Genesis 10-11

We read about the descendants of Japheth, Ham and Shem.  This is typically the part that most people gloss over (myself included), but there are some interesting things in here.  We read about Japheth's descendants and how they became seafaring peoples.  A descendant of Ham was the first heroic warrior on earth.  I'm sure someone much smarter than me could tell you way more about this and it's importance.

Moving on, we read about the line from Shem to Abram.  This gets more interesting because Abram (or as we may know him, Abraham) is a very important character in the book of Genesis.  We also read about how people continue living for long periods of time.  Living 500 years or 403 years or 430 years happens to some of these people well past the flood.

Abram lives in Ur of the Chaldeans where he was born.  Him and his family all live there.  His father is Terah and Abram marries Sarai (who we may know as Sarah).  There's also Lot who is Abram's nephew.  Terah, Abram's father, takes Abram and Lot (and Sarai) toward Canaan but they settle in Haran.  As we move from chapter 11 to chapter 12, we have a brief picture of where the story of Abram begins.

Oh, and I guess there's also the story of the Tower of Babel.  Everyone speaks the same language and they begin an epic project, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world”.  However, God steps in to put an end to their work.

But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”
Genesis 11:5-7

The Lord confused their languages and scattered them.  Why is it such a big deal if they all unite?  Is it really such a big deal if "nothing will be impossible for them" as the Lord says?  I don't think that God was really worried or sweating in any way.  However, God was moreso putting an end to their pursuit to display their own greatness.  They built the tower for themselves to make them famous.  In contrast to this clear opposition to God, God put an end to their work.

Genesis 7-9

It's finally time.  Noah is told to go into the ark with his family and all the animals.  So, he goes in and we read that "the Lord shut him in".  I guess God closed the door or sealed it or something like that.

Once again, the age of these people is kinda hard to comprehend.  Nowadays, people don't live this long so I always wonder what it's like for a person this old to be going about his life.  Even for Noah who is 600 years old at the time, how does he have the energy to build an ark and gather a whole bunch of animals?  Well, it takes a lot of help from God, that's for sure.

So, it rains for 40 days.  The waters rise so high that even the high mountains were submerged in water.  That's a lot of water!  With so much water, just about all mankind and animals died.  I assume that this doesn't include the sea creatures, since they wouldn't really be affected that much by the flood.  In any case, the ark floats and the flood remains for 150 days.

At the start of chapter 8, we read "But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark".  God could've just let the flood remain and everything on the ark wouldn't have been able to survive.  However, God remembered them and made sure he took care of them.  So, he causes the waters to recede.  As mentioned in the last chapter, it takes 150 days for the waters to recede and finally the ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

The waters continue to subside and Noah sends out a dove to test whether or not it is safe to leave the ark.  The dove finds no place to land, so it returns.  After another 7 days the dove is sent out again and this time returns with a freshly plucked olive leaf.  Seeing this Noah knew it was almost time.  So, after another 7 days the dove is sent out and it does not return.

Finally, they open the doors and leave the ark.  What is the first thing that they do?  Noah builds an altar and makes a burnt offering to the Lord.  This was a pleasing aroma to the Lord and he promises to never again curse the ground because of man nor to kill everything as he has done.  The flow of time and seasons will continue.

God blesses them and tells them "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth".  This is similar to what he says to Adam at the beginning of Genesis.  I guess this is a new start and his instruction remains the same.

God also warns them about eating flesh with its life.  I guess that means to not eat something that is still alive.  Looking into it a bit, it more has to do with the blood itself.  Part of it could be the significance of blood as well as clean/unclean issues.  Also, sacrifices play a part since blood was key to many sacrifices.  In addition, humane treatment of animals, as well as health reasons.  Does this affect the things that we eat nowadays?  Well, we read in the new testament about how all foods have been declared clean.  Also, if they're referring to ceremonial cleanliness, we know that it is Jesus' blood that cleanses us now.  That isn't to say that we don't need to fight sin, but certain laws had a purpose that no longer have a purpose because of Christ's work on the cross.  Uh... Maybe someone will come in and help correct some of what I have said... I'm a bit off my rocker perhaps...

