Genesis 15:1-6 (Daily Bread of 27/7/2018)

IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS JUSTICE

Key Verse  15:6

This passage was quoted by Paul to support his theology that man is justified by faith but not by works. Therefore, studying this part from the point of view of justification by faith is important. However, we will study it more from the point of practical faith.                    

1. Abram was depressed (1-3)

Abram had sort of fallen into a crisis. Some time ago, he had proven himself to be an inescapable conqueror. Now he felt invaded by various negative feelings. First, sadness. He had gone to war to save Lot to the detriment of his time and material, but after saving his relative, he could not bring him back from his evil path in Sodom. Then fear. Abraham refused Bela's proposal and made his clear choice of faith in God with Melchisedek. The diplomatic relationship with Bela and his allies became therfore complicated and he found himself in the midst of enemies. Finally,  bitterness. God appeared and said, "I am your shield, your reward will be great." But his bitter heart came to refuse to believe Him.              

2. Abram believed in God (4-6)

When Abram insisted on his idea for the heir, God persuaded him that something different would happen. Then he took him outside and had him count the stars. Was this the Creator's best way to change the fixed idea of his creatures? Our God educates us through His creation. With his eyes open, Abram departed from human reasoning, negative calculations and thoughts. Little by little the incredulity deeply rooted in him began to be distilled to finally give place to faith. When God declared that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, he believed in God. He believed that Almighty God would work beyond the human cul-de-sac, and that He was faithful to keep his promise without fail. When Abram believed his Word, God counted him as righteous. This means that he was justified by faith and at the same time he was forgiven of all sin. This was actually a huge blessing for Abram.  

Genesis 13:5-13:13 (Daily Bread of 24/7/2018)

ABRAM'S CHOICE AND LOT'S CHOICE

Verse Key 13:8-11

In today's story, we learn about Abram and Lot's respective choices. Life always puts us at a crossroads where we are forced to choose. The choice of a moment in one's life is sometimes decisive, as if one is walking on a bridge of no return.      

        

1. Lot's choice (9-13)

Lot looked up and saw the plain. He looked towards the direction of towns called Sodom and Gomorrah. Loth chose this, because of his fertility and his impeccable irrigation, in spite of this danger for him and his family and his descendants. But Loth chose this full, because of his fertility and his impeccable irrigation, in spite of this danger for him and his family and his descendants. It was a short-sighted and stupid choice.  

        

2. Abram's choice (5-8)

When Abram left Our of the Chaldeans, he had compassion on his nephew Lot and accompanied him. After Terah's death, for whom Lot was the orphaned grandson, Abram cared and took good care of him. He loved him with all his heart. Nevertheless, after the descent into Egypt, the relationship became a little complicated. On the one hand, Abram's mistake was not a good example of faith, and on the other hand, over time, both became very rich. Loth took the opportunity to acquire the property. Moreover, they were both affected by Egypt's materialistic culture. Lot was indifferent when Abram built the altar of repentance when he returned from Egypt. When the material situation became abundant, his heart turned away from God, and theirs relationship broke. The problem seemed to be the conflict between their shepherds, but it was only an anecdote that revealed their broken relationship. Abram suffered the consequence of his fault. He nevertheless accepted it and chose to separate. The glory of God shall be unharmed among the Gentiles. Abram might have thought about making up. He judged that Lot's heart had become irreparably distant. The love of money is the root of all evil. Abram wisely judged the situation and made his choice.

Genesis 9:18-11:9 (Daily Bread of 20/7/2018)

THE TOWER OF BABEL

Key verse 11:7

After the flood, the proliferation of the population began on untouched ground. Evil had begun with the world, and it would not be long before it reached its peak. God was forced to take action to thwart it, given the possibility of another catastrophe.           

1. Noah cursed Canaan (9:18-29)

The people split up. Cham was disrespectful towards his naked alcoholic father, aand was therefore cursed. Talking to others about the another one's weakness of others is a bad habit, and one through which Satan works. It is an act that sharply contrasts with God's act of covering Adam and Eve's fault with animal skin. Shem ("name") is heir to God's name, through his descendant Abraham. The entry of Japheth's descendants into the people of the covenant of Abraham had a remarkable repercussion in the world's redemptive history: the New Testament apostolic mission to the Gentiles.         

2. The Diaspora of Nations (10:1-32)

First came Japhet's sons. They occupied the N. and N.W. of the "fertile crescent." Then the Cham sons. They were usually in the S.W. of the "fertile crescent". Among them was Nimrod. He was a valiant hunter before the Lord. He built Babel. He was a man of great talent in the eyes of men. However, before God, he was a fleshly man. Finally, the sons of Shem. They were in charge of the area between Japhet and Cham, around the Arabian peninsula.

