#genesisstory

[m-kd]

Soon and Very Soon

In Genesis 46, Jacob basically knew when and where he will die. God said to him:

“’I am God, the God of your father,’ he said. ‘Do not be afraid to go town to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.’ Then Jacob left Beersheba...” - Genesis 46:3-5

In Genesis 45, Jacob knew that his time was near but he didn’t know when and where. God told him in a vision that he will die in Egypt with Jacob attending to him which is very soon. 

Although knowing that he would die once after he sees Joseph, he still obeyed God and left Beersheba. I can’t help but wonder: Wasn’t Jacob even a little bit afraid to die? 

He left to Egypt, his place of death, with no hesitation. Maybe his strong desire to see his son Joseph, whom he thought he lost, was so strong that death was no matter. He did say that he wanted to see Joseph before he died (Genesis 45:28). 

Despite knowing, Jacob travelled to Egypt... no hesitations, no fear and no questions. But why should Jacob be afraid? He shouldn’t, right? Firstly, God promised to be with him throughout the whole journey and that he will become a great nation. And secondly, death can only mean that he will be with God where there’s no more suffering, pain or loneliness. 

If God told me that I was going to die at a certain place and time, how would I react? Honestly, I think I would be scared a little bit. Unlike Jacob, I think I would hesitate on going to Egypt for a moment. But why should I be afraid? I shouldn’t, right? Whenever I think of death, a certain song always comes up in my mind and it reminds me of the race that I’m running. 

“Soon and very soon, I’ll be going to the place He has prepared for me / There my sin erased, my shame forgotten / Soon and very soon.

I will be with the One I love with unveiled face I’ll see Him / There my soul will be satisfied / Soon and very soon.” - “Soon” by Brooke Fraser

This is the end goal. There’s no need to be afraid because one day, we’ll be with our Father... We’ll get to see the One who loves us, who answered our prayers, who brought change to our lives, and who has blessed us with all that we have now. If someone has done something great for me, I would want to meet them and that’s similar to how I feel about God. One day, I will get to meet the God who has been with me since day one. As for my time here on earth, I will keep running the race set out for me with my eyes fixed ahead on Jesus because... soon and very soon. 

- MK

[m-kd]

Interpreting Dreams

As you may already know, Joseph is the man of interpreting dreams. He’s known for such a fascinating skill that not many have. In Genesis 40, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker had contrasting dreams when they were imprisoned. Because Joseph was a master at dream interpretations, he was able to decipher what each dream meant. Three days later, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker’s dream came true.

Joseph may be skilled at interpreting dreams, but he certainly was not a bragger. If I were him, I would probably be telling everyone about this awesome skill I have. Wouldn’t you? I mean, who wouldn’t want to know what their dreams meant? 

But Joseph remained humble about it. When he saw that these two men needed dream interpretations, he says:

“...’Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’” - Genesis 40:8

It’s crazy to know that Joseph did not forget the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Although he’s skilled at interpretations, he still recognizes where that skill comes from. He recognizes and acknowledges that God is the one who made him capable of interpretations... not himself. He did not gain this skill through his own power (although I don’t know how you would “practice” dream interpreting lol), but only through God. Joseph did not forget to give the glory and recognition where it truly belongs. 

Often times I like to give myself praise for the skills that I’ve been honing or gained. I like to give myself a pat on the back for being capable or when I accomplish something great using those skills. But this story of Joseph reminded me that it’s not me that I should be praising. It’s not me that I should be giving a pat on the back on. It is God who deserves that praise and glory. God is the one who blessed me with the gifts and skills that I have now. Only through his power and strength am I able to accomplish great things. When you do something well or when you know you’re capable, where are you giving your praise to? Yourself.... or God? 

May God continue to teach us to be humble through our experiences and accomplishments. And may we come to recognize that our blessings come from God, not man. 

- MK

[m-kd]

The Warden

We are now moving onto the story of Joseph. Yes, the guy who interpret dreams. We all heard the general story about Joseph, right? He was a pretty faithful righteous guy in God’s eyes and was successful wherever he went... even in prison. 

Lets take a look at Genesis 39: 20-23.

“Joseph’s master took him and put him him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” 

I know this story is about Joseph but I want to take a look at the warden. He may seem insignificant but his attitude is so significant. 

“The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care...” - Gen. 39:23

Another translation says: “The warden had no more worries...” (NLT). Why didn’t he have worries? Why did he pay no attention to what Joseph’s doing? The answer is simple. 

“...because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” - Gen. 39:23

What a faithful attitude that the warden has. He knows that the Lord... not just any guy... but the Lord himself is with Joseph wherever he went and whatever he does. He knows that good things will occur within this prison because God is with Joseph in this prison, so what is there to worry about? This is the reassuring faith that we should hold as we walk through life. We should be saying: “I have no worries because the Lord is with me in whatever I do.” Even if the tasks seem difficult or the obstacles are challenging, we should not cease our faithful prayers. We should look at those tasks and obstacles with confidence. Not just confidence in ourselves, but confidence in the Lord. He’s the one that will give us the strength and spirit to face whatever we’re facing. 

