Saturday, November 19, 2016

Book Review: Genesis 16-33

Thru the Bible: Genesis 16-33. J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 188 pages. [Source: Bought]

I have enjoyed reading a handful of J. Vernon McGee's Thru the Bible commentaries. Genesis is broken down into three volumes. The second volume covers Genesis 16-33. The focus is mainly on God, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

If you're not familiar with his commentary series, I'll take a few minutes to explain his style. McGee is a very casual and conversational, very tell-it-like-it-is, very simple. He introduces the book of the Bible. He then goes through it practically verse by verse, chapter by chapter. The translation reprinted in the commentary, is, I believe, the King James Version. It is reprinted. Unlike some commentaries that provide Scripture references and outlines, this one does give you the Scripture text in the text itself. You don't have to have an open Bible in hand. (Which is very nice!) He likes to try to make connections between then and now, to point out ways that the text is relevant to you and me.

While I disagreed with a good deal of what McGee had to say about Genesis 1:2 and perhaps Genesis 6, this second volume was more in line with my own thinking. Mostly.
The idea seems to be that you can become a child of God and continue on in sin. God says that is impossible--you cannot do that and this city of Sodom is an example of that fact.
It is wonderful to be a new Christian with an appetite like that for the milk of the Word. But the day comes when you are ready to start growing up as a believer. Instead of just reading Psalm 23 and John 14--wonderful as they are--try reading through the entire Bible. Grow up. Don't be a babe all the time.
If you were to designate the ten greatest chapters of the Bible, you would almost have to include Genesis 22.
I believe that any person whom God calls, any person whom God saves, any person whom God uses is going to be tested.
Faith is not a leap in the dark. It must rest upon the word of God.
Faith is acting upon the Word of God. Faith rests upon something. God wants us to believe His Word and not just believe. It is pious nonsense to think that you can force God to do something, that God has to do it because you believe it.
I do not know what His will is, but whatever His will is, that is what I want done.
The Holy Spirit has come to speak of Another.
You can talk about the generation gap all you want, but there is no generation gap of sin. It just flows right from one generation to another.
I think that you will always have to pay a price if you are really going to study the Word of God. The devil will permit you to do anything except get into the Word of God.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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