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).

Digging for treasure.

When my grandson was much younger, and we happened to be at the beach, he loved to collect odd-shaped stones; pieces of wood; and other bits and pieces. They were, he would inform me, "treasure". Well, at about three years of age, that was understandable. However, if we want real treasure, with a real financial value, we usually have to dig for it. As the old proverb puts it: "There's no gain without pain."!

The same is true if we want to gain from the written Word of God. Profitable Bible reading, and study, involves more than just randomly opening a chapter and reading what's there. Many years ago, I was given these seven guidelines to help us make the most of our reading, and study, of the Bible:

1. Set aside a regular time. If you fail to schedule it, you'll neglect it. If, for whatever reason, you are obliged to miss that time, then be sure to read at some other point in the same day!

2. Before you commence reading, prayerfully ask Father God to guide you in your reading, through God the Holy Spirit.

3. Think carefully about what it is you are reading. Not all of the Bible's treasures are lying, like those beach pebbles, on the surface. To get at gold, and diamonds, we have to dig!

4. Try to understand what the human author was saying to his contemporary readers, before deciding how to apply the words to your own situation. (This is where a good commentary may be particularly useful!).

5. Write down at least one truth, or principle, that you can out into practice. You may do this in a separate notebook, or in the margin of your Bible (especially if you have a "wide-margin" Bible).

6. Use different translations of the Bible. If you find that you are just 'skimming' over a well-known passage, read it in a different version. This may help to focus your mind on the passage in a new way.

7. Don't get discouraged! Some parts of the Bible are more immediately interesting than others - e.g. the history and narrative sections are more easily read than the genealogies, and the sacrificial laws. Some parts you may not immediately understand. However, there is enough that you will be able to understand - and it will revolutionise your life as you apply it.

Just one final thought of my own! During my time as a Chaplain to the former Strathclyde Police Force, I picked up a lot about police procedures! In any police investigation, the evidence is seldom going to be sitting there, screaming to be picked up! Officers expect to have to dig, and delve; to ask questions; to sift through evidence - and on more than one occasion! Those are good principles to add to the above!

In my own personal devotions, I am currently reading in the Book of Proverbs. May I suggest that you read Proverbs 2:1-9, keeping the above principles in mind? Then, to morrow, start at the beginning of Mark's account of the Gospel. You will begin to discover the treasures of the Bible!

Love: theory, or reality?!

A scholarly bachelor wrote a treatise on the subject: "What is love?" His research was extensive. Numerous books were reviewed, and many months were spent in the organisation and development of the material gathered. When his work was ready for submission to a publisher, arrangements were made with a public stenographer (these were the days before everyone had their own computer with a Word Processing programme!) to type the manuscript. 

Walking into her office for the first time, something unusual, and totally unexpected, happened! Eyes met! Pulses quickened! A strange feeling swept over both of them. It was love at first sight! The subject of the writer's paper was no longer a mere theory to him. It became a reality as he personally discovered its satisfying rewards. By this exciting contact he learned, and understood, more about his topic in a few seconds than he had gleaned through all of his, sometimes tedious, studies.

To be really appreciated, this marvellous thing called 'love' must be experienced, and comprehended, at a deeply personal level. Such a wonderful experience can be activated only by a mutual response.

This is also true in our relationship with the Lord Jesus, "... Who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds." (Tit.2:14), and Who loves us with an everlasting love. Yet, until we react to His demonstration of His tender affection manifested in His gift of Himself in His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, our hearts can never throb with with the thrill of of that Divine concern. Without acceptance of Jesus as Saviour, and submission to Him as King, we will never know what that delightful fellowship is all about.

Have you received the Saviour? If so, then for you the joyous satisfaction of His love, revealed in the written Word of God, the Bible, isn't just a theory - it's a reality! If not - then what are you waiting for? "God loved the world - and that includes you! -  so much, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever places their trust in Him, and yields to His authority in their life, should not perish but have, here and now, His own life (eternal life) in them"! (John 3:16; my paraphrase). "We love Him," writes John, "becaue He first loved us." (I Jn.4:19). 

If you think that I may be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me at the e-mail address above. I don't check that one as regularly as I do my premier address, but I shall respond as soon as I do - and provide that premier address. Alternatively, if you came to this post via Facebook, I am happy to receive a pm.

You're never too old!

As we travelled south, this afternoon, my wife's 'phone rang. It was a friend, passing on some exciting news. Another friend - of even longer standing - had proposed to her; she had accepted; and they are now formally engaged to be married. We were both so excited for them, and were delighted to send our congratulations.

So what was unusual about this situation? Simply that each of them is soon, D.V., to be 84 years of age! Each of them is widowed, but they knew one another many decades ago, met again, and have been constant companions for some time now. We are now looking forward to the wedding - which we suspect will be sooner rather than later. We certainly trust that they will be spared to one another for many years. However, their story proves that it is never too late to fall in love - or to be married!

As we continued our journey, I found myself thinking of another relationship for which we are never too old - a vital relationship with our Creator, through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus, on the cross. It's a relationship that is sometimes analogised (is that a new word that I have coined?!) by marriage - but it is far, far better. And you are never too old! A thief on a cross discovered this, almost 2,000 years ago. We don't know his exact age - but we do know that he knew that he had only hours to live. Yet the Lord Jesus was able to assure him that he would be in paradise with the Saviour. (Luke 23:43).

