Milo

Genesis

INTRODUCTION
Genesis is the first of five books written by Moses during the Exodus period, about 1450-1400 B.C. Using as sources direct revelation from God and the written and oral traditions of his people, Moses surveyed history from the Creation to his own day.
The Book of Genesis is divided into two parts. Genesis 1–11 tells of God’s dealings with the whole human race from Creation to the time of Abraham, about 2100 B.C. Genesis 12 introduces a vital theme. God makes a covenant with one man and with his descendants. God will work through this man, Abraham, and his family, Israel, to reveal himself to humanity and ultimately to provide a salvation available to all.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
I.
God’s Dealings with the Human Race
Gen. 1–11
A. Creation
Gen. 1–2
B. The Fall
Gen. 3–5
C. The Flood and aftermath
Gen. 6–11
II.
God’s Dealings with Abraham’s Family
Gen. 12–50
A. Abraham
Gen. 12–25
B. Isaac
Gen. 22–27
C. Jacob and Esau
Gen. 25–36
D. Joseph
Gen. 37–50

Genesis

JANUARY 1 Reading 1
THE CROWN OF CREATION
Genesis 1–2

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Gen. 1:31).

Each day’s work of Creation closes with the divine evaluation, “it was good.” Only the work of the sixth day, on which the Lord created humanity, earned ultimate approval—“very good.”

Overview
God created the heavens and the earth (1:1). The orderly process described here moves from formation of a unique setting for life (vv. 3–19), to populating earth with animal life (vv. 20–25), to the creation of beings in God’s own image (vv. 26–27). Man, the crown of the completed Creation, is destined for dominion (vv. 28–31). Genesis 2 returns to examine more closely these beings intended to be the crown of God’s Creation.

Understanding the Text
Create Gen. 1:1. The Hebrew word bara˒ does not mean to “make something out of nothing.” It means to begin or originate a sequence of events. Genesis affirms that God is the cause of all that exists. God, not chance, originated all life and uniquely shaped human beings. Contemplating God as Creator is a source of great comfort.

“Formless and empty” Gen. 1:2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that, left alone, any system will decay. Yet our earth contains life-forms that are highly organized and complex, far from the “formless and empty” state this universal law of nature predicts.
In Russia Dr. Boris P. Dotsenko, then head of the nuclear physics department in the Institute of Physics in Kiev, began to think seriously about the nature of the universe. “It suddenly dawned on me,” he wrote later, “that there must be a very powerful organizing force counteracting the disorganizing tendency within nature, keeping the universe controlled and in order. This force could not be material; otherwise it too would become disordered. I concluded that this power must be both omnipotent and omniscient. There must be a God—one God—controlling everything” (Larry Richards, It Couldn’t Just Happen [Fort Worth: Sweet, 1989], p. 17).
Later, in Canada for further studies, Dr. Dotsenko picked up a Bible. There he met the God he had decided must exist, and became a Christian.

“The first day” Gen. 1:5. Christians debate the implications of “day” in Genesis 1. Some believe “day” is used loosely to indicate an age. Others, noting the “morning and evening” mentioned in the text, conclude a 24-hour day is intended. Even here there is debate. Were the 24-hour days consecutive? Or might they have been separated by millions of years?
Scripture does little to satisfy our scientific curiosity. Why? Perhaps because it is “by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Heb. 11:3). Even if the details were known, those without faith would scoff and still hold fast to their fancies.
But there is another reason as well. Genesis calls us to look beyond the material to the immaterial-beyond the Creation to the Creator. Nothing should distract us from the reflection of God that we see in what He has made.

