QT 7/24/2025 Gen 4:8-16, Fighting the flesh

Genesis 4:8–16 (ESV) —

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

 

NOTE: It seems that the sin of bitterness or wanting what another has, ran deep in Cain. Not only does he kill his brother in the context of wanting a chat, but he then lies to God. His concept of God, for being a first generation believer is very weak (to believe he could lie to God). God had warned him earlier about his sin, therefore he should have known that God could see through him. And then he complains that his punishment is too great, what did he think his sin was? After the flood, God allows capital punishment when it is administered by a group. Cain complains that he might get killed (but he is allowed to kill!?). Cain's work in the ground is taken to a new level of frustration -- not only does he experience the frustration of weeds (Adam's punishment), but the yield is less than it could be for the rest of his life. He is marked man, and I am not surprised that he moves away from his family.

 

It is hard to say when this happened. Since the descendants of Adam lived long, 800-900 years, this could have happened at any time, even 300-500 years after the fall. God allowed Eve to be very fruitful and since the DNA had not been compromised by the environment yet, intermarriage did not cause certain birth defects or blood diseases. There could have been a fairly large population by the time of the event.

 

The bible does give some insight on this event:

Hebrews 11:4 (ESV) — 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

1 John 3:12 (ESV) — 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Jude 11 (ESV) — 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Abel was commended as righteous. Cain was evil, his deeds were evil, and he, like Balaam, was out for personal gain.

 

While hopefully none of us would ever consider murder, we are like Cain. We get bent out of shape when things don't go our way. We covet riches and gain. But we, Christians that is, also seek good and contentment because we know it is better for our soul. There is a battle going on within us between our flesh and the Spirit. The more we feed the Spirit, the better we do in living a righteous life. What does the Holy Spirit desire?

Colossians 3:16–17 (ESV) — 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We need to feed on God's word if we want to transform our mind.

 

PONDER:

1. How much time do I spend in God's word?
2. Do I meet with God in word and prayer each day?

 

PRAYER: Father, you alone have the power to transform us. Someday, we will be like you-although how I do not know. We will not have our sinful flesh to tempt us to sin. We will be free from temptation. But for now, we struggle against the flesh. Protect us from the evil one and his schemes. Use us for good in our area of influence.

QT 7/23/2025 Gen 4:1–7, Pride has no place in worship

Genesis 4:1–7 (ESV) —

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

 

NOTE: This begins the line of Cain, and pride dominates this lineage. Cain continues his Father Adam's occupation, while Abel is the first working with domesticated animals. Abel's job does not contradict God's command since we are to care for the creation. It is not clear why God does not regard Cain's offering. But there is something going on by God's instructions to Cain.

 

Genesis 4:7 (ESV) — If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

 

So what was Cain doing? In the case of Abel, the text is clear that Abel gave his firstborn of his flock.  As for Cain, the text only says that he brought an offering of fruit of the ground. Why does it not say the first fruits, unless it was not? By offering first fruits and firstborn, we declare our trust in God to provide afterwards. Being a man who has struggled with pride himself, I can see Cain calculating his needs and offering what he could afford versus what he should. I have worked hard to give more to combat that desire. Sometimes, for the prideful, their intellect gets in the way of their worship. And we need to let go of "calculations" and "questions" when it comes to worship; this is the place where a little bit of emotion is a good thing. For a logic guy, like myself, it may not be easy to say but I know that it is true.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I give based on what I can give or what I know I should give?
2. And when I say "should give," I do not mean tithe -- I mean,

 

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (ESV) — 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 

How am I doing?

 

PRAYER: Father, I don't like to think of myself as a type of Cain, although I may be related. Forgive me for my pride. Forgive me for calculating everything. Thank you for developing emotion in my life so that I can truly worship you. Help me to "do well" and to lead others well.

QT 7/22/2025 Gen 3:20–24, Learning from failures

Genesis 3:20–24 (ESV) —

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

 

NOTE: The information is sparse, but it seems Adam has learned and is now taking leadership again. He continues his previous prerogative of naming, and gives Eve a name that represents his belief in her and God's word that she would give life to all that would ever live. He depends upon her as she also willingly depends upon him. The clothing is a reminder that they can never walk in innocence again because of their sin.

 

Of note, is that while God "made" the world in the first six "yom's," he now makes something else, a garment from animal skin. It is not said, but I assume there was a sacrifice of the animal to produce this covering (a mild reference to tabernacle). Later we will see Abel bringing forth an offering from his flock, so we can assume the practice started in the garden.

