The presence of God...
I was just listening to "Take me In" by the Christian rock band Kutless. This is a powerful and rocking worship song where the singer says to God "Take me in to the Holy of Holies..." It resonated with something that has been on my heart the last few weeks, namely, the desire to see God more and more as a person and not as an idea. Now I know, the whole premise of being a Christian is that we have a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ." The problem, for pastors too, is that life can get in the way and we can lose the "personal" part of that relationship. Prayers become a discipline instead of communication, and our faith becomes a philosophy and "code of conduct".
That's why I need reminded now and then, even by a song, that being a Christian means we have been invited in to the Holy of Holies. We are made clean by the Blood of Jesus and are invited past all the old trappings of the tabernacle that separated the people from God.
If we are to be the church that we are truly called to be we must use every means God has given us to draw nearer to God both as individuals and as a congregation. Use God's Word. As we read through the Bible together use the time to get to know God better. As you pray, pray remembering that you are asking a real person to meet your needs and the needs of your friends and family. Take time to listen, really listen, for who God wants you to be, and what he would have you do. Worship. Sing praise, surround yourself with uplifting music that Glorifies God and the things God calls good. Surround yourself with people who when you are down will lift you up and who will push you into the Holy of Holies with them when you are dragging your feet.
Finally whatever it takes, remove from your life whatever separates you from God and from the duties God has given you to your family, your congregation and your own walk with Him. Idols are not always other gods. sometimes they are images of the real God that we give our attention to instead of looking to live in His real presence.
Now I know this all sounds hard. That's why the last word here is that it is something that has already been done for you. It was Jesus that gave you access to the Holy of Holies by applying His own blood to your account. So church, lets use the privilege we've had purchased for us at such a high price, and go in to the Holy of Holies every time we come together and anytime we feel we are far from God.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Doing some thinking before Annual Meeting...
Non-negotiable purposes for the church
1.The Gospel
Our mission is to carry a message to the world. That message: God exists, is personal, is knowable and has done an incredible thing to save the people He created from the deadly consequence of their self centered and God ignoring choice to disobey. God set aside the right to separate us permanently and horribly from himself and to continue down our own destructive path by humbling Himself, becoming a human like us, living among us as Jesus, and suffering a death that He did not deserve, in our place, so that all who trust in what Jesus did for them and accept that free gift might be restored to life with God and even be transformed from self centered destructiveness to God centered life. We are transformed by the gift of God Himself dwelling mysteriously in us as the Holy Spirit, so that we can have assurance of God's constant presence and fellowship, and receive gifts and live lives that demonstrate this change.
We accomplish this mission and carry this message by declaring it through words and also by showing through deeds the love God has for people by serving them and caring for their needs, sharing the gifts God has given us and strengthening each other where any of us lacks. We teach the Bible because it is God's own Word and a revelation of these things. It is our source and our reference to know the degree of correctness or error of belief or action.
Without the above we are not a church because our business is in fact “making disciples”, meaning sharing this good news with others and encouraging them to believe it and helping believers live lives that demonstrate this message. However we do what we do it is always to accomplish this purpose.
2.Worship
Our second purpose is tied to the first. Believing that God exists and has done the things we believe He has done we find that God is worthy of praise and Honor. We honor God by first obediently doing as he would have us do. Discovering and doing His will is a major part of worship and failure in that area or failure to turn away from known error, itself invalidates any other acts of worship. Obedience occurs in both daily life as well as the worship we give specifically and intentionally to God. The sacraments of Baptism and The Lord's Supper are done and should be done as correctly and we are knowingly able as much out of obedience as for the benefits we receive from them.
Worship also involves communication with God through Prayer. We are not worshiping deaf dumb idols but a living and personal God who not only hears but in various ways, as He wills, communicates to us. Prayer is essential to knowing and doing God's will as well as important in honoring God's gracious offer to hear our prayers and respond to our needs an the needs of others we bring to Him.
Worship also includes our spontaneous and organized personal and community responses to God's person and work. Public and private worship includes such responses as singing, shouting, telling, expressing through art, playing on instruments, and other ways of expressing God's attributes and giving thanks for God himself and the things he has done or has promised to do. This kind of worship takes many forms and reflects the momentary experiences, emotions and ways of expression of the worshipers as well as their culture. While styles and particular expressions may and should change care is taken in the true Church that expressions accurately convey without confusion that could lead to idolatry, the true nature and works of God.
3.Fellowship
The third Essential element of the church is Fellowship. Connections between people are necessary to sharing the Gospel and to encouraging believers in the life of faith. Connection is also necessary to have true congregational worship and to adequately and appropriately share gifts and resources. Connections also build community and demonstrate the love that is created between people when they become acquainted through the Holy Spirit with the Love that God has for them. We value other people because we see them as God sees them, specially created in His image. Jesus took for himself widening circles of disciples, one closest, three close, twelve immediate, seventy two close enough to train, and more, while on earth demonstrating the importance of community. God ordered human life in families, tribes, and nations, and called no just one man, but his family through whom he would reveal Himself to the world.
