I'll never find another you.

Those of a certain vintage will, undoubtedly, be transported in their minds to the early sixties, and to the Australian singing group, The Seekers, by those words in the title. The original song was, of course, of a romantic nature - but it was also stating a scientific fact! You are unique! I am unique! Every person in the history of planet earth is unique! No-one will ever find another you, or me!

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is found in every cell in the body, and is passed on from parent to child. It is self-replicating material that is in every living organism. In simplest terms, it is a carrier of all genetic information. It contains the instructions needed for organisms to develop, grow, survive, and reproduce. I read, recently, that DNA molecules can unite in an almost infinite number of ways. The number I read was 10 to the power of 2,400,000,000. That is a BIG number!

Your uniqueness is a scientific fact. When Almighty God created you, He really did "break the mould"! There never has been, is not, and never will be anybody exactly like you!

So why, we may ask, did Father God make each of us so unique? I suggest that it is because He likes variety! Look around you! Introverts and extroverts; tall people and short people; team players and individuals; those who love routine and those who love spontaneity; different skin colours, all in the one human race. And please note that. There is only one human race. Different ethnicities, but one race. That is why to accuse someone of being "racist" against another human being is actually nonsensical!

There is no right or wrong temperament for serving in God's kingdom - apart from a willingness to do so. As used to be said: "The most important ability is availability"!

Your personality will affect how, and where, you will serve God best. My son-in-law started working with wood jus a few years ago, and he will confirm that smart woodworkers work with the grain, not against it. Being obliged to serve in a manner that is out of character for us only creates tension; requires extra effort; and usually produces poor results. Almighty God made you to be you! When you act as yourself, as one created in His image, it not only blesses His family, it also blesses you! That is, at least in a large part, because it is always good to be doing what God created you to do, and to be.

Due to a situation that has arisen within my own family, this is the last post that I shall be able to publish for the foreseeable future. It is my hope that the situation will be resolved, but I have no idea as to how long that will take. Even preparing a brief post such as this one, has proved difficult, as I have not been able to properly concentrate. A (hopefully, temporary) health issue has only served to exacerbate the situation. I do hope to have our annual newsletter shared towards the end of the year.

Heaven - Pt.2

Welcome back! In the previous post, I trust that I established that the Bible teaches. clearly, that those who will inhabit the «new heaven and new earth» (Rev.2:1) will have a new body - a resurrection body that will not, necessarily, be like the body we currently inhabit! It will, I would suggest, be at least as different as was the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus from His incarnate body. 

Anyway, I keep returning to those words found in Rev.21:5 « Behold, I make all things new.» There will be a new environment - «new heaven and new earth» (Rev.2:1); there will be a new body; and, I have now come to the conclusion, there will be a new memory. Yes, I realise that that is quite a leap - but I would contend that it is fully Biblical! 

As was pointed out to me, merely quoting a couple of Biblical texts does not necessarily make a line of thought to be Biblical. It must not go against the rest of the Biblical record. So is there anywhere in the Scriptures of the Old or New Testaments that would oppose my thinking? I am unaware of any - but will be happy to hear from anyone who can point me to any such teaching.

What might a "new memory" be like? Well, I freely admit that I am now bordering on the realm of total speculation. However, my new memory would not be a total wipe-out of my current memory. For example, I will not be asking "Who is that Lamb upon the throne?" I am thinking of the well-known words of William Rees: "Who His love will not remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten, Throughout heaven’s eternal days." Yes, with my new memory, I shall still praise Him for His atoning sacrifice that gained my salvation.

The thing is that, with our 'mortal' memories, we are actually unable to forget! I used to tell pupils who were facing important examinations that their mind is akin to an office with a lot of rooms. In each room is a large number of filing cabinets, each with four drawers. Each of those drawers has multiple folders holding everything that we have ever seen, heard, or thought. Now, material that is not called upon is gradually pushed to the bottom of the furthest away filing cabinet in the room at the end of the corridor. It is never lost, but we have difficulty in accessing it - until something happens that brings it right to the front! That, I would explain, is the purpose of exam revision!

Father God, I believe, is different. He, being God, is capable of "not remembering"! I can remember sins that I have committed decades ago. I don't dwell on them every day, but sometimes they are brought to the fore, and I can do nothing about that! Speaking of the Children of Israel, through his prophet Jeremiah, YHWH says «... for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.» (31:34; emphasis added).

I believe, therefore, that personal relationships that I enjoyed (and, in some cases, endured!) will not be in my resurrection memory. That will be true for those whom I know who have been saved, and those whom I know who have not been saved. This, I would contend, is perfectly Biblical! It ensures, for example that, for any individual, there shall be no «... mourning nor crying nor pain any more, …» (Rev 21:4), as it will not be recognised that unsaved, former loved ones, are not sharing the bliss of heaven with them.

