Jan 5th

Genesis 5     Matthew 5     Ezra 5

Genesis 5

It is difficult for us to get inspired by a long list of names of people who lived thousands of years ago, although we are fascinated by our own ancestry!  For the Jews, such genealogies were an important part of their history, probably retold through oral tradition to remind them that all mankind is part of the same divinely created family, and we should behave as such.  They also serve to confirm the Bible’s promise of a coming Messiah, Jesus, whose ancestry, as Matthew and Luke remind us (Mtt 1:1-17; Lk 3:23-27), could be traced back through the great heroes of the Old Testament to Adam himself.  Interestingly, to complete his genealogy Luke says of Adam that he was “the Son of God” highlighting his divine creation.  This reminds us of the causal link between the first man Adam, and God’s eternally begotten Son, Jesus.  It was His obedience and death on the cross that was required to undo the disobedience of Adam and his descendants down the ages.  Yet the Bible makes it clear that that our corporate rebellion did not take God by surprise; He had a plan in place even before He created the world.  “You were redeemed …with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world.” (1Pe 1:19-20).  That is an amazing thought to inspire us today and to help us realise just how special we are to God.  Returning to Genesis 5 for a moment, many scholars suggest that the exceptionally long lives of Adam’s descendants may reflect the life span of dynasties originating from the named individual rather his own lifespan.

(member of the congregation)

Jan 4th

Genesis 4     Matthew 4     Ezra 4

Genesis 4

Sin is infectious; its corrupting influence spreads with disastrous consequences just like a single rotten apple quickly spoils the whole bag.   We see this process beginning in Chapter 4. Why God preferred Abel’s animal sacrifice to Cain’s fruit and vegetables is not clear, but importantly Cain himself was not rejected by God.  His reaction, however, as one of extreme jealousy towards his brother that drove him to murder followed by the futile attempt to deceive God (vs 9).  The consequences for Cain were severe - he was thrown out of the garden - but God in His mercy did not desert him totally.  He was promised protection (vs. 15) and went on to have many offspring.  However, the bible leaves no doubt that in the developing story of mankind things get no better as sin continues to flourish and evil permeates the very fabric of creation.  The consequences are all too familiar in the annals of history: abusive words and actions, shattered relationships, dysfunctional families and breakdown of societies that when taken to the extreme leads to genocide and war.  Harry Patch, interviewed just before he died, said: “The First World War, if you boil it down, what was it? Nothing but a family row. That’s what caused it.  So we need to guard against allowing our own selfish desires and sense of importance to get the better of us for the results can be far reaching.  Jesus has strong words for us on some of the steps we may need to take (see Mtt 5:21-28, one of the passages for tomorrow).

(member of the congregation)

Jan 3rd

Genesis 3 Matthew 3 Ezra 3


Genesis 3

As beings made in the image of God we have the ability to make free choices.  Only in this way can we experience truly meaningful relationships with God as opposed to an imposed bondage.  Yet this is a high risk strategy for it demands the possibility that we may choose to disobey our creator and put our own selfish desires first.    And so it was that when Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent they chose to disobey God and eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which he had expressly forbidden (Ge 2:17).  The consequences of their disobedience were disastrous, for in that one act of rebellion the intimate relationship between God and mankind was ruptured.  Now as God walked in the garden Adam and Eve hid from him because they were aware of their guilt as expressed in their sense of nakedness.  Also broken was the harmony between mankind and the created order as illustrated by pain in childbirth and work involving sweat and toil.  So Genesis 3 is a watershed and the rest of scripture chronicles the disastrous consequences of sin’s infiltration into every facet of human life and history. Ultimately God would send Jesus to put things right again.  He is the last Adam (1Cor 15:45) who, unlike the first Adam, resists the temptation to disobey His Father’s will and so dies on the cross to reverse the spiritual death that the first Adam’s disobedience brought.  By way of response meditate on (and memorise) Jn 3:16.

(member of the congregation)

Jan 2nd

Genesis 2     Matthew 2     Ezra 2

Genesis 2

After six days, our hymn of creation ends by telling us that God took a well-earned rest (Ge 2:2)!.  Commentators suggest that this highlights the importance of a day (Sabbath) when we too should rest from our work and take time to direct our thoughts towards the creator in whose image we are made.  Do we?

Genesis 2 now introduces us to an individual man, Adam (cf mankind of Genesis 1) and the beginning of human history.  In this second account of creation life begins with the making of Man for whom the rest of creation is provided for him to enjoy and care for.  This reaffirms that human beings represents the pinnacle of God's creation, distinct from other animals, with which we share a biological heritage.  As beings made in the image of God we are so much more than advanced apes driven merely by instinct.  We are infused with something of the nature of the creator with whom, through our own free choice, we can have a relationship. Notice too what this passage tells us about gender equality. Matthew Henry wrote “Eve was not taken out of Adam's head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him”.  So Genesis 2 is another chapter brimming with insights to rejoice in and be challenged by.  If you have time reflect on Psalm 8: 3-8.

(member of the congregation)

Genesis

Please click here for an introduction to Genesis written by Paul Langham

http://www.christchurchclifton.org.uk/docs/01genesiscc.pdf

Matthew

Please click here for a PDF introduction to Matthew written by Paul Langham

http://www.christchurchclifton.org.uk/docs/001matthewcc.pdf

Ezra

Please click here for an introduction to Ezra written by Paul Langham

http://www.christchurchclifton.org.uk/docs/15ezracc.pdf

Jan 1st

Genesis 1     Matthew 1     Ezra 1

Genesis 1

Martin Luther called the first chapters of Genesis “the foundation of the whole of scripture”. This is certainly true of Genesis 1 which addresses the ultimate question “where did we all come from?”.  The answer is there right at the start in Vs 1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  What follows is a beautifully crafted hymn of creation where on each of the six days God speaks to initiate a new creative act and reviewing His handiwork “God saw that is was good”. (Not perfect, by the way; you might like to chew over what the difference is!).  After day six there is the triumphant climax “God saw ALL that he had made, and it was VERY GOOD.”  By using such a literary style the eternal truths that God wishes us to learn are expressed in a way that transcends time and culture.  We can put aside any differences we may have about the “Big Bang” and evolution and rejoice that we do not live in a meaningless universe arising by chance but rather one brought into being by a creator.  As architect and workman God created a universe out of nothing that is ordered in space and time and intrinsically good. And amazingly He has given us, men and women made in his image, the privilege and responsibility of being stewards of His creation (vs 28).  Let these words inspire you today and rejoice with the Psalmist that “The Heavens declare the glory of the Lord” (Ps 19:1).   You may also wish to meditate on Jesus as the Word of God who speaks into creation (e.g.  Jn 1: 1-3; Col1:15-17; Heb 1:1-1).

(1st-7th Jan - reflections by member of the congregation)