Exodus 15-17 - The Israelites Begin Their Trek

This one is a bit harder for me today, because I don't want to get into the cliches about the Israelites complaining and how they are ungrateful for everything that's been done for them already... and how we're like the Israelites in our complaining and ungratefulness. I'm sure that's been talked about plenty already.

It's weird, but one thing that caught my eye in this reading is a date: "The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt" (Exodus 16:1).

So, assuming that a month is 30 days, and then add 15, and you get 45 days before Israel gets their first taste of manna. Now if you give or take a few days, one could make a case that they have been in the wilderness for around 40 days when they get hungry. Now, I suppose obviously they had stores of food from before they left Egypt (they did plunder the Egyptians after all); and I highly doubt that the Lord would send them on this journey and expect them to fast right away... but the devotional thought would definitely stay the same regardless. They were in the wilderness for 40 days before being fed by God.

Does this sound familiar at all? Jesus fasted for 40 days while in the wilderness. In fact, he was so hungry that Satan first tempted him with a simple thing such as bread. "Tell this stone to become bread," the devil said (Luke 4:3). "It'll be nice and tasty," he said (Brian's imagination).

But the thing about giving into temptation is that it sets us up to be our own gods. When we give into temptation, it's really us telling God that we know what is best for us and that we should do what is in our best interests, otherwise we will wither away and die... ("but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death" (Exodus 16:3b)).

In doing so, we completely forget that God has actually created us, formed us, and given us life. God knows how this human machine works, and he knows our inmost being (Psalm 139:13). As C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity: "God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way..."

Therefore, I do suppose God is indeed testing his people to see how they react and as we can see, they don't (and continually won't) react well. Christ, on the other hand, knew and practiced that it's through God's words, laws and promises that we do indeed gain abundant life.

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Anyone else get an interesting picture in your heads with about 1,000,000 people trying to seek shade under 70 palm trees in the desert? (Exodus 15:27)

- I wonder how creative the Israelites got with their manna... Oooh! That'd make for a great Top Chef challenge - nothing but bread and quail, and maybe a few spices :)

- I'm sorry, but another interesting/funny picture has entered my head: wouldn't it have been an interesting sight to behold that when Moses' hands went up they were winning, and when they went down they were losing? (Exodus 17:8-16) It just sounds very Jack Benny-esque, doesn't it? :)

Exodus 11-15 - God Delivers His People

So for this post, I'm doing something a bit different. I had the pleasure of giving the message at our inaugural Wednesday night service here at Grace. Our readings were Exodus 6:2-8; 12:1-7, 11-14 | Romans 6:15-23 | Luke 22:14-20. Obviously, the theme of Passover certainly stood out. So instead of my more academic thoughts today, here's my message:

Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, be with us this night as we are gathered together to listen to your Word. May you bless the words that I am about to say; that they may shine your light so that it be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In your name we pray, Amen.

"Why is this night different from all other nights?"

Well, first of all, because it is our first Wednesday night service we have had at Grace other than Advent or Lenten services. [pause] 

"Why is this night different from all other nights?"

In preparing for my message tonight, I came across this question which is spoken at any Passover dinner by the youngest child who is able to talk. We will get to the answer in a little bit, but as with any good retelling of a historical tale, we need to go back and set the stage.

Last week, we left off in The Story seeing that God indeed provides for his people. God had provided for Joseph even when he was left for dead by not only his brothers, but also by Potiphar after false allegations. God had provided for the Egyptians as he raised up Joseph to be a strong and wise leader in the famine that lasted seven years. God also provided for the family of Jacob, as they traveled to Egypt to eat of their available stores of food.

Now let’s fast-forward about 400 years. The picture is not so rosy – the evidence of God’s providence has now become a foreign concept in the minds of men. As the Israelites numbers increase, their reliance on God has decreased. As the memory of the true God faded from Pharaoh’s mind, he set himself to be lord among men as he subdued the Israelites into slavery for his pet building projects, if not just outright ordering killings of the baby boys born to Hebrew mothers.

We get a picture of the harsh conditions that the Israelites worked under as they became slaves under Pharaoh [read bottom paragraph page 43, Exodus 1:11-14].

Yikes. Yet, we are familiar and can resonate with this picture of slavery all the time, can’t we. 

From our history books and our early childhood education, we are well-aware of a dark time in our country’s not-too-distant past where this practice was legally accepted; and the consequences of this abominable practice are still being felt today 150 years even after its physical and legal ban. 

However, even with the explicit prohibition of slavery, such practices are characteristic to our culture today. We are tireless laborers in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. We are captives to our competitive dog-eat-dog world where either we come out on top or we are consumed. We are servants to our cultural ideals that perfect children only come from perfect parents or perfect families. And that is only to name a few of an ever-increasing number of ways in which we are indeed, as Paul calls us, "slaves to sin."

As we go about our lives in the fog and haze of slavery, we cry and groan for a way out – for hope – for a light at the end of the tunnel – just as the Israelites did. We continually ask: "Why is this night no different from all other nights that we are facing?"

Yet, as he has done before, God provides for his people.

For the Israelites, God raised up a leader to deliver his people; yet, the one he raised up was not a leader you would expect. This leader considered himself slow in speech; he had a checkered history in Egypt; and he had a tendency to let his emotions and passion override rational thought. And we all know him now as one of the greatest men in world history: Moses.

God worked through Moses to give Pharaoh a chance to repent; an offer that Pharaoh flatly refused again and again. God worked through Moses to bring forth consequences of that unrepentance in the form of gnats, frogs and flies (and that was just for starters). And God worked through Moses as a mouthpiece for what God was about to do: his ultimate judgment – indiscriminate death. For at the stroke of midnight, he would strike down the firstborn of animal and of human, Egyptian or Israelite.

But God ultimately worked through Moses as a vessel for salvation; for it was through Moses that God declared how he would free his people, Israel. For God sent Moses to tell his people that they are to take a spotless lamb, sacrifice it for their family (and others if those around could not afford it), and put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts [make up-down sign with my hands] and the mantle [make left-right sign with my hands] of their doorways. Once they did so, they were impervious to the upcoming agent of death.

"Why is this night different from all other nights?" – Because on this night, God has delivered his people from certain death and through Pharaoh’s decree (though one he would quickly regret), they became free citizens and were able to leave Egypt once and for all.

For us here and now, God has raised up a leader to deliver his people; yet, the one he raised up was not a leader you would expect. This leader was born, grew up and lived in humble means; he has a checkered history with those in power; and he had a tendency to live his life as quite the contrarian to the prevailing culture. And we all know him now as the greatest man in world history: Jesus.

Jesus has told us time and time again to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand; an offer that we flatly refuse again and again. Because we refuse to repent, we reap the consequences of that unrepentance in the form of sin, death and eternal separation from God (and that’s just for starters). And we hear Jesus’ words of what God’s ultimate judgment is – indiscriminate death – for those who have fallen short of complete repentance – and that is all of us.

