Genesis 2; Matthew 2
Genesis 2
Ready:
The epic story has begun and the main characters have been described. I know the most critical thing I can know about mankind- we are created.
Reading Thoughts:
Here God reveals a physical kingdom over which he rules and directs. He elaborates on what he previously stated very simply about the creation of man and woman. Perhaps here he is expressing more deeply the concept of headship and role. He establishes his own role as the lawgiver who reigns and leads and provides and protects his people.
The theme seems to be this- As creator, God has role of King, provider, protector, and law-giver. God assigns roles to us as well (as subjects in his Kingdom). Man has a role in marriage of namer (leader), worker (provider), keeper (protector), and cherisher (lover). Woman has a role of helper (supporter), and companion (intimate partner). Motherhood is not mentioned yet.
The key verses are here-
“15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,” (Genesis 2:15–16, ESV)
“18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”” (Genesis 2:18, ESV)
“24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:24–25, ESV)
Rumination Thoughts:
v1-3. There is an important beginning here where God announces that the pinnacle of the creative process is rest. Holiness is first presented here and is expressed in separation from effort and labor. Holiness is resting in the goodness and completeness and perfection of the work of God. This is the fitting conclusion and a picture of “sabbath rest” and holiness that we hope for in our bodily redemption.
v4. Here is a phrase that repeats in this book in stages as he describes significant portions of history. From reviewing the study bible intro I see that here you are introducing the pre-Abraham history of the world.
v5-9. Here Lord I see that you describe that there is something missing in that there is nobody to work the land and that you first created the Kingdom and established your rule and then introduced the subject or the next character in this drama. You change the description from speaking to forming here with man. Though later you mention forming beasts of the field it is here at man that you make the change. And as was determined in Genesis 1, you made man in your image. This seems to be a clarification or expansion on the briefly stated creation account in the previous chapter. You mention the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and it seems that these trees (at least the knowledge tree) were only meant as a delight to the eyes, and not for food. The remainder of the trees were good for food and at this point there is no command given to the man except that he has been introduced to this setting.
v10-14. Here you describe the location of the garden where you placed the man. The land seems to be rich.
v15-17. This is a big shift here in the story Lord because here in this passage you give charge to the man in your role as King and law-giver and protector. You chose where the man would be placed in your creation and you tasked him to work the ground for survival. He was to work and keep this garden and all that was in it. You gave him great responsibility at this point. You then immediately followed this with a command. The command was to enjoy all of the fruit except for the one that would hurt the man. You gave warning and you made clear the penalty of disobedience. You have issued a mostly horizontal command to take care of the creation and a very vertical command that the man obey you with respect to his conduct for his own good. I see the introduction of the rule of faith here. Hidden in this is the understanding that it is Adam’s trust in your faithfulness to do precisely what you say and to be truthful in your words. Adam is charged to have an obedience of faith as Paul will describe much later in Romans.
v18-20. I see in this section Lord that you setup for the introduction of woman. You surprisingly announce that something about the creation is “not good”. There had been nothing but good until this point Lord and now the question comes up of why this is not good and why you did not recognize it or announce it immediately. I suppose O God that in your omniscience you knew very well from before you began that man needed a woman to complete this picture of humanity but the delay must have been for Adam's own understanding. You may be presenting a picture here to us of how you reveal truth. You chose to show this man his need before meeting it. You chose to give him clear example and indication of the lack and what failure to have a companion like himself would be like. You gave him experiential knowledge of what a lack of provision would be like. I believe this concept can be important and serves to help understand why you allow sin and suffering O God. I am thankful that you allow us to know what a benefit we have in you and that we are not completely blind to the amazing blessings that you bestow upon us.
v21-25. Here you do something entirely different again. The creation of woman is not by speaking and it is not from the earth. You create now from the man and we know that woman is of the same nature and therefore also in the image of God and of equal value, though not the firstborn. Adam rejoices and finds that this as the way in which you were going to meet his determined need. He gives a general name to her as he had named the other creatures but he does not give her a personal name. So far he does not do much different in so far as headship than he did with the animals. The phraseology is the same in how you “brought them to the man” for naming. You “brought her to the man” the same way and you establish the authority of this man in the marriage relationship. The man will leave the safety and provision and guidance of his home and he will hold fast to a woman and become one flesh with her. The man here steps away from the protection and feeding and guidance of his father and he takes on this role in his own family now. Interesting here that you describe this although they had no physical parents. You here make a statement of principle and you declare that you want us to see in this story that you are establishing something for all time. You have created marriage O God. It is between a man and a woman and you have done it. You made them and you presented her to him. Finally I see that they are without shame although they are completely naked and vulnerable before one another. It seems that there was no stain of sin yet and no knowledge of guilt or shame. Naked and unashamed is a picture here of a wonderful healthy marriage where the two are trusting in God and are busy looking upon and seeking to bless the other and where they do not question or challenge the roles and responsibilities and the design that they have been given my God. Shame I take for a sense of negative impact from self exposure. This being embarrassment or disappointment or other realization of a weakness or failure or evil that is now known to others and quite plainly a reality. They have no shame Lord because they are obedient and they are under your authority. This can be one way that you announce that this couple was without sin.