“Let there be” Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, etc. All but one of God’s creative acts was accomplished by the simple expedient of speaking the word. The psalmist picks up this theme and cries, “He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm” (Ps. 33:9). The echoes of God’s speech still are heard in the creation that then sprang into being. Psalm 19 says that “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” It adds that “there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard” (vv. 1–3).
Creation’s witness to the existence of God is a cornerstone of Paul’s argument that human beings have wandered far from God. In Romans 1:20–21 Paul says that “since the Creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” They are without excuse because “although they knew God, they neither glorified Him nor gave thanks to Him.”
What a reminder for you and me. As we walk by the seashore, gaze in wonder at the stars, or smell the fragrance of a flower, we are to sense God speaking to us through His creation. And, seeing Him, we are to worship and give thanks.

“Let them rule” Gen. 1:26. The concept of dominion stated here is not a “right to use” but an “obligation to guard and protect.” Modern man’s responsibility for earth’s ecological well-being is stated here in Genesis, long before “advances” in modern science threatened the balance of nature.

“Fruitful and multiply” Gen. 1:28. The Bible maintains a positive, healthy attitude toward human sexuality. Sexual intercourse was not, as some have wrongly taught, the “apple” Adam and Eve were forbidden to taste! Here we find evidence, long before the Fall, that God has always intended human beings to enjoy and to use their sexual capacities.

“Good” Gen. 1:10, 12, etc. The Hebrew word used here has a wide range of meanings, from attractive and pleasing to beneficial and useful. God created our universe for a purpose. As it was originally constituted, the universe and all in it were ideally suited to display God’s glory and to accomplish His purposes. The tragedy of sin, introduced in Genesis 3, has warped original Creation. Even so, the beauty and value God invested in it can still be seen.

“Let Us” Gen. 1:26. Some suggest the plural word, Elohim, used here of God, is a “plural of majesty.” As human royalty at times speaks of “we” when “I” is intended, so God is said to refer to Himself as plural. Christians, however, see in this earliest expression evidence that Scripture’s one God exists in the three Persons fully unveiled only in the New Testament.

“A Garden in the east” Gen. 2:8. The Genesis description of Eden is significant. God not only designed Eden for beauty (v. 9), but also to occupy the time and the talents of the beings God intended to place in charge. The Garden reflects the fact that man truly does bear God’s image. Like God, Adam could accomplish meaningful work (v. 15). Like God, Adam had a capacity to create (v. 19). Like God, Adam also had freedom of moral choice (v. 16). God did not plant the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” to trap Adam, but to give him the opportunity to choose that which was right and good, even as God chooses to do good.

“Suitable helper” Gen. 2:20. The phrase does not imply inferiority, for the same Hebrew word (˒ezer) is used to identify God as man’s helper in Psalm 33:20 and several other passages. Surely God is not inferior to man because He offers us help!
Actually “suitable helper” teaches the full equality of women with men. It indicates that in Eve, in contrast with all in the animal kingdom, Adam found a being who fully shared his nature and thus could relate to Adam physically, intellectually, and spiritually.

“From the rib” Gen. 2:22–25. The Jewish rabbis early noted that the mode of woman’s creation is significant. If Eve had been made of the original clay, Adam might have viewed her as a secondary and inferior creation. By shaping Eve from Adam’s own substance, God affirmed the full identity of men and women as persons who bear the divine image. Adam saw the implications immediately and accepted them fully. Eve was welcomed as “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.”
What a lesson here for Christians to take to heart!

