Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield. Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. 1 Samuel 17:4-11 NLT
YOUR GOLIATH DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEFINE YOUR FUTURE. HOWEVER, YOUR RESPONSE TO YOUR GOLIATH DOES.
1. RECOGNIZE THE LIES OF YOUR GOLIATH
As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. 1 Samuel 17:23 NLT
Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:26 NLT
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24 NLT
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36 NLT
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 NLT
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 ESV
YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE. EITHER GOLIATH IS THE LIAR OR GOD IS THE LIAR.
2. STEWARDSHIP IN THE SMALL THINGS GIVES US THE STRENGTH IN THE BIG THINGS
“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:32-37 NLT
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zechariah 4:10 NLT
AS YOU DWELL ON YOUR DAILY VICTORIES YOU START GEARING YOUR MIND TO REPEAT THOSE ACTIONS.
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Psalms 39:4-5 NLT
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10 NLT
3. YOU CAN NOT BE SUSTAINED OFF OF SOMEONE ELSE’S ANOINTING
'Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 NLT
And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?” And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 1 Samuel 10:21-22 NLT
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 1 Samuel 13:7-9 NLT
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 1 Samuel 13:10-11 NLT
Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality. 1 Samuel 15:3,9 NLT
Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:12 NLT
YOU CAN NOT GET YOUR EXTERNAL IN ORDER IF YOUR INTERNAL IS OUT OF ORDER.
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 6:4-5 NLT
A GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS INTENTIONAL, NOT ACCIDENTAL.
4. DON’T COMPARE YOUR GOLIATH TO YOURSELF BUT COMPARE HIM TO YOUR GOD
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:45-47 NLT
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11 NLT
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:13-14 NLT
Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrew 12:1-2 NLT
1. MAKE SURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE RIGHT PERSON
Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom I find favor?” Ruth 2:2 CSB
Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Proverbs 13:20 NLT
A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9 CSB
2. THE DILIGENT REAP THE HARVEST WHILE THE IDLE REAP SCARCITY
She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters? ’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.” Ruth 2:7 CSB
Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! Proverbs 14:23 NLT
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches. The son who gathers during summer is prudent; the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful. Proverbs 10:4-5 CSB
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT
3. DON’T CHASE AFTER FLEETING URGES
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Ruth 2:8-9 CSB
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 NLT
4. FAITHFULNESS MUST PRECEDE FRUITFULNESS
Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:11-12 CSB
When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.” So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts of barley. Ruth 2:15-17 CSB
YOUR CONSISTENCY DETERMINES YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR CHARACTER DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT
5. SURRENDER IS THE PATHWAY TO REST
So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.” And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into the town. Ruth 3:14-15 CSB
Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. Proverbs 11:28 NLT
TRUE PEACE IS DISCOVERED WHEN CONSCIOUSLY RECOGNIZE OUR PROVIDER CONSISTENTLY
Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Luke 12:24,27-28 NLT
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Psalms 34:10 NLT
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…James 1:17 NLT
6. WHEN WE TOTALLY SURRENDER TO GOD HE WILL TOTALLY FIGHT FOR OUR WELL-BEING!
She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.” Ruth 3:16;18 CSB
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. Romans 8:15-17 NLT
DO YOU WANT THE LEFTOVERS, THE BUNDLES, OR THE FIELD?
Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8 NLT
Do it AFRAID
PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE
“Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah 1:3 NLT
“ When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of Heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 NLT
“Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Nehemiah 2:1-2 NLT
“…Then I was terrified...” Nehemiah 2:2 NLT
“…I was terrified, but I replied” Nehemiah 2:2-3 NLT
A NERVOUS FEELING IS A GOOD THING
“Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” Nehemiah 2:3-4 NLT
“With a prayer to the God of Heaven, I replied… “ Nehemiah 2:4-5 NLT
WE PRAY
“The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.” Luke 12:12 MSG
GOD WILL PROVIDE THE COURAGE IF HE GAVE YOU THE CALL
Moses pleaded with the LORD, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12 NLT
“If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked “how long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request.” Nehemiah 2:5-6 NLT
“I also said to the king, “if it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah.” Nehemiah 2:7 NLT
“And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself…” Nehemiah 2:8 NLT
WHEN WE OPERATE USING GOD’S COURAGE WE ALLOW BOLDNESS TO OVERCOME OUR FEAR
“…and the king granted these requests because the gracious hand of God was on me.” Nehemiah 2:8 NLT
“IF YOU’RE BIG ENOUGH FOR YOUR DREAM, YOUR DREAM ISN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR GOD!” – MARK BATTERSON
GOD CHOSE YOU FOR THE DREAM HE PUT INSIDE YOU
IF GOD CALLED YOU TO IT HE WILL EQUIP YOU THROUGH IT
“…I was terrified, but I replied” Nehemiah 2:2-3 NLT
DON’T LET FEAR KEEP YOU FROM WALKING IN OBEDIENCE
Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 NLT
Women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 NLT
1. NEVER READ A VERSE ALONE
2. REMEMBER, THAT THE BIBLE IS WRITTEN FOR US BUT NOT TO US.
3. THE BIBLE DOES NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF
Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice ; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-5,7-11 NLT
DID PAUL HONOR WOMEN OR DISCOUNT THEM?
