Genesis 6 transitions from genealogy to the state of the world. Mankind is corrupt, and in the entire world, only Noah is found to be righteous before God. God is grieved over man's wickedness, and He gives man a set amount of time to turn back to Him before judgement in the form of a flood. God selects one man, the only righteous man in the world, to be the new start of the human race. In a sense, God is recreating. Sin is not being destroyed, but we are starting with a righteous man.
This righteous man is tasked with saving life on earth. He is taking pairs of every animal so that the animal life can continue. He is taking his three sons and their wives so that human life can repopulate the earth. God gives specific instructions for how salvation is going to be granted from the flood, an ark made of gopher wood, with specific dimensions, decks, and openings.
God's patience with sin will reach it's limit, and it will be dealt with. Only the righteous will be saved, but that salvation comes from God, and He is very specific in how salvation is attained. God is grieved by sin. God is just towards sinners and the righteous. God is specific about salvation. That is what Genesis 6 tells us about God.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Monday, February 25, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 6.11-22
Man is wicked, God is grieved, and mans time is limited. In all the world, Noah alone is righteous and finds favor with God. Because of God's justice, Noah will not face the same judgment as the rest of the world. God commands Noah to build an ark in order to preserve his life, the lives of his family, and the lives of the animals. Noah will be saved because of his righteous lifestyle, and because of the favor he has found with God he is going to be allowed to save other lives as well.
God gives Noah specific instructions as to how to build the ark. The dimensions are specific, the decks are specific, the building materials are specified. God gives instructions on who is to be on the ark, how the animals are to be gathered. God gives instructions for food and promises to establish His covenant. Salvation is granted to Noah, but he isn't left to figure it out, God specifies exactly what Noah is to do.
God does not leave us to figure out how to be saved, He specifies exactly what to do. Let us live righteously before God and follow His instructions for salvation.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
God gives Noah specific instructions as to how to build the ark. The dimensions are specific, the decks are specific, the building materials are specified. God gives instructions on who is to be on the ark, how the animals are to be gathered. God gives instructions for food and promises to establish His covenant. Salvation is granted to Noah, but he isn't left to figure it out, God specifies exactly what Noah is to do.
God does not leave us to figure out how to be saved, He specifies exactly what to do. Let us live righteously before God and follow His instructions for salvation.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 6.8-10
Genesis 6 has described the wickedness of humanity and God's reaction to it. God is grieved that He ever made man, and He has put a time frame on the time man has left to turn to back to Him before He destroys His creation. But not all humanity is wicked, not all humanity grieves the heart of God, "Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord".
God does not group all humanity together into a single unit of wickedness, there is a righteous man, and he is set apart by God. Noah walked with God, and therefore he found favor in the eyes of God. God holds each man accountable for his own actions. While the majority of the earth was corrupt and wicked, Noah continued to pursue God, walking in righteousness, and as a result, Noah found favor with God.
Those who walk with God in the midst of the wicked will not be grouped with the wicked by God. Let us choose to walk with God so that we may find favor with God.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
God does not group all humanity together into a single unit of wickedness, there is a righteous man, and he is set apart by God. Noah walked with God, and therefore he found favor in the eyes of God. God holds each man accountable for his own actions. While the majority of the earth was corrupt and wicked, Noah continued to pursue God, walking in righteousness, and as a result, Noah found favor with God.
Those who walk with God in the midst of the wicked will not be grouped with the wicked by God. Let us choose to walk with God so that we may find favor with God.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Monday, February 18, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 6.5-7
Several years ago on a blog that I have stopped writing on I wrote a post about God's feelings toward our sin. For a long time I felt like God was angry with me whenever I would sin, but over the years that thought has changed. I think that when we sin God is saddened. Here in Genesis 6, as God surveys the wickedness of man, man that He has created and invited into relationship with Himself, God is grieved. The Hebrew word is `atsab and it means "to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex".
When people sin, choosing to live in wickedness it hurts God, paining Him, and causes Him to grieve. It displeases Him that we choose to live in a way that is harmful to ourselves, harmful to others, and vexes Him as to why we would choose anything other than Him, as He offers us what is absolutely best, better than anything we could possibly imagine. Our sin saddens God greatly, and there is only so much of it He will put up with.
God is grieved by sin, and as a result He blots out sin. God was sorry that He had made man because of how man chose to live. God was deeply wounded by the decisions that they had made, and so God decided that enough was enough.
