ApprehendingGrace.com

Well, folks, if you’re reading along in our “Resting at the River’s Edge” plan, you just finished Genesis yesterday (or today if you’re running a day late like I am this week). I’m wondering what you thought.

I so appreciate seeing the whole story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob & Joseph, four key men in God’s plan of salvation for the world. That plan was made clear in Genesis 12 when God first called Abraham (whose name was Abram at the time):

Then the Lord told Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed him…
                  Genesis 12:1-4a

God reiterated his promise to Isaac & Jacob, but more importantly, He has fulfilled His promise. We also read in Matthew that:

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
…..
Jesse was the father of King David. [We’ll read about him soon.]
…..
Matthew was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
            Matthew 1:2-16

While there are many lessons throughout the book of Genesis, more than anything I see God’s faithfulness to a people who continually messed up. He remains faithful to the promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham. That promise is kept through the faithfulness of God’s Son Jesus. And it gives me confidence when I mess up (and of course I do, way more than I’d like to admit), that God will be faithful to me, too.

What are your impressions as you look back on the book of Genesis? What is the overriding lesson for you from this “book of beginings?”

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 2:45 pm and is filed under God's Faithfulness, God's ways, Reading through the Bible in a Year. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.