Episode 261 - "Abram obeys the LORD" - Genesis 12:4-9

Gen. 12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

The first three verses of chapter twelve give us the LORD’s call to Abram to leave his home and extended family and go to a place the LORD would show him. This command of the LORD reveals how the LORD would bless him by making him a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. As you may remember, Abram and his wife Sarai were unable to have any children. So, from a human perspective, this has the appearance of a shallow and impossible promise.

But as we pick up the story in verse four, “Abram went, as the LORD had told him” (Gen. 12:4). Abram was like Noah in this regard. The LORD spoke to them, and they obeyed his word, even though the LORD’s message to each of them seemed crazy or, at least, contrary to human reason.

We are told that Abram took Lot, his nephew, with him and his wife Sarai. Lot’s dad had died, and Noah’s dad, Terah, had taken responsibility for him. Then, Terah died, and Lot became the responsibility of his uncle Abram. The reader is set up to wonder if perhaps Lot will become the child to Abram through whom this “great nation” will come since Sarai was barren. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran, and Sarai was not much younger. As the life expectancy decreased, the child-bearing years decreased as well and Abram and Sarai were getting beyond that point.

It is at the end of verse five when we learn the direction that the LORD is taking Abram and his family. They had been from (modern day) southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf to Haran in the northwest, up into Syria near or just across the border with Turkey and down into “the land of Canann.” That’s where Terah was originally headed when he left Ur in the south and then settled in Haran in northwest modern day Iraq. Scholars discuss and debate when Abram first received this call from the LORD. Was he still in Ur, and his father was on board? If the chronology of these events has been reordered, it’s probably not that important. What is most important is the LORD’s revelation specifically to Abram and that Abram responded in obedience to the LORD. I would suggest that if we learn nothing else from Abram, we must learn to respond positively to the LORD’s commands regardless of whether it seems a bit crazy or not.

What follows is that Abram came into the land of Canaan. Remember that it was Canaan, the son of Ham, who Noah cursed because of Ham’s sin. In fact, Noah would say that Canaan’s descendants would serve Shem’s descendants. Verse six states that the Canaanites were in the land, and the LORD says in verse seven that he is going to give that same land to Abram’s offspring. (v. 7) What offspring? Is the LORD being cruel? As if to strongly affirm this promise, the LORD didn’t just speak to Abram; he appeared to him. Abram responded by building an altar to the LORD in that place. Instead of complaining or doubting, he worshipped the LORD right there. He understood that it was a holy and sacred event. I think this is a beautiful thing we see here. How often do we sense that God has done something special for us? Do we make an intentional effort to identify it and worship in response? What a wonderful lesson for us!

I find it interesting that Abram didn’t remain there. I take this as the LORD had more to show him. Abram moved on and stopped in between two towns near each other, Bethel (means House of El - El was the name by which God was known from Adam down to Abram) and Ai. Abram built another altar and called upon the name of the LORD. What this is saying is that Abram is proclaiming the identity and greatness of the LORD in the land of Canaan. He is essentially beginning to fulfill the LORD’s promise that he will be a blessing to the families of the earth. Abram is worshipping by testifying to the LORD to people who need to know about him.

What a great lesson we can learn from this by first, obeying the LORD’s commands, secondly, responding to the LORD’s work in our life by commemorating it and acknowledging God’s work in thankfulness, and finally, by testifying to others the greatness of the LORD.

May we learn and follow in Abram’s example.

Episode 260 - The Call of Abram - Genesis 12:1-3

Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The recent genealogy we’ve covered has led us to Abram, and now the focus is solely on him. This is evidenced by God speaking to Abram and giving him specific instructions. We know that his father, Terah, was originally going toward Canaan but settled in Haran. Then, Terah died. The LORD’s command to Abram begins with the instruction that he is not to stay in Haran. The LORD’s promise to “make you a great nation” must have been hard for Abram since his wife Sarai was barren. How could he be the father of a great nation with no children?

The LORD continued to make some strong claims. Abram needed to decide whether he would risk the security of his family and his land for a promise of something much better. All Abram had to do was leave his extended family and go. The LORD promised:

1. To show Abram where to go

2. To make him a great nation

3. To bless him and make his name great SO THAT you will be a blessing.

4. The LORD will bless others who bless Abram

5. The LORD will curse those who dishonor Abram

6. In Abram, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

How many people throughout time have emigrated with nothing but a vain hope that something will be better when they arrive at their intended destination? It’s the classic “the grass is always greener on the other side” philosophy. Sometimes it works out for people. But often, it’s a bust.

The text has a message for us supported by the greater context in which it’s set. The message is, “But this is different. This is not vain hope. This is the word of the LORD. He is faithful to fulfill his promises.” This story is among my favorites in all of Scripture: it helps us understand the nature of faith. Faith is not based upon wishful thinking. Faith is based upon following what the LORD reveals.

We understand that this promise in Genesis 12:1-3 is to Abram, and we cannot read ourselves into the story and claim that the LORD will make me a great nation. However, I think we can observe what this reveals about the LORD’s desire for those who will obey him. At the very least, we can trust that if we follow the LORD by trusting Jesus, the LORD will bless us. That does not mean he will give us endless wealth. It means he will give us everything we need so that we can emulate his grace by being a blessing to others.

One final note on verse 3, which says, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Really? Is that true? I think the answer to that is found in John 3:16. It is a descendant of Abram, Jesus, who is the Son that God gave to the world so that they could have eternal life. God provides that blessing to the world. It just needs to be received.

Episode 259 - The Descendants of Shem - Genesis 11:10-32

Our last episode was the story of the dispersion of the nations, commonly called the Tower of Babel. God confused the languages of the rebellious population so that they would spread out and “fill the earth” as he had commanded them. We now return to walk through the rest of chapter eleven, which is another genealogical record. I’m going to read it this time. While genealogical records may not give us outright profound theological truths, I do believe there are things we can observe and learn that help us appreciate the greater narrative that is unfolding and our ongoing expectation of the “seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent.

Gen. 11:10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah’s Descendants

Gen. 11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Gen. 11:31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

What we have here is a genealogy from Shem. Who was Shem? He was one of Noah’s three sons and the one who Noah specifically blessed for honoring Noah and covering Noah’s nakedness. If you recall, Ham saw his father’s nakedness and told his brothers. Noah pronounced a curse upon his descendants through Canaan. If we get nothing else out of this, we should at least think to ourselves, “Ah! Yes! It makes sense that the promised “seed” would come through the son who does the right thing.” We should expect it to be a descendant of Shem. The narrative is leading us in this direction.

An interesting fact about this genealogical record is that it matches the form of the genealogical record between Seth and Noah. As you may recall, Abel brought an acceptable sacrifice to the LORD, but his brother Cain’s sacrifice was rejected. Instead of making it right, Cain murdered his brother Abel. God gave Adam and Eve Seth to be the righteous line through whom the promised seed would come. In each record, there are ten generations listed, with the tenth generation listing three sons. Beginning with Seth, the tenth generation listed is Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Here, in chapter eleven, the record starts with Shem and ends with Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Scholars like to debate whether these genealogical records are historically accurate or if some generations were left out to get this match. I think it’s best to take these at face value. Whether both these records are precise in detail or descendants selectively chosen or excluded to arrive at this parallel form, the vital point that is being communicated is that God is sovereignly working to effect his plan. This is an important truth for us today. Some people might give ascent to the idea of a god or gods. But often, they are deists. The god or gods they believe may be out there certainly don’t care about the events that unfold from day to day. They are simply the force or cause that brought about life. That view and the God of the Bible are incompatible. The God of the Bible, as we are witnessing throughout this book, cares deeply about people and people following his words and will. God is active throughout the Bible and is active today.

Another observation from this record is the ever-decreasing lifespan of each generation. This reveals that God’s prophetic promise in Genesis 6:3 that mankind will only live 120 years is coming true. That was neither a promise that everyone would live as long as 120 years or that some could not live longer. It was a declaration of a new standard at a time when people had been living for hundreds of years. This record helps us see that God’s word is coming to fulfillment with each generation.

In verses 26-27, Terah is the ninth generation from Shem, and he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. We are quickly informed that Haran was the father of Lot. Then, we are told that Haran died “in the presence of his father Terah” in his homeland. This indicates that Haran was relatively young. It should also make the reader wonder, “What happened to Lot?”