 

The garden is closed off, lest man eat of the tree of life and live forever (that was the original plan). There is something about the tree of life that was designed to rejuvenate our cells such that we would not age. I believe the earth was also protected by a heavier water vapor atmosphere than today, reducing the destructive effect of x-rays from space. Consequently, we see the early generations living to almost 1000 years. As sin increased in the world, life spans decreased, and after the flood (a true climate changing event), the decrease is dramatic.

 

Adam made mistakes but he learned from his failures and his sin. Sometimes, as men, we get off track, and when we do, we must not quit or say "well, that's the way I am." We have to pick ourselves up and go back to doing what we should be doing. We (men) are supposed to be leading our families spiritually and providing for them physically -- how are we doing?

 

PONDER:

1. How am I (a man) doing as a spiritual leader for the family? What do I need to do to get back on track?
2. If I am a woman, how am I doing supporting my husband in his role as spiritual leader of the family?

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you that Jesus, through his death on the cross for sin, has restored some of the privileges that Adam enjoyed. We still await our new body, the millennial kingdom where you rule on earth, and access to the tree of life. But the process has started and your promises always come true.

QT 7/21/2025 Gen 3:14–19, Consequences of being our own gods

Genesis 3:14–19 (ESV) —

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,

but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

 

NOTE: A lot happens in this passage. Instead of a beautiful eternal existence on a lovely planet with relationships and purpose and meaningful work, everything changes. God starts with the serpent and proceeds in chiastic fashion back to man. The serpent is the only one who does not speak at all in this sequence.

 

Kenneth Matthews argues that the penalty for the serpent is humiliation and ultimate defeat by the women's offspring. For the women, the penalty is painful labor in childbirth (although I would add child rearing -- the pain (emotional and psychological) really never ends), and the ultimate defeat in her conflict with her husband. Finally for the man, the penalty is painful labor in his agriculture (I would argue frustration with work which was supposed to bring purpose and meaning), and his defeat is with the ground (he dies and returns to the earth as dust, as does all mankind).

 

One thing that hits me is how wonderful life was originally planned -- meaningful work, enjoyable relationships, and no death. If we are upset about the pain in life, the problem is not God (or an argument against his existence), but it was our rebellion. We wanted to be our own gods, and God let us choose the path with its consequences: pain, frustration, and death.

 

PONDER:

Am I still in rebellion with God? Or have I taken the first step in restoring the relationship by faith in Jesus?

 

PRAYER: Father, life is painful and that was our choice, not yours. I so look forward to the day when I will have a resurrected body like Jesus. But for now, as the story in Luke 19 teaches, I have been given a 'minas' just like everyone else who has believed in Jesus, and I need to use my 'minas' for the good and glory of the kingdom.

QT 7/18/2025 Gen 3:8-13, Failures versus sin

Genesis 3:8–13 (ESV) —

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 

NOTE: I don't know where I heard this, maybe I made it up, but I have a saying, "When God asks a question, it is not because he needs information." Why is it that God asks questions that he already knows the answer? And why does God have Moses record these obvious questions and answers. I think it was very important for both Adam and Eve to hear the questions and for each to speak aloud. I don't think they understood the significance of the question until much later, such as, why did God ask me where I am? It is interesting question. They are hiding from their creator because …. They would then realize that their actions had separated them from God. They were hiding from God, God was not hiding from them. Even the sound of the good and gracious God scared them. Why? Because they had disobeyed God, and they certainly remembered the warning, "you would die." They did die that day spiritually. The physical body also started to die without access to the tree of life.

 

Man was guilty. He knew God's command. That is why God addresses him first. The woman was deceived by the serpent. She knew something of God's command from Adam, but she was still fooled.

 

The sin was the breaking of God's command regarding the fruit. But there were also failures. Adam had a series of failures, his rewording of the command, his failure to intervene, and his failure to correct the serpent. One can fail without sinning. But failure can create situations where sin is helped along. A failure to challenge someone who appears to be heading in the wrong direction, while difficult could be deadly to the individual.

 

PONDER:

1. Where do I fail in my role as a father, husband, and spiritual mentor to men?
2. What can I do to be more upfront and honest in my interactions with people?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see the balance between challenging someone and dealing with people gently. Help me to challenge gently but honestly. Help me to see the situations where I need to say something.

