In Exodus 1 & 2, the 2nd generation of Israelites are multiplying in spite of the fierce oppression they are facing daily. Fear sets into the King of Egypt and orders the midwives to kill any newborn boys. The midwives will not. They fear God more than man and are blessed in their own personal lives because of it. Moses is born and his mom places him in a basket in the river with hopes he'll be able to live. The princess happens upon him, her heart melts, and he is adopted. When Moses grows ...
Nov 21, 2022•15 min
In Genesis 50, Joseph mourns the loss of his father alongside his brothers. His brothers freak out and think that now that their dad has passed, Joseph will get back at them for what they did to him so many years ago. Even though it has been 17 years since Joseph forgave them, they still don't fully trust his forgiveness. They limit the forgiveness of their brother. Joseph reassures them they are truly fully forgiven and that what they meant for evil, God used for good and saved thousands of liv...
Nov 20, 2022•10 min
In Genesis 49, Jacob gives his final words and blessings to his 12 sons. God's blessing is passing from Jacob to his 12 sons who become the nation of Israel. He speaks to what he sees in them and what is ahead for them and God's plan for the world. He speaks of the coming of Jesus, our Messiah, and declares his trust in God for salvation in the midst of all of this. God's faithfulness is seen in Joseph and his life and how he prevailed through it all. Jesus is returning and will also prevail and...
Nov 19, 2022•15 min
In Genesis 47 & 48, Joseph introduces his family to Pharaoh. He presents them to Pharaoh's throne as if they are outstanding, upright men. Much the same, Jesus presents us to God's throne completely faultless with no condemnation if we believe and accept Jesus as our Savior. The famine is continuing through Egypt and Canaan. They've totally run out of money to buy any more grain from Joseph. He develops a plan to provide food for them through their land and livestock so they are able to cont...
Nov 18, 2022•15 min
In Chapter 45 & 46, Joseph reveals who he is to his brothers. He assures them in full mercy and grace that all is well. There is nothing but forgiveness in Joseph as he speaks with his brothers. There is no anger or vengeance. Forgiveness breaks chains that bind us down and brings forth grace, mercy, love, and unity. He gives God all the glory and recognizes this was God's plan and purpose for his life all along - to save the nations from this famine. He tells them to go tell his father the ...
Nov 17, 2022•14 min
In Genesis 44, Joseph's brothers are about to leave but there's one problem with that - they have not yet repented. Joseph again presses them by returning the money they paid for the grain back to each of their bags and also puts his cup in Benjamin's bag. He loves his family and wants to make sure they are taken care of. He doesn't want them to pay for their grain. Just like God's grace cannot be purchased. It's a free gift to us from God because He loves us so much and wants us taken care of e...
Nov 16, 2022•9 min
In Genesis 43, the brothers return to Joseph since they again run out of grain. Reluctantly, and only with faith, hope, and trust in God, Jacob agrees to let Benjamin go with. This famine is rough and lasts 7 years, much like the coming 7 years of tribulation and trials that will be needed to encourage God's people to return to Jesus. They freak out a bit when they get there and Joseph invites them in for a feast. An unnamed steward welcomes them in and calms their nerves. He assures them the mo...
Nov 15, 2022•11 min
In Genesis 42, Jacob has now believed the lie that his son Joseph has been dead for the last 20 years. Joseph's brothers go to Egypt for grain due to the huge famine and are face to face with Joseph but don't recognize him. Joseph uses that to his advantage to press them. He wants to know if their hearts have changed as well as whether or not his brother Benjamin is still around. He tells them one of them could return to their home but is not allowed to return to Egypt without his brother Benjam...
Nov 14, 2022•11 min
In Genesis 41, Pharaoh has two dreams back to back that disturb him and no one can tell him what they mean. God reminds the cup-bearer of Joseph because God's time has arrived and Joseph's day and life are about to be turned upside down. Joseph tells Pharaoh the dreams mean 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of famine and also lays out a plan of how to make it through the famine years. Pharaoh sees a lot more than wisdom in Joseph, he sees the Spirit of God. God's Spirit should be evident ...
Nov 13, 2022•13 min
In Genesis 39 & 40, Joseph is working as a slave in Potiphar's house and is honored by God and blessings follow him. Potiphar's wife tries to tempt him but Joseph refuses her and refuses to commit this sin against God. He is falsely accused and thrown into prison. God again honors him and is with him through it all. He is committed to being a kick-butt slave and prisoner and intentionally brings God into every conversation. Awareness of God in all things changes how you look at things. God i...
