From one man he made all the nations,
that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he marked out their appointed times in history
and the boundaries of their lands.
ACTS 17:26
Paul said these words on Mars Hill, as he argued for the One True God. And as the book of Genesis opens, we see just where he got that perspective, as the drama of human history begins to unfold.
The first 11 chapters of the Bible contain not just a newly minted world, but of emotions – an all-too-shortly-enjoyed Eden followed by a tragic banishment, the pain of dysfunctional families, intrigue, murder, judgment, restarts, expansions, restoration, rainbows and promises, followed by even more fist shaking at Almighty God. Along the way, virtually all the major themes of redemption are hinted at, if not virtually displayed, in painful yet glorious detail.
Here at Grace we are about to begin a preaching series that takes us into the heart of that drama – the story of man’s insurrection and God’s countermoves that show Him again and again to be not merely just, but also One who seeks for ways to offer grace.
This coming Sunday is a reading service, where we will be reading through the first 11 chapters of the book of Genesis. Perhaps you can find time in the next few days to read those passages, and come better prepared for God’s written Word to have its maximum impact on your heart.
It is right to pray for and expect blessing from this time. And may the fruit which results include those who would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ ACTS 17:28
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