QT 7/17/2025 Gen 3:1–7, How life got so screwed up

Genesis 3:1–7 (ESV) —

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

 

NOTE: This single passage is so informative of the problem of mankind. Our first problem is that we have a REAL enemy who questions God's word. He does it in an "intelligent" manner, like he is a person of great wisdom: "Did God ACTUALLY say …." The question is intended to make you analyze God's word, almost looking for a flaw. The question is also a "you got to be kidding"-question, where it is made to seem ridiculous. That is how the enemy and the world frames their questions against Christianity: "you have to be kidding" or "it can't really mean that."

 

What makes this first attack worse is that Adam creates the world's first religion when he attaches words to God's word. God told Adam (not Eve, at least in the text) that he would die upon eating the fruit. Adam, apparently tells Eve, that she would die for even touching the fruit. That gives the enemy a toehold. The enemy, who speaks lies quite naturally, can actually be honest when he tells Eve she wouldn't die -- which is true, touching would not kill you. There is a huge step from touching something to biting into something, When she did touch the fruit (which is not as hard as biting it) and not die, she ended up proving Satan right and casting doubt on God's word.

 

The next verses are summarized in 1 John 2:15-16 as the three main categories of sin, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. She saw the fruit was good (the flesh would enjoy it). She saw the fruit as a delight to the eyes (it looks nice to the eyes). And she saw the fruit as making her wise (the pride of life). What she didn't realize was that by knowing good and evil, she would replace God by choosing for herself what was right and wrong (a basic tenet in our fallen world). By default she made herself to be her god. She gave up the Lordship of God to be her own god.

 

Not to leave Adam out of this, but verse 6 implies that Adam was there the whole time, but said nothing, the woman did all the talking. Adam's second failure was as a leader and a protector of his wife. He did not intervene. He did not correct the serpent. He did not take over. He just followed the woman's lead, and then in the next passage he will have the audacity to blame the woman and God ("… the woman whom you gave …").

 

In conclusion, the man and woman experience shame, the natural result of sin. Again, today's worldview wants us to throw off shame and guilt, and free us of the natural result that God created when we sin. The couple also tried to cover themselves (clothes) as well as hide themselves in the trees. When we sin, we naturally try to hide because of shame.

 

PONDER:

1. Is there a sin I try to hide? Do I experience shame?
2. Do I play games with God's word, doubting where he really said something, when the text is very obvious? The latter is especially true today in cases of adultery, sexual immorality, and homosexuality. We try to justify what God as clearly said with "did God really say …"

 

PRAYER: Father, this is our problem. This explains our actions. We do everything Adam and Eve did. Forgive us. Open our eyes to your truth, and help us to see the lies of this world's so-called truth. Pilate's question, "what is truth?" summarizes everything in life today. Truth is found in your word. The question can be answered if we go to the right source.

QT 7/16/2025 Gen 2:18–25, Saving your marriage

Genesis 2:18–25 (ESV) —

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

 

NOTE: This is another reason that I believe the days of creation represent ages. I just don't believe that man could understand aloneness in one day. Men are notorious at giving themselves to work. Caring for the garden and classifying animals would have consumed him for some time. And at some point he would realize that while all of the creation has a "pair," he did not.

 

In finding man a wife, God puts man in a deep sleep. I suppose this is the first arranged marriage. Of course, God does all the work in the creation and selection of Eve. Man speaks out loud for the first time in this passage, and we know that God would meet and speak with man in the garden. But the next person recorded to speak is the serpent, followed by the woman.

 

There is a lot of truth in this passage. A marriage is defined as a man and woman. Only a man and a woman can become one flesh. The man must leave his father and mother, and hold fast to his wife to make the marriage work. Not all men do this well. The man needs to communicate that the wife takes priority even over his family of birth.

 

PONDER:

1. It is good to stay in contact with your birth family (and to honor and respect), but for a man, he must be careful that he does not overdo his contact, especially with his mom or else he will hurt his wife. How am I doing?
2. A man needs to make his wife his new priority in life. Even when children come, both need to make their relationship the priority or they will destroy it over time. How am I doing at putting my wife first, even over our children?

 

PRAYER: Father, these truths are old but absolutely foundational for building a family. The husband and wife must become one flesh. The world does all it can to tear this bond apart and redefine it. Sin seeks to destroy that which is good and beautiful. Please help us to see our failures before we destroy our marriages.

