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The Lord God planted a garden in the east, in Eden,a and there He placed the man whom He had formed. — Genesis 2:8

The New Garden

The word Eden comes from a word meaning “delight.” It was a garden of delight. Everything that was needed was provided, and it was beautiful. God Himself planted the garden. Then God created Adam in the garden and took a rib from man and fashioned a woman, Eve. So the first marriage took place in the garden. But then there came sin, then guilt, and then shame, because shame is the product of guilt, and guilt is the product of sin.... More
Then God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is on the face of all the earth and every tree which has fruit yielding seed. It shall be food for you. — Genesis 1:29

Genesis: Beginning of Fully Functioning Systems

In the first week we see a miraculous creation taking place. God created not only the energy-generating star but also the entire trail of light that comes to this earth. He created a fully functional system that, although it gives the appearance of age, is not really old at all. I believe God did create a fully functional system right from the beginning. Now those who oppose creationism obviously reject this, but God tells us very plainly... More
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their possession and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem. — Genesis 35:4

Banishing the Idols

In this passage Jacob has his family destroy all the household idols. From now on, they will worship the Lord alone and no graven images. The second commandment prohibits graven images. It is, in essence, a command for intolerance. This is a strange-sounding command in our time, when tolerance has been elevated to a virtue. Ancient Idols One thing the Old Testament made very plain is that it has no use for any such thoughts as these.... More
They said, “Your servants are twelve brothers,a the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer living.” — Genesis 42:13

The Sons of Jacob

We can learn a few lessons from the brothers of Joseph. The slavery of Israel in Egypt for almost half a millennium began with the folly of Jacob, who showed favoritism as a father toward Joseph, and the sin of Joseph’s brothers and their jealousy. They sold him into slavery, sending him down to Egypt, and it wasn’t long before the entire family of seventy souls had followed along because of the famine in the land, and the whole... More
'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. So God made the expanse and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so. God called the expanse Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God ... — Genesis 1-50

Evolution vs. Genesis

Some people have the misconception that the Bible, particularly the Book of Genesis, has somehow been disproved by science. In particular, they allege that the theory of evolution has rendered biblical creation unnecessary. That is not true. The changes in the fossil record show example after example of small changes within the various kinds, which could be called microevolution. This microevolution poses no threat to the Bible. It is well... More
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” a 1 and He said, “You will say this to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” — Exodus 3:14

The Trinity Is Not Like Anything Else

God is not like anything else. You will find no corollary in nature. God is. God is who He is. We don’t have any choice about what kind of God exists. He comes with the package of life, so to speak. He didn’t have to create us, love us, reveal Himself to us, die for us—do anything for us. And He doesn’t have to fit our mind’s ability to conceive of Him. The fact that He does do all those things is serendipity, or... More
On the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. — Genesis 2:2

Creation and the First Law of Thermodynamics

Where did matter come from? We are told in Genesis 1:1 that God created it. We cannot create it because God already has—and He has suspended the creative process. This is the basis of the first law of thermodynamics, which states that total energy in a system is constant. It can change form but cannot be created or destroyed. We see that He rested from His creative work on the seventh day. He ceased creating, the Bible says; creation is... More
Then He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac,a 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 will tell you.” So Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place that God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there and worship and then return to you.” So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; a and he took the fire in his hand and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”... — Genesis 22:2–8

Nurturing Three-Dimensional Faith

The Confession gives some good advice to those who feel weak and uncertain. This advice begins in the observation that saving faith usually comes into an unbeliever as the Holy Spirit applies Scripture. God normally chooses to bring saving faith through the ministry of the Word. It may come as a preacher applies a Bible passage or as a seeker remembers some long-ago Sunday school lesson or opens the Bible to seek answers. It may come through... More
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel,a which came into Egypt (each man and his household came with Jacob): Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All the people who came from the seed of Jacob were seventy people,a but Joseph was in Egypt already. Joseph died,a as did all his brothers, and all that generation. Nevertheless, the sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied,a and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. ... — Exodus 1–40

