Genesis – Running After Papa

Raising Cain

(This was my post today on another blog I do with some of my accountability brothers – I wanted to share it)

I’ve spent this week in Genesis 4 in my BSF study. I knew early last week I’d be writing about Cain, but didn’t quite know what… not exactly sure how this post will shape up but let’s see where it goes.

Genesis 4:1-5 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

The New King James Version. 1982 (Ge 4:1–5). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

We all know Abel raised livestock and Cain tilled the ground.

One question not answered here is this. “How did Cain and Abel know to bring an offering to the LORD?” Is this something the LORD taught Adam and Eve during or after the process of killing an animal to clothe them (cover their sin)? Or did the LORD sometime before this recorded episode instruct Cain and Abel on what a proper offering was and how to bring it before Him? The details don’t really matter because what is implied is that Cain and Abel were versed, or at least instructed on a proper offering to God.

For years I’ve tied the acceptance of Abel’s offering to the fact that Moses calls out that it was Abel’s first fruit (v4). That implies (as I’ve heard taught for years) the tithe – the first part of what God brings – even without knowing if there will be anymore to come – which requires faith. Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” The first fruit offering requires faith. I still believe that to be a powerful truth.

However, something I read in my notes really caught my attention.

“If Cain already knew God’s will concerning sacrifices, then he may have been too proud to trade with his brother for a lamb. He would have asserted his independence by choosing to worship God in his own way” BSF Lesson 6, Series 1, Genesis, p.3

God says something similar to Moses in Deut 9:12 when the Israelites made a golden image against God’s explicit command.

12 “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.’

I wonder if I have a little Cain in me. It’s certainly a thread woven through the pages of the Bible – mankind worshiping God in their own way. Is it any wonder that there are now (reportedly) over 41,000 Christian faiths in the world today? Not to mention all the various non-Christian faiths… each starting with someone worshiping God in his or her “own way.”

Isaiah 53 says:

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Not at all where I thought this post would go… but glad it got here.

God, help me to worship you exactly as you command me to – nothing more – nothing less – nothing to do with me. Amen.

Day 27 – New view of Omnipresent

If you’ve been following my experiment, you know that one of the words that God spoke to me that’s really rocked my world is about God’s ever-present, presence and that He doesn’t “come and go”, but I open and close myself to His already here presence.

While on my vacation, I’ve been working on a paper for a class I’m taking and the topic had to do with the theological messages in Genesis chapter 1. While I was running today, I began to realize that God being omnipresent has a greater meaning that being everywhere at one time… God is everywhere outside of the bounds of time. God is everywhere at all time.

If God created time (clearly shown in Gen 1:3) then he is not relegated or bound by it. When I say I serve an omnipresent God – I know now that he is in every physical place at every point in time. God is in my past, in my present, and in my future…

Something I’m still working through… but wanted to get it down for review…

P.S. Along this same line of thought I began to think. If darkness is the absence of light and evil is the absence of good, then what if eternity is the absence of time? Perhaps I have such a hard time comprehending eternity, because I’m trying to define it by something it is mutually exclusive of.

I’m in sin? How did that happen?

Genesis 20 1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

So check this out… Abraham’s actions brought Abimelech and his whole kingdom to the point of great sin unknowingly. But Abimelech really didn’t do anything wrong! He was deceived by Abraham and Sarah and he acted with a righteous heart and of upright integrity!

A few chapters earlier, God punished Pharaoh and all his family for the same thing (Genesis 12). It was a result of being lied to and deceived by Abraham and Sarah. Pharaoh even gave Abraham tons of money and really took care of him, but yet he and his whole family were plagued.

Why? These people didn’t have a choice to be in sin or not in sin? They just woke up one day, some probably didn’t even know what transpired, and BAM! They are in sin with God and/or plagued with great plagues (Gen 12:17).

This begs the question: Am I in sin, even though I am upright in my integrity and acting with a pure heart, because of the choice or action of others?

In this instance, God was gracious by withholding Abimelech and Sarah, and God even warned Abimelech and gave him the choice to continue down this path that leads to destruction, or choose the right path of life.

Abraham acted out of fear and it put tons of innocent people into sin. This begs a second question: Have I put others in sin without them knowing because of the choices I have made?

How does one correct that or guard against it? In each instance Abraham acted out of his own fear and reasoning. He did not trust God’s plan because he did not understand nor see God’s plan. Therein is the hard part – how does one walk daily in a plan that I cannot see or understand?

Trust… Faith… These are the keys… These are HARD! I know this – I can trust HIM. God is trustworthy and has my best interest in mind – even when He’s having to work through the tough circumstances and consequences of my own and other people’s actions and choices.