Before we find that out, we’re told that Abram took a wife named Sarai, and Nahor took a wife named Milcah. Milcah, the author continues, was Haran's daughter. Wait a minute! Isn’t that Lot’s dad? Nahor married his niece? Yep. Therefore, Lot has two sisters, Milcah and Iscah. But Sarai was barren. This last detail is another crisis. The reader who’s not read or heard this story might write off Abram and Sarai as descendants through whom the promised seed would come in light of this fact.

In verse 31, Terah took Abram, Sarai, and Lot from present-day southern Iraq toward present-day Israel. There are reasons why some argue that Terah took the rest of the family as well. But, as we’ll soon see, the narrative shifts to these three individuals. Why Terah leads them in this direction is not revealed. We only know that he planned to go to the land of Canaan. That should build some suspense for the reader since descendants of Shem were moving toward the land of Canaan’s descendants, where there would surely be conflict. For another unknown reason, they stopped in Haran and settled there, where Terah would later die.

The primary function of this section is to carry the story from Noah and his son Shem down to Abram, Sarai, and Lot. As mentioned earlier, this story lends itself to our seeing that God is active and purposely carries out what he says he will do. I hope you find this truth as encouraging and hope-giving as I do.

Episode 258 - The Dispersion of Nations - Genesis 11:1-9

Gen. 11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 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. 4 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 dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 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. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Here we are at another familiar story from the Old Testament: the Tower of Babel. The funny thing about Bible stories is that it’s not uncommon for people to give the stories a title that really misrepresents what the story is about. This story is really not about a tower.

So what is it about? Well, remember that at the beginning of time and after the flood, God commanded people to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. In short, have babies and spread out. This command helps set the context for what happens in this story. It’s also helpful to remember that we’ve already witnessed that humanity still has a sin problem.

The story begins with Noah’s descendants still sharing a common language, and they migrate to a place where there are natural resources on which to survive. The name Shinar means “between two rivers.” These are likely the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and would mean they settled in the area that is part of modern-day Iraq. Certainly, the rivers would have supported whatever agriculture they were doing and even hunting since animals would have also needed water. But we read that they recognize they have the resources to make bricks and build structures. (v.3)

In verse 4, we learn about the intentions and collective spirit of the people. “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 dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” They have lofty dreams of building a city with a magnificent tower. As a child I was taught that they believed they could reach God by building a tower “with its top in the heavens.” I don’t think that’s the point because first of all, they don’t say that’s their purpose and secondly, they express their purpose immediately afterward, “let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (v4b) What’s wrong with this?

Let’s begin with the expression, “let us make a name for ourselves.” From the opening verses of Genesis names have been important, haven’t they? When God created things, he named them. He gave them their identity. Then, when he created humanity in his image, he gave Adam the responsibility of naming the animals. Adam also named Eve. It seems to me this expression, “let us make a name for ourselves,” reveals a sense of pride that is indirectly saying, “We don’t need God.”

The second part, “lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth,” is a bit more obvious. God had made it clear that he wanted the people to fill the earth. But what appears to be the entire population of the earth seems to join together in saying, “No! We’re not going to do that.” The conflict of this story is not the tower. The conflict is the hubris of the people to defy God collectively.

I love verse 5. “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.” I’m not sure. But I suspect we’re supposed to laugh because the LORD had to come down to see it. They think they’re building something grand. But it’s like God needs a magnifying glass to see it. Then, he qualifies this project as something built by “children of man.” Is there a hint of “Isn’t that cute” embodied in that statement? Perhaps I’m reading too much into that. But if it’s not somewhat sarcastically humorous, it should probably cause a bit of tension in the reader. In this case, we should feel like we’re among the conspirators when someone says, “Uh oh. Here comes the LORD.”

Verse 6 gives us the LORD’s quick and precise assessment of their actions and the implications of it. The bottom line is that if he let this defiance go unchecked, nothing would stop them from that mindset of doing what they wanted to do and not following the LORD.

Verses 7 and following give us the LORD’s solution to stop their current act of defiance and, in turn, lead them to obey the LORD’s command to fill the earth. He confused their language so they could not communicate and cooperate to collectively continue their disobedience.

This story does serve to provide details about how the people listed in the table of nations from the last chapter got to where they are and how they came to develop different languages. However, we should not miss the theological principle that mankind may defy the LORD, but even with a concerted and collective effort, we cannot thwart God’s ultimate plans. He will accomplish it.

Episode 257 - Table of Nations - Genesis 10

Gen. 10:1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

Gen. 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

Gen. 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

Gen. 10:15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Gen. 10:21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Gen. 10:32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

I believe this is the first time in the five year history of this blog and podcast that I’ve covered an entire chapter in the Bible. I think it’s also the first time I’ve elected not to provide an audio recording of my reading the section of Scripture. My choice is based largely my desire to draw your attention to the purpose of why this “Table of Nations” or this genealogy is included in this story. That purpose is largely informed by the context and not so much by the text itself. With that said, let’s begin. I would highly encourage those listening to this to read Genesis 10 for themselves.

First of all, this text clearly gives us a genealogical record of Noah’s sons. It is not an exhaustive list. In fact, it looks a bit strange. In this table are names of people, groups of people, and places associated to people. This tells us that the purpose of this record is not simply to give us a record of descendants of Noah but to give a list of people, groups, and geographical regions of people that are important to the audience of this record. Certain information is included, and much information is excluded due to what the author considers crucial for his audience.

Who is this audience? If Moses wrote this, as I accept he did, the original audience is the Israelites who came out of Egypt. Imagine what it must have been like for such a group of people. They knew nothing about the land of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, except what may have been passed down in a story. But the LORD was leading them there. They were to take possession of a land that had been taken over by many people who exemplified immorality, idolatry, and violence. The LORD instructed them to not adapt the ways of the people, but to drive them out. The LORD wanted the Israelites to understand Abraham's identity and faith, embody the same faith as Abraham, and be a “Kingdom of Priests” to the world, pointing them to their God. This genealogy helped them understand that the descendants of righteous Noah did not follow in Noah’s faith and righteousness.

Furthermore, it helped them understand that Ham’s offense against his father, bringing the curse upon Canaan and his descendants, led to the gross sins of the various groups now dwelling in the land where God was leading them. The effect of this understanding should have helped these Israelites stop and think, “We don’t want to bring a curse upon us. We don’t want to worship the gods of the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, and others. We must obey the LORD like Noah and Abraham, whom we will soon learn about.”

This genealogical record also shows that God’s command to be fruitful and multiply is being followed. Next week, we will read about how the increasing descendants from Noah’s sons were not completely obedient and the LORD would need to help them disperse across the earth.

This record helps advance the story from the flood to the LORD’s next step in fulfilling his promise of a coming seed. We find in the genealogy of Shem, who was blessed by his father for honoring his father by covering up his nakedness, that the LORD will choose a man named Abram (Abraham) to follow his instruction as Noah had.

This leaves us with the question, “Is there something in this record of Noah’s descendants that is helpful for us beyond advancement of the story?” I would suggest there are a few theological principles that come forth from this account in its context. It shows us that God is all-knowing. Ham made an unrighteous choice with respect to his father and it had consequences through his son Canaan. This is not all that different from Adam’s sin and what happens with Cain. I don’t think the LORD is at fault for what happens. I think he foresees the ripple effect of Ham’s sin, and the curse upon Canaan is in the understanding of the course that it will take through Ham’s descendants. We need to understand and value that God knows all things, and we need to take serious consideration about our thoughts and actions. They affect other people.

Another principle that arises out of this is God’s providence. God has a plan, and some of that will be accomplished through the rebellious actions of others. That doesn’t mean God causes them to be disobedient. People have already demonstrated they are quite capable on their own for their defiance against God’s ways. But God will not allow people to thwart his ultimate plan. We can trust that God will fulfill his promises.

Episode 256 - "Moving on from the ark" - Genesis 9:18-28

Gen. 9:18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.

Gen. 9:20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;

a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

Gen. 9:26 He also said,

“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem;

and let Canaan be his servant.

27 May God enlarge Japheth,

and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,

and let Canaan be his servant.”