In whatever forms and with whatever uses of cultural and technological opportunities this community building takes, sharing life together with a group of fellow believers is essential to being the Church. Efforts must be made to ensure we are doing more than just being in the same place, but welcoming newcomers, and growing and strengthening relationships among our members.
Whatever programs we do,; whatever tasks we take on; however we use our buildings, supplies, money, and other resources; Everything we do and how we do it, must be done with thought to the question: “How will it do these things?”
1.The Gospel
Our mission is to carry a message to the world. That message: God exists, is personal, is knowable and has done an incredible thing to save the people He created from the deadly consequence of their self centered and God ignoring choice to disobey. God set aside the right to separate us permanently and horribly from himself and to continue down our own destructive path by humbling Himself, becoming a human like us, living among us as Jesus, and suffering a death that He did not deserve, in our place, so that all who trust in what Jesus did for them and accept that free gift might be restored to life with God and even be transformed from self centered destructiveness to God centered life. We are transformed by the gift of God Himself dwelling mysteriously in us as the Holy Spirit, so that we can have assurance of God's constant presence and fellowship, and receive gifts and live lives that demonstrate this change.
We accomplish this mission and carry this message by declaring it through words and also by showing through deeds the love God has for people by serving them and caring for their needs, sharing the gifts God has given us and strengthening each other where any of us lacks. We teach the Bible because it is God's own Word and a revelation of these things. It is our source and our reference to know the degree of correctness or error of belief or action.
Without the above we are not a church because our business is in fact “making disciples”, meaning sharing this good news with others and encouraging them to believe it and helping believers live lives that demonstrate this message. However we do what we do it is always to accomplish this purpose.
2.Worship
Our second purpose is tied to the first. Believing that God exists and has done the things we believe He has done we find that God is worthy of praise and Honor. We honor God by first obediently doing as he would have us do. Discovering and doing His will is a major part of worship and failure in that area or failure to turn away from known error, itself invalidates any other acts of worship. Obedience occurs in both daily life as well as the worship we give specifically and intentionally to God. The sacraments of Baptism and The Lord's Supper are done and should be done as correctly and we are knowingly able as much out of obedience as for the benefits we receive from them.
Worship also involves communication with God through Prayer. We are not worshiping deaf dumb idols but a living and personal God who not only hears but in various ways, as He wills, communicates to us. Prayer is essential to knowing and doing God's will as well as important in honoring God's gracious offer to hear our prayers and respond to our needs an the needs of others we bring to Him.
Worship also includes our spontaneous and organized personal and community responses to God's person and work. Public and private worship includes such responses as singing, shouting, telling, expressing through art, playing on instruments, and other ways of expressing God's attributes and giving thanks for God himself and the things he has done or has promised to do. This kind of worship takes many forms and reflects the momentary experiences, emotions and ways of expression of the worshipers as well as their culture. While styles and particular expressions may and should change care is taken in the true Church that expressions accurately convey without confusion that could lead to idolatry, the true nature and works of God.
3.Fellowship
The third Essential element of the church is Fellowship. Connections between people are necessary to sharing the Gospel and to encouraging believers in the life of faith. Connection is also necessary to have true congregational worship and to adequately and appropriately share gifts and resources. Connections also build community and demonstrate the love that is created between people when they become acquainted through the Holy Spirit with the Love that God has for them. We value other people because we see them as God sees them, specially created in His image. Jesus took for himself widening circles of disciples, one closest, three close, twelve immediate, seventy two close enough to train, and more, while on earth demonstrating the importance of community. God ordered human life in families, tribes, and nations, and called no just one man, but his family through whom he would reveal Himself to the world.
In whatever forms and with whatever uses of cultural and technological opportunities this community building takes, sharing life together with a group of fellow believers is essential to being the Church. Efforts must be made to ensure we are doing more than just being in the same place, but welcoming newcomers, and growing and strengthening relationships among our members.
Whatever programs we do,; whatever tasks we take on; however we use our buildings, supplies, money, and other resources; Everything we do and how we do it, must be done with thought to the question: “How will it do these things?”
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Genesis 22:1-18 Commentary for Jan 10, 2010
Gen 22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."
Not as though God did not know Abraham, but as a way of proving and trying Abraham's faith, God would make a request of Abraham that would be beyond difficult to follow. Ambraham's response to God's call is like so many of the saints, “here I am”. It is like a soldier's coming to attention upon the entrance of an officer, that he may stand ready to follow whatever order next comes from his superior.