3. God mixed up their language (11:1-9)

The whole earth spoke the same language, hence there were no difficulties for the exchange of information. However, they did not use the information in the right direction, but in the wrong one. They disobeyed the God's direction to disperse, and tried to settle by building a tower piercing the top of the sky. God saw their prideful and rebellious act and decided to spread them out by confusing their language. 

---

Genesis 9:1-17 (Daily Bread of 19/7/2018)

THE NEW POST-DILUVIAN ORDER

 Key verset 9: 1

The flood marked a significant turning point in human history. The old world was over, and a new one was born. In this new world, God felt that a new order needed to be implemented.

1. You will be a subject of fear (1-7)

Although God wanted to keep the original order of creation, He was obliged to modify this order, or rather adapt it to the post-Diluvian world. Nevertheless, God kept the commandment from Genesis 1:28 as it was  the meaning of man's existence as creature and steward of the world, and thus could not be changed. God said that man will be a subject of fear and terror for the other creatures. The peaceful relationship between creatures changed no longer existed and was replaced with one of coercion and force. The ecosystem underwent a transformation. God gave man permission to eat meat. In the past man killed animals for skin, but from then on he could kill to consume them. However, God says that he will not eat them red, for in their blood is their life. Cain's crime was once covered by God's magnanimity, but now God established a law of retaliation for murder. Man must respect his brothers' life and his own, for it is a gift from God.

       

2. God makes a covenant with Noah (8-17)

God wanted to make a covenant with Noah. It is a covenant that also concerns the other creatures. God saw that the cataclysm did not change man's sinful nature, and He regreted doing it (8:21). He will not destroy man because of his sin. From now on, God will seek another way, to save him. He chose a man worthy of being an ancestor of faith and decided to save man by his obedience, faith and repentance. However, God knew that he was afraid of Him given the waters and He wanted to give him a reassuring sign. It was the rainbow that God will look upon to not send another flood, and that will remove all fear from man who is fundamentally guilty. It is a covenant of unilateral grace, for God does not ask for a quid pro quo.

Genesis 7:1-24 (Daily Bread of 17/7/2018)

THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD CAME

Key verse 7: 10

As expected, the flood came and did away with everything.  This is God's judgment of man's wickedness.  He foresees the final judgment that will fall on the wicked and sinners.       
       
1.  Noah entered into the ark (1-9)

The ark was already built.  God told Noah to enter the ark and then told him how he would bring the animals into the ark. 7 pure couples, and 1 unclean couple and 7 pairs of birds etc., and so on.  Then 7 days followed before beginning the judgment by flooding.  Then Noah executed all the commandments of the Lord.  Noah was 600 years old when the waters came.  At that time there were only 8 people left on the land and they were in a large boat with large numbers of animals.  The wicked and perverse were overwhelmed with water and wiped off the face of the earth.  Those who obeyed the Word of God with all their heart and sacrificed their lives remained.  God saves those who are just and upright before Him.

2.  All those that moved on earth were lost  (10-24)



In the year 600 on the 17th day, the heavenly waterways opened.  They remained like that for 40 days and 40 nights.  For 15O days, the flood continued.  The waters rose and swelled, even though the rain stopped.  The ark floated.  All the high mountains were submerged and overwhelmed by water of 15 cubits.  All those who moved and were animated by the breath of life died.  God got rid of everything.  After bringing in all the animals, female and male, verse 16 says that the door was closed on him.  In the New Testament Jesus, is door that is sealed on the those who accept him and who are justified by his blood. For those who are on the outside, it also closes definitvely for them.  Jesus is the ark of our salvation.  We enter the Kingdom of God through him when we accept his sacrifice  for our sins.  The cataclysm of judgment is more than formidable, for all those who rebelled against God and did not repent were submerged under water and perished.  By obedience to the Word of God we build the ark and ultimately we will be saved.

Genesis 4:17-26 (Daily Bread of 14/7/2018)

CAIN VERSUS SETH

Key verse 4 : 17

Cain and his descendants came to accomplish non-negligible human works.  His tribe was strong.  Abel was already forgotten.   God is He who remembers.  He remembered Abel's work and had it followed.  How?  This is what we learn at the dawn of human history.     
  
1.          The wicked and talented tribe (17-24).

Cain had a son named Enoch.  He built a town and dedicated it to his son.  He disobeyed God therefore, for God said that he was to keep wandering.  In his system of values, the name was very important.  People seek fame, which is synonymous with popularity, or recognition.  However, without spiritual content these things are only ephemeral. The 4th descendant of Enoch is Lemek.  From generation to generation, Cain's wickedness kept increasing, without diminishing in any way, so that the plan conceived by Lemek was unimaginable.  He killed a child as revenge for  a wound, but his conscience was not affected.  Paul was right to say that before the law came, sin, though existing, was not taken into account.  He was like an animal.  He bragged in front of his two wives about the promise of divine protection made to his grandfather to justify his act.  Their sons had many talents, but they did not use them for God. God left them and turned these things into good for humanity. 

