Genesis
I love to read and consider scripture but I never know where to start. I have for the longest time wondered what to do. During all my fervor reading the Twilight Saga, I spoke to my brother about wanting to read scripture. He helped me remember a place to start is the plan for reading the Bible in a year, 3 chapters Monday – Saturday, and 5 chapters on Sunday. So I have begun at the beginning and have been doing well. I’ve enjoyed it too, reading the names and trying to connect them. I am even writing my thoughts on things that stick out to me. So for something a little different from my latest posts, here is my scripture “study” thus far. It’s a little choppy but it’s just the train of my thoughts written in my journal.
Chapters 10 – 17 for Saturday and Sunday.
All nations come from Noah, the one descendant of Adam and Eve rescued by the Lord. The descendants of Noah make up chapter 10. They fill the earth and are scattered. Eventually God causes them to speak many languages. The time a man has on Earth decreases. Noah had lived to be some 900 years old. By the time Abraham is 99 he disbelieves he and Sarah would have any sons.
He travels to Egypt. Aren’t they his family if everyone is descended from Noah?? They have forgotten where they came from and people are evil again but God’s covenant with Noah promises he will not destroy the earth again.
Abraham’s first son is Ishmael. Is he the father of Islam or is that Esau? Abraham is supposed to be the common link between Christian’s and Muslims. Ishmael’s mother Hagar is an Egyptian maid servant to Sarah. God tells Hagar Ishmael will be the father of nations and princes. That must be great to hear but God promises Abraham he will be the father of many nations and He will keep a covenant with Isaac. The Lord is doing everything He can to save His people. He begins making rules which should keep them close to His heart, but they/we always go astray. Rule #1 male circumsision. Why?? Is it just a physical difference between His people and others? It’s not necessary for health, as least not now, and it’s painful.
Genesis 19 & 20
There is a lot of incest and deceit going on. The Lord saved Lot and his family from Soddom and Gomorrah’s destruction though they would not save themselves. His sons-in-law thought it was a joke and his wife looked back when told not to. Then the daughter’s are afraid of never meeting a man and having children so they intoxicate their father and bed him! Never meet a man? The only reason they are alive is because their uncle (?Abraham) fought for their righteousness. It seems they had only just been married and had not been with their husbands. Did they know in the past how to track fertility or is it luck or what? How would Lot react? Or the Lord? Lot’s line is furthered but is God not punishing the act? Then Abraham and Sarah do the brother/sister act again and she is nearly had by another man. More is made of this deception than of Lot’s daughters’. The women of the land are punished because of Abimelech’s (ruler of Gerar) ignorant act. It doesn’t seem fair. He is being tricked, his people suffer and Abraham and Sarah received wealth yet again and sent on their way. What’s going on? The men always get angry that they’ve been causing them to nearly take another man’s wife. Do A & S just not believe God’s promise or is he just a coward? Perhaps it is like the sermon Sunday. It does not matter what they are, but what they are becoming – parent’s of a great nation.
Today’s Reading – Chapters 24-26
26:6-11
Isaac lives near Abimelech just like his father. And, just like his father, Isaac fears for his safety on account of his beautiful wife, Rebekah 
. Isaac says he is her brother but was eventually caught “showing endearment to [her].” The men had not touched her and the women had not been punished but Abumelech feared for the guilt they could have felt. He does not ask them to leave but it seems they move outside the city and try to reestablish Abraham’s wells.
26:13 – I find this funny. It speaks of Isaac.
“The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous.”
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