QT 7/15/2025 Gen 2:10–17, Life was created with meaning and purpose -- the original heaven

Genesis 2:10–17 (ESV) —

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

 

NOTE: Some of the rivers are known and some of the land masses are known. They do not line up completely with today's geography. That would suggest that the areas parted to some degree during the flood. It quite possible that during creation the land (crust) floated on a cushion of water that surrounded the mantle. The climate was mild due to the heavy water cushion in the air as well. The flood changed everything creating climate extremes as well as many areas where the crust directly interacted with the mantle, causing volcanoes and tsunamis today. The climate extremes are the cause of weather that probably didn't exist in the creation days like it does today.

 

The planet was different and so was work. God provided a pristine and beautiful garden. Man's job, to care for the garden, was enjoyable and purposeful. There were no weeds, work was not frustrating. There was one command (given to the man -- vs 1, and probably later passed on to the woman), a sort of test I guess, do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Otherwise, what we call sin today, did not captivate the senses. It was not even noticed. We were, in a sense, oblivious to evil. And we had eternal life from the get-go. This was heaven, beauty, purpose, abundance, and eternity. In the next passage, God adds sex and relationships to this perfect heaven.

 

PONDER:

1. If this was God's original idea for man eternally, why do some say that heaven will be boring?
2. Life had meaningful purpose. Why does God mention the gold and gems in the hills if not for the expectation of mining and creating?

 

PRAYER: Lord, earth while still beautiful in many parts today was glorious at creation. I know you will restore its beauty in the future. I look forward to your new creation and the purposeful lives you have planned in eternity.

QT 7/14/2025 Gen 2:4–9, Mind renewal is required for contentment

Genesis 2:4–9 (ESV) —

4 These are the generations

of the heavens and the earth when they were created,

in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

 

NOTE: So, I don't want to start any controversies, because I am perfectly fine with six 24-hour days. But this is the sixth day (or age) when God creates man. In this day, bushes and small plants had not sprung up. This would support the overlapping ages theory, where the third age has not finished yet and overlaps with four through six. Another theory suggests the first six days are divided into two similar triplets where the third day is like the sixth day. So if God created man on the sixth day, it would be harden to take care of the plants that are just starting to appear. But he could be working the ground in the garden, since it says that God planted a garden. Also God makes the trees spring up, which either occurs miraculously fully formed or their some time involved. The Hebrew word for spring up (vs 9), tsamach, means to sprout or grow, it does not mean "appear" or fully formed. So once again, the idea of a God-directed creation and an old earth does has support in the scriptures.

 

It is notable that all of the trees were pleasant to the sight and good for food. Later, as Eve moves to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the comment is made that Eve saw the fruit as good for food and a delight for the eyes (3:5-6) (with the additional temptation to be like God). So, Eve cannot argue that the forbidden tree was the only tree that was pleasant to the sight or good for food. God had provided good and pleasing food in many other trees.

 

So what does it all mean? Neglecting the fact that Eve did not have a sin nature when she fell, I think we all struggle (in our sin nature) with a couple of issues, contentment and thinking the grass is greener on the other side. Both issues are similar and yet different. The first causes us to forget to be thankful for all that God provides. The second issue causes us to covet things others have or experience. God provided a wonderful garden. What has God provided in our life that we have not thanked him?

 

PONDER:

1. Do I struggle with contentment? Maybe I need to watch Pollyanna to learn how to be thankful
2. Do I struggle with coveting other's things? Again, do I need to spend time in prayer thanking God for the good things I do have?

 

PRAYER: Father, there is no easy answer to the struggle of contentment and coveting. It requires an attitude change and a different way of thinking. Help us to search your word daily and allow it change our mind. Only the cleansing of the mind through the word of God can change us internally.

QT 7/11/2025 Gen 2:1–3, Rest is a good thing

Genesis 2:1–3 (ESV) —

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

 

NOTE: The seventh day, which has a number and the Hebrew word yohm, does not include the phrase, 'there was evening and there was morning,' suggesting the day has not ended and is not 24 hours like the other days (if you accept the argument that yohm combined with a number must be 24 hours -- I'm not convinced that it has to be). Leaving aside the "how" questions which are not as important as the "so what" question, God sets a pattern of rest, as an example to man. He does not command it although it will be commanded (a couple thousand years later) in the OT law. We do see observances of rest in the OT prior to the law. It is not mentioned in the NT as a command, although the principle is argued in Hebrews but with a different meaning. In the NT, we celebrate the first day of the week, the day of new beginnings for a Christian, Jesus' resurrection.

