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

In the Beginning - Pt.4

Continuing the theatre analogy, this post brings the entrance of the villain of the play! Booo!

If there is an orchestra playing at this stage, they would surely be playing the well-known Frank Sinatra song: "I did it my way"! We find the script in Gen.3: 1-13, which I would encourage you to take time to read. The devil, in the form of a serpent, tempts us all into the one basic sin that we must all face - that of deciding for ourselves what is right, or wrong, instead of taking God's word for it! The one restriction placed on our first parents was, you may remember, "... of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." (Gen 2:17). 

That was a simple, straightforward, and easily understood instruction. However, the devil questions, and distorts, God's word: "He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" (Gen 3:1). Now, of course, that is not exactly what the Creator had commanded - but it is very close! The woman, who was being targeted, provided a more accurate quotation (vs 2-3 - but note the additional instruction that she included! cf. 2:17 if you need some help!), so then the devil flatly contradicts God's word: "... the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not die.'" (Gen 3:4). He spreads the lie that God's law is actually an unreasonable restriction, and that He won't punish those who break that law: "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:4-5).

The woman chooses to believe the devil, and the man follows suit: "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate." (Gen 3:6). What follows is a series of fractures as they come to terms with their own self-image: "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." (Gen 3:7). Worse than that there was a fracture in their relationship with God: "... they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But YHWH Elohim called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." (Gen 3:8-10). When further questioned by God, there was also a breakdown in their own newly-formed relationship: YHWH asked "... 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?' The man said, 'The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.'" (Gen 3:11-12). Oh, how easy it is to blame others - even God Himself! - for our own failures! And the woman did the same: "Then the YHWH Elohim said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.'" (Gen.3:13).

Can we be totally honest withourselves? Have there been times, even recently, when we have given into temptation? Times when we have believed the devil's lies? Have we then tried to pass the blame on to someone else? I suspect that each one of us must admit to this having been our frequent experience. Certainly, the apostle John makes it clear that none of us can, honestly, claim that it is never our experience! "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 1:8-10; emphasis added). And, like our first parents, we try to put the blame on someone else! However, instead of doing that, we should allow God to emphasise, in our own consciences, that it is our fault! We may then confess it, and seek His forgiveness - a forgiveness that was won for us at Calvary.

Until next time.