Let us refuse to live in a way that grieves the heart of God. Let us choose to choose Him, rejecting wickedness, and embracing all that He has for us.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
When people sin, choosing to live in wickedness it hurts God, paining Him, and causes Him to grieve. It displeases Him that we choose to live in a way that is harmful to ourselves, harmful to others, and vexes Him as to why we would choose anything other than Him, as He offers us what is absolutely best, better than anything we could possibly imagine. Our sin saddens God greatly, and there is only so much of it He will put up with.
God is grieved by sin, and as a result He blots out sin. God was sorry that He had made man because of how man chose to live. God was deeply wounded by the decisions that they had made, and so God decided that enough was enough.
Let us refuse to live in a way that grieves the heart of God. Let us choose to choose Him, rejecting wickedness, and embracing all that He has for us.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Friday, February 15, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 6.1-4
Man is beginning to fulfill God's original intention, fill the earth and subdue it. Genesis 6 has brought about discussion, questioning who the "sons of God" are, with many looking at them as some sort of angelic being. However, if we look at the nature of the text, all of God's judgment is focused on humanity, with no consequences being given to any sort of angel. Therefore, these are humans, marrying and procreating, filling the earth with humans as God intended.
The situation has changed from the creation; sin has entered the world and corrupted humanity. The humans who are being born are infected with sin, and their actions reflect this infection. God, patient and gracious as He is, does not destroy humanity, but He does put a time frame on this mercy. "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." Many have taken this verse statement to mean that no human will ever live longer than 120 years, only problem with this is that after this statement there were people who lived longer than 120 years, look at the length of Abraham's life. Here, God is saying that judgment will be postponed 120 years; man has more than a century to turn to God.
God is gracious, patient, and merciful, but there is only a window of opportunity to accept these attributes of His nature. There is a set amount of time for man to receive the mercy of God, turning to Him and accepting His grace. God will patiently endure man's shortcomings, but not indefinitely. In Genesis 6, humanity was given 120 years, each of us has been given a set amount of time, but unlike the flood generation, we don't know how long we have.
Let us turn to God while we are able, because one day it will be too late.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
The situation has changed from the creation; sin has entered the world and corrupted humanity. The humans who are being born are infected with sin, and their actions reflect this infection. God, patient and gracious as He is, does not destroy humanity, but He does put a time frame on this mercy. "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." Many have taken this verse statement to mean that no human will ever live longer than 120 years, only problem with this is that after this statement there were people who lived longer than 120 years, look at the length of Abraham's life. Here, God is saying that judgment will be postponed 120 years; man has more than a century to turn to God.
God is gracious, patient, and merciful, but there is only a window of opportunity to accept these attributes of His nature. There is a set amount of time for man to receive the mercy of God, turning to Him and accepting His grace. God will patiently endure man's shortcomings, but not indefinitely. In Genesis 6, humanity was given 120 years, each of us has been given a set amount of time, but unlike the flood generation, we don't know how long we have.
Let us turn to God while we are able, because one day it will be too late.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 5
Genesis 4 ends with the introduction of the line of Adam that would eventually lead to Jesus. Genesis 5 shows that line, hitting the highlights, but not every member which is why Biblical genealogies don't work to date the age of the earth. Genesis 5 restates that God both made man, and that He made man in His image. Genesis 4 showed that there were those who did not walk with God, rejecting Him, and living outside of His presence. But there were those who chose to call on the name of God, seeking Him, and walking with Him.
God desires an intimate walk with man; He made man for this specific purpose. However, He does not force man to walk with Him. He allowed Cain to leave His presence, but when man has desired to call upon Him, He has answered. The level of intimacy we have with God depends on what level of intimacy we want with God. Enter Enoch, a man who lived 365 years, and walked with God so closely that He simply was taken by God.
God will let us leave if that is what we choose, or He will walk so closely with us that we lose ourselves in Him. God wants deep intimacy with each of us, but He will not force us. He pursues us, and invites us to pursue Him; He wants to walk with us, but never makes us join Him.
What type of relationship do you want with God? Do you want the walk of Cain, who went out from the presence of God? Do you want the walk of Lamech, who misunderstood what God does? Or do you want the walk of Enoch, who walked so closely with God that God simply took him?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
God desires an intimate walk with man; He made man for this specific purpose. However, He does not force man to walk with Him. He allowed Cain to leave His presence, but when man has desired to call upon Him, He has answered. The level of intimacy we have with God depends on what level of intimacy we want with God. Enter Enoch, a man who lived 365 years, and walked with God so closely that He simply was taken by God.
God will let us leave if that is what we choose, or He will walk so closely with us that we lose ourselves in Him. God wants deep intimacy with each of us, but He will not force us. He pursues us, and invites us to pursue Him; He wants to walk with us, but never makes us join Him.
