Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Where I have been, What I have been doing...

Many of you have emailed or called me to ask, "Where have you been and why haven't you written?" Well, this is one of the places I've been and this is one the things I have written. I wrote an regular persons Bible commentary on each book of the Bible... I give you Genesis and Matthew. My new blog address is:

www.greenersgrainofsalt.wordpress.com Please subscribe to the feeds, there will be much more there.

Genesis is Hebrew for “origin” or “generation” or “beginnings.” Bereshith = (Hebrew word for Genesis.) Even the title of this book speaks of beginnings of many things; mankind, sin, death, and God’s unwavering Hand in our redemption.

It is interesting to note that the very beginnings of this terra firma were made in and by Perfection. Man himself was made by a Perfect God in what could confidently be called a perfect place and yet, sin began shortly thereafter. Genesis 6:9 – 9:17 detail the seemingly incongruous order for Noah to build an Ark, and Noah’s unwavering obedient response.

Genesis gets quickly to the point in addressing the questions that circle about even the most moderate of minds: “How did the earth begin?” Genesis answers, God spoke it so. “How did man get here?” Genesis answers, God spoke it so. I must conclude then that God has also a perfectly ordered plan for all of mankind despite our fallen state stemming from our departure from His perfect order.

Genesis speaks to the questions of God’s Holiness, righteousness, mercy and grace. God does not shield us from the lesson of sin and its consequences; rather He shows us our beginnings, failings, and foibles to point us to His Son Jesus… The Redemption King! We have the opportunity to re do our lives excerpting the sin of our Fathers. Genesis is a book of choices, so is life.

Matthew:

Yeshua is here! He and our salvation is upon us! Hope and help is come so that we might be released from animal sacrifice and from the penalty we deserve. It is astounding to me that God sent His Son in the form of a baby, in lieu of any other form He could have chosen. A baby, just as we enter the world, Yeshua entered the world.

In the beginning of Matthew we are given the genealogy of the King which to many is boring and to some extent, unnecessary. Over the years of reading the Bible I came to the conclusion that without this genealogy the total story would be incomplete. To some extent I find the genealogy comforting in that Yeshua was once just like me, from a family of mortal, fallible people. On the other hand, I find the genealogy to be comforting because it serves as a traceable road map to salvation, just as was prophesied of old.

It seems incredulous that Jesus Christ has to endure so much for me so early in His earthly life. It seems unfair that Jesus would have to suffer ridicule when He was so “good.” He did so much good for so many, healing hearts, souls, and bodies. He raised the dead and yet He pulsed ever quicker to the cross to die Himself. It just does not seem right. Why would He look from the cross and think of His love for me, and remain when He did not have to?

In the process Yeshua amazed the Pharisees, taught the disciples, and loosed the bonds of sin from people who had no hope. People just like me. We are taught, warned, and healed by Jesus, the unlikely King from Nazareth.

No comments: