In Genesis 1 and 2, the Lord God created the cosmos and humanity perfectly. He looked at all creation and proclaimed "it is very good." Everything was flawless. Chapter 2 ends with Adam singing a long song to Eve. After their wedding, they were meant to blissfully "live happily ever after" in paradise, with all of their needs met and desires satisfied. They had a perfect relationship with God, perfect relationship with each other, and a perfect relationship with nature. Unfortunately, the idyllic life didn't last.
Genesis chapter 3 gives us a play-by-play recounting of humanity's fall into sin, suffering, and sadness. This account explains why the world is not as it ought to be and why we aren't the way we're supposed to be. This text makes sense of the brokenness of the world around us and the brokenness inside us. Fortunately, the text also foreshadows the Gospel. God will not leave humanity in it's brokenness. Instead, God promises to send the second Adam, Jesus Christ, who will deal the Evil One a crushing death blow.
Genesis 3
September 18, 2016 • Genesis 3
Genesis 12
November 20, 2016 • Genesis 12
In Genesis 12, God calls Abram (aka Abraham) and promises to bless him "so that you will be a blessing." This is how God's blessings work: when He blesses us, we are to receive those blessings with open hands, so his blessings don't just flow to us, but through us. We are not to be collectors of blessings, but dispensers of blessings. We are not to just be beneficiaries of blessings, but agents of blessings. We are not designed to be cisterns, but aqueducts. Does your life represent the cascading blessings of God?
Genesis 10-11
November 13, 2016 • Genesis 10—11
However we feel, we must not overlook the phenomenal opportunity before the church today. We have an opportunity to live out the love of Christ by standing in the gap for all those who feel vulnerable, fearful, and alienated. We have an opportunity to boldly stand against anything that threatens life. So we stand with and fight for the unborn, the minority, the immigrant, for all who are oppressed and abused. We will use whatever influence we have to see that everyone is protected and treated fairly and equally. We stand against all injustice, lawlessness, and discrimination, wherever we see even a hint of it. Ultimately, we are not united by the United States. We are united by Jesus Christ, who died for tax collectors and publicans, and yes, for democrats and republicans. Genesis 10-11 fittingly speaks a profound Word into our cultural moment.
Genesis 9 (part 2)
November 6, 2016 • Genesis 9
One would think the story of Noah in Genesis should have concluded with a happy ending. However, tragically, it doesn't. The second half of chapter 9 tells us that Noah sinned, and so did his son Ham. The sin leads to a curse, and a forfeiture of blessing. Why? Somewhere along the way, Noah stopped striving for God's blessings. Unlike Jacob in Genesis 32:26 who told God "I will not let you go unless you bless me," Noah had stopped wrestling for blessing.