Meditations on the Glory of Christ: Genesis Through 2 Chronicles

By J. Craig Chaffin

Meditations on the Glory of Christ is the beginning volume in a new series. Each day, you will read a Scripture passage, and then the author will lead you through a devotion concerning Christ's glory found in that passage. Following this path, you will have read Genesis through 2 Chronicles in a year, savoring the wonder of Christ. So grab your Bible and this book, and seek His glory!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490824956

J. Craig Chaffin

J. Craig Chaffin holds a BA in English from Oklahoma State University and an MDiv from Western Baptist Seminary, Portland, Oregon. He has been a pastor since 1985 and has served three different congregations. Currently, he resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he assists his congregation in experiencing the glory of Jesus and speaking it to others. He is the father of five children and four living grandchildren. He and his wife enjoy raising golden doodles.

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Copyright © 2014 Craig Chaffin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2494-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2495-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014901919

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/13/2014

Contents

JANUARY 1 GENESIS 1

JANUARY 2 GENESIS 2

JANUARY 3 GENESIS 3

JANUARY 4 GENESIS 4

JANUARY 5 GENESIS 5

JANUARY 6 GENESIS 6

JANUARY 7, 2011 GENESIS 7

JANUARY 8, 2013 GENESIS 8

JANUARY 9, 2013, GENESIS 9-10

JANUARY 10, 2013 GENESIS 11

JANUARY 11, 2010 GENESIS 12

JANUARY 12, 2010 GENESIS 13

JANUARY 13, 2010 GENESIS 14

JANUARY 14, 2010 GENESIS 15

JANUARY 15, 2010 GENESIS 16

JANUARY 16, 2010 GENESIS 17

JANUARY 17, 2010 GENESIS 18

JANUARY 18, 2010 GENESIS 19

JANUARY 19, 2010 GENESIS 20

JANUARY 20, 2010 GENESIS 21

JANUARY 21, 2010 GENESIS 22

JANUARY 22, 2010 GENESIS 23

JANUARY 23, 2010 GENESIS 24

JANUARY 24, 2012 GENESIS 25

JANUARY 25, 2010 GENESIS 26

JANUARY 26, 2010 GENESIS 27

JANUARY 27,2013 GENESIS 28

JANUARY 28, 2010 GENESIS 29

JANUARY 29, 2010 GENESIS 30

JANUARY 30, 2013 GENESIS 31

JANUARY 31 GENESIS 32

FEBRUARY 1, 2010 GENESIS 33

FEBRUARY 2, 2020 GENESIS 34

FEBRUARY 3, 2010 GENESIS 35-36

FEBRUARY 4, 2010 GENESIS 37

FEBRUARY 5, 2010 GENESIS 38

FEBRUARY 6, 2010 GENESIS 39

FEBRUARY 7, 2013 GENESIS 40

FEBRUARY 8, 2010 GENESIS 41

FEBRUARY 9, 2010 GENESIS 42

FEBRUARY 10, 2010 GENESIS 43

FEBRUARY 11, 2010 GENESIS 44

FEBRUARY 12, 2010 GENESIS 45

FEBRUARY 13, 2010 GENESIS 46

FEBRUARY 14, 2010 GENESIS 47

FEBRUARY 15, 2010 GENESIS 48

FEBRUARY 16, 2010 GENESIS 49

FEBRUARY 17, 2010 GENESIS 50

FEBRUARY 18, 2010 EXODUS 1

FEBRUARY 19, 2010 EXODUS 2

FEBRUARY 20, 2010 EXODUS 3

FEBRUARY 21, 2010 EXODUS 4

FEBRUARY 22, 2010 EXODUS 5

FEBRUARY 23, 2010 EXODUS 6

FEBRUARY 24, 2010 EXODUS 7

FEBRUARY 25, 2010 EXODUS 8

FEBRUARY 26, 2010 EXODUS 9

FEBRUARY 27, 2010 EXODUS 10

FEBRUARY 28, 2010 EXODUS 11:1-12:20

MARCH 1, EXODUS 12:21-51

MARCH 2, 2010 EXODUS13

MARCH 3, 2010 EXODUS 14

MARCH 4, 2013 EXODUS 15

MARCH 5, 2010 EXODUS 16

MARCH 6, 2010 EXODUS 17

MARCH 7, 2010 EXODUS 18

MARCH 8, 2010 EXODUS 19

MARCH 9, 2010 EXODUS 20

MARCH 10, 2010 EXODUS 21

MARCH 11, 2010 EXODUS 22

MARCH 12, 2010 EXODUS 23

MARCH 13, 2010 EXODUS 24

MARCH 14, 2013 EXODUS 25

MARCH 15, 2010 EXODUS 26

MARCH 16, 2010 EXODUS 27

MARCH 17, 2013 EXODUS 28

MARCH 18, 2013 EXODUS 29

MARCH 19, 2010 EXODUS 30

MARCH 20, 2010 EXODUS 31

MARCH 21, 2010 EXODUS 32

MARCH 22, 2010 EXODUS 33

MARCH 23, 2010 EXODUS 34

MARCH 24, 2010 EXODUS 35

MARCH 25, 2010 EXODUS 36

MARCH 26 EXODUS 37

MARCH 27, 2013 EXODUS 38

MARCH 28 EXODUS 39

MARCH 29, 2010 EXODUS 40

MARCH 30, 2010 LEVITICUS 1

MARCH 31, 2010 LEVITICUS 2,3

APRIL 1, 2010 LEVITICUS 4

APRIL 2, 2010 LEVITICUS 5

APRIL 3, 2010 LEVITICUS 6

APRIL 4, 2013 LEVITICUS 7

APRIL 5, 2010 LEVITICUS 8

APRIL 6, 2010 LEVITICUS 9

APRIL 7, 2010 LEVITICUS 10

APRIL 8, 2010 LEVITICUS 11,12

APRIL 9, 2013 LEVITICUS 13

APRIL 10, 2013 LEVITICUS 14

APRIL 11, 2013 LEVITICUS 15

APRIL 12, 2010 LEVITICUS 16

APRIL 13, 2010 LEVITICUS 17

APRIL 14, 2010 LEVITICUS 18

APRIL 15, 2010 (TAX DAY) LEVITICUS 19

APRIL 16, 2010 LEVITICUS 20

APRIL 17, 2013 LEVITICUS 21

APRIL 18, 2013 LEVITICUS 22

APRIL 19, 2010 LEVITICUS 23

APRIL 20, 2010 LEVITICUS 24

APRIL 21, 2010 LEVITICUS 25

APRIL 22, 2010 LEVITICUS 26

APRIL 23, 2010 LEVITICUS 27

APRIL 24, 2013 NUMBERS 1

APRIL 25, 2013 NUMBERS 2

APRIL 26, 2013 NUMBERS 3

APRIL 27, 2010 NUMBERS 4

APRIL 28, 2011 NUMBERS 5

APRIL 29, 2013 NUMBERS 6

APRIL 30, 2010 NUMBERS 7

MAY 1, 2010 NUMBERS 8

MAY 2, 2010 NUMBERS 9

MAY 3, 2010 NUMBERS 10

MAY 4, 2010 NUMBERS 11

MAY 5, 2010 NUMBERS 12-13

MAY 6, 2013 NUMBERS 14

MAY 7, 2010 NUMBERS 15

MAY 8, 2013 NUMBERS 16

