Genesis 8:20-9:29

Dear RTB’ers,

A few days ago we read that Noah was to bring animals on board two-by-two (Genesis 6:19-20). Then the next day we saw a modification of that original arrangement: “You shall take with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and his female; and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and his female.” (Genesis 7:2) Today we see why Noah had to bring more of the clean animals: Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took some of every kind of clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:20) We will learn later in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 how the Lord distinguishes between clean and unclean animals, but it seems that Noah already had a clear distinction between the two in this sacrifice to the LORD. Only clean animals get eaten or sacrificed.

I appreciated Sharon’s comments on Genesis 6 a couple of days ago. She pointed out the evil in mankind, but also gave us the BUT GOD verses. Today we see evil again: (the LORD speaking) “…for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Genesis 8:21b) Although we do not see a clear BUT GOD verse, we do see God’s mercy: “…and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.” (Genesis 8:22)

I was struck by Genesis 9:4 (again, God speaking), “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” It was not the content that struck me so much as the forward connection, where God clarifies that relationship between blood and life:

If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, “No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.”

Leviticus 17:10-12 (See also Lev. 17:14.)

We also go forward from this passage to the New Testament, to Jesus speaking at the Last Supper:

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.”

Luke 22:19-20 (See also Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24, and John 6:53-58.)

This cup, poured out, My blood. Jesus’ life was in His blood. And He gave it for us.

Blessings!

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See also: January 3 (2023) / Genesis 7-9

Genesis 7:1-8:19

Dear RTB’ers,

Noah, the ark and the flood, continued. Reading the story of Noah and the ark and the flood makes me want to go up north to visit the Ark Encounter in Williamston, KY, where these entrepreneurs have built an ark to the dimensions given by God to Noah – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high, including rooms in a completely finished interior (Genesis 6:14b). But short of visiting this Ark Encounter, I’m putting myself into the story as one of Noah’s sons. I am not simply cruising like so many of us have done over the past few years. I’m more like one of the mechanics on a cruise ship or any one of the employees on the ship. On the Ark I’m busy every day tending to the animals. We had brought food on board for us and the animals (Genesis 6:21) and the animals need to be fed every day. Then, the fun part, their stalls need to be cleaned. I grew up on a farm with cows, pigs, chickens and other animals. The word “muck” lives in the farm vernacular as both a noun and a verb. I’ll leave it to your imagination to muck the stalls with me and pitch the muck overboard. That will be a full day’s work, every day! And we’re on board this Ark for 375 days! I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow’s reading when we finally get back to our normal pre-flood lives!

Blessings!

Genesis 6

Dear RTB’ers,

Noah, the ark and the flood. 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. (v. 5) This verse, from thousands of years ago, sadly, rings true today. We would like to believe that we are somewhat set apart from this global “condemnation”, that every intention of the thoughts of his heart does not apply to us, that although we are fallen, we know that we are still seeking the Lord. We would like to think that we are among those who walk with God (v. 9b), as did Noah. But even as I imagine all that for myself, I realize that I am grading on a curve. Yeah, I may not be among the most despicable men on the face of the earth, but I know that I am corrupt in the eyes of a holy God. But because I live on this side of the Cross and Resurrection, I also know that my many shortcomings are forgiven, that I have been redeemed. Maybe not “every intention”, but way too many!

Carol and I were having a discussion recently about how much God knows of the future (and how far into the future), how much He knows of our future behaviors. Verse 6 seems to counter that notion: And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Verse 7b then repeats that refrain: …for I am sorry that I have made them. Did God really not anticipate man’s corruption? Had he not anticipated Adam and Eve disobeying Him? How much does He know of our futures? Does He know where I will be at this time next year? Is it already marked how many years I will spend in this life? Questions for the more theologically-minded!!

Blessings!

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See also: January 2 (2023) / Genesis 4-6

Genesis 4-5

Dear RTB’ers,

We had a good discussion at our RTB gathering this morning on Genesis 4, the Cain and Abel story. Here’s an item I’d like to highlight. Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. (v. 4) I’m sure I’ve seen this before, that Abel’s offering from the flock was (1) a first-born lamb and (2) a fatling. That is, Abel offered the first and the best. Going forward into Exodus we will see that Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt when God brought on the tenth plague, the death of the first-born male from every Egyptian, both human and animal. After that Passover night and the crossing of the Red Sea, God said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” (Exodus 13:2) From early in creation (Abel’s offering) God has His people setting apart the first-born. No such mention is made of Cain’s offering, only that it was “…an offering of the fruit of the ground.” (v. 3b) Later the writer of Hebrews says this about Abel’s offering: By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, … and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4) It takes faith to offer up a “first-born” of anything, when you don’t know whether or not there will be a “second-born” or a “third-born” or…!

