In this podcast episode, we read Genesis chapter 48 from the New Heart English Bible. In this chapter, one of the Hebrew names for God compares the provision of God to the life giving nurturance of a mother. We also see that God disregards patriarchal tradition by passing over first born sons to grant blessings to younger siblings. We also see that patriarchy has nothing to do with the message of salvation--a message that is received only through repentance and faith.

In this podcast episode, we read Genesis 47 from the Good News Translation, Today's English Version. In this story, Joseph's leadership saves Egypt during a time of famine. History and archaeology give us an in-depth look at the culture of ancient Egypt. Central to this culture was the religious concept of Ma'at. Ma'at taught that male authority was part of the "order of nature" ordained by the gods. It was believed that observing Ma'at would bring prosperity to the land. We trace the influence of this belief from ancient Egypt to Greece, and finally to the Roman church of the 4th century AD. Borrowing from these ancient sources, today's complementarian leaders continue to confuse the core beliefs of an idolatrous religion with the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

In this podcast episode, we read portions of Genesis chapter 46 from the Berean Study Bible. In this story, Israel and all of his family move to the land of Goshen in Egypt. Unfortunately, a Bible commentary on this passage wrongly depicts racial segregation as God's will. The author of the commentary similarly believed that God made women subordinate to men. Today, this commentary and others like it are used to defend both racism and sexism. Neither of these examples of social injustice reflect an accurate reading of the Bible, or the loving heart of God.