Gen. 9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

As a side note to this week's blog and podcast, I’d like to offer the following commentary with regard to science and the Bible. There are people who hold that science is the only, or perhaps most, authoritative process and source of knowledge. Some of these people view the Bible and other documents viewed as sacred by people of other religions as a collection of fantastic stories that have little or no relevance to people today. The flood narrative is one story for which there is all sorts of criticism and debate, even among people who hold the Bible and the Hebrew Scriptures as sacred.

One problem with this approach and perspective of knowing is that it cannot be scientifically proven that the scientific process is the only or most authoritative means of gaining knowledge and understanding. Looking at the history of science and human reason, science has a terrible “batting average.” What I mean is that scientific efforts often produce errant conclusions. Over time, better methods of observation and new developments help improve the process, and we know more, and we know better. But we don’t know perfectly. Science is a good and valuable tool for us when used with humility and objectively.

The Bible is a document of documents. Within the Bible, there are many forms of literature. There is history, narrative (story - fictional and non-fictional), poetry, wisdom literature, and more. Each form of literature has certain rules that help us understand what is important to receive from that literature. The fundamental distinction between the Bible and books one might have on their bookshelf is that the literature within it is ultimately from a supernatural or divine source (God) that communicates a divine message and knowledge to humanity. To suggest that it has a supernatural aspect is beyond the scope of science to make an accurate judgment because it’s outside the scope of science. As with science, however, we must interpret and use the Scriptures with humility. The Bible has many things that have been proven to be historically accurate. Therefore, one should not readily dismiss things in the Bible that appear to us as incredible, and one should not readily accept as undeniable truth something asserted through science. The flood narrative and the related details are a good example of that.

My whole point in saying this is to encourage you not to get distracted by arguments about the flood, the age of the earth, and so forth. This story and the rest of the Bible tell us about God, humanity, and the trajectory of this grand story from Genesis through Revelation. So, how do we apply this to our text for this week?

First, it would appear that we all are descendants of Noah and his sons. If we take verses 18-19 at face value and understand the phrase “from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed,” it literally means the whole earth, and it’s not hyperbole from an ancient perspective. Does it mean we ignore the Bible if our understanding is limited or incorrect in some way? No. The reason is that this text affirms that Noah and his descendants were ultimately fulfilling the LORD’s commands to be fruitful and fill the earth AND that the LORD was faithful to make that possible.

The next section about Noah becoming drunk and naked reminds us of the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they “saw that they were naked” and sought to cover themselves. Sin should bring shame. I would suggest that Ham’s offense against his father is that he brought his father’s nakedness to the attention of his brothers. He wasn’t ashamed by it. Perhaps he was even mocking his father’s condition by looking at him and bringing it to his brothers’ attention. Shem and Japheth honored their father by covering his nakedness.

This story prepares the reader for what happens later with their descendants. Abram (Abraham) is a descendant of “righteous” Shem. He becomes the patriarch of the Israelites. And we’ll see the conflicts with his descendants and descendants of Ham. More generally, we should observe that the problem caused by Adam and Eve’s disobedience is still with Noah and his sons. God didn’t wipe out the sin problem with the flood. Therefore, at this point, we’re still looking for God’s solution to our sin problem.

So, how is this story relevant to us? For one, we could ask ourselves if our perspective about the attitudes and actions of others evokes a sense of shame within us. Do we entertain ourselves by it as did Ham or, as people who desire to follow the LORD’s ways, do we show grace and mercy to others that Shem and Japheth demonstrated to their father? Lessons like this are much more valuable and edifying than arguments over details about a global flood versus a local flood.

Episode 255 - God's covenant with all living things - Genesis 9:8-17

Gen. 9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that 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. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Many Bible scholars hold that the first covenant God made was with Adam. In Genesis 2:15-17 the LORD commanded the man to take care of the garden and enjoy it. However, the one prohibitive command to not eat from the one tree was the stipulation to continue receiving these blessings the LORD had provided. Disobedience would lead to certain death. The only problem with understanding this instruction as a covenant is that nowhere is it called a covenant. It has characteristics of a covenant. So, it may be a covenant. However, I cannot imagine why the LORD didn’t call it a covenant or why Moses didn’t explain that it was a covenant. Whether it is or isn’t, the covenant that God makes with Noah and all living creatures is the first time it’s recorded in the Bible that what God is promising is, in fact, a covenant.

A covenant is commonly defined in our language today as a solemn promise that may be conditional or unconditional. Some covenants offer promises to the recipients if they keep their part of the deal. That’s a conditional covenant. On other occasions, God makes an absolute covenant promise regardless of how the people respond. If God’s words to Adam in Genesis 2 constitute a covenant, then the covenant is conditioned upon Adam’s obedience to God’s command. What God promises Noah and his sons in this text, however, is an unconditional covenant. This fact alone is a significant thing to consider in our study today because it provides important truth about the character of the LORD.

First, notice that God included Noah’s sons in his audience. He didn’t just speak to Noah. I don’t recall the LORD including Noah’s sons in his message concerning the flood and the building of the ark. It was upon Noah to share God’s message and for Noah’s sons to follow him by faith. One can only imagine what that must have been like for Noah’s sons. “God’s going to do what?” “Water is going to come down from the heavens?” “You’re going to build a large boat and we are going to live on it with a bunch of animals?” I would think they believed their dad was a bit crazy. However, concerning this covenant promise, they each hear the same message. It seems to me that God is drawing them into a closer relationship, wanting to mitigate any fears that the God who brought about the flood might do it all again each time it started raining. It’s God’s way of helping them understand that he will not get angry and resort to annihilation at the drop of a hat. There are people today who live under this kind of fear that God is just looking for an excuse to smack them down. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

What’s more, is that God explained to Noah and his sons that this covenant promise extends to all living creatures. It reveals that God values animals to the extent that he makes an unconditional covenant promise to the animals and birds as well as to all humanity. What’s the promise? “Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Gen 9:11)

The text continues to explain that God’s sign of this covenant is the rainbow. I love rainbows. Whenever it rains, and the sun comes out, I often run or look outside to see if there’s a rainbow. They’re beautiful! It’s something visible that many people can see from different locations. Think about it. God made a sign for his covenant that he knew would bring joy and pleasure to look at and could be viewed by many at once. What a gift and encouraging message from the LORD. All these generations later, we get to enjoy its beauty and rest in its promise.

But the sign of the covenant is not just for us. Notice in verse 16 that God also sees it and remembers the “everlasting covenant” he has made with all living beings. I like to think about that. God doesn’t forget anything. I don’t think he has to be reminded that he made this covenant. When God “remembers” something, it’s that his promise is before him, and he acts in accordance with that promise. It’s like he’s saying, “When I see the rainbow, I will fulfill the promise I made in accordance with that sign. You can rely on it.” It communicates that God is trustworthy.

The rainbow is just one little sign of the LORD’s care for all living things, of his peace, beauty, and trustworthiness. Reflect on that this week.

Episdoe 254 - "Humanity is made in the image of God" - Genesis 9:1-7 - part 2

Gen. 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

Gen. 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.

Gen. 9:7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

Last week, I focused primarily on the first three verses of chapter 9 and the LORD's curious and perhaps disturbing proclamation regarding the relationship between humanity and animals. What should be obvious to all readers is that through the flood, God has not reset things back to the perfect condition in which he created the earth. He’s already made it clear that the evil tendencies of humanity will continue. Yet, he still blessed Noah and his sons and gave them the same command that he’d given Adam. In other words, life is going to continue for some time, and it will not be easy or perfect. In fact, one of the sources of sustenance for humanity would be meat. There is somewhat of a paradox in that proclamation because God had created the animals and pronounced them “good.” When God made Adam and gave him responsibility for naming the animals, we get a picture of harmony between beast and man. However, after the flood, that relationship significantly changed. As we continue looking at this narrative, perhaps we can better understand what God is doing in light of what else is revealed.

After we read in verse three, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything,” God provided a severe qualification for this provision that required they not eat the flesh with its blood. (v. 4) If I understand this correctly, the idea is that a living being’s life force is in the blood. If someone was going to kill an animal for meat, the blood must be drained from the flesh. It would be hung up, and the blood allowed to drip into the ground. The picture is that of the people respecting the animal's life and God’s provision enough to give the life force back to God.