First of all, it is better because it is a relationship with Almighty God - the sinless and holy One Who inhabits eternity; Who is omnipotent (all-powerful), and omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (present everywhere, simultaneously). He is infinite love, goodness, justice, wisdom, creative power, inexhaustible riches of excellence; unity, self existence, grace, and providence. His ways are above and beyond our ways, and His thoughts are above and beyond our thoughts. He is, indeed, beyond our human comprehension. However, He has graciously revealed Himself to us in the Persona (not a typo - see my book "Great Words ...", and the chapter on the Trinity. Details above) of the Son, even Jesus, the Christ. What a relationship it is. How amazing that He would even consider entering into it with sinful, mortal humans such as you and me!

Secondly, it is eternal. Our friends may have a number of years of happiness together. However, eventually, if the rapture of the saints of God is delayed, each of them will die and, like their former spouses, be buried. The relationship between the Triune God and those who are adopted into His family, never ends. They spend eternity in His glorious presence, in a sinless existence that our mortal minds are incapable of comprehending.

It is always a joy when a couple, whatever their ages, enter into a relationship such as that of our two (not-so-)young friends. However, it is an even greater joy when someone enters into a genuine relationship with Father God; through the Jesus the Son; empowered by God the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the very angels in heaven rejoice (see Luke 15:10). Have you yet entered into that relationship? It is a sad fact of life that human relationships change, and even disintegrate. A genuine relationship with Jesus never does - He has promised, and He always keeps His promises!

Love is in the air!

It was a Facebook post put up by one of my former pupils.  The message was simple.  On a background of a rather vicious-looking cat, were the words: "If you're sad about being alone on Valentine's Day, just remember ... ... no-one loves you on the other days of the year, either"!

I "Liked" it - and then thought about it!  The songwriter assured us that it is love that makes the world go round.  There are more songs, and poems, written with love as their subject than on any other topic.  It's the theme of countless books and films.  It's the glue that holds society together.

How sad it would be, therefore, not to be loved at all - throughout the year!   Thankfully, that post has it completely wrong.  Every single one of us is loved, throughout our whole life.  I'm not, of course, referring to the Mills & Boon kind of soppy, sentimental 'love'.  I'm not even referring to the love of family and friends.  I'm referring to the love that is better described by the Greek word "agape".  It is nothing more, or less, than the love of Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is.   That love is directed towards each and every one of us.

It's a sacrificial love.  In what may well be the best-known quotation from the Bible, John records that "God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16).  The sinless, incarnate God, allowed Himself to be hung on a Roman cross, in order that He might pay the just penalty for your sins, and for mine!  That is sacrifice; that is love.

It's an unconditional love.  "... God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." writes Paul to the believers in Rome. (Rom 5:8).  God didn't set out conditions that we must meet in order to be loved by Him.  He simply loved, and loves, us - as we are!

It's an eternal love.  Eternity is greatly misunderstood by so many.  That's why I devote a full chapter to the concept in my book "Great Words of the Faith" (please see above!).  It is often viewed as 'endless time' when, in fact, it is timelessness!  The love of God is not constrained by time.  It is above and beyond time.

There are many other aspects of the Love of God that we could consider - but this is a blog post, not a sermon!  Just one question to ask - Do you know that love of God at a personal level?  Is it real to you, because you have responded to it with the love of your own heart?   If not, then why don't you do something about it now!  His love is so great that He will meet you more than half-way.

Don't be unloved - when the greatest love of all is reaching out to you!

Death - the real 'final frontier'!

I was a bit of a fan of the original Star Trek series - with Jim, and Mr. Spock; Dr. McCoy and Scottie; Lts. Sulu and Uhura - as the Starship Enterprise travelled to where no man had gone before; crossing the 'final frontier' of space.

I thought of that today as I attended the funeral service for a lady whom I had known for only a short time, but for whom I had developed a genuine affection.  Margaret was a member of Calderhead-Erskine Parish Church, where I was privileged to minister for some six months leading up to the induction of a new minister.  She was a musician, who occasionally assisted at the worship services - and played regularly elsewhere; but my memory of her will be of a pleasant, friendly, person who always looked to be very happy.

Margaret's death was sudden, and totally unexpected.  But that's often the way with death, is it not?  In Margaret's case it was a late diagnosis of cancer that gave her but a week to live.  In other cases, it might be a fatal road traffic accident; or a stabbing; or a heart attack.  And that's why we should all make our preparation while we may. 

As my friend Rev.Iain Murdoch, who conducted the services both in the church building, and at the local crematorium, pointed out, what was in the coffin was not the Margaret who had been a faithful wife for 42 years, and a loving mother for some 40 of them.  It was only a shell - the mortal vehicle that she had used during her earthly sojourn.

The real Margaret has crossed the real final frontier - not of space and time, but into a dimension that is above and beyond both.  It's a frontier that each of us is required to cross - at least until the Biblical Rapture, and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus!  But that's where there is a real difference.  Because we are not going where no man has gone before.  He has already made that journey!   And He has promised that, for all who have placed their trust, not in their own efforts, but in His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, He has prepared a place! (John 14:2-3).  More than that, He has promised that He will, indeed, come again for His own.  He has conquered that final frontier, and it no longer holds any fear for those who belong to Him.

About 1,000 years before the birth, as a human child, of God the Son, David, the psalmist- king of Israel had penned these words: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." (Ps 23:4; RSV).  That is still true for all who are His disciples - if we walk with Him in this life, we will dwell with Him in the next.