Is Yours a Word-Filled Family?

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Grace Life has been meeting for two weeks now and has just begun a study through Word Filled Families, by John Barnett. Even for the first few weeks, it has been a very helpful book walking through various Scriptures on how to cultivate better marriages and stronger parenting. The importance of having God’s Word central in families can’t be overstated. And yet, for believers we know that this doesn’t happen automatically. It has to be worked at in order for God’s Word to remain the focus in a family.

This principle really goes as far back as when God first revealed His Word to His people. For instance, before the second generation of Israelites is able to enter the Promised Land, Moses helps them to understand what would be the key to their success. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, he exhorts them to remember their one true God and to keep His Word. The Word was to be on their hearts from early morning until late at night. It needed to proceed from their lips, and in whatever they did or conceived, everything should have been filtered through God’s truth. Even when Moses died, it is not surprising that God told Joshua essentially the same thing before Joshua led the people into the Promised Land (Josh. 1:6-8). If Joshua and the people were going to see any success, the Scriptures needed to be central to their lives.

This is not just an Old Testament idea, though. The Apostle Peter exhorted his readers to long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word in order to grow spiritually (1 Pet. 2:2). If any spiritual growth is going to take place in a believer’s heart, it will come by means of the Bible. This is also why Paul tells the Colossians that they must allow the Word of Christ to dwell in them richly (Col. 3:16). God’s truth is to saturate the lives of His people. It is thus not just a goal for the believing family to be Word filled, but it really is the goal of each believer to be Word filled. And as each believer allows the Word to dwell in them richly, so families will consequently benefit greatly.

This isn’t like the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Simply knowing the Bible and reading it each day is not going to make a person Word filled. It isn’t just a matter of going through the motions. As one of my beloved seminary professors used to say, “The goal is not just to the Word, but the God of the Word.” We need to pursue Christ, not just knowledge about Christ. This really begins, then, with a complete and correct understanding of the gospel. Unless God has transformed you and renewed your mind to think His thoughts after Him, and unless He has removed your spiritual blindness to allow you to understand His truth, pursuing a Word filled life would be futile. No person can accomplish this on his own, but is completely dependent on God in it (cf. John 15:5; 1 Cor. 2:14).

So, it should be an exciting year as we tackle some of the most important biblical principles pertaining to biblical marriage, parenting, manhood, and womanhood. Our hope is that as a result of this study, the church would be further strengthened and that the families of the church would know the Lord more deeply and sweetly.

BOB – Exodus

by Stephen Rodgers

EXODUS IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“God delivers His people, the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt.”

TITLE

The English title “Exodus” comes from the Greek word (exodos) meaning “going out,” whereas the Hebrew title is derived from the books’s very first word (Šemot), translated “names.”  (Ex 1:1)  The Greek title gives us a glimpse of the major event/theme of the book, whereas the Hebrew title implies that this book was to be accepted as the obvious sequel to Genesis.

As previously mentioned, it is sometimes referred to as the “Second Book of Moses.”

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Both Jewish and Christian traditions attribute the five books of the Pentateuch primarily to Moses.  Unlike Genesis which attests to Mosaic authorship indirectly, Exodus lays direct claims (Ex 17:14; 24:4; 34:4,27-29).

Furthermore, both the OT (Num 33:2; Jos 8:31; 1Ki 2:3; 2Ki 14:6; Ezr 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11,13; Mal 4:4) and the NT (Matt 8:4;Mk 12:26; Lk 16:29; 24:27, 44; Jn 5:46; 7:22; Ac 15:1; Ro 10:19; 1Co 9:9; 2Co 3:15) credit Moses as the author of the Pentateuch.

For more information, see the “Author and Composition” section of the Pentateuch article.

The original audience were the post-Exodus Israelites and their succeeding generations, who likely read Exodus in order to understand the great saga surrounding their national origin (Ex 12:25-27).

DATE

Depending on whether one subscribes to an early (ca. 1,446 BC) or late (ca. 1,260 BC) date of the Exodus would determine the time during which Exodus was written (after the Exodus but prior to Moses’ death). (It should be noted that while good arguments have been put forth in favor of both dates, the majority of scholars surveyed for this series tended to favor an early date).

