Absentism

It would be nice to keep up the blogging but at the moment I have no internet at my new place due to a move. I'll resume posting as soon as I can get a job, lord willing, and am able to afford internet.

God bless.

Exodus Chapters 1-14

So I've been reading but having a null in writing. I have completed the beginning story of the Exodus. It is a great story, excuse me, great history.

Through reading these set of events there were small lessons here and there. Moses had a downfall of not fully trusting in the gifts of God. His speach wasn't clear and he was worried that noone would listen to him. So God had Aaron speak for Moses; like Moses is speaking for God. God would tell Moses what to do and Moses would bring it forth to everyone else. In the same way Moses told Aaron what to do and Aaron would do it. We can see a degration of the big picture, a blindness with each step down. There is no way the Moses could understand all that God was doing. Just like Aaron didn't know what all Moses was doing. Aaron didn't have as much revelation from God as waht Moses did. Later in Exodus we will find more strife through this set of events.

This movement, the Exodus, is a mass migration that is almost impossible to imagine. 600,000 men, plus you have women and children. You also have livestock and goods that are traveling all at once. Not only traveling but being drove out by the Egyptians. Then you have them crossing the Sea of Reeds on dry land. It is just amazing. The deliverance of the Hebrews of that time was astronamical.

Genesis 42-50

Wow I belong on failblog for my epic fail of keeping this up. Looks like I have some catching up to do. No real excuse other than laziness and failure to maintain a good habit.

These chapters bring Genesis to an end but preludes to the Exodus. Isn't it amazing the story of Isaac and his son Joseph. How Joseph's brothers wanted to harm him, for the vision he had from God. Nothing they could do would stop the will of God. They ended up, though wanting to harm, aiding God's plan to bring them deliverance from famine. I have to wonder how many times people have harmed me in the past. I was the kid that the bullies picked on in elementary. I do believe that made me stronger and made me part of who I am today. My dad and I have had a terrible relationship upon my parents split. He ridiculed me for my faith and deserted my mother. Through that God gave me great understanding and great strength. He allowed me to survive with a few hours sleep a night so that I could work and provide for my mom once my dad left. He taught me peace and hope through the toughest of times. These are the tips of the icebergs but God has delivered me from the hatred and the failures. It would have been so easy to have given up. Just like Joseph, imagine if he had given up through those times. God's nation wouldn't have survived. God directed Joseph and his brothers to bring a great nation forth.

Looking at the story as a whole, why do we worry? Though so much went wrong, ALL of it was for the glory of God and the creation of His will. If we maintain focused on God rather we have family trouble, lost loved ones, divorce, loss of money, loss of stability or whatever else may arrive won't we be able to look back maybe a few months, a couple years, or even 20 years and see how God used those situations to better His kingdom and to better us?

Genesis Chapter 39-41

In Genesis chapters 39-41 there is the story of Joseph's time in the hands of slaves, prison and then even Pharaohs right hand man. It is an amazing story and a great lesson in what Joseph both said and did. Joseph was a righteous man that was undeservedly thrown into slavery by his brothers (pulling on previous chapters.) Some say it was his pride and boasting that did it. For he told his brothers what God revealed to him in dreams and that somehow his brothers would bow to him. There is no record in scripture of what his heart was saying during the time with his brothers. In a family if God reveals something to you don't you want to tell everyone and get clarity? Anyways that's a side point.

Imagine being sold into slavery by your own family; forced to work for nothing, given the bare minimums to live, and expected to live your life as property. That is exactly what happened to Joseph, and he started off prosperous. Wouldn't we want to give up and grumble and complain through such trying times? Joseph didn't, instead he followed God with full face and was in-trusted with Potiphar's entire household. The only thing withheld from him was Potiphar's wife, of which took a great liking to Joseph. Eventually she lied got Joseph thrown in jail. Again Joseph did nothing wrong and was given horrible treatment.

Now imagine being in a prison, with the lowlifes of the world. God must not like you right? You did nothing wrong and now you are stuck at the lowest point of life. Thankfully Joseph did not take this attitude. Instead he again kept faithful to God and kept his head up. The warden put him in charge of everyone in the prison, and entrusted Joseph to the degree of not even needing to check on him. Joseph was working hard and full of integrity. During this time God brought two of Pharaoh's servants to him. They were thrown into prison with him for displeasing Pharaoh. They had a dream and Joseph interpreted them given full credit to God. Joseph allowed God to interpret them, not his own understanding, which led to both interpretations to be correct. Word got to Pharaoh and Pharaoh also had a dream. Joseph again was called to interpret and says "I cannot do it... but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires" (Gen 41:16.)