Yahweh / Jehovah Is Jesus

In some ways, what God says when He reveals Himself in Exodus (particularly at the burning bush) is the key to understanding who God really is. Through cross-referencing, we can see that Jesus is divine. For example, at the incident of the burning bush (Exodus 3 and 4), we have the great revelation of the unalterable, immutable, unchangeable name of God—the I AM WHO I AM. That word/name in Hebrew, Yahweh (Jehovah), was not used by the... More
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. — Genesis 1:26

Not a Flawed Design

We Christians are overly sensitive in reacting to the argument that a good God would not allow evil to infect creation. Was there a flaw in the design? Consider the lives of the first humans. The Larger Catechism’s description states that they had a nurturing environment. Our first parents were perfectly placed in a garden ideally suited to their needs and purpose (Genesis 1:26–31). They enjoyed employment for which they were... More
The water prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. — Genesis 7:19

Christ, the Ark of Safety

The Bible tells us that when Christ comes again, it will be like it was in the days of Noah, when sex and violence prevailed over the world and the imaginations of men’s hearts were evil continually. Does that sound anything like America today? I think it sounds surprisingly like it. The wonderful thing is that God saved Noah and his family. Christ endured the flood of God’s wrath. All the anguish of sin and wrath of almighty... More
So Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant," which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." — Exodus 24:8

Forgiveness Comes Through the Shedding of Blood

A Jewish believer in Jesus, Murray Tilles, of Light of Messiah Ministries, uses an analogy to explain the Jewish sacrifices in the temple that pointed to Jesus’ once-and-for-all sacrifice: “I liken it to a credit card statement that we get in the mail today. When we get a credit card statement in the mail, let’s hypothetically say we have a $5,000 balance. Well, everyone looks at that credit card statement, and the first... More
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me,” and they came near. Then he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. — Genesis 45:3–4

Joseph: Integrity Does Make a Difference

Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers in these verses. Joseph is a remarkable man in biblical history. He was mistreated and was tempted, for example, by Potiphar’s wife, but through it all he prevailed. He did not give in. Nor did he allow his success as Pharaoh’s right-hand man to corrupt him. Does it really make any difference how we respond to the temptations of life? May I say to you that Joseph could not... More
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh. — Genesis 2:24

The Importance of Marriage

Before the state and before the church, God created the oldest institution on this planet: the institution of marriage. When God established marriage, He did so for the primary purpose that one man and one woman should be one flesh and should go forth and multiply—something entirely impossible under the Supreme Court’s recent novel and illogical redefinition of marriage. We now have the very definition of tyranny. It... More
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. — Exodus 20:12

Honor Your Father and Mother

Included in this commandment is the relationship of all inferiors to superiors. It deals with one of the most important aspects of life: relationship and submission to authority, whether we are talking about the submission of children to their parents, a wife to her husband, a citizen to the state, a member to the church, a soldier to his commander in chief, or ultimately, a human being to his God. Unless submission is learned at home, it... More
You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. You shall slay the ram, and you shall takes its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar. — Exodus 29:15-16

The Blood of Jesus

What we see in the Law of Moses is the means by which people were temporarily forgiven by the Lord because of the sacrifices of bulls and goats. All of the details found in page after page of Exodus and Leviticus were fulfilled in Christ when He, the Lamb of God, was slain on the cross. There is a crimson thread that runs throughout the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and this red strand is a strand of blood. It is found everywhere.... More
But he strongly insisted, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. They then called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may have relations with them.” So Lot went out through the door to them and shut the door behind him. Then he said, “Please, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Look, I have two daughters who have not been with a man. Please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” — Genesis 19:3–8

An Ancient Story—a Modern Problem

It is one of the greatest moral, spiritual, and social problems of the past several decades. I refer to sodomy in Genesis 19, wherein the city of Sodom gave its name to live in infamy in that perversion of sodomy—or as it is called today, homosexuality or the “gay lifestyle.” It has grabbed a lot of attention in light of recent events and protests. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 we read: “Do not be deceived. Neither... More
and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. You shall set boundaries for the people all around, saying, "Take heed to yourselves so that you not go up onto the mountain or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death. No hand will touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through, whether it be beast or man. He shall not live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain. So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. He said to the people, "Be ready for the third day. Do not go near your wives." So on the third day, in the morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet. All the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the ... — Exodus 19:11-18