Running After Papa…

Keeping Promises (Gen 35)

Genesis 35

In reading this chapter, I was struck by the fact that God held Jacob’s feet to the fire… God held Jacob accountable for his promises. Back in chapter 28, when Jacob was in a pinch, he made a promise to God.

Gen 28:20-22 (NKJV)
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Guess what? Everything Jacob vowed – all the “if God will… then I will…” – came true. God was faithful to completely deliver in it. Now it was time for Jacob to hold up his end – even 20 years later. It could be that Jacob forgot about his vow. It had been 20 years since he made it. It could be that Jacob was just continuing to live out his M.O. of deceiving and that he never had any intention of going back. That was what his name meant. His whole life was built around deception and scheming: Esau’s birthright; Esau’s blessing; his wives – he was deceived this time; his fortune of sheep from Laban;

Jacob may have forgotten about his vow – but God did not forget. Jacob may have intended to scam God – but God had other intentions. Not only did God remind Jacob to go back to that place, he enabled him to do so by prevented Jacob’s enemies from attacking him(Gen 35:5); blessed him again; and changed his name (again) to Israel (Gen 35:9-14). This was the second time God had changed his name to Israel (see Gen 32:28). He confirmed the change of his name from from Jacob (which means “Deceiver, or Schemer”) to Israel (which means “God prevails”).

Isn’t that just like God? He wants to bless us, just like any good Father would… but he also wants to teach us to be men of integrity… to finish what we start… to fulfill our commitments and vows… to be men of Honor…. no matter how long ago we made the promise. He wants us to recognize and know that HE WILL PREVAIL.

We’ve all done it. We’ve all send up those requests to God. Something like: “God, if you’ll just ___(Fill in the blank)___ then I will ___(Fill in the blank)___.” I know I’m guilty of it. I imagine we all are.

Challenge: Ask Father what vows are unfulfilled in your life.

Daddy, I open myself to you. I ask you to show me any unfulfilled promise I’ve made to You or anyone else that I need to make right, so I might be a man if Integrity, a man of Honor, the man you want me to be.

Running After Papa…

Keeping Promises (Gen 35)

Genesis 35

I was struck by the fact that God held Jacob’s feet to the fire. Back in chapter 28, when Jacob was in a pinch, he made a promise to God.

Guess what? Everything Jacob vowed – all the “if God will…” – came true. God was faithful to completely deliver in it. Now it is time for Jacob to hold up his end.

Jacob either had forgotten about his vow – I mean it had been at least 20 years – but God did not forget. Not only did God remind Jacob to go, he prevented Jacob’s enemies from attacking (Gen 35:5), blessed him again and changed his name to Israel (Gen 35:9-14).

We’ve all done it. “God, if you’ll just ___(Fill in the blank)___ then I will ___(Fill in the blank)___.”

Challenge: Ask Father what vows are unfulfilled in your life.

Daddy, I open myself to you. I ask you to show me any unfulfilled promise I’ve made to You or anyone else that I need to make right, so I might be a man if Integrity, a man of Honor.

An Honorable Rapist? (Gen 34)

Genesis 34

This is the account of Dinah’s rape by Shechem.

Three things stand out.

1. Soul Tie?

v3 “³ His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman.” Is this a soul tie?

2. Generational Curse?

Funny how the sins of the father become the sins of the sons… Jacob was a deceiver. So here are two of his sons who deceive the man who raped their sister. Here the deception leads to much more than just a blessing. Here these two men murder all the men of a community and take all their possessions.

3. An Honorable Rapist?

Simeon and Levi deceive Shechem and his father Hamor saying that they will cross-pollinate with their countrymen if all the men of their city/province would get circumcised. For whatever reason, they they do.

v 19 “¹⁹ So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father. “

The “young man” referenced is Shechem. HE IS MORE HONORABLE? What is up with that? I don’t understand. It must not say much about Hamor, his father.

vv 25-31

²⁵ Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. ²⁶ And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. ²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. ²⁸ They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, ²⁹ and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.

³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”

³¹ But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Who’s right here? Simeon and Levi who avenged their sister’s honor and innocence or Jacob whois now fearing for the life of himself and his family/clan?

The Actual First Leaf (Gen 3:7)

Genesis 3:7
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.

OK, I missed this form of the word “leaf” as it was the plural, “leaves”.

I find this verse interesting that Adam and Eve used leaves to cover themselves after the fall. That was the best they could come up with to cover themselves. God’s solution required the death of an animal – the spilling of blood – as does his requirement for all sin.