DEVOTIONAL
The Image and Likeness of God
(Gen. 1:26–27)
One of the most stunning expressions found in Scripture lies here in Genesis 1. “Let Us,” God says, “make man in Our image, in Our likeness.” And the text continues, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
The two Hebrew words used here to define the human essence are selem, meaning “image” or “representation,” and demut, which implies comparison. When linked they make a decisive theological statement. The essence of human nature can only be understood by comparison with God Himself. We can never understand man by referring back to some supposed emergence from prehistoric beasts. In a totally unique creative act, God gave Adam not only physical life but also personhood—his own capacity to think, to feel, to evaluate, to love, to choose, as a self-aware individual.
The Genesis account itself emphasizes human uniqueness. All other aspects of Creation were called into being by God’s spoken word. Yet for man God stooped to personally fashion a physical body, and then gently, lovingly infused that body with life. In order that there should be no mistaking God’s intent, God fashioned Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. Genesis is clear. Adam and Eve share the same substance. They participate alike in the image and likeness given to beings alone.
This account does more than explain man’s origins. It has the power to shape our most basic attitudes toward ourselves and others.
Consider. If I am made in the image of God, then I must have worth and value as an individual. It’s irrelevant to compare myself with others if my essential being can be understood by comparison with God! Knowing God made me in His image, I learn to love and to value myself.
Have you ever noticed how we handle things we value? We wear the new watch or pin proudly. When we lay it aside, we do so carefully, putting it in a drawer where it won’t be damaged or harmed. If you and I grasp the value of being created in God’s image and likeness, we will come to appreciate ourselves too. We’ll refuse to be degraded by others, and we will reject temptations that would harm us physically or spiritually. Because we bear the image and likeness of the Creator, we are too significant to mar.
Consider. If others are made in the image and likeness of God, they must have worth and value as individuals, whatever weaknesses they display. When I understand that every human being shares the image-likeness of God, I will treat others with respect. I learn to overlook failures and to communicate love. I realize that the existence of God’s image-likeness, however distorted by sin, means that the other person can respond, as I have, to the love of God displayed in Jesus Christ. So I reach out to him or her in love.
Consider. If men and women truly share the image and likeness of God, each must have a worth and value that is independent of sex, race, or social status. When I truly understand that every human being shares with me God’s image and likeness, I begin to set aside the prejudices that drive so much of human behavior. I learn to see women as people and appreciate all they have to contribute in the family, the workplace, and the church. I become color-blind, and set aside categories like black and white, rich and poor, and begin to treat each person I meet with respect and affection.
When this happens, I have learned the lesson of Genesis 1:26–27, and begun to understand how precious others are to the God who made them, and who made me.

Personal Application
“Lord, help me to look at others with new eyes. Enable me to see each person as You do, and in practical ways to communicate respect and love.”

Quotable
“Remember that sharing means more than cutting a piece of cake in two equal slices. It involves your whole attitude toward the other person. Remember all the ways you are equal persons in God’s estimation; then equalize your life to fit His opinion, not that of society around you.” -Pat Gundry

INTRODUCTION
THE VALUE OF A DEVOTIONAL COMMENTARY

The Bible is an exciting book. It’s not simply a book of history or of doctrine. Nor is it a guide to moral living. The Bible is a love letter, a message from God to the whole human race, and to you. In Scripture God speaks with a very personal voice, sharing just the information you and I need to understand to develop a personal relationship with the Lord, and to deepen that relationship.
In the Scripture, God’s voice speaks to us with encouragement, with comfort, with guidance, and at times with rebuke. For our every experience, for every situation, God has a personal word in His Word for you and for me.
It’s this, the voice of God, His personal word to us as we live our daily lives, that this Devotional Commentary is designed to help you hear. Book after book, chapter after chapter, paragraph after paragraph, the personal meaning of the Scriptures are explained. As you read through the Bible, guided by this unique devotional commentary, you will become more sensitive to God’s voice, and hear Him speaking to you in His Word.

This 365-Day Devotional Commentary covers the entire Old and New Testaments, with a clear focus on what each book and passage is saying to you, personally. The 365-Day Devotional Commentary divides the Bible into 365 daily readings, so that you can cover the whole Bible in a year.
The Commentary guides each day’s reading by (1) giving you an overview of the whole passage, (2) giving background information on history, the meaning of key words, etc., to deepen your understanding of the passage, and (3) providing a commentary on chapters you read which will help you focus on the personal meaning of God’s Word for today.

PLAN B:
Variety Reading Plan: Alternate OT and NT readings

Keep your reading of Scripture fresh by balancing readings from the Old and New Testaments. Plan “B” readings follow the chart (below), and keep your devotional reading stimulating and invigorating. Each week or two you’ll explore a different facet of God’s Word: sampling the Prophets, tracing narrative history, journeying with Jesus, listening to the teaching of the Apostles, worshiping with the psalmist. In the span of a single year you’ll read the entire Bible, yet each month will be filled with exhilarating variety and unexpected insights.

