January 2nd: GENESIS 3:1-4:26, MATTHEW 2:13-3:6, PSALM 2:1-2:12, PROVERBS 1:7-1:9

Day TWO. I will always post up the reading for each day in a way that you can click on it and read it for yourself.
GENESIS 3:1-4:26, MATTHEW 2:13-3:6, PSALM 2:1-2:12, PROVERBS 1:7-1:9

Genesis 3-4:26

1 So the snake talks! I'm not sure if this is an actual animal talking (there is a story of an actual donkey talking in the bible where they make it clear that it is not a metaphor- so it's not like it's impossible). It could be that animals talked before the fall, like some sort of Narnian world - it could also be that snake is a metaphor of Satan since he is referenced as a snake in other places in the bible where it could be a metaphor. In any case I don't think that detail matters so much. They key here is that Satan was at work through this serpent. He gets the woman to doubt what God is really saying. The first thing he does it twist and change Gods command from not eating just from the tree of knowledge of good and evil to ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’. He likes to toy with the wording. How many times have you heard a passage from the bible misused? Part of why it's so important to know what the bible actually says is because the devil uses the bible a lot to mess with people by twisting Gods words. (When Satan tempted Jesus on His 40 day fast, he did it by misusing scripture.) And he starts doing that right at the beginning in the garden.
2-3 Eve tries to correct the devil, but arguing with one that is set to trip you up is shown here to just cause further confusion. Here Eve, in trying to correct the serpent, actually adds on her own part to the command: ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” Sometimes instead of fleeing a situation when someone is trying to drag us down, we stop to debate and try and rationalize with one who is trying to get us into things we shouldn't. Often it doesn't end well.

4-5 The enemy just ends up persisting and arguing that what God said isn't true. He tempts Eve by saying that she is missing out. He paints God as the bad guy who doesn't want humans to be "like Him". We are in a state of trouble whenever we start imagining that God is not in our corner and we doubt his goodness in our lives- and think He is out to hold us back.

6 Eve is impressed with the visual of the fruit. For visual people like me there is a warning here in that temptation can come through this channel. And it doesn't have to lust for the opposite sex either. Eve also wants wisdom. It's interesting because God is the source of wisdom who she could go to in order to ask for wisdom but she decides this is a quicker route or one that she would rather take even though she has to break a command to do it. Then she drags her spouse into it. I wonder, how often we damage our spouses when we go on a downward spiral?! Men and women alike, when we are on a wrong path - the bible says we are "One" with our husband or wife, so how could it not have an effect? For those that are not married there is still an implication here that our sin doesn't just effect us. We will have an influence over others in lives as well.
7-8 Then the effect of sin hits both of them. Sin always promises results but it never advertises the consequences of those actions. By nature, "sin" is something that is not good for us. It could be a good thing with the wrong timing. This time, they had their eyes opened, but the cost was shame, and the breaking of the sweet unbroken relationship they had with God. They felt naked. They felt like hiding from the one that made them and loved them.

9 God reaches out and asks a question: “Where are you?” Does He ask us today the same question? Where are we at? Is it the place He would have us be in or doesn't He want so much better for us but we find ourselves doing our own thing? Could he be calling us back? I'm noticing he calls out to the man first even though Eve was the first one to take the apple.

10-11 Adam answers God straight forward. He was afraid. Fear comes with the shame & guilt. God questions Him on the effects he listed and asks Him if he broke the command.

12 Now instead of being straight forward he looks to shift blame. The woman "you gave me" told me to eat it. It reminds me of when our kids are bad and I say to my husband "your son" or "your daughter" did this or that....
Earlier Adam was exclaiming how good his wife was. "She is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones!" He was getting their unity. Now he is trying to pull himself from being identified with her and putting the blame on her.

13 God then questions the woman who shifts the blame to the snake.

14 God curses the snake and says he will put a tension and hostility/hatred between him and the woman and between his offspring and hers.
What is the spawn of the devil? Basically all of her offspring and children will have to struggle against the enemy and what he will produce.


verse 15 talks about a "Him" that is a "seed of the woman" who will
crush the snakes head. It talks about the snake striking this seeds heel. Clarkes commentary talks about how this is a prophecy of Jesus right from the start. Crushing Satan's head is an image of destroying the devils "power and lordship over mankind, turning them from the power of Satan unto God; Acts 26:18. And Satan bruises his heel - God so ordered it, that the salvation of man could only be brought about by the death of Christ; and even the spiritual seed of our blessed Lord have the heel often bruised, as they suffer persecution, temptation, etc., which may be all that is intended by this part of the prophecy."


