Genesis 1

 

• God created the world and out of nothing. He didn’t modify, revamp or remodel a pre-existing world. God started the creation process from absolutely nothing. The earth was empty, formless (shapeless) and filled with darkness. God can fix any our messiness darkness and emptiness with His creative power.

• God created light by inserting daylight into what was previously darkness. Evening was the first transition to day. That explains why the Jewish calendar considers sunset as the beginning of a new day.

• God created man in His own image and likeness; meaning we are created to reflect God’s characteristics and glory. Characteristics of God such as patience, love kindness and holiness can be seen in us

• God saw everything he created and it was good. At times we erroneously think that certain things in creation are not perfect enough or unwanted. But then our wisest thoughts can’t be compared with God’s thoughts. God knows what is best for us and we must completely trust in God’s wisdom and not ours.

• The Hebrew word used for God in this section is Elohim, it connotes plural.

• God didn’t create everything in a day, although he could have. He created using a time frame of six days.

• Genesis 1:2, the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the deep. The Holy Spirit was present in the beginning of creation.

 

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—  whatever they do prospers.

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• Blessed- to be happy and full of joy

• Mocking, teasing, ridiculing and causing pain, annoyance and distress to others isn’t Christian. Although this is usually done jokingly we must consider the fact that God would judge as for every idle word spoken. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it to those who hear. Our words should give grace to those hears us and build other us. Teasing and ridiculing on the other hand causes emotional pain and distress to others.

• Delight (love, enjoy, find pleasure) in God’s laws. Meditate on God’s laws day and night and whatever you do would prosper. Psalm 1:1-3.

• When you delight in doing something you do it out of joy not out of obligation. Find pleasure in God’s word. Don’t read it out of obligation.

• The righteous prosper in whatever they do.

• Psalm 1:6a, For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous.

Matthew 1

• Jesus ancestry is listed here through Joseph, and it includes

Judah and Tamar- (they were involved in incest and produced a baby as a result)

Ruth (a gentile)

Rahab (a prostitute)

David and Uriah’s wife.

This signifies God’s grace and how he associates with sinful humanity and the weak.

• Faithfulness to law. Joseph was a man who was faithful to law. God choose him to be God’s earthly father.

• Jesus means the anointed one. Jesus was anointed by God to save His people.

• Christ- Greek work for anointed one

• Messiah- Hebrew word for anointed one

• Matthew 1:20 An angel appeared in Joseph’s dream

 

•                                                                        PRAYER

• Jesus Christ, you created a magnificent world out of murky, dark formless earth. May your creative power fix any situation that looks messy in our lives.

• Lord you made humans in your own image and likeness. May we always reflect your characteristics and virtues. ( love, patience, kindness, purity and many more)

• Lord may we find great pleasure in your word, and meditate on it day and night.