But Jesus is our ultimate vessel of salvation; for it is through him that God declares how he has freed his people, how he has freed those who believe the promise. For Jesus is our spotless lamb, sacrificed for us and for those around us. It was his body that was broken for us; and it is his blood that is shed for us [make sign of the cross] on the cross that covers our family and household. And now, we are impervious to the agent of death – the Evil One and his armies.

"Why is this morning different from all other mornings?" – Because on this morning, God has saved his people from certain death through Christ’s resurrection, and his defeat of death and the grave; and through Christ’s decree, we are now free citizens of the kingdom of heaven and have left the worldly dominion of the Evil One once and for all!

Yet..... We’re still slaves.

We are no longer slaves to the consequences of our sin; we are no longer slaves to these things of the world; we are no longer slaves to the ways that bring us death. Thanks be to God, we are slaves to righteousness! 

Instead of being beholden to what was, we are to behold what is to come! Instead of the Old Adam in us living in despair, the New Adam in us is to live with joy and cheer! Instead of suffering consequences of past sins, we are to be excited about the opportunities that are in front of us! 

For as the Lord called the Israelites out of the waters of the Red Sea, with the waters crashing down all around Pharaoh and his armies, to become a holy nation; so Christ calls us out to become a holy nation through the waters of Holy Baptism, with the water drowning the Evil One and all of our foes. A new day is dawning.

"Why is this day different from all other days?"

Because through your Baptism, our Heavenly Father has graciously called you out of slavery; equipped you with Christ’s love, mercy and forgiveness; and given you his Holy Spirit of grace and truth so that you can "proclaim good news to the poor; proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind; to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

Amen.

Exodus 5-10 - God and Pharaoh

Who's ready for some serious theological wrestling today? Me neither, but I couldn't really get past the following verse and not do some study on it:

"The Lord said to Moses, 'When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go'" (Exodus 4:21).

Anyone else have a problem with that verse? This verse (and a tough passage in Romans 9 that very much corresponds to this idea) raises so many theological red flags that I'm not sure where to start. If God has given us free will, can he just toy with a man's emotions like that? And then if God does indeed tinker with emotions does that make him a mastermind behind every act that results from this tinkering? And if this tinkering results in the downfall of this man, would that not make God evil? Or even alternatively, if God's tinkering with this one man results in the glorification of God among a million others, is that justified? Wouldn't God be playing favorites?

The first view as to why God hardened Pharaoh's heart is that God used Pharaoh so that plagues could be brought which would display to everyone, without a shadow of the doubt, who is in control. I could indeed see some validity to this view. After all, remember that the Israelites have now been in Egypt and their foreign gods for 400 years now. They have also become slaves in Pharaoh's eyes, just plain laborers for his pet building projects. There is clearly no evidence of God's work around them and so they would need some.

I'm a Trekkie, and so I get the idea of the "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." But this only seems to hold water when the few or the one have a say in the matter, especially if it means their destruction as it did for Spock, who was and ever shall be Kirk's friend. *sigh and sniff :)* In our Biblical story, this "glorification" comes clearly at the expense of others and even creation itself (plagues on livestock, hail smashing crops...) who have no say in the matter.

God has instilled in us a need for relationship and also a value of human life such that even if we saw someone in danger, our God-given instincts would kick in and many of us likely would try to rescue them and save them from harm. So for God to harden Pharaoh's heart for the glorification among his people just seems to really fly in the face of what we know God to be like (since he did give us our conscience and instincts after all), does it not?

The second problem with this view, in my opinion, is that God is sending this man to his ruination just for the glorification of "his chosen people." From our human experience, we know and see favoritism from a very young age (he got more frosting than I did!!), and we have a sense of what's fair and just, again due to our God-given consciences. Destroying one man for a whole people does not seem right, fair or just.

Both of these views lead to my immediate conclusion that this, my friends, is double predestination. God saves those who he wants, and condemns who he wants, and it's set in stone. Eek!

Which brings me to the second view, which brings an element of human choice into it. This would state that we indeed got a preview of what would happen as God said he would harden Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 4:21, 7:14, 7:22). However, as you read further into the story, one would find that it is actually Pharaoh who hardens his heart first (Exodus 8:15, 8:32, 9:34) and it eventually got to a breaking point beyond saving; and thus into the category of receiving consequences in further hardening from God (Exodus 9:12, 10:20, 10:27).

Does this view not conform to more of our human understanding and experience? Most of us can think of an example of someone who has gone done a dark path. Throughout this path, there seems to be at least a glimmer of hope and redemption. We try to step in to save this person for God wants no person to be lost (1 Timothy 2:4). We also intervene because we love this person and rightfully fear what will happen if they continue down this journey. Yet, they have a choice to continue down this path, and unfortunately, many do. And once they do, there is no choice but to let natural law and natural consequences take their toll: their hearts become harder, they become more isolated, and they are beyond redemption as sad as that is to say.

In this view, God is not some cosmic captain of a heavenly team where if you're not picked to be on the team, you're a loser damned to hell. Instead, God has indeed chosen all of us to be on his team and we can certainly play whole-heartedly for him... or we choose to reject to be under his care and protection. Once we choose that way, God can still care for us and love us like any coach would; but our consequences are beyond his control for we have chosen our way and not God's way.

Now don't get me wrong; God can and still will use these dire circumstances (natural and fallen as they are) to bring good. God used Joseph's brothers' misdeeds to save Egypt. God used Pharaoh's hardened heart to bring glory to the Israelites. The Story Spoiler Alert: God used the conquest aspirations of the Assyrians and Babylonians to discipline the Israelites and bring them to repentance; and God used the avarice and greed of the Pharisees to achieve his ultimate plan of salvation for us.

This view then is unconditional election. God chooses us all, but we can choose to reject him; but even in that rejection, God will use that rejection and bring good out of it.

And that, my friends, is pure gospel! :)

Exodus 1-4 - God's Name

I was torn between my two ideas for this journal entry, but instead of going with a post applicable to the hardships of the Israelites based around this blog post that I saw a few days back on Facebook, I'm going with what I had originally intended to write.

For a very long time, I have been fascinated with names. What do they mean? Are they significant? Why are they named that way? Interestingly enough, I'm not a genealogy fan, but I do love etymology (and the spelling that comes from all those awesome roots). So when God gives His name to Moses when calling him into service, that's where my investigation headed.

First of all, his name is rendered differently throughout various translations of the Bible:

I am who I am - NIV & ESV
I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE - Amplified Bible
I AM THAT I AM - KJV
... and the footnote from the Contemporary English Version: The Hebrew text has “Yahweh,” which is usually translated “Lord” in the CEV. Since it seems related to the word translated “I am,” it may mean “I am the one who is” or “I will be what I will be” or “I am the one who brings into being.”