The Birth Certificate of America

The founders of this nation were biblical Christians, and they understood that God’s relationship to man was in the form of a covenant. Now the initial form of that covenant is what is known as the Mayflower Compact. This document has come to be known as the “birth certificate of America,” but is, in fact, the American Covenant, the covenant between the founders of this country and God. The Mayflower Compact begins with... More

Mary Slessor of Calabar

I have been challenged by the story of a bonny lassie about five-feet-two-inches tall and weighing not much more than a hundred pounds. She hailed from Scotland, but history declares her Mary Slessor of Calabar. People often call Mary the first woman missionary, and though you may never have heard of her, she was so renowned throughout the world a hundred years ago that she became almost as famous as David Livingstone. In these days of... More
Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names his father had called them. — Genesis 26:18

Isaac, the Son of a Famous Father

I’m afraid that dear Isaac, the son of Abraham and the father of Jacob, is often overlooked, ignored, forgotten, and rarely preached about, and yet we wonder if we need to. To be perfectly candid with you, one day I decided I was going to preach a sermon on Isaac. Poor fellow hardly ever gets preached upon. I looked into it the next day and came back and told my secretary, “Forget what is in the bulletin. I am going to change my... More
Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber. — Genesis 11:4

The Curse Upon Absolute Power

Unity. Oneness. Don’t those words conjure up positive emotions in you? The Scripture says, “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). Christ prayed that we might be one, as He and the Father are one: “I have given them the glory which You gave Me, that they may be one even as We are one” (John 17:22). It would seem that unity is a goal toward which we should strive.... More

Genesis and the Physical Curse

There is both a physical and a spiritual dimension to the curse. Here we consider the physical dimension. God pronounced the curse first upon Satan for deceiving and tempting the woman, and then upon the woman, saying her suffering in childbirth would be greatly multiplied and that she would be in subjection to her husband because of her initial sin. To man, God said that no longer would work be a delight, as it had been when he had dressed... More
Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call for you a nursing woman of the Hebrew women so that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the young girl went and called the child’s mother. — Exodus 2:7–8

Godly Mothers: The High Calling

The hand that rocks the cradle must not be very talented, or surely it would find something more interesting to do.” That’s the Modern Revised Standard Version of this adage. The original version said, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” My friends, it’s very important that we understand which one of those versions is really the truth. In the Old Testament we see that it was Moses’ mother... More
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes His name in vain. — Exodus 20:7

The Seriousness of Using the Lord’s Name in Vain

What difference does it make whether people take the name of God in vain? My friends, it makes a great deal of difference. God gave us this commandment not only for our sake, but also for the sake of who He is. God is our Creator. He has given us life. How should we use our tongue? To glorify Him. When you profane His name, you are doing just the opposite of the reason that God put you here. A further tragedy we see in this sin is that, of... More
Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; and as a lion, who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him will be the obedience of the people. He tethers his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine; he washes his garments in wine, his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be a haven of ships. His border shall be at Sidon. Issachar a is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens; — Genesis 49:9–14

Jesus Fulfilled Old Testament Prophecies

Jesus is foretold in Jacob’s blessing to Judah in this passage. Jesus is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, and He will be King. There are hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold His coming and ministry. Someone has said, “Well, the way this worked out is that Christ arranged to fulfill all of these prophecies”—which, of course, is absurd. He was going to have to go to a great deal of trouble to... More
'After a time, his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “My master does not concern himself with anything concerning me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my charge. There is none greater in this house than I. He has kept nothing back from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” She spoke to Joseph every day, but ... — Genesis 39:7–23

Calling Sin, Sin

I would like to have you look at a few things that fairly shout from this passage. For example, consider the fact, first of all, that Joseph did not make any of the many excuses that we hear today over and over again. But look what he did do. The first thing he did, which we need to remember whenever we are confronted with temptation, is this: he called sin, sin. That is something unheard of today—at least in the media. On the... More
You blew with Your wind, and the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. — Exodus 15:10

