Faith and life meet in a story
By Paula
By Paula
By Paula
1. Keep a list of the things you learn about the character of God.
2. Notice the special relationship God has with His chosen people. Even though we aren't Israel, God has chosen us as His through the blood of Christ.
3. Pay close attention to our responsibility to Him.
Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 10:12-13 NAS
By Paula
By Paula
By Paula
Let's kick off a series of tips for studying specific books of the Bible. Today, the book of Genesis.
First tip – Don't worry about all the "begats".
The first book of the Bible is a great place to start studying God’s Word. It is the “book of beginnings”. Reading two chapters each day will finish off the book in under a month. Kay Arthur’s notes in The New Inductive Study Bible divides the book into two sections. Chapters 1-11 describe four great events (Creation, the Fall, the Flood and the Dispersion) while chapters 12-50 look at the lives of four great people (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph).
Here are some things to look for as you read through Genesis:
Firsts – Of course Genesis tells of the first man and woman and so on, but it also describes the first act of worship. Interestingly, the first mention of love in the Scripture occurs in the context of a father’s love (ch. 22). That story of Abraham and Isaac is one of my favorites in all of Scripture.
God’s Revelation of Himself – God becomes more personal as the story unfolds. From Elohim in the opening words to God Almighty and the God Who Sees, God displays more of His character to His people
God Initiates – Everything we are and have comes from the will and hand of God. He made us, revealed Himself to us, and sought a relationship with us. After man’s failure, God’s in love and grace initiated redemption for a hopeless humanity. The story of His pursuit of us begins in Genesis.
What have you learned from your studies of Genesis?