But those words go on to state that «... the former things have passed away.» So what does that imply? Well, I would suggest that, at the very least, it means that my mortal life will have gone. I shall have a new life, as different from this one as a beautiful flower is from the seed from which it grows. I know that I shall have a new body - an incorruptible body that is incapable of sinning. I know that I shall have a new dwelling-place - «In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?» (John 14:2). I know that I shall have a new understanding - «Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.» (I Cor 13:12). That, by the way, blows my mind! That I shall understand as fully as my heavenly Father understands me!! Wow! And I shall, at last, achieve full sanctification!* John, in his first letter,^# assures me that «… it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him , for we shall see Him as He is.» (1 John 3:2). In heaven, I shall be like Jesus - not the poor, sin-marred, reflection that I present in my mortal flesh, but a perfect reflection of all that He is in His purity and love. Who would claim that, given all of that, Almighty God, my heavenly Father, will not include my memory when He says « Behold, I make all things new.». 

Of course, there is what we might call "a catch"! You see all of this, and more, is only for those who, having repented* of their sin, have placed their trust, wholly, and solely, in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, for their salvation, and their spending eternity in His glorious presence. Not one of us can claim such an inheritance based on our own wealth; social, or ecclesiastical, standing; property; good works; personal genealogy; or anything else that is "us". The only thing that we may bring is the very sin from which we must be saved. Only the atoning* sacrifice of the Lord Jesus is sufficient. But when we do accept His offer of full salvation, then we are accepted by the Father, and are justified* in His sight. Hallelujah!

I recall reading, very many years ago, an allegedly true story of Queen Victoria. Like the present Queen, she loved her Scottish residence of Balmoral, and would frequently go for long walks around the estate. On one occasion, as I recall the story, she stopped off in the home of an elderly woman and, as they conversed, the conversation turned to spiritual matters. The old woman was bold enough to ask the Queen if, when she died, she would go to heaven. "Why yes," replied Victoria. "And may I ask your Majesty on what grounds you are so assured?" "Of course," came the immediate response. "On the blood of the Lord Jesus, shed for me at Calvary." The old woman was delighted, and the two of them knelt together in prayer - Queen and Commoner, united in the true family of God.

May all who read these words have the same faith in Him - it's the only Way!

* This is one of the words with which I deal in "Great Words of the Faith". 

^# This Letter is the basis for my book "Defending the Faith".

See links above.

Heaven - Pt.1

It was the week before last when I appeared to have ruffled a few feathers by sharing some thoughts, in another blog, on what heaven may be like. I didn't wish to prolong an online discussion, but wanted to make my position as clear as possible, so decided that using my own blog was the best way in which to do so. I have headed this post "Pt.1" because I suspect that I will not be publishing everything I wish to share in one post!

Permit me to begin by pointing out that, according to the written Word of God, heaven is a place! It is not an ethereal, non-physical, entity. Jesus said «In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.» (John 14:2-3). That sounds pretty real to me!

I would also point out that the Bible doesn't actually give us a great deal of information as to what heaven will be like for those who will inhabit the «new heaven and new earth» (Rev.2:1) - and don't let us forget the «new earth»!

My personal thinking on what this «new heaven and new earth» will be like has evolved over a number of decades. I freely admit that most of what I share is speculation - but it is speculation that is based upon the written Word of God and, with Paul (who was writing in a different context!), I would dare to say «... I give my opinion as one who, by the Lord's mercy, is trustworthy.» (I Cor 7:25).

When I was young - very young! - I accepted the popular picture of heaven. It was where I would meet again with all of my deceased relatives. Then, when I was saved, I realised that only the saved would be in that "better place".  This did cause me some concern, as I was aware that many of my relatives had, apparently, died unsaved. However, I reckoned that I had so many relatives that I wouldn't miss a few!

Of course, I was making the same mistake as did certain Sadducees - who did not believe that there was a resurrection - when they endeavoured to trap the Lord Jesus with their question about the woman who was married to each of seven brothers, with no offspring from any of them. (read Lk.20:27ff).  The answer they received to their "trick" question was, in essence, that they were thinking of heaven as simply an extension of the earthly existence with which they were familiar. That, I would respectfully suggest, is the mistake that is still made by so many. Yet we look forward to «...  a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, » (Rev 21:1; emphases added). Why would we expect it to be no more than a continuation of what are «...the former things...» that will have «... passed away ...»?! (Rev.21:4)

It was the comment of a dear friend whose father had recently died - pretty obviously unsaved - that she didn't know how she could be happy in heaven when her dad was highly unlikely to be there, that caused me to think further! I eventually arrived at a place at which I believed that those of us who were saved, and in heaven would be so fixed on the Lamb upon the throne, and praising Him that, while we would be aware of a vast throng doing the same thing, we would not be concerned about the personal identities of any of them. That was my basic position for many, many years.