Anyway, the covenant is established with Noah and his offspring.  The rainbow in the clouds is a sign of this covenant.  So, looking at a rainbow, remember that God has promised to not destroy all living creatures with a flood.

There is another small story about Noah and his sons.  He plants a vineyard and gets drunk from the wine.  Then, Ham does something weird and wrong to his father while he is drunk and naked.  It's not specific, so we can leave it at that.  In any case, the other two sons, Shem and Japheth do the right thing and cover their father's nakedness.  While doing so, they do it in such a way as to not look at their father's nakedness.  When Noah wakes up, he curses his son Ham for whatever it is that he did.  He then blesses Shem and Japheth.

Noah lived till he was 950 years old.  He lived 350 years after the flood.  So, apparently, people did not have a cap on their life at 120 years since Noah lived past 120 years after God had made that statement.  However, we see nowadays that people don't even come close to the lifespan that we read about in the first half of Genesis.

Genesis 6

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,  the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be  years.”  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.  And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.  And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.  This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark  cubits, its breadth  cubits, and its height  cubits.  Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.  For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.  But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.  And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.  Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive.  Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”  Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Genesis 6

After reading about a bunch of people who live way beyond 100 years old, God says that our lives will be limited to 120 years.  Most people don't live past 100 years old nowadays, so 120 years old is quite a stretch.  Looking it up, the current record is 122 years by a woman named Jeanne Louise Calment.  This is weird, does this contradict God's word?  Well, I needed some help so I did some searching.  Apparently, this is referring to the time till God's judgment, not man's lifespan.  Good thing there are people wiser than me, though I wish I had spent more time with the word to dig in myself...

There are a bunch of things here I don't quite understand.  We read about sons of God taking wives and about the Nephilim.  What is going on here?  Well, one thing is for sure, things are very bad.  It is so bad that God decides to "blot out man" and he says "I am sorry that I have made them".  Wow, that's harsh.  There is a ray of hope, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord".

In walks Noah.  We read about how great this guy is.  As a quick note, we know that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  This applies to everyone, including Noah.  So, when we read that "Noah was a righteous man", we know that he is still a sinner.  To learn more about what this means, we read about Noah that he is "blameless in his generation".  So, everyone is really bad, but Noah is really good compared to them, even though he's still a sinner like everyone.

God instructs Noah to build an ark and there are details as to how is he to build it.  God decides to establish a covenant with Noah in spite of his decision to destroy everything.  So, Noah and his family will be saved.  This is where we learn about how he is to take 2 of every animal to keep alive with him when everything else is to be destroyed.  I don't really know how he did this apart from God's help.  He was also instructed to take every sort of food that is eaten.  They are to be floating about for a long time and they would obviously need food to eat.  And so, Noah followed all of God's instructions.

I wonder, did it smell on that ark?  There were a lot of animals and I'm guessing that there were a lot of animal (and human) waste on the ark.  There was probably a lot of feeding and cleaning that Noah and his family had to do.  Again, probably something that I can't imagine how he would do apart from God's help.

Genesis 5

This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.  Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.  When Adam had lived  years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.  The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were  years; and he had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days that Adam lived were  years, and he died.
 When Seth had lived  years, he fathered Enosh.  Seth lived after he fathered Enosh  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Seth were  years, and he died.
 When Enosh had lived  years, he fathered Kenan.  Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Enosh were  years, and he died.
 When Kenan had lived  years, he fathered Mahalalel.  Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Kenan were  years, and he died.
 When Mahalalel had lived  years, he fathered Jared.  Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Mahalalel were  years, and he died.
 When Jared had lived  years, he fathered Enoch.  Jared lived after he fathered Enoch  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Jared were  years, and he died.
 When Enoch had lived  years, he fathered Methuselah.  Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Enoch were  years.  Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
 When Methuselah had lived  years, he fathered Lamech.  Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Methuselah were  years, and he died.
 When Lamech had lived  years, he fathered a son  and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.”  Lamech lived after he fathered Noah  years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Lamech were  years, and he died.
 After Noah was  years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 5

We read about the descendants all the way to Noah.  What's interesting is how long everyone lives.  They even have kids well past 100 years old.  It's a bit hard to imagine.  In any case, when we get to the next chapter, we'll read how God decides to limit the lifespan of people to 120 years.