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Assuming an early date for the Exodus, Moses would have likely grown up in the courts of Pharaohs Thutmose I and II and Queen Hatshepsut during his first 40 years (Acts 7:22-23).  He would have been in exile during the reign of Thutmose III (Acts 7:30) and returned to Egypt early in the reign of Amenhotep II.  Given such experiences, Moses was uniquely suited to represent his people before the Egyptian monarchy as well as guide them through the wilderness of the Sinai peninsula.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

In broad terms, Exodus deals with four particular themes: 1) Moses, 2) Redemption, 3) Covenant, and 4) Tabernacle.  More specifically, one could say that the book deals with the story of how God raised up his servant Moses (1) to liberate his people from Egyptian bondage (2) and bring them into a covenant with Him (3) and to erect within Israel God’s royal tent (4).  Hopefully that reminds you of another story/theme of how God raised up His greatest Servant and Mediator to liberate His people from bondage to sin and bring them into a covenant with Him and to ultimately re-establish His presence among them.

In this and many other ways (preserved at birth, a sojourn in Egypt resulting in a “coming out,” etc.), Christ is seen as the true and greater Moses, and the Exodus is seen as the precursor for an even greater redemption story. In some ways, the passing through the Red Sea and the provision in the wilderness foreshadow both baptism and communion as well. For more on types, you might want to revisit the OT article.

LITERARY FEATURES

Exodus should be understood overall as falling within the genre of historical narrative. However, it specifically employs the genre of adventure story. It features a cruel villain (Pharaoh), an unlikely hero (Moses), overwhelming disasters (the plagues), a spectacular deliverance (the Red Sea), a mountaintop experience (where Moses received the 10 Commandments), and a grand finale (God Himself descending to fill the tabernacle). Along the way there are twists and turns, setbacks and delays, magic and sorcery, feasts and festivals, music and dancing, and many close encounters with God.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

As mentioned briefly above, the date of the Exodus has been the topic of some debate, although most scholars tend to favor the earlier date rather than the later one.  What has also been the topic of significant debate is the route of the Exodus.  Three possibilities tend to come up more often then the rest: a northern route called the “way of the land of the Philistines” (Ex 13:17, which the Bible specifically denies), a middle route across Sinai to Beersheba, and a southern route along the west coast of Sinai.  Most conservative scholars tend to favor the southern route.

Furthermore, the typological significance of the tabernacle has been the subject of much discussion and debate.  While some authors and scholars have gone to great lengths to link furniture and building materials to Christ.  It is likely that while the tabernacle has some typological significance, much of the detail regarding structure and ornamentation was intended to describe function and beauty rather than hidden meaning and symbolism.

OBJECTIONS

Exodus has attracted two broad categories of objections: objections to possibility and objections to content.

  • Until the last century or so, some skeptics rejected Mosaic authorship (and therefore the claims of Exodus) because they believed that Semitic writing systems had not been devised  at the time he was alive.  Not only has archaeological evidence dispelled that objection, but certain internal linguistic evidence (specifically the third-person singular feminine pronoun and a number of Egyptian loanwords) indicates both early composition and Egyptian influence.
  • Objections to content tend to revolve around the absence of evidence in ancient Egyptian records supporting the events described in the book: the plagues, the Exodus, and the defeat of the army at the Red Sea.  However, it should be pointed out that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and given the fact that ancient Egyptian historiography did not permit the recording of their pharaoh’s embarrassments and defeats, such gaps are to be expected.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Exodus 3:14
  • Exodus 8:1
  • Exodus 12:13
  • Exodus 20:3 (The 1st Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:4 (The 2nd Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:7 (The 3rd Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:8 (The 4th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:12 (The 5th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:13 (The 6th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:14 (The 7th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:15 (The 8th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:16 (The 9th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:17 (The 10th Commandment)

DID YOU KNOW?

Forgive me as I spend a little time rehashing something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

It has been suggested (and personally I believe) that the 10 plagues of Egypt were specifically designed by God to illustrate His supremacy over representative members of the Egyptian pantheon of gods.  Recall with me for a moment that the Bible makes it clear that whenever you encounter a material idol, said idol is backed by either nothing or something.  Sometimes a log is just a log, and an Old Testament prophet made it clear that when confronted with such vacuous worship, holy ridicule is a wholly appropriate response (Isa 44:16-17).  But while all non-existent gods are false, not all false gods are non-existent.  Sometimes a log is not just a log, and a New Testament prophet made it clear that while they may have supernatural realities behind them (1 Cor 10:20), said supernatural realities do not occupy the top of the supernatural food chain (1 Cor 8:4-6).