 

I've seen Christians take this to wildly different extremes. Some make a big deal because it is mentioned pre-law (although not as a command). Some believe that because it is one of the ten commandments, it is required. I reject all the required or 'command' theories. But I do think it is a good idea. Jesus taught the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath (effectively nixing the "command" idea). God rested as an example. I doubt God needed rest or tired himself out from creation, so it would appear to be an example for us. Some try to spiritualize it too much, but it was about rest (meaning physical). Having said that, combining physical rest with spiritual communion with God is probably the best type of rest.

 

PONDER:

1. How do I rest? When do I rest?
2. Do I take a day to chill, or am I always on the go? Rest is a good thing

 

PRAYER: Father, rest is a good thing, but in the busyness of life it gets forgotten. This is another area where the enemy has twisted the first few chapters to Genesis. The enemy wants us to remain in a frantic state of work or doing things, never stopping to enjoy or appreciate his creation. I pray we would take time to slow down and decompress and hear you speak.

QT 7/10/2025 Gen 1:27–31, Foundational truths

Genesis 1:27–31 (ESV) —

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

 

NOTE: I read somewhere that "created" occurs three times in verse 27. I hadn't noticed that at first. In the previous verse, the pronouns were plural (us, our), but here the pronouns are singular (he), as well as the verb (created is singular in the Hebrew) but repeated three times. So, in the previous verse, God says "let us" and in verse 27, each of the members of the trinity create man. That might be a stretch in terms of an argument of the trinity, but it is interesting.

 

Also, we see that man is a vegetarian at the beginning of creation. Later, God allows man to eat meat. In fact, certain festivals incorporate eating meat. What do we learn from these changes? Some things can change because they don't have moral implications. Others are central to the issue of morality (like sex, marriage, the concept of creation, etc). Eating meat or not eating meat is not a moral issue. Later, the types of meat one could eat were part of the conditions of the covenant, and so became moral because they were used to set Israel apart (holy) from the others nations, and make a distinction that other nations might see. When that old covenant was nailed to the cross (as Colossians discusses), the type of meat was no longer a part of the covenant between man and God. The old covenant was replaced by a new covenant. The key is to note the critical moral issues laid out in Genesis.

 

PONDER:

The world no longer restricts marriage to a man and woman. The world suggests multiple sexes beyond male and female. The world does not accept that we are or were created by God. But, what do I believe, the world or God?

 

PRAYER: Father, I do pray for a return to the foundational principles of life that are found in Genesis. Help us to see our own sin and recognize your word as truth. Help us to repent and turn to you for real life.

QT 7/9/2025 Gen 1:24–26, Created for community

Genesis 1:24–26 (ESV) —

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

 

NOTE: It is interesting that all of the rest of creation comes from the heavens, the earth and the waters, but in the case of man, it is only directly from God. There is no other intermediary mentioned in his creation. And man alone is made in "our image" and "our likeness." Now I understand that the word for God is plural, and many have argued it has to do with his majesty. But the usage of "our" is also clearly plural, and I believe it is a reference to the trinity. I think it also gives us some insight into "image" and "likeness." I think there is much that can be said about those two words and what they mean in our creation, but the one that stands out to me is the relational aspect of God. Yes, God is one but he is also three, and as such, God by definition is relational. God is the first definition of community, Father, Son, and Spirit. We are created to be relational and to live in community, and there is great danger when we move from community into isolation (television church as one example).

 

The enemy attacks all aspects of the first few chapters of this book, both directly (male and female for instance), but also indirectly. Our emphasis on technology makes us less relational, despite our long list of "friends" in Facebook. Relationships can occur over a distance, but the best relationships occur in close proximity. Seeing and hearing the person is better than just hearing (a phone call), and hearing is better than just text.

 

Technology has been a boon to many things but spiritually it has brought much hurt as well (pornography, tendency to isolate in a cocoon of screens, and isolation from humans).

 

PONDER:

1. Have I withdrawn from community and church through the use of technology?
2. Do I have close relationships where I actually see, even touch, another person on a regular basis?

 

PRAYER: Father, the traps and false teaching of the evil one are everywhere. It is so easy to get caught up in seemingly good things that are not good for our soul. Help us get back to the basics, how we were created, such as relationships and community. Speak to our hearts and open our eyes.