This is a personal reminder for me as this year is coming to an end. There will be a lot of change and many new things on this path I’m taking... Honestly, I’m scared. I’m scared of failing and setbacks. I’m scared of fear itself. But tonight this story has strengthen my mindset and faith in Jesus. I pray that he will keep on reminding me of his truths and embed it into my heart, especially when the new year comes!

Hope this encourages you too. Later gators!

- MK

[m-kd]

Genealogies... are boring?

And here we see another genealogy in Genesis 36 - Esau’s descendants to be exact. 

Honestly, I’ve always thought genealogies were kind of boring. Who wants to read a list of names, right? But as I dive deeper into Genesis, I find myself in wonder of them because it reminds me of how great God’s love is for me. 

It’s so mind-blowing how God knows each and every person in this list of names. He knows who belongs to which family or tribe. He knows who’s a father or mother, a husband or wife, and a son or daughter. He knows who’s a ruler or chief. He knows which region they live in. He knows their special skills or what they do. 

I mean, look at verse 24: “The sons of Zibeon...

“...Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.” - Genesis 36:24

This is such a random insignificant act but yet God remembers. I can barely remember one person’s name or their basic profile, but God remembers a lot more than one. He knows every little detail about all humans on this very Earth... and there are a lot of humans. How great is the Father’s love for us, that he’s relentlessly pursues us and wants to know every single parts of us. 

He knows my deepest secrets and fears. He knows my heart and my desires. He knows the significant and insignificant events of my life. And through it all, he still loves me. A Father who knows and wants to know you... what more can I ask for? 

- MK

[m-kd]

No Fear in Faith

There was quite a few significant events that occurred in Genesis 35 but my heart was drawn to Genesis 35:2-5. 

“So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him,’Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.’ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” - Genesis 35:2-5

The moment that Jacob told his household to purify themselves, everyone removed anything that hindered their focus on God. They gave Jacob their foreign gods and rings, which he buried away. Then they set out on a journey to Bethel, meaning “house of God”. What amazes me is what happened once they chose to obey God. 

“...the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” – Genesis 35:5

I think we all need to read that verse again. Jacob and his household didn’t need to worry about persecutors as they travelled to Bethel to build an altar to God. Why? Because the terror of God came and no one pursued them. No one. Not one single person stopped them. Not one person nor one thing nor Satan can stop Jacob and his household from worshipping the Lord.

“If God is for us, then who can be against us?” This statement rings so true in this story. God is for Jacob and Jacob knows that very well. He even said that God answered him in his distress and has been with him wherever he went (Gen. 35:3). And God continued to be with him as he journeyed to Bethel.

These past few months, there have been constant stories about Christians being persecuted for their faith. People are brutally harmed and killed for worshipping God in other countries, but this persecution doesn’t stop them in their faith. They continue to sing praises and pray wholeheartedly to our God, even if a gun was put to their head. Why do they continue to sing and pray when death is near for them? Because they know that God is for them, not against them. They remain rooted in their faith in Jesus.

In times like this, I’m reminded of how blessed I am to live in Canada, a country with the freedom of speech and religion. Like Jacob, I don’t need to have any fear in serving and worshipping the Lord because I believe that God has made Canada into what it is today and continues to be with this beloved country. To be honest, I don’t know much about history but one thing I do know – that after many wars and deaths, Canada is now a place where I don’t have to be afraid of being persecuted to death for my faith. And this is something to praise God for.

Today also happens to be Remembrance Day, the day to remember the soldiers who have died for our country. They played a huge part in our country’s history. May God bring comfort and peace to families and friends who were impacted by the death of their loved ones from this historic event.

- MK

[m-kd]

A Massacre

What a bloody scene in Genesis 34. Today I wanted to look at a pair of characters (yes, a duo) who may seem minor in the Bible but what they did was no minor thing. I’m talking about Jacob’s two sons, Simeon and Levi. 

When Simeon and Levi found out that Shechem the Hivite defiled their sister Dinah, they weren’t going to let him pass by without some punishment. They made a negotiation with Shechem’s family, but ended up slaughtering every male in the city and took their wealth, women, and children. Talk about a massacre. Jacob was disappointed to hear about his sons’ evil deed but they replied:

“Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” - Genesis 34:31

You can tell that Simeon and Levi were extremely furious that they plot this revenge, even committing murder for the sake of their sister. 

When I read this, I thought of the movie I watched today with my friends called “Orphan” (Note: If you like horror/psychological/thriller, I would recommend this). In one scene (spoiler alert!), the mentally un-stabled girl killed her foster father by stabbing him repeatedly. My friends commented that if they know she killed their father, they would have killed her in return, sparing no mercy. 

Sound familiar to you? This is exactly like Simeon and Levi. They spared no mercy to Shechem, killing him (and every male in the city) as punishment. I thought to myself: Would I have done the same in his position? Would I be so blinded by anger and hurt that I am willing to hurt someone else? Would I have the will to act in revenge, bringing pain to others? 

