Vergunst - Bridge to Genesis Volume 1

To the Reformed Congregation of Carterton, New Zealand

I dedicate this first volume of Bridge to Genesis to the congregation of Carterton. For over twelve years I have experienced your love, acceptance and support as I ministered to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Distance and time will stretch our contact but these will not wipe out the sweet memories of fellowship in times of joy and sadness.

Pastor A.T. Vergunst

Bridge to Genesis

B.V. Uitgeverij De Banier Apeldoorn, 2013

Cover design and design: Janneke Paalman

Photo cover: Istockphoto

ISBN 978 90 336 33676

NUR 746

www.debanier.nl

Printed in the USA by Color House Graphics, Inc.

This English edition is published exclusively by:
RJ Publishers, LLC
8752 Douglas Avenue
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49009 USA

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.

I read the Bible every day. But mostly, I dont understand what it means. The language is not always easy, and I do not know what God is saying to me.

These remarks of children have stirred the desire in my heart to write a simple book which would be like a bridge to help readers of the Bible understand the message in what they read. The Bible is the most worthwhile Book. It is the message of our Creator to us!

The set-up of this book is purposely different from the daily portion books which explain or meditate on a verse of Scripture each day. In A Bridge to Genesis, you will read a few verses of Scripture. After that, there are a few applications or thoughts from that portion for you to think and pray about.

I am convinced that the Authorized King James Version is the most trustworthy translation of the Holy Scriptures in the English language. However, especially our younger children and those new to the Bible, might find some words or phrases in the KJV difficult to understand. To help the reader understand the meaning of difficult or obsolete words, I have inserted definitions and explanations into the Bible text. You can easily see what I have added because the Bible text is in bold print, and my insertions are in regular print. It is my hope that having the actual language of the Bible along with simpler words and a brief explanation, will provide readers with a bridge for becoming more familiar with the language of Gods Word in the KJV.

I express great appreciation to my wife Michelle Vergunst and our friend Cara Overduin as the main editors of this work. Their investment of many hours of thoughtful and critical reading and re-reading greatly enhance the quality of this book. Moreover, I like to acknowledge my younger children for their editing comments as we read the portions in the daily family devotions. Lastly, I am grateful God enabled us all to accomplish this third volume in the series. My prayer is that it may be all to His glory and the eternal salvation of our souls.

The book you have in your hand is the first volume on Genesis and it is the intention to cover all of Genesis in further books.

Pastor Arnoud Vergunst
Carterton
December 10, 2012

When you buy a telephone, it comes with instructions on how to use it. Of course, you already know how to use a telephone! Still, there may be new things on the phone that you dont know how to use; then, you need to read the directions.

Im sure you can already readI dont need to teach you that! But, do you know how to read for profit? There is no point in reading and then forgetting what you have read! Thats like pouring water through a funnel without catching it in a bowl. How can you profit by what you read? I suggest that you first answer this question:

Why am I going to read this book?
There must be a purpose for reading a book. Is it just to fill up your time? Is it because you have to? Is it because you find reading relaxing? Or, is it because you want to learn? This is the best reason, if you want to benefit from reading this book. The second question is:

What do I want to learn from this book?
Are you looking for how you can be saved? Do you want to learn how to live better? Are you seeking to know what Gods will is for your life? Is it important for you to know how to please your God and Creator? Is the sinfulness of your heart a burden to you? Does it bother you that you feel so cold in your heart towards God? These questions are answered in this book, because it contains Gods Word. God answers your questions in the Bible.

That brings me to the last question you should answer:

How will I learn these things from this book?
Will I learn it just by reading it? Will I simply open my mind and believe it? Will I decide to change my ways, once I read what God wants? No!

You cannot learn anything this way. You need Gods powerful Spirit to open your heart for what He says in His Word. Thats why every time before you read the Bible, you should pray to God. Perhaps you want to use the following lines of a beautiful prayer:

Father of mercies, in Thy Word,
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored,
For these heavenly lines.

Oh, may these heavenly pages be,
My ever dear delight;
And still new beauties may I see,
And still increasing light.

Divine Instructor, gracious Lord
Be Thou forever near;
Teach me to love Thy Sacred Word,
And view my Savior there.

Warmly,
Pastor Vergunst

1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Have you seen the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor? Did you know that before you get to the feet of that statue, you have to climb up its foundation base? And it is not simply a few stepsthe base is about as high as a ten-story building! Not only is the base used as decoration, but more importantly, it is meant to help the large statue stand firmly in strong winds.

Genesis is like a huge foundation stone. The whole Bible stands on the teachings found in its first chapters. Without Genesis, we would be at a loss to explain the world we live in. Who or what made the beauty we see around us? From where do all the living creatures in the world come? As we peer into the endless universe around us, we wonder how the billions of stars, all situated in orderly galaxies, came into existence. Looking around, we see the amazing abilities people have, like hearing, seeing, talking and creative thinking.

There must have been a beginning to everything around us. When was that beginning? Who or what started life? If it was God Who created this world, from where did He come?

There are even more questions that need answers when we look at the world around us. Why do hundreds of people die of sickness and hunger each day? Why do people kill each other in terrible wars? Why are babies born with handicaps? Why do we keep on experiencing earthquakes and hurricanes?

Then there are the questions about why we live as we do. Who thought of living in families? Is marriage a human invention? Why do we worship God in prayer and praise?

What about questions concerning all the different religions in the world? Many people teach that Allah is God and Mohammad his prophet. You may have learned that Jehovah is God and Jesus Christ His Son. Others believe that there are hundreds of gods, while some say there is no God at all. Who is right? How can we know which claim is true?