When we think of names, we think of nouns... of specific people in specific times, places, and spaces. Isn't it interesting then that God, in speaking to Moses, chose to name himself as a verb? By naming himself as a verb, in one broad stroke, God is instructing us that he automatically transcends time and space; God is not bound to the confines of a god like Baal, Zeus or Shiva. God has given us a name that is absolutely limitless.

Now, when we take the I AM and translate it into Hebrew, one would expect to find that it would translate to the tetragrammaton, aka the letters that make up God's name, right. Yet, interestingly, it doesn't. Instead of translating to יהוה (yehôvâh), it translates to הָיָה (hâyâh). Now, the definition of hâyâh does indeed mean 'I am', but there's an interesting twist when one also looks at the words that this is related to.

Hâyâh is closely related to the words hâvâh and âvâh. Are you with me so far? :) Now the definition of hâvâh is indeed "to be, become, exist, happen." But the definition of âvâh is "desire, incline, covet, wait longingly, wish, sigh, want, be greedy, prefer."

Now when I was originally going to post this, I was about ready to say that a root for God's very name comes from the Hebrew word for "desire." But, to be more precise, according to the Interlinear Bible, those two words are only related to one another. Even so, the devotional thought is still quite evident:

In giving God's name as he did to Moses, there is at least a hint or an allusion to desire and even a longing, waiting and wanting.

But what does God want? What in the world could he desire? Recall what we read in Genesis: "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). God created our human race because he desired a relationship with something that was other than himself. He wants you, he wants me; he wants our neighbors; he wants our enemies; he wants everyone! Indeed, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ" (Ephesians 1:7-10).

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Wow Pharaoh is slow, isn't he? Whenever he keeps tasking the Israelites more, God blesses his people more and makes them multiply even quicker and become more defiant. Lesson to be learned here about earthly governments perhaps?

- Do you wonder what the Bible would be like if it was more standardized? The reason I ask is that I found that God called to Moses from the mountain of Horeb (Exodus 3:1). So what? Well, that mountain is also known as Mt. Sinai, which we'll be hearing about very soon. Imagine if our people knew that; so many more connections can be formed within our minds! --- Indeed, check out v. 12: "And God said, 'I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.'" We would catch that verse much easier if Horeb was indeed called Sinai here :).

Genesis 47-50 - Jacob's and Joseph's Stories End

At first when I was going to write this post; I was thinking of doing a "quick hitter" post that covered a few topics but nothing in depth. But the last few days have really stressed something really important to me that I feel like I need to share.

As I read this passage of Genesis, especially the end of chapters 47 and 49, I couldn't help but be struck at Jacob's insistence that he be buried with his father and grandfather back in the land of Canaan. I don't know about you, but if I had my wish, I really wouldn't care where my kids buried me because my soul is already long gone and awaiting the resurrection. I wouldn't want my children to go through extra trials and problems just so I could be buried somewhere. Yet, Jacob asks his children to travel days, if not weeks, so that he could be buried with his parents.

But as I thought about it, the concept of what the Celts call 'thin spaces' came into my head, and for the last few days I have not been able to shake that concept and in fact it has intensified. What are 'thin spaces'? One of my favorite authors, N.T. Wright puts describes these spaces in his book, Surprised by Hope, as "places where the curtain between heaven and earth seems almost transparent" (p. 259). They are places where you can sense God's presence around you, places where you can see God working, and spaces where you can hear God whisper to you in a still, small voice.

So, for Jacob, one of those 'thin spaces' must be where his family lived; which makes sense because Jacob did love his family. There they loved him, raised him, and taught him how to live. Not only that, but that his where one of his wives was buried too. So it makes sense that this graveyard is a thin space for Jacob (and really, a graveyard is often a thin space for many people as it's ground zero for meeting our mortality face-to-face and trusting in the promise of the resurrection).

Where is a 'thin space' for you? For me, I am in one right now. I'm at a KINDLE conference in an absolutely beautiful setting in Mundelein, Illinois. Other than the accessibility issues I'm encountering, this is an extremely thin space. There is something magical about hearing the church bells (whether recorded or real, we can't tell and even some of the sem students don't know!) chime every 15 minutes. There is something rejuvenating about the slow pace that the people in this place live to. There is a character to these buildings and the stories that are bursting from these walls. There is something timeless to the statues and the architecture which adorn this place.

And there is just this neat feeling welling up within me that is re-creation-al as I reconnect with friends. I love the bonds that are being re-forged as we share our joys and or frustrations with this little thing called 'ministry'. And it's a neat feeling to feel my heart being re-tuned to God's frequency once again.

It's places, and times, and people, and things like this that are truly indicators that God's realm is breaking into ours on a continual basis; and it's my prayer that we all see this work that God is bringing into this fallen world.

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- I thought I wanted to know what the phrase "put your hand on my thigh" meant... but after reading this article, I wish I hadn't :P

- Anyone else think it was really interesting how when Jacob brought Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 48) to be blessed by his grandfather that Joseph told his dad that he had made a mistake in blessing the younger one first just as Jacob himself had been earlier?

- I also find it interesting that Jesus didn't come of the tribe of the firstborn of Jacob (Reuben). He instead came from Judah, which was actually the first one mentioned in his blessing that hadn't committed a fairly heinous crime.

- Bonus fact of Jesus coming from Judah's line; the name 'Judah' comes from the Hebrew word (yâdâh) which is used in this verse: "He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task" (Leviticus 16:21). Sound remotely like anything Jesus had done? :)

- Anyone else find the end of chapter 50 rather ominous? Joseph asked his countrymen to "I am about to die...carry my bones up from this place" (Genesis 50:24-25). And yet, what happens to him? He is buried in a coffin in Egypt (Genesis 50:26). Can we see the first seeds of Israel rebellion and hard-heartedness already? Or am I overthinking it?

Genesis 42-46 - Joseph Reunites With His Brothers

Ready for another lesson about names? Today we'll be talking about Joseph, which means "Jehovah has added," or in a more general sense (the word in which Joseph is derived from (yâsaph)), "again." How appropriate is this name for Joseph? Well, let's see...
**Just as a quick note; the italics in the following instances are for emphasis only and not the original word or text.

He told his brothers not just once that he was going to rule over them (Genesis 37:5-8), but he does so, however inadvisably, again a little later (Genesis 37:9-12).

Again and again, Potipher's wife would make a pass at Joseph only to be rebuked, until of course she hatched the devious plan to grab his cloak and make false accusations against him. In doing so, Potipher of course believed his wife; and again it seemed as though Joseph's life would end in a deep pit of despair (Genesis 39).

However, again, God brought him up from the pits of despair and brought him into a position of power and prestige (Genesis 41).

As the brothers turn to Egypt to buy food, Jacob again favors one son and leaves him behind (Genesis 42:1-5). Just as they left Joseph in captivity to be left to the whims of those around him, so again they leave another one of their own behind, Simeon, to be left to the whims of those around him (Genesis 42:12-25). They then returned home to again tell of a brother's ruination (Genesis 42:29-38).