So, as we are trying to piece together an explanation of why God is allowing this, it would make the most sense to understand this allowance or provision as a gracious act of provision for humanity. Indeed, this is not the ideal from what we know about God’s creation in Genesis 1. But absolutely nothing else is ideal anymore. The sin of people has had a devastating effect upon every aspect of life and has led God to bring this great act of judgment upon a great rebellion, and now this “reboot” of sorts is not a new creation with perfect people. God already knows that. But we haven’t yet encountered the seed of the woman that will crush the head of the serpent. Things are still messed up. Yet, the LORD is not treating Noah and his sons with contempt but mercy. He blessed them. So, he offers this proclamation as a means of mercy, grace, and provision for survival in the still-broken world.

As I suggested last week, I even suspect the LORD understood or intended this act of gaining food by the killing of an animal to remind them that it was man’s sin that brought this about. By requiring the blood to be drained would be a reminder of the cost for that person to eat the meat. It’s an act of acknowledgment that this provision came from the LORD and the life force was being given back to God.

Verses 5-6, then make a subsequent qualification. While animal life is permitted to be taken, one cannot take the life of a person except in the case where that person has taken the life of another person. Later, when the Law was given, there were stipulations that allowed capital punishment. However, the primary point of our text is the distinction between animal and human lives. Humans are made in the image of God. In other words, there is a God-designed value of human beings that distinguishes them from animals.

This section concludes with a repetition of God’s blessing upon Noah and his family to reproduce and fill the earth.

This text is not about the justification for a barbeque. This text reveals that God wants us to understand his value for us. This section begins and ends with God blessing Noah and his sons. There is a strong emphasis on the value of humanity because they are made in God’s image. If we really believed that all humanity was highly valued by God, as explained in this section, how would this world look? I think it would be radically different.

Episode 253 - "Eat what?" - Genesis 9:1-7

Gen. 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

Gen. 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. Gen. 9:7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

It’s not uncommon to read something in the Scriptures, especially what Christians call the Old Testament, that confuses us and even gives cause for offense. This latter case happens when either the LORD or people do or say things that are contrary to the values and ideas of our own culture and era. There are examples of people who, since the time of Christ, and the completion of the New Testament Scriptures that people have been offended by what they read in the Old Testament. They have suggested that the God of the Old Testament is evil and, therefore, the Old Testament should be ignored. There are many problems with this notion that the Church has addressed and deemed this idea as heresy. Chiefly, Jesus himself frequently directed people to the Hebrew Scriptures to help people understand that they prophesied about him and that he is the fulfillment of those Scriptures. Likewise, the apostles interpreted the same Old Testament Scriptures to explain that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. In short, all the Scriptures of our Bible are to be highly revered by Christians as special revelation from God to humanity. So, in all likelihood, when we are offended by something in the Scriptures, it is not because what is there is wrong. It’s due to our limited comprehension of what it is about and its significance in God’s plan and for our ultimate good.

I would never want to communicate the notion that my interpretations of the Scriptures are perfect. I read the Scriptures, use the tools I’ve been trained to use in consulting the original languages, consult scholars for their help in understanding difficult passages, and make a decision as to where I either land or lean in interpreting the passage. To quote many who’ve come before me, “Let’s major on the major and minor on the minor.” The most important things in the Scriptures are things that are mostly emphasized and made clear. So, with this in mind, what’s happening with Noah and his family after they come off the ark?

The first thing we notice is something that has been emphasized before. God blessed the people and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (9:1)” This is what God did with Adam and Eve. Here’s an important truth of the Scriptures that is becoming very clear. God wants his people, his image bearers, to receive his blessing and enjoy the life He has given them and to have children who may also enjoy his blessing of life and provision.

Here comes one of those confusing and offensive parts. In verses 2-3, God told Noah and his family, “The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.”

What we are reading here is the first recorded instance of God permitting humanity to eat meat. Certainly, this would be most offensive to vegans who avoid eating animal products out of conscience. What are we to do with this? Why would God appear to be so concerned about animals that he would protect the species on the ark and then, once they were through the flood, permit the people to eat meat?

It seems to me this goes back to the creation account. God made the plants and the animals and then made humanity. Humans alone were specified as being made in the image of God. God even gave them the responsibility to name the animals, which shows the authority God had given Adam over the animals. In other words, according to the first chapters of the Bible, there is a distinction between animals and humanity. This is different from the view that mankind is another species of animal. When the first people disobeyed God’s command and listened to the voice of a serpent, the paradigm was upended. The people’s attempt to cover their own guilt and shame was inadequate to God. Instead, only His provision could suffice to cover their guilt. He did this by providing coverings of animal skin. Death was/is the consequence of sin. The animal sacrifice by God was a type of substitutionary atonement for their sin. This is the principle that bears itself out in God sending His Son to die on the cross. His blood was shed. He was, as John the Baptist declared, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)”

Is it possible that God intended for us to take offense at the idea of animal sacrifice and eating meat? This allowance by God for people to eat meat was certainly not God’s ideal. Otherwise, it would have been allowed and even commanded by God in the beginning. This appears to be an allowance by the LORD in order for people to survive. Noah and his family did not land in the Garden of Eden. There’s no indication or reason to assume there was an abundant supply of vegetables waiting for Noah and his family when they got off the ark. Is it possible that, as offensive as it might be to Noah and his family to eat the flesh of an animal, they were to recognize this offensive thing as a means of God’s mercy to them? The offense then serves to remind them (and us) of the consequences of sin. The effect should be that it causes us to become offended concerning our rebellious ways and not take offense at God.

I will continue this thought and reflection upon this passage in our next episode. My encouragement to you is to pray, “Lord, help me be offended by my own sin and not your word or your grace to mankind.”

Episode 252 - "Noah built an altar" - Genesis 8:20-22

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Sometimes, the Scriptures can raise as many questions as it answers. One of the reasons this happens is due to the vast historical, geographical, and cultural distance that exists between us and those of the ancient world of the Bible. The very idea of animal sacrifices, for example, is offensive to our 21st-century, western sensibilities. That’s true even for those of us who believe the Bible and trust in the God of the Bible. Another reason is that there were many things that happened that the Bible doesn’t tell us about. We are left to make inferences and speculate how people got from “point A to point B” in terms of their worship and ways of life. I’m certain that both of these factors are in play in this section we’re reading today.

In these few verses, we might ask ourselves, “Why did Noah build an altar and sacrifice animals on it?” “Why did this please God? Didn’t God instruct Noah to take the animals on the ark to preserve them?” “How did Noah know what animals were ‘clean’?” And more.

Let’s examine this. First, unless I’m mistaken, the only specific acts of sacrifice in worship recorded in the Scriptures up to now are those of Cain and Abel. Abel brought an animal sacrifice, and Cain brought a sacrifice of food. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s. It’s not uncommon for people to infer that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because it was an animal sacrifice and rejected Cain’s because it was a food offering. But the text doesn’t tell us that. Instead, it suggests that the reason for God accepting Abel’s sacrifice was because it was the best of what he had. Conversely, Cain brought “some” of his produce, suggesting that it wasn’t the best. In other words, the difference between the sacrifices was not about what was offered as it was how it was offered. Abel’s attitude about the LORD was of gratitude and awe of God, and Cain’s wasn’t. This is confirmed when God approaches Cain to correct him and Cain refuses to listen to the LORD.

It seems that this is what we are witnessing in Noah’s sacrifice. God has fulfilled his promise and delivered them safely through this flood, and Noah is expressing his thankfulness and awe of what God has done.

How did Noah know which animals were ‘clean’? We don’t. What we do know is that this story was written by Moses long after the flood and after God had given the Law to Israel that designates what animals were clean or unclean. What this account does is confirm to Israel that the God who has delivered them out of bondage in Egypt has revealed Himself previously to their ancestors. This God who has just given them the Law has not just come up with a new, arbitrary set of rules. God had revealed this before. It was just not important enough to document exactly when that happened. What is revealed is that God had seven pairs of the clean animals and birds on the ark versus the one pair of all the other animals. Noah didn’t seem to question this. Perhaps Noah understood the “extra” animals were God’s provision for such a sacrifice. Perhaps Noah even recognized this as a sign that God really would get them through this ordeal.