Then, a couple of years ago, I was using the Book of the Revelation of Jesus, the Christ, for my personal devotions. As many have discovered, and discovered on many occasions, we can read a passage in the Bible that we have read many times before - and suddenly "see" something that we had, hitherto, missed. For me, at that time, it was the words found in ch.21:5 « And He Who sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'» The word from the statement that "jumped out" was the word «all». Now I don't believe that it is necessary to be the Professor of English Language in a prestigious University to be able to work out that «all» means ------ «all». Nothing is excepted! 

I already know that I will receive a new resurrection body. Paul makes this clear, in his first letter to the early disciples of Jesus. Some, apparently, had been questioning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus! «Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.» (I Cor 15:12-14).

The apostle produces his argument, and concludes «But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.» (I Cor 15:20). As he develops his argument, he anticipates a further question: «But some one will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?'» (I Cor 15:35), and introduces the illustration of a seed that is sown in the ground which, he points out, is not the plant that will grow from it. «But God gives it a body as He has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.» (I Cor 15:38).

His ultimate conclusion? «So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.» (I Cor 15:42-50). I shall be given a resurrection body that will be totally different from the mortal body I currently inhabit. Hallelujah! 

Could there not be more?! That's for next week, DV.

God's Grace

If I had just £1 for every time I have spoken a benediction, I would have quite a tidy sum in the bank! The precise wording does, of course, vary but the form that I use most regularly is found in Paul's second letter to the believers in Corinth: 

 « The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. »  (II Cor.13:14). To be honest, I usually use the somewhat extended form that I learned from Rev George B. Duncan: « The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is all-sufficient; the love of God the Father, that never fails; and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit Who never forsakes, be with you all. » There is almost a wee sermon in that benediction!

However, the words « The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ » appear no less than thirteen times in the pages of the New Testament. I would contend that, in the Scriptures, such repetition is not because of a lack of something to say, but because God the Holy Spirit wishes to specifically emphasise something! Could it be that, in this instance, He is wishing to place an emphasis on the grace of God?

Many will be familiar with the acrostic that makes up the word "grace" in the English language - God's Riches At Christ's Expense. By the way, it is also one of the words at which I look more fully in my first book - Great Words of the Faith - a link to which may be found at the top of the page. Please forgive me for emphasising that ALL royalties go directly to Release International, in support of the persecuted church in more than 50 countries worldwide. I do not receive a single penny! Grace has also been defined as receiving from Father God that which we do not deserve (Mercy, on the other hand, is not receiving from the Father what we do deserve!).

God extends His grace to the very creation itself, simply by keeping the universe together! Peter writes: « … by the word of God heavens existed long ago, and an earth formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. » (II Peter 3:5-7). If I were God, I would have wrapped up this world a long time ago - but I do not exercise His grace!

Sadly, there are those who abuse the very grace of God. Jude, in his brief letter, refers to them as « ... ungodly persons who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.» (Jude 4). They deny the very One Who has paid the penalty for all of the sin of which they are guilty; the One Who, for their (and our!) sake was « ... made ... to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.» (II Cor 5:21). It is little wonder that Paul refers to such people as «... detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed.» (Titus 1:16).

A final thought. At least three times we read that the Lord focuses His grace on us as individuals, an indication of His concern for us at a personal level, as well as of His intimate knowledge of our innermost thoughts! Writing to his 'son in the faith', Timothy, Paul noted that «... the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.» (I Tim 1:14; emphasis added)and, writing to his brothers and sisters in Jesus, who lived in Thessalonica, he prayed that «... the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.» (II Thess. 1:12; emphasis added). And, of course, we are assured that it is «... by grace you [singular] have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God » (Eph. 2:8; emphasis added). How grateful we ought to be for that grace of God that dies what we could never do!

Are you aware of the grace of God operating in your own life? Do you give thanks for that grace? May we constantly do so - giving Him the glory, and being reminded that all is of Him.

*** STOP PRESS! *** For those who live in or close to, Lanarkshire, Scotland, all three of my books are now available, in paperback format, in the GLO Bookshop in Motherwell. Pay them a visit; purchase one (or more!) of my books; and browse some of the other items on offer. Remember that all of the royalties from my own books go directly to Release International in support of the persecuted church.

The Captain of Our Salvation

"But we see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that He, for Whom and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering." (Hebrews 2:9-10)

Jesus, the Christ, is referred to in this passage as the "archegon" of our salvation. The Greek word actually means "captain" (or "prince" or "author") of our salvation. Now, not just anyone can be the captain! When, as a young man, I sailed on the ss Oriana, I was not invited up to the bridge to take on the responsibilities of the captain. The captain had to be, and has to be, someone who had the authority, the knowledge, and the experience, to command. If I had been immediately promoted from a lowly chef in the galley, to captain on the bridge, I fear that the ship would have experienced many difficulties.

In any team sport, the captain is not the latest recruit; the least fit member; or the one who never turns up for training sessions! The captain of a team must be experienced, physically fit, a good example to the rest of the team, and one on whom the team may depend.

