Category: Genesis

Bill Nye once on gender probability, A Limerick.

What makes you a girl or a boy?

As Chromosomes unfurl with joy

its XX or XY

only 2, and that’s why

it’s woman or man, let’s enjoy.

Or, as the French say: Vive la différence! But then again, the French have a fully gendered language. Everything has a gender, male or female, nothing transgender.

We have come a long way. Bill Nye, the “Science Guy” in 2017 showed a skit on Netflix that cannot be reposted here, it is so gross, essentially claiming that anything goes sexually, and anything is “morally” equivalent. (By objecting to it, I guess it makes me a homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, omniphobic hater.) Or, maybe I am like the Bill Nye of the 1990’s, here using a girl to explain probability.

From this we learn that the Bible is right:

Genesis 1:27, KJV  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

This is not hate, it is God-given biological truth.

January 24, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

January 24: Psalm 5, Psalm 6, Genesis 49, Genesis 50 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 5 is a prayer extolling the joy of praising God and praying towards Jerusalem, but is also an urgent prayer to do away with and destroy all wickedness and wicked people.

Psalm 6 is likewise a prayer, this time of a humble David asking for mercy, but also to destroy David’s enemies.

In Genesis 49 Jacob blesses all his sons with a very different blessing for each of them

And finally in Genesis 50 Jacob is buried back in Canaan near Mamre where Sarah also was buried. Joseph forgave his brothers; “Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good”. Finally even Joseph dies, and he wills that his bones will be carried out when they depart  and enter into the promised land.

 

January 23, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are five chapters.

January 23: Psalm 3, Psalm 4, Genesis 47, Genesis 48, Proverbs 1 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Since there are less than 365 chapters in the New Testament, there will be filling in days with Psalms and Proverbs.

Psalm 3 is a Psalm of David from when he fled from his son Absalom.

Psalm 4 is David’s appeal to righteousness, and the blessings that follow.

Genesis 47 tells of how Jacob and his descendants settled in Goshen, about the continuing famine, and how Joseph, controlling the food supply enslaved the people. All power corrupt,…

Genesis 48 tells of how Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh. He blessed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the older of Joseph’s sons.

Finally there is Proverbs 1. It extols the virtue of wisdom. Read it and apply it.

 

 

January 22, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

January 22: John 21, Genesis 44, Genesis 45, Genesis 46 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 1 tells of the eighth miracle of Jesus. This miracle of a great catch of fish happened after Jesus resurrection and was a sign of new beginnings. Jesus reinstates Peter and tells him to feed his sheep.

Genesis 44 tells how Joseph tested his brothers by having Joseph’s own silver cup placed in Benjamin’s sack as the brothers returned back to Canaan. They all passed the test and returned to Joseph to await his judgment.

In Genesis 45 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and all rejoice. It contains the phrase “But God” and shows clearly that God was in control all the time.

In genesis 46 Jacob joins his brothers in going to resettle in Egypt, and is a retelling of the names of all that went

January 21, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

January 21: John 20, Genesis 42, Genesis 43 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 20 deals with the resurrection, and Jesus is not there, only his grave clothes. It is now first day of the week and Jesus shows himself for most of the disciples, but not Thomas. He doubted their testimony, and it is from this we have the expression “Doubting Thomas.” Later, when even he saw Jesus, he bowed down and worshiped him saying “Mu Lord, and my God”. Jesus also gives the promise of the Holy Spirit.

In Genesis 42 there is famine in Canaan, as seems to happen quite regularly, so Joseph’s brothers go down to Egypt to buy food. They meet Joseph, now governor of Egypt, and he demands to see Benjamin, who was left behind with Jacob. They agree to do so and leave one of the brothers behind as collateral. Joseph was very distraught at the proposition, since Joseph and Benjamin were his favorite children.

But in Genesis 43 the famine continued, so they had to go back to Egypt for more. This time they had to bring Benjamin with them to keep their promise to Joseph. Joseph gives them all food from his table, and he gives a five times larger portion to Benjamin. So ends that chapter.

January 19, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

January 19: John 18, Genesis 40, Genesis 41 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 18 deals with the last 24 hours, the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus arrest, Jesus before Annas, Peter’s first denial, Jesus before Caiaphas, Peter’s second and third denial, the cock crowing, Jesus before Pilate, sent to Herod, back to Pilate, Pilate offers to release Jesus or Barabbas, the people demands that Barabbas be released and Jesus Crucified.

