Is a Reinterpretation of Genesis Possible and Appropriate?

Scripture: Genesis 3:23 "therefore the Lord God sent [Adam] out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken."

Observation: I recently read the book "A Biblical Case for an Old Earth" by David Snoke. In it he made the case that some of our understanding of Genesis is influenced by words that, while they can mean what translators choose, were probably not what Moses intended to mean. Those words then crystallize the text into a 21st century perspective. One example is that the word translated "earth" in most modern translations should really simply read "land" because Moses would have had no concept of a globe. (Try reading Genesis 1-3 using "land" everywhere the word "earth" appears.) Therefore, while God certainly created everything (as Moses clearly says) Moses would not have written earth (as in, globe). I don't agree with all the conclusions that Snoke wrote but it has prompted me to re-evaluate where I am making extra-biblical assumptions in regards to the creation narrative. Chapter 3, verse 23 appears to be one of those places - possibly.

The assumption that I had was that all the "land" was the same as Eden - a lush, tropical-type world. Interestingly, we read that Adam was cursed and driven out of Eden to the "ground from which he was taken". If we go back to that event in Chapter 2, verse 8 Moses seems to be describing a new place, Eden, that God built for Adam and Eve to tend. It seems the garden stood out - "The Lord God planted a garden". Apparently it was different from the rests of the area around it; as in, the vegetation that was in the garden was not necessarily of the same multitude and concentration as the land outside the garden.

Application: I'm not sure how this can be applied to me or to my life specifically but it's not all about me anyway. Genesis 1-3 (and everything else through Revelation 22) is about God. Whatever design or appearance or make-up the  creation took on praises God in all His character, all His glory. All creation praises Him - I will, too.
 
Prayer: You are glorious, God. You are wise, beyond description, praiseworthy and the only good we have. Thank you for creating me twice and please teach me to appreciate how You designed me, my family, all those I meet and the created universe. I love You. Amen.


There is certainly much more that Snoke wrote. He is an ordained preacher and a scientist for some university. His claims, while somewhat dismissive of portions of the text, also deserve a serious evaluation by anyone serious about correctly handling the word of God. His foundational question is, can God be glorified by and can God call "good" a  creation that involved suffering and death of animals and plants before the fall of Adam and Eve. Obviously he answers in the affirmative and makes the claim that while evolution is a bogus and debunked theory, the creation account certainly leaves room for the universe and earth to be the same age as scientific research claims it to be.

Give it a read before you tell me I'm losing my salvation or being heretical. Even better, bring it up the next time we're hanging out and we can talk about it.

He Was There In The Prison

Scripture: Genesis 39:20 "Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the kings prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison."

Observation: "Joseph's master" - in reality Joseph's master was God and indeed his Master put him in prison.

"He was there in the prison." Don't ever be misled about this - God has me where I am. As difficult as that is to accept and often I ascribe evil to my situation or unfortunate circumstance, yet all things are in God's hand. Repeatedly we read "Here I am!" (Joseph, Moses, Abraham, Samuel, Isaac, Jacob each said it.) Each time the person was called, it required an act of will to respond.

Application: God is my Master and has all things in His hand and all things come from His hand. He is an all-knowing, not reactionary. He moves the world as He sees fit - for His glory and for our good (because that brings Him glory).

I may very well feel like I am "there in the prison" or multiple prisons. The truth is that I, no one, am not outside of His will but rather I am in it. My responsibilities then include the response that moves by faith toward God. If I truly find myself in prison then God is working for a purpose in that, too. Again, I must utilize the will which God has given me. At the end of the day I cannot point fingers at a God who has lovingly waited for me to cling to Him and blame my lack of response on Him.

Everyone has been given all the evidence necessary to respond to God in faith. Salvation is not restrained from anyone. YOU THERE! - the one resisting the Lord - you can right now, today, submit to God and be saved. Or you can submit to God and move forward in faith through the circumstance that you are experiencing toward the end that God has in store for you.  Don't sit in apathy or rebellion! The Lord loves you and is patient with you. He's calling you into an all-satisfying relationship with Him, but you must use your will and act by responding to His call.

I Have a Dream

Scripture: Genesis 37:5 "Now Joseph had a dream..."

Observation: Verse 5 says Joseph told his first dream to his brothers and "they hated him for it". Verse 10 says he told his second dream to his brothers and father and "his father rebuked him". Verse 20 says that his brothers wanted to kill him and said, "We shall see what will become of his dreams." That's rather prophetic, I think.

Application: Joseph received these dreams from God. God is still speaking dreams to people... to me, for He has a plan for our lives and often reveals personal dreams. I ought to learn from Joseph and treat them with great value.

Others may not respond well to what God shows me or calls me to do. They may not understand my personal walk with the Lord. I'm reminded of Aslan's words to Shasta about his story being his own. Some unbelievers and believers will respond with disdain and hate. Others will try to oppress God's personal call on our lives with fained propriety or piety. Doubts are likely the first response that will come my way. But stand strong on God's word! What He says to me He does not say to all; yet what He says to me is for me to trust and obey. Jeremiah is perhaps the greatest example in the Bible of someone who followed God despite getting very little support or return on the investment of his life into the work of God.

Prayer: Father, Jesus said that we each will have a private, personal, intimate relationship with You and that "we will all be taught by You" (Jn 6) and that we will know if it is You leading us (Jn 7.17). Help me to trust Your Spirit's leading at all times and to obey. I love You. Amen.

