This Week in Deeper

The Bible isn’t necessarily a hall of fame of people who were the best. Many people made horrible decision that caused great harm, and really aren’t people who should be praised or looked up to. There are things that are culturally acceptable then, that would be horrifying by today’s standards, and that is not a bad thing. We as a people should always be moving forward in pursuit of the type of culture that is God honoring. Things like polygamy, prostitution, lies and deceit are not good things. the Bible is great because it tells it like it is. Humans have a way of screwing things up, and as we’ve seen God has a way of turning them around to accomplish His plan. My encouragement to you is to be part of His plan, not a hinderance to it.

This is one of those podcasts where we may have bitten off more than we can chew as it pertains to the content. In other words, there is a lot to talk about. First, this is the end of Jacobs relationship with Laban, Jacob makes plans to leave Laban's household and return to his birth land, the land of his fathers. Laban isn't happy when he finds out but is warned in a dream by God not harm Jacob. We look at Jacob's reunion with Esau, and also the terrible account of rape involving a Canaanite man and Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah. Oh yeah and somewhere in there Jacob fights with an angel! 

Today's episode we look back at the genealogical lines that come from Noah and how they relate to where we are in today's text. Jacob's place in history is significant and we find out today that the family drama only gets more intense. I hope you enjoy today's episode!

It must have been good, because it was good enough for Esau to trade his birthright for. This passage is full of head-scratchers but it leaves us with a bit of history going forward. Jacob and Esau may have been twins but they were struggling from the beginning. Each brother represents people and nations and future conflict. Let's continue the journey!

Today we look at two examples God's provision. Neither of these examples are easy to stomach. First we see how God took care of Hagar and Ishmael when they are banished from Abraham's house to the wilderness. Then we see where God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar before providing a ram caught in the thicket. 

Wow, it's hard to imagine that this stuff is actually in the Bible but, it is. We can learn a lot from this giant moral mess but the big takeaway here is that God doesn't need us to figure out a way to make His plan work. We need to be obedient and trust rather than play God and try to figure it all out. It's not always the easiest thing but when we play God we end up looking really bad. 

Today's podcast has admittedly been one that has been difficult to produce. There is so much that goes on between chapter 15 & 17. We see God reaffirm a promise that he's given to Abram and we see how that promise develops over time and eventually comes to pass at the end of Genesis 17. Reading this portion of scripture leaves us with many questions. Did Abram sin when he had Ishmael with Hagar? Should he have waited on God, or was Abram only doing what he thought God wanted him to do? Some of these questions we don't have solid answers for but we do see the faithfulness of God in relation to Hagar, to Abraham, and to Sarah that he would fulfill all of His promises!

Today we've got Alex Ceja on the podcast once again, and he's going to tell us about Abrams time in Egypt and how its marked by a giant lie that got him and his family thrown out by Pharaoh himself! 

Today in episode 4 we're talking about Genesis 9-11 and how we're continuing the Genesis narrative that God knows what is best for His creation. Even though we see things and think that they are good, God knows what truly is good for us.

Today we're in Genesis 6-8 and Lauren is talking with us about Noah and the Flood! This is such an incredible story of the faith that it took Noah to trust and obey God in the face of relentless evil.