Fertile Journey through Genesis: Introduction - Part 2


Genesis contains the birth story of creation, humankind, and Israel.  It is also the story of God fulfilling his promise of fertility despite many obstacles. (see the Jewish Study Bible) According to the Jewish Study Bible’s introduction to this book it is appropriate for us to view each narrative as a story being told to convey a point. As we read we picture old Uncle Ned sitting there telling us a story he has told us a thousand times, but each time with a slight shift in the storyline to convey a new point. Genesis is a book that reveals God’s blessing in the midst of our earthliness.

As a woman struggling through her own time of barrenness I find this quite encouraging. Early on a friend encouraged me to hold on to hope.  I responded by explaining to her that I couldn’t place my hope in a promise God never made.  Yet, as I read through Genesis I hear the undertone of God’s willingness to bless with fertility, even though God doesn’t seem as committed to making that happen in the ways that we expect. God’s vision is much more expansive and long-term than our own.   And starting with the death of Abel we see the words of Romans 8:22 being fulfilled - “the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains” waiting for the divine adoption of humankind and redemption of our bodies. As the temporarily infertile we can find hope in knowing that while our bodies groan, God is working on a plan to resolve our barrenness, although it may not be in the ways we expect.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They touched Jesus, but then, how did they pray?

I'm sitting in my room praying and thinking, "After the resurrection did the disciples pray to Jesus?" Just imagine this with me for a moment. You have spent the past 2 - 3 years of your life following this intriguing man around, your feet are calloused, your memory is overflowing with moments around the campfire or dinner table, and you've been challenged to completely shift your Jewish worldview. And then he is gone. Just as quick as he came, just as brief as the moment he walked the shoreline past your fishing boat and called out to you, he is gone. And you are left knowing you've met an incredible man who was more than a man -- a man who was somehow divine. Now there is no one around you analyzing deep fulfilled Christological theological concepts, but there are plenty of Greek voices and new philosophical ways of contemplating life's happenings, there are Jewish commentaries, and there are the conversations that have happened along the roadside. An...
Read more

Palm Sunday School Lesson for Teenagers

Scripture: Luke 22:17-20 Topic: When Jesus ate with his Disciples Background: This lesson would be taught during a Sunday morning breakfast club for teenagers. Once a month the youth meet to cook breakfast and then we try to relate the lesson to food. Last time the Middle School breakfast club met a middle school student led his peers in a devotional that went through the various stories of Jesus sharing food with his disciples. This Sunday we are going to focus on one of those stories and how it relates to Easter. Opening: 1. Ask, “Have you ever helped plan a party?” a. Ask the students to share about the various things they did to prepare (send invites, decorate, blow up balloons, set the table, plan games, order food). 2. Say, “For some families, Easter is a time of celebration, a party of sorts.” a. Ask, “What does your family do to celebrate Easter?” (family gets together, we eat dinner together, Easter egg hunt, attend church se...
Read more

Sabbath

Genesis 2:2-4 (The Message) 2-4 By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created. If God the greatest worker rested, why don't we?
Read more