2.      Naive Seth (25-26).

Eve delivered her third child, and confessed that God had given it to her in Abel's place.  God had comforted her.  God remembered Abel and his innocent blood which was bshed for His cause. He wanted to honour him by giving him a descendant.  The tribe of Seth showed no talent.  Yet his son called Enoch was a man of God.  When he was born, we began invoking the Lord.  Surely, his father would have been the first.  Seth's tribe, though not very talented, sought God and prayed to Him as the priority of their lives.  If we see the next chapter, we find that they did not accomplish many things, and they only made the name pass on over the ages.  Here, the name has another meaning.  It's faith.  Passing on faith from generation to generation makes one become renowned before God if though one has no fame in the World.

Genesis 4:1-16 (Daily Bread of 13/7/2018)

GOD RECEIVED ABEL'S OFFERING

Key verse 4 : 4

After being expulsed from the  Garden of Eden there was a murder.  This speaks volumes about the nature of sin in man. Nevertheless, God received a righteous man Abel and his offering.    
    
1.  God received Abel's offering but not Cain's (1-7)

Eve named her first child.  She probably put a lot of hope in him.  Abel means vanity.  It shows the feeling of man living in a fallen world.  Yet Abel was a good man, different from his name.  Cain was the same way around.  He did not live with God's help, as the name implies, but he lived according to his feeling.  Man is man when he knows how to control feelings.  When God looked favourably upon his brother and his offering, he felt jealous.  Then he let that feeling invade his heart, and finally committed murder.  Before he let himself go to this tragedy, God loving his soul wanted to save him.  However, he did not listen to God's counsel.  Read God's counsel in v. 7. We must have self-control.  
  
2.  Am I my brother's keeper?  (8-16)



God visited Cain to recover his soul.  Cain did not repent of his sin, but became very arrogant, saying, "Am I my brother's keeper? "Every man has the duty to take care of his own. Cain had no sense of responsibility for his fellow men, nor did he have any conception of the sin he had committed.  God made Cain wander away from the arable soil and suffer from unproductivity.  Cain had the premonition of judgment. God had mercy on him, and gave him a last chance.  He closed his ears to God's counsel and went his own way.  He could still have repented and come to God to be forgiven.  However, because of fear, he couldn't confess his sin.  His wandering life is marked by guilt and fear of death by men.  Therefore his life became a living hell.  God always had mercy on him and gave him the sign of protection.  Whoever hit him would have gotten revenge seven times.  God even protects the criminal with His love.

Genesis 3:16-24 (Daily Bread of 12/7/2018)

CREATOR GOD, GOD OF HOPE

Key verse 3: 24

God proclaimed the prediction of the Gospel so that when man found himself in desperation he would believe in His promise and be saved.  Sin had certain consequences, but God kept up the hope of restoring man.   
   
1.  God curses the world (16-19)

God curses all evil actors one by one.  First, the woman who had listened to Satan, was cursed by having the very painful birth.  Her desire will be carried towards man.  Then, the serpent that was used as an instrument of Satan's evil.  Satan was cursed by his future event of Jesus' resurrection, by which he will crush his head.  Then came man.  Although he seemed innocent, the reason for his curse was the fact that he had listened to the voice of the woman, rather than the voice of God.  Evil entered into the World, said Romans, because of him.  God withdrew abundance from the earth, so that he had to work for 3 meals a day by the sweat of his brow.  God will send His Son to save man from the consequence of sin.  All that believeth in him shall not be condemned nor confounded, but justified.  Through this story , we learn that we must listen to the voice of God, rather than the  voice of man.

2.  God kept the tree of life (20-21)



Eve's name means the mother of all the living.  Adam named her with some regret.  At first, because of the shame, the man became unaccustomed to being naked.  God shed the blood of an animal, to clothe man and woman, and hid their shame.  In the midst of the  torments of sin, God never ceased to show His love towards man such a visit, promise and new habit.  However He had to drive him away, lest he live in a state of eternal decay, which will be the most unfortunate.  During life, as he was defiled from sin, man remained outside the Holy Kingdom of God. The time is coming when God's kingdom will be restored.  This is only possible through Jesus, the Redeemer.  God prevented access to the way of life, but did not destroy it completely, so that everyone might come to it by faith in Jesus.

Genesis 2:18-25 (Daily Bread of 10/7/2018)

GOD INSTITUTED MARRIAGE

Key Verse 2: 18

The Garden of Eden was installed, man received his mission and God's commandment. All the conditions for his happiness were fulfilled. However, God instituted marriage for a certain purpose.     