Time to Call Upon the Lord

You will remember after the Protestant Reformation there was quite a bit of persecution against many of its adherents. The armies of Spain, then the mightiest in the world, swept across Europe and all but drove the Protestants into the sea. But there was a thorn in her flesh, and that was the little island of England—a source of refuge and reinforcement. In a dozen cities in Spain there was feverish activity that went on for years and... More
— Exodus 32

The Golden Calf Exodus 32

Before the Israelites left Egypt, Moses told them: “Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold” (Exodus 11:2). This is an interesting verse: “Let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” It is an example of the sovereignty of God, but it is... More
Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out, and they joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell in them, and the rest fled to the hill country. Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and departed. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshkol and Aner, and these were allies with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants born in his own house, and... — Genesis 14:8–20

The Just War Theory

The Scripture passage in Genesis 14:8–20 describes the first “just” war. Let me say, unequivocally, that I hate war. In fact, every right-minded person hates war. War is a great evil. Only tyrants, aggressors, madmen, and the devil love war. Thousands, millions, even tens of millions of people have lost their lives in the thunderous inferno that is war. I am definitely not a materialist or a militarist. But, on the other... More

Francis Thompson and “The Hound of Heaven”

In 1887 there was a great stirring in the office of a London journal. The editor, Wilfrid Meynell, had received a rather shoddy-looking and soiled package that contained within it a number of pieces of paper equally stained and wrinkled. On those pieces of paper was written with pen and pencil some of the most magnificent poetry the editor had ever read in his life, signed by someone he had never heard of. Immediately a search was instituted.... More
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the same day,all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.a 12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. — Genesis 7:11–13

Tribulation and Wrath

Jesus described His second coming by comparing it to the Great Flood in Noah’s day: “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37–39). Now, we... More
The Lord God said, “The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil.a And now, he might reach out his hand, and take alsofrom the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.a He drove the man out, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction,a to guard the way to the tree of life. — Genesis 3:22–24

Captain of a Ship of Fools

How ludicrous and blasphemous to think that the God who, by the authority of His Word, governs creation steps meekly aside as His rebellious creature screams, “I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.” There is a word for the attempt to master my fate. That word is futility. An angel with a flaming sword stands watch over the forbidden entrance to the home from which the man and woman have been evicted... More
Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. — Genesis 15:6

Justification by Faith Alone—Found Throughout the Bible

Many people think they can work their way to heaven. Or they think that the Old Testament teaches salvation by works, while the New Testament teaches salvation by faith. But salvation by faith is actually taught throughout the Scriptures. Paul points out that this is not some novel doctrine he invented, but indeed, it has been the teaching of the religion of Israel since its beginning with Abraham, who was the father of the nation:... More
So Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skilled person, in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, are to do the work according to all that the Lord has commanded. — Exodus 36:1

Art and the Command to Make No Graven Images

In this passage we see that God used skilled artists to create what He specified for them to do. The artistic creations they made were in no way a violation of the command to not make a graven image. God is not to be worshipped by any visible form—picture or painting or idol of any sort, or through men or saints or angels of any kind. In the Book of Revelation we read where John, after kneeling before an angel to worship, was told by... More
— Exodus 7-12

The Ten Plagues Cause the Idols of Egypt to Crumble

In the Book of Exodus we see the great confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. This is the Old Testament counterpart to the confrontation between Christ and Pilate, the representative of the pagan Roman Empire, with Pharaoh being the representative of the pagan empire of Egypt. Here is a classic confrontation between good and evil, Christ and Satan. It is the high point in the Old Testament. It is that point to which the Jews looked for... More
He said, “I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.” — Genesis 3:10

God Confronts His Creatures

God does not play the role of rescuing cavalry. Instead, He confronts His creatures as they try to cast blame on each other and their serpent co-conspirator (Genesis 3:7–13). Adam finds part of the fault in God for making him a very troublesome wife. All the while the pair is cowering behind leaves to cover their nakedness. The blessings of their covenant of life lie broken at their feet. Instead of sympathy, a stiff lecture, and a pat... More
This day shall be a memorial to you, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord. Throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an eternal ordinance. — Exodus 12:14