Gen 22:2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
Matthew Henry in his commentary points out the increasing difficulty of each word of the Lord's request. Abraham must take his son, not any son but his only son to his wife Sarah and he having been born miraculously in old age. He is reminded that this is the son he loves. We should not forget this is no callous act of religious violence but a intended sacrifice of the one thing potentially greater in Abraham's heart than God. His love would be proven as he journeyed quite a distance, said to be three days, three days to contemplate his decision and three days to possibly decide to refuse. He would be required not only to take the life of his son but to do so with all the dilegent and prescribed efforts of a sacrifice. While Abraham had never participated in the sacrifices common to some pagan worship of his day, he surely had heard of the offering of children to idols that was in practice. From what he says later it is clear that he knows how to perform an animal sacrifice so all of these things would weigh heavily on him as he followed God's command.
Gen 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
It is worth noting that Abraham's obedience is without delay, an interesting contrast to Lot's delay at departing Sodom (Gen 19). What should have been happily obeyed ( leaving a city condemned that he and his family might be saved is hesitated upon, while a task of guesome sorrow is attended with swift obedience gives a strong picture of faith. We too should be swift to obey both that which is easy and beneficial, and that which is difficult and appears distateful, knowing that God is both worthy of our obedience as well as good to bring about a good end.
Gen 22:4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
While a ways off Abraham sees the place and is not hindered no matter what he may dread.
Gen 22:5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."
I question the idea that Abraham knew that he would return with Isaac for if so it seems difficult to say Abraham did not withhold his son from God. If he did not believe God would have him carry through, or would make a way other than the one set in front of him, how can it be said he really was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Perhaps though he held out a hope in God that was greater than the circumstances he saw. Regardless he has the men stay behind, perhaps that they might not hinder him from his God assigned task once his intentions became obvious. If that is the case then we can learn from him to surround ourselves with only those who will not hinder us in our obedience to God, and avoid those who would encourage us to compromise.
Gen 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
Gen 22:7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
Issac had to be old enough to understand something of burnt offerings and to understand that a lamb was the ordinary offering. Abraham has to respond to His son's loyal calling of”My father” all the more saddening since it is likely his son's desire is to ensure all is fit for the sacrifice his father would make.
Gen 22:8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
The Holy Spirit gives Abraham words, perhaps unaware, foreshadowing not only What the Lord would do here but also later at Calvary when the God himself would give his Son as a sacrificial lamb for the redemption of all of who would trust Jesus. God indeed provides the lamb whether it is the thing we must set aside to serve Him, or the gift he give to replace what is lost, or most of all the Gift of His son. Abraham's word were sufficient of Isaac an d they went together.
Gen 22:9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
No matter the age of Isaac it is unlikely Abraham needed to overpower him. Isaac was bound as would be any sacrifice, as as Matthew Henry also notes, as would be Christ who even though he went willingly to the cross was treated every bit like the criminal when he received our just sentence in himself. Abraham prepares to offer Isaac as he would any other sacrifice. No note is made of Abraham's emotion here. Whatever he is feeling he does as God required.
Gen 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Having done everything else Abraham prepares to give the last measure of obedience. He is only stopped by the voice of the angel giving him word from the Lord himself.
Gen 22:11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."
The angel of the LORD, some say may be the preincarnate Christ himself,or otherwise is clearly the messenger of words from none other than God. Abraham again responds “Here I am.”
Gen 22:12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
To fear God is to fear nothing else other than God. Abraham's regard for God was such that he would obey even to do something he himself hated to do if it were at God's request. The angel stays Abraham's hand as God never before or since would require a person to kill another to worship Him. God's intent was to prove Abraham's willingness to obey and to value God even more than the son God gave him; to love the giver more than the gift. While it is true God knew the result beforehand I heard it said that a thing is not real until it is done, therefore requiring Abraham's action to prove his genuine fear of the Lord.
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Indeed the animal was provided, in Isaac's place just as promised and as Christ would be later provided in Isaac, Abraham and each believer's place at the cross. The Ram also provided the means to truly worship a God who they now knew all the more intimately as one worthy to entrust Isaac's life and all else. Our worship is to be a response to God's actions and a means of giving thanks for who God is and what He has done.
Gen 22:14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
Abraham names Mount Moriah “The Lord will provide,” giving a memorial to this occasion of all occasions which proved to Abraham God's provision and trustworthiness.
Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven .
Again God communicates to Abraham through an angel. As we grow in faith and relation to the Lord occasions of clearly hearing Him will increase in both frequency and clarity. God may not communicate as often as we like but He will, we can trust, communicate when he desires us to know something.