When we read about Seth, it says about Adam, "he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth".  This reminds me of how man was created in the image of God back in chapter 1.  Man is created in God's image and Adam has a son in his own image.

We also read about Enoch.  He's a special one because of this unique little verse: "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him".  I remember learning or hearing about how this refers to how Enoch was simply taken by God and has not necessarily died.  There's definitely a lot to this, but maybe we'll just leave it for now.

Methuselah is famous for being the one who lived the longest.  969 years and he still holds the world record.

Finally, coming to the end of the list, we read about Noah who has sons Shem, Ham and Japheth.  Coming into the next chapter, we see things take another turn for the worse.

Genesis 4

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”  And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.  In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,  and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,  but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.  The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.  Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?”  And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.  And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.  When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”  Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.  Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”  Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.  Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.  To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.  And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.  Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.  His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.  Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
 Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
    you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for striking me.
 If Cain's revenge is sevenfold,
    then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”
 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”  To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 4

I always find it interesting how ESV translates this as "Adam knew Eve his wife".  For some reason, they don't translate it as "they had sex" or "they made love".  Maybe this is because it's more accurate to the text to use the word "knew".

In any case, we read that they have two sons, Cain and Abel.  Cain is a farmer and Abel was a shepherd.  They both bring an offering to God.  Cain brings some of his fruits and Abel brings one of his flock.  I think it's important to note that Abel brings "the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions".  However, there is nothing special mentioned about Cain's offering.  This makes me assume that though both brought an offering to God, Cain did not bring his best but Abel did.

"the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard".  Cain wasn't happy about this.  So, God speaks to Cain.  Apparently, this can be turned around if he does well.  It's as if he can change and do something different in order to have regard from God.  Unfortunately, this is not what happens and God even warns Cain about this: "And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it".

So, what happens?  Cain kills his brother Abel.  God asks Cain where Abel is and we read the famous line, "am I my brother's keeper?".  Well, God ends up cursing him and Cain complains about this curse.  So, God puts a mark on Cain ensuring that he won't be killed by anyone.  He even goes on to have a wife and kids.  However, we read a bit about his family and his descendants.  His descendants apparently follow a similar path.  We read about Lamech who has killed someone.

Well, the story moves on and focuses back on Adam and Eve.  They have another son and they name him Seth.  We know that it is from Seth and not from Cain that the line of David is formed (and eventually to Jesus.

Genesis 3

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
    and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
    and you will eat dust
    all the days of your life.
 And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”
 To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
    with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
    and he will rule over you.”
 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
    through painful toil you will eat food from it
    all the days of your life.
 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
    and you will eat the plants of the field.
 By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return.”
 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.  And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”  So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.  After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3

Everything is going well.  Now, enter the serpent.  He is a crafty one.  He questions what God said and twists it.  God said that you'll die if you eat from it, but the serpent says otherwise.  He does tell them that they will be like God knowing good and evil, which is true, but he still lies in telling them that they won't die if they eat from that tree.  So, they eat from the tree to be like God and immediately they recognize that they are naked and hide their nakedness.

In walks God and they are found out.  Well, it's not as if God doesn't know what has happened; but, we do get to see the narrative play out.  A blame game begins.  Adam blames Eve for giving him the fruit to eat.  It's not as if he didn't know where the fruit came from.  He knew, he was there all along even during the conversation with the serpent.  He is guilty, but he passes the blame.  Eve blames the serpent for deceiving her.  I guess at this point, the serpent has nothing to say.

God punishes them and first talks to the serpent.  What's interesting here is that we read of a bit of a foreshadowing.

And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15

Spoken about a descendant, he will crush the head of the serpent and the serpent is the one who will strike his heel.  The serpent is referring to Satan and the offspring is Jesus.