Blessings!

Genesis 3 

Yesterday we had two chapters in Genesis. Tomorrow we’ll have another two. Today, the Fall, we have only one chapter. Why? Is it because chapter 3 is so much longer than the other four chapters? No, not the case. Then why? I think that it’s because the STS authors want us to think more about chapter 3, the Fall. To start, finish the following sentence: “If I had been Adam or Eve, I’d have __________ .” First, answer the question. Then ask yourself what strikes you most? What hits you in this chapter?

For me, it was verse 8b: … and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. They tried to hide themselves from God. How crazy is that?! But I do that. I don’t want my bads revealed! If I had cheated on my taxes I wouldn’t want anyone else to know. But God does know! He knows all! The problem is that we don’t like confession. Period. Full stop. We don’t like to think about how fundamentally flawed we are. But, unfortunately, there is no forgiveness without confession. That makes confession the greatest of graces God has ever given us. Gives me a new perspective on confession…! And you? Where does confession stand in your life?

Blessings!

Genesis 1-2

Good morning, RTB’ers!

Carol and I are off on an all-day trip today, so I won’t have my computer with me and I won’t be posting. But the chapters that we are reading today are familiar to all of us, so I hope that a few of you will be posting as to what strikes you. It’s good material!

Blessings!

Good morning, RTB’ers!

When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set his face to go to Jerusalem (v. 51) The note in STS today is important. Luke 9:51 is a major turning point in Luke’s gospel – we have seen the end of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee; He is now on His way to Jerusalem. Tomorrow we leave Luke for a while to cover the first half of the book of Genesis. When we return to Luke we will see more of Jesus’ teachings, including additional “Sermon on the Mount” material (parallel to Matthew’s) and a number of His famous parables. Finally it will be in Luke 19 before we see Jesus finally arriving in Jerusalem.

It happened to me again – in my mind I added something that’s not in Luke’s gospel. As Jesus is healing the boy with the unclean spirit the father says, “And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” Matthew and Mark then continue the story with the disciples asking Jesus why they could not cast out the demon. Jesus replies, “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Mt. 17:21; Mark 9:29) If you have The Chronological Study Bible that we have been using the past few years, these “parallel passages” appear together, whether two or three or all four gospels report the event. Those of you with regular Bibles or even Study Bibles will have to do your own cross-reference. [NOTE for you “Bible scholars”: A further analysis of Matthew 17:21 shows that this verse appears in the normal flow of Mark’s text, but apparently was not included in earlier manuscripts in Matthew’s gospel and was added later.]

Blessings!

Luke 9:18-36

Good morning, RTB’ers!

It struck me this morning how much we RTB’ers have been gaining the past few years by reading the Bible chronologically. It was especially noticeable in reading Peter’s “confession”: And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” (v. 20) In my head I automatically read further Jesus’ reply to Peter’s answer as recorded by Matthew. Here is that entire incident:

He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.

Matthew 16:15-20

(NOTE: This incident is also recorded in Mark 8:27-38.) When we only read Luke’s account, we don’t have Jesus’ lifting up Peter as the head of His church on earth. The Chronological Study Bible has all three accounts together, so we could see what’s included and what’s left out in one version or the other.

A word on this… Matthew, Mark and Luke together are known as the Synoptic Gospels – “syn”, meaning together, and “optic”, meaning view or sight (https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/synoptic). Many events in Jesus’ life are recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels. These events recorded together are commonly known as “triple tradition”. If John’s gospel also records the same incident, as was the case yesterday in Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000, then we speak of “quadruple tradition”. If you have a Study Bible, your notes will typically refer to other writers’ accounts of the same event. And, since we have shorter readings this year, it’s good to read all the accounts where the event is reported.

So, beyond all that, what I saw in today’s reading were the references to Jesus’ future on Earth: First, Jesus speaking, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised on the third day.” (v. 22); and “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory…” (v. 26a); and then Moses and Elijah … were speaking of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  (vv. 30b-31). One of my favorite phrases these days is “That was then, this is now”. Think on that, folks – Jesus’ past is our present and our future! Glory!!

Blessings!

Luke 9:1-17

Good morning, RTB’ers!

What is the message that Jesus and the twelve are speaking? “And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God…” (v. 2a); “And they began … preaching the gospel…” (v. 6a); “…and He … began speaking to them about the kingdom of God…” (v. 11b). What does Jesus mean by “the kingdom of God”? What is “the gospel”? What is He saying to His 1^st-century listeners and to us? We had a good group discussion last year on this question of Jesus’ message to the crowds. What is your take on this question? What is the kingdom of God? What is the gospel?

Blessings!