Loved ones, one of the most sobering realities of parenting is seeing your own flaws mirrored in your children. We pass down our eye color and our physical traits, but all too often, we also pass down our anxieties, our coping mechanisms, and our sins. Genesis 26 is the only chapter in the Bible dedicated… Continue reading The Sins of the Father: Isaac’s Inheritance of Blessing and Failure (Gen. 26:1–35)
Category: Old Testament
Two Nations in Your Womb: The Struggle of Esau and Jacob (Gen. 25:19–34)
Loved ones, as we transition from the life of Abraham to the life of Isaac, we might expect the narrative to settle into a peaceful rhythm. The Promised Land is before them, the wealth is secured, and the pagan nations are kept at bay. Yet, we quickly discover that the greatest threats to the covenant… Continue reading Two Nations in Your Womb: The Struggle of Esau and Jacob (Gen. 25:19–34)
The Death of the Patriarch: The Lines of Abraham (Gen. 25:1–18)
Loved ones, all great stories eventually reach an end, and the earthly life of Abraham is no exception. For fourteen chapters, we have followed this man out of the pagan darkness of Ur, through famines, wars, agonizing delays, and the staggering test on Mount Moriah. He is the father of all who believe (Rom. 4:11),… Continue reading The Death of the Patriarch: The Lines of Abraham (Gen. 25:1–18)
A Bride for the Promised Son: Providence and Prayer in the Search for Rebekah (Gen. 24:1–67)
Loved ones, Genesis 24 is the longest single chapter in the book of Genesis. It reads like an ancient romance, full of well-side encounters, extravagant gifts, and a dramatic journey. Yet, its length and detail tell us something vital: the Holy Spirit wants us to pay close attention to this specific event. Why? Because the… Continue reading A Bride for the Promised Son: Providence and Prayer in the Search for Rebekah (Gen. 24:1–67)
A Burying Place of My Own: The Purchase of the Patriarch’s Hope (Gen. 23:1–20)
Loved ones, death is the great interrupter of human life. Up to this point in Genesis, we have seen Abraham navigate famines, fight wars, and endure the agonizing test on Mount Moriah. But in Genesis 23, the drumbeat of the narrative pauses for a quiet, solemn, and tearful reality: the death of the matriarch of… Continue reading A Burying Place of My Own: The Purchase of the Patriarch’s Hope (Gen. 23:1–20)
The Providence of Posterity: News from a Distant Land (Gen. 22:20–24)
Loved ones, whenever we read the Bible, it is incredibly tempting to skip over the genealogies. Coming right off the heels of the breathtaking, heart-stopping drama of Mount Moriah in the first half of Genesis 22, the sudden pivot to a list of unpronounceable names feels like hitting a theological speedbump. Abraham has just offered… Continue reading The Providence of Posterity: News from a Distant Land (Gen. 22:20–24)
The LORD Will Provide: A Father, a Son, and a Sacrifice on Moriah (Gen. 22:1–19)
Loved ones, we have arrived at one of the most agonizing, breathtaking, and theologically profound chapters in all of Scripture. After decades of waiting, failing, and trusting, Abraham finally has his promised son, Isaac, safely at home in Beersheba. Ishmael is gone. The treaty with the Philistines is signed. Abraham is resting under the shade… Continue reading The LORD Will Provide: A Father, a Son, and a Sacrifice on Moriah (Gen. 22:1–19)
“The Everlasting God”: Covenants and Worship at Beersheba (Gen. 21:22–34)
Loved ones, the life of faith is not entirely made up of dramatic mountaintop experiences or agonizing crises. Much of our walk with God happens in the ordinary, dusty realities of everyday life—navigating relationships with unbelieving neighbors, resolving property disputes, and finding a place to quietly put down roots. Following the intense emotional highs and… Continue reading “The Everlasting God”: Covenants and Worship at Beersheba (Gen. 21:22–34)
“The Son of the Free Woman”: Isaac’s Birth and Ishmael’s Banishment (Gen. 21:1–21)
Loved ones, for twenty-five years, Abraham and Sarah lived on nothing but a promise. They endured famines, wars, self-inflicted detours, and the agonizing, slow decay of their own physical bodies. The promise of a son had often seemed impossibly distant, sparking both the staggered laughter of faith and the cynical laughter of doubt. But God’s… Continue reading “The Son of the Free Woman”: Isaac’s Birth and Ishmael’s Banishment (Gen. 21:1–21)
A Prophet and His Prayer: Abraham, Abimelech, and Providence (Gen. 20:1–18)
Loved ones, one of the most frustrating realities of the Christian life is the stubborn persistence of our old sins. We like to think that spiritual maturity means we completely graduate from our earlier weaknesses. But Genesis 20 shatters that illusion. Decades ago, when Abraham first entered the Promised Land, a famine drove him to… Continue reading A Prophet and His Prayer: Abraham, Abimelech, and Providence (Gen. 20:1–18)