Genesis 1-20

I figured I'd share my pondering and what I wrote down as I read through. This way if I lose the notebook I'll still have the information. Don't expect it to always makes sense.

1:1 What hope there is in these first four words. "In the beginning, God" Our creator has always been there. He created the beauty of the world and ordained its fall.

1:2 God calls light out of darkness. Prayer: Lord call my soul out of darkness into light.

1:26 "Us" For all eternity God has existed in perfect unity as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without any need or want.

1:28 Man is the first creature that God blesses. The first blessings are children and dominion.

1:30 All creation was created as vegetarians.

2:3 The next blessing of God in on the Sabbath.

2:23 Man's first poem is about his bride.

2:24 this marriage decree gives the reason for the law against adultery.

3:3 Eve is dumb.

3:6 Adam was with Eve when she was deceived. He let her lead and when he stopped leading the fall came.

3:10 I want to hear the sound of God in the Garden!

3:14 The first curse of God was against the serpent.

3:15 Promise of redemption is shown.

3:16 the harmony in marriage is broken.

3:17-19 Because of Adam's sin, God curses the ground and he is told of his death.

3:21 First reference to animals dying (use of skins)

3:24 Cherubim traditional protect the holiness of God. Here the protect the garden.

4:1 sex, conception, ad birth

4:2-4 First example of God's demand for sacrifices.

4:4 God knew the heart of Abel be that of a worshiper.

4:7 First use of term sin.

4:7 God tells Cain sin is after him. Shows the aggressive nature of sin. Sin is not passive.

4:8 Cain kills Abel.

4:11 Again the ground is cursed.

4:14 Obviously society is forming with many more people being born than those mentioned.

4:13 Cain responds with self-pity not repentance.

4:19 Lamech celebrates his sin in song. (This is only the second use of verse and it is already corrupted to glorify sin rather then God)

4L19 Lamech is the first polygamist mentioned.

4:26 Seth and his son Enoch start the first revival as people begin to call on the name of the Lord.

5:3 Seth is the likeness of Adam and Man is the likeness of God.

5:21-28 are there two genealogies with Enoch, Methuselah and Lamech?

5:32 Noah is the old father at 500.

6:4 Nephalim not the "sons of God." The are probably spiritual offspring of Satan with demonic powers.

6:4 Nephalim are possibly around after the flood (?)

6:5 Total Depravity-EVERY deed was evil

6:15 Why did Moses include this detail for the ark?

6:19 "of ever sort" not all

7:3 God desired more clean animals for food and sacrifice.

7:4 Noah was on the Ark seven days before the rain began.

7:16 God shuts Noah in the ark.

8:20 the first altar is mentioned.

8:21 God promises not to curse the ground again because of man.

8:21 God proclaims the evil of man's heart from his youth.

8:22 God promises never to destroy everything again as long as the remains.

9:1-2 God give Noah and his sons the same blessing as Adam and Eve - children and dominion.

9:3 God gives animals to be eaten

9:6 God demands the life of a murderous man.

9:9 God establishes the fist covenant.

10:5 people spread and languages change.

10:8 Nimrod, a mighty man, hunter before the Lord. Seems to run rebellious kingdom

10:25 Peleg - the earth was divided.

11:1 Babel seems to occur before the spread since there was only one language.

11:4 "name for ourselves" shows their pride and arrogance.

11:4 The purpose of the tower to keep them from dispersing, caused their dispersion.

12:3 God plans redemption through Abram.

12:7 Abram builds altar consecrating the promised land.

13:4 Abram returns to the first altar.

13:6 We move from famine to such great blessing that the land can't handle it.

13:15 God promises all the land to Abram "forever" hence Israel 1949

13:18 Abram builds a third altar consecrating the land.

14:12 Lot, who keeps moving closer to Sodom, is captured.

14:18 El Elyon - God Most High

14:18 Melchizedek (meaning king of righteousness) has come to know the true God

14:23 Abram did not desire that the king of Sodom could say he gave Abram his wealth.

15:1 First of many "fear nots"

15:1 The Lord is Abram's shield.

15:13 God tells Abram of Egyptian enslavery for 400 years.

15:14 God plans great possessions for Israel.

15:15 Abram is told he will dies peacefully and old.

15:18 Abram sleeps as God makes His covenant with him.

16:3 Sarai (like Eve) takes leadership and Abram sins.

16:5 Big surprise Sarai is upset that Hagar is pregnant.

16:12 The future of Ishmael and those that come from him is told. How clear is this prophesy seen in Islam today.

16:13 A God of seeing - only use

17:1 God Almighty

17:5 Abram becomes Abraham. This barren aged couple is the father of a multitude of nations.

Note: There is no if...then statement in either the Noatic or Abrahamic covenant. It is all God's work of redemption by His grace alone.

17:10 circumcision('m not sure if circumcision of the heart is less painful, but it sure makes me cringe less)

-this covenant is made in the flesh even though it is "everlasting"

17:14 The uncircumcised are cut off from the people of God.

17:15 Sarai becomes Sarah. Both names mean princess. Sarai might mean the nobility she came from and Sarah is about the nobility that shall come.

17:18-19 The Lord sovereign elects Isaac and not Ishmael.

17:23 Ishmael receives the sign of the covenant through circumcision.

18:1 The Lord appears to Abraham (Christ?)

18:3 Three men are there, but Abraham refers to them as "O Lord"

18: 9-10 The term "they" is used, but in the next verse "Lord" is used.

18:12 Sarah laughs.

18:14 "Is anything to hard for the Lord" NO! Amen

18:24-33 wondering if this is where the phrase "jewed him down" begins (I hate that phrase)

19:1 Two angels-perhaps of the three men, the other was the Lord that spoke to Abraham

19:2 Lot invites the angels in

19:4 "To the last man" everyman in this town was wicked.

19:8 Lot offers his daughter instead of the men (maybe this is why they are so screwed up)

19:10 angels rescue Lot "shut the door"

19:11 the men are struck blind.

19:14 Lots sons-in-laws would not heed the warning and were destroyed.

19:16 Lot lingers but the angels "seize him" (God's determination to save Lot)

19:21 Lot flees back to Zoar

19:24 God rains sulphur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah and all the valley

19:26 Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt (Lord give me faith to believe)

19:29 Abraham's faith saved Lot.

19:30 Lot goes from abundance to living in a cave

19:31 Lot's daughters are messed up!

20:2 Abraham lies about Sarah again. This woman is over 90 and still got men wanting her body.

20:6 God keeps Abimelech from sinning.

20:14 though Abraham lied Abimelech offers gifts to Abraham.

20:17 After the gifts are given to wombs of the women of Abimelech's family are opened. Apparently Abraham and Sarah were here for a while.