Genesis 40 deals with dreams. Joseph’s two fellow cellmates in prison each have a dream, Joseph interprets the dreams that the cup-bearer will be released and restored to his former position, while the other, the baker will be hanged on a tree.

In Genesis 41 Pharaoh himself has a dream, and Joseph is taken out of prison to interpret the dream. It deals with seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Joseph does it so well, that Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of all affairs of Egypt. The seven years of plenty comes and fills the storehouses. Then comes the seven years of famine.

January 18, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

January 18: John 17, Genesis 37, Genesis 38, Genesis 39 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 18 is commonly called Jesus’ high priestly prayer. In some conservative circles it is also called “The Lord’s prayer.” In it Jesus prays for himself, then he prays for his disciples, and then he prays for all future believers. In the end of the chapter he prays that the believers will see his glory, the glory God gave him before the creation of the world.

Genesis 37 tells of Joseph’s dreams, outrageous as they were they made his brothers jealous, so they sold him into slavery to Potiphar in Egypt.

Genesis 38 tells  the story of Judah and Tamar. one of the rules of the Old Testament is that if a man dies without producing an heir, it was the duty of his brother to try to produce and offspring to his widow. Onan shirked this responsibility, and that was the sin of Onan. Tamar is thus still barren, so she tricks Judah. You can read it for yourself. Judah finally confesses: She is more righteous than I.

Genesis 39 then picks up the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. This is a classic, and for doing the right thing he is falsely accused, and thrown in jail.

 

January 17, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

January 17: John 16, Genesis 35, Genesis 36 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In John 20 Jesus continues his instructions to his disciples, beginning with explaining how it is good he leaves and sends the Holy Spirit. He ends with this encouragement: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Genesis 35 tells of the birth of Benjamin and Rachel’s death. Finally it tells of the death of Isaac.

Genesis 36 tells the Genealogy of Esau.

January 16, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

January 16: John 15, Genesis 32, Genesis 33, Genesis 34 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In John 15 Jesus continues his instruction to the disciples. There are many memorable quotes from thus chapter: “I am the true vine, I am the vine, you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing, as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, love each other as I have loved you, greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends, this is my command: Love each other” and “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

In Genesis 32 Jacob, schemer as the was, prepares to meet Esau. He figures Esau wants to kill him, so he splits his company in two, and gives instructions to his messengers on what to say to make Esau less vindictive. Then the whole Jacob family crosses the Ford of Jabbok. On the other side they camp for the night, and Jacob wrestles with an angel of God and prevails, but got a limp in his hip. God then gives Jacob a new, spiritual name, Israel.

In Genesis 33 Jacob finally meets up with Esau, and it turns out that Esau is rejoicing to see Jacob and all his children.

Trouble starts in Genesis 34. Dinah is violated by an uncircumcised, two of her brothers executed revenge on not only the violator but every male in the whole town, killing them all. Jacob said: “You have troubled me to make me a stink among the inhabitants of the land.” And so trouble starts.

 

 

 

January 15, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

January 15: John 14, Genesis 30, Genesis 31 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In John 14 we are in the last hour after the Passover meal but before they depart to Gethsemane. Jesus tells them he is going away to prepare a mansion, more precisely a dwelling place for them. Since he is leaving he is going to send another comforter or advocate. (I have put in a short explanation on the difference in the interpretation of this passage between Christianity and Islam). Jesus then explains clearly he is going away and will send the Holy Spirit in his place.

Genesis 30 tells of the remaining children of Jacob (except Benjamin, who will be born later). It also has a story about Rachel, desperate to get a child of her own is bargaining with Leah for Reuben’s mandrakes. After Joseph was born, Jacob wants to leave and go back to the promised land, but Laban bargains with him to stay and make them even more prosperous. Through selective breeding Jacob acquires the majority of the flocks.

This displeases Laban’s sons, so in Genesis 31 Jacob flees from Laban. However, as they depart Rachel steals the Idols from Laban as they leave. Laban finds out, pursues Jacob and catches up with him. Laban looks for the idols at no avail. Rachel has hid them under the saddle of her camel and sits on it claiming she has her period. Finally Laban says farewell to all and he and Joseph establishes the Mizpah.