What type of relationship do you want with God? Do you want the walk of Cain, who went out from the presence of God? Do you want the walk of Lamech, who misunderstood what God does? Or do you want the walk of Enoch, who walked so closely with God that God simply took him?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Monday, February 11, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 4
Genesis 4 focuses on the nature of man's post fall relationship with God. Two sons are born, the first births, and they both present offerings to God. One has his offering accepted, while the other burns with anger as his is rejected. In that anger God warns him about the nature of sin, and danger of opening himself up to it, but he turns to murder, and is sentenced to live as a wanderer.
He goes out from the presence of God and lives life as he chooses. The line of descendants that follows does not follow God, or acknowledge Him outside of selfish need. Then we read about a third birth, another son, and the line from this son begins to seek God.
God must be pursued. He will not be taken in by simple gestures that do not offer all of us at our best. He will not force us to follow and serve Him, but offers a life of intimacy with Him that is available if we are willing to call on His name.
Sin desires to consume us, God desires intimacy with us. One will destroy us, taking everything we have, and the other will demand everything of us, but return abundantly more than what it may cost. Will we be ruled by sin or surrender to God? Will we pursue God or be consumed by sin?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
He goes out from the presence of God and lives life as he chooses. The line of descendants that follows does not follow God, or acknowledge Him outside of selfish need. Then we read about a third birth, another son, and the line from this son begins to seek God.
God must be pursued. He will not be taken in by simple gestures that do not offer all of us at our best. He will not force us to follow and serve Him, but offers a life of intimacy with Him that is available if we are willing to call on His name.
Sin desires to consume us, God desires intimacy with us. One will destroy us, taking everything we have, and the other will demand everything of us, but return abundantly more than what it may cost. Will we be ruled by sin or surrender to God? Will we pursue God or be consumed by sin?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Friday, February 8, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 4.25-26
The line of Cain has run from God, seeing Him only as a source of vengeance to protect their lives. After verse 24, the story shifts away from Cain, and returns to Adam. Here the Bible says that God gave Adam another son, Eve is comforted in her grief over Able's murder, and the line of Seth is the line that pursues intimacy with God.
Genesis 4 concludes with these words, "Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord." In the garden, after man had disobeyed and sinned, God came looking for man, calling out to him. Here, man begins to seek after God, calling out to Him. Man's sin separated Him from God; God pursued man, and man rejected Him, giving in to sin. God drove man from the garden, but still sought to redeem him, providing for his needs in a way that could only be done by Him. God pursued man, and now man is beginning to pursue God.
God must be pursued. A.W. Tozer wrote a fantastic book on this topic, The Pursuit of God (highly recommend it, it's short but deep). Man choose to be enticed and mastered by sin, God has not given up on man, but man must choose who he is going to love and serve, and then must pursue that will all his being. God cannot be casually followed, neither can sin. Either way you're all in.
God has pursued us, and He must be pursued by us, will we chase after Him?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Genesis 4 concludes with these words, "Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord." In the garden, after man had disobeyed and sinned, God came looking for man, calling out to him. Here, man begins to seek after God, calling out to Him. Man's sin separated Him from God; God pursued man, and man rejected Him, giving in to sin. God drove man from the garden, but still sought to redeem him, providing for his needs in a way that could only be done by Him. God pursued man, and now man is beginning to pursue God.
God must be pursued. A.W. Tozer wrote a fantastic book on this topic, The Pursuit of God (highly recommend it, it's short but deep). Man choose to be enticed and mastered by sin, God has not given up on man, but man must choose who he is going to love and serve, and then must pursue that will all his being. God cannot be casually followed, neither can sin. Either way you're all in.
God has pursued us, and He must be pursued by us, will we chase after Him?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 4.15-24
Verse 16 says a lot, "Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden." He has lost the identity he had known all of his life, but was offered a new one from God; Cain was sentenced to be be a restless wanderer, and God marked him to guard his life. Cain could have spent the rest of his life wandering the world with God, but instead he leaves the presence of God and forges his own path.
Cain rejects what God has said, and rather than wandering, he builds a city. He has descendants, and his descendants continue the sin of Cain. Lamech kills two, a man and a boy, and claims God's protection over his own life; but no where in this section does it say that God was moving in the lives of any of Cain's offspring. Cain had rejected God, living in complete defiance to what God had commanded, and it does not seem that any of Cain's offspring ever returned to God.
God will allow us to go our own way; He does not force us follow Him. He gives us direction for the life that is best for us, showing us the path of redemption, but He does not force us to walk it. God allows us to live as we choose, but we will be accountable to Him for those choices. And the choices we make about God will have an impact on the attitudes our children and grandchildren have towards God.
