Fear is such a powerful emotion.

"Do not be afraid, Abram" (Genesis 15:11). Fear is such a powerful emotion. It can have such a negative effect on us. Abram needed to hear this word from the Lord. We need to hear this word from the Lord. There are times when everything seems to be so out of control. We wonder, "What's …

A life-changing decision

What's your idea of God? Some people would say that God is an idea. Others would ask the question, "Did the idea of God come into our minds because God put it there?" Going back to the beginning, we are faced with a decision. We read the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning, …

God so loved the world – not only the important people, but all people.

Genesis 10:1-32 What a lot of names! Why is all this included in God’s Word? It may describe the historical conext of God’s unfolding purpose of providing salvation for sinners, but what does it say to us? The inclusion of so many obscure names emphasizes that everyone - however obscure - is important. ‘God so …

Let The Living Water Flow.

“And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away” (Genesis 21:25, King James Version). As I read this verse, I found myself thinking about God’s Word and God’s Spirit. Through God’s written Word, the Holy Spirit speaks to us His Word of “reproof” and “correction” (2 Timothy …

Spiritual Growth

Genesis 2:9 “Out of the ground the Lord God made every tree to grow” If we are to make progress in spiritual growth, we must be grounded in Christ – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). It was the Lord God who made every tree …

The priority of worship – we must never forget this.

Genesis 13:1-18 We read about Abram and Lot - and the choices that they made. There are choices to be made. We need to learn to choose the Lord's way - not the world's way. In verse 18 - we read something very encouraging about Abram. When he was in Egypt (12:10-20) - he let …

Faith laughs at impossibilities.

"Sarah laughed" (Genesis 18:12). It wasn't only Sarah who laughed. Abraham, also, laughed (Genesis 17:17). The laughter of Sarah and Abraham was the laughter of unbelief. There is, however, another laughter, a better laughter. It's the laughter of faith; "Faith laughs at impossibilities, and cries, 'It shall be done.'" (Charles Wesley). https://youtu.be/Tkzu_sz3EGQ

Love God and love your neighbour.

Genesis 33:1-20 From Jacob’s meeting with God, we come to his meeting with Esau. Before we start thinking of this as a big ‘come down’, we should note Jacob’s word to Esau: ‘truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God’(10). Jacob is describing his meeting with Esau in terms of his …

Going God’s Way Is Better Than Getting Our Own Way.

Genesis 29:1-30 The tables are turned on Jacob. The trickster is tricked! The ‘trick’ was according to the ‘custom’ that the elder daughter should be given in marriage before the younger one (23,25-26). Seven years became fourteen years (18-20,27,30). Jacob did receive his heart’s desire, but there was a lesson to be learned: Going God’s …

The Gospel Of God’s Amazing Grace

Genesis 6 As we read the story of Noah, we learn of the place of Noah within the divine revelation of the Gospel of grace. "Noah found grace" might be turned around to read "Grace found Noah." "Amazing grace ... I once was lost but now am found." The significance of Noah, highlighted in 5:29 …

God remembered Abraham.

Genesis 19:1-38 In a rather forgettable chapter, we find these gracious words - "God ... remembered Abraham"; "Lot was allowed to escape from the destruction that came to the cities where he was living" (Genesis 19:29). What a great thing it is to be "remembered" by God. What a great thing it is to have …

The elder – Esau – will serve the younger – Jacob.

Genesis 27:1-46 This is a story of deception - things are not as they seem. What are we to say about this chapter? We must begin by saying that this family is a mess. There's something else that we must say - there is more to this story than what's going on in this family. …

A true prophet gives the glory to God alone.

Genesis 40:1-23 God gave Joseph power to overcome temptation (chapter 39). Now, He gives him power to interpret dreams. Here, Joseph the dreamer (37:5-11) becomes Joseph the interpreter of dreams. Joseph may be viewed as a prophet: 'Surely the Lord does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets' (Amos 3:7). As a …

Where are you?

"Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9).Everything had started out so well, It was such a promising beginning. Then something went wrong, something serious, something that changed everything. What does God do about it, when things start going wrong? He starts looking for us. Why is He looking for us? It's because He loves us.Jesus tells us …

The grace of God reaches us and changes us.

