Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - Genesis
For some, this is the first prophecy in the Bible. When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in a beautiful place called the garden of Eden. He created many different trees and said that they could eat from any tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed, that is a sin: sin always has a price. God decreed seven judgments because of sin.
- Satan is forever cursed.
- Satan's head will be crushed in the end.
- Throughout history, there will be conflict between the serpent and the fallen angels, and the offspring of the woman, between good and evil.
- Throughout history, women will experience pain during childbirth.
- Throughout history, a woman will have to submit to her husband.
- Throughout history, man will have to work to feed himself.
- Throughout history, human beings will die.
This prophecy is always fulfilled, but it will not be fully fulfilled until after the Millennium. Satan suffered a great defeat when Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins.
It is heartening to know that Jesus will eventually defeat satan, and what God started in the garden of Eden will be completed in eternity. The fall of Adam and all that satan has done in the past or will do in the future will not frustrate God's original plan.
So stay strong!
Genesis 3:16
Here in Brazil this week (Sunday) Mother's Day is celebrated. So I would like to talk about some biblical mothers. And starting with her who is the MOTHER OF ALL LIVING, Eve.
Eve's voice is like a warning from ancient times to every woman to follow the path of obedience. It rings out like a note of hope when a woman fails; she encounters God's justice, but she also experiences His grace.
Purity and innocence were shattered when the serpent entered the scene. Eve chose to believe Satan's lie. She was free to put her will above God's and so she did.
Expelled from her pleasant home, Eve conceived and had children. Her joy at their birth was turned into pain, as foretold by God. Cain killed Abel and was banished and Eve was left childless until the grace of God, once again, visited her giving her another son, Seth, who became the ancestor of the Messiah.
The sentence for the woman was "suffering during pregnancy". Pregnancy, in itself, is not a condemnation. Children are the inheritance and reward of the Lord (Ps 127:3). When giving birth, a woman has the opportunity to join hands with the Creator in the multiplication of humanity. Imagining a pregnancy without difficulties is difficult, but apparently this was the Creator's original plan.
Satan used the body of a serpent and spoke half truths to seduce Eve. Eve offered the forbidden fruit to Adam. Now he had a free choice:
- Or to choose for his wife and AGAINST God
- Or to choose for God and not to eat the forbidden fruit.
Adam chose wrong because of his CONSCIOUS choice, sin is passed on through the sinful male seed, while the female egg is sinless (the egg of the VIRGIN Mary was sinless).
The covering with fig leaves, which digest, did not help.
It was God Himself who killed an INNOCENT animal (s) to make garments, because without shedding of blood there will be no forgiveness.
Jesus made the PERFECT sacrifice. The blood (and water medical evidence of His death) spewed from His body as the soldier stuck the spear in His side.
For anyone who believes in this sacrifice of Jesus Christ, is the possibility of eternal life in Heaven. It is a personal choice, just as Adam, the first man, had to choose. The choice that one makes, has its own consequences.
Adam and Eve's sin was the beginning of a moral crisis on earth. Cain, their son, killed his own brother, Abel. Cain withdrew from the presence of God, and society got worse. When Lamech, son of Cain's great-great-grandson, came on the scene, he was a polygamist, married to two women. And in the days of Noah, almost two thousand years after Adam, great evil covered the land. So, God decided to destroy His creation with a flood.
Sin is not only a degenerative disease, it is also contagious. Being very serious, it is to be expected that it will not stop having a negative influence on individuals and society. It did not take long for the fallen man to discover the ways of sin.
God is very loving, but He is also holy. He is very patient, but the man is not free to do whatever evil he wants. God cannot and will not ignore the sin of a corrupted society forever. He will punish the guilty.
The flood part of this prophecy was fulfilled, but Jesus made a comparison between the wickedness in the land during the days of Noah and that which will exist during the end times, in the tribulation. He said: "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man." (Matthew 24:37-39). The bad news is that humanity will get worse and worse. But the good news is that Jesus will return and put an end to it.