This sacrifice pleased the LORD, and, in response, he made a threefold promise “in his heart.” How would Noah or, later on, Moses know what God had said in his heart? Again, we don’t know. However, if we apply one of our common principles of interpretation, examining the context, we discover in the next chapter that God reveals his resolve to Noah through a covenant promise. (See Genesis 9:11-17) What God promised to Noah and all humanity in this covenant is consistent with what he resolved “in his heart.”

The first part of this threefold resolution of God is interesting. He had just judged the earth by water because of the evil of humanity in the world. God resolves to “never curse the ground again because of man.” The interesting part is the reason he gives for this resolution. He explains, “for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Wow! There’s a statement we should not jump past too quickly. We so often want to assume the best in people. But God doesn’t. What this means is not that God has abandoned his value of humanity. If that were true, he would not have bothered to spare Noah and his sons and their wives. While Noah is declared righteous, God hasn’t overlooked that he is not perfect, and neither are his sons and daughters-in-law. The sin problem will continue and God is acknowledging that. Yet, God had a plan and “the seed” was still to come at that point. God would still execute his plan despite humanity’s tendency to do what is “evil.”

The last question I’ll raise for this section and attempt to address is, “Does the apocalyptic prophecy in Revelation contradict the LORD’s resolution here in Genesis? I believe the answer to that is “no.” Revelation speaks of a final judgment for the very same cause that brought the judgment by flood. Yet, the final judgment is a fiery destruction of the earth and the creation of a new heaven and new earth. Those whom the LORD deems righteous will be delivered eternally to an eternal life on the new earth where sin will be eradicated because “the seed” will have made that possible. The point then of this promise is that Noah and all people who live after him are not to live in fear every time it rains or every time there’s a drought. The LORD will sustain his creation and life within the earth until he has fulfilled all that he’s promised, despite the ongoing problem of humanity’s evil tendencies.

This text affirms God’s right to judge evil. It reveals his desire to offer life and provision revealing his patience, love for his living creatures, and resolve to fulfill every promise he makes. This is a God that is worthy of our thankfulness and awe and to whom we should direct our best worship.

Episode 251 - "God remembered Noah . . . " Genesis 8:1-19

Gen. 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

Gen. 8:6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

Gen. 8:13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out 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 swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

While I have selected a larger-than-normal segment of Scripture for this episode, my primary focus is the important principle in verse 1, “But God remembered . . .” Everything that follows the first verse in this section is the result of God’s remembrance of Noah, his family, and all the animals on the ark. They are delivered from God’s judgment upon the earth by the flood.

This may seem obvious to some people, but I think it’s worth noting that God hasn’t forgotten about them. For people who will have lived on this floating zoo for over a year when it’s all said and done, there would certainly be a temptation to think that God has forgotten about them. The form of the Hebrew word that is translated as “remembered” is probably best understood as “calling to mind.” Think of it like this. You have a number of things you have on your to-do list or people that you know and love with whom you haven’t communicated in a while. You haven’t forgotten about them. But there comes a point when addressing a certain need or contacting a certain person becomes your single priority. You focus on and prioritize that action or person. This is what is described in Genesis 8:1. God is prioritizing the deliverance of the people and the animals on the ark for the purpose of them exiting the ark back to dry land where God will bless them and charge them to be fruitful and multiply. If you get nothing else out of this text, I hope you will understand and value that God’s remembering of Noah is associated with God’s good intent, protection, and purpose for Noah. This is a repeated theme or principle throughout the Scriptures that has relevance for us.

What follows is the beginning of God’s action from his good intent for Noah and all living things on the ark. The rain stopped, and God sent a “wind” over the earth to dry it up. Does this sound familiar? Go back and read Genesis 1:2. It is the same Hebrew word that is translated “spirit” in Genesis 1:2 that is translated “wind” here in Genesis 8:1. I believe this is intentional and is likely the Holy Spirit that is working to prepare the earth for the “reboot” that is about to happen. It’s communicating to the reader that God still has the good intent and purpose for creatures that he had in the beginning. What an encouragement!

Noah responded to what God did. God stopped the rain, and the waters started to abate. Noah didn’t cower inside the ark in fear that God wasn’t done. Noah trusted the Lord and sent out the birds, anticipating that dry land would appear and vegetation would begin to grow again. In a sense, what Noah is doing is “remembering” the Lord. Noah has trusted the Lord and knows that God is faithful to his word. Noah is calling to mind God’s character.

It’s in verse 15 that the LORD speaks again. God commanded that every living thing on the ark leave the ark and go out onto the earth, and “be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” (v. 17) The same command God gave when he first created living things at the beginning of time. Already, there is an expectation within this command that they will be able to fulfill it. They will not have to fear that they will need to retreat to the ark the next time it rains. In God’s command is the expected promise that he will make it possible to fulfill that command.

I think there are many people who live life anticipating that God is just waiting for an opportunity to smack them down. This is not only contrary to what the Scriptures reveal about God, it’s also unfortunate because they are missing out on the blessings that come through God’s remembering us. He calls us to mind. He is concerned for us and desires the life and deliverance that comes through his provision and our responseful obedience to his commands.

Episode 250 - "Only Noah was left and those with him" - Genesis 7:17-24

Gen. 7:17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

As one who’s had the privilege of studying under very accomplished scholars in the original languages of the Bible and who specialize in researching the ancient people in the Bible, one learns that even the experts disagree on interpretation and meaning at times. We can learn a lot by listening to these scholars. But we also need to discern where there is a splitting of hairs on issues that, quite frankly, are not helpful in understanding the big picture of what is being revealed. One example, in my mind, is the argument for a “local flood” rather than a global flood. This is the idea that the flood of Genesis did not encompass the world but the region where Noah lived. Scholars who hold this view have their reasons for interpreting this story as such. However, the reason why I believe it’s irrelevant is evident in this text.

In order to show this, let’s return to one of my favorite indicators that help us understand the message of this section of the flood story of Genesis. That indicator is “repetition.” Things that are repeated bring emphasis or focus upon what’s important. The first thing that I see repeated is “the waters prevailed.” This is not to say that there was a lot of water. There was a lot of water. But the point here is not the quantity of water, as it is the collective power and destructive effect that the water had upon the earth. In the beginning, God had separated the waters above from the waters below and caused the dry earth to appear (a separation of the water from the dry land). Now, the picture that is painted is one of the waters coming together to overwhelm the dry land and all life on it. The curse upon the earth was brought on by mankind’s disobedience. Now, mankind’s disobedience is being judged, seemingly, by the natural elements negatively impacted by that disobedience. Perhaps this overwhelming and chaotic scene was God’s way of saying, “I’m going to put the earth back under the chaotic, watery condition it was in before I separated the waters, brought forth dry land and filled these spheres with living things.” Humanity was given the authority to rule over creation, but in this divinely willed act, the waters prevailed and ruled over mankind and all living things on the dry land.

Verse 20 tells us that the waters prevailed fifteen cubits deep over the mountain tops. What’s the point in telling us that? It’s like the author is telling us how big this “monster” is that is prevailing. It’s certainly giving us details that nothing was going to be able to escape this judgment, with the exception of those who were on the ark. That which prevailed over all the dry land and all the living things on the dry land also bore up the ark and did not prevail over its inhabitants.

The next few verses (21-23) give us the next repetition. “All flesh died.” The statements in these few verses make it clear that nothing survived that was not on the ark, except for sea creatures. It emphasizes that what God said he was going to do, he did it exactly as he said he would.

This is where we see the pointlessness of arguing over a global versus local flood theory. Either way, the text does not seem to indicate any hyperbole, but rather a clear and precise fulfillment of God’s prophesied judgment upon the earth and the life therein.

If we need any more help, the second half of verse 23, “Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark,” tells us plainly that nothing else survived. Why? The reason that has already been emphasized to the reader is that God deemed Noah righteous. Noah was the one who did “all that God commanded him.”

The message to the reader then is, first, God perfectly and completely judges disobedience. Nothing will escape God’s notice, and he will not let some things slide. Secondly, God alone perfectly judges who is righteous. God will rescue and protect from his prevailing judgment all those he deems righteous. Romans chapter three explains that Jesus Christ alone is perfectly righteous, and those who place their trust in him have his righteousness imputed to them. Because of that, those who have trusted in Jesus can rest knowing that we will be delivered from the ultimate coming judgment and enjoy eternal life in the presence of God. What a great hope!