Genesis 22:20-23:20 There are a lot of names (22:20-24) and a lot of details about Sarah's burial (23:1-20). Is there anything that stands out? Yes! - "You (Abraham) are God's chosen one among us" (23:5). This sentence speaks to us about the grace of God. Was there something special about Abraham? No! - but there …

Up on the mountaintop with God, and back down to the valley with God

Genesis 22:1-19 From verse 2 - "Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you" - we look ahead to God's words concerning Jesus: "my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17 & 17:5). The second time …

Mighty intercessory prayer

Genesis 18:16-33 In the face of the threatened judgment of God upon Sodom and Gomorrah, we find Abraham engaging in mighty intercessory prayer. He is not concerned only about himself and his own salvation. He is prayerfully committed to seeking the salvation of others. This is a mark of spiritual maturity - a deep concern …

The Word Of God Does Not Benefit Us When We Do Not Receive It With Faith.

Genesis 18:1-15 Is anything too hard for the Lord? (14). We need to hear these words as God’s call to greater faith. Sarah, like Abraham, had heard God’s promises, yet ‘she laughed to herself’(12). We can hear God’s Word, and still remain, in our hearts, men and women of unbelief. The Word of God does …

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:1-33 "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14). God was intent on doing something great - "through him (Abraham) all the nations of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 18:18) - and nothing was going to stop Him. Even if a great many people - Sodom and Gomorrah - refused to honour …

Standing before the Lord

Genesis 18:20-33 "Abraham remained standing before the Lord" (22). Standing before the Lord - God is calling us to stand before him. When others are falling - we are to stand. When others are looking towards the world - we are to look to the Lord. Each of us must choose how we are going …

The laughter of unbelief and the laughter of rejoicing

Genesis 18:1-19 Abraham's three visitors - This was an appearance of the Lord to Abraham" (1). Abraham bowed down and sought favour from the Lord. He asked that the blessing would not pass him by. Everything about this visit indicates that the Lord was in it. He was preparing Abraham for the next stage in …

Genesis 3

It had all started so well, then everything went wrong. That's the story of Genesis 3. After Genesis 1 and 2 started so positively, disaster struck. Sin entered the world, and nothing was ever the same again. We read this story, coming to us from such a long time ago, and we wonder, "What does …

Can Paradise Lost become Paradise Regained? (Genesis 3 and Revelation 12)

'All things, bright and beautiful ... The Lord God made them all' - this is the great, positive message that comes to us from Genesis 1 - but things are very different when we get into Genesis 3: things are not so bright and beautiful. What are we to do? Are we to listen to …

"Africa Bible Commentary" on Genesis

Africa Bible Commentary: A One-Volume Commentary Written by 70 African Scholars --The Africa Bible Commentary is unique. Written by African theologians and produced in Africa, it is the first one-volume commentary ever created to help pastors, students, and lay leaders in Africa apply God’s Word to distinctively African concerns, yet its fresh insights will have …

Despite our many failures, God remains faithful.

Genesis 12 Before starting to comment on chapter 12, I want to say something about the second part of chapter 11, verses 10-32. These verses provide us with the background to the events which begin to unfold in chapter 12. The message of this long list names is this: God is moving on. He is …

God Loves Us, Even Though We Don’t Deserve To Be Loved By Him.

Genesis 9 This is not only a story about Noah. It's a story about God. Noah was a man of faith. We can learn much from his faith. There is, however, something more than Noah's faith. We concentrate our attention on God's love. God loves us, even though we don't deserve to be loved by …

Christ – Crucified For Us And Risen For Us

Genesis 2:1 - “finished” We read about the finished work of creation and we think of Jesus’ words from the Cross, “It is finished.” This is the finished work of Christ. He has completed the work that was required by the holy God for sinners to receive forgiveness. Genesis 2:2 - “He rested” After creation, …

Privilege and Responsibility

Genesis 2:4-25 Here, we see the privilege and responsibility of being human. As well as the privilege - created in the image of God (1:26-27), there is also the responsibility - in relation to (a) the creation: "farm the land and... take care of it " (15); (b) the Creator: "you must never eat from …

From our dark past to God’s future, a future that is filled with the light of his love

Then 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 rule over it.’ (Genesis 4:6-7). Does our situation seem …

If there is to be delight in God’s Word, we must overcome doubt.

