Category: Genesis

January 20, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

John 13 begins the telling of the last 24 hours before the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet before the Passover meal, a task normally performed by the lowest servant. During the meal he announced his betrayal, and then he gave the disciples a new commandment “love one another”. He also predicted Simon Peter’s denial.

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 an offspring to his widow. Onan shirked this responsibility, and that was the sin of Onan. Tamar was thus still barren, so she tricked Judah into committing adultery. You can read it for yourself. Judah finally confessed: “She is more righteous than I.”

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

Psalm 7 is a shiggaion, a dithyrambic ode of David. I would love hearing how the music to this Psalm sounded.

January 19, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

John 12:20-50 . Some Greeks came to Jesus and Jesus prophesied about his being “lifted up, and draw all men to himself”, and some believed. Many Jews also believed but kept quiet for fear of being put out of the synagogues.

Genesis 36 records the genealogy of Esau and the rulers of Edom.

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

January 18, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

John 12:1-19 begins the telling of the last week before the Crucifixion. It is important when this happened, so I have inserted a segment on the correct dates for Passover and the Holy week. Jesus was anointed at Bethany, on Sunday and, as prophesied, he rode on an unbroken donkey colt in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Trouble started in Genesis 34. Dinah was violated by an uncircumcised person, 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 started.

Genesis 35. Jacob returned to Bethel, got rid of all the idols and built an altar. Moving on from Bethel, Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, a birth so hard Rachel died in childbirth. The chapter ends with the death of Isaac.

January 16, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

John 11:1-44 describes how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (on the fourth day no less).

In Genesis 29, Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram, fell in love with Rachel, worked seven years to be allowed to marry her, but her father Laban tricked Jacob, so he got Leah instead. Then he worked another “seven years for Rachel”. But it was Leah that gave him his first four children, Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah.

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

Psalm 6 is a prayer, this time from a humble David asking for mercy, but also asking God to humiliate his enemies.

January 15, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

In John 10:22-42 Jesus claimed to be one with his Father. This is of course blasphemy unless it is true, so for that the Jews wanted to stone him.

In Genesis 27 Jacob deceived Isaac to get the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau. Esau got one too, but just the regular blessing, and to avoid more trouble Jacob fled to Laban.

In Genesis 28, Jacob went to Paddan Aram to get a wife. On the way he had a dream, commonly known as “Jacob’s Ladder”. Meanwhile, Esau took yet another wife, the daughter of Ishmael. The promise of Jacob’s dream was that God was to give the land to Jacob’s descendants. Jacob made a vow to God and named the place Bethel.

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.

January 14, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

In John 10:1-21 Jesus told that he is the good shepherd, the gate for the sheep, there will be one flock and one shepherd, and the sheep hear and know his voice.

After Sarah’s death, in Genesis 25 Abraham married his concubine Ketorah, who had already borne him six children. Before his death he sent them all away with ample gifts and provisions but his inheritance he gave to Isaac. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham, and then Ishmael’s genealogy was written down. Finally is told the story of Jacob and Esau, and how Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew and some bread.

Genesis 26 tells of Isaac and Rebekah, how Isaac too said Rebekah was his sister, like father, like son. In spite of that lie God protected them, and the rest of the chapter deals with the eternal Mideast dispute: Water rights.

January 13, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

The three chapters chosen for today are also very interesting.

In John 9 Jesus opened the eyes of a man blind from birth, Since this was done on a Sabbath more trouble arose from the Pharisees. In the arguments that followed the Pharisees tried their best to cancel him and his parents, but the people believed the truth revealed, and Jesus again affirmed his divinity.

In Genesis 23 Abraham’s wife Sarah died and Abraham purchased a grave in Mamre, where he buried her.

Life goes on, and Genesis 24 records the beautiful story of Isaac and Rebekah.

The connection with the Old and New testament is again water. The blind man was told to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man obeyed and the sign was completed. In Genesis the sign to look for was if the damsel would draw water for the camels too. (they are thirty when they haven,t had any water for days).

January 12, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

 John 8 begins with a sinful woman who was about to be stoned for adultery. Jesus last words to her was “Go and sin no more”. Jesus did not condemn her for the past but forgave and pointed to the future. Then he got into an argument with the religious powers about his and their ancestry. They claimed to be descendants of Abraham, and they questioned the legitimacy of Jesus. Jesus answered “Before Abraham, I am”. Jesus claimed to be God. This was of course blasphemy, unless it is true.

Genesis 21 tells about the birth of Isaac and when Ishmael made fun of it, Sarah got angry and Hagar and Ismael were sent away to die in the desert, but God protected them. The chapter also features the treaty between Abraham and Abimelech at Beersheba. This was the first treaty between men in the Bible and it was about water rights.

In  Genesis 22 Abraham was told by God to offer up his son Isaac to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah, the same mountain where Jesus was to be crucified. Obeying God he did what he was told, but at the last moment God provided a substitute sacrifice in the form of a ram.

These three chapters are significant. Read them through twice and ponder their importance: Jesus claiming deity, The birth of the Ishmaelite nation, later becoming the Islamic nations, the importance of water (The Bible begins and ends with water and a healing river in the middle) and Abraham’s faith being severely tested.

January 11, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

Today’s reading is very interesting. In John7:25-53 the people started asking Jesus if he was the Christ. Rather than answering directly Jesus promised “Streams of living water”and more, but they were not ready to understand it yet, and to be honest neither would I if I had been part of the crowd at that time. But the pharisees understood that he was a threat to their world order.

And in Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. There is ample evidence this is a historical true event, the Bible is verified true even here. God provided for Lot, his wife and two daughters to escape.They did, but Lot’s wife looked back towards the city and was no more. After that the strange story about Lot and his two daughters is recorded , and all I can say about that is that it is not good to take matters in your own hands rather than listen to God and let Him guide.

In Genesis 20 Abraham claimed Sarah was his sister. Why? Sarah was his half-sister, so Abraham stretched the truth, also called a lie, or sin. This chapter shows God’s protection even when we do wrong.

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

January 10, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

Today we read about circumcision and its importance; in John 7 and one of the four chapters in Genesis selected for today. But that is just one part of the story.

John 7:1-24. Jesus pointed out that according to Jewish law, circumcision is more important than keeping Sabbath, so, if the eighth day is on a Sabbath, it must be performed on that day, but healing on a Sabbath is not permitted.

In Genesis15 God promised Abram a son. Abram believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

But in Genesis 16 Abram badly wanted an heir, so Sarai, being too old, gave her handmaiden Hagar to be the mother of Abram’s son, Ishmael. Sarai regretted what she had done, and Hagar was sent away with Ishmael into the wilderness.

Thirteen years later, in Genesis 17, Ishmael was back with Abram,  God  promised Abram his seed of promise, changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name became Sarah, established with an eternal covenant, the covenant of Circumcision, and it was performed on Abraham, Ishmael and all Abraham’s male servants.

Which brings us to Genesis 18 with Abraham still waiting for his promised offspring. He was visited by three angels that promised him he will have a son within a year. Sarah heard it and found it laughable, but God confirmed this promise, and was also proclaiming the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham tried to bargain with God at no avail.

The question to ponder: Why is circumcision important for Jews and Muslims, but not for Christians? Hint: read the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 15.