MAY 9, 2013 NUMBERS 17-18

MAY 10, 2013 NUMBERS 19

MAY 11, 2010 NUMBERS 20

MAY 12, 2010 NUMBERS 21

MAY 13, 2010 NUMBERS 22

MAY 14, 2013 NUMBERS 23

MAY 15, 2010 NUMBERS 24

MAY 16, 2013 NUMBERS 25

MAY 17, 2010 NUMBERS 26

MAY 18, 2010 NUMBERS 27

MAY 19, 2010 NUMBERS 28

MAY 20, 2013 NUMBERS 29

MAY 21, 2013 NUMBERS 30

MAY 22, 2013 NUMBERS 31

MAY 23, 2013 NUMBERS 32

MAY 24, 2013 NUMBERS 33

MAY 25, 2010 NUMBERS 34

MAY 26, 2010 NUMBERS 35

MAY 27, 2013 NUMBERS 36

MAY 28, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 1

MAY 29, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 2

MAY 30, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 3

MAY 31, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 4

JUNE 1, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 5

JUNE 2, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 6

JUNE 3, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 7

JUNE 4, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 8

JUNE 5, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 9

JUNE 6, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 10

JUNE 7, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 11

JUNE 8, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 12

JUNE 9, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 13-14

JUNE 10, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 15

JUNE 11, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 16

JUNE 12, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 17

JUNE 13, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 18

JUNE 14, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 19

JUNE 15, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 20

JUNE 16, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 21

JUNE 17, 2013 DEUTERONOMY 22

JUNE 18, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 23

JUNE 19, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 24

JUNE 20, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 25

JUNE 21, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 26

JUNE 22, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 27

JUNE 23, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 28

JUNE 24, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 29

JUNE 25, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 30

JUNE 26, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 31

JUNE 27, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 32

JUNE 28, 2010 DEUTERONOMY 33 &34

JUNE 29, 2010 JOSHUA 1

JUNE 30, 2010 JOSHUA 2

JULY 1, 2010 JOSHUA 3

JULY 2, 2010 JOSHUA 4

JULY 3, 2010 JOSHUA 5

JULY 4, 2010 JOSHUA 6

JULY 5, 2010 JOSHUA 7

JULY 6, 2010 JOSHUA 8

JULY 7, 2010 JOSHUA 9

JULY 8, JOSHUA 10

JULY 9, 2010 JOSHUA 11

JULY 10, 2010 JOSHUA 12,13

JULY 11, 2010 JOSHUA 14-15

JULY 12, 2010 JOSHUA 16-17

JULY 13, 2010 JOSHUA 18-19

JULY 14, 2010 JOSHUA 20-21

JULY 15, 2013 JOSHUA 22

JULY 16, 2013 JOSHUA 23

JULY 17, 2010 JOSHUA 24

JULY 18, 2013 JUDGES 1

JULY 19, 2010 JUDGES 2

JULY 20, 2010 JUDGES 3

JULY 21, 2013 JUDGES 4

JULY 22, 2013 JUDGES 5

JULY 23, 2010 JUDGES 6

JULY 24, 2013 JUDGES 7

JULY 25, 2013 JUDGES 8

JULY 26, 2010 JUDGES 9

JULY 27, 2010 JUDGES 10

JULY 28, 2010 JUDGES 11

JULY 29, 2010 JUDGES 12

JULY 30, 2010 JUDGES 13

JULY 31, 2013 JUDGES 14

AUG 1, 2013 JUDGES 15

AUG 2, 2010 JUDGES 16

AUG 3, 2010 JUDGES 17

AUGUST 4, 2013 JUDGES 18

AUGUST 5, 2013 JUDGES 19

AUGUST 6, 2010 JUDGES 20

AUGUST 7, 2010 JUDGES 21

AUGUST 8, 2013 RUTH 1

AUGUST 9, 2010 RUTH 2

AUGUST 10, 2010 RUTH 3-4

AUGUST 11, 2010 1 SAMUEL 1

AUGUST 12, 2010 1 SAMUEL 2

AUGUST 13, 2010 1 SAMUEL 3

AUGUST 14, 2010 1 SAMUEL 4

AUGUST 15, 2013 1 SAMUEL 5-6

AUGUST 16, 2013 1 SAMUEL 7-8

AUGUST 17, 2013 1 SAMUEL 9

AUGUST 18, 2010 1 SAMUEL 10

AUGUST 19, 2010 1 SAMUEL 11

AUGUST 20, 2010 1 SAMUEL 12

AUGUST 21, 2013 1 SAMUEL 13

AUGUST 22,2013 1 SAM 14

AUGUST 23, 2010 1 SAM 15

AUGUST 24, 2010 1 SAM 16

AUGUST 25, 2010 1 SAMUEL 17

AUGUST 26, 2013 1 SAMUEL 18

AUGUST 27, 2010 1 SAMUEL 19

AUGUST 28, 2013 1 SAMUEL 20

AUGUST 29, 2013 1 SAMUEL 21-22

AUGUST 30, 2010 1 SAMUEL 23

AUGUST 31, 2010 1 SAMUEL 24

SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 1 SAMUEL 25

SEPTEMBER 2, 2010 1 SAMUEL 26

SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 1 SAMUEL 27

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 1 SAMUEL 28

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 1 SAMUEL 29-30

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010 1 SAM 31

SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 2 SAMUEL 1

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 2 SAMUEL 2

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010 2 SAMUEL 3

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 2 SAMUEL 4,5

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 2 SAMUEL 6