If there is to be delight in God's Word, we must overcome doubt. Satan is always saying, "Did God really say ...?" (Genesis 3:1). We must learn to say, "God did say" (Genesis 3:3). We must stand by this confession of faith in God and His Word. Satan will not give in easily. He will …

Showers Of Blessing

Genesis 2:5 - “rain” No rain, no plants of the field, no herbs of the field, no man to till the ground. This is a picture of life without God’s blessing. To His faithful servants who look to Him for the blessing, God gives His precious promise: “As the rain and the snow come down …

Making a new beginning with God

"Abram worshipped the Lord" (Genesis 13:4). Here, we see Abram, returning to a place where he had, at an earlier time, worshipped the Lord. As I was reading this verse, I thought of a song that I haven't heard for years. https://youtu.be/nKq0_d9bfr0 How long? - Too long! Now is the time for making a new …

Creation Has Been Completed. Salvation Will Be Completed.

Genesis 1:26-2:3 We now come to the creation of humanity, male and female. Our creation is described in a distinctive way - created in the image of God (26-27). We are different from the rest of creation. We have been given dominion over ‘all the earth’ and ‘every living creature’ (26,28). We are different from …

The laughter of unbelief and the laughter of faith

Genesis 21:1-34 There are two very different kinds of laughter in the story of Sarah. There is the laughing in Genesis 18:13-15. This is the laughter of unbelief, laughing at the Lord, with the proud attitude that God's Word cannot be taken seriously. There is the laughter of faith, the laughter which rejoices in the …

In Christ, we must take our stand against Satan.

Genesis 3:1-5 We have read about the beginning of creation (1:1). Now we come to the beginning of sin. In these verses, we have temptation. Note that temptation is not sin. It only becomes sin when we do what the tempter suggests (6). Temptation comes from 'that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan' (Revelation …

God’s greatest gift – Jesus

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 or Jeremiah 20:7-13; Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 19:24-30 Let us rejoice in God’s greatest gift – Jesus. We have here the contrast between Isaac, the child of promise, and Ishmael, the fruit of unbelief. Ishmael was born as a result of impatience, the …

It’s not the beginning of the end. It’s the end of the beginning.

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). Is everything that happens to us good? How are we to answer this question? Should we answer a question with another question? Will the final outcome be good? When we look on to the final outcome, everything changes. …

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven.

“Joseph is a fruitful bough,    a fruitful bough by a spring;    his branches run over the wall.The archers bitterly attacked him,    shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved;    his arms were made agileby the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob    (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),by the God of your father who will help you,    by the Almighty who will bless you    with …

Sometimes, we wonder, “Where is our life leading us?”

Genesis 5:18-32 Lord, help us to walk with You. Sometimes, we wonder, “Where is our life leading us?” That depends, Lord, on who’s doing the leading. Are we being “led by the Spirit of God” (Romans 8:14)? or Have we allowed the devil to slip into the place where You alone should be? Lord, lead …

The light of God’s love, shining upon us…

When we preach the gospel of God's love, where are we to begin? Are we to begin with birth of Christ? Would we lose anything very important, if we were to set aside the Old Testament, and begin with the New Testament? The Old Testament may, at many points, be difficult to understand, but, surely, …

History – His Story

Genesis 2:4 - “This is the history” This is His Story. This is God’s Story. In this great Story of creation, which leads on to the great Story of salvation, we read about the God who has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. we could not create ourselves. We could not …

Jesus – what a great Saviour he is!

"But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Saviour except me" (Hosea 13:4). Here, God is saying to the people, "Here's something you must never forget. I brought you out of Egypt the land of bondage." He's saying to them, "Never forget how much …

God is carrying out His plan of salvation.