Episode 249 - "And the Lord shut him in" - Genesis 7:6-16

Gen. 7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

Gen. 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

To begin this day’s observations of the flood story of Genesis, I want you to notice Noah’s age. When the flood began, he was six hundred years old. Just a little over a chapter ago, he was only five hundred years old. It was after he turned five hundred that he fathered his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The LORD’s instructions to him to build the ark commanded Noah to take his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law. Apparently, there are no grandchildren in the picture yet. The point I’m getting to is that it may have taken 70-80 years to build the ark according to the instructions given by the LORD. That’s a long time for the word to get out what Noah is doing and for people to come by and ask, “What’s this all about?” We don’t know that they did. But I think it’s safe to say that if anyone undertook this project today, the word would get out pretty quickly. It strikes me that God never told Noah not to allow other people on the boat. The Scriptures only tell us that God was showing grace and mercy to Noah and his family because Noah was obedient to the LORD. God was telling Noah, “This is how I’m going to deliver you and your family from this destruction I’m bringing.” While it’s outside of the context of what the Scriptures tell us explicitly, it seems entirely possible, and likely even, that if someone had heard about God’s coming judgment and repented, I think God would have spared them as well. But that’s an argument from silence. There’s no indication that happened, even though the ark was possibly under construction for 70-80 years.

I make this conjecture because people often interpret a story like this as God being mean. In reality, however, this story shows God’s patience in that he did not bring this judgment until people were so wicked that nothing God did would bring them to repentance. They had plenty of time as Noah constructed this ark to ask questions and consider the implications, yet refused to respond to God’s mercy and revelation. I think they were likely cursing God as the flood waters rose.

Much of this text emphasizes the obedience to God’s commands to Noah, his family, and the animals. They entered the ark. The other thing that is highlighted is that what God had been telling Noah for nearly 100 years was fulfilled precisely. The text is so detailed that it mentions the day the flood started, with the rain continuing non-stop for forty days. This detail is joined with a description of how violently it began. Water came from every direction. It burst forth from the ground and from the sky above. It’s a frightening scene to imagine and one that I believe should inform our thoughts about God’s wrath. God consistently shows himself to want the best for people. The Scriptures speak of his desire for us to enjoy the life he has given us, his desire to commune with us, and his patience and love for mankind. But he is also a holy God who does not turn a blind eye to rebellion, violence, injustice, and other manners of evil. He justly and righteously judges sin. We should fear that wrath and respond to his loving and patient offer to deliver us from any judgment we might deserve.

My final thought on this section is the concluding remark in verse 16: “And the LORD shut him in.” God instructed Noah to make one door on the side of the ark. Noah had put pitch on the ark's outside and inside to help waterproof it. But what about the door? How did the door get sealed after Noah and his family were inside the ark? Verse 16 tells us, “the LORD shut him in.” I think this is an important image for us as well. In Christ, we are invited to enter into the one door into God’s protection and blessing and God makes that a secure place to be. Whatever we think might be a liability, God has it covered.

Episode 248 - "God sees the righteous" - Genesis 7:1-5

Gen. 7:1 Then the LORD 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. 2 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, 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

I want to point out that whenever you see the word LORD in all caps, it represents the divine name. Later, in Exodus, when God spoke to Moses in the burning bush and commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asked him for his name in order that he could tell the Israelites the name of their God who would lead them out of bondage to a promised land of provision and protection. The transliteration of Hebrew to English for God’s response comes out most often as “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” (Exod. 3:15) It’s unknown whether this name had been revealed before and, therefore, sounded familiar to the Hebrews. Accepting Mosaic authorship, it would seem that Moses specified the divine name here in verses one and five of chapter seven to communicate to the Hebrews that their God was with Noah and showed him compassion while also judging violence and wickedness on the earth. In other words, it should have sent them a message that they should do what God told them.

Chapter six had already ended with Noah doing all that God commanded him. Now, chapter seven begins with a repetition and emphasis on how God deemed Noah righteous. Notice that in speaking to Noah, the LORD says, “I have seen that you are righteous before me.” (Gen. 7:1) There is both repetition and contrast in this action of seeing. On one hand, Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good for food and able to make one wise (Gen. 3:6). Through her senses and letting the serpent’s deceit influence her judgment, she ate the fruit and disobeyed the LORD. In Genesis 6:2, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” This was depicted as a perverse thing that brought more wickedness among humanity. The point is that mankind is inclined to see and judge according to their own desires. God alone sees and makes righteous decisions. This is another principle the Israelites needed to understand to follow the LORD into the land he gave them. It’s a principle we need to appropriate ourselves.

Noah had already received the instruction that a male and female pair of every animal and bird that came onto the ark would be preserved. There are people who have devoted their lives to defending how a boat this size could contain representatives of every kind of animal and explain how they could have survived this ordeal. The Ark Encounter in Kentucky was created for this very reason. It’s a full-scale replica of the ark that people can tour and learn about the perspective that this event really occurred according to the description in Genesis. I’ve not been to this place myself. But I’m not in need of being convinced that this flood actually occurred in a divine act of judgment for humanity’s violence and God’s compassion to spare Noah’s family and the creatures upon the ark. Squabbles over various questions are, I think, distractions from the big picture of the meta-narrative. But now God specifies “seven” of each clean animal. Is it seven individuals of each or seven pairs of each as represented in this translation? The Hebrew doesn’t actually use a word for “pairs” here. However, the context seems to support the idea of pairs. So, I’ll go with that. Why seven of the clean and only one pair of the unclean animals? Well, for one, we’re going to see how Moses will sacrifice clean animals to the LORD once they are safely off the ark after the flood. Furthermore, the Israelites will not be allowed to eat the meat of unclean animals. There is no indication that Noah and his family ate meat on the ark. However, things will change after the flood.

I don’t know if there is anything significant about the rain starting in seven days and continuing for forty days. Some see a connection here between the forty days of rain (judgment) with the forty years of wandering (judgment) for the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness. One thing is sure, and that it denotes specificity. There is no ambiguity in what the LORD says to Noah. I am amazed when people tell me they had a dream or a word from the LORD, and it seems clear to me that the so-called word is not consistent with what the LORD has clearly revealed in his special revelation, the Bible. We need to be careful when ascribing some belief or action we are taking to the LORD. It always needs to be brought to what is apparent in the Scriptures.

This section concludes with another repeated statement, “And Noah did all the LORD commanded him.” (Gen. 7:5) If we learn nothing else from the story of Noah and the flood, it should be that we should seek to do what the LORD has commanded us. What is that? Jesus told his disciples, “Love one another!” (John 13:34) There’s a good starting point.

Episode 247 - "Noah did all the LORD commanded him" - Genesis 6:11-22

Gen. 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 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. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

OK. Sometimes, I pick a few verses and say a lot about them. Now is the occasion to pick a more extensive text and say relatively little. Why? In either case, the purpose is to highlight what’s important. To begin with, let’s begin by exercising one of my favorite interpretive questions. Do you see anything repeated? We ask that because repetition often brings emphasis. Here’s a hint. Read or listen through this text again and listen for what sounds like hyperbole, words that describe extreme quantity or degrees of something.

The setting of this sub-narrative is a repetition and emphasis of what has already been described earlier in chapter six. The point the author is clearly making is how bad people had become in the days of Noah. Verse 13 records, “the earth was filled with violence.” It paints a pretty graphic scene for us, doesn’t it? But the word I’m thinking about in particular is the word “all.” Verse 12 says, “for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth,” and God’s response to that in verse 13, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh.” The extent of the wickedness and violence evident by humanity at that time was evoking a corresponding response of judgment by the LORD.

Why is this important to observe and consider? I believe it’s easy for people to downplay the seriousness or extent of the human condition to not act according to God’s character. We think, “Surely it wasn’t that bad.” The subsequent thought could then easily be, “That seems a bit of a harsh response by God.” My question is, “What are we doing when we entertain those thoughts?” Fundamentally, we make ourselves to be God. We decide that we can adequately judge what is right or wrong, and then we act as though we are God’s judge. Perhaps it’s better to read this and think, “Wow! What would that look like in our world right now if the earth was absolutely ‘filled with violence?’” That would be horrible, wouldn’t it? Clearly, things had come a long way from the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s simple act of disobedience had a significant impact far beyond themselves. I think the same thing holds true for us today. Our simple acts of disobedience can have a significant negative impact on others.