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 2 SAMUEL 7

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 2 SAMUEL 8-9

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010 2 SAMUEL 10

SEPTEMBER 15, 2 SAMUEL 11

SEPTEMBER 16, 2 SAMUEL 12

SEPTEMBER 17, 2 SAMUEL 13

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013, 2 SAMUEL 14

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013, 2 SAMUEL 15

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010, 2 SAMUEL 16

SEPTEMBER 21, 2010 2 SAMUEL 17

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010 2 SAMUEL 18

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 2 SAMUEL 19

SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 2 SAMUEL 20

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 2 SAMUEL 21

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 2 SAMUEL 22

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 2 SAMUEL 23

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 2 SAMUEL 24

SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 1 KINGS 1

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 1 KINGS 2

OCTOBER 1, 2010 1 KINGS 3

OCTOBER 2, 2010 1 KINGS 4

OCTOBER 3, 2010 1 KINGS 5

OCTOBER 4, 2010 1 KINGS 6-7

OCTOBER 5, 2010 1 KINGS 8

OCTOBER 6, 2010 1 KINGS 9

OCTOBER 7, 2010 1 KINGS 10

OCTOBER 8, 2010 1 KINGS 11

OCTOBER 9, 2013 1 KINGS 12

OCTOBER 10, 2013 1 KINGS 13

OCTOBER 11, 2013 1 KINGS 14

OCTOBER 12, 2013 1 KINGS 15

OCTOBER 13, 2013 1 KINGS 16

OCTOBER 14, 2013 1 KINGS 17

OCTOBER 15, 2013 1 KINGS 18

OCTOBER 16, 2013 1 KINGS 19

OCTOBER 17, 2013 1 KINGS 20

OCTOBER 18, 2010 1 KINGS 21

OCTOBER 19, 2010 1 KINGS 22

OCTOBER 20, 2013 2 KINGS 1

OCTOBER 21, 2010 2 KINGS 2

OCTOBER 22, 2010 2 KINGS 3

OCTOBER 23, 2010 2 KINGS 4

OCTOBER 24, 2010 2 KINGS 5

OCTOBER 25, 2010 2 KINGS 6

OCTOBER 26, 2010 2 KINGS 7

OCTOBER 27, 2010 2 KINGS 8

OCTOBER 28, 2010 2 KINGS 9

OCTOBER 29, 2010 2 KINGS 10-11

OCTOBER 30, 2010 2 KINGS 12

OCTOBER 31, 2010 2 KINGS 13

NOVEMBER 1, 2013 2 KINGS 14

NOVEMBER 2, 2010 2 KINGS 15

NOVEMBER 3, 2010 2 KINGS 16

NOVEMBER 4, 2010 2 KINGS 17

NOVEMBER 5, 2010 2 KINGS 18

NOVEMBER 6, 2010 2 KINGS 19

NOVEMBER 7, 2010 2 KINGS 20

NOVEMBER 8, 2010 2 KINGS 21

NOVEMBER 9, 2010 2 KINGS 22

NOVEMBER 10, 2010 2 KINGS 23

NOVEMBER 11, 2013 2 KINGS 24

NOVEMBER 12, 2010 2 KINGS 25

NOVEMBER 13, 2013 1 CHRONICLES 1-2

NOVEMBER 14 1 CHRONICLES 3-4

NOVEMBER 15, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 5-6

NOVEMBER 16, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 7-8

NOVEMBER 17, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 9-10

NOVEMBER 18, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 11-12

NOVEMBER 19, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 13-14

NOVEMBER 20, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 15

NOVEMBER 21, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 16

NOVEMBER 22, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 17

NOVEMBER 23, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 18

NOVEMBER 24, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 19-20

NOVEMBER 25, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 21

NOVEMBER 26, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 22

NOVEMBER 27, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 23

NOVEMBER 28, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 24-25

NOVEMBER 29, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 26-27

NOVEMBER 30, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 28

DECEMBER 1, 2010 1 CHRONICLES 29

DECEMBER 2, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 2

DECEMBER 3, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 2

DECEMBER 4, 2011 2 CHRONICLES 3-4

DECEMBER 5, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 5:1-6:11

DECEMBER 6, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 6:12-42

DECEMBER 7, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 7

DECEMBER 8, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 8

DECEMBER 9, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 9

DECEMBER 10, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 10

DECEMBER 11, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 11-12

DECEMBER 12, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 13

DECEMBER 13, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 14-15

DECEMBER 14, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 16

DECEMBER 15, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 17

DECEMBER 16, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 18

DECEMBER 17, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 19-20

DECEMBER 18, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 21

DECEMBER 19, 2010, 2 CHRONICLES 22-23

DECEMBER 20, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 24