What will be your attitude towards God?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Cain rejects what God has said, and rather than wandering, he builds a city. He has descendants, and his descendants continue the sin of Cain. Lamech kills two, a man and a boy, and claims God's protection over his own life; but no where in this section does it say that God was moving in the lives of any of Cain's offspring. Cain had rejected God, living in complete defiance to what God had commanded, and it does not seem that any of Cain's offspring ever returned to God.
God will allow us to go our own way; He does not force us follow Him. He gives us direction for the life that is best for us, showing us the path of redemption, but He does not force us to walk it. God allows us to live as we choose, but we will be accountable to Him for those choices. And the choices we make about God will have an impact on the attitudes our children and grandchildren have towards God.
What will be your attitude towards God?
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Monday, February 4, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 4.13-15
God has pronounced a sentence on Cain, be a restless wanderer who is unable to farm. Cain had taken a life that was not his to take, and God ends the life Cain has come to know. Cain was a farmer, a man connected to the land. He worked and toiled, and by the sweet of his brow the earth produced crops. His identity was wrapped up in the land and his connection to it. Now that has been stripped away. The identity that Cain has come to know and embrace has been stripped from him because he allowed sin to rule him.
Sin does that, it strips us of who we are and robs us of the life we are connected to. Had Cain mastered sin he could have stayed on his farm. He could have spent his life among the plants, turning a small part of it into a paradise, a small Eden amidst the wilderness. But Cain gave into anger which led to murder, and as a result the life he had known was over. He allowed sin to rule him and sin defined him.
God did not end Cain's life, but set him to wander the earth, but He didn't leave him without an identity. God gave His protection to Cain, appointing a sign, an identity, to him to guard his life. God is the source of identity.
Cain's identity was that of a farmer, and I imagine that God's rejection of his offering came as a blow to that human identity. Everything he had worked so hard for, everything he had invested himself into, all of it amounted to nothing. After that he killed his brother, and as a result the only identity he had known was taken from him. Now Cain has the chance to embrace a new identity, one bestowed on him by God, and had he embraced this, maybe we would remember him for something more than as the first murderer.
God is the source of true identity, and if we embrace what He offers we won't be remembered for the sins we commit.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Sin does that, it strips us of who we are and robs us of the life we are connected to. Had Cain mastered sin he could have stayed on his farm. He could have spent his life among the plants, turning a small part of it into a paradise, a small Eden amidst the wilderness. But Cain gave into anger which led to murder, and as a result the life he had known was over. He allowed sin to rule him and sin defined him.
God did not end Cain's life, but set him to wander the earth, but He didn't leave him without an identity. God gave His protection to Cain, appointing a sign, an identity, to him to guard his life. God is the source of identity.
Cain's identity was that of a farmer, and I imagine that God's rejection of his offering came as a blow to that human identity. Everything he had worked so hard for, everything he had invested himself into, all of it amounted to nothing. After that he killed his brother, and as a result the only identity he had known was taken from him. Now Cain has the chance to embrace a new identity, one bestowed on him by God, and had he embraced this, maybe we would remember him for something more than as the first murderer.
God is the source of true identity, and if we embrace what He offers we won't be remembered for the sins we commit.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Friday, February 1, 2019
Who is God: Genesis 4.8-12
Genesis 4 records the first murder, and we see that God values human life. God has rejected Cain's offering and accepted Able's; Cain is angry God speaks to him, but instead of heading God's words and mastering sin, he kills his brother. The text says that Cain told Able what God had said, and then he attacks him and kills him. God speaks to Cain again, asking where Able is, and instead of denying and passing the blame like his parent's did, he side steps the question.
God values human life. Able's blood cries out to God, and just as God punished Adam and Eve in His justice, so here He punishes the sin of Cain. The ground received Able's blood from Cain, and now it will no longer offer anything to Cain. Cain, who was a farmer, one who cultivated the ground, now will wander the earth, unable to do what he has always done.
God, the author of life, holds life to be sacred. When life is taken, God demands an accounting of that life. God is the only one who can take life because He is the only one who can give life.
Let us value life, not taking by giving into sin, but mastering sin and rising up to defend life.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
God values human life. Able's blood cries out to God, and just as God punished Adam and Eve in His justice, so here He punishes the sin of Cain. The ground received Able's blood from Cain, and now it will no longer offer anything to Cain. Cain, who was a farmer, one who cultivated the ground, now will wander the earth, unable to do what he has always done.
God, the author of life, holds life to be sacred. When life is taken, God demands an accounting of that life. God is the only one who can take life because He is the only one who can give life.
Let us value life, not taking by giving into sin, but mastering sin and rising up to defend life.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
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