The next thing that stands out to me is the specific details of how the ark should be built. Why is this important? Scholars of ancient cultures point out that there are cataclysmic flood stories in various cultures and suggest that this story is borrowed from another culture. They suggest that a flood story is simply a fictional story that is important in those cultures for one reason or another. But one has to ask themselves what the purpose would be of the LORD instructing Noah to make it of gopher wood, have three decks, and construct it according to very specific dimensions. It seems to me that in a world that had moved so far from following the LORD, the fact that God gave very specific commands concerning the construction of this ark and Noah “did all that God commanded him” (notice the all again) reveals that these details are historical and this isn’t early fantasy/adventure literature. It’s a story about humanity’s unfaithfulness to the LORD, the LORD’s sovereign judgment upon their violence, Noah’s faithfulness to obey the LORD, and the LORD’s faithfulness to preserve life and blessing.

This last element of the LORD’s faithfulness is revealed in the covenant he promised to establish with Noah. A covenant is a solemn promise by which the covenant maker accepts a curse upon themselves if they do not fulfill their part of the covenant. In this case, God is taking sole responsibility for the covenant. Notice that this covenant does not just promise that Noah and his family will survive the flood. But in his detailed instructions for this ark, the LORD commands that male and female of every animal come into the ark, suggesting the LORD has long-term plans for reestablishing a continuance of life on the earth as the LORD had planned it.

This story reveals the holiness and righteousness of the LORD. While the LORD is patient, he will not tolerate injustice and violence indefinitely. In his sovereign authority, it is his right to bring judgment upon violations against his righteous standard. Yet the LORD will preserve the righteous as he did with Noah. These principles remain true for us today. As we witness the violence and injustices in our world today, we can be confident that God will someday judge the earth again but will deliver those he deems righteous.

Episode 246 - "Noah walked with God" Genesis 6:9-10

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

You may already be thinking, “What! That’s it? Two verses?” I was tempted to include the next section. But it is a bit long, and there are some essential elements of this text concerning the greater narrative that I thought deserved our undivided attention.

First, did you notice any repetition in this text of what has already been covered in Genesis up to this point? How about the term “generations?” Go back and check out Genesis 2:4 and Genesis 5:1. The first occurrence of this term speaks of the “generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” (Gen 2:4). The second introduces the genealogy of Adam through Seth’s descendants up to Noah. Now, this third occurrence speaks only of Noah and his three sons. What’s up with this?

The Hebrew term transliterated “toledot” is often represented by the English word “generations.” But it’s more than just a word for descendants or generations. It is a structural marker in the narrative literature. It advances the greater narrative by focusing on a specific group of people because they are going to be important in the continuation of the story, leading the reader toward the solution for the crisis revealed in Genesis chapter 3. The “generations of the heavens and the earth” toledot focus on Adam and Eve and their two sons, Cain and Abel. With the murder of Abel by Cain, neither of them can fulfill the role of “the seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent. So, the next occurrence of “generations” helps us focus on Adam’s descendants through Seth, whom God appointed as a substitute for Abel. But then mankind became very wicked, and God determined to wipe out humanity. Of course this problem makes us wonder how the seed of the woman could appear to fulfill the promise God had made. But the section concludes with “but Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8) So, now this “toledot” signals a focus on Noah and his three sons. It seems to me this suggests the LORD was serious about wiping out all living things from the face of the earth (Gen 6:7). But Noah, finding favor in the eyes of the LORD, would be spared this judgment along with his family.

Why would the LORD do this? Was God’s choice arbitrary? Was it fair and just? I believe this section answers that. The text delivers a three-fold description of why Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. First, “Noah was a righteous man.” That means that his thoughts, words, and actions were deemed consistent with the LORD’s character and expectations for mankind. His life stood in stark contrast to others in the world at that time. How righteous was he? The second description tells us that he was “blameless in his generation.” I don’t think this means that he was a sinless person all his life. But according to the LORD’s assessment, he was blameless. In the end, isn’t that the only assessment that really matters? Finally, the text tells us that “Noah walked with God.” Hold the horses! We’ve heard that before, haven’t we? There is some more repetition. Back in Genesis 5:21-24, it is twice mentioned that Enoch walked with God. In verse 24, Enoch is the first person of whom it is said did not die. God just took him. Therefore, walking with God seems to suggest that this is the highest assessment from God that one can receive. Why is that?

Walking with someone suggests that you want to be with that person. In being with that person, you are listening to what they have to say, understanding what they value, sharing the same values and interests. This is why Noah found favor with the LORD. Noah walked with God, and it impacted his life rather than letting the culture around him influence his thinking and his actions.

With verse 10 naming Noah’s three sons, we have an indication that humanity would continue regardless of the destruction that would soon come upon the earth. Is Noah the seed? One thing is certain: his father’s pronouncement that Noah would bring rest from their labors would be fulfilled for a while.

The primary things I wanted to point out is how this story of Noah is a sub-story of the greater one that began in Genesis 1, and we need to keep thinking about the meta-narrative as we progress through Genesis and the Scriptures. Secondly, our desire in our own life of faith is to walk with God.

Episode 245 - "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD" - Genesis 6:1-8

Gen. 6:1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

Gen. 6:5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

I suspect there are few passages in all of Scripture that are more debated and discussed in church Sunday school rooms and parking lots than these first few verses in Genesis 6. What is meant by “sons of God” and “daughters of man”? Furthermore, who were the Nephilim? What is the point of all this? One common question is, “Does the term ‘sons of God’ refer to angels?” In other words, is the author suggesting that angels or demons had sexual relations with human women? I believe the definitive answer is that no one can be absolutely certain of the mysteries in this section. The original audience probably understood these terms and their significance. But it’s been lost over time.

One thing we can be certain of is that what transpired and is described here is an unholy union of marriages and procreation, and it led to problems. The context makes it clear that the actions described lead to more wickedness on the earth. Personally, I’m inclined to interpret “sons of God” as men in the lineage from Seth to Noah that was just given to us in chapter 5 and not supernatural beings. The emphasis appears to be on the contrast between “sons of God” to “daughters of man.” The author adds that these sons of God were attracted to these women based upon their beauty, and they chose any they wanted based on these criteria rather than a shared commitment to the LORD. Perhaps Hebrew scholars can better discern the nuances of the language and the narrative. It just seems that there is a contrast here of some men who are born within this lineage appointed by God who, like Eve, made decisions based upon what they saw and wanted and not God’s revelation. They married women who were from families that rejected God. Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, the Israelites were constantly warned not to marry outside of Israel because the foreign wives worshipped foreign gods.

However one interprets this, these actions exasperated the LORD, and he determined that humans' life spans would be reduced and, generally speaking, not continue past 120 years of age. This is in stark contrast to the people who had lived hundreds of years.

Verse 5 makes it clear that something about the unholy marriages between these two classifications of people leads to increased wickedness throughout the earth. Speaking of humanity in the third person singular terms, he says, “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen 6:5b) That is very significant.

Verses 6-7 emphasize the LORD’s grief concerning the wickedness of humanity and regret that he’d made mankind. Considering that humanity was his crowning achievement by his own will, this is tragic, and humanity as a whole was as far away from the presence of the LORD as possible. God determined that he would wipe out all living things. If we’re tracking with the greater narrative, this should prompt us to ask the obvious question, “What about the promised seed of the woman?” Is the LORD going to renege on his promise? Our fears are partially assuaged in verse 8. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Do you remember what Noah’s dad said when naming his son? He said, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” (Gen 5:29) In spite of how everything else has gone on around him and the overall wickedness of people in the world, Noah has lived favorably before the LORD. Is Noah the seed? Stay tuned.

The important thing for us is to identify themes that appear repeatedly and take them to heart. For one, God’s word and purpose for us are to be the guide and standard for our actions in life, not what we desire through our senses. Secondly, by the grace of God, may we find favor in the eyes of the LORD regardless of what the rest of the world is doing.

Episode244 "Rest from our toil" - Genesis 5:1-32

Gen. 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Gen. 5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

It is so tempting to just jump over genealogies and “get to the good stuff.” But I’m reminded of what the apostle Paul writes to his disciple Timothy, “All Scripture given by inspiration from God is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness in order that the person of God may be thoroughly equipped.” (2 Tim 3:16-17 my paraphrase) Let’s see what we can find in this family tree that may be useful for us.