So it is in life. I do not have the authority, the knowledge, and the experience, to run my own life. I am a sinner, prone to failure and defeat. I make mistakes, in my words, in my thoughts (the most frequent!), and even in my deeds. I am unable to run my life as I believe it should be run. I need someone to whom I can look up; someone who is a good example; someone on whom I may depend. I need a Captain!

The word translated 'captain' also implies one who is first in line; the beginning; the originator. So the Lord Jesus is discovered to be the first in line of an endless procession of the saints of all ages resurrected from the grave and marching to the ultimate realisation of their salvation. He is truly "the first-born among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). 

In his first letter to the early disciples of Jesus in Corinth, Paul spends some time on the topic of  resurrection.  It would appear that there were some in the Corinthian fellowship who were denying the resurrection of believers (15:12), so Paul reminds them of the basis of the Gospel message that he had proclaimed to them - "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures," (15:3-5; emphasis added). He then follows a hypothetical line: "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. ... ... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ... If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied." (15: 13-14, 17, 19).

Having followed the hypothesis, he then makes the glorious claim:  "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." (15:20; emphasis added). Hallelujah!

The word is used only three other times in the New Testament, each within a resurrection and glorification context. Peter, addressing the people of Israel, said that they had "... killed the Author of life, Whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." (Acts 3:15). 

Later, we read that Peter and the other apostles, testifying before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish leadership) stated that "The God of our fathers raised Jesus Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him at His right hand as Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." (Acts 5:30-31).

As a result of what our "Captain" has done, we should be "... looking to Jesus the Author and perfecter of our faith Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:2).

The only way we could ever share in His glory is for Him to suffer and die. "For He Who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brethren," (Heb. 2:11).

If your life is confused, and confusing; if you are unsure as to which direction you should take; if the future seems to be dark, and uncertain; perhaps you need a new Captain. You know the One Whom I would recommend!

In the Beginning - Pt.11

11 chapters; 11 posts! I didn't set out to produce this much, but what feedback there has been has been positive, so I trust that many others who read these weekly messages will have been helped by our thinking about these seminal chapters of the written Word of Almighty God, the Bible.

However, we are at the end - I have no wish to go through the various genealogies, important 'though they are in their own way - as we look at Gen.11:1-9: « Now the whole earth had one language and few words.  And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Ba'bel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. »

It was the Augustinian monk and founder of the Order, Augustine, who coined the phrase « Man proposes, but God disposes. » However, Solomon perhaps put it best in Prov. 19:21 : « Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of YHWH that will be established. » When we read this episode in the history of humanity, we realise just how true this is!

Notice the opening words - « ... one language and few words. ». As one who has lived in France for, now, seven years I would love that that situation could have continued! Of course, this unity of language of the whole human race followed from the unity of its descent from one human pair. 

In Gen.10:8, we discover that Cush, Noah's grandson, « … became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. ». We also discover, in 10:10, that he was a man of ambition, who established a kingdom, beginning with Babel, in the land of Shinar. This land was the setting for the record that we are now considering. By the way, Babel and Babylon are identical. The first is the transliteration of the Hebrew language word, the second is the Greek language equivalent.

Babel was the first centre of civilisation in the ancient, post-Flood, world. It was famed for its "ziggurats" - tall, wide-based, stepped towers; and its name even meant "gate of the gods". However, their gods were their own perceived cleverness and power - and how many counterparts they have today! In the Bible, Babel/Babylon is the type of society without God (see, e.g., Rev. 17-18). Here, the true God scorns the self-reliant pride of the inhabitants - their great power is actually so puny that He has to "come down" to see the city and its tower! Of course, Almighty God doesn't have to literally investigate what is happening in His universe. The language is used simply in order to make a point in anthropomorphic terms. I think, too, of the words of Psalm 2: 2-4 - worth looking up! 

This infamous project was, effectively, an arrogant « spitting in the face » of Almighty God. They wanted to « … make a name for themselves, ». Was this a follow-on from the first temptation of the satan, at which we looked earlier? They wanted it to be « a tower with its top in the heavens, » - to be   « like God »? It was certainly a revolutionary act! In Gen.9:1, Noah and his family were instructed to « Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. ». These people wanted to stay, together, in one place. However, the firm establishment of an ungodly unity, the wickedness and audacity of men would have led to fearful enterprises. A society without God at its centre falls apart into communication breakdown, and international disputes - and we are seeing evidence of that in our own time!

« A society without God at its centre falls apart. » and so does an individual! Augustine also said that « Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee » A modern equivalent is «There's a God-shaped hole in every heart that only God can fill. » Those words are usually attributed to the 17th century French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal. Sadly, he didn't use those precise words! However, they are catchy enough, and are not far from what he did write: « There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, and only God can fill it. »  If you are finding life to be heavy going; if you sometimes feel that you are coming apart at the seams; if you have reached the end of your tether; may I encourage you to turn to the One Who has, and is, the answer to even your situation? He may not remove the difficulty - but He will show you how to cope, and He will be right there with you!

