I realize that in the email I sent out to friends and family that I would actually start Sunday, so not wanting to jump the gun for those of you who wanted to keep pace with me I'll post a few more of my reflections on Gen. 1-16.
Genesis 1 - I am still struck by the whole 'making mankind in our image.' In seminary and college I remember my professors saying something about using the 'royal we' here, but I really think and feel that this is a first reference to the trinity. I have no scholarship to back that up because as I said I am not trying to make this a theological treatise so I will try to be as unscholarly as I can. Still, I think this is an excellent example of God as community. God is still one, but God is also perfect community, which is maybe why we desire it so much...
Genesis 2 - Again with the community thing, maybe I'm feeling lonely, 'It is not right for man to be alone.' I'm wondering if we can extend that past Adam to all of us, male and female. God created us for each other and for him, to live in community as He is community.
Genesis 3 - I already talked about the Fall, but on a lighter note, how creepy and weird would it be to discover the flashing flaming sword to the garden of Eden. If I saw it, I think I just might scream and run in the opposite direction. I get weirded out by things like that.
Genesis 4 - Cain and Abel, ah drama. It talks about the offerings that Cain and Abel bring (oh and right now I'm just reading NIV, I'll probably switch it up as time goes on). It says in verse 3 that Cain brought 'some fruits of the soil... But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn...' So it seems that Cain's attitude was, 'Okay God, if I have to, I'll bring you something.' I can imagine him looking around and just grabbing some of what he'd harvested. It was still dirty and a little wilting, but he was doing it because he had to. On the other hand, we have Abel who gave the best from the firstborn. I mean that's the first and sometimes it might be your only. Still Abel gave it. I see him as thinking, this is for God, it's the best part that I would want for me, which means God deserves it even more. I love God's response too. It's stern, but not over the top, verses 6-7: 'The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."' God is so giving Cain an out. It's like a loving parent, "Look I know this is hard, but please listen to me, the choice and the power is yours to use or misuse. If you listen to me, you can overcome this." I say things like that to my kids all the time. God is saying, lean on me and you won't have to follow sin. So my response is the same as Cain's, the same as my kids - destruction.
These were really the passages that stood out, but for the latter chapters:
Genesis 7 - I forgot that Noah took 7 of every clean animal and 7 of every bird; still 2 of every unclean. Oh the fallacies of children's songs.
Genesis 8 - God remembered Noah. I just liked that. God remembered he had that poor man and all his family and those animals bobbing around out there. Poor Noah.
Genesis 9:6 - I like the little poem, but it's also a very powerful message: Killing is so wrong because we are created in God's image. Verse 3 - God gave Noah EVERYTHING to eat... don't really think that's an argument for vegetarians.
Genesis 14 - Melchizedek pops in and out.
Genesis 16 - Hagar - More drama and quite a mess today, but God remembered her.
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