The first thing that I observe is that this is not an exhaustive genealogy. Cain and Abel aren’t listed. Abel is now dead, and Cain and his descendants are not in consideration for this genealogy. Clearly, the author has a purpose. That purpose is not primarily for future generations of this line to figure out who their third cousins are twice removed. This genealogy traces the lineage from Adam through his son Seth, the son appointed by God to replace Abel, all the way down to Noah. In other words, it’s leading us down a family line of men who, from all evidence we have in the Scriptures, are following the LORD.

I’m sure these men weren’t perfect. However, the extremely long life spans recorded for many of these individuals may indicate God’s blessing of life and his desire to use them to fulfill his will to fill the earth with other people who reflect God’s image. Of course, that logic has its limitations in a way when the narrative informs us that Enoch only got to live 365 years. Why? Because he “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen 5:24) Wow! Enoch’s obedience to and fellowship with the LORD led the LORD to give Enoch a bypass on the death experience. Unless I’m mistaken, Enoch and Elijah are the only two people in Biblical history who don’t die. The LORD simply takes them into his presence.

In verse 28 we read about a man named Lamech. Wait a minute. Haven’t we already read about Lamech? Wasn’t he a descendant of Cain who also committed murder and mocked God? Answer: Different Lamech. This Lamech had a son that he named Noah and we are given a proclamation or prophecy concerning Noah. Lamech says, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” (v. 29) What I get from this is that by the time we get to Lamech after all these generations, God’s promise of a “seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent and bring resolution to the conflict of the curse has not been forgotten. It has been passed down through this line of descendants.

This genealogy of chapter five advances the greater story that hope in deliverance from the curse has not been lost. There is so much more we could ask about this chapter. For instance, “How was it possible that people lived so long?” All I can say is that this genealogy seems to present each of these people as historical individuals who are born, grow up, marry, have sons and daughters, and die. The literature does not suggest in any way that they are mythical creatures. So, I suggest we just take it at face value, and maybe someday we’ll understand these things.

My “take home” from this chapter is that God values a faithful relationship with us and wants us to have life. Furthermore, we must not just accept God’s promises for ourselves but pass them on to other generations. May the LORD help us walk with God as did Enoch, and look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God restoring all Creation to his will and completely removing the curse.

Episode 243 - "God appoints a son" Genesis 4:25-26

Gen. 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.

So last week, we read about what happened through rebellious Cain’s descendants. To put it briefly, the narrative describes it as a “like father, like son” outcome. We are left wondering what hope there is for “the seed of the woman” to crush the head of the serpent. Abel, whose worship was accepted by the LORD, was dead, and Cain’s descendant Lamech, also a murderer, demonstrates even a greater defiance and mocking of God than Cain. This heightens the crisis of humanity’s distance from the presence and fellowship with the LORD.

As chapter four closes with these two verses, it sets up a genealogy of Adam in chapter five that advances the greater narrative in the direction of hope. It is sometimes amusingly said that the only command from the LORD that people have faithfully obeyed is “be fruitful and multiply.” So, Adam and Eve have not failed in this command and have another son. They exercise their God-given authority to name this son Seth. Notice that our text offers an explanation for his name, “for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.’” (Gen 4:25b) How does this explanation fit with this name? The name “Seth” in Hebrew sounds almost exactly like the word that means “appointed.” Let’s stop for a minute and reflect upon the importance of this revelation.

From the standpoint of the greater narrative, this recognizes the crisis that I just identified. Righteous Abel is dead, and Cain and his line continue on a path of rebellion against the LORD. The narrator reveals that Eve identified the problem but somehow recognized that this son had been appointed by the LORD to replace the righteous Abel. How did she know that? Did she just assume it, or did the LORD somehow reveal that to them? It’s not clear from the text. I am inclined to think that if the LORD felt the need to specifically explain that to them, it would be in our Scriptures. Therefore, it seems to me that Eve is drawing this conclusion based on God’s previous revelation and promise that she would have a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent. Why is this important to us? Eve has learned a hard lesson in not only listening to what God says but trusting that the LORD will fulfill his promises. This is beautiful in that Eve is learning about grace. Even though she has messed up, and it has had tragic consequences, she recognizes that God has not disowned her and reneged on his promises. His provision of this son is a gift to her, but also a divine provision to ultimately bring fulfillment of his promise, proving that he is faithful to his word. Awesome, isn’t it?

What do you think? Am I reading too much into this? Consider the next verse. Seth has a son Enosh, and the narrator tells us, “At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” (Gen 4:26) Is this not the narrator reinforcing how this appointed line trusts in the LORD? I think so. Our hope in the “seed” is sustained. The crisis is mitigated for now.

Our lesson is to know God’s word and trust that he is good, faithful, and able to fulfill his promise to redeem us to his good plan and life with God.

Episode 242 - "Sin has devastating effects" - Genesis 4:17-24

Gen. 4:17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Gen. 4:23 Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,

then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

The first thing I’d like to address in this episode is the genealogy that proceeds from Cain after he leaves the presence of the LORD. This may sound strange, but there is no small amount of discussion and disagreement about genealogies in the Scriptures. The reason for this is that genealogies don’t necessarily work the same way in the ancient Scriptures and cultures of the Bible as they do in 21st-century Western civilization. In our society, we are solely focused on connecting the dots as far back in our ancestry as possible to try to, as best as possible, find out who we are and where our ancestors were from. If we subscribe to ancestry.com or other genealogical databases, we are not likely to omit one or more generations if possible. Some genealogies in the Scriptures omit people in the genealogy. When people in our day and culture use an ancient and foreign culture’s genealogy to calculate the number of years back to Adam and Eve and then presume from that the age of the earth, you run into potential problems. Another problem we may encounter is figuring out some hidden meaning by learning the meaning of peoples’ names in the genealogies. My objective in this study is not to make some assertion about the age of the earth or discern secret messages from the meanings of people’s names. The reason is that the Scriptures themselves are not concerned about people knowing the age of the earth. Furthermore, the Scriptures are concerned about God’s clear revelation about God, humanity, and their relationship. Therefore, we will focus on that which is more evident in the text.

There are two things about this genealogy that are of concern to us. First, I believe scholars are in agreement that where a genealogy exists, the people who wrote it and read it understand that the people listed were historical people and that we’re dealing with historical narrative rather than fantasy. Cain and these descendants were real people. The second thing is that the list of Cain’s descendants moves the story along and reveals to us that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I’m speaking of Cain’s descendant Lamech in comparison to his rebellious ancestor.

Before we get to Lamech, let’s return to the beginning of this segment of the story. It would seem that the first logical question we might ask ourselves is, “Where did Cain’s wife come from?” To this point, no clear statement in the Scriptures definitely answers this question. The best that we have is found later in Genesis 5:4 which speaks of Adam fathering “other sons and daughters.” A common assumption is that Cain’s wife was also a sister. Personally, I think it’s legitimate to say, “I don’t know. The Scriptures do not tell us” and not worry about it. It’s not that important.

What is important is how the story reveals that the first son of Cain and his wife is Enoch. Cain builds a city and names it after his son. Why is that important? Because God told Cain he would be a wanderer throughout the earth. (Gen 4:12) The story reveals that Cain has not changed his ways. He is going to do what he wants to do regardless of what God has to say about it. The fact that he names it after his son puts an exclamation mark on his act. God named the things he created and gave Adam the authority to name the animals. Now Cain is using that authority granted by God to spite God.

As this sub-story develops, we learn how the attitude is passed on and exacerbated by Lamech. “Lamech took two wives. (v. 19)” Why? Because like his ancestor Cain, he was going to do what he wanted to do. Then, in verses 23-24 he brags to his wives about the murder that he’s committed. Is he not mocking God? He doesn’t attempt to hide anything or disavow responsibility. Instead, he advertises his sin like a flag.

The point is that this story of Cain and Lamech serves to heighten the conflict in the greater narrative that began with Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Things are going to get worse. In terms of what we can learn from this for our own walk of faith is that our disobedience of God’s standards can have a much greater negative impact on other people than we can ever imagine. This reality should cause us to stop and think and ask ourselves if we care about what God says or are we going to do what we want to do?