Moses may have written the Book of Genesis during the years of the wilderness wandering to prepare the new generation to enter the land of Canaan. Moses, as a prophet who enjoyed the unusual privilege of unhurried hours of communion with God on Mount Sinai. Moses was well equipped to record for all generations this magnificent account of God's dealings with the human race and the nation of Israel/Jacob.
The early Universal Church, however, held to the conviction that Moses wrote the first book of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Placed at the opening of the Hebrew Scriptures, Genesis is the first of the five Book of Moses, known as the PENTATEUCH. Moses may have finished writing the Book of Genesis not long before his death on Mount Nebo. - Deut. chapter 34 -
In such a crucial historical context, the message of the Book of Genesis would have been of tremendous spiritual help to its first hearers. The 'creation of the world', 'the beginnings of sin and disobedience', 'the principle of judgement and deliverance', the scattering of the nations', 'the call and covenant God made with Abraham', and 'the checkered careers of the first descendants of Abraham'.
The Book of Genesis takes the reader to the moment when the Creator spoke into being the sun, moon, stars, planets, galaxies, plants, moving creatures, and mankind. Those who seek to discredit the Book of Genesis by pointing to alleged discrepancies between religion and science are blind to the 'exalted spiritual' content of this work. If anyone expects to find in Genesis a scientific account of how the world/earth/universe came into existence, with all questions concerning primitive life answered in technical language, he/she will be disappointed. The Book of Genesis is not an attempt to answer such technical questions.
Yahweh/God called Moses, and from the Tent of Meeting addressed him, saying 'Speak to the sons of Israel.' - Lev. 1:1 -
At that time they were reading from the Book of Moses to the people, when they found this written in it, 'The Ammonite and the Moabite shall never be admitted to the assembly of God. - Neh. 13:1 -
And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, 'Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them.' - Matt. 8:4 -
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth. - John 1:45 -
I was blessed with God's help, and so I have stood firm to this day, testifying to great and small alike, saying nothing more than what the prophets and Moses himself said would happen: that the 'Christ' was to suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, He was to proclaim that light now shone for our people and for the pagans too. - Acts 25:22-23 -
This promise is realized in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham through whom peoples of all nations and families may enter into the joy of knowing the God of Abraham. The true 'seed' or descendants of Abraham, apostle Paul affirmed, are not Abraham's physical descendants but those who have the same faith as Abraham.
Merely by belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ you are the posterity of Abraham, the heirs he was promised. - Gal. 3:29 -
Not all those descend from Israel/Jacob are Israel/Jacob; not all the descendants of Abraham are His true children. Remember: It is through Isaac that your name will be carried on, which means that it is not physical descent that decides who are the children of God; it is only the children of the promise who will count as the true descendants. The actual words in which the promise was made were:
I shall visit you at such a time, and Sarah will have a son. Even more to the point is what was said to Rebecca when she was pregnant by our ancestor Isaac, but before her twin children were born and before either had done good or evil.
In order to stress that God's choice is free, since it depends on the one who calls, not on human merit, Rebecca was told: the elder shall serve the younger, or as Scripture says elsewhere: I showed my love for Jacob/Israel and my hatred for Esau. - Romans 9:7-13 - Gen. 21:12; John 8:31-44; Gen. 18:10; Gen. 11:5-6; Gen. 25:23; Matt. 1:1-2 -
At times attention is focused on the men in the Book of Genesis. But women of major significance also appear in the Book of Genesis. Eve is the mother of all living. - Gen. 3:20 - Sarah had a faith that was complementary to Abraham's. - Gen. 21:1-7 - Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah are the mothers of the 12 patriarchs of Israel/Jacob. - Gen. 29:31-30:24; 35:23-26 -
Other religions and philosophies result from the endless human quest for God; Christianity results from God's quest for lost mankind. What can be known of God from nature? God has made Himself known to all people everywhere in the marvels of nature and in the human conscience, which is able to distinguish right from wrong. This knowledge is 'Universal' and continuous, by it God has displayed His glory to everyone.
As valuable as general revelation is for justice, honesty and decency in the world today, nevertheless, it must be completed by the "Good News" of God's mercy and His gracious gift of perfect righteousness. Nature does not show God's plan for saving: those who do wrong, and those who are wicked and evil. The message of salvation was seen dimly throughout Old Testament sacrifices and ceremonies.
This promise is realized in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham through whom peoples of all nations and families may enter into the joy of knowing the God of Abraham and be saved.
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob/Israel,
Jacob/Israel the father of Judah...........
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to Christ. - Matt. 1:1-17 -
The full and final revelation of God has occurred in Christ Jesus. And the Good News is not complete until we witness and hear that Jesus Christ rose again triumphantly over sin, Satan, and the grave, and is alive for ever and ever.
As according to the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, the last book is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that the Lord Jesus Christ could tell His apostles, disciples, teachers, believers and all those who loves God, about the things which are now to take place very soon; God sent His angel to make it known to His servant John, and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the Word of God guaranteed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse depicts the end of the present age and the coming of God's future kingdom. The grand theme of the Book of Revelation is that of two warring powers, God [Creator] and Satan [creature], and God's ultimate victory. It would be.......
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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless.
By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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