DECEMBER 21 -- 2 CHRONICLES 25

DECEMBER 22 – 2 CHRONICLES 26

DECEMBER 23 – 2 CHRONICLES 27-28

DECEMBER 24 – 2 CHRONICLES 29

DECEMBER 25, 2011 2 CHRONICLES 30

DECEMBER 26, 2011 2 CHRONICLES 31

DECEMBER 27, 2010 2 CHRONICLES 32

DECEMBER 28 2 CHRONICLES 33

DECEMBER 29 2 CHRONICLES 34

DECEMBER 30, 2 CHRONICLES 35

DECEMBER 31 2 CHRONICLES 36

JANUARY 1 GENESIS 1

I love studying creation. I love science. Why? As was said by somebody smarter than I, Studying science is thinking God’s thoughts after Him. My wife once came across a Christian who was surprised that we taught science in our home school. The person’s surprise was because she thought that one could not truly teach the Bible and still study science. What a ludicrous thought! Where do Christians get these ideas? It is the glory of Jesus that He is our Creator. It is the glory of Jesus that He has given us His word, the Bible. Jesus is always consistent with Himself, maybe not with o2 Kinur logic but always with Himself.

The Bible is always true on whatever subject it speaks because it is God’s word. God does not use lies to teach us His truth. The Bible, properly interpreted and understood, never conflicts with true science. If there is a conflict, it is either because we have not properly interpreted the Bible or we have not properly interpreted science. You see, it is the glory of Jesus to be consistent with Himself. It is always incumbent upon us to see the glory of Jesus by first properly interpreting the Scripture and then by properly interpreting science.

So what happens when science and Scripture conflict? First we make sure that we have properly interpreted the Scripture. Having done that, we make sure we properly interpret science. The glory of Jesus is that His word concerning creation is always true. He was there when it was created. He knows how it was done. He can accurately describe how it was created. He can describe it in a manner that is appropriate for all people of all cultures of all times. We tend to think that what scientists say is without error and the Bible--well let’s take it with a grain of salt. Actually, we ought to be thinking the Bible is without error and what scientists say--well let’s take it with a grain of salt. If you hold what scientists say above what Jesus has said, you are obscuring His glory. Get out of the way and let God be God! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 2 GENESIS 2

In Chapter 1 we read, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; . . . ²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Here we get a fuller explanation of how He created them in His image. Part of the image of God is seen in our rule over creation. Part of the image of God is reflected in our marriages. At this time no sin was in humanity. God called it very good. He makes sure that Adam knows that it is very good. He makes Adam name all the animals before He creates Eve. In so doing Adam profoundly realizes his aloneness. When God finally creates Eve and brings her to him, he is really excited, This is now! or as the New Living Translation puts it, At last!" Adam needs this woman to be complete in reflecting the image of God!

Did you ever stop to consider that not only you are to reflect the glory of God, but also your marriage is to reflect the glory of God? Hmm. . . What are the relationships like among the three persons who are one essence in what we call the trinity? What is the relationship like with the one with whom I am one flesh? Does it reflect the glory of the Godhead? It should! The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are completely in love with each other. Everything they do, they do out of love for each other. That is the way He wants my marriage to be, so that I may reflect His image. So if I truly understand the glory of God, it will improve how I treat my spouse. Why? It will improve it so that I may reflect His glory. Lord help! Let me love my wife like each person of the Godhead loves each other. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 3 GENESIS 3

I had a blast in fencing class in college. I have often wished that I had the time and lived in an area where I could pursue fencing as a hobby. During the semester of fencing, I developed a planter’s wart on the heel of my right foot. When one is right handed and makes a thrust in fencing, one kicks their right foot forward and lands on their heel. The planter’s wart became painful. I went to the doctor. On three visits over three weeks he applied some acid to the wart and then the next week he would cut off the dead part of the wart and then reapply the acid. There were one or two days where I could not fence in class because it was too painful to land upon my heel. Yet, I overcame the pain and remained one of the top fencers of the class.