Remember that the spiritual realities behind the wise men, sorcerers, and magicians of Egypt were not non-existent.  After all, did not their staffs become serpents (Ex 7:11-12)?  Did they not also turn water to blood (Ex 7:22)? Obviously something was enabling their abilities, and while the Bible doesn’t reveal what went on behind the scenes, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that something made a point of being somewhere else when the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob came to town.

I know this is long, but consider the 10 plagues and what they represented:

  1. Water to Blood – Triumph over Hapi
  2. Frogs – Triumph over Heqt/Heket
  3. Lice – Triumph over Kheper/Khepri or Geb
  4. Flies – Triumph over Kheper/Khepri
  5. Livestock – Triumph over Apis or Hathor
  6. Boils – Triumph over Imhotep, Thoth, or Isis
  7. Hail – Triumph over Nut
  8. Locusts – Triumph over Seth
  9. Darkness – Triumph over Ra
  10. Death – Triumph over Pharaoh

Furthermore, God Himself was the one who declared that the plagues were open season on the Egyptian gods (Ex 12:12). On other occasions, His prophets reiterated the point (Ex 15:11; 18:11; Numbers 33:4; Jos 24:14; 2 Sam 7:23; Psa 135:8-9).

Egypt was a land of many gods, and the Pharaoh was seen as a god himself.  Given those delusions, one can almost understand the ignorance and arrogance behind his question of “Who is the LORD?” (Ex 5:2)  Given what happened next, God took his question quite seriously, and in the process showed that He’s not particular fond of the various pretenders to His throne.

Other Works Referenced

The Glorious Gospel (Part 6)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the criticisms against churches that preach repentance and the lordship of Christ is that by saying a person’s life must show forth evidence of their salvation causes some to question the genuineness of their salvation. The critics claim that it is unloving to challenge people about their salvation or to cause them to second guess the sincerity of their confession. But this is exactly what the Apostle Paul did when he considered the possibility that some in Corinth would not repent or bear good spiritual fruit even after his warnings and rebukes (2 Cor. 13:5). When a person has reason to question the genuineness of their faith because of worldly living or unrepentant sin, it is appropriate and loving to point that out. How horribly unloving it would be to allow someone to think they are a Christian when in reality they are not!

Certainly, it is inappropriate and unkind to cause someone to question their salvation for no reason. It is not the goal of the church simply to get people to doubt their faith. We want people to be confident about their salvation, but we want their confidence to be placed in the truth. Too many people are banking on some emotional appeal they made as a child, or the fact that they cried when they first heard the gospel, or that they walked an aisle or raised a hand during an altar call. Some people will say that they were really sincere when they asked Jesus to come into their hearts. But the Bible doesn’t tell us that any of these things should be considered evidence of true saving faith. Sincerity is not the greatest proof. Certainly, the rich young ruler was sincere in wanting to gain eternal life, but he still walked away from Christ in the end (Mark 10:17-22).

This is one of the dangers of the easy-believism gospel. It gets people to a point where they understand some facts about the gospel, and hurries them into making a decision for Christ. Based on that decision, they are told that they are children of God and eternally secure in Christ. But no evidence of conversion has been seen in their lives. They may from that point completely walk away from the Lord! They have been given the guarantee of their salvation before it was truly appropriate and could continue on living life thinking they are saved when they are not.

The Bible tells us there will be many who believe they are truly saved and are mistaken about it (cf. Matt. 7:21-23), but these individuals would be known for the fruit that their lives produce (Matt. 7:15-20). Assurance of salvation was such an important issue that the entire book of 1 John was dedicated to it (cf. 1 John 5:13). The fact is that our assurance needs to be based on the truth of God’s Word, and not on our emotions. It isn’t that we are confident about our salvation because we really know we’re saved. It’s that we are confident about our salvation because God is faithful to His promises.

How do you know if you are a Christian? It must begin with “God saved me.” God promised salvation through Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross. The confidence you have in your salvation will come as a result of seeing how your life has been changed by God and you see the fruits of saving faith in your life (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). You have died to self and now live for Christ.

It is also important to remember that you do not sustain your salvation through your deeds. At no point does God hand over the reins and ask you to take over. Salvation is entirely God’s Work – to begin, sustain, and complete. Your works merely demonstrate the genuineness of your salvation and confirm that God has saved you. You must also remember that this work of change will not be completed in this life. As long as you live this life in the flesh, you will be in a constant battle against sin. It is essential that you patiently allow God to work in you to help you live for Him.