Gen 22:16 and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
God would have Abraham know clearly that this was no small thing he had done but makes clear by God's own promise that the blessings he promised to Abraham will come to pass.
Gen 22:17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
By not withholding his only son Abraham received the assurance of a promise of innumerable descendants, a legacy Abraham could have only dreamed of when He had no heir. Yet God promises not only numerous offspring but ones who would not ultimately be overcome, a true and lasting legacy.
Gen 22:18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
Here we are given Abraham's final promise, not just land and people, but that he would play a part in the greater dram unfolding as through a single descendant, Jesus Christ ALL the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Not just Abraham's physical descendants, but his spiritual children, grafted into his family through faith in Christ, himself a descendant of Abraham.
Likewise may we live in such a way that we experience our own part in God's unfolding work of salvation and be obediently used to make real the certain work of God in our world, especially the redemption of His people through the faith that comes through hearing the Gospel.
Not as though God did not know Abraham, but as a way of proving and trying Abraham's faith, God would make a request of Abraham that would be beyond difficult to follow. Ambraham's response to God's call is like so many of the saints, “here I am”. It is like a soldier's coming to attention upon the entrance of an officer, that he may stand ready to follow whatever order next comes from his superior.
Gen 22:2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
Matthew Henry in his commentary points out the increasing difficulty of each word of the Lord's request. Abraham must take his son, not any son but his only son to his wife Sarah and he having been born miraculously in old age. He is reminded that this is the son he loves. We should not forget this is no callous act of religious violence but a intended sacrifice of the one thing potentially greater in Abraham's heart than God. His love would be proven as he journeyed quite a distance, said to be three days, three days to contemplate his decision and three days to possibly decide to refuse. He would be required not only to take the life of his son but to do so with all the dilegent and prescribed efforts of a sacrifice. While Abraham had never participated in the sacrifices common to some pagan worship of his day, he surely had heard of the offering of children to idols that was in practice. From what he says later it is clear that he knows how to perform an animal sacrifice so all of these things would weigh heavily on him as he followed God's command.
Gen 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
It is worth noting that Abraham's obedience is without delay, an interesting contrast to Lot's delay at departing Sodom (Gen 19). What should have been happily obeyed ( leaving a city condemned that he and his family might be saved is hesitated upon, while a task of guesome sorrow is attended with swift obedience gives a strong picture of faith. We too should be swift to obey both that which is easy and beneficial, and that which is difficult and appears distateful, knowing that God is both worthy of our obedience as well as good to bring about a good end.
Gen 22:4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
While a ways off Abraham sees the place and is not hindered no matter what he may dread.
Gen 22:5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."
I question the idea that Abraham knew that he would return with Isaac for if so it seems difficult to say Abraham did not withhold his son from God. If he did not believe God would have him carry through, or would make a way other than the one set in front of him, how can it be said he really was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Perhaps though he held out a hope in God that was greater than the circumstances he saw. Regardless he has the men stay behind, perhaps that they might not hinder him from his God assigned task once his intentions became obvious. If that is the case then we can learn from him to surround ourselves with only those who will not hinder us in our obedience to God, and avoid those who would encourage us to compromise.
Gen 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
Gen 22:7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
Issac had to be old enough to understand something of burnt offerings and to understand that a lamb was the ordinary offering. Abraham has to respond to His son's loyal calling of”My father” all the more saddening since it is likely his son's desire is to ensure all is fit for the sacrifice his father would make.
Gen 22:8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
The Holy Spirit gives Abraham words, perhaps unaware, foreshadowing not only What the Lord would do here but also later at Calvary when the God himself would give his Son as a sacrificial lamb for the redemption of all of who would trust Jesus. God indeed provides the lamb whether it is the thing we must set aside to serve Him, or the gift he give to replace what is lost, or most of all the Gift of His son. Abraham's word were sufficient of Isaac an d they went together.
Gen 22:9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
No matter the age of Isaac it is unlikely Abraham needed to overpower him. Isaac was bound as would be any sacrifice, as as Matthew Henry also notes, as would be Christ who even though he went willingly to the cross was treated every bit like the criminal when he received our just sentence in himself. Abraham prepares to offer Isaac as he would any other sacrifice. No note is made of Abraham's emotion here. Whatever he is feeling he does as God required.
Gen 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Having done everything else Abraham prepares to give the last measure of obedience. He is only stopped by the voice of the angel giving him word from the Lord himself.
Gen 22:11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."
The angel of the LORD, some say may be the preincarnate Christ himself,or otherwise is clearly the messenger of words from none other than God. Abraham again responds “Here I am.”
