Genesis 34-36 Today we again see family traits pass from generation to generation, both good and bad. Abraham passes along faith in the LORD to Isaac, and Isaac somehow passes it along to Jacob. But another family characteristic is similarly passed along: deceit. Abraham deceives both Pharaoh and Abimelech with regard to Sarah’s status as …
Monthly Archives: January 2023
January 11 / Genesis 31-33
Genesis 31-33 After 20 years away from the land of his birth, Jacob is a changed man. At the outset he profoundly encounters the Living God in his “Ladder” dream at Bethel. Then he spends years dealing with Uncle Laban, where he learns what it is to be on the receiving end of trickery, theft, …
January 10 / Genesis 28-30
Genesis 28-30 We know that Jacob, the schemer, does not deserve the blessing, but he gets it anyway. Before sending him off to Uncle Laban in search of a wife, Isaac conveys the blessing of Abraham, that his descendants would be multiplied and that they would possess the land. And on the way, in the …
January 9 / Genesis 25-27
Genesis 25-27 If I were to sit down and make up stories of my family origins, I would make all the main characters excellent heroes — always honest and upstanding, good-hearted and courageous, faithful and strong. If I knew of any flaws, I would either leave them out entirely or make excuses for them. I …
January 8 / Genesis 24
Genesis 24 Today we learn, in great detail, about how Rebekah comes to be Isaac’s wife. Abraham gives his right-hand man the task of finding Isaac a wife from his previous homeland, from among his kindred. Abraham adamantly charges him not to get a wife from among the Canaanite population (among whom they are sojourning) …
January 7 / Genesis 21-23
Genesis 21-23 Isaac, the son that God promised to give to Abraham, arrives on the scene when Abraham is 100 years old and Sarah is 90. Both Abraham and Sarah laugh at the thought, and so, God instructs them to name him accordingly. (“Isaac” means “he laughs” or “laughter”.) This is the heir. This is …
January 6 / Genesis 17-20
Genesis 17-20 So, imagine the scene. Abraham comes out of his tent and tells everyone, “Gather around. I just finished speaking with the Lord. First of all, He gave me a new name. I’ll be going by ‘Abraham’ from now on, and please call my wife ‘Sarah’.” Everybody says, “Well, congratulations! That’s pretty neat.” Then …
January 5 / Genesis 12-16
Genesis 12-16 In Genesis 1-11 we raced through centuries of prehistory. We saw Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. Now we suddenly shift into a lower gear and measure time in years (or perhaps decades) rather than centuries, focusing in on one man, Abram. Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go …
January 4 / Genesis 10-11
Genesis 10-11 In a book titled “Genesis” we should not be surprised to find phrases like, “These are the generations of…” In fact, we’ve seen that phrase (or something very close to it) six times thus far (including today): These genealogies tell us where we came from and populate the landscape. They record the origins of whole people groups …
January 3 / Genesis 7-9
Genesis 7-9 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, … that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there …