Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
Thank you for participating in this study of Genesis. What an incredible book! Today, I have provided a Genesis Refresh for you to use as a resource and review. It serves as a recap of the book. Tomorrow, we will continue our journey in the Old Testament by studying Job, followed by Isaiah. After that, we’ll move to the New Testament to delve into the Gospel of John, Romans, and Revelation. Also, I’ve written a few personal reflections as we close out Genesis.
Our study of Genesis introduced us to the mighty Creator God, who spoke the world into being, as well as the personal God who writes his story in us. When the patriarch Jacob was nearing death, he stated that God had been his shepherd “all my life long to this day” (Gen. 48:15). Six hundred years later, when the nation of Israel was well established, King David echoed Jacob’s words in the twenty-third psalm. This psalm is rich in depicting how God cares for his own. In the past two days, we have explored the first three verses. Today, as we conclude this psalm, let’s begin with verse 4.
In Genesis, God’s people were primarily shepherds. They guided their flocks to the mountain pastures for grazing and returned them to the sheep pens for safety. They understood the shepherd’s role in ensuring success in this livelihood. When Jacob was close to death, he praised God, “who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (Gen. 48:15).
I recently spoke with a college student facing serious health issues. She is dealing with pain, and despite visiting several doctors, she is still searching for a diagnosis and treatment. She shared that, until now, her life had felt like a storybook. This was her first real challenge. She acknowledged feelings of hopelessness, but her time in Scripture and reliance on God remained firm despite her current condition. She knew that God was in control and guiding her each day.
Psalm 105 tracks God’s sovereign work, from the Abrahamic covenant to Israel’s freedom from Egypt. The psalmist implores God’s people to give him thanks, to sing praises to him, to “glory in his holy name,” and to “tell of all his wondrous works!” (Ps. 105:1-7). God never forgets his promises.
I cringe when I hear someone ask a young couple, “When are you all going to have children?” First, it’s nobody’s business. Second, having a baby isn’t like putting a quarter in a gumball machine and getting a gumball in return. The couple may have been trying to have a child for some time. An important truth we learned from the study of Genesis is that children are a gift from the Lord.
When we sin, wouldn’t it be better to run from God and avoid him—at least for a while? After all, we learned in Genesis that sin is an act of rebellion against God, the righteous Judge, and that it carries consequences. Wouldn’t it be wiser to keep our distance?
“Sin is crouching at your door…but you must rule over it” (Gen. 4:7). This verse paints a vivid struggle with temptation faced by Cain, who felt anger toward God for rejecting his sacrifice and resentment toward his brother for presenting an acceptable one. Cain’s emotions led him to kill his brother instead of overcoming his temptation. Unfortunately, we don’t always succeed in ruling over temptation either. So, what are the steps to true repentance and restoration?
Throughout our study of Genesis, we have seen the devastating impact of sin. Sin makes a mess of things. Right after Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden, their son Cain murdered his younger brother Abel. You can review that story in the Genesis 4 devo. When the two brothers brought offerings to God, he accepted Abel’s offering but “had no regard” for Cain’s. Cain responded in anger.
Today, we will reflect on Psalm 22. David composed it for the “choirmaster,” who would perform it to the melody of “The Doe of the Dawn,” a popular tune of the time. David was experiencing a difficult period when he wrote this song. He faced persecution from his enemies and felt as if God had forsaken him. David conveys his personal anguish, but his words also transcend his own struggles to describe the suffering of Jesus. This psalm is recognized as typological-prophetic and connects us back to Genesis 3:15.
God spoke the world into existence! Genesis repeatedly reminds us of the power of God, the great Creator. The eternal God stepped into time and breathed life into man. God’s crowning creation lives with meaning, purpose, and dignity. In Israel’s book of worship and prayer, King David marvels at how the Creator God notices and interacts with humanity. Today, let’s consider Psalm 8.
What if you lived in a time or place where the Bible didn’t exist? You couldn’t study Genesis or any part of Scripture, for that matter. The Bible records Jesus saying in John 14:6 that he is the only way to God, but without those written words, you wouldn’t know anything about John 14:6. So, would you be held accountable, or would you receive an eternal pass?