Porn's and the Partial Kingdom
Really enjoying the vast sweep through human history with Vaughan Roberts' God's Big Picture as guide, a few hundred years between spoonfuls of dessert. We're still in Genesis so the best is yet to be. But already we can see the pattern of God's dealings with man and man's less-than-adequate response to God, and hence the characters of both God and man.
Some quick questions we used. Not terribly good but mildly useful for pointing out bits here and there on our speedy tour through Genesis:
Recap:
Genesis 12
Q: Who was Abram worshipping when God called him?
cf Joshua 24:2
Q: What were God's promises to Abram?
Q: What did Abe do to deserve them?
What seemed to stand in the way of the fulfilment of promises?
Genesis 12 - 20
Q: In what ways did Abe show his trust that God could/would fulfil his promises?
Q: In what ways did Abe show his distrust that God could/would fulfil his promises?
Q: How did God respond each time?
Q: What purpose did God have in fulfilling his promise to make Abraham a great nation?
Genesis 18:18-19
Genesis 21
Q: Coming hot on the heels of distrust of Genesis 20, what does Genesis 21 show about God?
Q: On which of Abraham's would God's promises rest? Why?
Isaac. Because God decided so. The son who was given by God, not the son made by Abraham. Genesis 17:17-19, 21:12.
Genesis 22
Q: So Abraham and Sarah were pleased to announce the birth of their first born. Mother and baby were healthy. All seemed on track for a short while until Genesis 22. What does God ask Abraham to do?
Q: How would this hinder the fulfilment of the people promise?
Q: Why then did God ask this of Abraham?
Sacrifice son. Test if Abraham feared God or feared losing his son (22:1, 22:12, 22:18)
Q: Why did Abraham obey God? What exactly did he have faith in?
Hebrews 11:17-19
Genesis 24
Q: So Isaac grows up without being a burnt offering. They lived amongst the Canaanites, having left the Sin-worshipping Ur of the Chaldeans. Why did Abraham insist on his servant getting Isaac a wife from his own people but not allow the servant to bring Isaac back?
Genesis 24:7
Q: So Isaac gets Rebekah. But what hindered the fulfilment of the people promise?
Genesis 25:21 - Rebekah was barren for 20 years.
Q: Who did they depend on to clear roadblock to fulfilment?
God
Q: Rebekah conceived and had only two sons. On which son did the promises rest? Why?
Jacob (He who cheats)(27:27-29, 28:3-5). Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew (25:29-34). Jacob tricked Isaac (Genesis 27). God chose Jacob before he was born or had done anything to deserve it (25:23, Romans 9:10-13).
Genesis 29-30
Q: So we look at Jacob's line. How did God's people promise work out in Jacob's life?
Due to trickery by Laban, Jacob gets two wives for double the price. A progeny competition results in twelve sons (cf 35:22-26).
Genesis 35
Q: Jacob & Co. certainly didn't see much further than their current circumstances. Who were they worshipping when the LORD came to Jacob?
35:2.
Q: In light of this, what was so surprising about what God said when he met Jacob?
35:9-15. Reiteration yet expansion of promises to Abraham, esp kings.
What was the assurance/basis for the promise?
35:11.
Genesis 37
Q: What happened with Jacob nka Israel's youngest son?
Q: One would have thought that the promises would continue through Joseph's line but instead, Matthew 1 tells us that Jesus was of Judah's line, emphasising the incident with Tamar. What part did Judah play in Joseph's captivity?
37:1-28.
What do we learn about him in the Tamar incident?
Genesis 38. Ee-yur.
Genesis 38-45, 50
Q: Meanwhile, how was God working out his people promise through Joseph?
45:5-8, 50:19-21. God sent Joseph to preserve the people so that there would be many survivors through the famine. What they meant for evil, God meant for good.
So Israel & Co. moved to Egypt.
Exodus 1
Q: What glorious sight greets us in Exodus 1:1-7?
The people promise certainly looks closer to fulfilment.
But the land filled with Abe's people was Egypt and not their own land. Jingoism, xenophobia, oppression and genocide followed.
Akan datang!
What we have seen so far though, is that God takes the initiative to have relationship with his people. No one deserves the blessing that are given to them. But despite their disobedience and failure to worship him, God continues to workout the fulfilment of his promises in people's lives.