Question: Is Luke 16:19-31 a parable? We are told it is and that it has no reference to an after life.

Answer: This most certainly is not a parable. The certain rich man of Luke 12:16 is said to be a parable, but not here. People are not usually named in parables, like this account where the beggar was named Lazarus. Those who would make this a parable with a symbolic meaning are only those who do not believe in the realities of life hereafter. This account clearly teaches what happened at that time to those who died lost and those who died saved. Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom (a place of comfort Luke 12:25). The rich man lifted up his eyes in hell, being in torment. Luke 12:23-24. It is clear from this , ‘that “hell” or “hades” was a place in the heart of the earth where departed souls (not bodies) went, waiting the resurrection. It was composed of two compartments; one, a place of torment for the lost, the other a place of comfort for the saved.

There was a great gulf fixed so there was no crossing over from one to the other. When Jesus died His soul went down into hell (Abraham’s bosom) Acts 2:31 while His body lay in the tomb. In resurrection God did not leave His soul in hell neither did His body see corruption in the tomb. When he arose it would seem from (Ephesians 4:8) that He lead a multitude of captives back to heaven with Him. We now read that the “spirits of just men made perfect” are in heaven, Hebrews 12:24.

The Bible teaches that since the resurrection of Christ to “be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:6 and 2 Corinthians 5:8). The teaching of our Lord in Luke 16:19 is that there is life after death and that those who are unsaved enter into a state of misery waiting the resurrection of their bodies to be cast both body and soul into hell. Matthew 10:28 and Revelation 20:15. How important it is then to be saved. The same Jesus that says “Come unto me” now will say “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire” then. Matthew 25:41 If you will heed His “Come” you will never hear His “Depart” Acts 16:31.

Harold Smith 

Is the soul conscious after death? This is not a new question. For centuries there have been certain religionists who have contended that the soul existed after death but that it was not conscious. Upon investigation, some of you may be surprised to know of the wide-spread belief in the teaching of the sleeping of the soul. Because of the universal interest in the whereabouts of the dead, false sects prey upon the public, claiming complete knowledge of the subject. Such groups as Jehovah’s Witnesses, spiritualists and others have spread the sophistical conclusion that at death the body returns to dust and the soul becomes unconscious.

Such statements as the following are but a few of the distortions and perversions of the Holy Scriptures that have to do with the soul after death. “At death, it is not the body but the soul which dies.” “The interim from death until the soul is resurrected is one of unconsciousness.” “Even the apostles were unconscious for centuries.” These assertions are being made by the advocates of the teachings of Russell and Rutherford, but they are the views of the men themselves, imposed upon the Holy Scriptures. These ideas were read into the Bible, but were never in the mind of the inspired writers.

Man Is Created to Endless Existence 

Every human being enters the world possessed with endless existence. It is true that at death the soul is separated from the body. It is not consistent with the teaching of the Bible to say that at death the soul lapses into a state of complete unconsciousness or even into a deep sleep. If at first glance it would seem that the Bible teaches this, then we will do well to examine those passages where death is referred to as sleep. The few texts that mendacious scholars have dislodged from their context in order to prove that physical death is the cessation of all consciousness can be easily and understandingly explained when interpreted in the light of the many other passages that deal with this subject.

In Ecclesiastes we read “The dead know not anything” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Certainly we all agree that a dead and deteriorating body has absolutely no consciousness of anything past, present, or future. But are the advocates of “soul-sleep” justified in using the above text as evidence of the unconscious state of the soul after death? We believe that this method using a text to support a false theory that elsewhere is denied in Scripture, proves that those who stoop to such methods either are untruthful or deficient. Those who teach “soul-sleep” will find it quite difficult to harmonize their views with other statements that are made by the same writer of Ecclesiastes:

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

All go unto one place; for all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again (Ecclesiastes 3:20).

