Genesis 12:1–20

 Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture. (Also look at Hebrews 11:8–16.)

1.       Here now is the beginning of all that is Israel. Abram means high or honored father, is directed by Yahweh to leave his home city, Ur, located in southern Babylonia, and travel to an as yet unknown destination. Abraham, whom Abram’s name will be changed to, means father of many nations.

2.       The reason for the calling of Abram is that through him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (And we know from two Gospel writers that Abraham is in Jesus’ genealogy.) This same promise and prophesy is given to Isaac, Abram’s son, and also to Jacob, Abram’s grandson.

3.       Abram’s wife Sarai (meaning princess) and Lot his nephew, along with hundreds of other members of the clan, set off for a land unknown. (Sarai’s name will be changed to Sarah which means “to rule.”)

4.       After arriving in Egypt, Abram fears that the Pharaoh, or king of Egypt, will take Sarai into his harem because she is so beautiful, and thus fears that he is in danger as a result. Therefore, he says that Sarai is his sister, thus not his wife. In fact, they have the same father, Terah, but she has a different mother than Abram.

5. Pharaoh does bring Sarai into his harem (whether they ever touched is unknown) and he “dealt well with Abram.”

6.       Yahweh, despite the half-truth Abram tells the Pharaoh,

afflicts Pharaoh “and his house with great plagues” whereupon  Pharaoh calls Abram to account. After Abram receives a severe tongue-lashing from the Pharaoh, he then sends Abram and company away.

7.       This is our introduction to Abraham the first of the great patriarchs from whose line will come the Messiah.

Genesis 11:1–9

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.           There is no similar story from the ancient world. The building of a “ziggurat,” which is what the “tower” was, was a common structure in the ancient middle eastern world. Made of fired clay blocks, structures could be built many stories high, and high meant moving close to deity.

2.           The world having one language, (at least in that geographic location) thus the capability to create such a monumental platform, and when the right place was found, likely Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the work began to raise up Babel, the “gate of God” or “highway to heaven.”

3.           Rulers in that area and era busied themselves in building such ziggurats in order to acquire fame and power.

4.           Yahweh was not impressed however and saw that the tower building would lead to extreme dangers.

5.           In a way that is unclear, Yahweh “dispersed” the workers, sending them away to other regions. The tower was left unfinished.” means, roughly, “gate of God” or “gateway to heaven.”

6.           The LORD “confused” the language, diversified it. The word “confused” is bubal in Hebrew, just one letter different from babel.

7.         The name of the city “Babylon” refers to the intent of humans to dethrone the Creator God and make His creation their own.

8.         This is precisely what the “pagan” world is yet attempting.

Genesis 6:9-22, 9:8–17; & Romans 8:18–25

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.         Noah, not sinless, but righteous and blameless, walked with God, thus had a personal relationship with God unlike any before him, with the exception of Enoch. (see Genesis 5:24)

2.         Violence had filled the earth at the time of Noah and God prepared to bring judgement upon the people in those days and destroy them on the earth.

3.         God establishes a “covenant” with Noah, assuring their safety and salvation.

4.         God instructed Noah to build an ark 450 feet long,  75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, which would displace about 43,000 tons of water and contain 1.4 million cubit feet for cargo (a cubit being about 18 inches), with 95,200 square feet of deck space.

5.         After a year, those on board the ark, plus all the animals, disembarked. Judgment had been delivered as well as salvation.

6.         Paul, in the first generation of the Christian era, also experienced suffering along with all those who identified as being followers of Jesus. These were already in the ark of safety and salvation.

7.         Indeed, the whole of creation has a shelf life; it is neither permanent nor perfect. But that which is coming is both permanent and perfect.

8.         Paul explains in Romans 8:24 that it is in this hope, the “redemption of our bodies” that we are saved. And for this “we wait for it with patience.”          

Genesis 6:1–8

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.         Genesis 6 is one of the most debated passages in all the Bible, and there are any number of interpretations. The following attempt at gathering the chief points are presented by my favorite commentators.

2.         Point in time is some years, maybe 120, prior to the flood of Noah. Long years following the time of Adam and Eve now and an untold number of people populate the planet.

3.         The meaning of “the sons of God” is variously understood, but it likely refers to the line of Seth, the 3^rd born of Adam and Eve. These began interbreeding with those of the line of Cain, which grieved the Creator God, Yahweh, who declared judgment on these via the flood of Noah.

4.         The “Nephilim” of verse 4 is also variously understood. The name likely means “the fallen ones,” again probably those of the line of Cain, the murderer of his brother Abel, and are thought to be mighty murderous warriors. The author is making the case that violence was filling the earth.