In Matt.28:19-20 we have what is usually referred to as "The Great Commission" - the final words of the risen Lord Jesus to His disciples: « Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. » (emphasis added). Those emphasised words apply to every situation in which any of His disciples find themselves. No other friend can make that promise, with such absolute assurance. Let Him fill that vacuum, and discover that He truly did come that you « ...  may have life, and have it abundantly. » (Jn.10:10).

In the Beginning - Pt.10

So, Noah and his family, and all of the creatures involved, have left the ark. What is the first thing that you would have done? Start building a house, or at least erecting a tent - just in case it rained!!!! Perhaps you would have thought that gathering wood for a fire would be a priority. Maybe you would have encouraged the land animals to get as far away as possible - you wouldn't really want the larger ones to be wandering around too close to where you were! But what did Noah do? The record states it simply: "... Noah built an altar to YHWH, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." (Gen 8:20).

This is a new order that God has brought out of the chaos of the Flood. But it was more than just a new beginning; it was a new peace after hostility - the hostility that had grown between the holy Creator, and His disobedient and sinful creation. Noah's sacrificial offering was not merely a "Thank You" to Almighty God for His safe-keeping. It was an understanding that sin had been the cause of God's judgement, and that Noah and his family were still sinners. Noah knew that sin would remain as a barrier between God and humanity. So we are informed that "... when YHWH smelled the pleasing odour, YHWH said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." (Gen 8:21-22).

God accepted Noah's sacrifice with pleasure, not because of any virtue in Noah, or in the clean animals and birds, but because of the coming Peace-maker that they represented. Peter reminds us that we, who are in Christ Jesus "... were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake." (I Peter 1:18-20). God then declared peace in two ways:

1. by a covenant.

Part of that covenant is in His promise at the end of chapter 8. However, in chapter 9, we have more spelled out: "Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, « Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. » God said to Noah, « This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. »" (Gen 9:8-17).

YHWH guarantees that the world is under His protection. Note the repetition of the words "never again". Note how long the covenant is to last - "for all future generations". Note how wide is the scope of the covenant - "between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh;". Then as a reminder of that covenant, He gives us the rainbow - a picture, it has been suggested, of the laying aside of His war-bow.

But we must note, also,

2. His commands.

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, « Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man; of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply in it. »" (Gen 9:1-7).

YHWH restores mankind's mandate to look after the planet, but He recognises that it is no longer the "very good" world that He had created. It is now a sinful world of fear and bloodshed. In order to recreate order in a tangle of disordered relationships, He stresses the supremacy of human life, and the sanctity of all life. People may now use animals for food, but this is not to lead to inhumane, or murderous, violence. As I read the daily newspapers; as I watch the news programmes on television; I realise how far humanity has travelled from those simple commands. 

Of course, under the New Covenant in the Lord Jesus, each of us may enter into a relationship with our Creator that is personal - "God has no grand-children" to use the title of one of the books on my shelves. The salvation that is offered is offered to individuals, and each of us must make our own decision as to whether we accept it, or reject it. For those who accept it, it is greater by far than being saved from drowning, by entering a wooden ark. It is being saved from sin - its penalty, its power and, ultimately, its presence - and the assurance that when we fall (and we do!) "...  if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (I John 1:7-10).*

May all who read these words be among those who can say with Paul: "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing." (II Tim.4:8).

In the Beginning - Pt.9

"But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark." (Gen.8:1). Those opening words of chap.8 are wonderful. While disorder, and chaos, raged all around them, Almighty God "remembered" Noah, and all of the other inmates of the ark. That word "remembered" is important. When you, or I, "remember" it means that something that we have forgotten has suddenly come to the forefront of our minds. 

In this particular context, that would imply that Father God had "forgotten" Noah and the other occupants of the ark, and then suddenly thought "Oh! I've just remembered! Noah, his family, all those creatures. I should do something about them." However, the Hebrew word used has the additional sense of  "to mark (so as to be recognised)". So God had not "forgotten" Noah. He had, in fact, taken special; note of him, and the others. He kept them safe and healthy; He gave them resilience not to give up hope. He encouraged them with signs of new life beyond the disaster. The first of these was that "... God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth continually." (Gen 8:1-3). Then, we read, "... in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat." (v.4). Note, by the way, that in spite of several claims to have found the remains of the ark on the modern Mt Ararat, there is no definitive proof that the modern peak is the same one on which the ark rested. Indeed, the text does not even claim that it rested "on Mt Ararat", but "... upon the mountains of Ararat." - a different scenario! The two other Biblical references to "Ararat" support this - they are found in Isaiah 37:238, and Jeremiah 51:27 where Ararat is described as a "land" and a "kingdom" respectively.

The third encouraging sign that was given to Noah was when "... in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen." (v.5); and the next sign was when a dove that he had sent out for the second time "... came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth." (v.7). It was when he sent the dove out on a third occasion, that "... she did not return to him any more." (v.12).