Now we know that this verse is speaking of the body, for in the next verse we read:

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward? (Ecclesiastes 3:21).

Only Man’s Body Dies (or sleeps)

In Scripture we read that man sleeps, but the sleep always is identified with the body. Never once does the Bible refer to the soul sleeping. Where some fall into danger is in identifying man merely with his body and in ignoring the fact that he is a triune being. Man is a trinity; body, soul and spirit. Now the body is not the whole man. Therefore it cannot be concluded that the death of the body is the death of the whole man.

Another misconstrued verse is found in the prophecy of Daniel where we read:

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).

Some scholars question whether this verse has anything to do with physical resurrection. Dr. A. C. Gaebelein in his commentary on Daniel says that if physical resurrection were taught in this verse, the passage would clash with the revelation concerning resurrection in the New Testament, for there is no general resurrection for the righteous and wicked together. “We repeat the passage has nothing to do with physical resurrection. Physical resurrection is, however, used as a figure of the national revival of Israel in that day. They have been sleeping nationally in the dust of the earth, buried among the Gentiles. But at that time there will take place a national restoration, a bringing together of the house of Judah and of Israel. 

It is the same figure as used in the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. This vision is employed by men who have invented the theory of a second chance and larger hope for the wicked dead to back up their evil teaching; but anyone can see that it is not a bodily resurrection, but a national revival and restoration of that people. Their national graves, not literal burying places, will be opened and the Lord will bring them forth out of all the countries into which they have been scattered. The same distinction holds good which we have already pointed out. The great mass of Jews, who cast their belief in God and His Word to the winds, who accepted the man of sin and acknowledged the wicked King, will face everlasting contempt, but the remnant will possess all things promised to them and become the heirs of that Kingdom, which is prepared from the foundation of the world. And besides the national blessing which they receive, they will be in possession of everlasting life, for they are born again.” We have given this rather lengthy quotation for the reason that some readers may not be acquainted with this view.

However, even if the above interpretation of verse two is not correct, but a physical resurrection is intended, certainly Daniel would not be referring to anything except the resurrection of the body. We are not to conclude for his body.

I recently attended the funeral Mass of a dear Catholic lady. It was a sad occasion. In the last weeks of her life, I had tried to share the good news of Jesus Christ with her. I told her of God’s free offer of eternal life and encouraged her to read the Gospel of John, supplying her with a Bible. She said she believed in Christ, but I had my doubts. When she was asked about salvation, her reply was always a confused mixture of Christ and self, faith and works, grace and merit. The Bible I had given her was never opened. Nevertheless, when a person is dying, one hopes for the best, knowing God to be gracious and merciful.

What little confidence I had that she might personally know Christ evaporated at her funeral. Father Harry, her parish priest, told the congregation of his last visit to see her. He was struck by how she had boldly faced death. As he entered her room, she looked him straight in the eye, saying, “I know I am dying. I have only a short time to live.” She then made her last request, saying, “Give me the works, Father.”

Father Harry knew exactly what she meant: confession, communion, and the anointing of the sick. The trilogy of sacraments known as the Last Rites. “The works,” as she put it.

Sadly, in Father Harry’s report of their conversation, there was no mention of the Worker, the Lord Jesus who gave His life for us on the cross. There was no reference to His finished work or of God’s free offer of salvation. No, the priest gave her what she requested, “the works,” and she died peacefully a few days later, thinking she was right with God. As with so many Catholics, the sacraments of the Church had lulled her into a false confidence, and she quietly slipped into the next life and the judgment that awaits.

Her funeral clearly presented Rome’s false gospel, as does every Catholic funeral Mass.
Even the Scripture readings used in the rite can be misleading.

I remember my mother’s funeral. My family asked if I would be willing to read the Scriptures. It was a kind, well-intentioned gesture, my family being fully aware of my rejection of the Roman Catholic faith. I wanted to honour my mother and please my family, but not willing to participate in a Catholic Mass, I had to decline.