Gen 22:12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
To fear God is to fear nothing else other than God. Abraham's regard for God was such that he would obey even to do something he himself hated to do if it were at God's request. The angel stays Abraham's hand as God never before or since would require a person to kill another to worship Him. God's intent was to prove Abraham's willingness to obey and to value God even more than the son God gave him; to love the giver more than the gift. While it is true God knew the result beforehand I heard it said that a thing is not real until it is done, therefore requiring Abraham's action to prove his genuine fear of the Lord.
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Indeed the animal was provided, in Isaac's place just as promised and as Christ would be later provided in Isaac, Abraham and each believer's place at the cross. The Ram also provided the means to truly worship a God who they now knew all the more intimately as one worthy to entrust Isaac's life and all else. Our worship is to be a response to God's actions and a means of giving thanks for who God is and what He has done.
Gen 22:14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
Abraham names Mount Moriah “The Lord will provide,” giving a memorial to this occasion of all occasions which proved to Abraham God's provision and trustworthiness.
Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven .
Again God communicates to Abraham through an angel. As we grow in faith and relation to the Lord occasions of clearly hearing Him will increase in both frequency and clarity. God may not communicate as often as we like but He will, we can trust, communicate when he desires us to know something.
Gen 22:16 and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
God would have Abraham know clearly that this was no small thing he had done but makes clear by God's own promise that the blessings he promised to Abraham will come to pass.
Gen 22:17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
By not withholding his only son Abraham received the assurance of a promise of innumerable descendants, a legacy Abraham could have only dreamed of when He had no heir. Yet God promises not only numerous offspring but ones who would not ultimately be overcome, a true and lasting legacy.
Gen 22:18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
Here we are given Abraham's final promise, not just land and people, but that he would play a part in the greater dram unfolding as through a single descendant, Jesus Christ ALL the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Not just Abraham's physical descendants, but his spiritual children, grafted into his family through faith in Christ, himself a descendant of Abraham.
Likewise may we live in such a way that we experience our own part in God's unfolding work of salvation and be obediently used to make real the certain work of God in our world, especially the redemption of His people through the faith that comes through hearing the Gospel.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Genesis 2 commentary 1-3-10
The sermon for Sunday Jan 3, will be entitled "as it was in the begining." taken of course from the Gloria Patri: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen." Lets look at the way it was in the beginning.
Genesis 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
The previous chapter lines out the 6 days of creation. It is not necessary to hold the strict opinion that the 6 days were 6 periods of 24 hours, but it is important to hold two truths if you still wish to hold to the authority of Scripture: First That God created all that there is, "the heavens and the earth in their vast array." and second: That he did so in some way that will when all is made clear, reflects the pattern and method of Genesis 1. The significance of the "6 Day" creation appears in the next verse, and the revelation of creation in this way is significant to us as believers to display the character of God and His will for us.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work.
This pattern of work and a Sabbath, seventh day rest, is established at creation and repeated throughout Biblical History. In the commandments, in Exodus 20, the creation story is repeated as the reason for the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy". God's rest does not imply His need for rest as much as his sovereignty in being free to choose to rest. The one in authority may choose to rest at will, but if you are under authority you must seek permission either by schedule or request from your boss if you wish to rest. God needs no permission and freely chooses to rest.
3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Jesus said: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Matthew 2:27) God blesses the Sabbath: and gives to man rest; something belonging to Him, is granted to His beloved creations. A study of the word Bless or blessed, will turn up many such incidents, God giving freely something that is His. The Sabbath is also Holy: set apart, given yet still belonging to God and therefore a rest we should observe with due reverence to God and looking to how He would have us spend our rest.
Adam and Eve
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-
This second account details the creation of God's special creation of humanity. No other creation of His is given the description "in His image". Immediately we find God's word turns to an account of humanity as the Bible is not written as an abstract account but a specific revelation to re-connect God with humanity first through the spoken and written word then the Word made flesh (John 1) Jesus Christ.
5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth [b] and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth [c] and there was no man to work the ground,
The world Adam and Eve first saw was different from our environment today. It would seem while the natural plants which would spring up on their own without man's aid would be present Man still had a purpose of tending and caring for some special kinds of plants which had not yet become visible, requiring working the ground and the God given task of tending them. Be aware man was not yet formed, let alone fallen so the work of tending would not be as now where we struggle against noxious plants, weeds and thorns which came as a result of the curse (see Gen 3) and Man would not,as we will se, be reliant on the work for the sake of survival, also a consequence of the fall. Instead work would be like God's own work of creation, done for its own sake and enjoyment, a better form of what we do when we garden or "work" at a hobby now. More than recreation a blessing of participating in God's own work by invitation.
6 but streams [d] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-
Verse 5 lets us know there was no rain, but instead the ground was self watering avoiding the later struggles of unstable climate, drought and flood which plague farmers today.