16 Another consequence, of pain in child birth is given. I've experienced my first labor all natural and can testify to that one. Epidural made the second one bearable although still horribly painful. I would love to know what childbirth before the fall would have been like.

Next comment is interesting:
"Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”

As a woman, growing up in church, I am sad to say I have heard some very distorted views that actually say woman should be punished by having a desire for her husband and having him dominate her. Others have told me this means she will want to control her husband but God will put the man in charge because she sinned first.

I found a very interesting and helpful article that takes a less chauvinistic, and more biblical approach. It actually looks at the full context of this verse and makes a lot of sense. I would challenge you to take a look at it: http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/parker-women.shtml
It talks about all of the curses in verses 17-19 and the earlier ones in from 14-16.

Verse 19 ends with "for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Physical death of our bodies.

20 I find it bitter sweet that right at this point Adam takes time to focus on the living... and look at his wife through a positive lens. "Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living." I actually find it a beautiful verse that shows some great qualities about Adam- even though he is typically remembered as the first man to sin, and the guy who points to his wife when he is asked why he sinned. Here he is actually shown as a loving husband- praising his wife and appreciating her, trying to keep his mind on what is good as a result of her.


21 God now makes them clothes! Imagine all the top models who are like "I'm wearing Versace" or "I'm wearing Armani" confronted by Adam and Eve: "I'm wearing God's designer clothing!" Beat that! lol. But seriously, if you ever had an item of clothing as special to you because it was made with love by your grandma or aunt.... how much more special to have items of clothing made by God for you.

22-24 Next comes the sad consequence that they must not be allowed to live forever (as they were originally allowed to do by eating from the tree of life), so they were banished from Eden. What a sad exit. There is a Cherubim with a flaming sword flashing back and forth guarding the way so they can't get to the tree of life. It is interesting in that Cherubims are Angelic beings - or ministering Spirits that tend to be guardians and rank high in position. They are seen worshipping God in scripture. Cherubims in Genesis guard the tree of life, and later in the temple there are two in solid gold made on the mercy-seat covering the ark. They protect the throne and guard the tree of life - the most precious things. The mercy seat in the temple represents forgiveness by the blood of Jesus.

Genesis 4
1-2 Adam & Eve have two children, Cain & Able. 3-5 Each brother makes an offering to God. And God shows favor to Ables offering but not to Cain. We are not told why. People speculate based on what the offerings where. Some feel fruit was not the acceptable offering. Or they speculate that the fat portions of Ables offering was a representative of him giving the best. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. Beyond speculation we can look to many examples in the rest of the bible where God says He likes a cheerful giver, and that God looks at the heart of those who give to Him, rather then their gift. Perhaps this is even reflected in their reactions to Gods displeasure as Cain was not just a little sad but instead "very angry, and his face was downcast." His temper is creeping in. Instead of dealing with the problem of why God rejected it, he gets angry.

6-7 God cares for Cain and confronts him about why he is upset and reaffirm to Cain that if he does what is right he will absolutely be accepted. Here we see God trying to reason with Cain and warn him that his over reaction to the situation is dangerous and that he needs to get his emotions in check or he will be giving the enemy a foothold. "sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” I like how he tries to encourage Cain to take control in a positive way!

8 Very tragically Cain does the exact opposite and waits for the right moment and then attacks his brother so violently that he is murdered.

9 When God confronts Cain about where his brother is he comments about how he is not responsible to "keep" his bro. He puts it in question format, but the application to us, is that we are indeed supposed to be looking out for our brothers. The idea of "to each his own" is a thought about doing your own thing and not caring who it effects. God, however calls us to look out for each other and be constantly considering what is good for the other person!

10-16 God punishes Cain for murdering Able. He will be a restless wanderer, and be out of the presence of God. Cain is overwhelmed and afraid to be murdered himself. It is interesting that the very sins we do, later come back to haunt us in our fears. God does reassure him about it, and lets him know that he will be protected and marked by God so that he is safe. We see Gods grace even in the middle of handing out punishment- showing that He is full of love.

