Love or Gossip

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LOVE OR GOSSIP

Gen 9:18-29

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. 20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." 26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.   27 May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave." 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.

NIV

The first question is: if Noah was a man of the soil, why is it recorded that he planted a vineyard, but we are not told that he planted any corn, wheat, barley, or other food grains?  This vineyard would have taken a few years to produce grapes, and then some time for them to ferment into wine, which caused Noah to become drunk and pass out in his tent. Yet all that is covered in one verse. What Ham did was wrong, and if we consider what he did, we could say that he gossiped about his father, because he told his brothers about their father being drunk and passed out naked in his tent. Had Ham covered his father and kept his mouth shut, he would have never been under a curse. This could be the main clue about the horrible act of gossip and how the Lord does not look with favor upon it. Certainly, when we are not cursed if we gossip, for we live in the age of grace, that should not mean we have the right or the freedom to speak about the happenings of another, which would bring about some negative feelings about them. On the other hand, Shem and Japheth covered their father's nakedness, without looking upon him. This shows an act of love that covers a multitude of sins. Love is the opposite of gossip. We have Jesus' command to love others as we love ourselves. Why would we gossip about ourselves? If we love others, why would we gossip about them? There was a reason Noah was not pleased with what Ham did, and why he responded by cursing Ham, who became the father of the Canaanites, where God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to Canaan and gave them their land. Let us not give ourselves over to the same fate as Ham; let us decide to love, not gossip. 

Signs to Remember

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

 SIGNS TO REMEMBER

Gen 9:8-17

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you — every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." 17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

NIV

God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants as well as with all the living things that came out of the ark with him, all life, all that has the breath of life in it. We are those descendants of Noahwith whom the LORD God has this covenant. We never have to worry about another flood destroying all living creatures on earth. He gave himself a sign to remember his covenant, which is more like a promise. God set the rainbow in the sky to remind himself and us of his covenant. This is an affront to God for those who live some alternate lifestyle to claim the rainbow as their symbol. The rainbow is a symbol of God's eternal covenant between him and all mankind, and every living creature that shares this planet. However, God also said another pending destruction is in the works. We only have to pay attention to the Revelation that was given to John to know how the end and the beginning will take place. But for now, we live under the protection of this covenant between God and us, with the rainbow as a reminder. However, we have a newer covenant God made with us through the Cross of Jesus. He came to earth in the most humble of circumstances, not as a king or powerful ruler. He came to take our place on a cross. He died in our place, so that we would not have to die, but that we could live. This new covenant does not replace the one God made with Noah and his descendants with the rainbow. Still, this new covenant through Jesus is also an eternal one, an everlasting promise that whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. Of course, that means all who live that alternate lifestyle, the one that is an affront to God, will not see this everlasting life, but instead they will perish. That is the sad reality of making the wrong choice of refusing to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Yet, we have a promise, a covenant, both the Rainbow and the Cross, signs to remember. 

Dread and Harmony

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DREAD AND HARMONY

Gen 9:1-7

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. 7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."

NIV

This blessing upon Noah gives us the clue as to how God intended his creation to live in harmony with one another. Here, God tells Noah that from now on fear and dread of man will fall upon all the beasts of the earth, the birds, and every creature that moves along the ground, and all the fish. Once, as it was before the flood, man lived in harmony with all the animal kingdom, as well as it lived in harmony with man and each other. It would seem, although we are not specifically told, that all creatures, including man, were vegetarians, eating green plants, which, in our opinion, meant that the prey-and-predator system did not exist; the lion would have lain down next to the lamb. However, now God gives everything; that means the meat of animals for food. This would also have meant that the wild kingdom would become what it is today; the lamb would be prey for the lion. God also established his law concerning murder, and the justice for such an offense. All of us are made in the image of God; therefore, we do not have the right to kill someone who has been made in the image of God. The world has gone so far from the law of God; killing has become commonplace, for whatever reason man can fathom. Whole people groups have been subject to genocide, while one individual murders because of racism or some emotionally revengeful state. We, believers, have been given a stronger admonishment by Jesus. He correlated hatred with murder. If we were to get so upset and become angry with another believer that we refuse to love them, or refuse to forgive them for any offense, then we could be guilty of the same thing as murder. Jesus tells us that if we have any contempt toward another believer, we are subject to judgment. We wonder when we gossip if that is a form of contempt, or at least killing someone's reputation, thus killing them. It all goes back to the two commands of Jesus: that we are to love the Lord with our whole being and to love others as we love ourselves. We would never gossip about ourselves, nor would we do anything that would harm ourselves in any way. We want the best in our lives; we want the blessing of God in our lives, so that would mean we want the same for others. Although we may no longer be able to live in harmony with the animal kingdom, for they fear and dread us, we should be able to live in harmony with God and each other. 

A Pleasing Aroma

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A PLEASING AROMA

Gen 8:15-22

15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you — the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground — so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." 18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds — everything that moves on the earth — came out of the ark, one kind after another. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

22 "As long as the earth endures,   seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

NIV

The ordeal of the flood and the time of Noah and his family being within the ark had come to its conclusion. God told Noah it was time to come out of the ark. We can imagine how grateful Noah was that he and his family had survived, that he had found favor in the eyes of the LORD, and that he had been instructed exactly how to build that ark of safety. Noah saw, firsthand, the mighty power and salvation of the LORD. Was it any wonder that Noah built an altar and made a thanksgiving offering to the LORD? We are told the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, then made that promise of never cursing the ground again because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. This is where we must come to grips with our imperfection as mankind. From birth, we are born with our hearts bent toward evil. We cannot simply evolve into righteousness, for we never had it and will never have it unless we choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior; then he becomes our righteousness. That must come at some point in our lives. For some, it may not happen until later in life, as a full-grown adult, while some can choose early in life, as a child, maybe one living with believing parents. Either way, we each must take that step, first into the ark of safety, the cross of Jesus; then we must follow Jesus through the path he has laid out for us, as Noah did. Although Noah sacrificed some of the clean animals, we must be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the LORD.  Our lives should be a sweet-smelling aroma, pleasing to God. What does that look like in the practical sense? Although the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become pleasing to God, we must then proceed with our daily lives, doing all that life requires. It is how that plays out that matters: how we follow the Lord's instructions, his guidance, influence on our hearts, walking the path he has laid out for us, all the while doing what is needed to live, to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, all the while being a sweet aroma to the LORD. The other truth is in his promise: as long as the earth endures, which is the key truth, for he is the one who sustains the earth until his designated time for the end and the beginning of all things. In the meantime, let us live as a pleasing aroma to God.  

Let Us See

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LET US SEE

Gen 8:6-14

6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

13 By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.

NIV

By our calculations, which could be right or wrong, from the time the rain began in the 600^th year, 2^nd month and 17^th day, until the 601st year, 2nd month, 27th day, when the earth was completely dry, is 1 year and 10 days that Noah was in the ark. Although that is not the story for us today, it is interesting that God wanted us to know the exact times this event took place. Next, we will see that God told Noah to come out of the ark. Although Noah had a window so that he could send out the raven and then the dove, it was doubtful that he could see much of what was out there, as he had not yet removed the covering over the ark. However, on the day recorded, Noah removed the covering from the ark and was able to see that the ground was dry. We do not know what this covering was made of, but it could have been some kind of canvas-type cloth or boards of cypress wood that were able to come apart. Whatever it was, Noah was able to remove it and see that the surface of the ground was dry. This is where we get the clue for our lives. We wonder if it is possible that we had a covering or, for that matter, still have a covering over our hearts that keeps us from seeing the truth of God. When we remove that covering from our hearts, we can see the truth of what God has done, is doing for us and in us, and what he wants to accomplish through us. Noah removed the covering over the ark, so it would seem that we are the ones who should remove the covering over our hearts and minds. Yet, at the same time, the Father sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, so that he could uncover our hearts and minds, opening them and exposing them to his divine presence and influence. However, because God never forces himself upon us but gently persuades, we can refuse and keep that covering in place, so we can do what we want to do, when and how we want to. That brings us to the question of whose influence we listen to: ours or His. Lord, if there is any covering left, remove that cover, and let us see. 

Came to Rest

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CAME TO REST

Gen 8:1-5

8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

NIV

Interestingly, the word remembered seems to indicate that God had forgotten Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. That just cannot be, for how could God forget Noah? Was God's pain too much to think about Noah? Did he enact his revenge or judgement so severely on all mankind that he gave up on thinking he had Noah, who found favor in his eyes? That is not how the scripture reads, because the 'but' comes after the floodwaters had covered the whole earth, but God did not forget about Noah and all those who were with him in the ark, so he sent a wind to begin the process of drying up the water to expose the dry land. This gives us great encouragement because no matter where we are in life, God does not forget us. He always remembers us whether we are floundering in the water, being tossed to and fro by the storms of life, or we are resting in the ark, the cross of safety, secured on the top of the mountain of God. As the waters receded, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. It was just the bottom of the hull, so the ark was no longer floating around, but stood still while God caused the water to go down. This reminds us of when Jesus was sleeping on the boat, and the disciples, although at least four of them were fishermen, thought they were going to drown and woke him up. He calmed the storm, and they were safe. It does not matter what is going on in our lives, whether we are in a storm or resting in the cross, God always remembers us, always looks over us. Just as he caused the ark with Noah and his family to come to rest on the mountains of Ararat, he can cause us to come to rest, in a sense, on his mountain. This could be seen as the hills of Golgotha, the place where the cross of Jesus stood. From a certain angle, the hill takes on the appearance of a skull, so it is called the place of the skull. However, the point is that it is where we find rest for our souls, in Christ Jesus. All the storms of life, the waters, are caused to recede by the voice of God. There is where we came to rest. 

Saved From Perishing

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SAVED FROM PERISHING

Gen 7:17-24

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet.     21 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished — birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

NIV

That is a whole lot of water, when we consider the highest mountain was twenty feet under the water. We are told in Genesis 8 that the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat,  which is in present-day Turkey. Where it was built remains a complete mystery. However, the story is about rain and the flood gates of the deep covering the whole earth so that nothing on the land that had the breath of life in it could survive; everything perished. There are many theories about how everything came to be and how various layers of sediment formed; mostly, those theories come from people who refuse to accept creation by God and use dates of millions of years. But the story of creation holds water, and floodwaters are part of many cultures. We do not know what actually went on within the ark, as the storm raged outside. At some point, as the floodwaters began to rise, the ark started to shift and lift upwards on the surface of the water. We wonder what happened just outside the ark when the rain began- something no one had ever seen before. When it kept raining day after day, and the waters started to rise, could some of the people have screamed at Noah and banged on the ark, wanting him to open the door and let them in? However, God had shut him in; the door was sealed by God. Even if Noah wanted to let them in, he could not open the door. Did he experience pain in his heart, knowing his relatives were going to perish? Was there excitement in the ark, knowing they were safe by the instruction of God? Did they have any fear about the ark holding together in what must have been rough seas? Did the hundred and fifty days of the flood include the forty days and forty nights of rain, or were they counted after the rain stopped? Either way, that was a long time to be within the ark with all the animals. They must have kept busy feeding all the living things in the ark. However, everything was going just as God had planned it; everything was according to the divine will of God. We should take our clue from that singular fact. God is sovereign, and his will is always accomplished. Are we in the safety of the cross because God ordained that we would accept Jesus? Did we have the choice to reject Jesus? Perhaps God caused a rain or floodwaters, metaphorically, in our lives so that we would get into the ark, the cross of Jesus, which he built for us, so that we would not perish. However, we came to be in the ark of safety, the cross; we will be eternally grateful to God for his great mercy, compassion, and love for us, for just like Noah and his family, we have been saved from perishing. 

Shut In

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SHUT IN

Gen 7:6-16

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month — on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

NIV

The flood came at the specific appointed time God determined. He waited until Noah had finished the ark. We do not know the exact amount of time it took him. However, we know he was 500 years old when he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japhet and that it was in his 600th year when he entered the ark. His sons had grown old enough to marry, but we do not know whether he had already started construction before or after their marriages. We are not told for a reason, because that is not the important issue; still, an estimate is somewhere between 50 and 75 years. The 100-year theory does not meet the time frame of Noah's life. Nevertheless, the important issue is God's almighty power and ability, combined with his sovereignty. First, God commanded Noah to use cypress wood, which God would have made in abundance, so Noah would have enough to build such a large ship. Second, God inspired and commanded pairs of each living thing to come to where Noah was building the ark. This was no small feat, but then nothing is impossible for God. Once all the animal kingdom was in place, Noah and his family got in, again, just as God had commanded Noah. Then this incredible statement: Then the LORD shut him in. We cannot be sure, but we can only imagine that as Noah and his wife stood and looked out, they may well have seen a crowd, because this was a sight to behold. Noah might have made eye contact with a brother or sister, aunt or uncle, niece, or nephew. He could have felt pain in his heart, knowing they would perish in the floodwaters, and maybe wanted to invite them to join him one more time, but the LORD shut him in. However big the door was, large enough for elephants, giraffes, and maybe even dinosaurs, with a ramp leading up to it, the LORD shut the door, not Noah. This was a supernatural shutting and sealing of the door so that it would be waterproof, as well as shutting Noah and his family off from all the evil and violence of the world. Could we dare say that in some metaphorical sense the LORD has shut us in, protecting us from the evil and the violence in this world? Surely the 12 Apostles experienced death at the hands of the wicked. Certainly, we know in some parts of the world believers are being murdered by the thousands. We know the Jews were persecuted by Hitler unmercifully. Yet, although man may kill the body, the LORD has shut and sealed our souls, our spirits, in safety in Christ Jesus. 

There's Room

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THERE'S ROOM

Gen 7:1-5

7:1 The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made."

5 And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

NIV

This is the second time we are told that Noah did all that the LORD commanded him. The point is well made about doing that which the LORD commands. Again, we wonder how well we do when it comes to doing everything, all, following completely that which we are commanded to do. Noah did have an incentive to do all the LORD commanded him to do because all mankind was going to perish except him, his wife, their three sons and their wives, 8 people that would be safe in the ark while the whole earth would be covered with water and everyone and everything would drown. It is only through our imagination that we can visualize the scene. This ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, just sitting on dry land, nowhere near any body of water big enough to float it. Then God tells Noah to get in the ark, for water is going to come from the sky, something that had never happened up to then; at least that is what we are told when the whole earth was watered with a mist, or dew-like wetness, for the LORD had not sent rain on the earth. Noah would not have known about rain other than through this divine revelation God gave him. But our story is about the ark of safety. Today, there is no ark like the one Noah made, but the cross of Jesus stands as our ark of safety. God promised he would never flood the earth again, and he put the rainbow in the sky as a sign of his promise. Sinful man has hijacked God's sign, a holy sign, a holy commitment to his creation. They use that sign for the purpose of evil, of contempt against God. But it is the ark of safety, the cross of safety; for this wicked-filled earth will see the wrath of God poured out upon it, this time with fire, hail, water will be turned to blood, and all sorts of disasters will be upon the earth: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, violent events that will shake the core of the wicked. It is not that God wants them all to perish, but all that will happen is to bring them to repentance and come to the safety of the cross of Jesus. This should give us enough reason to make some attempt to invite them into the cross of safety before the pending disaster. What are we doing about inviting them? Are we just satisfied to be in the cross and not be concerned about anyone else? Although we are not told, we would think that Noah warned people, especially his brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, even his grandfather, Methuselah. We wonder if any of them had repented, if God would have told Noah to bring them into the ark. But no one did; the whole earth was full of violence and wickedness, and everyone perished except those in the ark. The ark only had so much room, but there is always room at the cross. 