A PROMISE TO BE REMEMBERED
After the flood, Noah's first act was to build an altar and offer a sacrifice to God. He was particularly humbling himself, giving thanks to God for saving him and his family and declaring his faith. God was pleased with this and promised that as long as the earth would existed, there would always be different seasons.
This prophecy is always being fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled until the earth is destroyed sometime after the Millennium.
What God promises, He fulfills!
- FAITH IS AN EXAMPLE THROUGH THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM. A friend of God (James 2:23).
- We learned that faith is not perfect character or integrity. Rather, faith is appropriating God and his Word.
- In doing so, Abraham became the model of faith for the believer.
DO NOT FEAR when God's guidance takes some direction you do not understand. He knows what He's doing. - BELIEVE IN GOD'S PROMISES TO YOU. He knows how to fulfill them, although you may not know (Gen 15:6).
AVOID fulfilling God's promises by your own strength (Gen. 16:1-4).
TRUST that God will provide according to His promises. Caring for you is part of His nature (Gen. 22.1-17). - God's providence is strategically located along the path of faithful obedience.
The Lord appeared to Abraham a second time and, on that occasion, told him that He would give the land of Canaan to him and his descendants forever.
God also told Abraham that he would have a large number of descendants. So many that no one could count them.
God gave this land to Israel, but there is a problem. Muslims do not believe that the God of Israel is the true God. They worship Allah and believe that he gave them the land. This makes the conflict over land a theological conflict. The question is: who worships the true God? The media and the crowds are lining up against Israel, and at the same time, STANDING AGAINST GOD. It will take the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ for the problem to be resolved. But make no mistake: God's word says what He will do just that.
The people of Israel inhabited the land several times, but because of sin, God allowed them to be temporarily removed a few times. Thus, the part of this prophecy related to the land is always fulfilled, but it will only be fully fulfilled in the Millennium.
- Abraham is the father of those who believe. Faith is exemplified throughout your life.
- From this “friend of God” (James 2:23) we learn that faith is not a perfect character or integrity. Rather, faith is appropriating God in his word.
- In doing so, Abraham became a model of faith for the believer. His life shows how we benefit when we believe what God says, despite the evidence to the contrary.
- Do not be afraid when God's guidance takes a direction you do not understand. HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING! (Gen. 12: 1-9).
- BELIEVE IN GOD'S PROMISES TO YOU. He knows how to fulfill them, although you may not know (Gen. 15:16).
- TRUST THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISES. Watching for yours is part of your nature (Gen. 22: 1-14).
- God's providence is strategically located along the path of faithful obedience!
God bless you! He called you and put you where you are! So, ONLY BELIEVE.
Genesis 16:13
HAGAR - REJECTED BUT NOT ABANDONED - Who was Hagar? She was an Egyptian servant who was acquired by Sarai and Abraham when she, along with Lot, moved from Canaan to Egypt in order to escape the famine. The relationship between a servant and her master's wife consisted of honor, obedience and loyalty. Since Sarah was barren, Hagar could step in as a surrogate mother, which was perfectly legal, although it was a clear violation of God's law (see Genesis 2:24) and is evidence of Abraham and Sarah's lack of faith.
Now imagine that as a slave, Hagar never had anything, no family, no possessions, no husband... nothing. And then she was chosen to have the boss's child, she could not contain herself... as they say today, pride and self-worth went to her head. Maybe she thought she was better than her mistress, because she could give her boss a son, something that Sara, with all her wealth, could not. Maybe she even thought she could take Sara's place! There are people who are like this when they do not have much life experience, they act with pride when they achieve something.
Sara reacted and showed who the mistress was there. She started complaining to Abraham and he told her to take responsibility for her maid. So Sarah acted harshly, and because of Sarah's mistreatment, Hagar fled.
And it was in this situation that God revealed himself to this runaway slave (Thou art a God of seeing). This tells you that God is good and in the midst of our greatest afflictions He sees us and comes in our favor.
