRAYER

Lord, I am thankful to be a witness to your glorious creation. I pray that I may learn to appreciate your workmanship and I pray that you will also shape me to be the new creation that I am meant to be.

 

 

First Day into Genesis

 

Genesis is the first of five books written by Moses during the Exodus period, about 1450 – 1400 B.C. Moses used direct revelation from God and the written and oral traditions of his people as sources. He surveyed history from the creation to his own day.

The Book of Genesis is divided into two parts. Genesis 1-11 tells of God’s dealings with the whole human race from creation to the time of Abraham, about 2100 B.C. Genesis 12 introduces a vital theme. God makes a covenant with one man and with his descendants. God will work through this man, Abraham, and his family, Israel, to reveal Himself to humanity and ultimately to provide a salvation available to all.

The practical purpose of Genesis is to encourage the reader to trust and obey God. Originally, the purpose was to encourage the Israelites to trust and obey God. Moses may have composed Genesis before the Israelites left Egypt in the Exodus, but he probably did so during the wilderness wanderings. In any case, this was his obvious purpose, as is clear from what he wrote. He wanted to prepare the Israelites for the future by reminding them of the past. This is its function for us today too. As we read the text, we should continually ask ourselves, “What did this mean to the original readers?” That is what God intended it to mean to us today.

Moses’ main point was that the same God who created Israel had created the universe. His word was the key instrument in creating both entities. As He had brought order, fullness, and rest to the material world, so He could do for His chosen people. He is the sovereign of the universe, its ultimate authority. Therefore mankind should trust and obey Him.

Outline

1. God’s Dealings with the Human Race Gen 1-11

• Creation Gen 1-2
• The Fall Gen 3-5
• The Flood and aftermath Gen 6-11

2. God’s Dealings with Abraham’s Family Gen 12-50

• Abraham Gen 12-25
• Isaac Gen 22-27
• Jacob & Esau Gen 25-36
• Joseph Gen 37-50

 

Pray and ask God for a sincere desire to spend 10-15 minutes each day reading through the book of Genesis for the next 10 weeks.  Ask Lord that through the Holy Spirit to encourage you as you read His word, and to guide you in your daily life.

 

NOTE: The passage for each day may not cover the whole chapter. We encourage you to go on PGC website to listen to the whole chapter being read usually less than 5 minutes. http://www.peoplesgospelchurch.org/devotional/ (Chinese), http://www.peoplesgospelchurch.org/260-devotional/ (English)