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 183 - "The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God" - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

1Cor. 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

If we had not been following along in the text week after week and simply opened the Bible to this text, we might be struck by the directness of this writing and perhaps understand its meaning at a cursory level. But, we should not miss the conjunction “or” that begins this section. It should tell us that we’ve jumped into the middle of a conversation and, like jumping into the middle of any conversation, we’re probably going to miss critical elements of how this fits with the overall message Paul is sending to the Corinthian Christians

I summarize a key theme that Paul is driving home to these believers: "It is important that your lives and your behavior to each other look different to the world around you.”

In these three verses, I see four key truths Paul wants them (and us) to understand. The first is that the “unrighteous” will " not inherit the kingdom of God. If you are at all familiar with Paul’s writings in the New Testament, this should get your attention. Why? Because in Romans Paul says,

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one. (Rom 3:10-12 citing Ps. 14:1-3 & Ps. 53:1-3

Essentially, we are all in trouble. No one can assume they are better than others or more deserving of God’s mercy than others because none of us are righteous and none of us deserve to inherit the kingdom of God. So, where is the hope? We’ll get to that.

The second key truth is that unrighteousness has characteristics. Paul lists some of these characteristics from verse 9 through verse 10. Summarizing once again, these characteristics include sexual immorality, idolatry which is an expression of valuing something more than God, and many other things, which are evidenced by people indulging their own selfish desires over the good of others. We have a problem in a culture that rejects the notion of absolute truth. If there is no absolute moral truth, then everyone can do what they want. Much of the conflict we see in our society today lies in the fact that we have competing relative truths. It says, “I want what I want because that is what is right and you are wrong.” This will never lead to harmony and peace within a family, community, church, or society at large.

The third key truth is that Christians are not above indictment of these unrighteous characteristics or exempt. Paul reminds them, “Such were some of you.” (v. 11) In other words, he’s saying, “You Christians have manifested these unrighteous characteristics in your lives in the past.” This reflects that truth from Romans 3, doesn’t it? There is no one who is righteous, not one. I am not more deserving of God’s mercy than anyone else because, like everyone else, I have acted unrighteously at times in my life.

This brings us to the fourth key truth and a return to the question, “Where is the hope?” The hope lies in how Paul follows that indictment. He says, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Jesus, the Son of God who is righteous, “washed” us. That’s a picture of us being cleansed of our unrighteousness. It is also by Jesus that we were “sanctified.” That means that having been cleansed of our unrighteousness; we were set apart for a holy and divine purpose. I take that to be inheriting and serving the kingdom of God. Finally, Paul says that we were “justified” by Jesus. This does not mean that God ignores our unrighteousness. It means we are declared not guilty. God cannot and does not ignore sin. The just punishment for sin was incurred by Jesus’ death on the cross. These Corinthian believers have appropriated these benefits of Jesus’ death on the cross through faith in him.

This should raise the question, “Why would a Christian who has received the benefits of Christ’s death on the cross want to continue practicing the unrighteous things they did for which Christ died? That is the fundamental issue with the man having sexual relations with his father’s wife. He was a professing believer, but his lifestyle was worse than the non-Christians. Paul’s counsel to them was for the purpose of correcting that and bringing him back into the community of faith.

Prayer: Lord, help us humbly pursue a life that is consistent with your holiness. Forgive us when we act in ways that are unrighteous and make our lives an enticement to the good news of Jesus.

Episode 108 - The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement - John 16:4b-11

(4b) “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

In John 13:36, Peter asks Jesus, “Where are you going?” and in John 14:5, Thomas says to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” So, it seems odd that Jesus would now say, “. . . none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’” What could he mean by this when in fact, a few of them had asked where he was going?

I think the clues to that answer lie in the context of the disciples’ earlier questions of where he was going and the context of Jesus’ indictment in this text. When Peter asks where Jesus was going, Jesus’ response addresses Peter’s expectation that he would follow Jesus anywhere. Jesus said, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” (John 13:36) I interpret that response as, I am going to the cross, the grave, and the Father, and I have a job for you before you can follow me to these three destinations. (My interpretive paraphrase) Shortly after, Thomas pipes up and expresses that they don’t know where he is going even though Jesus had just told them that he was going to his Father’s house to prepare a place for them. So when we get to this text, I notice that the verb translated “asks” is in the present active indicative. This means the translation could read “No one is asking me  (at the present). . .” In other words, Jesus’ accusation is suggesting their thoughts are on the wrong thing. 

The point is that Jesus has continued to make it clear that he will soon no longer be with them physically. Furthermore, they can expect to be persecuted and put to death. How would you likely be feeling if you were in their position? They are sad and despairing, and Jesus is saying their sorrow is consuming them. They should focus on where Jesus is going and what that means for them. When Jesus goes to the Father, he will send the Holy Spirit to them. That explanation should give them joy and hope.

Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment.  The most significant sin the world makes is not believing who Jesus is and why he came to earth. (v.9) Jesus’ explanation of how the world will be convicted concerning righteousness through his return to the Father. (v. 10) I believe this means that God has not been unrighteous by overlooking sin or allowing death, the consequence of sin, to go unchecked. On the contrary, God demonstrated that He is righteous, providing the perfect solution to humanity’s sin through His righteous Son taking on the just punishment for the world’s sin and then conquering death and ascending back to the Father. Paul explains this in Romans 8:3-4, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” 

Finally, the Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning judgment “because the ruler of this world is judged.” (v. 11) That is the devil himself. 

I see the initial fulfillment of what Jesus says here concerning the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost as revealed in Acts 2. Read this on your own time and notice how boldly Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, indicts “the world” of their sin of not believing Jesus and for crucifying him. Look at their response in Acts 2:37. The Holy Spirit convicted them. 

The take-away from this lesson is the joy and hope we have knowing that Jesus is risen and is at the right hand of the Father. He has given us the Holy Spirit. We can follow the leading of the Spirit and speak the truth of Jesus, trusting that the Holy Spirit will convict them accordingly and bring people to faith.