In the case of murder, maybe you can also see yourself in the same position as my friends. But what about the ‘minor’ things? What if your significant other cheated on you? What if someone else raped a loved one or even you? What if a drunk driver disabled your sibling or friend? What if someone broke into your home (or a friend) and tried to hurt you? What would you do now? Would you turn a blind eye? Would you say “I forgive you” even when they apologize? Would you inflict the same pain onto them? Would you not show mercy at all? To be honest, I want to say that I personally won’t but the human heart can be a selfish heart. How easy it is for Satan to pour vengeful and dark thoughts into us. 

But you know what’s crazy?! Even though humans are known to be merciless and cruel when someone brings suffering onto them, there’s one person who’s always merciful. And that’s our God. Humans beat and killed his only son, Jesus. They made him carried a heavy cross and then hammered nails into his hands and feet. What father wouldn’t be angry and hurt from this? Just as Simeon and Levi were resentful and hurt when Dinah was raped, God is also angry and hurt to see us humans kill his son. Despite God’s sadness, he didn’t create a massacre out of revenge, like Simeon and Levi. Instead, he never stopped giving us his mercy. He continues to show forgiveness when we hurt him. He continues to shower us with his endless love. Our God is a merciful God indeed. 

“Arrest my heart from its reckless path / Release the chains in me / Awake my soul to the hope You hold / Your grace is all I need. 

Gracious fury written in my Saviour's scars / Mercy mercy, now engraved upon my heart.” - “Mercy Mercy” by Hillsong United

Until next time, later gators!

- MK

[m-kd]

Jacob meets Esau

Finally. 

The meeting that we’ve all been waiting for has finally happened in Genesis 33. I am honestly surprised at the way Esau reacted towards Jacob. I did not expect such a happy meeting between the two brothers. 

When Jacob saw Esau, this is exactly what happened:

“...Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.” - Genesis 33:4

Where’s the bitterness? What happened to “I will kill Jacob”? There was none of that. Instead of bitterness, there was forgiveness. Instead of revenge, there was love. Imagine how hard it probably was for Esau to greet his brother with open arms, and change his vengeful heart to a forgiving heart. Jacob didn’t just take some little thing from Esau. He took his birthright and his blessings. Yet, Esau still loved his brother despite his wrongdoings. 

How easy it is to hate the ones who hurt or deceived us. How easy it is for us to hold grudges. How easy it is for us to harden our hearts after being manipulated or hurt repeatedly. 

Esau is like us. He was hurt and angry. He became hateful towards Jacob for what he has done, and wanted to kill him. But many years later, Esau no longer has even a drop of bitterness in him. And I believe that we can remove all of our own bitterness, just as Esau had. 

How do I react when people wronged me? Do I hold onto bitterness or do I let go and love? Do I have a heart of forgiveness or a heart of revenge? I pray that we learn to turn to our Father in times of hurting and bitterness. I pray that we learn to forgive those who have wronged us, just as Jesus forgave us for our own wrongdoings. I pray that our hearts be softened and transformed to hearts of love and forgiveness, just like Jesus. 

- MK

[m-kd]

Jacob vs. God

For tonight, we’re travelling to the second half of Genesis 32 (verse 22 to 32). And let me tell you, this passage has left me clueless. 

In this passage, Jacob is wrestling with a man and asks for his blessings. Apparently, this man is God... so lets take this in right now. Jacob is wrestling with God. Not just anybody, but with God. 

Honestly, I have so many questions once I read this. Firstly, how did Jacob know that this man is God? What gave off the fact that his random man is God? If a man came up and wrestled me, my first thought would not be: “Oh, it’s God”. Secondly, why did God choose to wrestle Jacob? Thirdly, why did Jacob ask for this man’s blessings? Is it because he knew it was God? 

I decided to look into my bible study book and see what it has to say about Jacob. I’m glad that I did because I found something interesting that I would like to share with you:

“Jacob’s life has four stages:

1. He lived up to his name, which figuratively means “he deceives”. By the time he fled from home, he grabbed Esau’s birthright and blessing. During his flight, God first appeared to him, and awakened in Jacob a personal knowledge of himself. 

2. He experienced life from the other side, being manipulated and deceived by Laban. But there is a curious change: The Jacob of stage one would simply left Laban, but in this stage, Jacob waited six years for God’s permission.

3. He was in a new role as a grabber. He grabbed on to God and wouldn’t let go. He realized his dependence on the God who had continued to bless him. His relationship to God became essential to his life and his name was changed to Israel, “he struggles with God”.

4. His life was to be grabbed - God achieved a firm hold on him. In responding to Joseph’s invitation to come to Egypt, Jacob was clearly unwilling to make a move without God’s approval.”

Isn’t that fascinating? In this passage, we would be looking at stage three of Jacob’s life. I thought it was a cool interpretation of Jacob’s wrestling match with God. From this interpretation, we see yet another thing to learn from Jacob and that is persistence. Jacob was so persistent, and refused to let go of God. Am I holding onto God in the same way, knowing that I need Him? Where in my life do I need more persistence? 

Definitely some interesting reads tonight! What is your take on this passage? 

- MK