Just as He Commands

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

JUST AS HE COMMANDS

Gen 6:11-22

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.   16 Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

NIV

God instructed Noah, as we know from previous verses, because Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. God knew Noah was not like all the rest of mankind who had corrupted their ways and lived as violent people. We cannot imagine how horrible it must have been to live during that time. Since the flood and the refilling of the earth with people, there have been times and places where violence was, and still is, the way of life for some people. People still corrupt their ways, yet at the time of Noah, it must have been so corrupt that it caused pain in God's heart, and he decided to wipe out all mankind. We have thought about that before, but now we have Noah, whom God looked upon with favor. We can recreate what the ark looked like; in fact, one man has done that, at least what it was like on the outside, and possibly what it could have been on the inside. Some think they have located the site where the ark came to rest, finding the overall dimensions, or a reasonable facsimile. Interestingly, God caused all the animals, birds, and whatever moves along the ground to come to the place where Noah was building the ark. All the food for Noah, his family, and all living creatures would still have been made up of some type of plants, as everything that grows was food for them; they had not yet been given meat to eat. However, as interesting as all the building of the ark and God sending all living things in pairs to Noah is, there is this one basic truth that applies to those of us who have put our faith in Jesus and decided to follow him. We are told that Noah did everything just as God commanded him. We wonder how successful we have been and are at doing everything God commands us to do. We believe the first part of being obedient to his command is being willing to listen. It seems all too often when we pray, we do more talking than listening. How are we supposed to know what God wants us to do unless we hear from him? There may be times we may not actually hear his voice, but he still wants to show us what we are to do. Maybe it is just an open door, a sign, a prophecy, or some other way he gets our attention. What we can know for sure is that because we have decided to follow Jesus, we are not alone in this life. God wants to be involved and use us for his divine purpose, as he did with Noah. The choice we have is whether we are going to ignore him and do our own religious thing, or we are going to do everything he commands us to do. Have we decided what we want to do for the kingdom, or have we decided to do everything he wants us to do? We simply cannot do both. In reality, our ways are still corrupt, no matter how good we think we are. When we follow what we think is the best, it is not the best. Let us be willing to listen and then do everything just as he commands us to do. 

Finding Favor

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FINDING FAVOR

Gen 6:5-10

5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air — for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

NIV

Man's wickedness is horrible to consider, regarding just how far their wickedness had gone that it caused pain in the heart of God, and that he grieved, or he was sorry that he had ever made man on earth. To think that God's heart was filled with pain. Then to think the inclination of man's heart was only evil all the time. That would mean there was never, ever, a moment in time when man's thoughts were about God. Man never gave any thought whatsoever about doing anything good, or seeking God, but only put his imagination to work finding more ways to do wicked things. Here is the proof of what will happen someday when he sits in judgment upon all those who continue to live in wicked ways. God wiped out all those whose hearts were inclined to evil all the time. Once again, a time is coming when God will wipe out all those whose hearts are bent toward evil all the time, those who refuse his salvation through Jesus. It will be different than causing a worldwide flood so that all the wicked would drown. This time the wicked will be sent into the lake of burning sulfur. We cannot even imagine how horrible that is going to be: to drown in burning sulfur, or to burn up and simply just perish, to be no more, to be completely destroyed. Why would someone choose that end for themselves? We know that kind of thinking, as once we were among those whose hearts were bent toward evil all the time, not even considering God, or that there was a God. However, somehow in a miraculous way the Lord broke through into our hearts and caused us to change the way we think about him. Here is where Noah comes onto the scene of history. He was a righteous man. There are two Hebrew words to define Noah: just and complete. He walked with God. This is where we come into this story. When we walk with God, we are then just and complete, or as we use the word, righteous; however, our righteousness is in Jesus. If we had not accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and responded to his call to follow him, we would not have any righteousness whatsoever. However, because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, are in Christ, and walk with God, we have found favor in his eyes. Being in Jesus is the only way to find favor. 

