What Have We Learned?

I have finished reading Genesis and am starting Exodus tonight. I had almost forgotten the reason why I am starting from the beginning. To find the answer I need to go back to one of my posts in Dec. 2012.

“I have started to read the Bible over again. Over the years the mystic and wonder has left my eyes as reading the Bible has become commonplace. I have read through it in entirety about 4 times, and the New Testament an additional 2 times. With that a familiarity has settled. Now I am starting again with Genesis to recapture that wonderment, to truly understand what God is telling me with His word. He had it written down for a reason, now I must examine it and meditate on it to find out what God wants me to know. The Bible is the ultimate love story: it is a story of God’s love for His people, and His struggle to win us back.”

For a hastily written post at 11:00 pm that wasn’t too shabby. So, what have I learned about God so far from reading Genesis. Or better yet, what has God revealed about Himself thus far? It’s very easy to fall into a trap of imposing my view of God onto the text, but I must remember that at this point in time there is not much knowledge of God. There is no law, no real concept of Heaven or Hell; all there really is, is a collection of people God has chosen to speak to.

Genesis 50:19 says “But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Here Joseph is talking to his brothers who feared he would enact his revenge; instead Joseph assures them of his forgiveness stating it was all for God’s purpose. Ignoring any prior knowledge of God’s plan, or the rest of the story, what can we tell about God thus far. What has He revealed to us so far? Well, we are given a fallen world, and God has struggled to regain what was taken from Him. It’s been a bit of a rough going but He has worked around the bad to cause some good. Now we are at a point where man has begun to trust in God, and seek Him out for guidance.

I call the Bible a love story (definitely not of the Taylor Swift variety) and it really is. I guess if the whole Bible is a love story, then this is the initial meeting between the two lovers. God has made himself known to man and strives to forge a connection and man is reaching back to connect with God. Joseph has no church, nor formal religion, but what he does have is a relationship with God. There are no pastors or priests, heck there isn’t even any scripture. Yet Joseph is going off of God’s spoken word to him, and chooses to trust in Him.

It’s an amazing picture of faith, and as the Bible continues on the love story between God and man develops. I will take you through every step of the way as I have done, because I want to know what God is trying to tell me through His word. So far I have learned that God created the world and considers it good, has created me in His image and loves me dearly, and that He is in control even though I may not be.