QT 7/8/2025 Gen 1:20–23, God's creation means that his manual is necessary

Genesis 1:20–23 (ESV) —

20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

 

NOTE: The phrase "according to their kinds" would correlate to a comment by John Stott where he proposed a God-directed evolutionary process used for creation. There are a number of prominent Christians who are not opposed to the idea. Again, the point is that God created life, not how he created life. The only aspect of a God-directed evolution that appeals to me is that it solves a major problem with random evolution in that there is really not enough time in the universe to randomly create even the simplest cell, let alone a creature. Survival of the fittest and adaption fail to shorten the time or increase the mathematical probabilities. On the other hand, an intelligently directed evolution does resolve most problems with evolution.

 

But the point of Genesis is not to solve scientific questions but to help us to understand God and ourselves. He created us. He blessed us (as we see with the birds and the sea creatures). He created all things for us to enjoy. And he established the basic rules that will give us joy if we follow. Unfortunately, almost every rule in the first few chapters of Genesis is actively broken and disavowed today. And we wonder why life is so painful and unfulfilling.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I believe the culture and worldview today know what is best for my life or am I willing to believe that God, my creator, knows what is best?
2. Have I rejected the view that God created (however he did it)? Creation is the foundation we stand upon (literally)

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray in this day that people would return back to the foundations of our faith which are found in Genesis. I pray for people to slow down and think of life, real life. I pray that people would seek you in this day of anger, political strife, and emotional upheaval. Open our eyes Lord, we want to see you.

QT 7/7/2025 Gen 1:14-19, Life has meaning

Genesis 1:14–19 (ESV) —

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

 

NOTE: On the first day, God created light. I think verse two is key to understanding the apparent discrepancy with verse four. In verse two, God says that the Spirit hovered over the face of the waters. I believe that is the perspective of creation: on earth, hovering over the waters. In that case, with a heavy atmosphere, God thinned the atmosphere enough that light breaks through (day one). This process continues up to and after day four as the atmosphere has thinned to the point where the sun, moon, and stars are visible. I believe this humid, thicker atmosphere allowed the earth to exist in a temperate climate with little radiation, and no rain, until the time of the flood. Later in Genesis, we see decreasing lifespans, suggesting an increase in harmful radiation was coming through the atmosphere. After the flood, the difference is even more dramatic, with lifespans decreasing from 1000 years (without the tree of life) ultimately down to 120 years as the maximum.

 

There is another view that the creation story is set in triplets where the first 3 days are repeated with additional details in the second three days. I suppose that is also possible. Once again, the point is not how it was done but that we recognize God as our creator -- a key point throughout the whole bible and a linchpin of our faith.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I recognize God as my creator?
2. Or do I think I am an accident of random events with no true purpose or meaning to life?

 

PRAYER: Father, you created life with purpose and with meaning. Sin has ruined your creation and the earth groans, under the weight of our sins, looking forward to the day when you will rule. There have been terrible events in the last few days. They do not tell us that you don't care; rather they remind us that we didn't care to worship you as our God but instead chose to be our own gods.

QT 7/4/2025 Gen 1:6-13, It was a GOOD creation

Genesis 1:6–13 (ESV) —

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

 

NOTE: The Hebrew word for day is yowm. The word is usually translated 'day,' but can be translated as 'age' or a longer period of time as in Gen 2:4. There is an argument that when there is a number directly associated with the word it means 24 hours. I don't deny anything written in Genesis 1 could be accomplished by an infinite God in a 24-hour period or even one second. But I do think the argument of a number before yowm means 24 hours is a self-licking ice cream cone since it is based on Genesis chapter one, and this chapter alone.

 

But, it really isn't important how God did it. Jesus created a very good wine out of water in less than an hour, so time is not really an issue for God. Again, the key facts, however it was accomplished, is that God created and at the time, the creation was good. These facts will become more important as we get to the fall and answer the atheist's question of why God doesn't intervene in preventing suffering and calamities.

 

PONDER:

1. When was the last time I acknowledge God as the creator?
2. When was the last time I thanked him for his "good" creation?

 

PRAYER: Father, I know the creation today is not as you created it in the garden. It is marred. Paul says that the creation groans because of the weight of our sin. We have ruined your good creation. But, the good and the beautiful still shine through, and I thank you for it. I thank you that you wanted us to enjoy your beautiful creation.

