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[#23] Genesis 2:1-3 (Part 2) – Liberating God from the Sabbath Rest

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This is Part 2 of our study of Genesis 2:1-3, which is the seventh day of the creation week and the day on which God rested from His work.

In Part 1, we looked at the text itself and considered various key terms and issues in this text, and also began to show how this text serves as a theological polemic against some of the religions in the days of Moses.

I left you with a cliffhanger at the end of the show, and that is where we pick up in this episode.

This study of Genesis 2:1-3 reveals something regarding the Sabbath which you have likely never heard before. If you listen, you will hear something regarding the Sabbath that will likely liberate you from all the religious rules and regulations you worry about regarding the Sabbath.

This study of Genesis 2:1-3 will liberate you from Sabbath bondage. Your Sabbath observance will be liberated from the shackles of religion, and will be brought back into the way God intended it to be. By the end of today’s show, you will be excited to observe the Sabbath, because you will be invited to observe it as God Himself does.

Enjoy Life Genesis 2:1-3 Sabbath

The Text of Genesis 2:1-3

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

In this discussion of Genesis 2:1-3 we look at:

  • How God invited the Israelites to enter into their rest.
  • How the Israelites would have understood God’s rest in Genesis 2:1-3.
  • Why this text is clearly a temple inauguration text.
  • Why God’s rest is not the cessation of activity, but the beginning of real activity
  • How we can participate with God in His restful ruling of this world.

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

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Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

A Lesson from World War I that could maybe be applied to ISIS?

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I recently read the following in J. Denny Weaver’s book, The Nonviolent God (p. 220):

When the hour arrived for the end of Word War I, Winston Churchhill and his wife went to Downing Street to congratulate Lloyd George, the prime minister. Churchill interrupted a meeting already in progress and suggested that since the “fallen foe” was close to starvation, they should send “a dozen great ships crammed with provisions” to Hamburg. The suggestion received a cold rebuff.

Six years later a German soldier described his feelings at the time and wrote that “only fools, liars, and criminals could hope for mercy from the enemy.” His hatred grew for those responsible for the suffering. On observing the great misery [in Germany], he wrote, “My own fate became known to me … I resolved to go into politics.”

That soldier was Adolph Hitler.

HitlerCritics of nonviolence often use Adolph Hitler as an example of a time when violence and bloodshed was absolutely necessary. They say, “So if you had a chance to go back in time and kill Hitler and save millions of innocent Jews, you wouldn’t do it?”

What the question fails to recognize is that there were good ways of stopping Hitler that did not involve killing him. One wonders if there ever would have been a Nazi Germany and a World War II if Winston Churchill’s advice had been heeded.

Similarly, one wonders if Winston Churchill’s suggestion could help the West in our struggle with radical Islam and ISIS.

Recent estimates put the cost of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at somewhere between $4 and $6 Trillion.

If that isn’t appalling enough, in our efforts to retaliate against the horrible tragedy of the murder of 2,753 people in the Word Trade Center on 9/11/2001, we sent our young men and women overseas, and so far, 4,486 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq and 2,345 U.S. soldiers have died in Afghanistan, with tens of thousands of soldiers being injured or wounded. And this is nothing compared to the casualties among the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Looking back, is it possible that there might be a better way to defeat Isis and radical Islamic terrorists … a way that would have spent less money and fewer (if any) lives? What would Iraq and Afghanistan look like today if we had followed Churchill’s advice in the wake of World War I, and had sent boatloads of food and construction crews to the Middle East to prop up their economy and give their people an education?

The annual GDP of Iraq is just over $200 Billion. Afghanistan is about $60 billion. Imagine what the two countries might look like today if we had spent $4 Trillion building those nations up instead of bombing them down?

ISISWhen it comes to stopping Islamic terrorists, I sometimes think a Wal-Mart in Baghdad would work better than bombs.

“Oh … But you can’t export capitalism into the Middle East! They will rise up in rebellion.”

Maybe. But if your choices are between a Wal-Mart and bombs, are you really going to choose bombs?