Again, Joseph tests his brothers to see if they've learned their lesson in compassion and repentance by making sure that Benjamin stays put in Egypt while telling the others to go tell Jacob of another son's demise (Genesis 43-44:17). Thankfully, they seem to pass this test (Genesis 44:18-34).

And here is where the cycle breaks. In a 'reveal' to rival any detective solving a crime or shocking twist at the end of a movie, Joseph tells his brothers who he is. Needless to say, they're shocked beyond belief and could very well be afraid for their lives considering the shift in power from their days of youth to now. And instead of fear and trembling, they go back home with great joy to tell their father that Joseph is indeed alive (Genesis 45-46).

With that in mind, can you identify with these cycles? How often are stuck in a never-ending cycle that brings us nothing but trouble? Do you continually work to the bone to 'provide for your family,' when what your family needs most is you and your time? Do you find yourself saying you will stick to a budget only to once again find you have overspent and need help covering the bills? Do you have a sin that you continue to commit even with all the intentions of breaking that sinful cycle? Sin is something we commit again and again and again with no hope of breaking out of by ourselves.

Yet, much like Joseph reassures his brothers and tells them, "Come near to me, please...do not be distressed or angry with yourselves...you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have...now your eyes see that it is my mouth that speaks to you" (Genesis 45:4-5, 10, 12)...

So our heavenly father is gracious and welcomes us back through his son, Jesus Christ! He, much more graciously than Joseph even could utter, reassures us and says "Come near to me, please...do not be distressed or angry with yourselves...you shall be near me."

Genesis 37, 39, 41 - God Prospers Joseph

During our Jr. High Youth Gathering last weekend, one of the sectionals talked quite a bit about Joseph and this passage in particular. Our presenters made the case that even though Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, God had a plan for him (which was nearly derailed by Potipher's wife and this led to the real topic of the sectional on sexual purity), and that God has plans for you too. What's the well-known verse? God has plans to "to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). Other than the fact that this verse is taken out of context 99% of the time (it's talking to the Israelites in exile and God reaffirming his promise to them to bring them back... not the average joe looking for direction on which house to buy), the idea of prospering has bugged me for the last number of years.

Now that I'm done passive-aggressively ranting in the opening paragraph... I did some digging, and it's been neat to kinda see these words and how they do not mean what they think they mean.

Let's look at our two sentences with the English word, 'prosper' in them:

"The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did" (Genesis 39:2-3).

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11).

First, let's think of what our English word 'prosper' means.
- FreeDictionary says: "to be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of one's finances; thrive."
- Merriam-Webster says: "to become very successful usually by making a lot of money."
- And the Google definition: "succeed in material terms; be financially successful."

Do you see a common theme? In English, 'to prosper' is to be well-off financially first, and then perhaps some other good things such as a family, kids, etc afterwards. This has totally wrenched the meaning away from our texts!

Looking at our Jeremiah text first, the Hebrew word (that our translators horribly mis-translate here in my opinion), is shâlôm, which means so much more. Shâlôm is the Hebrew word for completeness; to be completely at peace; to be in harmony with the world and with each other. It's so complete, no one can really describe it. So what God says to the Israelite people is not that they will prosper materially, but that they will know the full peace of God when he restores them back to their homeland.

Now with that common misperception out of the way, let's focus on how Joseph prospered. The Hebrew word that is used here for Joseph is tsâlach, which in and of itself could certainly be defined like that (Strong's says: "to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable"). But the kicker here along with the word is not so much the definition itself, it's how it is used throughout the whole Old Testament. Doing a quick concordance search with Strong's reveals two really neat things:

The first nugget is that the Lord does all the prospering of us; we do nothing. A vast majority of time that this word tsâlach is used, God is involved in either prospering the individual or in the fact that because they did not seek the Lord's direction, their plans did not prosper.

The second nugget is that nowhere is there a conjunction or a joining of the word tsâlach the idea of material wealth or belongings. If you had to catalog the times where tsâlach was used, three seem to pop out: the Lord prospers a journey; the Lord prospers actions; and the Lord actively using human beings to accomplish his will ("The Spirit of the Lord came upon him" is a popular wording of this in Judges and 1 Samuel).

So, what does it mean to prosper? I think it does not mean to Joel Osteen and his ilk what they think it means. Prospering in God's grace does not mean that because of our faith in God will be rewarded in material wealth, belongings, social status or power. And honestly, one could easily paint this picture from the story of Joseph that we've read.

To prosper in God means to be so in-tune with him that we think his thoughts and not ours; to prosper in God is to be tested and to wrestle with him; to prosper in God is to realize that God's kingdom does not mean what we think it means (Matthew 5).

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- As I got to Joseph telling Pharaoh about the 7 years of feast and 7 years of famine... I thought about what in the world that would look like today! In our world, we can hardly plan 7 months ahead, much less 7 years. Can you imagine what would happen in year 4 of this 14-year plan in today's world? We would discount the fact that 7 more lean years were coming and use up all of our stores just because we could. An interesting parallel might be with global warming. We know it's here; we have a good idea what's coming; but because it's 20 years out (a milli-nano-micro-second in cosmic time), we don't want to plan for it. Or... the asteroid Apophis in 2036 and how to deflect it.

Genesis 32-33, 35 - God Wrestles with Jacob

Here's the first time that I don't necessarily agree with The Story's choices of stories... Because we dive right into a new story of Jacob and Esau without the necessary background (well, background is given, but it's in a transition part of the chapter).

So, here's the quick background. Isaac had two sons: Jacob and Esau. Even though God had told Rebekah and Isaac that "one will be stronger than the other; the older will serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23), Isaac still preferred Esau over Jacob and was ready to give the birthright to him. As Isaac's health was failing and he was ready to bestow the official birthright, Jacob deceived his father by dressing up in animal skins to give the appearance of the hairy skin that Esau had, thereby tricking Isaac into bestowing the official birthright on him instead of Esau (Genesis 27). Now even though Esau had previously despised the birthright (Genesis 25:19-34), he was mightily ticked off and vowed to kill his brother should they meet again after Jacob fled (Genesis 27:41-45). And now we pick it up at where Esau and Jacob are about to meet again for the first time in a few decades.

God is about to test Jacob.

My previous post discussed what I think it means to be tested by God, and while that particular word is not used in this passage, I would argue that it was indeed a test from God to strengthen Jacob and form him into Israel.

Unfortunately, what The Story leaves out in this build-up to this moment is the fact that for most of his life, Jacob has taken the easy way out. Instead of hunting for food and providing for the family like Esau did, Jacob took what was provided and refined it into soup. Instead of talking one-on-one with his brother about the birthright and God's promise, Jacob used his brother's hunger against him and was able to get Esau to despise his birthright. Instead of talking to his father one-on-one, Jacob deceived Isaac into thinking that it was he was Esau and was ready to receive the birthright instead. And instead of owning up to what he did and standing before his brother to talk about the situation, he ran away so he wouldn't have to face Esau. Jacob definitely lived up to his moniker of 'deceiver.'