The Father Sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 1 John 4:14

It is a sweet thought that Jesus Christ did not come forth without his Father’s permission, authority, consent, and assistance. He was sent of the Father, that he might be the Saviour of men. We are too apt to forget that, while there are distinctions as to the persons in the Trinity, there are no distinctions of honour. We too frequently ascribe the honour of our salvation, or at least the depths of its benevolence, more to Jesus Christ than we do the Father. This is a very great mistake. What if Jesus came? Did not his Father send him? If he spake wondrously, did not his Father pour grace into his lips, that he might be an able minister of the new covenant? He who knoweth the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost as he should know them, never setteth one before another in his love; he sees them at Bethlehem, at Gethsemane, and on Calvary, all equally engaged in the work of salvation.

O Christian, hast thou put thy confidence in the Man Christ Jesus? Hast thou placed thy reliance solely on him? And art thou united with him? Then believe that thou art united unto the God of heaven. Since to the Man Christ Jesus thou art brother, and holdest closest fellowship, thou art linked thereby with God the Eternal, and “the Ancient of days” is thy Father and thy friend. Didst thou ever consider the depth of love in the heart of Jehovah, when God the Father equipped his Son for the great enterprise of mercy? If not, be this thy day’s meditation. The Father sent him! Contemplate that subject. Think how Jesus works what the Father wills. In the wounds of the dying Saviour see the love of the great I AM. Let every thought of Jesus be also connected with the Eternal, ever-blessed God, for “It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.”

2.5a

Weekly Links (10/14/2011)

To be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament. (John Warwick Montgomery, History and Christianity)

by Stephen Rodgers

Happy Friday everyone!  To celebrate the end of the work week, we’ve got a new batch of links for you…

  • There’s a new edition of Tabletalk available for the month of October.  This one grapples with the subject of death and disease.  If you haven’t familiarized yourself with Tabletalk, you might want to check out our index of available issues.
  • There’s also a new free audio book available from christianaudio.com.  This month they’re offering a real gem: Think! by John Piper. I’d strongly encourage you to swing over there and download your copy.
  • The Parchment & Pen blog made a case for why bloggers should have open comments, which prompted at least one person to ask why we don’t have open comments.  I believe that I’ve addressed that before, but if there’s interest, I can address it further in a future article.
  • Apparently there’s now another free digital magazine I need to read: Credo. The first issue deals with the subject of “The Living Word,” and their next issue is apparently going to appear in early 2012.  I haven’t had a chance to read it cover-to-cover yet, but since it’s sporting articles by both Thomas Schreiner and Fred Zaspel, it’s jumped to the top of the pile.

Well, hopefully that’s enough to keep you busy and out of trouble this weekend.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

The Start of a New Year (Single Life)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the great privileges at church is being able to minister to working adults, helping disciple them to magnify Christ in their workplace, personal lives, and relationships. However, sometimes working with single adults can be quite challenging. One of the difficulties about Single Life is that there is a wide range of context in the lives of the singles. This certainly can be a significant time when they are deciding on what career to pursue as they job hunt with their various applications and interviews. Many singles are working out the biblical principles about life that they learned during college.

There are other singles who have been in the workforce for a while. Their concerns are not about choosing their professions as much as being faithful in the work that God has already led them to do. They are dealing with the complexities of representing Christ in the workplace while distinguishing between what is appropriate and what is necessary. Sometimes decisions are presented in the workplace that might tempt them to compromise biblical principles. For others, it is simply about practicing those principles consistently in the workplace and exhibiting good Christian character and Christ-likeness.

When it comes to the pursuit of marriage, some singles are perfectly content with remaining single for now. They are happy to focus on their jobs or simply growing in their faith. Others desire to be married but either have not had the opportunity to pursue it or have been turned down in that pursuit. Understandably, this can be frustrating and challenging to a person’s faith. Still others are in dating relationships or are engaged and are fighting to not only maintain purity, but to keep Christ central in their relationships. They don’t want their relationship to be a hindrance to their walk with God, but want it to help stimulate greater godliness.

Adding to the challenges of leading singles is the truth that male and female singles each typically struggle with their unique temptations and encumbrances. Those who shepherd singles need to understand these generalities while still ministering to each person as an individual and helping them to become complete in Christ.