The glory of Jesus is seen right from the fall of Adam and Eve. We are not told how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before they sinned. We are only told of the simple act and its terrifying, dreadful, deadly results. The sin immediately cast Adam and Eve into defensively hiding their sin and blaming someone else for their sin. That sin brought pride into the life of Cain, who became the first murderer. That sin brought ruin on the whole race.

Adam’s race quickly multiplied. (Can you imagine living to 900 and being healthy enough to bear children until you were really old?) Genetic mutations in the gene pool were just beginning. So, as a whole they were not only healthier, they were probably also smarter, as a whole. In an environment that was much friendlier than ours, they probably had more free time. We spend the majority of our adult working lives paying for our home and setting ourselves up for retirement. Can you imagine having your home paid for and still have 800 years of your working life in front of you. You could work part time and devote much of your time to things that really interested you. And so they did.

Jabal developed his interests in animal husbandry. Jubal developed his interests in music. Tubal-Cain developed his interests in metallurgy. But the planter’s wart of sin was growing in the race. Rather than using their free time to glorify God, the sin infection of the sin and too much free time corrupted them and they became violent. The human race was off to a poor start. Fifteen hundred years had produced an exploding population full of morally corrupt people. Satan’s bite upon the heal seemed to be fatal.

But the glory of Jesus was seen from the beginning. The seed of the woman whose heel would be bruised looked prophetically beyond the descendants of Adam and Eve to one particular descendent, Jesus. The planter’s wart of sin has grown in every human since. Adam’s sin was transferred to Jesus on the cross. Jesus did not have a wart until the cross. He was born of a virgin and did not inherit the deadly virus from Adam. So on the cross God allowed Satan to bite His Son. God transferred the wart from us to Him. That was a painful bruise. But He did it willingly. It looked as though the serpent had taken Jesus’ life. But on the third day Jesus came out of the tomb and crushed the head of the serpent. The acid did its job on the cross and in the resurrection. Oh it was painful! But He overcame the pain and He was victorious. He offers His victory to you and me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 4 GENESIS 4

But it was just a nickel. . . . I had stolen it from my Dad’s dresser. I knew he kept his loose change there. It was an act for which I felt incredible guilt. My intent was to go around the block and buy a pack of baseball cards. On the way my nose intersected with a brick which had been thrown by another kid at someone other than me. I had the misfortune of riding my bike between them on my way to the store. It knocked me off of my bike. I was bleeding profusely and in incredible pain. Leaving my bike, I ran home. All the way home I heard in my mind, It was because you stole the nickel. Now you might be saying, But it was just a nickel. God wouldn’t punish you in that way. But was it a punishment or a warning? I can tell you this, I was never again tempted to steal my dad’s loose change. By the way, I healed quickly. The kid, who threw the brick, actually walked my bike back to the house and apologized. Although My nose is a bit crooked, I do not think that it is a result of intersecting with that brick.

Cain performed an act that most of us would consider very terrible, certainly worse than stealing a nickel, or is it? Yet God dealt very gently with him. He warned him before he committed murder. He asked him questions to force him to see his own guilt after he committed the murder. He even gave him some relief when he cried out for mercy. Cain certainly didn’t show Abel any mercy. What’s up with this? I thought God was just. Shouldn’t He have taken his life? God is merciful to each one of us. His Spirit warns us through our conscience before we sin. His Spirit convicts us of our sin after we commit it. The warnings and convictions are for our good. They are there to lead us to repentance. Sin is sin. It is not just a nickel. Theft is sin. Sin deserves death. But it is the glory of God to work with us and show us mercy by giving us time to repent and return to Him. Eventually, His patience comes to an end and judgment comes. But in the mean time, He calls and waits for us to repent. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 5 GENESIS 5

Adam means man. Seth means substitute or put. Enosh means mortal. Cainan means fixed. Mahalalel means praise of God. Jared means descent. Enoch means initiated. Methuselah means man of a dart (a dart is a branch, a shoot, a sword or a weapon). Lamech comes from an uncertain root and we do not know its meaning. Noah means rest. Put them together and you have, man, substitute or put, mortal, fixed, praise of God, descent, initiated dart (a dart is a branch, a shoot, a sword or a weapon), rest. Chuck Misler puts them together like this: Man is appointed mortal, frail, and unto sorrow. The Blessed God shall come down to teach. His death shall bring to the despairing rest."¹ What a glorious Lord! He even designs the names of the first ten generations of His word to fit together to describe His plan for mankind. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 6 GENESIS 6

When I was in grade school I used to have this recurring dream. I can’t really tell you what the dream was about. Even after waking up from just having had the dream, I couldn’t really tell you the events of the dream. I could only tell you about a few images still in my mind and about the overwhelming sadness still in my heart. I remember an image of a giant tube (like the ones at a drive through bank) and being sucked through the tube, helpless to stop it. I always awoke with a sense of irreparable loss and sadness. Sometimes I awoke crying in my sleep. As the memory flew away, I would wonder why I was crying.