Some were angered, but I held my ground. I could not take part in a Catholic Mass even by reading the Scriptures. The unbiblical worship of bread and wine and the alleged sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the living and the dead that take place at every Mass precluded my participation.

My mother’s funeral confirmed that I had made the right decision. There I learned that the “Scriptures” I had been asked to read weren’t Scriptures at all. They were the Catholic Apocrypha, having been selected from the Book of Wisdom. The passage heralded Rome’s false gospel that good people go to heaven:

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken from misery: And their going away from us, for utter destruction: but they are in peace. And though in the sight of men they suffer torments, their hope is full of immortality. Afflicted in a few things, in many they shall be well rewarded: because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself. (Wisdom 3:1-5)

The inspired Scriptures speak to the contrary: No one is personally worthy of God (Romans 3:10-12). It is only in Christ that one can stand blameless before a holy God and be accepted (Ephesians 1:3-8; Jude 24).

I thank God that despite the false gospel proclaimed at my mother’s Catholic funeral, she died with a true knowledge of both her own sinfulness and God’s perfect solution. In the weeks preceding her death, she had put her faith in Christ who died for her, taking her punishment (Mark 10:45). Shortly before my mother died, she carefully wrote out a sinner’s prayer. Her hope was that her family would clearly know where the hope of salvation lay. It read:

Lord Jesus! I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

That this is not the Roman Catholic gospel can be clearly seen in the Church’s funeral liturgy. There eternal salvation is presented as a merited reward to be received by worthy people. Consider, for example, the selection of prayers provided by the Catholic Church to tailor the funeral rite to the particular circumstances of the deceased. If the person (we will call him John) had been a Catholic priest, the liturgy instructs the minister conducting the funeral to pray:

Lord God, you chose our brother John to serve your people as a priest and to share the joys and burdens of their lives. Look with mercy on him and give him the reward of his labours, the fullness of life promised to those who preach your holy Gospel. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer asks God to give the deceased priest what he deserves, “the reward of his labours,
the fullness of life.”

Should the deceased be even more deserving, a bishop, for example, the liturgy instructs
the minister to pray: 

Almighty and merciful God, eternal Shepherd of your people, listen to our prayers and grant that your servant, John, our bishop, to whom you entrusted the care of this Church, may enter the joy of his eternal Master, there to receive the rich reward of his labours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This is another give-him-what-he-deserves prayer, asking God to allow the bishop to “. . . enter the joy of his eternal Master, there to receive the rich reward of his labours.”
The same kind of prayer is found in the funeral rite of a pope:

O God, from whom the just receive an unfailing reward, grant that your servant John, our Pope, whom you made vicar of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may rejoice forever in the vision of your glory, for he was a faithful steward here on earth of the mysteries of your forgiveness and grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer asks God to grant the deceased pope the reward of rejoicing forever “in the vision of your glory.” The pope should receive this privilege not because he trusted the blood of Christ to save him, but because the deceased pope “was a faithful steward.”

One might wonder what the writers of the liturgy would do if called upon to compose a prayer for the funeral of a genuine, poor lost sinner with no merits of his own. Ironically, the funeral liturgy provides one such prayer. It is for a person who has ended his life by his own hand.
Suicide is generally considered to be a mortal sin. The prayer reads:

God, lover of souls, you hold dear what you have made and spare all things, for they are yours. Look gently on your servant John, and by the blood of the cross forgive his sins and failings.

This prayer drops all pretence of the sinner deserving heaven. It pleads the biblical basis for forgiveness: the blood of Christ (Revelation 1:5). Tragically, however, the message is too late for the deceased. After death comes judgment (Hebrew 9:27). And even “the works” won’t get a Catholic into heaven who hasn’t trusted Christ in this life, renouncing dependence for salvation upon the Catholic Church, the sacraments, good works, and personal righteousness.