Interestingly enough, he begins to see the errors of his ways while in hiding as he himself is tricked into marrying someone (Leah) he doesn't want to. However, Jacob does not settle and continues to work for 7 more years to marry the true apple of his eye, Rachel. Not only that, Jacob even continues to work for this Laban fellow until there are rumblings that Laban is not happy and thinks that Jacob's out to get him.

Jacob's life has gotten tougher (especially now that he has kids and a job to worry about...), but it's nothing compared with the prospect of returning back to his homeland and an upcoming encounter with Esau who was last seen completely ready to kill Jacob. All of a sudden, life kinda comes into perspective, does it not?

And notice that it's at this point that God wrestles with Jacob (notice that Jacob doesn't initiate the match; it's God who does (Genesis 32:24)). Can you imagine what it would feel like to physically wrestle with God? We asked that question in our youth classes today and pretty much every kid said to a tee, "I would be scared because he could kill me in an instant."

Yet, it's pretty evident that in our lives, we struggle and strive with God quite a bit. Have you been struggling with a sickness or health issues? That's wrestling with God. How about family frustrations or financial fiascos? That's wrestling with God. What about all the injustices in the world we read and hear about? That's wrestling with God too. Now while God doesn't cause these things (the devil does through this little thing we call 'sin'), he uses them to make us stronger... to train us... to purify and refine us... to make us realize that the easy way is not always the best way.

And in the end, through these tests and through these struggles, God gives us power to overcome adversity, just as Jacob did (Genesis 32:28).

I think Paul says it best that in all of this adversity (and he went through plenty!!), we can "do all this through him [Christ] who gives [us] strength" (Philippians 4:13).

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Do you think there was any symbolism about God dislocating Jacob's hip versus some other part of the body?

- And not so much of a question as it is just another resource; I totally dug this sermon I found online. Definitely worth a read!

Genesis 21-22 - Abraham Tested by God

Let me be honest and up-front: I hate this story of Abraham and Isaac. While some people hold it up as a paragon of virtue because Abraham was ultimately faithful in the face of some pretty gruesome consequences; I hate it because what kind of god would ask for human sacrifices?

Why would God 'test' Abraham this way?

As I read through this story a year ago or so; I compared this situation to a parent who uses Love & Logic. In Love & Logic, you give kids choices and hope that they fail when they're young so that they learn their lessons when consequences are much smaller and less dire. I compared Abraham to the kid and God as the father. Abraham kept making mistakes (Egypt and Pharaoh, Hagar and Ishmael, disbelief in God's promise of a son...), but God kept giving him a second chance. Eventually, Abraham got to a place in his walk with God that he was able to pass the ultimate test of faith and be blessed for it (Genesis 22:15-18). I still don't like the idea of a loving God waiting for me fail and pass a test; but it at least added some logic to it.

Why does God test? Or, perhaps a more useful question: What is a test from God?

I think that we as humans, and ones who are living in an educational society where we face 'tests' all the time, have a different view of this test than God does. We view tests as something to pass and fail. If we pass, we're blessed with a good grade; if we fail, we're cursed with extra-curriculars being suspended, detention, or tension at home.

When we 'test God,' it is in this black and white way of seeing things in which it happens. Let's look at a few verses in which humans test (nâsâh) God:

"He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, 'Is the LORD among us, or not?'" (Exodus 17:7).

"You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah" (Deuteronomy 6:16).

"And in their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire" (Psalm 78:18).

In each case, there is a pass or fail aspect to the test - either God is here and will provide for us, or he is not and we're being left to fend for ourselves. This is the kind of test that we're used to here on earth.

Yet, when we read about testing (nâsâh) from God, there is no pass/fail aspect to this test at all. Hopefully you'll be able to notice that in the following times that nâsâh is used:

"Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin'" (Exodus 20:20).

"In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end" (Deuteronomy 8:16).

"Examine me, O LORD, and try me; test my mind and my heart" (Psalm 26:2).

It seems to me that when God tests, it's not a pass/fail test, which is very good for us because chances are we would fail anyhow! When God tests (nâsâh) us; it's a design that is utilized to bring about nothing but good in us. There is no failure; only formation. There is no resigning, only refining. There is no breaking, only building.

So when God 'tested' Abraham, it was not a test from a sadistic god thirsty for blood from an innocent child. It was a pre-arranged process to bring forth good from Abraham, the father of nations - an interesting and frightening process for sure - but still a process.

One can only wonder what tests God has prepared for us in advance to participate in; but when they do come along, take heart because through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we have already overcome the entire world (1 John 5:3-5) and if God is for us in these tests, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? For "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:38).

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Anyone else notice any similarities between Ishmael's story and Moses' story? (Being left for dead... growing into a strong leader of nations...)

- Also, did anyone notice the similarities between Abraham and Isaac's story and Christ's story? (The son who the covenant is continued through... the third day... a lamb/ram was provided for the sacrifice...)

Genesis 15-18:15 - God's Covenant with Abraham

What's in a name? Why are our names important; or maybe today in our culture, why are our nicknames important?

Well, speaking from childhood experience, our names and nicknames mean that people love us and want to know us other than "hey you!" For instance, one of my best friends has a nickname for me: Briguy. I have no idea why I like it; but it's his term for me and I always smile when I hear it from him. Likewise, my brother is always known as "Steve" to all of his friends because it took a life on its own and it labelled their relationship with him (though we as his family could ever only call him "Stephen"... kind of annoying since I wanted to be cool like his friends...).

What names or nicknames are you known by?

In the Hebrew culture, a name was more than just a name (did you know I was named Brian just because it sounded good?). A name was a definition of who you are and who you would be. 'Adam' meant 'earth' because he was formed from the earth (Genesis 2:7). 'Eve' meant 'mother of all the living' (Genesis 3:20). 'Isaac' means 'laughter' (Genesis 21:6). And later on, 'Esau' means 'red' (Genesis 25:25) and 'Jacob' means 'deceiver.'

Since Jewish names and destinies are so intertwined, do you see why God changing Abram's name is so incredibly important now? God is not simply changing Abram's name. It's not simply adding an additional 'ha' between the a and the m. God is changing the destiny of Abram. He is changing Abram - 'exalted father' - to Abraham - 'father of many nations' (LSB Study Notes, Genesis 17:5). This was a sign of God's pledge to keep the covenant with Abraham that He had made many years ago. As CPH's People's Bible Commentary says: "If God would fail to keep his covenant promise, the name Abraham would constantly testify against him" (p. 151).

Did Abraham do anything to deserve this covenant? Nope! Let's see... he tried to get away with Pharaoh taking Sarai as one of his wives... he listened to Sarai when she suggested that he try to have a son with her servant... and he laughed when God again reiterated His promise to him (Genesis 17:17).