Hagar may represent the large number of resourceless and disadvantaged women today. They are not outside of God's watchful care under any circumstances. Just as God provided what Hagar needed, she will provide what you need. Twice the angel of the Lord came to assist her (Gen 16:7; 21:17). God was with Hagar and her son in periods of crisis and at other times too (Gen 21:10).
Hagar can also represent many abandoned single mothers who go through such near-death despair as happened to Ishmael, and there is no one to help you, it is just you and God. In the God who sees all things, Hagar found refuge and life. And the same God can do for you too.
IMMEDIATE obedience is the only type of obedience that exists.
DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE
Whenever God calls us to a duty, He is offering us a covenant with Him, performing the duty is our part, and He will do His part by blessing us richly.
The only way to obey is to obey "that same day," as Abraham did.
Luther said that "the true believer will crucify the question: Why?" He will obey without asking.
I do not want to be one of those who, if they do not see signs and wonders, the I would not believe. I want to obey without question.
Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience is the strength of that fruit.
Genesis 18:12-14
Many couples want to have children in their marriage. In fact, children are part of God's plan for a man and woman united in marriage since God instructed Adam and Eve to be "fruitful" and multiply (Gen. 1:28).
Sterility is defined by the medical community as the inability to achieve pregnancy after a year or more of sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives or the inability to carry repeated pregnancies to term.
Barren couples were not abandoned by God. God does not give children to all couples. But this does not mean that He does not have a different blessing for your life. Notable women in the Bible were not associated with the blessing of bearing children: Midian, Esther, Priscilla, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene.
Sara had a good marriage with Abraham, it seems they had a common mind, affinities, she wanted to be a mother, build a family, he wanted to give her this happiness and agreed to the arrival of a son through Hagar. How would Abraham know that this would not be the son of promise? In chapter 15:4 the Lord said that Eliezer would not be the heir, but would be someone begotten by Abraham. BUT HE WHO SHALL BE BEGOTTEN OF YOU SHALL BE YOUR HEIR. He did not talk about Sara. He thought that Sara's idea might be good.
Following the story, we see that it went wrong, Sara and Agar did not adjust, there was no harmony. What happened was jealousy, intrigue and envy to the point that Hagar had to leave the scene with Abraham's long-awaited son.
Back to square one. Time passed and Abraham and Sarah entered the stage of impossibility, naturally speaking. Sarah may have thought that she did something wrong, that she hindered God's work and now God would no longer bless her. All lost. Her experience as a mother swings from feelings of skepticism, embarrassment, envy, and cruel criticism to a feeling of intense joy and ecstasy. Even though Sarah fell into sin, God faithfully kept the promise that she would be "the mother of many nations" (Gen. 17:16).
The name Isaac is linked to laughter. Isaac ("He laughs") shows not only the laughter of Abraham and Sarah, but that God also smiles on His children.
- The inhabitants of two cities that existed while Abraham was alive were particularly bad, so God decided to destroy them. But God had a special relationship with Abraham, and this raised a question: 'Should I hide my intentions from Abraham', since I promised that he will become a great nation and a source of blessing for all people?
- How beautiful is the suggestion made by the divine soliloquy!!! 'Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?' God's friends are allowed to know his secrets, precisely because they are his friends. God regards Abraham as someone who had a right to know what he was about to do (Psalm 25:4; Amos 3:17).
- God revealed himself to be a plan for Abraham and then cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Abraham's descendants eventually became the nation of Israel. During the Millennium, Israel will be the great nation foreshadowed in the Bible.
The whole earth (believers) was blessed when Abraham's descendant named Jesus died for the sins of the world. Other blessings will be fulfilled at Jesus' second coming. Those who are part of the covenant with God have a special relationship with him.
Isaac, Abraham's son, married at the age of 40. Rebekah, his wife, was barren, and he prayed for her during 20 years. When Isaac was 60 years old, Rebekah was healed in answer to his prayer, conceived and gave birth to the twin sons, Esau and Jacob.