7 the LORD God formed the man [e] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The man it says was formed out of the ground, the common made special, simple elements made complex by the hand of God. This is God's work. Not only made complex like a plant but given the breath of life and made not only alive but uniquely aware of his being alive.
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
Among all that was created God also set apart and "planted" and specially equipped a place suited for the unique new being.
9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In this Garden were trees which not only provided food but were pleasing to the eye. An element of life which sets humanity apart is it's appreciation of beauty,imitation of the creator in creating beauty through art and music. Beauty points to the blessing of our creator and our being in His image. God did not need to make the trees beautiful to sustain life, the glosses of unnecessary and extravagant blessings display God's glory all the more.
The middle of the garden contained two unique trees of Spiritual significance as well, the tree of life and the tree of knowlege of Good and Evil. These will play a part in the drama that unfolds as well as all the rest of Human history through eternity.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [f] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [g] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Captivating is the placement of this story in a very real landscape and not some vague world. While some would call the Genesis narrative a myth, the Revelation contained in God's word is so often tied to such concrete places and recognizable real world features as to forbid us from writing it off as mere allegory or morality tale. Scripture does freely use the literary devices, including symbolism, parable and other means to reveal God's character and will but is never so vague as to allow a reasonable person to write it off entirely. Faith strengthens our vision to see the truth of Scripture to be sure but details throughout remain testable to anyone looking to disprove them.
Also significant is the pre-fall and pre-flood (Noah) geography and geology of the land. Eden was situated in good land able to sustain the generations that would follow as the humans multiplied per God's command and blessing.
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Work, as I said before was not a curse but a blessing and divine purpose, to participate in God's creation and care for the earth. It was no burden as the daily needs of man were not tied to the work ast they are after the fall into sin.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
Notice our first condition was one of abundance: we were free to eat of all of the trees of the garden, Including the tree of life, but NOT the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We were blessed with all that we could need and free access to life itself, as well as the ability to talk with God personally, and denied only the loss of innocence. How like us now as children and especially teens when we are tempted to betray our own best interests and freedom to grow, learn and enjoy life, and feel we must lose our innocence as quickly as possible. In youth, now fallen, we flee innocence and even ridicule those who would hold it longer as though they were weak. Fallen humanity make fun of those who value virginity, peace, clean speech, and clean living even though the irony is it takes greater strength to preserve innocence than to give it away.
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
With the freedom God had given and the innocent condition of Adam, knowing neither Good or Evil, and in full conversational and personal relationship with God, came but one command, the first covenant, of works, requiring obedience and promising life, but also promising death with disobedience. The freedom the human race was to enjoy gave them the freedom to choose obedience or disobedience, and this was what gave unfallen man his "free will". Free will was not "free agency" or sovereignty, with the ability some imagine in "free will" to possess: to do as one wills. Instead a choice is offered along with a clear picture of what would be lost with disobedience. God does not set up a snare but gives us a clear warning of the consequences of sin so that a truly free choice is made.
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
God's will for the man's companion was that she would be a helper suitable for him. Not just a mate as with the animals to reproduce with but a "companion" and a benefit to him. To see tyranny of the man over the woman in this is to see it through the lenses of our fallen condition. Note Adam's rejoicing in the verses that follow as Eve is made. Love is the character of God and is infused and implied in this union of man and woman and in love each desires to benefit the other and does not see his or her place as a benefit to the other as a chore but as a joyful gift to give. Live "The Princess Bride", Wesley's "As you wish" was his way of saying "I love you".
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
Adam was given the task of naming the animals which is almost an early demonstration of man's scientific curiosity, and, in that it was God who brought the animals to be named, I do not think it outside reason to assume God intended for man to explore creation and see in it the subtle and amazing demonstrationas of God's glory. Also in seeing and naming each animal God gives Adam the ability to excercise the "dominion" over them as a shepherd would know his own sheep.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam [h] no suitable helper was found.
Adam did this task but in the doing of it his lack of a suitable helper and companion was made more evident.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [i] and closed up the place with flesh.22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [j] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The intimacy here is striking. Where God formed Adam from the ground, God's hand is again upon Adam opening his flesh, removing a part of him and carefully closing the place again. The "companion" would not be a separate creature but Adam's own being made alive and now a separate being, yet still a divinely ordered perfect match for him.
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, [k] '
for she was taken out of man."
Adam rejoices! She is now alive and a part of him yet a mysterious other. belonging to him yet free as well. Together with Adam the woman Eve completes the creation of humanity. Humanity is male and female as in Chapter one, and incomplete as a single gender. Not to say all should be coupled, but that the mutual humanity of man and woman is cause for celebration, a picture of God's intention for the species and the necessity of the two for reproduction a demonstration of the good purpose of man and woman as companions and helpers when experienced with God ordained love as a bond for both in their relaition to one another.