In any case, moving on, we read about painful childbirth for the women and painful toil for the man.  They get clothed by God and are restricted from eating from the tree of life.  There is even a cherubim and a flaming sword that is placed to guard the way to the tree of life.  So, we read of a sad turn of events from the beautiful blessing of God's creation in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:4-25

These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,  and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—  then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.  And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.  The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.  And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.  The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush.  And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”  Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.  The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.  So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.  And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.  Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”
 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

-Genesis 2:4-25

Now we get a zoomed in look at the creation of man.  Yes, chapter 1 went over creation and how God created everything in 6 days.  However, now there is a more fleshed out story, which arguably conflicts with chapter 1.  Did God create certain things before or after he created man?  I don't know much about this, but a quick search shows that some answers can be found in the fact that Genesis 2 describes certain things as have already being created.  So, when we read about the animals or trees being created seemingly after man was created, it really is describing how God had already created those things.  I'm no expert, but I will continue to trust in the truth of God's word as it seems to stand the test of time in spite of different criticisms.

I think many people forget that there are actually 2 prominent trees in the Garden of Eden.  Everyone knows about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but most forget about the tree of life.  We read ahead in chapter 3 that after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God restricts them from eating from the tree of life.  Apparently, if they do so after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they will live forever.  I guess this would be bad for them in their current state.  Reading verse 17 of chapter 2 we know that the result of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil results in death.  Maybe that's why they should be restricted from eating from the tree of life.

I don't think it's as if their eating of the tree of life is out of God's control.  It may sound like God needed to scramble to ensure such a thing didn't happen.  Nothing is outside God's control and God isn't sweating or biting his nails worried about what will happen next.  I guess this means that God knew what man would do and arguably ordained it to happen.  Recently, I've been reading "Does God Desire All to Be Saved?" by John Piper and it has been helpful for things like this (and it's free online!).

The purpose of man being put in the garden was to work it.  Even in the paradise of the Garden of Eden, there is still work to be done.  I don't think that's a bad thing.  Some thing heaven will be boring.  I don't think that we'll be bored.  There'll be things to do and work to be done.  If you think about your own day to day work, it may not sound very good.  Work can be a good thing.  We should trust that Jesus is preparing a place for us and know that it's good.

What's interesting that the man really only has one thing to worry about, and that's to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Even with only that one thing, man still fails.  It's really too bad and perhaps is a sign or showing us how depraved man really is.  Fortunately, we have a good God in spite of how bad we are.

Reading chapter 1, we keep reading how "God saw that it was good".  I remember listening to a sermon by Voddie Baucham highlighting the fact that the first time that God says that something is not good is when he sees the man alone.  Fortunately, God does something and makes a helper fit for him.  We see the first marriage which God ordains and notice that it was even set before the fall.  What a beautiful thing marriage is and praise be to God.  This isn't to take away from singleness, which is also a good thing.  Whatever God's calling or gifting is a good thing and thanks be to God for marriage as well as singleness.

Adam is tasked with naming all the animals.  In doing so, he did not find a helper suitable for him.  I know that a dog is man's best friend, but he is still not a helper suitable for Adam.  For him, God created Eve.  This is a beautiful picture before the fall.

Genesis 2:1-3

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Genesis 2:1-3

God created everything.  We read how he does this in 6 days.  Is it literal days?  Is it symbolic days?  I don't know.  God created everything in 6 days and here we read how he rested on the 7th day.  God shows us the pattern he wants us to follow, working for 6 days and using the 7th day to rest.  When the 10 commandments are given, creation is referenced.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

God worked for 6 days and rested on the 7th day.  In the same way, we are to work 6 days and rest on the 7th day.

The Sabbath is not so much a mandate as it is a blessing.  It is a blessing to be given a day to rest.  Just read one of the accounts where Jesus is criticized for not obeying the Sabbath.  The one I'm thinking about is found in Mark 2, Matthew 12 or Luke 6.  The pharisees may have been trying to follow God's laws, but they ended up imposing heavy burdens upon people with their man made rules and laws.  The Sabbath was not meant to be a burden but a blessing and meant for rest.  The pharisees had made themselves the lords or creators of the Sabbath with all their restrictions.  But, Jesus is the one who created the Sabbath in the first place.  We should listen to him over what pharisees have to say about the Sabbath.