Lessons on Isaac's prayer:
- There is no lost cause when we put it in the hands of God.
- Victory in prayer requires perseverance. Isaac did not fail to insist on God.
- He was specific in his prayer.
Time of praying is necessary, to experience the power of God through prayer!
Genesis 29:20
Today, in many countries around the world, Valentine's Day is celebrated. There are many versions about the origin of this day. But the most publicized is:
The one that pays homage to a Roman priest who believed in love. The most accepted version of this story says that, in the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II banned marriages. And yet Valentine continued to have ceremonies, because he believed that marriage gives meaning to life.
But the emperor found out and ordered the priest to be arrested. And then comes the most romantic detail: a jailer's blind daughter, named Artes, went to visit Valentine in prison. The two fell in love so much that the young woman regained her sight. But the emperor didn't care and, on February 14, 270, he beheaded Valentine.
But what is love? At first love is action, not words. Love is what love does. So today is a good day to remember a biblical passage that will not let us be carried away by the tide of empty romanticism. I Corinthians 13:4-13:
"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
As we see in the text of Genesis 29:20 Jacob worked 7 years for Rachel and it seemed like just a few days because of how much he loved her.
Mainly, the girls are very attentive to the boy's words, promises and affection, but they don't pay attention to what he really does for her. For example, he talks a lot about marriage, but has never bought an engagement ring or made a formal proposal, or, he talks a lot about getting married but does not get a job. Or he gives a ring with promise, they have sex, but never get married. Girls want to get married, but sometimes they don't know how to fry an egg and they don't have the will to learn. Pay attention to the details.
Last but not least, love God above all else. If God is the center of this union it will go well. When we love God first, we obey her commandments.
Since Laban became hostile to Jacob, he became more sensitive to God's dealings and got help and guidance. Now a visitation from angels God awoke him again and, to some extent, prepared him for what was to come. Mahanaim means: two camps or two groups. It concerns the camp of Jacob and the invisible and surrounding camp of the angels of God who protected Jacob and his family. Here we see that:
- Angels of God meet us on the dusty road of ordinary life. You know, those critical moments in life when we say: “only God for me”... yeah... He's watching... He finds us.
- The angels of God meet us punctually in time of need. You know, in situations where I have heard people say: “I thought, I am going to die, there is no other way and help arrived at the right time!”.
- The angels of God appear in the form we need: in the case of Jacob, the army of God.
Joseph was faithful to his vision. His life proves that a vision drives people away from sin (Pr 29:18). Because he believed in what God had shown him, he remained firmly faithful and loyal in all his relationships, especially with God.
People who are faithful to God's project will enjoy the willingness of God and neighbor and will be successful in their endeavors. They will receive the reward despite any difficulties they have encountered along the way.
- CLAIM THE GOD'S VISION TO YOU Genesis 37:5-10.
- EXPECT GOD'S FAVOR IN THE NEXT SIGHT. HE GUARANTEES FAVOR AND SUCCESS TO THE FAITHFUL! (Genesis 39:4)
- STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. DO NOT MAKE CONCESSIONS, especially when his vision is slow to be fulfilled (Genesis 39:9).
- BELIEVE GOD IS ENOUGH! He has given you the gifts you need to accomplish your purpose through you (Gen 41:14, 57).
Trust in the sovereign providence of God! He makes all things obey for your benefit when you STAY FAITHFUL to your calling and purpose (Gen. 45:7).
God can speak to us today through dreams, just as He did in Joseph's time. But we need to be balanced in our approach because many of our dreams are not from God. I know people who have dreams every week, and they are silly dreams and people go to websites on the internet looking for what it means and to be a good thing they are anxious waiting to happen. If it is something bad, they are afraid! So it really does not work with a dream of God. We need to be balanced in our approach because many of our dreams are not spiritual. If God is trying to show you something or speak to you through a dream, I believe He will confirm it in your heart if you ask Him for wisdom, use discernment, and stay in tune with His Word and God also explains the meaning to you. Because that is His Purpose.