Nov 12, 2022•14 min
In Chapter 38, Judah has 3 sons and promises Tamar marriage to his eldest son who is struck dead by God because he's so evil. The 2nd son in line is the next runner up but lies, disobeys and deceives. He too is taken out by God. Judah gets some cold feet and thinks she's bad luck so he sends her back home with the promise that he'll send for her when his youngest son is old enough. He had no intention of keeping that promise. She realizes this and tricks him into impregnating her by posing as a ...
Nov 11, 2022•10 min
In Genesis 37, we see the destructive forces of favoritism, envy, and hatred bubbling up in Jacob's family. Joseph has dreams of God's plan for his future and his family wants nothing to do with it. God's plan for Joseph includes bringing his brothers into humility and ultimately saving them but they don't know about the saving part and don't want anything to do with the humility part. They make a plan to throw him into a cistern and let him die but then Judah gets a grander idea to sell him off...
Nov 10, 2022•11 min
In Genesis 35 & 36, God calls Jacob back to Bethel, back to the place God became real to him. At times we all need to intentionally go back to our Bethels, back to when the passion of God and the very realness of Him became the fierce burning fire in our spirits and souls. Jacob tells his family to toss away and get rid of all the false idols in their possession. All the soulless, empty foreign gods taking the place of God in their lives. We too need to regularly cleanse ourselves from any f...
Nov 09, 2022•16 min
In Genesis 33 & 34, Jacob and Esau unite and it appears to be a friendly reunion. It seems Esau did indeed make the decision to release the yolk of comparison from his neck. The moment you become dead to everything around you other than God, it no longer matters what anyone else says to you or what anyone else has that you don't. You become dead to affirmations, condemnation, and comparison and alive to Christ and all He has for you. Esau asks Jacob about all the people and livestock with hi...
Nov 08, 2022•14 min
In Genesis 32, Jacob is on his way home. When he left, him and Esau were not on good terms. God has been with him over the last 20 years and he has indeed changed, but he still has to face his past. He is humbly returning and is terrified of Esau's response. He stops in his terror to remind God of the promises He gave over his life. God is not the one who needs reminding, Jacob is . He is able to courageously continue forward in faith and trust in God. He wrestles with God at his lowest point in...
Nov 07, 2022•9 min
Genesis 31, Jacob had been working for Laban for 20 years and tensions are rising. Jacob wants to go home and make a life of his own with his family separate from Laban. Through the 20 years of struggle and hard work, God has been with Jacob and has blessed him. He is trying to leave his trickery behind him but falls into old habits and secretly flees with his wives and children. Laban finds out and catches up to him but God commands him to leave Jacob alone. H does not harm Jacob but he angrily...
Nov 05, 2022•14 min
In Genesis 30, Rachel and Leah enter into a childbearing rivalry. Rachel is upset she has not been able to have any children yet and has Jacob take her servant as a wife to give her some surrogate babies. She feels like she's then winning; however, there are no winners when the battle is driven by envy and jealousy. Leah then gives Jacob her servant as well as a wife so he could have surrogate babies for her too. Eventually, Rachel finally has a baby of her own - Joseph is here! Through their ri...
Nov 03, 2022•10 min
In Genesis 28 & 29, Jacob is sent away to find himself a non-Canaanite wife. Along the way, God speaks the covenant over Jacob when he stops for a rest in Bethel and also shows him a ladder to the heavens that God Himself built connecting us to God in a dream. Jesus actually came down to Earth and died on the cross for us becoming THE ladder connecting and bridging us to God. This dream God gave Jacob is the ultimate event that finally turns his heart to God. Jacob had done nothing good, did...
Nov 02, 2022•16 min
In Genesis 27, Isaac denies God's plan, Jacob lies, and Rebekah refuses to trust God's plan. Jacob tricks his father into giving him Esau's blessing. Thankfully, God's grace is not dependent on our "goodness". Esau cries out in desperation for a blessing as well. He is given a blessing, but it's a proclamation that he will have a hard life full of warring and will always be a servant. At the end of the blessing (vs 40), however, he says "But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke...
Nov 01, 2022•15 min
In Genesis 25 & 26, Abraham passes and Esau and Jacob are born to Rebekah and Isaac. They are fighting and struggling right from the start in the womb. Just like we have an internal struggle daily between our flesh and spirit. Esau sells his birthright for a mere bowl of stew because he's so driven by his intense fleshly desires. It's never a good idea to make important decisions when you're hangry. Isaac makes the same mistakes his father did but God still pours out His blessings on Isaac i...