Likewise, do we do anything to deserve God's new covenant through his son, Jesus Christ? The very thought is laughable! We sin daily in thought, word and deed; by doing things we know are wrong and leaving righteous things undone. Yet, God continues to call us and beckon us through his Holy Spirit; and in doing so, changes our very destiny. We go from sinners to being saints; guilty to righteous; from being condemned to being saved. As John says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1). And it is through this destiny as children of God that we can see again and see who we are meant to be.

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Are you catching the beginnings of some family dysfunction here? That's definitely going to be a theme going forward in the next chapters of Genesis (some we'll read, and some we won't).

- Have you ever thought "why circumcision as a sign of the covenant rather than a less... er... invasive sign of the covenant?"

- Ever wonder became of Ishmael? Make sure to ask an Arab or a Muslim :)

Genesis 12-13 - God's Call to Abram

I want to start today with the idea of tuning forks. For those of you who don't know what tuning forks are, they are shaped pieces of metal so that when they are struck, they make a vibration that is precisely-pitched. This pitch is then used to tune your instrument such as a piano or violin.

But the tuning fork itself is not what I want to expound upon; it's the idea of resonance. A neat experiment to do is to take two tuning forks of the same pitch; strike one while leaving the other one alone; and the result will be that the tuning fork that was not struck will begin to vibrate on its own because it has picked up the same pitch as its brother.

Abram was attuned to God's voice. God's voice resonated with him and caused him to act.

We often mistakenly lump Abram along with the rest of his family... because Abram was pious, we often make the mistake of thinking the same about his family. But, that's not true. According to Joshua 24:2, Abram came from a line of people who worshiped (actually, I like the Hebrew word here, which means 'served'; it's more participatory and active) other gods.

So can you imagine how hard it would have been for Abram to stay attuned to the true God in and among all the other voices in that household? Yet, Abram was so in-tune with God that all God needed to do was simply say, "Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you." Can you imagine what it would be like to have such a full communion like that with God?

Yet, Abram wasn't perfect. Just as the sound from a tuning fork eventually fades, so our hearing fades when it comes to God's voice speaking to us. Once Abram moved to Canaan, a severe drought and famine arose; and rather than hearing God's voice and trusting what he said, Abram and Sarai moved to Egypt because they figured that they would have a better chance of survival. The plan in and of itself from human terms wasn't necessarily a bad idea; the only problem is that it went against God's plan and so God caused it to fail.

Abram realizes his error and returns back to his sacred place with God - the place where he was attuned to God's voice - Bethel, and again reorients himself back to God's voice.

After this worship, God grants Abram another test as Lot and his family realize they need more space. So, Abram, now re-orienting himself to the life that is God, allows Lot the first pick of the land. As Lot picks the more watered land (which, interestingly enough, is compared to the garden that Adam and Eve where expelled from, and it is the land of Sodom and Gomorrah before they were destroyed...), my guess is that Abram felt somewhat cheated and disheartened.

Yet, it is in this moment in which Abram is disheartened, that again God's voice resonates with Abram as he says, "Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you" (Genesis 13:14b-17).

In our troubles, God speaks to us and gives us words of comfort, words of promise, and words of hope. It is my hope and prayer that the Holy Spirit continually works inside of us as a tuner, orienting our ways so that our lives can resonate with God's heavenly sound of life.

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Isn't it interesting how God can work? God speaks creation into existence; and God speaks a nation into existence? Doesn't that give a bit more importance to the idea that we should be listening for God to speak to us since his words are formative and can bring life from nothingness?

- Ever wonder what Sarai must have been thinking through their Egyptian sojourn?

Genesis 9 - God's Covenant with Noah

As we close our first week in The Story (I hope you've enjoyed it, by the way!), we come to one of the classic stories in all of Christendom: the covenant with Noah where we hear of a rainbow for the first time (now I'm not saying it was the first rainbow, but that's another journal post in and of itself). It's a story that gives us a warm feeling inside because a) a rainbow is one of the most beautiful creations of God, and b) we hear that God loves us, so much so, that he has promised to never again destroy the world.

But why a rainbow?

First of all, they're relatively rare. Rainbows need rain, and we don't receive rain every day (and after July or so this summer, we've hardly seen a drop of it). Rainbows need sun, and not every precipitation event comes with sun; in fact, many times it's just overcast throughout the whole event. Third, the angles have to be quite precise. Did you know that to see a rainbow in the sky, the sun's rays have to form an angle with your line of sight that can be no less than 40 and no more than 42 degrees? For most of us here on earth, that only happens twice a day (though if you have a mist or spray, such as one that comes from a waterfall, you can easily manipulate your line of sight to create the needed angle).

These signs of God's promise are not common enough for us to disregard because we've grown accustomed to them; but they aren't rare enough that it's a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence either. We see just enough of them to consider them special and to keep fresh in our minds God's special promise.

Second, what two things do we need to create a rainbow again? Indeed, sunlight and water. I do suppose that the first thing worth mentioning here is what were two of the first things that were created? The formless, swirling deep; and light (which, incidentally is why I don't think Noah's is the first rainbow, because there was plenty of light and water well before Noah's time...).

But, taking this a step further; who does Jesus say he is? Well, he says he is living water (John 7:38) and also the light of the world (John 8:12). Now whether God the Father gave this as a foreshadowing or not, I don't know. Yet, it's neat to see that in the symbol of God's promise we see beauty, splendor and majesty; just as we see the beauty, splendor and majesty of God's love for us in his son, Jesus Christ.

Finally, when do we see the rainbows? When do most storms usually happen (at least around here)? Usually after a long day of diurnal heating and the air becoming more saturated with humidity and water vapor. In other words, most storms here happen in the evening hours. The storm hits with its ferocity and passes thereafter; and that's when we see the rainbow. We see the rainbow as the sun is setting and getting ready to rise again because the storm has passed and we are still here.

So, why a rainbow? It's not a sign that God never will destroy the earth again; it's a sign that God already has kept that promise, because the storm has passed and a new day is dawning.

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- So if God now gives mankind permission to eat animals; what is the purpose of Abel keeping flocks as a shepherd if not for food?

- Has anyone else noticed that the flood seems to be another creation narrative? The waters receded by a wind sent forth by God (Genesis 8:1), much like the Spirit hovering over the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2)? And now you have the same blessing from God to "be fruitful in number and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1) as did Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:28)?

Genesis 6-8 - The Flood

Are you ready for a little exegetical study today? Well, neither was I, until just out of curiosity I looked up a few words and was kind of blown away!

In prepping for today's entry, I noted that there were 2 bookends to this story:

"The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time" (Genesis 6:5).

"The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: 'Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood...'" (Genesis 8:21).

Now, as good Lutherans, we have this idea fully ingrained into our psyche and theology. We begin each service of our Divine Liturgy with confessing that we are "by nature, sinful and unclean." We are fully aware of the doctrine of original sin and the impact it has on us. (Though as quick side note: not all versions include the word 'every' before 'inclination', which I find interesting in itself because the theology that follows from excluding that one word could be quite different...)