The Lamb of God

The Passover celebration continued unbroken down through the centuries until Christ our Savior came. When John the Baptist pointed Him out at the beginning of his ministry, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)—not the lamb of a household, but the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of all of the world for all time. Christ was the true Passover that the lambs of old merely... More
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. — Exodus 20:2-3

He (Alone) Is the Lord Our God

It is amazing how much can be revealed by the simplest word—the shortest word in English; only one single letter reveals a vast wealth of knowledge. God says, “I”; “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). Notice what He is teaching us in that. He is teaching us the falsehood of all other religious beliefs. He is teaching us that pantheism is false. He is teaching us that polytheism is false. Polytheism means... More
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. — Genesis 1:1

Genesis: Beginning of Truth

Genesis is the book of beginnings. There is nothing else like it in all the world. It gives us the origin of all things. The first verse of the first chapter of the Bible says this: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Among the many truths we can glean from this verse alone is the understanding that it obliterates most of the erroneous philosophies that have come up during the history of... More
Then he said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please let me have success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham. — Genesis 24:12

A God-Guided Life

Abraham’s servant went to find a wife for Isaac. He relied on God’s guidance to help him do this, and God graciously answered his prayer. Guidance. Do you need it? It is interesting that there are some people who call themselves Christians who don’t seem to think that they do. On the other hand, there are many Christians who are so exercised about it that they are extremely troubled because they don’t know how to... More
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us and will certainly pay us back for all the wrong we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “I beg you, forgive the transgressions of your brothers and their sin. For they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please forgive the transgressions of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face and said, “We are your servants.” Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many lives. So now, do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. — Genesis 50:15–21

God’s Invisible Hand

I am sure that people familiar with history would say, “Well, God didn’t do anything. We never saw any gigantic hand coming down and picking up the Israelite people and plucking them out of the land and scattering them. We never saw a gigantic fist come out of the clouds and smash that temple.” Neither of those things was ever witnessed by anyone, so therefore our modern secularists would conclude that God had nothing to do... More
Then Moses said, "This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to satisfy, for the Lord hears your murmurings which you murmur against Him. And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord." — Exodus 16:8

Watch the Murmuring

The generation of Israelites that Moses led out of Egypt were notorious complainers. They were filled with murmuring. Their complaining spirit was part of the reason God judged them. We can learn from them what not to do on this front. Can you imagine what life would be like if suddenly all murmuring, grumbling, complaining, disputing, arguing, and disputations were removed from our lives, our churches, our homes, and our meetings? What a... More
Obey what I command you this day. Indeed, I am going to drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. — Exodus 33:11

Joshua the Faithful Soldier

Joshua’s name is Hebrew, and it means “the Lord saves.” It is from the Greek word for Joshua that we have the name Jesus, “the Lord saves.” The Japanese have a way of taking what ordinarily are large trees and reducing them into tiny little trees, or bonsai. The way they do that is, first of all, by cutting off the taproot. They then are only able to use the surface roots, the smaller surface roots of the... More
When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” — Genesis 27:34

Esau: The Perils of the Profane

The patriarchs. We all know them well. Let’s see, there were Abraham, Isaac, and Esau… The tragedy is that some of you don’t notice anything wrong with that statement. That’s not quite the way it was. It was Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Precisely. But what happened to Esau? He was the firstborn. There is the law of primogeniture. It says that to the firstborn goes the honor and the title and the double blessing, and... More
Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a pile, and they ate there on the pile. — Genesis 41:36

Preparing for Disasters, if Possible

No one could interpret Pharaoh’s dream—except Joseph, through the help of God. The dream had to do, of course, with the seven fat cows and seven lean cows, which represented, Joseph was informed, seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to store up a fifth of the goods, the food, and the corn of the land during the seven good years for the time of the bad years. Pharaoh appointed Joseph over all of... More
For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” — Genesis 3:5

New Age: The Big Lie

What thoughts are conjured up in your mind when you think of New Age? Enlightenment? Mysticism? Metaphysical knowledge? Our problem is not metaphysical ignorance; our problem is rebellion, sin, and transgression of His holy law, and therefore we are in need of a Redeemer. But God, in infinite love, sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die upon a cross, having had imputed unto Him all of our guilt and transgression and sin. There He shed... More