That is the exact attitude that Joseph had in everything he did in these chapters. God got the credit, God was his strength, and God delivered him to a leader directly under Pharaoh. I think we can learn from this. We may not always of the best circumstances but we shouldn't complain about them. What right do we to complain? God allows situations to happen to give us strength and to test us. Shall we complain and give up? Or lets keep the faith, follow God, and keep giving all that we have in everything we do. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24.)

Genisis chapters 27-38

So I've been keeping up on reading but not on writing. So let me try to catch up and see what get written.

In chapter 27 Jacob steals Esau's blessing. Isaac was firstborn and deserved firstrights to his dad's authority and his goods. Isaac was blind and very old and Esau wanted to get his dad's blessing. He went out and hunted game and was preparing it for Isaac to eat. While he was out Rebekah, Jacob's mother, made some food and dressed him up in Esau's clothes to trick him. It worked. It's funny how Jacob has been after Esau's inhertence. In chapter 25 Jacob gets Esau to give up his birthright over some food. Here he tricks his dad to giving him the blessing. Because of this Jacob had to flee. Though in fullfillment of his blessing while he was gone he gained much weath, wives and children. God still watched over him and used Jacob to build his kingdom.

Though there is much stories in these chapters which have great meaning and insight they aren't really calling out to me in writing form. A little understanding here and there. What's funny though is stories is what Jesus preached with. Often when talking to someone a story of the Bible comes forth and is perfect for the setting. Plus this is, as Christians, our history as well as the jews.

God bless

Genesis chapters 22-26

So I skipped yesterday and did twice the reading today. It's funny how that works sometimes. I planned on doing it late again for I awoke feeling exhausted and unable to focus and then by night plans had changed and I didn't have the time I thought I would.

This was a long segment so I'm going to just pick out a couple things that caught my eye. I have wrote on these verses a few times and I noticed some different things to point out. Abraham was tested with his son Isaac, to slay his son that was supposed to be his bloodline. God tested him and gave him a replacement sacrifice. Sarah died and Abraham was in search of a place to bury her. He went to the Hittites to buy a burial site. They insisted on giving him one. That changed to them wanting to give land that held a burial site. Abraham refused to take it for free and insisted on buying it, not discounted but full price. I wonder why he insisted on buying it still. Free is free right?

Abraham told one of his servants that his son is to stay in Canaan but that his wife is to be from Abraham's native land. We all have heard this story many times. The thing that I want to take note of is that God sent and angel ahead of his servant (Gen 24:7b). When we go on to read what happened in his native land there is no mention of the angel doing anything there. Many times angels will appear to people but this is not one of them. Yet Rebekah was ready and prepared for the time on a spiritual and emotional level. Sometimes we don't think or see that God's working. We don't know when His angels are near or far guiding us. It's a hidden realm that aides our journey.

You have Abraham's death and the birth of Jacob and Esau. Nothing really jumped at me when I read these. I have read them many times.

See you tomorrow,
Jimmy

Genesis Chapters 19-21

There was a lot in these passages but writing them is hard to do. I don't know why but today I find it difficult to write. Maybe it's because I've had a migraine all day and it is now almost 6 at night. A little out of routine.

God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in Chapter 19. Remember previously that God made a deal with Abraham to spare the city if He could find 10 righteous men. Well when God sent the angels to Sodom and Gomorrah they were attacked by the men of the city. At Lot's doorstep they wanted to rape them. That is just insane. Lot offered them his two daughters and the men insisted on the two men that was staying with Lot. That's just insane and pure wickedness. God saw that. The judgment was done, their second chance lost.

Lots wife looked back when they left. She had a second thought and yearned for what was of old. This caused her to be turned to a pillar of salt. It entrapped her to a place stuck in between two worlds; God's and sin's. Ever look back to days of lust or times of going with the crowd other than God's will? Ever wonder what it would have been like to embrace them? In essence this is what Lot's wife did. It gets you stuck in situations rather than living the fulfilment of God.

Lot's daughters, which may be the same ones that he offered up to the mob of men, found themselves wondering if they would be able to keep the bloodline going. So they got Lot extremely drunk and got pregnant by him. The sons did still make nations even though how they were brought about, incest. Just craziness.

Though I did read through more I'm finding my focus drifting and unable to continue. May God bring revelations tomorrow and some much needed focus.