Genesis 1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”  And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.  And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.  God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.  The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,  and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.  And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.  And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,  to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”  So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”  And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.  And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
 So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.
 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.  And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1

Hm, so... ya... Starting Genesis because of small group.

"In the beginning, God".  He was there in the beginning.  Before the world, before the animals, before the seas, God was there.  What started it all?  Was it the big bang?  Was it billions of years waiting for something to spark creation?  No.  God was there before it all.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

-Colossians 1:17

Speaking about Jesus (who is God), he is said to be before all things.  He existed before everything.  Before there was everything, there was God.

Moving on, we read about creation and how it was all created.  Some argue different interpretations of the creation story.  Some debate the length of "days".  Some debate that this is merely a story but not an actual literal account of creation.  I may not be the most well versed in these debates and reasoning behind them.  So, I'll just try my best to trust and accept what the bible has to say, since it is the word of God.

What's interesting is that God simply speaks and it happens.  I can't speak in order for things to come to pass.  I can say "open sesame", but then me or someone else or something else needs to open the door.  Here, we read that God speaks and then what he speaks simply happens.  This is God, our God, the creator of the heavens and the earth.  He need only speak things into existence.  Our God is a great God.

When the story gets to the man, it's quite interesting.  I'm not saying that the rest of it wasn't interesting, but I'd like to zoom in on this part.  First of all, God says "let us".  Who is us?  If God created everything and we are only getting to the creation of man now, who is he talking to?  Is God talking to the creation or the animals?  No, he must be talking to someone else who is taking part of the creation.  It is the "us" that is to be doing the creating "let us make...".  It must be Jesus (and the holy spirit?).

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

-Colossians 1:16

It is by, through and for Jesus that all things were created.  Jesus, who is God, is who is being referred to when God says "let us".  There is only one God, yet God is not alone, otherwise he can't be speaking to anyone when saying "let us".  I guess you could argue that he's talking to the angels, but I don't think angels take part in creation...

So, man is created in "our image".  Man is created in the image of God, who is the same that is being referred to when saying "let us make...".  We are made in God's image, after God's likeness (also plural, "our likeness").

Man is to have dominion over all the creatures.  It is also mentioned here that male and female are created "male and female he created them".  I guess, to be made in the image and after the likeness of God is to be made both male and female.

God tells them "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth".  Mankind essentially has been instructed by God to do a number of things.  We are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it (which I guess you could argue is all one thing along with having dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth).  This reminds me of a teaching on marriage that I heard by Voddie Baucham.  There are two purposes for marriage, procreation and illustration.  We see "procreation" here in the instruction to be fruitful and multiply.  Illustration probably comes from the idea that we are made in God's image.  As ones who bear the image of God, we are to properly display that image to others.  In Ephesians 5, Paul speaks of a mystery when he talks about marriage between man and wife and how it refers to Christ and the church.  Marriage is an illustration of Christ and the church.

I have recently wondered about the whole "be fruitful and multiply" and how that relates to couples nowadays.  Do people who can't have children disobey this command?  What about people who simply choose not to have kids though they are able?  What about people who adopt?  What about people who choose only to have two kids when they can have more?  I don't really know the answer, nor do I think it wise to speak to each situation.  Instead, I believe that first of all, children and the desire to have children and raise them is a good thing.

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127

In situations where people can't or choose not to have kids, they may be sinning or they may not be, it depends.  Rather, in Genesis 1, we see creation and how man is first instructed to go about in creation.  It is all a blessing to be enjoyed by man.  It starts off very well.

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31

Matthew 5:17-48

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.  Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’  But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,  or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:17-48

Jesus teaches that he came to fulfill the law.  In the bigger picture, he'll begin to talk about things of the law by teaching next about anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and loving your enemies.  Perhaps some thought he was trying to abolish the law.  Maybe this came about since he opposed the Pharisees; however, there is little talk about the Pharisees prior to chapter 5 in the book of Matthew.  More likely, the focus is not on an objection he is addressing but the simple point he is making.  Jesus has come to fulfill the law.