Next to the story of the fall some of the saddest words on earth are Genesis 6:5,6:

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Beginning with the fall, mankind has been sucked through a tube of irreparable loss. There was a loss of righteousness, a loss of the ability to be holy. There was the loss of the ability to resist the evil thoughts that crept into our hearts. The world was young 6,000 years ago. Life was bursting forth. I think there was a refusal among men to believe that the intent of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. The evil was always in someone else’s heart. There was no sadness among men over the grief they had brought to the Lord.

Jonathan Edwards once delivered a sermon called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Often when I sin, I have images in my mind of an angry God. We find from other parts of Scripture that God is indeed angry with sinners. But do we ever stop to consider that He is also grieving over our sin? Whenever we pursue the evil intents of our hearts, God is grieved. The heart of God is saddened. Can God have a sense of irreparable loss? His highest creation, those created in His image, those created for Him, was in rebellion against Him. He was first grieved, then angered.

But in contrast one of the most promising statements is in 6:8--But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Our Lord is full of grace and truth. This story of Noah is such a great picture of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a type of Christ. When Noah entered into the ark, it was like our being united with Christ. God was grieved over the sin of man. His grief led to a righteous anger that produced judgment upon the earth. The earth’s population was given a full 100 years to repent and believe Noah’s preaching. Anyone who would enter into the ark would have been safe from the judgment of God. But only 8 believed and entered into safety. The judgment of God fell.

God is grieved over our sin. Judgment is coming. There is only one place of safety--it is in the Lord Jesus Christ. There we find grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now that is glorious. All around us we see the effects of our sin and the current judgment warning us of the judgment to come. Why are there hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, droughts, thunderstorms? To some degree they are probably a result of the change in the earth’s environment as a result of the flood. Of course the reason for the flood can be traced back to the fall. The people of Noah’s day partied to their death. There was no grief for their sin.

In a college class called Modern Short Story I read a book called Sadness. The book was a collection of bizarre and sometimes random thoughts on life. One of the stories had a picture of Jael killing Sisera (Judges 4). The caption below the picture was Scenes of Domestic Violence. There is now a sadness that prevails over modern and post modern culture. Life on earth is no longer young and bursting forth. Only the most Pollyannic among us can look at the human race and not see that the intent of man’s heart is only evil continually. But even in the midst of our cultural sadness, we do not grieve that our sin grieves the heart of God. We only grieve the result of our sin-the war and suffering around us. We are like the thief who grieves getting caught but not that he is a thief.

Oh but there is grace to be found in the eyes of the Lord! When we unite with Jesus, we find His grace and safety from His judgment. At first we enjoy the fact that we are safe from His judgment. But as we look into His grace, we begin to understand the depths of our sin. Gazing upon His grace changes us so that we begin to grieve over sin, not because of the judgment it brings but because it grieves the very heart of God. That pains us because we have found His glory to be too precious to sully with our sin. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 7, 2011 GENESIS 7

Can you imagine the sense of irreparable loss that might have flooded Noah and his family as they sat in the ark. The floodgates of the deep were broken up. The water canopy from above fell. Forty days and nights the water poured down. Perhaps Pangaea was breaking up during this time. Tremendous volcanic and seismic forces were rocking the earth causing tidal waves that washed the face of the earth wiping it clean of the violence of man. All living flesh outside of the ark died. Noah had been told by the Lord what was going to happen outside the ark. There was an opening along the top where they could look out. Do you suppose they spent much time there? Light in the ark would only have been provided by candles, lamps and fires. But the chaos outside would have been far worse.

In the midst of irreparable loss, the Lord invites them in to the ark, Come in to the ark, you and all your household. Inside they found safety. That must have been one wild ride inside the ark with wild animals inside and wild waves outside. Do you suppose the Lord protected them against seasickness? Although, its 450 ft. length, 75ft width and 45 ft. height would have made it extremely stable, except for in the most horrendous tidal wave. The size is enormous. It would be a total of over 1.5 million cubic feet. It could not sit flat inside OSU’s Boone Pickens Stadium. It was safety in the chaos outside. Noah and his family and the animals were secure in the midst of irreparable loss.

Peter compares the ark to the salvation which we find in Jesus:

1 Peter 3:20-21: ²⁰ those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. ²¹ And this is a picture of baptism, which now saves you by the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Baptism is not a removal of dirt from your body; it is an appeal to God from a clean conscience. The New Living Translation

Baptism is essentially identifying with Jesus. Like the ark in the midst of irreparable loss, Jesus invites us into the safety of Himself. He says, Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 8, 2013 GENESIS 8

As a kid taking a bath, I would put my feet on one end of the bath tub and pull up as close to the end of the tub as I could. Then with a mighty shove, I would push back to the other end. It was great to watch the water slosh back and forth from end to end. I would pretend that I was causing mighty ocean tidal waves. Sometimes I would count how many times the tidal wave would go from one end of the tub to the other until I could no longer perceive its movement. I don’t remember what my record was; that was around 50 years ago, but I remember that it was great fun. I probably drove my family crazy as I spent so much time in the tub, and of course sometimes the tidal wave might leave the bath tub making a terrible mess. Then I would get in a little trouble.