Thus, the leaf, in this verse could kinda be a picture of the fruit of their fallen life. The best they could come up with. It would never be good enough, however as the leaves would eventually dry up and tear, and they would just have to be getting and making more. Of course, there was no death at this point was there? They likely hadn’t seen any dead leaves at this point. They may have thought they would be a long-term solution, but it wouldn’t be.

So, I guess this could paint a picture that the leaf is evidence of what our life is about. Evidence, in this case, of a sinful life.

I am going somewhere with this series …

The First Leaf (Gen 8:11)

Genesis 8:6-12 (ESV)

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.

So, as I mentioned in my first post. God has captured my attention on leaves and tonight I looked up all the references to the word “leaf” or “leaves” (the noun, not the verb). There were much fewer than I anticipated. There are twenty-one references that I found tonight. It’s possible I’ve not exhausted all the ways to search for the word in my bible program, but I’ll start with that for now.

This verse is the first mention of the actual word “leaf”. It is implied many times in the first chapter of Genesis when God is creating the world with trees and seeds and plants and vegetation. But here, is the first accounting of a leaf.

In this verse, the leave is freshly plucked.

It shows life. It signifies signs of growth after a purification and cleansing of God. It demonstrates that God does not destroy his creation, but makes it new. It screams newness, freshness and being alive.

It thrives on sunlight. So the leaf, biologically, is required to receive the energy from the sun. This is where photosynthesis occurs. From Wikipedia: Photosynthesis is a metabolic pathway that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Were I a botanist, I bet there is a whole host of biological processes that are incredible pictures of how God relates to us and loves us and how he created us to be. I imagine the entire study of plants points directly to God. From my non-botany background, I think it’s cool that the plants of the earth cannot live with out the Sun.

It’s where the dove went to. I think you know as well as I do that the Holy Spirit is often demonstrated as a Dove (Matt 3:16 – The Holy Spirit came on Jesus like a dove). In verse 12, once the waters had receded, the dove landed on the branch. It was where it needed to be. It was where it wanted wanted to take up residence.

How do I mirror the leave of Gen 8?

I cannot live without the Son.
The evaluation becomes for me is this. Am I showing life? Am I signifying signs of growth after God cleansed me? Do I demonstrate the new creation I’ve become? Do I scream newness, freshness and being alive?
Am I where the Holy Spirit wants to dwell and take up residence? Am I living fully submitted so He can?

I am sure there is at least one more object lesson in the fact that it was an olive leaf. But it’s late and I’m tired.

I’ll dig into more of the “leaf” verses over the coming days….

Jacob, or is it Israel? (Gen 32:22-32)

Once Abram was renamed to Abraham (Gen 17:4), he never referred to as Abraham again in the rest of the Bible except for 2 references that speak of his name being changed from Abram to Abraham (1 Chron 1:27, Neh 9:7).

In Gen 32:28, God renames Jacob to Israel.

We don’t truly see ourselves until first we see the Lord. “What is your name?” (Gen 32: 27, nkjv) was the question that forced Jacob to confess his true self—“Jacob, the schemer.” Once he faced himself and confessed his sin, Jacob could be changed. God gave him a new name—“Israel, prince with God” or “a God-governed man.” The way to have power with God is to be broken by God. God also gave him a new beginning and a new power as he began “walking in the Spirit” and not in the flesh. This was illustrated by a new walk, for now Jacob limped. He had been broken by God, but his limp was a mark of power and not weakness. Verse 31 indicates the dawning of a new day, as the sun rose and Jacob limped out to meet Esau— with God’s help!

Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the Old Testament (Ge 32:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books

Yet, Jacob is still referred to and called Jacob, even after God gave him his new name.

In 35:10 God renames him again to Israel, yet for the rest of the Bible, he is still referred to as both Israel and Jacob. Why?

It’s like we’re never able to forget that Jacob was a deceiver – a schemer.

When God forgives our sin and changes us, isn’t it permanent?

Did Jacob find his identity in the name he had built (schemed) for himself, and therefore never forgot who he used to be?

Let’s talk.

Issac's Blessing – Part 2 (Gen 27:5-28:5)

Gen 27:5-28:5

The deception of Issac by Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing.

There are tons of things to write about, (conniving, deception, stealing, lying, obedience, blessing, etc.) but I have a question…

In Gen 25:21-28, particularly in v23, the Lord foretells of Esau (the older) serving Jacob (the younger).

22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said to her:

“Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
The New King James Version. 1982 (Ge 25:21-28). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Here is the question, was Rebekah’s and Jacob’s lying, dishonest, and wrong actions part of God’s sovereign plan? Would Jacob still have received the blessing had he not deceived his father?

Was it God’s will for them to deceive and cheat and steal Jacob’s way into the promise or would God have preferred to do it another way?