The law will not pass away until all is accomplished.  It is not something that people can do away with or, as Jesus puts it, "relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same".  Instead, the law is to be upheld.  Jesus puts it in another way, telling his followers that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.  How is this possible?  The scribes and the Pharisees were the spiritual elite of that day.  Well, one may point out that they were hypocrites (as Jesus points out elsewhere), but I don't think that's the point.  Instead, we must be holy as our heavenly father is holy.  Our righteousness exceeds that of the pharisees because ultimately, we have an advocate who has imputed his righteousness to us.  In any case, Jesus moves on to talk about the law.

In each instance, Jesus begins by saying "You have heard that it was said... but I say to you...".  There is a way in which people perceive the law and how one is to go about following it.  However, Jesus takes each of these things a step further.  The law is much more strict than they had thought it to be.  It is seemingly impossible to keep the law and yet this is what Jesus has come to do.

It is not enough to just say that you've never murdered anyone.  Instead, if you are even angry with your brother, that is sin.  It's interesting that for most of these, Jesus offers a bit more advice.  So, Jesus explains that one is to reconcile with your brother.  This is more important that presenting an offering.  It seems to be a message that instead of being angry or holding a grudge, one is to reconcile quickly.

Previously, most were concerned with the act of adultery.  Many could boldly claim that they had never committed such a sin.  However, the sin is committed even if one has lust in his or her own heart.  This puts the standard at a whole new level.  Now, with this new standard, how many could boldly claim innocence of such a sin?  Jesus adds to this that one is to go to extremes in fighting sin.  Instead of allowing your eye to cause you to sin, you are to tear it out and throw it away.  Keeping a body part is not worth being thrown into hell.  Now, I don't know if we really are called to rip off limbs to fight sin, but the point is to deal seriously with our sinfulness.

Moving on, Moses commanded that a certificate of divorce be given in the case of divorce.  However, Jesus goes beyond this and tells his followers that this is adultery except for on the grounds of sexual immorality.  I'm sure many men had previously gone about the process of providing a certificate of divorce and been content in their righteousness before God.  However, most who did such a thing would still be sinning in light of what Jesus is saying now.

Only a few more to go.  Oaths are to be taken seriously and people did in those days.  However, Jesus warns against oaths.  Instead, one is to let what they say be enough on it's own.  Why would one need to back up their words with an oath?  Swearing by something would seemingly back up your words by the integrity or authority of the thing you are swearing by.  However, these things people typically swear by (heaven, earth, Jerusalem) are not owned or in submission to the one taking the oath.  Your words are your own, so you should stand by them.  Let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no.

I think what Jesus says here about retaliation is quite famous.  Most people have heard the saying "turn the other cheek".  Sadly, I think it gets a bad reputation for seemingly teaching that one is to be a pushover and let others walk all over you.  There may be some truth in that, but Jesus is actually teaching a different form of retaliation.  Instead of being beaten or overwhelmed by those in authority over you, one is to retaliate by not showing weakness and "go the extra mile" in a sense.  The Jews, in the face of a merciless oppressor (the Romans) really couldn't do anything in response.  However, they could "turn the other cheek".  If you think about it, it's not letting people walk all over you.

Lastly, Jesus tells his followers to love your enemies.  Most people follow a general rule, and that is to love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  However, Jesus teaches that you are to love even your enemies.  Why would someone do this?  Well, you should do this because that is what your father in heaven does.  Want proof?  God allows the sun to rise on both the good and the evil and he allows the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust.  Did the sun only rise for those who are righteous?  No, it rose for everyone, even those who are wicked and evil.  This is proof of God's "favor" towards those who he would count his enemies.  To only love those who love you is of no reward.  It's what all people do, even those despised.  The example given is of the tax collectors, who were quite despised among the Jews of that day.  Another example is that of the Gentiles, who weren't seen as on the same level as the Jews (from the Jews perspective).  This is all under the teaching that we are to be like our heavenly father.  He is perfect, we are to be perfect.  I guess that also ties in all of this teaching about the law too.  He is perfect, so we are to be perfect and follow his law perfectly.