5.         Indeed, corruption was great in the earth, even the thoughts and intents of the inner human core was focused on evil continually. And Yahweh, grieved and sorrowful for this, would bring devastation upon all with the exception of Noah who had found favor, or given grace by the LORD.

6.         Here now is the introduction of that means by which God will blot out our sin. This section is indeed prophetic.

Genesis 5:1–32

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture.

1.         This passage is titled “The book of the generations of Adam” and prepares us for the days of Noah and the Flood.

2.         Some commentators refer to our passage as a 3^rd creation account while others see it as a conclusion to a seamless account of the creation story beginning chapter one. Christians will disagree on some points, which are not crucial to the core Gospel message.

3.         Our passage asserts that God (Elohim in Hebrew) created men and women “in the likeness of God.” No other creature is so made, and the idea is that humans are capable of having a direct and personal relationship with their creator.

4.         In the previous chapter, the line of Cain came to ruin, but the third son of Adam, is Seth who was created in the likeness of Adam, thus in the likeness of God.

5.         The line of descent then moves, after Seth, to the birth of Noah, which came seven generations later. This number indicates completion. The stage is set now for the great Flood.

6.         At the core of the Bible’s message is the prediction/prophecies of the events related to the first coming of Messiah Jesus and then to His second coming. And these revelations can also be seen in our passage here.

Genesis 4:1–26

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture. Also see: Dt.12:20–25, 15:19–23; Mt. 23:29–36; Col.1:15–20; Heb. 11:1–6; 1 John 3:11–15.

1.    First born of Adam and Eve was Cain, the second born was Abel. Abel “keep” sheep while Cain farmed the land, and from each of which they brought offerings of their produce to the LORD.

2.    Abel would have killed a sheep, the firstborn of his flock, shed its blood, in order to present his offering. Is this a prophetic event, pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross?

3.    Cain’s reaction to the rejection by the LORD of his offering was one of anger, and the LORD reached out to him but then out of Cain’s anger he kills his younger brother.

4.    As a result Cain becomes a “fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” This “punishment,” and fear sets deep into his being.

5.    But the LORD issues a protection for Cain even gives him a “mark” to protect him. (The nature of the “mark” remains a mystery. The best thought is that it was something visible like a tattoo.) The need for the protection is that others may seek to harm him. Who these others are also remains a mystery.

6.    Cain and his wife have a son, Enoch, who builds a city. Five generations after Cain Lamech is born, who would have two wives.

7.    Lamech’s kills a young man for “wounding” him, a severe reaction and Lamech understands that his punishment will be greater than that of Cain.

8.    This segment of Scripture concludes with the birth of Seth, born of Adam and Eve, who would supplant Cain. After a period of time, “people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” And this is a hopeful sign of a better future.

Genesis 3:14–24

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture.

1.         Yahweh Elohim spoke to the serpent, indwelled as it was by Satan itself, and pronounced a “curse” upon it, which would be dramatized by having to crawl on “your belly.”

2.         Furthermore, and most importantly, there will be a prolonged and cosmic spiritual warfare between Satan’s offspring (the demonic kingdom) and the woman’s offspring (Christ and His Church).

3.         Indeed, the offspring (or seed) of the woman would deliver a death blow to it’s offspring while Satan’s offspring is only able to bruise the heel of the woman’s offspring.

4.         Here is the first revelation of what is called, in Latin, the protoevangelium, the first mention of the Gospel, which is the defeat of sin and Satan by means of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Messiah.

5.         The breaking of the first and only commandment would also result in a disturbance in the relationship between husbands and wives.

6.         In addition, life would from then on be lived not in a paradise, but in a world full of misery and woe. Surviving would be no easy task

7.         A second looking forward to the work of Jesus on the cross in the passage is prefigured by Yahweh Elohim making coverings of the hides of animals for Adam and Eve (the name Eve means “life giver”).

8.         Sadly now, Adam and Eve are driven away from the paradise originally intended for them. The way to the tree of life is now barred.

Genesis 3:1–13

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture. Also read: Psalm 139:1–12; Isaiah 14:12–20; Ezekiel 28:11–19; 2 Cor. 11:12–15; 1 Peter 3:6–11.

1.         The story begins with a demon possessed serpent, which is somehow present even in the paradise created by Yahweh Elohim, the LORD God, speaking to the woman.

2.         A carefully crafted question is asked of the woman by the serpent. We note that the serpent did not use the full title Yahweh Elohim, only Elohim.

3.         The woman’s response is nearly correct except she adds, “neither shall you touch it,” which God had not said.

4.         The serpent contradicts what God had said and denies that death would be the result of eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge or good and evil. May we wonder how the woman even knew anything about death?

