The best place to get to know our majestic and gracious God is to look at the creation of the world. We can learn so much from the Bible account of creation. Yet, it can be hard when we hear about the millions of years the earth has been in existence. How are we supposed to understand what Genesis tells us?
It’s important to remember that the Bible is God’s Word to us. This holy book has a purpose in our faith journey. While it’s full of history and stories God wants us to know, it doesn’t cover every single moment. It’s best when we think of the Bible as God’s message to us, so we can understand how God and man intersect in this world. Continue reading “Genesis 1:1-2:4 – Creation is Good”
We’ve gotten up close and personal with Joseph and his family over the last number of days (if you have been reading this sequentially as I write). Today closes the chapter on Joseph’s life, and the book of Genesis. Looking back over the last 50 chapters, we have covered a huge span of years and met lots of Bible heroes. I have always been amazed at how one book could contain so much history. Joseph’s story has always been a favorite of mine.
Have you ever had anyone speak a prophecy over your life or give you a special blessing? Here we see Jacob’s sons gathered to bid their father farewell as death was close. Jacob appears to have had a surge of energy and alertness as he addresses each of his sons with a message and a blessing. We certainly learned a few things about these boys from Jacob’s departing words.
Sometimes God uses the unexpected, breaking tradition or appearance. We see that here as Jacob blesses Ephraim more than Manessah, the oldest. Traditionally, the firstborn would receive the greater blessing. Joseph tried to intervene to correct this, but Jacob did it intentionally. Apparently, he had “inside information” and wanted to bless the younger son more. Maybe he remembered his own experience.
