52 Weeks in the Word - Week 2
It has been such a rich week of Bible reading! We have been blessed by the dialog in all the groups.
Just a brief recap of the week's chat discussion:
- Giants mentioned in Chapter 6. This brought up many more interesting thoughts.
- Creation and the beautiful gift from the Lord. We are made in His image.
- The various places where we saw examples of Christ or the Gospel, such as with Abraham and Isaac, the three men who came to Abram, and Melchisedek giving his blessing and brought bread and wine.
- Genealogies
- and many more...
We want to encourage you to keep reading! If you find yourself needing to catch up, Sundays are great days to do that since there are no extra readings for that day. Try listening to the Bible with an online app if you find yourself needing a little extra help keeping up. You are NOT behind, just keep going!
Another great way to be encouraged to read further is joining in with your small group chats. Each person has been included in a chat that should be less than 6 people for each group. There are no silly questions. Chances are, if you are thinking about, one of your peers might have questioned the same thing. Lets talk about it! We might not have specific answers for every questions, but it will encourage you and others to dig deeper into God's Word to find those answers. When we dig deeper, we grow deeper with Him!
We also want to encourage you to make comments on the blog with questions you have or perhaps things you are learning through your reading.
Looking ahead to Week 2:
The reading for Week 2 includes: Genesis 29 - 50.
We will finish reading the book of Genesis. In this week's reading we will read about the life of Joseph. If you have siblings who never tried to sell you into slavery, then this week's reading probably will help you appreciate your own siblings that much more. The book of Genesis is packed with excitement and interesting facts. It certainly keeps our attention. We hope you will find the second part of Genesis rich and encouraging.
Sorry for the length of this response but here goes.
ReplyDeleteAncient Hebrew reflection on the creation of WOMAN as a helper to man:
Helper/Ally: Ezer - Root: עֵ֫זֶר (root azer, to help)
(ayin, zayin, resh). [Sounds like: etz-ehr]
In English the word is usually translated as helper. In today's English helper has a diminished meaning but think about it deeper. Remember that in the NT, we're told of the gifts of work in the Kingdom and one was the gift of......Helps.
Back to Hebrew and Genesis:
Latter part of Gen 1 YHWH (God) is wanting to give man an ALLY, one that will come to his side when needed. Pretty much what we see in many churches today, the nurturing spirit of women helping keep the church going and spreading the compassion as needed. Basically, God is saying man needs a Superwoman to allow him to do what God has commissioned him to do.
Man has Primary 'responsibility' to God but that has nothing to do with who is more important as man and woman are both created and equal.
Genesis 2:18
Then YHWH (God) said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [ezer] suitable for him.”
And so God created woman to be an ezer to man.
The word help ('etzra) is used in the same way throughout the Bible. In fact, it is used other times to refer to God as our HELP.
Genesis 1:27- on
Genesis 2:18 & Genesis 2:20
Deuteronomy 33:26,29
Moses' song to the Hebrew people before he dies:
“There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help [b’ezre-ka], and through the skies in His majesty… Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by YHWH, who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread upon their high places.”
Psalm 33:20
Our soul waits for YHWH. He is our help [ezre’nu] and our shield.
Psalm 115:9-11
O Israel, trust in YHWH; He is their help [ezram] and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in YHWH; He is their help [ezram] and their shield.
You who fear YHWH, trust in YHWH; He is their help [ezram] and their shield.
God was not a servant here. He was a rescuer (help) and a defender (shield).
Psalm 121:1-2
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help [ezri] come?
My help comes from YHWH, who made heaven and earth.
So rethink the position of the word Helper as much more than a secondary position
As Lance has already explained in detail, we should not regard the word “helper” as a pejorative in any way, but rather as an enhancement.
DeleteGod knew that Adam was lacking something, and Adam felt it himself. That's why he was so enthusiastic when he saw Eve.
And God created them equally as man and woman, so they both had the same value.
It was only through the fall of man that many things changed. The ground was cursed, the woman was to bear children in pain and the man was to rule over the woman.
So it wasn't like that in paradise, it was a curse because of sin.
If we take this idea further, i.e. that the curse of sin is broken in Jesus, then this curse is also broken in Jesus and in his redemption. Then it can and should be like this in God's kingdom, as Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians: Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Just something to think about: how far-reaching is the redemption we have in Jesus? Does it also extend into our marriage, so that we can live together as equals in unity?
These are both great explanations. This goes with one of the questions I asked earlier: Did the cultures from the Middle East who seem to not view women as an equal partner, gain their mindset from the fall, blaming Eve?
DeleteOk, I have a question. Will the early generations make it into Heaven? If so, what was the atonement for their sins? When did animal sacrifices start? Also, how were they supposed to know what sin was without a written guide?
ReplyDeleteGod made the first sacrifice for atonement. Atonement means 'covering'. He made covering for their nakedness. Animal sacrifices really weren't meant for Israel, it came later in the Moses era for varies reasons. The early generation had the preaching of Adam, then Enoch, Methuselah, Noah.... etc. The NT refers to the Bride and the Guest of the Bride-groom in the world to come. Jesus no doubt preached or prophesied to the souls in 'prison' which was at that time Sheol. They have redemption as well.
DeleteAlso, remember Cain and Abel. There was sacrifices then as well.
DeleteA question to ponder on chapter 35:
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain the significance of Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, who died and was buried under the same tree or same type of tree that Jacob buried the idols?
Seems this is a symbolic shedding of "Jacob". His idols are buried under a tree and left behind. His mother-figure, Deborah is buried under a tree and left behind, and Rachel, who stole and hid her father's idols, was buried on the side of the road and left behind.
ReplyDeleteI made the connection about the idols and Deborah, but not about Rachel. Interesting.
DeleteI would like to respond briefly to the question Matt asked on Monday about whether the early generations make it to heaven. Unfortunately this week was very busy, I did the Bible reading, but there was no time to answer Fragren (I was too tired).
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, we see that the experiences with God were passed on from Adam and Eve, otherwise Cain and Abel would not have wanted to make a sacrifice.
Enoch is explicitly mentioned as having walked with God and that God took him to himself.
Melchizedek is mentioned as a priest of the Most High at the time of Abraham, and I assume that he is also with the Lord. He is also mentioned as a model priest in the letter to the Hebrews.
So yes, individuals from the early generations are in heaven.
For those for whom we do not know, let us take Romans 2:11-16 as a basis:
11 God treats everyone the same.
12 Some people do not know God’s law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God’s law when they sin. They will be judged by the law.
13 Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law.
14 Gentiles do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don’t have the law.
15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them proves this fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty.
16 This will happen on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge people’s secret thoughts. That’s part of my good news.
And another thought that occurred to me about Jacob, who buried the idols and amulets under the Therbinte:
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't he burn them?
Everything we bury can be dug up and brought out again. And that's how many people do it spiritually to this day: they just bury their idols instead of burning them.