5.         The serpent misrepresents the intention of Elohim by saying that to eat of the tree will bring enlightenment even to the point of being like gods, and this rendering we find in the Septuagint, LXX, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.

6.         Now the woman, in looking at the fruit of the forbidden tree, sees it is good for food, a delight to the eyes, and will bring one wisdom—the deadly triple enticement. The meaning of “seeing” has been debated forever.

7.         The woman shares the fruit with her husband whereupon both shockingly discover they are naked. Such mystery here and with little understanding by scholars over the centuries. By some mysterious mechanism they devise a covering, and they suddenly “hear” the LORD God approaching, who calls out to the man and asks, “Where are you?”

8.         Is this an opportunity for the man to confess and repent? Perhaps it was, but the man says he was afraid and so he hid himself. And we do the same still; so then we identify with the man.

9.         He was naked: is this a way of expressing guilt? Then comes from the LORD God another chance to be honest and confess. The response is one of blaming, blaming the woman for the trouble.

10.       The LORD God turns now to the woman and asks her what it was she had done. She admits that the serpent deceived her and that she did eat of the forbidden fruit.

11.       Is this to be considered a confession or an excuse?

Genesis 3:1–13

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture. Also read: Psalm 139:1–12; Isaiah 14:12–20; Ezekiel 28:11–19; 2 Cor. 11:12–15; 1 Peter 3:6–11.

1.         The story begins with a demon possessed serpent, which is somehow present even in the paradise created by Yahweh Elohim, the LORD God, speaking to the woman.

2.         A carefully crafted question is asked of the woman by the serpent. We note that the serpent did not use the full title Yahweh Elohim, only Elohim.

3.         The woman’s response is nearly correct except she adds, “neither shall you touch it,” which God had not said.

4.         The serpent contradicts what God had said and denies that death would be the result of eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge or good and evil. May we wonder how the woman even knew anything about death?

5.         The serpent misrepresents the intention of Elohim by saying that to eat of the tree will bring enlightenment even to the point of being like gods, and this rendering we find in the Septuagint, LXX, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.

6.         Now the woman, in looking at the fruit of the forbidden tree, sees it is good for food, a delight to the eyes, and will bring one wisdom—the deadly triple enticement. The meaning of “seeing” has been debated forever.

7.         The woman shares the fruit with her husband whereupon both shockingly discover they are naked. Such mystery here and with little understanding by scholars over the centuries. By some mysterious mechanism they devise a covering, and they suddenly “hear” the LORD God approaching, who calls out to the man and asks, “Where are you?”

8.         Is this an opportunity for the man to confess and repent? Perhaps it was, but the man says he was afraid and so he hid himself. And we do the same still; so then we identify with the man.

9.         He was naked: is this a way of expressing guilt? Then comes from the LORD God another chance to be honest and confess. The response is one of blaming, blaming the woman for the trouble.

10.       The LORD God turns now to the woman and asks her what it was she had done. She admits that the serpent deceived her and that she did eat of the forbidden fruit.

11. Is this to be considered a confession or an excuse?

Genesis 2:4–25

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture. Also look at Exodus 3:13–15, Job 12:7–11; 1 Cor.15:42–49; Ephesians 5:25–33; Colossians 1:15–20; Revelation 22:1-5.

1.         It is largely understood that our passage is a second account of creation because of the difference in vocabulary, style, and order of events, plus the use of LORD God—Yahweh Elohim—in place of Elohim for God in the earlier account.  

2.         In addition, there is no day-by-day account of the order of creation, rather the author moves directly to the creation of the first human.

3.         Before there was any vegetation, Yahweh Elohim formed ‘adham from mere dust of the earth. Thereupon the LORD God brought all manner of vegetation into being.

4.         He created a paradise/garden and in the center of it was the “tree of life.” The LORD God also created the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” the location of which is uncertain.

5.         The location of the garden or park is described by giving the names of four rivers, two of which are known, the Tigris and Euphrates; the other two are unknown, Pishon and Gihon. The Tigris and Euphrates, still with the same names, are found in modern day Iraq.

6.         The LORD God put the man in the garden to work and keep it, produce food and guard it, and He warned the man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

7.         Created a social being, the single man had no other being to relate to, so God created the animals and the birds (no mention of fish) in order to find a “helper” for the man.

8.         These did not satisfy so the LORD God put the man asleep and out of his side or rib, a being was created with whom the man could relate. And the man was indeed happy and thankful for this.

9.         So then, ever after, the man, ish, would leave his parents and hold fast to his woman, ishshah. They would be considered “one flesh.”

10.       These two, the man and woman, were naked yet were not ashamed; there was no guilt or shame attached to their sexuality. This would change, and radically so.