People of Renown

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PEOPLE OF RENOWN

Gen 6:1-4

6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days — and also afterward — when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

NIV

This may be one of the most misunderstood passages in Genesis. Some think these sons of God were fallen angels, immoral beings who took human wives, and their offspring were these giants of men, the heroes of old. However, the original language does not support that interpretation. At this point in human history, we have women who are descendants of Cain and Seth. We also know that at that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD. What the Hebrew words tell us is that there were men who were great men of God, called sons of God. We who follow Jesus, who take our faith to the fullest, living for God, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, are told we have the right to be called children of God, or sons of God, holy and righteous because of Jesus. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word "ben," children, or son. Men who called on the name of the LORD, however, that does not mean they were all that righteous, for they intermarried with any women they chose, without discrimination of their birthright, or from what line or whose descendant they were, and of what spiritual qualities they possessed.  They chose wives for their outward beauty. The offspring of the giants, in the land, or tyrants, they produced are called heroes of old, men of renown. What we learn from this narrative is that this world has become obsessed with outward beauty. This seems to be the reason we are drawn to someone at the start. Our culture has created one of the largest businesses, all based on products to enhance the outward beauty, which God looks at the heart. We are told not to choose a mate based on their outward appearance alone, and that believers should not intermarry with unbelievers, that we should not be unequally yoked. As men of God, we should have wives who are women of God; it is that simple, although that may not be as it always is. There is also this truth that, as men and women of God, we should be known as heroes of people of renown, people of faith, who believe and trust God, whose lives reflect his glory. Let us live as heroes, people of renown. 

Walked With God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WALKED WITH GOD

Gen 5:1-32

5:1 This is the written account of Adam's line.

When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man."

3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. 9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13, And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

NIV

We have the genealogy from Adam to Noah, and if we add up the ages of each father when their son was born, in that line, the total is 1,056 years. There are a few interesting facts. Many of the sons in that line were born early in their fathers' lives. We also have Noah's grandfather, Methuselah, who is the longest-lived man on record at 969 years. This would have meant that he met his death in the flood, as he would have been alive the whole time Noah was building the Ark. However, the most interesting event within this lineage from Adam to Noah is in the life of Enoch, the father of Methuselah. We know from the next chapters in the life of man that God was not pleased or grieved that he had made man because every inclination of their hearts was bent toward evil all the time. Yet, during the life of Enoch, we are told he walked with God. The result of walking with God did shorten his life span, but in the most glorious way, as God took him away. How wonderful that must have been to just resurrect up into heaven to be with God, right in the prime of life, as he was only 365 years old, especially when his son was the longest living man to ever live. Here, we are given a clue to God's mind and to how we should respond to his thoughts. Every person has a personal choice to make: either to let the thoughts of their heart be bent toward evil all the time or to walk with God. We know what happened in the world after Noah was instructed by God to build the Ark, and all the rest of mankind perished. Another perishing is going to happen, but not to those who are like Enoch and walk with God. The question that is before us is, what does it mean to walk with God? We sing those words, He walks with me, talks with me, and calls tells me that I am his own. Yet that does seem in reverse order, saying that God walks with me,  when instead we should be walking with him, because that means he is the one leading the way. When we walk with God, someday he will take us away. 

By Divine Plan

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE DIVINE PLAN

Gen 4:19-26

19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives,

"Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."

25 Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.

