Genesis: Jacob and Joseph

Jacob and Joseph

Text: Genesis 37

Outline:

A. 37:1-2, Jacob settles in the land.

B. 37:3-4, Robe of many colors.

C. 37:5-11, Joseph's dreams.

D. 37:12-36, Brothers sold Joseph.

Comments: Jacob settled in the land. There is nothing wrong in an attempt to find a quiet place, especially after years and years of fight for survival. Yet, Jacob jumped the gun – he thinks that all the troubles are passed, and now his favorite son can help him managing his estate. He should've learned from the father of faith – Abraham (Genesis 28:13) – that the current state is not forever (Hebrews 11:9-10; 13:14). Strife for permanent makes one solidify or petrify. When the challenges come, he is unable to adjust.

Genesis: Abraham and Isaac

Abraham and Isaac

Text: Genesis 17 – 25

Outline:

A. 17-18, Announcement of his birth.

B. 20-21, Birth of Isaac and an immediate attack.

C. 22, Certainty of God's promise.

D. 23-24, Delegation Abraham sends to find a wife for Isaac.

E. 25, End of Abraham's life.

Comments: The story of Isaac begins even before his birth. The LORD comes twice to Abraham (Genesis 17 and 18), telling him that he will have the son of the covenant (Genesis 21:12). Note that news about birth of Isaac is given in the context of Abraham's circumcision. Circumcision for Abraham, as the sacrament of the Holy Baptism for us, marks a new beginning. In Abraham's new beginning there is a son (being fruitful), and building of covenant relationship with the neighbors (glorification, Genesis 21:22-33).

Genesis: Abraham and Lot

Genesis: Abraham and Lot

text: Genesis 13 – 19

Outline:

Trip to Canaan, 12

Lot separates from Abraham, 13

Special military operation to free Lot, 14

LORD's Covenant with Abraham, 15 – 17

Doom of Sodom and Gomarah, 18 – 19

Comments: Most often we are talking about father Abraham as the one who went to Canaan. But he was accompanied by his wife Sarai, nephew Lot with his wife and daughters. Along with this, they had quite a number of servants (think about 318 men well trained for a night special military operation). We can think of about a 1000 people or so who went initially together with Abram to the land. Therefore, apart from challenges of relationship with the outsider – people of Canaan, Egyptians etc. – there is an inner dynamic in the camp. That's what we are going to concentrate on.

Genesis: Post Flood

Genesis: Post Flood

Text: Genesis 8:13 – 13:18

Structure: I'm sure you'll be surprised if I would tell you that the third lesson in out study of Genesis has a Biblical Waltz outline: A+B+C, related to being formless+empty+dark. Just like Genesis 1:1-2, and the Great Fall, people will face the same three challenges, and barely avoid another great judgment.

I. 8:13-19, God initiates the New World

A. 8:20-22, Noah builds the altar, formation of the merciful relationship with the LORD

  B. 9:1-7, God's blessing: be fruitful and multiply

    C. 9:8-17, Glorification, the colorful sign of the covenant – the rainbow

II. 9:18-19, Initiation of the story of the sons of Noah

A'. 9:20-28, Ham crosses the boundaries – breaking the form

  B'. 10:1 – 11:9, People don't want to fill the earth – building of the city and the tower.

    C'. 11:10 – 12:20, Abram is called to go into the land and interact with the “others.”

Comments: It's important to note that the flood had two purposes: cleaning the earth and protecting Noah with his family. I don't think that God expected everything to be perfect after the Flood – on one hand, we don't see the same magnitude of “badness” as we saw before (cp. Genesis 6:11). On the other hand, Noah and his sons are descendants of Adam – bringing the original sin into the New World with them. It's not a contraband of Methuselah (cp. Movie Noah, 2014), it's the sinful nature that began to play out in a corrupt way to distort the new beginnings...

PSALM 23

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd…

There are many hymns based on the hymn.

There are many services – visiting the sick, funeral, Good Shepherd Sunday… Good for Sunday school and good for adults, and good for Christians and good for unbelievers…

 

First, let us figure out who the psalm is about?

The LORD, YHWH, and we need to compare it in the whole Bible – John 10:11, 14, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. 

When Jesus calls Himself a shepherd His disciples could relate it to many Biblical and historical examples: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Saul, and David. Most of them after attending the flocks became the leaders of Israel. Joshua – Numbers 27:12-23.

When we understand that shepherding is a “military leadership,” we better understand Psalm 23:4-5.

