Justin Houtz

Hi. I’m Justin. I write code and things but enough about that…

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  • Daily Bible Study

    Genesis 12-14; Luke 5

    DateVersionReading Plan
    January 5, 2026ESV (2016)ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

    Genesis 12-14

    Observation & Interpretation

    Gen. 12:2 – The LORD told Abram that He would bless Abram “so that you will be a blessing.” The LORD’s blessing of Abram was given purposefully in order that he would be a blessing to others.

    Gen. 12:7-8 – Verse 7 describes that Abram built an altar and then (in v. 8) describes how Abram moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and “There he built an altar”.

    • The altar Abram built at Shechem is the first of four he is said to have built; others were set up between Bethel and Ai (v. 8), at Hebron (13:18), and at Mt. Moriah (22:9). (CSB Notes)

    Gen. 12:17 – This is the first time in the Bible that we read of plagues being sent by the LORD and it is against the Pharaoh of Egypt at the time. In reading this, it is easy to think about the plagues brought to Pharaoh and Egypt later in Exodus.

    • If Abram’s wife Sarai remained in Egypt as part of Pharaoh’s harem, then God’s plan to provide Abram with an heir through her would never be fulfilled. To restore Sarai to Abram and bring the founders of the Israelite nation out of Egypt and back to the promised land, the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues. This act foreshadowed what God would do in Moses’s day to bring the Israelites out of Egypt again (Ex 12:29), to take them to the promised land. (CSB Notes)

    Gen. 13:8-12 – Abram told Lot to separate himself from Abram so there would be no strife between them. Abram told Lot to take the right hand or the left and Lot took for himself the Jordan Valley and journeyed east.

    • (v. 11) To the careful reader, Lot’s journey eastward has some troubling implications. Other situations in the early chapters of Genesis in which the “east” is mentioned as a destination include those of Adam and Eve following their sin in Eden (3:24), Cain following his judgment (4:16), and sinful humanity prior to the tower of Babylon incident (11:2). (CSB Notes)

    Gen. 14:18-20 – This is the first appearance of Melchizedek in the Bible—described here as a “king of Salem” and “priest of the God Most High” (v. 18). Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

    • Melchizedek means king of righteousness and Salem (short for Jerusalem) means peace. So he was king of righteousness and king of peace. He is a symbol of Christ, true King of righteousness and peace, and our Great High Priest. (BBC)

    Luke 5

    Observation & Interpretation

    Luke 5:8 – Peter’s response when he saw the larger number of fish caught was to fall down to Jesus’ knees, plead with Jesus to leave and confess that he was a sinful man. Peter here expressed his unworthiness to be in the presence of Jesus.

    • Peter’s realization of Jesus’s divine power and holiness through the catch of fish was essentially the same as that of Job (Jb 42:6) and Isaiah (Is 6:5). (CSB Notes)

    Luke 5:25 – Luke records how the man who was healed of his paralysis “went home, glorifying God”. Such a miraculous healing warrants no other reaction than to give all glory God.

    Application

    It seems valuable to compare the reactions of two of the miracles performed in this chapter. Namely, of Peter at the great catch of fish and the paralytic man healed of his paralysis. Peter’s response reflected his acute awareness of sin while the paralytic man left the scene of his healing glorifying God. Both capture essential aspects of the gospel. Mortification of sin is required to realize how undeserving we are to stand before a holy and righteous God and how God’s glory is magnified in the gracious healing and reconciliation granted to us in Jesus’ propitiatory sacrifice.

    Resources

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