A Star is Born... Maybe Two of Them

So this is the day that Nori goes world wide. Mark it.

There's not enough words for this. Just enjoy.

 

Do It Heartily

Scripture: Genesis 30:27 "And Laban said to [Jacob], 'Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.'"

Observation: Laban had not been honest or fair to Jacob and yet Jacob worked hard.

Laban recognized that he was the recipient of God's blessings because of Jacob's presence and work.

The term "general grace" is sometimes used to describe God's act of showing goodness to all in an equitable way (Luke 6:35, "For God is kind to the unthankful and evil."). For example, the Lord provides food, sun, and rain to the earth for all. And the Revelation says that God's will sustains and upholds all life. But God also has "specific grace", which is directed in an intentional way to bring glory to Himself and to fulfill His will (Ephesians 1:11).

Application: Jacob's experience with Laban is an example to me that I ought to work hard for my employer, and in every other area of my life. A Christian should never have the reputation of being lazy or unmotivated for two reasons.

First, the presence and blessing of God in us is meant to pour over onto those around us. If I act as "the salt of the earth" the way I am supposed to, my boss will be blessed with encouraged and positive employees, workers will provide fair work for the wages, and the effects of sin will be help back to some extent in the work environment.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Laban praised God for Jacob's sake just as God blessed Laban for Jacob's sake. My purpose in life is to bring glory to God - anything less is sin. I've been created for good works (Ephesians 2:10) and shame to me if I don't do that which I'm designed to do.

Prayer: Lord, help me to serve You by serving others and to honor You by honoring others. I love You. Amen.

Isaac the Peacemaker

Scripture: Genesis 26:22 and 24, "And [Isaac] moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth (Spaciousness), because he said, 'For now the Lord has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land.' And the Lord appeared to him the same night..."

Observation: Isaac was rich at this point (vs 16).

Isaac gave God the praise for peace.

Isaac was pursuing peace at all costs. Verse 16 tells us Isaac could have overpowered Abimelech's men.

God appeared to Isaac after Isaac passed a test of integrity and faithfulness to God.

In every way this passage brings to mind Matthew 5:8-9 "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God."

Isaac said he would "prosper" after finally finding peace because, even though he was rich before, prosperity is made up of much more than material wealth.

This is a situation between men - neighbors - not nations. This should not be used to imply that there is no time or justification for war. Peace is a coward's substitute for righteous action when evil men are committing evil atrocities. I won't blaspheme and slight God's character by purporting that He would rather we hide from, ignore or "move away" from wicked nations who suppress and mistreat people.

Application:
Isaac exemplifies the extent to which I must go to preserve peace and not love violence or confrontation. Isaac was in the right the entire time and yet never pressed his "right" for vengeance. Who am I at conflict with? Am I fueling that in my heart or visibly with animosity in any way? Have I reserved certain relationships for myself, away from God, in which I retain my "right" to not be a peacemaker?

And this isn't a static thing. Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the peacefinders..." but rather "peacemakers". This is much, much harder. It's usually painful to demonstrate love as 1 Corinthians 13 describes in order to find unity or peace.

Remember that I have peace with God, not because of what I have done, but because of what He has done. Romans 5:1, "Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Prayer: Lord, make me a peacemaker, for I want to see You. I love You. Amen.

Roller Skates and Jesus

Preached tonight at the free skate night at the roller rink.

Here's the link in case you haven't been there... every first Tuesday of the month is free!

Question of the day to all you out there: how is Jesus like a Rubik's cube?

The BIG Question

Scripture: Genesis 24:10-17, "Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹ And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. ¹² Then he said, 'O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, "Please let down your pitcher that I may drink," and she says, "Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink"—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.'
¹⁵ And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. ¹⁶ Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her and said, 'Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.'"

Observation: First, the servant didn't even enter the city nor look for Abraham's family. Second, the servant's faith in God was great and his prayer was outlandish. Third, the servant did his part - "he ran to meet her" - and started his "thirsty" schpeel.

Application:
Don't fear to ask God for the world - it's His to give. The frequency, greatness and content of my prayers reveal a huge amount about what I truly think of God and what I believe He is capable of. I should stop calling Him "God" if I don't really think He is. But if I do believe it, then my thoughts toward Him and my requests of Him should be equitable to His big-ness.

Don't think God will deliver the world into my hand - He desires to bring me into His work that I may work along side of Him.

What is He telling me to do? What have I not responded to?

Prayer: Father, all power and might belong to You. As Abraham's servant asked for Your guidance and providence to serve his master's desires, so I ask for Your hand and guidance to serve my Master's desires. And may I be obedient - immediately, completely and with joy - running to the moment, when you call. I love You. Amen.

Awesome!

So this is a little late, but I had to include this in the running history that is the blogging experience.

Over the last few years I've had a desire to express the rugged man in me and also provide for my family in a little more direct way by hunting. Christian has been a huge supporter. So far we've purchased a bow and arrow for Christian. And we've had a few sling shots. And a b-b gun. We're really on our way.

So when a friend at work offered to take us shooting I new a man of my outdoors background had to jump at it. Here's some pictures of the day. I think my young men are so manly shooting this .22. The video at the bottom is the highlight, though.



Oh Yeah!



Pause for Gun Safety Brief



That's a bunch of guns.