But after my research, I have a deeper understanding despair of what original sin is.

I started off by wondering what exactly the word 'inclination' means. To begin with, when I used the interlinear Bible, the King James Version actually uses the word imagination. Already, my mind was starting to spin because to have an imagination is to participate in the sheer act of developing a coherent thought... it's the process. So what God is saying that even the process of forming our thoughts of the heart is evil. Would you not say that this is stronger than just an 'inclination', or a 'thought' being evil?

Digging further, the word comes from the Hebrew word yêtser, which means 'to form' and is used in one of Isaiah's illustrations that God is the potter and we are the clay. Adding this into our equation, we end up finding that not only is the process of our thinking evil from birth; but that we value these thoughts. We think they are valuable, like the potter does his clay. Stronger language yet, wouldn't you say?

And for one final layer, yêtser is derived from the other word yâtsar, which means basically the same thing; but notice five times (out of around 50) where it is used:

"Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky..." (Genesis 2:19).

"The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land" (Psalm 95:5).

"But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!'" (Isaiah 43:1).

"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand" (Isaiah 64:8).

Wow. So in our bookends of the reading today, God lets us know what our way should be. We should want to follow our Creator and hold him and his ways dear to our heart. God wants us to choose his ways to bring us life.

Instead, we hold steadfast to our own ways, and even let them become near and dear to us, because we believe that they will bring us life. Unfortunately, as we saw yesterday, those ways only bring us death.

But thankfully, as God promised to never again destroy the earth (Genesis 8:21-22), so he has promised that through his son, we will always have life (oh, let's go John 3:16 here :)).

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- If they stayed in the boat for over a year; and we always assume the animals took the space; where did they put food to last them and the animals for that whole time? (Are there any artists' depictions of that?)

- Is there something significant to a dove being used by Noah (connection to baptism?); or do you think he used them for their superior homing abilities?

- For further research, what are the similarities between this flood account and many other accounts out there? (One notable one I found was in the fate of our protagonist, compared to the fate of those in other Middle Eastern accounts...)

Genesis 3 - The Fall

I'm going to talk about Satan, the Accuser, the Deceiver, the Father of Lies, the Evil One, the Ruler of Darkness, and any other name you can think of. But I'm not going to talk about him in the way you probably think I'm going to talk about him. Are you ready?

In this chapter, he told the truth. A half-truth to be sure, but he still told the truth.

Did I catch you by surprise? Don't believe me? Well, check it out:

"'You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman" (Genesis 3:4).

And did they die? Not that instant. So, you can't fault him for being truthful there. Again, it's a half-truth, because they did die later as a result, but he still told the truth.

"For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).

Did Adam and Eve know good from evil from that point, they sure did as they immediately hid when God came to have a vineside chat with them. In fact, this statement was probably more truthful than his previous statement. Did he tell the whole truth? No, but indeed, what he did say came to pass.

And this, my friends, is what makes the devil so dangerous. His statements will always have truth to them. He and his cronies say all sorts of things to us today that have truth to them, but they say them in such a way as to hide the disastrous underbelly to those truths. Ultimately, they speak words that we think bring us life; but following those ways ultimately brings death.

"Having lots of money will bring you happiness," the devil says and it seems true. Only, he leaves out the part that the pursuit of it will leave you emptier when you started because you'll never have enough.

"To be secure, keep constant vigilance," the devil says and it seems true. He only leaves out the part that keeping constant vigilance requires more and more of your energy and your life, leaving you ever more insecure and afraid.

"As long as you don't hurt anyone else, do whatever feels right and good," the devil says and it seems true. Only, he leaves out the part that as you focus more and more on yourself, you alienate yourself with the community. Then when you really do need help, no one is there.

All in all, Satan is completely correct in the fact that we will never be secure; and he made that point abundantly clear to Adam and Eve. He is right in the fact that the only way we will ever be totally, 100% secure is if we're like God. He is truthful when he says that we can only be secure when we have it all.

But what he leaves out is that God has given us enough. He leaves out the fact that God gives us enough. He leaves out the fact that God will give us enough. He leaves out the fact that all of these pursuits of security lead us away from God. He leaves out the fact that when we follow our own way instead of God's, it leads to death.

Thankfully, even as God makes sure that Adam and Eve cannot eat of the Tree of Life, and makes the consequences of their actions known to them, he gives a promise:

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head..." (Genesis 3:15).

In this promise, God foreshadows that He will again give us enough; actually more than enough; more than we could ever need - His Son, Jesus Christ. And though Satan struck at his heel, Jesus will crush him once and for all. Can't wait!

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- Ever wonder what it must've been like to be able to talk to God face-to-face in the garden?

- Have you ever noticed that God warned "you shall die..." but that is the last part of the enumeration of the consequences? Wouldn't one think it'd be the first? (and the fact that he didn't use the actual word, 'die'?)

- And was it a blessing or a curse that they could not re-enter the garden once God closed the doors?

Genesis 1-2 - Creation

Yay! Today we get to start diving into our 9-month journey through the Bible using the words of The Story. Are you read to dive in? Well, let's go divin' in!

What struck me this time as I read through Genesis 1-2 is that the background of the story is based on water. 5 of the 7 days mention at least some form of water (Day 1, 2, 3, 5, 6). In chapter 2, we hear that streams have come up from the ground. Also, we should note that the boundaries of the garden are 4 rivers. You can't get very far in either narrative of creation without running into water.

Why? Because it shows that God is in control and does not want us to be afraid.

Through various sermons I've heard over my years, it is my understanding that ancient Israelites feared the sea because no one knew what lay beyond. Would you fall off the face of the earth? Or would you run into dangerous sea monsters, like the Leviathan described in Job? Or would you run into pirates, such as the most fearsome pirate ever - Dread Pirate Roberts?

Regardless of the danger that existed, the primary issue that would face anyone going out onto the sea is that there is no escape. You are at the mercy of the wind. You are at the mercy of the waves. You are at the mercy of the currents underneath you. You are at the mercy of the weather patterns above you. You are at the mercy of your extremely limited surroundings, consisting of a boat and whatever it could carry.

On the sea, you have no control and this is reflected almost immediately in the narrative of creation:

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep" (Genesis 1:2a).

Don't you have that picture of helplessness and being at the mercy of something you cannot control?

Yet, what is the very next sentence?

"And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2b)

Even in the midst of the tempest, tumult and turmoil, God's Holy Spirit is present and hovering over you with powerful wings! And as a quick side note: where else has the Holy Spirit been present and looking over you as you pass through the waters? Yup, baptism, where you became a child of God!

As God brings peace to your life, notice that he brings the waters under control throughout the remainder of the narratives:
- On the second day, he begins to make the clouds and water vapor which begins the rain cycle.
- On the third day, he concentrates the water and makes land suitable for creatures such as us.
- On the fifth day, he brings the waters further under control as he populates them with sea creatures.
- In the second narrative God continues to tame the waters and gives them a purpose as they "watered the whole surface of the ground" (verse 6).
- And notice the final mention of the various waters in verses 10-14 where the ultimate transformation of the water is complete: the waters have gone from a limitless abyss to boundaries of safety for his most prized creations.

