January 1, 2024 - Genesis 1-3

I’m certainly not in the habit of quoting John Lennon, especially when spending time in God’s Word.  However, here on the first day of the year, these lyrics seem appropriate:  “Another year over / And a new one just begun.”  And with every passing year, it is so good to know that God remains on his throne.  The book of Genesis begins, as we know, with such an amazing story of creation:  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (1:1) . . . And God said . . . and God said . . . And God said . . . And God said . . . and God said . . . And God said . . . And God said . . .”  And so, with merely a spoken word he created all that is.  And with such an omnipotent God, a God who is so holy and gracious and good, surely, all was well and would remain so.  But it was not so as the tempter drew our first parents into sin, which brought sin and death into the world.

But – Have I mentioned that this Creator is omnipotent, holy, gracious, and good? – even in such a disastrous situation, God declared to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (3:15).  And with these words the promise of a Redeemer was made and the end of the tale was set.  God’s people would be rescued from the clutches of Satan and from sin and death.  As the days go by, as one year passes and another begins, we remember how great and gracious our God is and live our lives buoyed with such hope!

Praise the Savior now and ever;

praise him, all beneath the skies;

prostrate lying, suff’ring, dying

on the cross, a sacrifice.

Vict’ry gaining, life obtaining,

now in glory he doth rise.

Man's work faileth, Christ's availeth;

he is all our righteousness;

he, our Savior, has forever

set us free from dire distress.

Thro' his merit we inherit

light and peace and happiness.   -- Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (569)