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Paradise Created
Even people who are not familiar with the Bible have heard of Adam and Eve. Perhaps they have seen Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam or have read John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Many, however, also know that Adam and Eve …Read More
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The Decree of God
Joseph has just revealed his true identity to his astonished brothers. It had been a tearful moment (Gen. 46:2, 14; cf. 42:24; 43:30). He is about to engage in a discourse on predestination and the divine decree …Read More
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Do Not Sin Against the Child
Note the words of the text. “Spake I not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child?” (Gen. 42:22). The essence of sin lies in its being committed against God. When men are fully convinced that they …Read More
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Everything Is Against Me!
It is Jacob’s lowest point. As far as he knows, Joseph is dead. That’s the story his sons have led him to believe, showing him the blood-stained “coat of many colors” (Gen. 37:31–33). He mourned …Read More
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Finding God in the Dark
Four times in Genesis 39 we read that God was with Joseph (39:2–3, 21, 23). The statements form a set of pillars at either end of the story of Joseph’s initial experience of Egypt. On the one …Read More
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A Face-to-Face Encounter
At its core, sin stems from failing to worship (or love) God exclusively and failing to love our neighbors as ourselves. Clearly Jacob and his family are guilty of both. After God calls on Jacob to fulfill his vow …Read More
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Growing Up and Growing Down
“Grow up!” Some of us can recall with a measure of embarrassment being told these words following an incident in which we displayed less than mature behavior. Jacob is growing up, and it has been a long and painful …Read More
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God Remembers
God is sovereign, man is not, and sin distorts our understanding of this truth. God always keeps His promises to His people despite our shortcomings, as we see in Genesis 30. God blessed Jacob even though he was a …Read More
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Worthy of Work
Several years ago, my wife and I agreed to coordinate the Sunday evening children’s classes at our local church for the entire summer. Our church often asked for volunteers to do this or they would have to cancel …Read More
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Snakes and Ladders
Poor Jacob! You have to feel sorry for him even though he’s a most disagreeable character! A “self-willed mother’s boy,” with opportunistic instincts that enabled him to outsmart friends and foes alike in a ruthless bid at …Read More
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Wily Jacob
Sell me your birthright now,” Jacob demanded of his twin brother, Esau (Gen. 25:31). Thus begins the sorry tale of Abraham’s grandson. From the start, Jacob challenges us to dislike him: a self-willed, pampered child with ruthless skills …Read More
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Family Covenant
What if you had an angel involved in the arrangement of your marriage or your children’s marriage, wouldn’t that be amazing? If you’re a believer, you actually do; the “Angel of the Lord” Himself. In Genesis 24 …Read More
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Creation Ex Nihilo
No sentence is more pregnant with meaning than the opening one of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). It tells us several things all at once, four of which are worth …Read More