   

1. It is not good for man to be alone. (18-20)

Unlike the first chapter, it seems that Yahweh of chapter 2 was really interested in man. He did not specify the time of creation of the other animals. He only formed them when Adam needed a mission. Then,, He put the animals into couples for procreation. Man's situation was different. God created Adam as a bachelor to whom He gave the mission. Apart from his initial mission, here he had to name the animals. It was God's gift to him. This God is truly the God of love. God not only created man and knew that he needed a mission as a creature at the top of the ecosystem, but he was also interested in his feelings. He therefore said his loneliness wasn't good. Yet this observation was not according to human understanding, but according to God's will. Adam named all the animals, without getting tired for the moment, but God knew that being all alone he would soon be tired. God wanted to create his partner, that is, someone who could help him accomplish his mission.

2. God formed the family (21-25)

Man's existence is not primarily about getting married and forming a family. God's mission for him comes first. Man did not know when his counterpart was created because he was consecrated to God an trusted Him. God's divine mission was enough for him. Yet God's view was that his solitude was not good. He thus decided to create a counterpart for Adam. God lulled Adam into a deep slumber. He then removed one of his ribs,  and added flesh to it. In this way, He created the woman. The woman was so  beautiful, that Adam was amazed at the sight of her. She was made from man's bone, so that both were one. This unity holds the World together. They are so pure and healthy that they are intact from sin.  

Genesis :1-12 (Daily Bread of 6/7/2018)

In the beginning 

Key verse 1: 1

The premise of creation is written in Gen 1:1. Everything begins with God who created everything aprat from nothing. Genesis is a book about the origin of things and lives. Darwin wrote "Origin of species. His book had many shortcomings, which he himself acknowledged.  God is the origin of all things. Let us study Genesis carefully to build our faith of creation. This Book also speaks of the work of redemption begun by the patriarch Abraham.       

1. The premise of creation (1-2)

In the beginning God created the Heavens and Earth. God the Creator is all-powerful. In the beginning, the Earth was formless and empty, and a great disorder reigned, but from this emptiness and disorder, God created fullness and perfect order. This premise is the foundation of the Bible, and the unwavering axiom of Christians, that makes them strong and solid. In the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over these disorderly matters as well as the darkness i.e. the total absence of light, as the hen covers the chicks. It was at this moment that God, in the Holy Trinity, breathed His exciting breath revealing His will to create a wonderful world. This means that where the Spirit acts, the new creation is made. In every man, where the Spirit acts, He can create life and light.  

      

2. First 3 days of creation (3-12)

The creation can be divided according to days. First, light is the environment for the subsequent days of creation. For the new life, we must receive the light of God, which His Son would one day bring to the world. Then God created the firmament, dividing the water above and below. It was the atmosphere that protected the world from the sun's ultraviolet rays. It is indispensable for man and other creatures. Then, on the 3rd day, He created the Earth by pushing back the sea water and by creating the vegetation. Man can now feed himself in abundance in taste and colour. All these things were good to see. Our God is the God of order. He is the God who is concerned about mankind. 

Psalm 68: 2-36 (Daily Bread of 3/7/2018)

THE RIGHTEOUS, CHEER UP Key verse 68: 7 This is one of the most beautiful psalms and it commemorates the procession of the ark brought from the house of Obed-Edom to the city, the house of David. 1. The ark walks with God in the desert (1-19) Here is the story of the procession in which the Ark was taken from its temporary shelter (Obed-Edom) to its permanent home in Jerusalem. This journey is compared to the path of Exodus (8-11). The enemies are overcome by the power of the Lord. Only the righteous rejoice and rejoice at the arrival of the ark of the Lord, the pledge of God's protection. This historical event presents several names of God: God (2), Eternal God (5), Almighty (15), Lord (20), Eternal Lord (21), etc.. Meanwhile, God establishes women as powerful witnesses, as a powerful army (12). God established Mount Zion as the headquarters for the battle (17). 2. He is our salvation (20-36) The ark in the road is a powerful testimony of the Lord's deliverance. On the way, he formidably exercises His power over the rebels. They must run away. Our God is the God of salvation (20,21). Despite the overwhelming macabre details (24), God guarantees that He would grant His people victory. At the the ark's arrival the crowds sing joyfully and raise their voices to exalt the Lord God, His greatness and goodness. These crowds are all descendants of Israel (28). Then, the people pray to God 1) to be continually the source of their strength (30), 2) to retake Egypt, the animal of the reeds and to repress the herd of bulls with the calves, that is, other neighbouring peoples (31), 3) to disperse all the powerful belligerent enemies who would make Israel pay tribute (31), and 4) that the reign of the Eternal be consolidated unceasingly and spread to the whole world (32). Worship will win all the kingdoms of the earth (33-36). Such prayer is dreadful.