Posts by Josh Moody

Genesis 25-26, Psalm 10, Matthew 5:1-12, Acts 6  Genesis 25-26: The chapter in Abraham’s earthly sojourn has come to an end (25:7-11). Beforehand, he married again, and was careful to ensure that Isaac, the seed of the promise of God, was protected against rivalries from other children by his later marriage (25:1-6).  Next we come to the story…

Genesis 24, Psalm 9, Matthew 4:18-25, Acts 5:17-42 Genesis 24: A beautiful story, but what are we to learn from it? Abraham makes his servant promise to find a wife for his son from a member of his own tribe and clan (24:1-9). Immediately, we sense the significance with which Abraham attaches to keeping the promises of God…

Genesis 21-23, Psalm 8, Matthew 4:12-17, Acts 5:1-16 Genesis 21-23:  Finally, Isaac comes, and his name meaning laughter is apparent in the laughter that was given to Sarah at his birth, having borne Abraham a son in their old age (21:1-7). The son of Hagar (Abraham’s concubine) also later laughs, mocking Isaac (21:9). This is salt to Sarah’s…

Genesis 18-20; Psalm 7; Matthew 4:1-11; Acts 4:23-37 Genesis 18-20:  Mystery and tragedy—so much about these chapters is wreathed with profundity that is hard to penetrate, and at the same time is filled with tragic elements of divine judgment. Who are these “three men” who come to see Abraham (18:1-8)? We later learn that only two of them…

Genesis 15-17; Psalm 6; Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 4:1-22  Genesis 15-17:  If the beginning of Genesis 12 was significant for understanding the basic structure and message of the Bible, these chapters are every bit as much so again. First, we come across God teaching Abram about his covenant (15:1-21). It is thought that “covenant” in the…

Genesis 12-14; Psalm 5; Matthew 3:1-12; Acts 3  Genesis 12-14:  God “had said to Abram” (12:1), and so “Abram went” (12:4). Abram’s obedience to God’s call sets in motion a whole stream of events whose promise is fulfilled in Christ and the gospel going to all nations. The first few verses of Genesis 12 are…

Genesis 9-11; Psalm 4; Matthew 2:13-23; Acts 2:22-47 Genesis 9-11:  God makes a covenant with Noah (9:8-17) and gives him a sign of this covenant, a rainbow in the sky, invested with meaning and significance that God will not again drown the world through a flood, that his judgment will not come that way again,…

Genesis 5-8; Psalm 3; Matthew 2:1-12; Acts 2:1-21 Genesis 5-8:  We come now to the first of the well-known genealogies in the Bible (Gen. 5)—though actually it is not the first, that account being in Genesis 2 of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 2:4-7), which should immediately give us an important clue about these…

Genesis 3-4; Psalm 2; Matthew 1:18-25; Acts 1:12-26 Genesis 3-4:  We now enter two of the most famous (perhaps we should say “infamous”) and saddest chapters in the Bible. Reading them is not going to give you a feel-good pick-me-up at the beginning of the year, at least not in any superficial sense. We read…

Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1; Matthew 1:1-17; Acts 1:1-11 Genesis 1-2: Critically, these two chapters have become deeply controversial in Christian circles and in non-Christian circles alike. What do they say (if anything) about evolution, creationism, science, the origin of life, the universe, and everything—not to mention the origin of evil (but that is more chapter…