And that is the entire story of both narratives of creation. God can tame the untamable and control the uncontrollable. As he does so, he brings peace and joy so that he can enjoy a relationship with his most prized of creatures... us.

It is our hope and prayer that we allow him to do just that.

Other questions to think about (and that I didn't have time or space to write about):
- How does the text say God created? As humans, what is our primary ability that elevates us above the rest of God's creation? How is that significant?

- What does it mean to be "made in the image of God"?

- We often hear in commentaries, sermons and studies that creation was created 'perfect'. If that's the case, why does our writer (commonly held to be Moses, for those curious) not use the Hebrew word tâmı̂ym, which can be thought of as "without blemish"? And... if it was perfect, why was it "not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18)? And... if it was perfect, how could God tell Adam that death would result if Adam would not have known what death is?

Reasons We Can Trust God's Word

In my previous post, I explained that we can trust God's word to give us life and salvation. While that is all well and good, people still wonder and ask if that isn't begging the question. In other words, they would argue (quite rightfully) that we're using the Bible to explain the truthfulness of the Bible - that's circular reasoning. But there is other evidence to support our position that what the Bible has to say concerning life and salvation is indeed true.

While there are a plethora of reasons out there, I like to boil it down to three reasons:

Reason 1 - Prophecies that have come true
The Bible is full of prophecies, both secular (check out the book of Daniel; which we will cover later on in our journey) and Christo-centric; but it is the prophecies about the life of Christ that I would like to focus on.

Just for some quick background, remember that the books of the Tanakh (the OT) were already written and codified centuries before Jesus arrived on the scene. For some perspective: Psalms was written somewhere around 1,000 BC, while Isaiah was written somewhere around 700 BC. Now, imagine how much time that is... Imagine how different our society was 100 years ago; 300 years ago; 1,000 years ago. Next, imagine the probabilities that a specific prophecy written 500 years ago would come true today. Tough to wrap your mind around? Yup, me too :)

Now, let's be blunt to begin with. There is a possibility that Jesus knew the Tanakh inside and out, and so he could easily have developed a Messiah complex (whether it be mental instability, or just plain arrogance and pride) and used these prophecies to proclaim himself the Messiah. He would have known the prophecy from Zechariah and so he could have made up his mind and rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Easy enough, right?

But what floors me every time is the number of prophecies that came true that Jesus had no part in fulfilling. Let's look at Psalm 22. Here are some verses from that psalm, and notice how most of them were fulfilled by other people. And as an extra bonus, each was noted by a different gospel writer:

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" (Psalm 22:1)
"About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')" (Matthew 27:46).

"All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 'He trusts in the Lord,' they say, 'let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him'" (Psalm 22:7-8).
"The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar" (Luke 23:36).

"Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet" (Psalm 22:16).
"But [Thomas] said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe'" (John 20:25).

"They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment" (Psalm 22:18).
"And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get" (Mark 15:24).

So, you can easily see that events and words separated by 1,000 years have that remarkable cohesiveness and unity that lends tremendous support for the belief that events recorded in the Bible are indeed true.

Reason #2 - The accuracy and sheer numbers of the copies of the Bible that we have
To illustrate this idea in confirmation class, we played a game of Telephone. Surely you remember that game of transmission where a phrase is given to a person, that person then whispers it to another, and down the line it goes until the final receiver speaks the phrase and it ends up being nothing like the original. Now, in my previous post, I fully believe that the Bible was scribed by humans limited in vocabulary and comprehension (as well as being imperfect). But here's the neatness of this 'game of telephone' from what God originally inspired, and what we humans have today.

Neat fact 1: We now have over 5,000 reliable copies of the New Testament in its original Greek (the language of the land of the time). Why is this important? Check out how many reliable copies we have of other important works from which we derive our knowledge of ancient Greece. The Bible has nearly 9x more documents that are reliable from that time period. This collection of books spread like wildfire! So much so that...

Neat fact 2: Our earliest-found gospels and Pauline letters were dated to no more than 100 years after the events occurred. Again, look at the chart. The longest span of time between the copies we have of any other material from ancient Greece and from the dates when it happened, is 500 years. In other words, these words of the New Testament were considered authoritative and extremely important for all intents and purposes... immediately! (Quick side note: And that's why the so-called 'Lost Gospels' are never included in canon; because they came on the scene 100-200 years later, well after the established canon.) But with such a widespread transmission of a work, one might expect more errors. After all, the faster that you rush through your work, are you not prone to more errors? Well...

Neat fact 3: Of those 5,000+ known copies of the New Testament, the scribes took extreme care in copying and re-copying those manuscripts. They were so careful, that the reliability rating of the copies of the New Testament reaches 99.5%! Not to mention, of that 99.5%, there are no contradictions in theological points. The 0.5% that is not as reliable are, in essence, spelling and grammar errors.

So, as you can see, the scribes found these words to be so incredibly important, that extreme care and caution was taken in writing and re-writing these words. Would you put in the same amount of care in a project that wasn't important? Didn't think so... :)

Reason #3 - Many eyewitness accounts
For an example of this concept, think of the Apollo Program that sent astronauts to the moon. Think of how many thousands of people worked on this mission: mission room controllers, scientists, politicians, engineers, astronauts... the list seems endless. Now, imagine if one of them would come forward and could provide reliable, provable evidence that the moon landing never happened. The whole house of cards would come falling down. There is so much evidence that the moon landing did in fact happen, that anyone who says otherwise is (and rightfully so) branded a conspiracy theorist.

Now imagine yourself in ancient Palestine around the time Jesus ascended into heaven. How easy would it have been to produce proof of Jesus' death and non-resurrection if that happened...? "Here's the tomb; here's the body; case closed." In other words, much like the Apollo mission, if there were credible evidence to the contrary, Christianity would never have prospered.

Yet, no one was indeed able to come forward - in fact, quite the opposite happened. The 11 disciples saw him; more disciples saw him; even 500 people saw him all at once! And notice the statement Luke puts in from Paul in Acts: "The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26).

And what happened when they saw him risen from the dead? They died for their belief! Tradition holds that 11 of the 12 disciples died for their belief. Would you die for anything that wasn't the truth; something you knew from the start to be a lie? And thus began the church, that through their martyrdom and the true message they died for (that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not), the Church was not able to be vanquished and is here to this day and until the end of time.

So again, like I've said, there is plenty of external evidence for the belief that we can reasonably believe God's word to be truth and life. However, when all is said and done; no amount of evidence can truly work faith in us. It is only the Holy Spirit that can begin this faith, gather us, enlighten us, and sanctify us (Small Catechism, 3rd Article and Its Meaning). Thankfully, that is a gift that is free :)