I am not saying this would have “worked,” … but then, is what we are doing now really “working”?

I am not a politician, and I know these are difficult issues, but I just sometimes wonder when the world is going to wake up and realize the truth that that violence always and only leads to more violence. In trying to defeat violence with violence you become like the enemy you seek to defeat.

Are you looking for a good commentary on 1-2 Chronicles? Seriously?

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When was the last time you seriously studied through 1-2 Chronicles?

Yeah. I thought so. Me too. (Answer: Never)

1-2 ChroniclesBut if all Scripture is “God Breathed,” then these books also deserve our attention and study.

So I was thrilled to recently receive a review copy of Eugene Merrill’s commentary on these books. And it is a great commentary! I can safely say that it is the best commentary on 1-2 Chronicles I have ever read. Okay, okay … this is because I have never read a commentary on 1-2 Chronicles before, but this does not detract from the value of this present volume.

One of the things I look for most in commentaries is the ability to explain the text in an understandable way while at the same time making the message of the text applicable and pertinent to our time today. Eugene Merrill’s commentary does this well.

He not only provides detailed explanations of the text all the way through (which providing lots of footnotes for those who want to research in more depth), but he also provides theological asides that help the student of Scripture see how the book influences our life and thinking today.

If you are thinking of preaching or teaching through 1-2 Chronicles let me say two things: First, good for you! That’s very courageous. Second, make sure this commentary by Merrill is one of the sources you use in your study.

The Story of the Bible Retold

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Part of the problem with the Bible is that since it is written in an ancient format, people have trouble reading and understanding it. So I always love reading books that make the Bible come to life.

Gods Story RoncaceOne such book is God’s Story by Mark Roncace. This book presents the biblical narrative from the time of Abraham to the time of the Exile in a story format which is both engaging and insightful. As I read it, I found myself seeing new things about the text which I had never seen before, and nodding with agreement at how Mark brought out some of the cultural and historical background details which are so important to properly understanding the biblical story.

One of the most interesting features of the book is that Mark doesn’t shy away from the violence in the biblical account. As I have been writing a lot about the violence in Scripture these past several years, I am always shocked to interact with Christians who seem completely oblivious to all the violence in the Bible. This book by Mark Roncace does not emphasize or focus in on the violence, but doesn’t try to hide it either, and simply by reading the Bible as a narrative, one is able to see the common occurrence of violence in a way that a “familiar” reading of Scripture tends to hide.

If you are looking for a retelling of the Biblical story in a way that helps you see the Bible as a story, try reading God’s Story by Mark Roncace.

[#22] Genesis 2:1-3 (Part 1) – The Sabbath Rest of God

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Do you observe the Sabbath? Why or why not?

Lots of people struggle with whether or not we should observe the Sabbath. On the one hand, Sabbath observance seems like a very religious and legalistic thing to do, but on the other hand, God set up the Sabbath as an everlasting covenant (Exod 31:16).

This episode begins to look at Genesis 2:1-3 and Day 7 of the creation week as we begin to answer these important questions.

Genesis 2:1-3 Sabbath
Ironically, this image shows that Sunday is the Sabbath…

The Text of Genesis 2:1-3

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

In this discussion of Genesis 2:1-3 we look at:

  • The last day of Creation, Day 7
  • How Moses used this day to set Yahweh apart from other gods
  • Why Moses doesn’t actually use the word for “Sabbath”
  • Why Moses presents God as needing to rest

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Membership-become-a-member

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Login here.

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Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

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Membership-become-a-member


Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

4000 Books 2016

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I am one of those readers who reads with a pen in hand. I almost cannot read a book unless I am underlining statements and scribbling in the margins. This slows down my reading speed significantly, but I think it helps sharpen my mind and interact with the ideas of others.