So, Noah was now free to open the ark, and allow all of its passengers to disembark! Well, that is what many of us would have done. Having been confined in the ark for more than a year, we would be desperate to get back on to dry land. In my youth, I spent a couple of years in the British Merchant Navy. As I recall, the longest stretch at sea was about five days - and we were delighted to be able to be on "terra firma" once again! Noah was not like that! Even after that length of time, he waited - about eight more weeks - until God said: "Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.” So Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. And every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the earth, went forth by families out of the ark." (vs.16-19).

The circumstances, as seen from the window in the ark, looked encouraging. However, Noah knew that that was no guarantee that Almighty God wanted them to leave immediately - and so he waited for a clear direction. Obedience to Father God means doing the right thing, in the right way, and for the right motive. But it also means doing it at the right time! How often I have "run ahead" of my Heavenly Father - and I suspect that many of those reading this will have done the same!

This 8th chapter ends with a glorious promise, that Eternal God "... will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." (vs.21-22). A promise never again to curse and destroy that enables us to look forward, even in our own time, to renewed order out of the chaos in which we currently live; and a guarantee that, as long as the earth endures, the basic rhythms of His creation will continue.

Perhaps you, or someone you love, or know, have/has been going through a period of personal difficulty - even disaster! May I encourage you to look to Almighty God? If He could guide Noah and his family through the Flood, He can guide you, and me, through the worst that the enemy would throw at us. That doesn't mean that He will make the difficulties disappear - but He will "remember" us. 

There was a chorus that was popular in my younger day:

"God is still on the throne,
And He will remember His own;
Tho’ trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone;
God is still on the throne,
He never forsaketh His own;
His promise is true, He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne."

Of course, it is "His own" for whom He cares. Are you His? If not, why not? As I have often stated, the offer is there. You only have to accept. If I can be of any help in a more personal way,. please do not hesitate to contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the blog.

In the Beginning - Pt.8

The purpose of the flood was not simply to destroy sinful man - it was to destroy sinful man, but to destroy sinful man, and all of the land animals, and the birds, and the earth itself! (Gen.6:7, 13). Only a global flood would achieve that! 

The purpose of the Ark was not to save a few animals and birds, so that Noah could start a farm afterwards. (7:1-3). If the flood was local, the Ark was unnecessary. 

Consider, too, the volume of the Ark. Forget the pictures of the Ark in most (secular!) children's books. They are as different from the reality as day is from night. Check the dimensions! In modern terms it was 450' x 75' x 45' - giving a volumetric capacity of more than 1.5 million cubic feet! That is a lot of space!

How many animals and birds were on the Ark? Well, we must take careful note of the text. « Then YHWH said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth. » (vs.1-3). « ... every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, every bird according to its kind, every bird of every sort. » (v. 14).

Now, I neither wish to, nor am I properly qualified to, go into even a brief lecture on zoological terminology (and you may be relieved to know that!), but a "kind" is a very large grouping. It is a "genus", not a species. For example, there are many species and breeds of dog. But the "kind" or "genus", is "canine". That is why one breed of canine is able to mate with another breed (size permitting!); but felines (cats) will not breed with canines!

This is very important! It means that Noah did not need to take a breeding pair of Border Collies, and Yorkshire Terriers, and Dachshunds, and King Charles Spaniels, etc., etc. He simply needed to take a pair of canines - and from even just one pair, the genetic information would be available to produce, over time, different breeds. And, of course, he would not have taken mature adults. He didn't want grandparent elephants! What was required was a couple of teenagers who would have many tears of breeding once they were released from the ark! 

However, even if we deal with species - a much wider group, with many more creatures than if Noah only took "kinds", the picture is little different. I shan't bore you with individual figures, but even taking the figures that would have made the situation the most difficult for Noah, there would have been less than 50,000 creatures. Now, when we note that the average size of mammals, especially those that have not yet fully grown, is about the same as an average sheep, we find that all of those creatures could be housed in little more than 35% of the Ark's capacity. There can be no doubt whatsoever that the Ark was large enough to take all of the animals that Noah was required to take, as well as sufficient food for both them and the Noahic family.

But what about the building of the Ark? Well, in spite of what some modern reproductions show, it was not necessarily a ship-like construction. The Hebrew word (tebah) is derived from a word that means, simply, a box! In other words, building such a large vessels would not require great shipbuilding, or even carpentry, skills. If it was merely a very large box (and since it was required only to float (7:18), and did not have to be propelled or steered, that is all that was needed!), then there can be no doubt that Noah and his sons would be able for the task - and that is not even allowing for any divine intervention!

So, when all was prepared - and it didn't happen over a weekend! - « Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark, to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.  And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. … … … they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and YHWH shut him in. » (vs.7-10; 16). Now that is security! When the Creator, Himself is taking care of us, we need not fear. 