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

The next bit of teaching in the "Sermon on the Mount" is about salt and light.  First, Jesus tells them that they are the salt of the earth.  Who is he talking to?  He's talking to the great crowds.  These are the great crowds we learn about in chapter 4.  His fame was spread and this resulted in many people bringing the sick to Jesus for Jesus to heal them.  This also resulted in people following him.  Jesus is speaking to his followers and these people are those who are the salt of the earth.  So, what's the big deal with salt?  Why are the followers of Jesus being described as salt?  Salt is unique and there is nothing else like it.  Salt gives a flavor and makes food tasty.  Comparing food with salt and food without salt, I'd assume that the one with salt is more delightful to taste.  Yes, you can add too much salt, but that's not the point.  Yes, salt can be used to preserve things, but that's not the point either.  There is a unique characteristic about the followers of Jesus just like salt has a unique characteristic.  This uniqueness is something so important that Jesus begins talking about salt as if it could lose it's taste.  So, what happens if salt loses it's taste?  Salt is useless without it's taste without any way to restore it.  Followers of Jesus are unique and what makes them unique (their saltiness) is so important that they are useless without it.  So what is it?  What is Jesus referring to?  Perhaps he's talking about a unique kind of blessing that followers of Jesus are to bring to others.  This blessing must be referring to the gospel.  If it is the gospel, then if you are in fact salt and you lost your taste (the gospel) then you are of no use.  What use is a Christian who does not bring the good news of the gospel?

Teaching about light immediately follows the teaching about salt.  Instead of being salt of the earth, Jesus is describing them as "light of the world".  What is so special about light?  Well, light is meant to be seen.  In a silly example, Jesus describes a lamp that is lit, but is then placed underneath a basket.  That doesn't make sense, since light is meant to let it's light shine instead of being hidden.  Not only does light simply shine, but it gives light to so much more than itself.  The example of a lamp lit in a room describes the light giving light to all in the house.  The light will spread and give light to so much more.  So, like light, the followers are Jesus are told to let their light shine before others.  They are not meant to be hidden away, but to shine forth to others.  Specifically, they are to "see your good works".  Your good works and what you do are what shine forth for others to see.  The purpose is not so that they would think highly of you.  Instead, upon seeing your good deeds, they are supposed to react in such a way that they glorify God.  It should be evident or explained that your good deeds are as a result of God, which is why seeing the good deeds would result in giving glory to God.

Matthew 5:1-12

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus has begun his ministry and has called his first disciples.  He has also gathered a large following since great crowds are coming to him from all over.  Now that we have come to chapter 5, this begins Jesus' first big teaching in the book of Matthew.  The sermon on the mount begins with what is often referred to as The Beatitudes.  There are a number of different things that Jesus says here that starts with "Blessed are...".  I don't actually understand this very well nor can I speak on this with great confidence.  I know there have been a number of different teachings from this that sprout all kinds of weird things.  The most notable that comes to mind is that the afterlife consists of "heaven on earth".  While this may or may not be true, I don't think we can gather strong scriptural evidence of this merely from "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth".  Rather, the beatitudes probably point us towards a way in which Jesus is a blessing as opposed to a curse.  Though, I guess you could argue the other way since he will in a sense become a curse for us as we read about in Galatians.  Jesus seems to speak to all people of all different kinds and he speaks blessing to them.  Jesus is not exclusive as if to be directed only to the Jews or only to the healthy.  In him there is hope and in him there is blessing.

Matthew 4:23-25

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 4:23-25

So, next, what do we read about Jesus?  Well, he went all over Galilee and taught.  He went to the synagogues to teach and he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom.  He also healed all the diseases and afflictions of the people.  These are all really great things that Jesus did.  Naturally, we read that his fame spread.  However, his fame seems to be linked mostly to his healing.  The result of his fame spreading is that people bring him all the sick and diseased people to be healed.  I'm not entirely sure, but ti seems as if they didn't really hear what his message was, but were mainly interested in his ability to heal.  However, I guess it does result in them following him, which means they probably would've heard what he said.  So, he gains many followers and these people are from all over, not just from Galilee.