My goal is to read 4000 books in my lifetime, and this post will keep track of my progress in 2016.

reading books

I already own more books than I can read in a lifetime (which I find highly depressing), and so I buy fewer books than I used to, and I have begun to weigh the pros and cons of any book I read. It’s a little crass, but when I consider whether or not I should read a book, I often think of Elaine from Seinfeld wondering if a boyfriend was “sponge worthy.”

Anyway… with that image in mind … here are the books I have read so far:

Some of these books make it onto my list of “The Books Every Christian Should Read.” If you haven’t read the books on that list … well, you should.

What books have you read this past year which influenced your life and theology? What books are you excited to read in 2016?

2015 in Review (and a look forward to 2016)

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Thank you for joining with me in this past year on RedeemingGod.com. It has been quite a year, and you helped make it happen.

I am sharing the following post, not to boast about what I have accomplished this past year, but to boast about you and how thankful I am for how you read my blog, buy my books, and listen to my podcasts.

You have been a huge blessing and encouragement to me this past year. Thank you!
2015 in Review

2015 in Review

The year began with the publication of two books, Dying to Religion and Empire (how we can break free from the shackles of religion and politics), and The Re-Justification of God (a study on Romans 9). That second book was one of my best-selling books in 2015.

This past year also saw the conclusion of my previous blog and the launching of this one. My previous website was at TillHeComes.org, and had been my website for about 15 years. But I wanted to rebrand and relaunch my blog with a title that better explained what my writing was about. So in mid-March, I launched RedeemingGod.com. Since that time, my new blog has received over 1.6 million page views and has been read by people in almost every country of the world.

In 2015, I also wrote my 2000th post, and received my 25,000th comment. So thank you for reading and commenting! Though I can no longer respond to every comment the way I used to, I do read them all.

As part of the relaunch of my blog, I started some email courses which people can take for free. I intended to get nine up and running this past year, but as of now, only four have been completed. These are emails that get sent once or twice a week for a couple months on a particular topic. Right now, the available email courses are: The Death and Resurrection of Jesus, Getting to Know Your Neighbors, How to help homeless people, and a study on the Unpardonable Sin.

PodcastingThen in the fall of 2015 I decided to launch two podcasts. The first is the One Verse podcast. This is a weekly 30-minute study of Scripture from a non-religious perspective. Yesterday’s episode, for example, looked at Genesis 1:28-31 in which we saw that the very first instruction God gave to us is that we have sex. You have probably never heard that taught from a pulpit before! Over 300 people listen to this podcast every week.

The Theology.fm podcast is a bi-weekly podcast in which I share with you some of the Bible teachers, pastors, and podcasters that have influenced me and my thinking about Scripture and theology. Eventually I want to include some interviews in this podcast as well.

Near the end of the year, I sent out a private email to people who subscribe to my newsletter and asked them to participate in a short 7-question survey about the future of my blog. If you missed out on taking that survey, it was sent out to all newsletter subscribers, so if you are a subscriber, go check your email from December 14. If you are not an email subscriber … WHAT? You’re not an email subscriber? Well, you missed out on the survey, but you can make sure you don’t miss out on such things in the future. Go take care of that now.

The results of that survey will be shared in the early part of 2016. So far, the responses have been encouraging, and will help guide what I do in 2016.

A Look Ahead to 2016

2016 goalsPeople want me to continue writing the blog, and a large number of people have asked for me to teach some online courses. So this is one of my major goals in 2016. I plan on beginning with a course on the gospel, with a special emphasis on the relationship between faith and works. So look for this course to begin sometime (hopefully) in January.

I will also be continuing my Podcasts. With the One Verse podcast, I plan to teach through Genesis 5 and then move up to John 1 and John 20, before looking at Revelation 5 and Revelation 20–22. The reason for this strange series of chapters is because these 10 chapters provide the big picture overview of the entire Bible. And don’t worry. Though it took me 21 episodes to teach through Genesis 1, I believe that I will be going quicker through these other 9 chapters. But … we’ll see.