As numerous as these challenges are, this is what makes singles ministry so vital in the life of the church. It isn’t simply about coming together to listen to a sermon. It is about having a group of individuals who relate to your life experiences and who can help each other grow and hold each other accountable. Even though the challenges are diverse, the solution is the same. Our goal will be to look to Scripture to see what God’s Word tells us about how to handle the challenges that we face. This is going to be an exciting year for Single Life, one where we will hopefully see much spiritual growth in the lives of our members.

BOB – Genesis

by Stephen Rodgers

GENESIS IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“God creates the world and chooses a special people.”

TITLE

The English title “Genesis” comes from the Greek word (geneseos) meaning “origins,” whereas the Hebrew title is derived from the Bible’s very first word (bereshith), translated “in the beginning.” Either way, Genesis can rightly be thought of as the “book of beginnings.”

As previously mentioned, it is sometimes referred to as the “First Book of Moses.”

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

The author of Genesis is not explicitly stated, but both Jewish and Christian traditions attribute the five books of the Pentateuch primarily to Moses, while acknowledging that minor revisions were posthumously added.

Furthermore, both the OT (Ex 17:14; Num 33:2; Jos 8:31; 1Ki 2:3; 2Ki 14:6; Ezr 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11,13; Mal 4:4) and the NT (Matt 8:4; Mk 12:26; Lk 16:29; 24:27, 44; Jn 5:46; 7:22; Ac 15:1; Ro 10:19; 1Co 9:9; 2Co 3:15) credit Moses as the author.

For more information, see the “Author and Composition” section of the Pentateuch article.

The original audience were the post-Exodus Israelites.  Considering that many of their traditions were likely lost or corrupted during their enslavement in Egypt, Genesis  functions as a text that “sets the record straight.”

DATE

Depending on whether one subscribes to an early (ca. 1,446 BC) or late (ca. 1,260 BC) date of the Exodus would determine the time during which Genesis was written (after the Exodus but prior to Moses’ death).  (It should be noted that while good arguments have been put forth in favor of both dates, the majority of scholars surveyed for this series tended to favor an early date). In regards to the events of Genesis, Genesis 12  (Abraham) to Exodus 2 (the birth of Moses) covers 640-660 years.  In regards to the events of Genesis 1-11, there is not universal agreement among Christian scholars regarding the length of time it depicts, however it is generally understood to span a minimum of 2,000 years.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Genesis begins in eternity past (Gen 1:1), continuing with the events of Creation.

Genesis has three distinct, sequential, geographical settings, which (assuming an early date of the Exodus) can be dated accordingly:

  1. Mesopotamia (Gen 1-11: Creation to ca. 2,090 BC)
  2. the Promised Land (Gen 12-36: ca. 2,090-1,897 BC)
  3. Egypt (Gen 37-50: ca. 1,897-1,804 BC)

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Somewhat ironically, while the literary feature of the “hero story” is prominently displayed in Genesis (see below), the central character is clearly and unapologetically God. The author makes no attempt to prove the existence of God, but simply assumes Him from the outset and proceeds to contrast Him with the alleged gods of the ANE.

  • Theologically, Genesis presents the theological foundations for a veritable slew of doctrines and themes: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, man, sin, redemption, covenant, promise, Satan and angels, firstborn, inheritance, kingdom, revelation, Israel, judgment, and blessing.
  • Genesis 1-11 (primeval history) deals primarily with the origin of the universe and the origins of various human experiences: marriage, family, the Fall, sin, redemption, judgment, and nations. It is often summarized as dealing with four great EVENTS: Creation, Fall, Flood, and Scattering.
  • Genesis 12-50 (patriarchal history) deals primarily with the origin of the nation of Israel, tracing their existance back to both “Eber” (hence “Hebrews”; Gen 10:24-25) and even more remotely to Shem (hence “Semites”; Gen 10:21). It is often summarized as dealing with four great CHARACTERS: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

LITERARY FEATURES

Genesis should be understood overall as falling within the genre of historical narrative.  However, it specifically employs a series of hero stories–episodic tales focused on a central character with whom the reader is to sympathize–with interspersed genealogies. It should be noted that while the hero story employs a central character, their actions are not consistently heroic; they are simply the human center of attention in the story.  In this way they are contrasted with God Himself, who is the only character to behave consistently throughout the narrative.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

Generally speaking, the interpretive challenges of Genesis fall into three categories:

  1. Contextual issues tend to center on specific ANE customs.  Since Genesis records events of a time and place found nowhere else in Scripture, hermeneutical issues must often be resolved primarily by referring to the immediate context, which can be difficult.
  2. Historical issues tend to center on whether events took place, or at least whether the author believed that events took place.  It should be noted however, that in and of itself, the label “history” is agnostic  in regards to whether an account is complete, unbiased, free from divine activity, in strict chronological order, or includes or excludes figurative elements.
  3. Scientific issues tend to center on how events took place. These often result in disagreements regarding the implications and precise nature of certain events, notably various theories regarding the “days” of Creation (calendar day, day-age, analogical day, literary framework, gap theory, etc.), the precise taxonomy of “kinds,” the exact extent of the Flood (local vs. global), and the existence (or lack thereof) of “gaps” in the genealogies, just to name a few. It should again be noted however, that while Genesis never purports to be a specifically “scientific” account (at least as we understand the term in our modern context), it nonetheless is unique among ANE accounts in providing a worldview in which science is both intelligible and possible.

OBJECTIONS

Objections to the composition of the Pentateuch (and their subsequent dismissal) were noted in the “Author and Composition” section of the Pentateuch article.  Additionally, it should be noted that historical (Abraham’s marriage to his half-sister, tolerant attitudes towards Gentiles, unrestricted travels of the patriarchs, etc.), linguistic (the prevalent use of the El compounds for the name of G0d, common names from both the Ebla and Mari texts such as “Ebrium/Eber,” “Abraham,” “Jacob,” and “Amorite”), and literary (Genesis 1-11 somewhat parallels the Mesopotamian Enuma Elish, the Babylonian epic Atrahasis, and the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic) strongly argue in favor of second millennium BC composition rather than first millennium BC composition.

Objections to the content of Genesis 1-11 generally center on the fact that it bears some similarities to other ANE creation and flood myths.  While pointing out such factual similarities is perfectly legitimate, it should be noted that they fail to address explanations that the myths have a common source, issues of precedence (which stories predate others), and dissimilarities (the centrality of the Biblical flood vs. the incidental nature of the flood story in Gilgamesh, the uniqueness of Biblical monotheism in an ANE context, etc.).

In any event, the historical framework (Gen 2:4; 5:1) and presence of genealogies (Gen 4-5; 10-11) indicate that the author presented a historical account, and not merely a literary myth.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Genesis 1:1
  • Genesis 1:3
  • Genesis 4:9
  • Genesis 6:8
  • Genesis 15:6
  • Genesis 50:20

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Prior to the advent of various Big Bang cosmologies, scientists often assumed that the universe was eternal.  The position that the universe had a beginning was considered distinctly Judeo-Christian.
  • Genesis contains the earliest reference to the Trinity (Gen 1:26)
  • Genesis contains the earliest reference to Jesus Christ (Gen 3:15)
  • The “bride price” paid by a husband’s family was an ancient combination of both life insurance and pre-nup for the wife (Gen 31:14-16)
  • Genesis comprises about 25% of the Pentateuch and spans 2,500 years or more.  Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy comprise the remaining 75% of the Pentateuch and span approximately 120 years (the life of Moses).
  • Genesis covers a greater period of time than the remaining 65 books of the Bible combined (excluding the future described in Revelation).
Other Works Referenced

The Uniqueness of God

by Elder Mike Chon

As I was helping my son memorize his memory verse from Sunday School, I began to think about the verse and what it said about God. The verse was from Exodus 15:11, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” Of course this is a rhetorical question by Moses, since the answer to these questions is no one. No one is like our God. No one can even compare to our God. But why? In this verse Moses says because God is holy and is able to perform glorious deeds and wonders. That statement of course is true. Is there anyone else who can create the universe? Is there anyone else who can create man? Is there anyone else who can bring about a worldwide flood? Is there anyone else who can part the Red Sea? The list of the glorious deeds and wonders is endless. This alone would separate God from anyone or anything.