One final point. Does this not provide a picture of a God Who is cruel? Certainly not! It provides a picture of a God Who is righteous, and Who will punish sin. However, that does not mean that He watched the Flood, unmoved. The previous chapter drew attention to the pain and grief that Almighty God experiences at sin and its destructive effects. This chapter does not make any definitive statement about the deep sadness that He must feel at the death of those He had created, but His written Word reveals it elsewhere. « For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says Adonai YHWH; so turn, and live. » (Ezek.18:32; emphasis added). « The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. » (II Peter 3:9; emphasis added). Indeed, it was because of His love for you and for me that « … He (the Creator) gave His only Son (the Lord Jesus), that whoever believes in Him (the Lord Jesus) should not perish but have eternal life. » (John 3:16; emphasis added). In the days when the death penalty was available in the UK, we did not consider the judge who delivered such a verdict on a convicted murderer to be cruel. He was merely acting justly. Surely, then, we may agree with the implied answer to Abraham's question: « Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? » (Gen.18:25)

Have you made that choice? The offer is there - and it is free, because He has already paid the price.

In the Beginning - Pt.7

The record of Genesis 6:5-22 is possibly one of the best-known, and most controversial, passages to be found in the whole of the Tanakh (the "Old Testament"). It is, of course, with the following chapter, the record of the Flood.

Verse 5 gives us the verdict of the Creator on the humanity that He had created, but that had quickly fallen into disobedience, and had been banished from His near presence. « YHWH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. » As someone once put it, « The heart of man's problem is the problem of man's heart. » There was, however, one exception - the man named Noah who, we are told « … found favour in the eyes of YHWH. » (v.8).

What was YHWH to do? He could see that « … the earth was corrupt in [His] sight, and the earth was filled with violence. » (v.11 - and doesn't that sound just like the situation in which we live today?!). So, He shared His divine thoughts with that one « … righteous man … » ( v.9), Noah. « And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch." » (vs.13-14). The means of that destruction was, we later discover, a flood that covered the whole earth, so that the tops of the highest mountains were under 15 cubits (about 22'6", or just under 7 metres) of water! It was an historical, global, catastrophe. 

Now, of course, there are those who would try to show that this was just a "local flood". I have seen "local floods", and none covered the tops of mountains - or even small hills! Certainly, other Biblical writers have no doubt as to its extent!  Peter, for example, writes of « … the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished." (II Peter 3:6). The issue has been the subject of many academic books and other studies, and is certainly much too big to deal with here, but I will simply state that the evidence for a worldwide flood is more than a little solid, and we shall look at this a little more closely next time, DV.

What, then, are the basic lessons that we may learn from this part of the record of the flood? It shows the reaction of Almighty God to the human sinfulness that had become so prevalent. It shows, first of all, 

1. God's grief

Notice the sharpness of the language in vs.5-7, and 11-13. We know how much sin hurts, and sickens, us - but how much more must it pain our Creator? It's little wonder that He decided to wipe out humanity! Indeed, the amazing thing is that He has not done so again - totally and permanently. Of course, that is partly because He keeps His promises (spoiler: 8:21-22). However, this Flood record also shows

2. God's grace.

In His love, Almighty God rescued the one family that honoured Him and, through them, gave humanity a fresh start. Notice how orderly righteousness is. Sin destroys, but the description of Noah: « Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. … … he did all that God commanded him. » (vs 9,22) provides a model of health and growth. 

God's rescue act - prepared, remember, since before the beginning of time! - is planned to perfection. It is practical and precise in every detail. And it is an advance model of a still greater rescue act, from which each of us may benefit.

Peter writes: « For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him. » (I Peter 3:18-22).

The death, and resurrection, of the Lord Jesus were just as perfectly planned and executed - and, you may recall, they too were no "afterthought"! In Gen.3:15 we read these words, spoken by YHWH to the serpent: « I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. » At Calvary, the Lord Jesus bruised the head of the satan, even although « He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. » (Is.53:5).

Praise God for His love, and grace, and mercy - and for the wonderful salvation that is the lot of all who trust, wholly, and solely, in the Son. May that be your personal experience. It will be for your good, and to His glory.

In the Beginning - Pt.6

A play; a horror movie; and as we move forward, it's almost as if we are reading some modern newspaper headlines! Typing this as the war in Ukraine continues, it is not unreasonable to say that now, as then, we stand on the brink of plunging ourselves into total chaos.

As we read Genesis 4, we are introduced to the first family, as Adam and Eve produce two sons. However, these two children, as they grew to adulthood, were very different. Cain, the elder, became a farmer while his younger brother, Abel, became a shepherd. The record reads: "In the course of time Cain brought to YHWH an offering of the fruit of the ground,and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And YHWH had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." (vs 3-4). Now we are not told, specifically, why YHWH rejected Cain's offering, but the general consensus is that it was because it was not a "blood sacrifice" (he could, after all, asked his brother to give, or trade, him for a lamb and, doubtless, his parents had told him about the sacrifice that was made in order to provide them with suitable clothing). 

