Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Genesis

[Clever Boy]

Question about Genesis 22:13: "Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns." I believe everything is in the Bible for a reason. Is there a reason the ram is caught in the thicket, presumably against its will, vs docilely standing there?

[jimwalton]

Since "Moriah" (v. 2) means "provision," and part of this story is about God's provision, here we see that the ram is caught in the web of God's plans, so to speak. One could say God has brought the ram to this place at this time, ready and waiting for Abraham's use as a substitute. The ram is not wandering or docile standing there, but caught up in God's purposes and plans.

[Dr. Watson]

The entire message of the Bible is to trust in God’s provision.

[jimwalton]

While I appreciate the thought, I wouldn't agree that's the entire message of the Bible. The Bible is also to reveal God to us, and to show us the way to salvation through Jesus. Yes, we trust in that provision of His Son and salvation through His blood, but there's more to the Bible than trusting in God's provision. There's also "The Lord is good, his love endures forever"; "You shall love the Lord your God with all your..."; "Love your neighbor as yourself"; and even "the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ."

[Dr. Watson]

Clumsily stated, granted, but the main point of the Bible is trusting in God’s provision, His revelation to us is Him revealing the Good. Salvation is His provision.

> There's also "The Lord is good, his love endures forever"; "You shall love the Lord your God with all your..."; "Love your neighbor as yourself"; and even "the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ."

All of this, I would say, is contingent upon the greater message of trusting in His provision. Adam and Eve’s sin was to reject what God had provided and they trusted in themselves to provide for themselves. And every sin since then has been the same. The ultimate sin being the rejection of God’s provision of salvation when He provided His creation with Himself.

[jimwalton]

It's barely worth "fighting" over. I just see the Bible as more than that. Adam & Eve's sin was placing themselves as the center of order and as the source of wisdom. Cain's sin had nothing to do with rejecting God's provision. His sin was trying to approach God on his own terms. Lamech's sin (Gn. 4.23) was not rejecting God's provision, it was self-justification of his own right to perpetrate his own form of justice (an act of defiance of God) as personal power. And so on.

[Dr. Watson]

> I just see the Bible as more than that.

Obviously, which is why I didn’t say it was the only message. It’s the main message of the Bible. God provided Good, every single sin is a rejection of Good in one form or the other whether it’s through violence (Cain to Noah) or through sexual sins, or anything else. It’s a rejection of Good. Adam and Eve’s sin was specifically a rejection of “the good” God provided. It doesn’t matter how it manifested. Which I disagree with your assessment, it was because they wanted to be like God. But that doesn’t change that they rejected God’s provision.