Oct 30, 2022•15 min
In Genesis 24, we see a beautiful Biblical story of love at first sight. Abraham sends his oldest servant on a God-commissioned mission to find a wife for Isaac. They pray fervently for a successful mission and boy, does God deliver! God leads him square in the face of Rebekah who is quite a beautiful face to see by the way. He watches her silently and also confirms she has impeccable character. The family all talk and they seal the deal. Rebekah left the house for water and came back with a hus...
Oct 29, 2022•21 min
In Genesis 23, Abraham loses Sarah. She was 127 years old when she died and they had lived a full life of tents and altars before God. They were in Canaan living as foreigners. This was the very land God promised Abraham his descendants would be given. He purchases a plot of land at the highest opening bid price and buries Sarah. He essentially makes an investment into the very land God had promised his descendants would claim some day. He paid the highest price for it ensuring he leaves no debt...
Oct 28, 2022•9 min
In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham's faith and asks him to offer his one and only son, who he loves so much and waited 25 years for, as a sacrifice. Abraham knows God's voice, His promises over his life, and that he can trust Him faithfully. Abraham obeys. Just like Jesus carrying His wooden cross on his shoulders, Isaac carries the wood for his sacrifice on his. Just like Jesus rescues us from eternal death, He rescues Isaac. The mountain God directed Abraham to go is believed to be the same area...
Oct 27, 2022•10 min
In Genesis 20 & 21, Abraham again makes the same mistake he made with Pharaoh. He tells a king Sarah is his sister. God again swoops in and tidies up the mess. Even after his boo-boo, God refers to him as a prophet. Our callings and commissions in life with Christ do not change when we make a mistake. We are human, mistakes will happen. Then, Isaac is finally born! The promise they waited for has finally arrived after 25 years of waiting! Unfortunately, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away but no...
Oct 26, 2022•15 min
In Genesis 19, we find a level of sin and wickedness reigning free similar to the days before the flood of Noah's time. God has mercy on Lot and rescues him from the city that is about to be destroyed. Judgment is coming and God is going to rescue the one righteous man remaining. Lot's wife can't seem to let go and looks back instead of urgently running forward in obedience to the direction God sent through His messengers. There's still a lot of sin evident as Lot's daughters take the preservati...
Oct 25, 2022•12 min
In Genesis 18, God visits Abraham and Sarah and lets them know this time next year, they will have a son. Sarah hears and laughs because they are in their 90's. God asks why she laughed and she denies it instead of just being honest with God who always knows the truth, even when we try to hide or deny things. God asks "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" No, nothing is too hard for the Lord. Abraham intercedes for Sodom as God reveals His plans for the city. He needs Abraham to understand God's ...
Oct 24, 2022•10 min
In Genesis chapter 17, Abram and Sarai are brought to higher levels of growth and maturity and God changes their names to Abraham and Sarah as He continually changes them into who He intends them to be. God reiterates the eternal aspect of the covenant and requires circumcision as a sign and seal of the covenant. Noah got a rainbow, Abraham gets circumcision. It shows the MUCH higher level of importance, intimacy, and permanence of the covenant. Just like the sign and seal required is eternal an...
Oct 21, 2022•9 min
In Genesis 15 & 16, Abram chooses to trust God and believe and God calls him righteous - because of his faith, not actions. God then walks Abram through the cutting of the covenant but only God passes through the pieces of dead animals showing it is a unilateral covenant that Abram cannot mess up. It's a promise God will bring forth regardless of any circumstances or mistakes along the way. God will make a way no matter what. In the very next chapter, Sarai gets impatient, intervenes, and ma...
Oct 20, 2022•14 min
In Genesis Chapter 14, a war breaks out and Sodom, where Lot chose to live, is taken. The two men went into the land not asking for a war but life doesn't ask our permission to get crazy on us. Abram hears of the news and swoops in to rescue Lot. The man who kept a close knit walk with God goes and rescues the one who inadvertently wandered into the world. Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High pays a visit to Abram. We don't know much about this king and priest other than ...
Oct 19, 2022•11 min
In Genesis Chapter 12, we have a shift in focus from a global view to zooming in on one man and his family. Abram is chosen as a super-star because he obeys God. Obedience is key. He wasn't perfect but he was obedient. The Abrahamic Covenant is spilled out promising that God will make Abram into a great nation, will bless him and nations would be blessed through him, and God is going to give them the land of Canaan. Abram became God's answer to the sin problem. In Chapter 13, Abram and Lot separ...
Oct 18, 2022•13 min