NIV

This is a strange poem of sorts that Lamach tells his two wives. This is also the first record of polygamy, a practice against the natural order of God. In Fact, unless one man and one woman live in holy matrimony, any other arrangement or living condition is outside the natural order of God. This brings to mind that those called to serve as overseers must be the husband of one wife, which may preclude single men from being called to that position. However, back to the point. Lamech was the fourth generation from Cain, and because Cain was protected by the mark of God against being killed, Lamech wanted his wives to be assured they had nothing to fear from revenge against the descendants of Cain. But the important part of this narrative goes back to Adam and Eve and the birth of Seth, and at that time, men began to call on the name of the LORD. We know that Seth was to be Adam's son by divine design. Seth fathered Enosh, who became the father of Kenan, who became the father of Mahalalee, who became the father of Jared, who became the father of Enoch, who became the father of Methuselah, who became the father of Lamech (the second), who became the father of Noah. All this is by divine order: Noah was in the line of Seth, the only line that survived the flood, meaning God knew from the beginning that Jesus would come through that line. We come right back to God's perfect plan. This should give us cause to put our complete uninhibited trust in the plan of God for our lives, as we continue to call upon the name of the Lord.

 

In or Out

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

IN OR OUT

Gen 4:17-22

17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.

NIV

Now the back story about Adam and Eve is coming to light. It is clear that all the people who lived in Nod, where Cain went after he was cast out of the presence of God, were in his family. That is not to say they were all his brothers or sisters, as we know Adam was one hundred and thirty when Seth was born, but how many children had they had before Cain was born, and how many years difference were there between Cain and Abel, and how many children were born between them. Some of them were adults, left home, obviously mated, had children that could have grown up to mate and have children, and so on, so that there could have been hundreds, if not more, by the time Cain arrived in Nod. Again, as we check with our scholars of old, there are as many opinions as there are scholars, for that is all we are left with: an opinion. Nevertheless, we see the beginning of the line of Cain. We have to remember that none of the descendants of Cain live on due to the destruction of all mankind, with the exception of Noah, his wife, Ham, Shem, and Japheth, and their wives. Ham became the forefather of the Canaanites and other nations. But the point is that Cain found a wife and began a family, with a son named Enoch, who, although he is not recorded until the next chapter, was the father of Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah. What we know from this account is that this group of people lived outside the presence of God, or at least God hid his presence from Cain, and so all the rest who lived in Nod did not know the presence of God and became the evil-filled people that God grieved that he had made man on earth. These were all those who died in the flood. We learn it is always good to live in the presence of the LORD. He will not hide himself again, but people can attempt to hide from him, or at least refuse his presence in their lives, trying to live according to their own pleasures, or in a sense, their own will. We, believers, have left our will at the foot of Jesus, submitting it to the Lord, for we know the only way to life is in Jesus according to the will of God. Cain represents mankind who lives outside the will of God; all believers represent those who live within the will of God, or at least should be living within his will.  Those who live outside his will eventually will be cast out, while those who live within his will eventually will be ushered into his rest. It comes down to being in or out. 

His Presence

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HIS PRESENCE

Gen 4:13-16

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

NIV

No one has any idea what this mark was that the LORD put on him, although, as many theologians of old there are, there are just as many different ideas. However, there is something else here which strikes a chord with us. We notice that Cain was concerned because he was going to be driven from his homeland, and hiden from the presence of the LORD, that is, he would no longer be part of his family, or his family's worship of the LORD. Of course, he already disobeyed the LORD by killing his brother Abel. Nevertheless, now to be banished from his family was more than he could bear. Interestingly, the verbiage is very similar to what Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica about those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. This was the judgment of Cain: to be shut out, hidden from the presence of the LORD. Yet the Psalmist asked, "Where can I flee from the Lord's presence?" If he went up to heaven, God is there; if he went to the depths, God is there; nothing would hide him from the presence of the LORD. Yet Cain was shut out, banished from the presence of God.  We are and will for the rest of this life be grateful that for Jesus, and that we have been accepted, adopted as a child of God. We are assured we will always be in his presence. Just as the LORD put some kind of mark on Cain, he has marked us with the Holy Spirit. Just as no one would be able to kill Cain because of that mark, no one can kill us because of the Spirit. Yes, our bodies may be destroyed somehow, killed, or simply die in some manner, but we will never die, because we have the Spirit of God dwelling within, and Jesus promised that although we die, we will live. Cain went to the land of Nod and found a wife, whom we will get to next, and there again, much has been said about who those people in Nod were. But for now, let us live in the wonderful presence of our Lord, giving him all the praise and honor he is due for his great love and compassion toward us in the person of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for us, and brought us back from the land of banishment, the land of darkness, into his wonderful light and his presence. 