Two things: (1) He walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death. He is not simply waiting on the other side, cheering for us – He walks with us (for You are with me).

(2) He prepares a table for us – feeding us with Himself, while the enemy can observe it. He is fully confidant in the final result – so, we can celebrate the victory even before the final strike, that’s why the Eucharistic prayer talks about “a foretaste of the feast to come.” We can have it now, but it will be much better on the other side of dark death tunnel.

Romans: Israel and God's mercy

 Israel and GOD’S MERCY

Structure:

a. 9:1-5, They are Israelites

  b. 9:6-13, God’s plan might continue

    c. 9:14, What then are we to say?

      d. 9:15-16, I will show mercy to whom I will 

      d’. 9:17-18, He has mercy upon whom He will

    c’. 9:19, You will say to me then?

  b’. 9:20-23, does the potter have control

a’. 9:24-29, Israelites – in numbers vs. saved.

Text: 9:1-18 

The benefits of Israel, to them belong:

1. adoption

2. glory

3. covenant

4. Giving of the Law/Torah

5. worship

6. promises

7. patriarchs

8. Messiah/Christ

True children – through Isaac, through Jacob:

Promise to Abraham, promise to Rebekah vs. the results of these promises more than 1000 years later – v.13 “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Mercy and compassion of God does not depend on human will or exertion (9:16; cp. Eph. 2:8-9).   

Pharaoh’s case – God raised him to glorify His name (after Pharaoh rejected the will of God numerus times).

Romans: Realization of Faith

Realization of Faith

Passage: 4:13-25

Structure:

a. 4:13-15, righteousness of faith

  b. 4:16-17a, father of many nations

    c. 4:17b, He who gives life to the death & calls into being what does not exist

  b’. 4:18-22, father of many nations

a’. 4:23-25, having faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Commentary:

We stay with the example of Abraham, but now St. Paul is bringing his point home. It is not an inheritance based on law, it is righteousness of faith that establishes our connection with the father of our faith Abraham.

The apostle gives two examples of believing in something that is considered impossible:

(1) Abraham’s faith did not weaken for the promise of having children being 99 years old, when his wife – Sarah – was about 90 years old.

(2) Jesus being raised from the dead.

Example of Abraham:

First one is a historical example of a man of faith. It has two parts: difficult and impossible.

It is difficult to get a 99 year old man “to get going.”

It is impossible to make a barren (lit. dead) womb to conceive.    

 

“Example” of Jesus, as the center point of our faith (4:23-25):

Raised from the dead (this is difficult, but happened before)

Delivered for our trespasses and raised for our justification (impossible) 

Romans: Example of Abraham

Example of Abraham

Passage: 4:1-12

Structure:

A. 4:1-2, Gain by flesh

  B. 4:3, Abraham believed, and God counted it as righteousness

    C. 4:4-5, Faith is credited as righteousness

    C’. 4:6-8, God credits righteousness apart from work

  B’. 4:9, Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness

A’. 4:10-12, sign of circumcision AS a seal of righteousness

Commentary:

Story of Abraham

Main point: v.4-5 the one who works receives wages, what he/she earns.

The one who doesn’t work but believes in HIM (or trust HIM) Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

Recognition of “ungodly” state/status – What binds him with God is faith/trust

 Is there any difference in English between faith and trust?

It is supported by a quote from David Ps. 32:1-2.

What do we know about David??

Then St. Paul goes back to Abraham to make a historical account straight: what happened first faith/trust or circumcision? (see, Gen. 15 and Gen 17).

Abraham as the father of all who believe – the Venn diagram from all who believes combines both those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised. 

ROMANS: Block E - Chapters 4-5

Romans: Block E (see Introduction to Romans)

Chapters 4 – 5

A. 4:1-12, the example of Abraham, historical example

  B. 4:13-25, Realization of faith

  B’. 5:1-11, Results of justification by faith

A’. 5:12-21, Adam and Christ, historical example

 

Two types of Scripture:

Law and Gospel

It is not Old Testament vs. New Testament

Law is what God demands

Gospel is what God promises

	Old Testament	New Testament
Law	Yes, Leviticus	Yes, Luke 1
Gospel	Yes, Genesis 3:15	Yes, John 3:16

 

Also, we need to maintain prescriptive and descriptive types:

Historical accounts – descriptive parts

Prescriptive – institutional accounts

Why do we need to keep the difference?

Teaching on the Baptism – Jesus, being 30 years old, go to be baptized in Jordan.

Examples of Abraham and Adam can illustrate the doctrine but they cannot be a foundation for the doctrine.