QT 7/3/2025 Gen 1:1–5, Key point is that God is our creator

Genesis 1:1–5 (ESV) —

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

 

NOTE: There is so much that can be said about these few verses. And maybe I will comment in the days ahead. But for now, let me just pick out one thought. The phrase "let there be" is translated fiat in the Latin and means an authoritative order or decree. We can disagree on the how the order was accomplished (to some extent) but we cannot disagree on the authority's (God's) purpose to create. He is the creator by fiat, by order and decree. When he says "Let there be … ," there is no one who can countermand or change his command. There was nothing random in our creation, God commanded it and so God is our creator, leaving aside any issues of how. And this is REALLY important, because the first step in our descent into sin is refusal to acknowledge this point -- God is the creator!

 

Romans 1:19–22, 24-25 (ESV) — 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  … 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

 

Genesis is an interesting book. It is not myth, but true stories. And if you dig deep, you will see that all of the issues that we struggle with today are because we went away from God's commands in the first few chapters of Genesis. Satan has been chipping away at the foundation from the beginning and we are begetting the effects.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I understand the importance of recognizing God as my creator?
2. Do I believe I am here by chance or happenstance, and that there is no purpose of my life? Then I am deluded by the great enemy of God

 

PRAYER: Father, it seems like such a minor point to some but it is not. You are the creator -- we have to acknowledge that key point or everything else will unravel. Open our eyes to truth. It is there, even in the science we pretend to worship.

QT 7/2/2025 2 Cor 13:11–14, Final advice to the church

2 Corinthians 13:11–14 (ESV) —

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

 

NOTE: As Paul finishes his letter, he gives some good advice to the church and leaders. Before we tackle any issue or set of issues, we need to rejoice and focus on the positive things that God has been doing. Having done that, we then work to restoration of relationships with others and with God. Following that or in concert, we comfort others, especially those that have been rebuked.

 

We need to agree together as a body. I see this as one of the biggest struggles in a church -- people don’t agree about the silliest things that really don't amount to a hill of beans. Who cares if they don't do it the way you want it done? Does it really matter? Why are you making such an issue? Is it so hard to eat your  pride and agree? I have noticed over the years that the mature in Christ are agreeable, and the immature in Christ want to argue over everything.

 

The goal is to live in peace with one another. It really is not that hard if we would just let go of having things our way.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I immediately get angry about decisions I don't like?
2. Do I stop and pray and ask God for his wisdom when I hear of a decision I might disagree with?
3. Do I ask good questions of myself, like, what difference does it really make? Or, is it a biblical "fall on the sword" issue or just a different way of doing things?

 

PRAYER: Father, there will be a lot of issues the body will face in the months and years ahead. I pray for a spirit of peace and agreement in the body. I pray for spiritual maturity. I pray for humility and the love of Christ to overshadow any disagreements.

QT 7/1/2025 2 Cor 13:5–10, Living the faith

2 Corinthians 13:5–10 (ESV) —

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

 

NOTE: The challenge that Paul gives, is not about whether you are a Christian or not. He has affirmed that quite often in the letter. Garland (1999) says it best “To see whether you are in the faith” may also be translated “to see whether you are holding the faith.” The issue is not salvation but obedience to Christ. We can be believers and live outside the  commands of Christ. Usually this is a result of a lack of fellowship with Christ. Many "Christians" (let's assume they are Christians) go to church, serve in the church, but never read their bible on their own. They don't have a daily devotional time of prayer and listening to the Lord. And so, their lives are stuck in sins that they may not even realize: gossip, envy, white lies, etc. The danger of this Christian lifestyle is that is does the Lord no good, and would be better off with no witness than a poor witness.

 

Hebrews 6:8 (ESV) — But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

 

Hebrews is written to Jewish believers who had placed their faith on the back burner because they were afraid of community backlash. They did not lose their salvation, but they were in danger of an unknown (as of yet) destruction of Jerusalem that was only a few years off. The entire city was burned down and destroyed by the Romans.

 

The purpose of the self-examination is not to determine if I have faith, but if I am holding on to my faith and living it out each day.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I meet with God in the word and prayer daily?
2. Do I meet with other believers at least weekly?
3. Do I share my faith when others ask? Do others even ask? Or am I so much like the world, no one ever asks about my faith?
4. When was the last time I spent a half a day or a whole day in prayer, listening and speaking to God?

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the recent time with you. I thank you to be able to meet with you and hear you speak. I pray to be more disciplined to meet with you in the years ahead. I pray to make it a part of our life and routine.