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Just as a man (or woman) comes biologically from the bodies of the parents so Eve came from Adam and yet God here establishes the necessary order of marriage: that the man and woman leave the parents, their only previous physical tie and in marriage are united physically in a new union, made all the more visible when that union produces children who once again come from the bodies of the parents. Marriage too, even as devalued as it is in our time, creates a picture for us to see the intent of humanity's Creator in man an woman as suitable companions.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Their intimacy and innocence combined in a perfect condition where they lived and enjoyed complete vulnerability without fear, and complete freedom without want. They also enjoyed God without separation and guilt since they knew Him without the stain and debt of sin. This would change with their disobedience and the first casualty would be their intimacy with each other and then immediately to follow with God. We inherited this same fear, struggle, distrust and guilt. We too no longer free, choose sin easily and find nothing in ourselves to save us. Yet God made a way. The good news is Jesus came to restore us to the conditions Adam and Eve enjoyed. God came down to us again and was himself wounded to resore us.
John 1:10-14
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent,[c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path
Mark
World without end. Amen, Amen." Lets look at the way it was in the beginning.
Genesis 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
The previous chapter lines out the 6 days of creation. It is not necessary to hold the strict opinion that the 6 days were 6 periods of 24 hours, but it is important to hold two truths if you still wish to hold to the authority of Scripture: First That God created all that there is, "the heavens and the earth in their vast array." and second: That he did so in some way that will when all is made clear, reflects the pattern and method of Genesis 1. The significance of the "6 Day" creation appears in the next verse, and the revelation of creation in this way is significant to us as believers to display the character of God and His will for us.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work.
This pattern of work and a Sabbath, seventh day rest, is established at creation and repeated throughout Biblical History. In the commandments, in Exodus 20, the creation story is repeated as the reason for the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy". God's rest does not imply His need for rest as much as his sovereignty in being free to choose to rest. The one in authority may choose to rest at will, but if you are under authority you must seek permission either by schedule or request from your boss if you wish to rest. God needs no permission and freely chooses to rest.
3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Jesus said: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Matthew 2:27) God blesses the Sabbath: and gives to man rest; something belonging to Him, is granted to His beloved creations. A study of the word Bless or blessed, will turn up many such incidents, God giving freely something that is His. The Sabbath is also Holy: set apart, given yet still belonging to God and therefore a rest we should observe with due reverence to God and looking to how He would have us spend our rest.
Adam and Eve
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-
This second account details the creation of God's special creation of humanity. No other creation of His is given the description "in His image". Immediately we find God's word turns to an account of humanity as the Bible is not written as an abstract account but a specific revelation to re-connect God with humanity first through the spoken and written word then the Word made flesh (John 1) Jesus Christ.
5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth [b] and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth [c] and there was no man to work the ground,
The world Adam and Eve first saw was different from our environment today. It would seem while the natural plants which would spring up on their own without man's aid would be present Man still had a purpose of tending and caring for some special kinds of plants which had not yet become visible, requiring working the ground and the God given task of tending them. Be aware man was not yet formed, let alone fallen so the work of tending would not be as now where we struggle against noxious plants, weeds and thorns which came as a result of the curse (see Gen 3) and Man would not,as we will se, be reliant on the work for the sake of survival, also a consequence of the fall. Instead work would be like God's own work of creation, done for its own sake and enjoyment, a better form of what we do when we garden or "work" at a hobby now. More than recreation a blessing of participating in God's own work by invitation.
6 but streams [d] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-
Verse 5 lets us know there was no rain, but instead the ground was self watering avoiding the later struggles of unstable climate, drought and flood which plague farmers today.
7 the LORD God formed the man [e] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The man it says was formed out of the ground, the common made special, simple elements made complex by the hand of God. This is God's work. Not only made complex like a plant but given the breath of life and made not only alive but uniquely aware of his being alive.
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
Among all that was created God also set apart and "planted" and specially equipped a place suited for the unique new being.
9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In this Garden were trees which not only provided food but were pleasing to the eye. An element of life which sets humanity apart is it's appreciation of beauty,imitation of the creator in creating beauty through art and music. Beauty points to the blessing of our creator and our being in His image. God did not need to make the trees beautiful to sustain life, the glosses of unnecessary and extravagant blessings display God's glory all the more.
The middle of the garden contained two unique trees of Spiritual significance as well, the tree of life and the tree of knowlege of Good and Evil. These will play a part in the drama that unfolds as well as all the rest of Human history through eternity.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [f] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [g] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Captivating is the placement of this story in a very real landscape and not some vague world. While some would call the Genesis narrative a myth, the Revelation contained in God's word is so often tied to such concrete places and recognizable real world features as to forbid us from writing it off as mere allegory or morality tale. Scripture does freely use the literary devices, including symbolism, parable and other means to reveal God's character and will but is never so vague as to allow a reasonable person to write it off entirely. Faith strengthens our vision to see the truth of Scripture to be sure but details throughout remain testable to anyone looking to disprove them.