Mount Everest is 5 miles above sea level. How is it physically possible that the flood waters of the earth could have covered Mt. Everest? Did you know that Mt. Everest is currently growing? According to this website: http://www.extremescience.com/everest.htm, it is growing at the current rate of 2.4 inches per year. Let’s presume that Noah’s flood occurred in 2500 B.C. That would be 4500 years ago. At 2.4 in. per year it would have grown 10,800 inches by now, or 900 feet or .17 of a mile—1/6th of a mile. Another website, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_inches_does_Mount_Everest_rise_each_year, says that while the mountain builds up that much per year it also loses much to erosion each year for a net increase of .5 inches per year. One might say that the math demonstrates that the flood of water could not have covered the highest mountain. But then there are still two problems with that claim. It assumes that the flood was not geologically violent and the mountains were as tall now as they were then. It also assumes that the amount of water in the oceans is the same now as it was then.

It has been established that Mt. Everest is growing. But it has not been established that it has always grown at the same rate or that it always grows. Could it not be possible that there might be years where it shrank? After all we have only been observing its height for less than 150 years. Evolutionary geologists, who believe in uniformitarianism, might be crying foul at this point. After all they would say that the same processes that formed the mountains are still in effect today. If that is true, and the earth is more than a billion years old, then how tall would Mt. Everest be? Hmmm. . . Let’s see. .5 X 1,000,000,000 / 12 / 5,280 = 7,891.41 miles. Obviously it hasn’t been up lifting at that rate for 1,000,000,000 years or even 1,000,000 years. Okay, I hear it. The evolutionist is crying, Foul! You have created a straw man! Okay, I have created a straw man, but I have also established that the rate of growth or decline of Mt. Everest changes in time. So how might this relate to the flood of Noah?

Some theories of plate tectonics suggest that the earth was once one large land mass that, for whatever reason, the plates have shifted and moved changing the shapes of the continents. The Scripture says:

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Genesis 8:2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.

What is a fountain of the deep? Proverbs 8:22-32 tells how wisdom accompanied God as He created the foundations of the earth, including the fountains of the great deep. Could it be that in the original creation, there were massive amounts of water in the earth’s crust? Could it be that the opening of the fountains of the deep were the plates of the earth being moved with such force and suddenness that it spewed the waters of the crust into the atmosphere in giant geysers? Could it also be that as those plates moved, their colliding together increased the up building of mountains where the plates collided? What would that cause to happen to the oceans? In recent years we have seen giant tsunamis wreak havoc in Indonesia and Japan. If there were a sudden movement of the earth’s plate causing massive uprising of the mountains where they met, it would have caused massive waves in the oceans that would literally have wiped across the face of the earth in horrible tidal waves. If the mountains were much shorter at the time, they all could conceivably been covered by the flood waters of those tsunami/tidal waves. Those waves would surely have lasted for months as the plates slipped and shifted driving up mountains in their conflict.

Could it also be that there used to be a canopy of water surrounding the earth? Could it be that when those giant geysers, driven by the hot magma of the earth’s crust, reached the canopy that the sudden change in temperature and particles of earth caused the canopy to condense and fall as rain causing 40 days of continuous rain? Would not the combination of the two cause massive and total destruction of land life? Indeed the real miracle is that Noah and those in the ark survived it at all. Would you not then expect to find massive amounts of fossils to be found in sedimentary rock layers even on the tops of high mountains? I think that is exactly what we have found. Those 40 days of rain and catastrophic movement of the earth’s surface took the rest of the year to subside. Like the waves in the bath tub, it took time for the land masses and oceans to settle down. Noah was in the ark a full year. It was unsafe to be outside, even if he was on a mountain top.

So where is the glory of God in this? The massive flood demonstrates His great hatred of sin, but His offering of safety to all who would come into the ark demonstrates his great love for us. The ark is a picture of great love! He performed a miracle to save all who would enter the ark. It is too bad that more people did not take Noah up on his sermons of safety if they would enter in. Even today God offers safety from His wrath against sin to all those who will enter into the safety of His Son Jesus. It is too bad that more people do not take Him up on His offer. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 9, 2013, GENESIS 9-10

A few months ago the News Press had a front page story about a murder. A man and his girlfriend were at home drinking one night with another male friend. The man went to the bathroom and returned to find his friend making out with his girlfriend. He proceeded to beat the man unconscious, drug him outside, and left him in the yard to die. He then went in and beat up his girlfriend. A neighbor found the man in the yard unconscious and called the police. The man died at hospital. That was pretty cold blooded.

Why is murder such a horrible thing? I really do not believe that most people have thought through the answer to that question, but it is an answer that is closely related to the glory of God. I think that most people find murder to be unacceptable because they realize that it could happen to them or someone they love. But in a world that rejects God as creator and embraces only the survival of the fittest, why should it be wrong? After all, if you are not one of the fit ones, you ought to die, and does not your inability to survive the attack of a rival indicate that you are not one of the fit ones? But such a line of reasoning is emotionally unacceptable, albeit logically demanded.