PHOEBE
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me. Romans 16:1-2 NLT
PRISCILLA AND HER HUSBAND, AQUILA
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. Romans 16:3 NLT
Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. Acts of the Apostles 18:24-26 NLT
MARY & JUNIA
Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. Romans 16:6-7 NLT
DID PETER HONOR WOMEN?
‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.’ Acts 2:17-18 NLT
HOW DID JESUS VIEW WOMEN?
WHAT ARE OTHER BIBLICAL EXAMPLES?
MIRIAM
I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. Micah 6:4 NIV
DEBORAH
Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. Judges 4:4 NIV
HULDAH
IPROVERBS 31
WHAT WAS GOD’S INTENTION AT CREATION?
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:27-28 NLT
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 NIV
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:18-19,21,27 NLT
“Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little bit different for our having passed through it.” Rabbi Harold Kushner
1. FIND THE GIFTS GOD HAS FOR YOU
'A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. ' 1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT
2. CULTIVATE THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
'Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives. 1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT
'This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you. ' 2 Timothy 1:6 NLT
3. USE THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
'God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ' 1 Peter 4:10 NLT
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 NLT
1. WHO WAS GENESIS WRITTEN TO?
QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE TODAY ABOUT GENESIS
1. How old is the earth?
2. Was the earth created in six literal twenty-four days or six long periods of time?
3. Does the lack of major transitional forms in the fossil records disprove evolution?
4. Could primitive nucleic acids, amino acids, and other building blocks of life have formed and organized themselves into self-replicating, self-sustaining units, laying the foundation for cellular biochemistry?
5. Was there really a talking snake?
6. Were there dinosaurs on Noah’s ark?
7. If God created Adam as the first person, did he have a belly button?
QUESTIONS ISRAEL LIKELY HAD THAT GENESIS WAS WRITTEN TO ANSWER
1. Are we going to survive here in the desert? Are we safe here?
2. Is there really only one God? What about all the Egyptian gods? Are they angry we left Egypt?
3. Is this God who rescued us still here, or are we alone?
4. What do we have to do to please this one God so we will have crops that won’t fail and have food for our families?
5. Should we worship the sun and the moon like the Egyptians? Or do we worship like the Canaanites, who are now nearby?
6. Is the Egyptian story of how the world was made the true one?
7. How do we live as free people?
2. WHAT IS CLEAR AND WHAT IS UNCLEAR?
HERE IS WHAT IS CLEAR… GOD IS THE CREATOR
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NLT
'The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:2 NLT
Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. Deuteronomy 32:11 NLT
HERE IS WHAT IS UNCLEAR… HOW EXACTLY GOD CREATED EVERYTHING
DID GOD CREATE THE EARTH IN 6 DAYS? MAYBE
DID IT TAKE LONGER? MAYBE
IS THE EARTH YOUNG? MAYBE
IS THE EARTH OLD? MAYBE
My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 2 Peter 3:8 NLT
Hebrew word YOM
References twelve hours in Gen. 1:5
References a growing season or time in Gen. 4:3 & Is. 30:8
References an eternity or lifetime in Gen. 44:32
References a physical lifetime in Gen. 43:9 & Deut. 4:40;19:9
References a time period equal to forty days in Deut. 10:10
Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” Matthew 21:9 NLT
3. WHY DID GOD GIVE GENESIS TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL?
1. Nile to blood came against the false gods Hapi the bull god, god of the Nile; Isis, goddess of the Nile; Khnum, ram god, guardian of the Nile; others
2. Frogs against the false god Heqet, goddess of birth, with a frog head
3. Gnats against the false god Set, god of the desert storms
4. Flies against the false god Uatchit, possibly represented by the fly
5. Death of livestock against the false gods Hathor, goddess with a cow head; Apis, the bull god, symbol of fertility
6. Boils against the false gods Sekhmet, goddess with power over disease; Sunu, the pestilence god; Isis, healing goddess
7. Hail against the false gods Nut, the sky goddess; Osiris, god of the crops and fertility; Set, god of the desert storms
8. Locusts against the false gods Nut, the sky goddess; Osiris, god of the crops and fertility
9. Darkness against the false gods Re, the sun god; Horus, a sun god; Nut, a sky goddess; Hathor, a sky goddess
10. Death of firstborn against the false gods Min, god of reproduction; Heqet, goddess who attended women at childbirth; Isis, goddess who protected children; Pharaoh’s firstborn son considered a god
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Genesis 12:1-4 NLT
Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Genesis 15:5-6 NLT
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants.” Genesis 17:1-8 NLT
GOD’S PURPOSE THROUGH GENESIS WAS NOT TO JUST TO DELIVER THEM OUT OF EGYPT BUT TO DRIVE EGYPT OUT OF THEM.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:15-17 NLT