However, as we read on, there is the suggestion that Cain was not rejected because of his offering, but that his offering was rejected because of himself! "YHWH said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.'” (vs.6-7). This is confirmed by John in his first letter: "... be not like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous." (I John 3:12).  The inspired writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus states that it was "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts;" (11:4). 

We see more of Cain's heart as we move on to the following verses. He both murdered his brother, and lied to God, doing so in blatant resistance to the clear warning that YHWH gave him (vs.6-7 above).

Passing over the genealogy of chapter 5, we find that Genesis 6 shows a general decline. The first four verses are, to say the least, cryptic! However, what may be safely said is that a new depth has been reached in the progress of evil. One possible interpretation of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" (v.2), is that the 'godly' line of the descendants of Seth, mixed with the 'ungodly' line of the descendants of Cain. Whatever the truth, there is a deterioration in human relationships. There is also the reference to the Nephilim - or "mighty men" (v.4). This may have been the opinion of other people, but God sees them as fallen people - and it is His verdict that stands!

These two 'scenes' may remind us of the abuses that are so obvious in the 21st century world around us. Earlier, I was reading about the demonstrations, in the USA, regarding the possible overturning of the "Roe v Wade" verdict regarding abortion. The report also had many photographs. One interesting placard, amongst many interesting placards read - "Abortion access saves lives"! How does one define "life"? Surely it is defined by spontaneous growth. I have never seen a car behave like that, nor a house, nor an aeroplane, etc., etc. However, from the precise moment of conception there is growth. From that instant, the DNA of the potential human being is fixed. That embryonic clump of cells is a living being. Within a very short time, it is a sentient being. Abortion ends that life - at whatever stage it takes place. If more people would take the time to check out the stages of a pregnancy they would discover, among other things, that by the time the mother has decided to take a pregnancy test, the heart is already beating. "Abortion access saves lives"!? Not the baby's! Abortion is more accurately spelled "murder"!

Of course, even in modern "democratic" nations, the majority is not always right - and I actually doubt that the majority are pro-abortion, even if they are the more vociferous! 

Those opening verses of Genesis 6 are not very encouraging - but God is still on the throne, and we will discover, next time, something about what He does next!

In the Beginning - Pt.5

For the past few posts, I have suggested that we could imagine ourselves in a theatre, watching a play. Perhaps for some, that suggestion was even useful! However, this is no longer a play - it has turned into a horror film!

We are still in the third chapter of Genesis, but we now move into the second half of that chapter, (Remember, of course, that no part of the Bible was originally written in chapters and verses! These are a relatively recent 'invention' designed to make it easier to find a particular verse, or passage!).

The final action of the Creator, in this situation, is justice - but justice blended with mercy. I'm reminded of some words, written by Graham Kendrick for the "Make Way for the Cross" Easter March, 'way back in 1989: « We worship at your feet where wrath and mercy meet, and a guilty world is washed by love's pure stream » (Come and See). In Genesis 3:22-24 we read: "Then YHWH Elohim said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever' - therefore YHWH Elohim sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." 

Our first parents had violated the one commandment that they had been given, by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so they could not complain about being deprived of the tree of life. But that very expulsion was as much a protection as a punishment. Almighty God saves us from living in a state of constant rebellion against Him and total banishment from Him. You see, He has in His eternal mind a way of restoring the damage we have done. I was reading, a few days ago, this comment in The Life Application Bible, on Isaiah 27:12: "God's purpose in judging the earth is not vengeance, but purging. He wants to correct us, and bring us back to Him. God does not punish us for our sin, just to make us suffer, but to make the faithful better equipped for fruitful service."

If we look carefully we can see, clearly, this blend of what we deserve, and of hope based on love, in the forward look to life outwith Eden. "The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And YHWH Elohim made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them." (3:20-21). There is a future, and Father God even provides garments that would protect them from physical harm caused by the thorns and thistles already predicted. (v.18).

In what theologians refer to as the "protoevangelium" (the first gospel message), YHWH curses the serpent/devil, and prophecies: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." (v.15). The uppercase letters should be sufficient explanation! But both woman and man are also sentenced. The woman is told that childbearing will be painful (but note the implicit promise of children!), and that she will want to please her husband, and that he will have a position of seniority in the relationship. Check back to Pt.3! Already sin has made a difference even in the relationship between husband and wife! Of course, both are still equal - but the man now has his position confirmed - and it is actually one of responsibility!

And, it is because of man that the ground, itself, is cursed. Working it will not be the pleasure it was at the beginning - not that there are not those who enjoy working in the fields, but that they now have to work much harder; greater effort will be needed to provide what the ground can produce; and man will return to the ground when physical death overtakes him, as will all of humanity.

So mankind is banished from the earthly paradise into which it was placed, and the way barred to ensure that they do not re-enter. (vs.22-24; above). Thankfully, that is only the end of an act - although there is still some horror stuff with which to deal!

God willing, we shall look at the next scene, next time.

For a wee touch of nostalgia, click on the link (or copy and paste!).

https://www.youtube.com/embed/gizXMaQ7Y5o