Why is murder such a horrible thing? It is horrible not because it might happen to me or someone I love but because man is created in the image of God; male and female we are created in His image. When one lashes out at a human being, one is not lashing at just a human being. One is lashing out at the image of the Almighty God! That is what makes it a horrible thing. So why does God make it a rule that when one commits murder, then one’s life should be taken by man? Here He uses the term man in the generic sense. It includes both male and female. On that occasion when the murderer’s life is taken, it seems to me that this passage implies that a rationale for the taking of the life should be given to all who are present—In the image of God, He made man. This would imply to me that the taking of the life was not to be done in a vigilante or revengeful sense, but it should rather be done in calculated sense of justice. It was not the prerogative of an individual but the corporate prerogative of the people, the government. On those occasions where capital punishment is practiced, it should be an occasion when the people are called back to view that we are created in the image of God, and to not love God is a serious matter.

More stipulations are given to the nation of Israel in the Mosaic law concerning capital punishment. Exodus 21:12-14; Leviticus 24:17; Numbers 35:33 each reiterate the responsibility of the corporate body to shed the blood of one who shed’s innocent blood. Some safe guards are put into place. No one was to be executed except on the basis of at least two eyewitnesses, Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15. The witnesses were to begin the execution followed by all the people, Deut. 17:7. Thus capital punishment was a call to the people be reminded that we are created in the image of God. To seek to kill that image, was not to be tolerated.

But now that the New Testament is initiated, is it still to be done? Paul says in Romans13:1-5

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. ⁴ For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. ⁵ Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.

In today’s world God has left that right to bear the sword to punish the evil doer to the governments, which He has appointed. I would think that would include how those governments use or don’t use capital punishment. If those governments use capital punishment, then I would think that God would probably desire them to use His principles in performing them. The governments which refuse to follow those principles will surely have to answer to Him. I know of no government in the world today which before they execute a convict reminds their populace that the reason they are executing the convict is because he/she has struck out at the image of God before they committed murder. Nor do I know of any government that requires two eyewitnesses to the murder. Nor do I know of any government that requires the eyewitnesses to be the executioners.

A final thought for consideration is that under our New Testament understanding of the cross, mercy triumphs over judgment. Is there room at a corporate level for governing authorities to release mercy and not execute the convict? Hmmm. . . I would think there would be, especially if the government did so while proclaiming the reasons that the murder was wrong—the murderer was striking out at the image of God. Then the government could proclaim mercy as an image of God’s mercy. It would even be more convincing if the murder repented and trusted Jesus for mercy.

Why at this point in Genesis does God make this rule? Remember the leading reason that God destroyed the earth was because of the violence of man. I’ll bet there was a whole lot of murder going on before Noah’s flood. I think a lot of current evangelic church in the USA thinks of the evil of Noah’s day as marrying and giving in marriage—sexual immorality. And we know that according to Jesus that was a big part of the problem, but in Genesis violence seems to be the focus. Like the story with which we began, sexual immorality and alcohol seem to fuel a lot of violence. But the main point is the image or glory of God. He follows this instruction with the repeated command to be fruitful and multiply. He wants the earth to multiply with His image, His glory. That glory is to be seen in our image. He did not want another world filled with violent people. He wants the world to be filled with people who experience His mercy and grace! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

JANUARY 10, 2013 GENESIS 11

If you want to believe in a myth about the Tower of Babel, you can, but don’t waste my time with it in class. It was my History of the English Language undergraduate class in college. The prof was obviously trying to establish his belief that the Tower of Babel did not exist, and he would not allow any debate or inquiry in class. Is there any evidence for a Tower of Babel? There are thousands of languages in the world today. Some of them have absolutely no relationship to others. Some of them have descended from others. Obviously languages like Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian all descended from Latin and are related. English itself is a blend of Old French (Latin) and Old German. Latin has many similarities to Greek. Go just a little northeast of Greece and you will fine languages that have no relationship to western European languages. Across Asia are languages that have no relationship to each other. Mongolian is reported to have more similarities to European languages than to Chinese. African click languages are completely different from their northern counterparts. If language evolved with the evolution of man, would not one expect more commonality among all the languages of the earth than what we observe? Seems to me that the report of the Tower of Babel more properly fits the expectation of what would exist in language if God confused the language at a point in history rather than that they all evolved with the evolution of man.

Where do all the races come from if we all are descendants of Adam and Eve through Noah and his sons? I remember substitute teaching in a high school biology class. The emergency lesson plan was to show a film on genetics using dog varieties as an example. The thrust of the film was that if all dogs lived together and were allowed to interbreed, then all dogs would eventually begin to look more homogenous in nature. The variety in breeds comes from isolation by humans allowing only certain genetically looking dogs to breed. The breeds are accounted for by the lack of genetic information over the generations, not the addition of new genetic information.

My wife raises miniature golden doodles. We began with a golden retriever and a poodle. Over the generations we used different parentage to avoid inbreeding. Currently we have a goldendoodle female who has a goldendoodle daughter that is about half her size and looks like a miniature golden retriever, but she is all golden doodle. The second generation dog has a daughter that is a doubledoodle. She is the same height as her mother, but wider. Her father was a miniature labradoodle. She looks nothing like her mother. People often do not believe that the three are grandmother, mother and daughter. The cross breeds of the dogs produces a healthier dog than the previous purebred golden retrievers and poodles.

At the dispersion of the Tower of Babel the human race possessed all the genetic information to produce all the different types of ethnic characteristics found across face of the earth. Upon the dispersion from Babel, the different family groups of languages migrated to different places upon the earth. These groups were isolated by vast geographic distances. Over the generations, those groups in those locations lost genetic information through inbreeding and survival of the fittest. It is no