Matthew 4:12-22

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:12-22

We first learn (and Jesus learns) that John had been arrested.  This is perhaps a marker of the events that are taking place.  Perhaps also a sign that John's ministry is coming to a close and Jesus' ministry is beginning.  In any case, Jesus leaves Nazareth and goes to Capernaum by the sea.  This is in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.  He is right on the boarder of these two and probably very easily went from one to the other.  In any case, we hear once again of a prophecy that is being fulfilled.  Jesus is in Zebulun and Naphtali, as the prophecy states.  In addition, it talks about people dwelling in darkness and seeing a great light.  This light is obviously referring to Jesus.

Now Jesus begins preaching.  What he says is, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.  This is exactly what John was preaching in the last chapter.  I guess Jesus really is picking up where John had left off.

Jesus, walking by the sea, calls his first disciples, Simon and Andrew.  It is mentioned that Simon is the one who is called Peter.  Perhaps this is because he was then known as Simon, but by the time of writing the book of Matthew everyone knew him as Peter.  They were fishing, which is fitting since they were fishermen.  Jesus calls them to follow him, saying something very interesting and unique, "I will make you fishers of men".  They were called to "catch" men the way people catch fish.  Jesus was referring to people's salvation in following him.  In any case, they immediately leave their nets to follow Jesus.  To be called to such a thing was a great honor and opportunity, and their reaction shows that this is something they wanted.  We read also of James and John who are called.  These two also immediately leave to follow Jesus.

This calling isn't something that was clearly out of the blue.  They certainly knew what they were being called to and knew enough about Jesus that they wanted to follow him.  If they didn't know enough, why would they leave everything just to follow some random person they knew nothing about?  Sure, I doubt any of them could've imagined where following Jesus would've lead them, but they had enough of an idea to leave everything.

There were actually more than one kind of "following" with regards to following Jesus.  John 1 to see Andrew and Simon "follow" Jesus prior to his calling to them.  There is probably a different kind of following prior to being called to follow.  In any case, Jesus goes to Capernaum and calls his first disciples.

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Matthew 4:1-11

The next story is of when Jesus is tempted by the devil.  Jesus has just been baptized by John and he is now being "led up by the Spirit into the wilderness".  I guess this means that he didn't simply just up and go on his own accord.  Instead, he is being led by the Spirit and is in obedience to the Spirit's leading.  We also learn that the purpose of this is so that he could be tempted.  I wonder why he needed to be tempted?  I am reminded of what it says in Hebrews 4.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

Jesus is able to sympathize with us.  He is not far off or so high above us.  No, he came near and became one of us and can relate.

In any case, he gets tempted three times.  First is to make the stones turn into bread.  Jesus is obviously hungry by this point, having fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  You might think that fasting for so long is impossible, but it certainly is.  You can't go without water for that long, but you can certainly go without food for that long.  There have been some people enduring hunger strikes that have lasted longer than 40 days.

Jesus combats this temptation with scripture.  He uses scripture in the face of all these temptations that he faces.  Here, though he is very hungry, he doesn't need to exercise his power as God to appease his appetite.  More important than his need for food is his need for God's word.

So, he gets tempted to turn the stone into bread.  The second one is a temptation to throw himself off the cliff to have the angels come and protect him.  Here, he is tempted to exercise his authority as God's son and test God.  Interestingly, the devil uses scripture in this temptation against Jesus, but he will have none of it.  He will not put God to the test.

The last temptation is to be given "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory".  That certainly is a good thing.  Why does Jesus need to endure the cross and all that suffering when he could just have it all now?  He can just sit back and relax and rule now.  However, this is obviously not the plan and certainly not at the cost of worshiping the devil.  Jesus is tempted and he combats temptation with scripture and will not worship the devil.

Lastly, we read that the devil left him and angels came to minister to him.  He must've been hungry, tired and weary at this point.  But we see Jesus enduring and overcoming temptation even in such a weak state.