When we think about the uniqueness of God we usually think about all the great things that God has accomplished in the pages of Scripture. But the question that needs to be asked is what was happening before creation? The answer is found in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God.” God existed before creation. The Godhead existed all alone, not needing anything or anyone to sustain Him. God existed from eternity past and was all alone, self-sufficient and self-sustained. He had no universe to sustain, no angels to sing Him praise, and no man to save. He existed in all His glory and in His majestic holiness, that He can proclaim the name “I AM.” Creating the universe did not add more to God’s glory or to His being compared to eternity past when only He existed. He does not need the created universe to be God. He is God. He always was and will be God. This is the reason why we bow our knee and worship the only God that is worthy of worship. A.W. Pink wrote, “Such a One is to be revered, worshiped, and adored. He is solitary in His majesty, unique in His excellency, and peerless in His perfections. He sustains all, but is Himself independent of all. He gives to all and is enriched by none.”

There are so many reasons and blessings in our life that we are thankful to God for, but let us come before His throne to worship the one and only God that deserves our worship for who He is, not only for what He does.

Your Refuge from the Avenger of Blood

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Joshua 20:3

It is said that in the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them within half a day at the utmost. Even so the word of our salvation is near to us; Jesus is a present Saviour, and the way to Him is short; it is but a simple renunciation of our own merit, and a laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all. With regard to the roads to the city of refuge, we are told that they were strictly preserved, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an easy passage to the city. Once a year the elders went along the roads and saw to their order, so that nothing might impede the flight of any one, and cause him, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How graciously do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were by-roads and turnings, there were fixed up hand-posts, with the inscription upon them-‘To the city of refuge!’

This is a picture of the road to Christ Jesus. It is no roundabout road of the law; it is no obeying this, that, and the other; it is a straight road: ‘Believe, and live.’ It is a road so hard, that no self-righteous man can ever tread it, but so easy, that every sinner, who knows himself to be a sinner may by it find his way to heaven. No sooner did the man-slayer reach the outworks of the city than he was safe; it was not necessary for him to pass far within the walls, but the suburbs themselves were sufficient protection. Learn hence, that if you do but touch the hem of Christ’s garment, you shall be made whole; if you do but lay hold upon him with ‘faith as a grain of mustard seed,’ you are safe.

‘A little genuine grace ensures
The death of all our sins.’

Only waste no time, loiter not by the way, for the avenger of blood is swift of foot; and it may be he is at your heels at this still hour of eventide.

2.4p

Weekly Links (10/7/2011)

[God] is not in the least worried about His dignity. The point is, He wants you to know Him: wants to give you Himself. And He and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any kind of touch with Him you will, in fact, be humble–delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy all your life. He is trying to make you humble in order to make this moment possible: trying to take off a lot of silly, ugly, fancy-dress in which we have all got ourselves up and are strutting about like the little idiots we are. (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

by Richard Shin

As always, there are a lot of great articles this week. So, I’ll stop blabbering so you can get reading. Here you go:

  • At the Resurgence blog, Tullian Tchividjian has an article on why we forget we are saved, what we’re prone to do because of the amnesia, and how to go about resolving this issue. This article seems to encompass a lot of aspects of the underlying reasons for the need to remind ourselves of the good news.
  • Steve Jobs has passed on. Al Mohler has a sobering article on the life of Steve Jobs. He truly was a man of unparalleled talent and influence, yet one would be sorely mistaken to think his impactful life is any more important than “the mother tending her child, the farmer planting his crops, the father protecting his family, the couple faithfully living out their marital vows, the factory worker laboring to support his family, and the preacher preparing to preach the Word of God.”
  • Tim Challies shares some quotes from his study of Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen. It’s a meditation on Romans 8:13, and how Paul speaks of the condition (of sin), the means (of the Spirit), the duty (to kill), and the promise (to live).
  • Ray Ortlund writes a set of unBeatitudes that gives us a perspective on the promises this world offers. You’ll have to click through to see what an “unBeatitude” is.
  • Since I couldn’t resist, I’m going to share another article of Ray Ortlund’s. He shares a few words on what it means to be tenderhearted, as it says in Ephesians 4:32. One would do well to study this idea, particularly in light of this world’s warped view of manliness.
  • Parchment and Pen is another blog I follow rather closely. In this one, C. Michael Patton shares some thoughts on the connection between doubt and disobedience. While doubt definitely does cause disobedience, he shares with us how disobedience can cause us to doubt as well.
As much as I love sharing these gems around the blogosphere with you on a biweekly basis, I would be remiss to not explicitly mention that reading and meditating on the Bible is infinitely more important than all of these articles combined. So, please, if you’ve spent the time to actually read the articles I shared, I would encourage you to drink from the fountain of living water.
Coram Deo