I also plan to publish several books in 2016. First, I want to republish my book on the Unpardonable Sin. This was one of the first books I ever wrote, and my thinking on sin and forgiveness have changed quite a bit since that book was published. So I want to incorporate my new ideas into that book so that people can gain a greater understanding of sin, forgiveness, and the infinite love of God.

publish booksThen I plan on publishing 4 more books in 2016 as well. If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry… all four are already written. They just need to compiled, edited, typeset, and published. As a preview, these books will be on (1) Church and pastoral Leadership, (2) How your church can incorporate Kingdom principles in the new millennium, (3) A study on Genesis 1 (based on my podcasts), and (4) A new look at the atonement.

One other thing I will continue to do in 2016 is asking people to partner with me in ministry. There are various ways you can do this, and you can read more about them here.

One key way that you can partner with me is with helping cover the costs of running my website and podcast and publishing my books. I first asked for this in November, and enough people participated that all my November costs were covered. If you donated, thank you very much! Be looking for a personal thank you email from me in the near future. As of today, 52% of my December costs have been covered. If you want to help out, you can do so below.

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So that is 2015 in review and a short preview of what I hope to accomplish in 2016. Thanks for joining with me on this ride, and I hope you stick around for 2016, as (by all appearances) it will be the most exciting year yet!

[#21] Genesis 1:28-31 – Sex, Food, and Animals

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What is the purpose of life? What is the chief end of mankind?

Genesis 1:28-31Is the chief end and purpose of man, as many dry and dusty old theologians like to say, “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”? If that’s the case, it’s no wonder that many people want nothing to do with God, with theology, or with Christianity.

But what if I told you that according to God, our three primary tasks in life were to have sex, eat good food, and take care of your pets?

Now that is a little more appealing, isn’t it?

This is what we see from Genesis 1:28-31. Listen to the podcast to learn more!

The Text of Genesis 1:28-31

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

In this discussion of Genesis 1:28-31 we look at:

  • The three instructions God gives to humans for how to live life.
  • God wants you to be fruitful and multiply
  • God wants you to enjoy good food
  • God wants you to make friends with animals
  • Doing these three things is what makes creation “very good”

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Membership-become-a-member

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
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If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
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Membership-become-a-member


Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

A Pentatonix Christmas

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I love Pentatonix, and I love Christmas, so what better way to get into the Christmas spirit by listening to some Christmas songs from Pentatonix?

Enjoy … and have a Merry Christmas!

I know the following is not really Christmas, but it’s still amazing (and funny).

[#20] Genesis 1:26 – The Image of God (Part 2)

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image of God Genesis 1 26What does it mean to be made in the image of God? We began to see an answer to this in last week’s episode, and will finish answering this question in this study of Genesis 1:26.

In the previous study of Genesis 1:26, we began to look at what it means to be made in the image of God. We saw that it cannot refer to anything related to the Trinity, or to the popular idea that humans have intellect, emotions, and will. We do have these things, but this is not what it means to be made in the image of God.

I stated that there were four contextual keys about what it means to be made in the image of God, and I shared the first one with you. The first contextual key was the text of Genesis 1 itself. There are seven activities of God in Genesis 1, and in various ways, God instructs humans to engage in all seven of these activities. When we do the works of God, we are living as the image of God on earth.

That was the first contextual key. The next three keys all pretty much reveal the exact same thing, but from different perspectives. So the final three contextual keys which what us understand what it means to be made in the image of God help the support the idea that we have already seen, that you and I are the image of God on earth, and that we live as His image when we act the way God acts.

We look at these three contextual keys in today’s episode of the One Verse Podcast.

The Text of Genesis 1:26

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

In This Discussion of Genesis 1:26, we look at:

  • What it means to be made in the image of God.
  • The cultural context of Egyptian and Babylonian religion and royalty.
  • The ritual by which ancient priests made images of their gods.
  • The connection between the image of God and the prohibition in the Mosaic Law against making graven images.
  • How Jesus as the perfect image of God shows us how to live as the image of God.
  • Three suggestions for how you can live as the image of God on earth.

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Membership-become-a-member

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Membership-become-a-member

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

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