Response:
Lord I am thankful that you give us such insight into yourself and into what it is that we are “made of”. I thank you that you chose to make us and that you reveal yourself and that you give us such instruction and that you setup a system of relationship with a specific design and that you describe it as beautiful and as fulfilling and as selfless. I thank you for the category or model of exposure to lack or to an opposite in order to sweeten the understanding of what provision looks like Lord. May this serve me well and may you be glorified for all time in all your purposes. I thank you for the clear statements of responsibility and role that guide and direct.
Reaction:
May you cause me to walk in my marriage as you intend Lord that I would not be ashamed of my attitudes or thoughts or words or actions but that I would surrender to you and would honor you and would bless my wife in all I do and that I would not be looking out for Jeff in this marriage or family. Let me be mindful Lord that I follow your direction and that I keep within the design that you have for this life and for my marriage and how the relationship I enjoy with Nicole is far different than with anything or anyone else. Let me honor this relationship above all other human relationships. Let me today see you as a speaking and revealing and giving God who cares and provides and who guides and protects. Let me not see circumstances as out of your control but as perfectly under your control and let me find the ways that I am to submit to you in all things to the glory of your name.
Matthew 2
Ready:
The story of Jesus began, in Matthew’s telling, with both a divinely royal and humanly royal line that is unspoiled by the seed of Adam. The God-man is announced and has invaded humanity to save us from our sin.
Reading Thoughts:
This chapter tells the story of how three wise men (or Kings) from a far land came to worship the Messiah (the King of the Jews). These men saw the sign of the star and recognized it since they were familiar with Balaam’s oracle in the book of Numbers. They showed up in Jerusalem and inquired with Herod. Herod was clueless and when he learned of the prophecy that a ruler would be born in Bethlehem and he determined that the wise men saw the sign something less than two years earlier, he determined to find and kill the Christ child. The wise men found Jesus and Mary in a home in Bethlehem and Jesus was probably at least 40 days old but less then two years old. They did not help Herod and Joseph was warned to take Jesus to Egypt quickly to avoid Herod’s search. Herod killed all the young toddlers in the region in effort to do away with this Messiah. Once Herod was dead Joseph was led to return to Israel but he took Jesus to Nazareth (where Mary and Joseph lived previously) for safety and there Jesus grew up a Nazarene. Multiple prophesies are fulfilled in this chapter.
The theme seems to be this- The sovereign God of the universe works his mighty counsel and guides the events of history precisely as he has previously determined and declared so that his Son will perfectly fulfill the work he came to do.
Rumination Thoughts:
v1-2. Here we learn that a prophecy concerning a star coming from Jacob (Israel) would mark the arrival of the Messiah. These wise men came from the east somewhere and wanted to worship the newborn King of the Jews.
v3-8. Here we learn that the Jews were aware of the prophecy in Micah that located the birthplace of the Messiah in Bethlehem…only 6 miles from Jerusalem. Curious that the wise men knew the oracle of Balaam but were unfamiliar with the prophecy of Micah about Bethlehem. I also see that Herod had malicious intent from the beginning as he didn’t want any part of some new King taking over. The Romans were rather tolerant of the Jews but if they were to become a political threat this would be a problem. Herod was a ruthless and violent ruler who had even killed members of his own family. Interesting that the chief priest and scribes did not go with the wise men to worship.
v9-12. The wise men find the Christ child with Mary in a home (presumably in Bethlehem still) and they are overjoyed. They worship the child and gave gifts to him.
v13-23. The wise men account is brief and mostly serves to create the whole storyline of sending Jesus to Egypt and then back to Nazareth. It appears that God has a specific plan for where and when and how this Jesus will live and and it appears that God’s purpose in him will not falter. The remaining narrative seems to support this idea and I see the faithfulness and trust of Jospeh as he leads his family and protects his legal child and how God delivers them from harm.
Response:
Lord I see your sovereign hand here and I note that you do not stop the wickedness from happening in this case but that your purposes work even through wicked actions and that you are unstoppable in your ways. You determined that your Son would glorify your name in a life of submission and suffering and that he would make it to the cross of Calvary and you would ensure that this is exactly what happened. Jesus was the God-man but as every other man, was helpless except for the provision of his parents during his youth. We have a savior O God who knows weakness and knows human nature and knows what it is to be helpless. You control the stars in the sky and the desires of wicked hearts and the actions of your people and the intentions of men from afar. You work all things according to the counsel of your will (Eph. 1:11) O God and I thank you that you put your omnipotence to work for the good of your people every day (Eph. 1:19, Jer. 32:41, Psalm 31:19).
Lord I also see some categories presented in this story. I see believers (wise men), I see unbelievers/scoffers (Herod) and I see those who know about you but do not know you or trust you or surrender to you (Chief priests and scribes). These people behave differently and teach different lessons.
Reaction:
Let me trust that you will do what you say at all times and let me not fear when things look out of alignment or when the perfect circumstances don’t seem to be occurring. Let me recall what you have done here in the life of Jesus and how you remain the omnipotent ruler of the universe. Let me learn O God to rely on your Word and to search it and to know well what you have revealed and that I would be blessed in the journey and that I would be like a tree planted by streams of water as I send roots deep into your Word. Let me be one who knows the truth and who takes action upon it and is therefore a doer and not merely a hearer like the religious leaders who knew about the Christ but did not watch for his coming or even investigate the report of it. Let me also not be like Herod who looks out for his own good and who is willing to do violence against anything that would threaten the way of life he wants. Let me surrender to the King O God and let me go and do whatever you call me to do.
Soli Deo Gloria!