17-24 Cain has kids who have kids who have kids. Their names are all recorded in the bible showing more of Gods love in remembering Cain. Even his accomplishments in making a city are written down. And the accomplishments of his grand kids. But some of the not so good examples he has set are also seen repeated in his family. One of his great grand kids seems to have inherited his bad temper and not only murders a guy but sings a song about how much more protected he will be then Cain was even though he has murdered a man. There is a brash arrogance reflected there. Through Cains great grand kids come the first mention of polygamy - marrying two wives, that is mentioned in the bible.

In verse 25 we go back to Adam's family. Kind of amusing to think the "Adams family" was a little strange! If you ever feel your family is dysfunctional then just think of Adam! When they have their next child Seth they are still thinking of the fact that Able was murdered by Cain- probably always bearing that grief, the loss of their son who seemed to do what was right! 26 After the bible telling us that Seth also gives them a grandson, we are told "At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD."



Matthew 2:13-3:6



From chapter 2:13 to the end of Chapter two I find it neat that God guides Joseph every step of the way. He doesn't give him the entire plan right off the bat with all the times and dates for each part of the journey. Rather he takes him step by step and day by day. First telling him to go to Egypt and waiting there till he tell him it is safe to return. Next God says it's time to go back to Israel. Then He is told that he would be in danger with the family so He needs to go Galilee, in a town called Nazareth.
We see in verse 22 that sometimes Joseph is afraid. Fear is not something that surprises God about us. Instead he gives dreams and reassures and guides Joseph when he has fears.
14-15 They sometimes had to get up in the middle of the night. The plans were not always convenient but they were always to keep them safe, and in the right place at the right time. He is fulfilling prophecy along the way.

16 Herod tries to protect his throne by killing all the boys two years & under... but he does not end up getting to Jesus. Verses 17 & 18 talk about how a prophesy spoke of this injustice and God remembers the sorrow of the moms of these babies.


Matthew 3
1 Now we meat John, who is preaching in the wilderness. 2 His message: Repentance & focusing on the Kingdom of God being near 3 We learn that his message is prophetic and that he prepares the way for Jesus with his message.
4 John wears strange clothes and eats weird food. God gets his message across in interesting ways. He gets the attention of people through "unconventional" or "non traditional" ways. 5 People came from all over to hear him. Often we go out to give a message but we see people going to him in this situation. 6 One of the things people did as they repented was that they confessing their sins. They also were baptized- publicly.



Psalm 2:1-12


1-3 People all over the world rise up against God, and unify against God and Jesus, (mention of the "anointed one" right here in the OT) ... and their idea is to break free.
4 God is amused. We are told he laughs and scoffs at them. They want to be free by unifying against Him? They are acting like HE is the one who is putting them in bondage. How often does God take the hostility instead of where it rightfully belongs?
5-6 But He is also upset. And his words are terrifying to them, even though he is talking about Jesus - his King that he has installed.
7-8 Talk a lot more about Jesus. He is Gods son. There is a specific day where He God "becomes" His Father. Obedience to dying on the cross is alluded to. He is given the nations as an inheritance. I sometimes find it weird to think that if I believe in God I am given to Jesus as HIS inheritance. He takes joy in having me as His treasure? He is also given the earth as his possession. The place where people from all over it rejected Him, He is finally rightfully installed as the King.

9-12 Has two different messages about God. There is the side of his wrath and punishment that is scary. Being dashed to pieces like pottery or broken with a rod of iron. People are told to serve the Lord with fear and trembling. We are told that his anger can flare up quickly and to kiss the son not to provoke his anger or be destroyed. A love for Jesus is the key to being in a safe place... which leads to the other message about those who are wise, We are told that all those who take refuge in him are blessed. So although God is powerful and scary if you are on His bad side- He is a safe place and a refuge for those who love Him.


Proverbs 1
7 I guess it ties to the part of Psalms that talks about serving the Lord with fear and trembling- here we are told "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge", knowing how much power God has helps us to be wise and to serve Him well.
We are also given the flip side of the coin about fools: they despise wisdom and instruction.
Two main points here: an encouragement to "Embrace Wisdom" and a
"Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men". It's easy to be enticed.
8-9 First piece of wisdom is to cling to your parents instruction & teachings.
They will keep you looking good and will give you class. They are to be "worn" on you. Keep it close to your heart and in your head.

That is it for today! There seems to be a lot going on when it comes to parents and parenting for this day... so
Shalom and give your parents a hug today.