We'll see how God manages to get this lot out of a land that isn't their own and into their promised land, so that they can do what God had always meant them to do - worship him.
Some quick questions we used. Not terribly good but mildly useful for pointing out bits here and there on our speedy tour through Genesis:
Recap:
Genesis 12
Q: Who was Abram worshipping when God called him?
cf Joshua 24:2
Q: What were God's promises to Abram?
Q: What did Abe do to deserve them?
What seemed to stand in the way of the fulfilment of promises?
Genesis 12 - 20
Q: In what ways did Abe show his trust that God could/would fulfil his promises?
Q: In what ways did Abe show his distrust that God could/would fulfil his promises?
Q: How did God respond each time?
Q: What purpose did God have in fulfilling his promise to make Abraham a great nation?
Genesis 18:18-19
Genesis 21
Q: Coming hot on the heels of distrust of Genesis 20, what does Genesis 21 show about God?
Q: On which of Abraham's would God's promises rest? Why?
Isaac. Because God decided so. The son who was given by God, not the son made by Abraham. Genesis 17:17-19, 21:12.
Genesis 22
Q: So Abraham and Sarah were pleased to announce the birth of their first born. Mother and baby were healthy. All seemed on track for a short while until Genesis 22. What does God ask Abraham to do?
Q: How would this hinder the fulfilment of the people promise?
Q: Why then did God ask this of Abraham?
Sacrifice son. Test if Abraham feared God or feared losing his son (22:1, 22:12, 22:18)
Q: Why did Abraham obey God? What exactly did he have faith in?
Hebrews 11:17-19
Genesis 24
Q: So Isaac grows up without being a burnt offering. They lived amongst the Canaanites, having left the Sin-worshipping Ur of the Chaldeans. Why did Abraham insist on his servant getting Isaac a wife from his own people but not allow the servant to bring Isaac back?
Genesis 24:7
Q: So Isaac gets Rebekah. But what hindered the fulfilment of the people promise?
Genesis 25:21 - Rebekah was barren for 20 years.
Q: Who did they depend on to clear roadblock to fulfilment?
God
Q: Rebekah conceived and had only two sons. On which son did the promises rest? Why?
Jacob (He who cheats)(27:27-29, 28:3-5). Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew (25:29-34). Jacob tricked Isaac (Genesis 27). God chose Jacob before he was born or had done anything to deserve it (25:23, Romans 9:10-13).
Genesis 29-30
Q: So we look at Jacob's line. How did God's people promise work out in Jacob's life?
Due to trickery by Laban, Jacob gets two wives for double the price. A progeny competition results in twelve sons (cf 35:22-26).
Genesis 35
Q: Jacob & Co. certainly didn't see much further than their current circumstances. Who were they worshipping when the LORD came to Jacob?
35:2.
Q: In light of this, what was so surprising about what God said when he met Jacob?
35:9-15. Reiteration yet expansion of promises to Abraham, esp kings.
What was the assurance/basis for the promise?
35:11.
Genesis 37
Q: What happened with Jacob nka Israel's youngest son?
Q: One would have thought that the promises would continue through Joseph's line but instead, Matthew 1 tells us that Jesus was of Judah's line, emphasising the incident with Tamar. What part did Judah play in Joseph's captivity?
37:1-28.
What do we learn about him in the Tamar incident?
Genesis 38. Ee-yur.
Genesis 38-45, 50
Q: Meanwhile, how was God working out his people promise through Joseph?
45:5-8, 50:19-21. God sent Joseph to preserve the people so that there would be many survivors through the famine. What they meant for evil, God meant for good.
So Israel & Co. moved to Egypt.
Exodus 1
Q: What glorious sight greets us in Exodus 1:1-7?
The people promise certainly looks closer to fulfilment.
But the land filled with Abe's people was Egypt and not their own land. Jingoism, xenophobia, oppression and genocide followed.
Akan datang!
What we have seen so far though, is that God takes the initiative to have relationship with his people. No one deserves the blessing that are given to them. But despite their disobedience and failure to worship him, God continues to workout the fulfilment of his promises in people's lives.
We'll see how God manages to get this lot out of a land that isn't their own and into their promised land, so that they can do what God had always meant them to do - worship him.
Labels: *Genesis
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