In God's economy generosity is the only policy that makes any sense

The Bible often teaches through case studies; telling stories of two men each faced with the same choices. In the case of Lot and Abraham, Lot's choices lead inexorably to his destruction.

Scripture is very clear that when the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, those around him immediately notice that something has changed.

Much Christian teaching is in terms of salvation, grace and law. While each of those subjects is important, they cause us to miss or neglect understanding that God, first of all, loves people. Grace, law and salvation all deal with punishment - or more accurately the avoidance of punishment. Such a focus misses the warmth of the relationship that is possible when we focus on love.

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Despite the miserable things we often do, God shows us His loving kindness

Our society believes that the pursuit of happiness is the highest of goals. That is a dead end; leading to the spiritual cul-de-sac of appetite and consumption. Rather than happiness, we should be searching for meaning in our lives. This leads to purpose and the satisfaction of knowing that we are useful in God's hand.

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Jacob's life was difficult, mostly because of the things he did as a younger man before his encounter with God. Despite his early character flaws, he was used by God to found the twelve tribes of Israel. His use by God is a source of great hope to those who are struggling to find our way.

Jacob stole Esau's blessing by tricking his father. He also 'purchased' Esau's birthright by taking advantage of his brother's impulsive nature. After over twenty years under his hard uncle Laban, Jacob has in many respects become the 'man of the field'. He has, in a sense become Esau.

Comparing the lives of Judah and Esau, it becomes obvious that they are the same character. This casts a different light on Jacob's theft of Esau's blessing in the face of Isaac's desire to split the blessing of Abraham.

In explaining the Parable of the Sower, Messiah concludes that the good soil is fruitful where the road, the rocks and the weeds are not. If we compare his to Genesis 1 where God tells us to be fruitful and multiply, it becomes clear that fruitfulness in God's eyes involves more than just children. We are also expected to reproduce spiritually.

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Before Jacob died, he blessed his sons. To Judah he gave the role of king and to Joseph he gave the blessing of Abraham. Both of these men displayed extraordinary humility. In Joseph's case humility was forced upon him by slavery. Judah had to learn it through being confronted by his own failures.

Because Hebrew names all have a meaning, it is often possible to find sentences in Biblical name lists. That is the case in Genesis 5 where the names spell out the Gospel.

With the nation in turmoil over political events, the prayers of believers are increasingly important. Pray that God have mercy upon the United States.