Also significant is the pre-fall and pre-flood (Noah) geography and geology of the land. Eden was situated in good land able to sustain the generations that would follow as the humans multiplied per God's command and blessing.
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Work, as I said before was not a curse but a blessing and divine purpose, to participate in God's creation and care for the earth. It was no burden as the daily needs of man were not tied to the work ast they are after the fall into sin.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
Notice our first condition was one of abundance: we were free to eat of all of the trees of the garden, Including the tree of life, but NOT the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We were blessed with all that we could need and free access to life itself, as well as the ability to talk with God personally, and denied only the loss of innocence. How like us now as children and especially teens when we are tempted to betray our own best interests and freedom to grow, learn and enjoy life, and feel we must lose our innocence as quickly as possible. In youth, now fallen, we flee innocence and even ridicule those who would hold it longer as though they were weak. Fallen humanity make fun of those who value virginity, peace, clean speech, and clean living even though the irony is it takes greater strength to preserve innocence than to give it away.
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
With the freedom God had given and the innocent condition of Adam, knowing neither Good or Evil, and in full conversational and personal relationship with God, came but one command, the first covenant, of works, requiring obedience and promising life, but also promising death with disobedience. The freedom the human race was to enjoy gave them the freedom to choose obedience or disobedience, and this was what gave unfallen man his "free will". Free will was not "free agency" or sovereignty, with the ability some imagine in "free will" to possess: to do as one wills. Instead a choice is offered along with a clear picture of what would be lost with disobedience. God does not set up a snare but gives us a clear warning of the consequences of sin so that a truly free choice is made.
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
God's will for the man's companion was that she would be a helper suitable for him. Not just a mate as with the animals to reproduce with but a "companion" and a benefit to him. To see tyranny of the man over the woman in this is to see it through the lenses of our fallen condition. Note Adam's rejoicing in the verses that follow as Eve is made. Love is the character of God and is infused and implied in this union of man and woman and in love each desires to benefit the other and does not see his or her place as a benefit to the other as a chore but as a joyful gift to give. Live "The Princess Bride", Wesley's "As you wish" was his way of saying "I love you".
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
Adam was given the task of naming the animals which is almost an early demonstration of man's scientific curiosity, and, in that it was God who brought the animals to be named, I do not think it outside reason to assume God intended for man to explore creation and see in it the subtle and amazing demonstrationas of God's glory. Also in seeing and naming each animal God gives Adam the ability to excercise the "dominion" over them as a shepherd would know his own sheep.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam [h] no suitable helper was found.
Adam did this task but in the doing of it his lack of a suitable helper and companion was made more evident.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [i] and closed up the place with flesh.22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [j] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The intimacy here is striking. Where God formed Adam from the ground, God's hand is again upon Adam opening his flesh, removing a part of him and carefully closing the place again. The "companion" would not be a separate creature but Adam's own being made alive and now a separate being, yet still a divinely ordered perfect match for him.
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, [k] '
for she was taken out of man."
Adam rejoices! She is now alive and a part of him yet a mysterious other. belonging to him yet free as well. Together with Adam the woman Eve completes the creation of humanity. Humanity is male and female as in Chapter one, and incomplete as a single gender. Not to say all should be coupled, but that the mutual humanity of man and woman is cause for celebration, a picture of God's intention for the species and the necessity of the two for reproduction a demonstration of the good purpose of man and woman as companions and helpers when experienced with God ordained love as a bond for both in their relaition to one another.
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Just as a man (or woman) comes biologically from the bodies of the parents so Eve came from Adam and yet God here establishes the necessary order of marriage: that the man and woman leave the parents, their only previous physical tie and in marriage are united physically in a new union, made all the more visible when that union produces children who once again come from the bodies of the parents. Marriage too, even as devalued as it is in our time, creates a picture for us to see the intent of humanity's Creator in man an woman as suitable companions.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Their intimacy and innocence combined in a perfect condition where they lived and enjoyed complete vulnerability without fear, and complete freedom without want. They also enjoyed God without separation and guilt since they knew Him without the stain and debt of sin. This would change with their disobedience and the first casualty would be their intimacy with each other and then immediately to follow with God. We inherited this same fear, struggle, distrust and guilt. We too no longer free, choose sin easily and find nothing in ourselves to save us. Yet God made a way. The good news is Jesus came to restore us to the conditions Adam and Eve enjoyed. God came down to us again and was himself wounded to resore us.
John 1:10-14
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent,[c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path
Mark
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