Genesis 20-21 In these chapters, the high point is the birth of Isaac (21:1-3). The great verse, which jumps out at us, is the first verse of chapter 21: "The Lord came to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised." This is more than a human story. …

God’s Purpose of Salvation

Genesis 27:41-28:9 What a tangled web! Jacob has cheated Esau. Now, Esau is saying, ‘I will kill my brother Jacob’(41). What are we to make of all this? We must look beyond the human scene. Behind it all, there is ‘God Almighty’(3). God will fulfil His promises. Nothing will distract Him from His ultimate purpose …

Lord, we thank You for Your great love.

Genesis 6:9-22 Lord, we thank You for Your great love. There is no love like Your love. We think of Your Son, giving Himself, in death, for us. We think of His suffering for us and we say, “Saviour of the world, what have You done to deserve this?” We look at the Cross, and …

In life’s hard times, God keeps on loving us…

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life" - What does this mean? Does it mean that only good things will happen to us? …

Less concerned with our own name – and more committed to exalting the name of Christ

Genesis 11:1-9 "Come - let us ... Come - let us build ourselves ... Come - let us make a name for ourselves" (3-4). This is all about us - not God. This is the way of man-centred pride - not the way of God's salvation. We do not begin with what we have ("bricks") …

The long journey, through the Old Testament, is leading us to Jesus Christ, our great Saviour.

Genesis 17 "Your wife, Sarah, will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac" (verse 19). Abraham was given a glimpse of the future. For Abraham and Sarah, Isaac would be their immediate future. God was looking beyond the immediate future. He was looking toward the long-term future. God told Abraham that he would …

God is moving on.

Genesis 11:10-32 Another list of names! Again, there is something here for us - God is moving on. These many names summarize the times between Noah and Abraham. We must look beyond this list of names. We must see them in connection with His Story. History can be tedious, until we see it as His …

Stuck in the middle… with You

We can't go back to the past, and we can't go on into the future. We're not at the beginning of our life on earth. We're not yet at the end of our life on earth. We're somewhere in the middle. We cannot go back to the book of Genesis (the book that takes us …

God is leading His people towards a time of great blessing.

Genesis 18-19 Abraham lived through tumultuous times. As we read about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, let us not lose sight of where things are going: "Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him" (18:18). When terrible things happen, and we …

Great Potential, Great Disappointment, Great Love

The story, told in the Bible's first three chapters (Genesis 1-3), is repeated over and over again. It is the story of great potential - created in the image of God, and it is the story of great disappointment - sinning against the Lord and falling away from him. Thank God - the Bible story …

Forgiveness and Victory

Genesis 26:1-35 ‘History repeats itself’. Sin has a ‘like father, like son’ quality about it - Isaac is like Abraham (7; 12:13, 20:2, 12-13), Jacob is like Isaac (7; 25:31,27:19). Grace repeats itself. God is faithful. He gives forgiveness and victory over temptation (1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13). He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy …

Did God really say?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”(Genesis 3:1). Did God really say? Here, we have the sowing of the seeds of doubt, the questioning of God's Word. Do we …

I will bless you, and you will be a blessing.

The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing (Genesis 12:1-2). "I will bless you... and you will …

Let there be light.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the …

Let’s Walk With God And Enjoy His Blessing.

Genesis 5:1-17 From the story of Cain - taking God for granted (the opposite of grace), approaching God proudly (the opposite of faith), rebelling against God (the opposite of obedience) - , we come to a list of names and numbers. In this first part of the chapter, there is nothing of any note. Perhaps, …

"Jurassic Park" – a modern ‘Tower of Babel’

Genesis 11 * "Scientists can become so fascinated by what they could do that they do not even stop to think about whether they should." (Dr Ian Malcolm). * "God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs" (Dr Ian Malcolm). * "I was overwhelmed by the power of …

Cain, Abel and Christ

Genesis 4:1-16 We read about Cain and Abel. We look beyond them to Christ. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He is "the Passover Lamb." He "has been sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). We read …

From a self-centred life to a God-centred life

They said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth’ (Genesis 11:4). Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!  Take words with you and …