Anger's Answer

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ANGER'S ANSWER

Gen 4:8-12

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

NIV

Just as a side note, we have discovered that this request of Cain, "let's go out to the field," does not appear in the original text; rather, it says, "Cain talked to his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. Not that it is important to the truth in this narrative, just interesting. The fact still remains that the attitude of anger became action. Cain was so upset and angry,  first at God because his offering was not respected as Abel's was, then his anger turned toward his own flesh and blood, his brother. Although Cain did not have the teachings of Jesus, as we do, when he quoted one of the Ten Commandments, "Do not murder," but then went on to teach that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to the same judgement as a murderer. After this horrible act by Cain, God asks a similar question that he asked Adam and Eve after hiding. "Where is your brother, Abel?" God knew exactly where Abel was, but he was giving Cain the opportunity to confess his sin and seek forgiveness. But just like Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, Cain's answer was evasive, actually a lie, "I don't know". But then made matters worse with what appears to be a question: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Why always some excuse, which caused him to be judged and to be under a curse, being driven from his home. His chosen field of endeavor, farming, was taken from him, as the ground would no longer yield its crops for Cain. It would have been far better for Cain, first, not to allow anger to master him, second, not to allow his anger to become action,  but even then, he could have repented, although he did not, so we do not know how God would have dealt with his repenting heart. We should note that we are never allowed to adopt an angry attitude or become angry because we think someone offended us. Just because we are believers and under the grace of God does not mean we are free to disregard the teachings of Jesus, that anger is under the same judgment as murder. If we follow Jesus, we would learn from him and be people who are gentle and humble of heart, which would preclude ever becoming angry, and instead listen to anger's answer. 

The Path Outward

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE PATH OUTWARD 

Gen 4:1-7

:1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

NIV

This was a time of joy, for now Adam and Eve had become parents. Their firstborn was a son, and not long after, a second son. This should have been a great time in the lives of that first family, but that joy would soon be turned to sorrow, as we know what happened. But that is next; for now, let us consider what was going on in the mind of Cain. The reason for this look into the mind of Cain is that we are told the Lord did not look with favor on his offering of some of the fruits of the soil. However, the LORD did look with favor on Abel because his offering was from the firstborn of his flock. Cain did not bring the first fruits, just some fruit, and we believe that was the major problem with his offering. Can we say that God was not interested in some of, but wanted the first of? However, because Cain did not receive favor from God, or the respect of his offering, his countenance fell, he became downcast, angry, most likely at God first, but then his anger turned toward his brother Abel. This is why God asked Cain about his anger. If he had brought what was right, the first fruits of the land all would have been right. This anger was sin crouching at the door of his heart. He could have turned that rebuke, or correction of the LORD, into doing what was right, but he refused correction, and as we know what happened next, he did not make an effort to master his anger, but allowed it to master him. Perhaps that is our lesson from this narrative. What sinful attitude or behavior do we allow to master us? Is there an attitude that we enjoy too much to even try to master it? Is there a behavior we enjoy too much, even if it is not pleasing to the Lord, that we do not want to even make an effort to master? However, even if we try to look good, keep that façade in place, so others think we are a "Good Christian", we might harbor an attitude that we enjoy too much to take any correction, rebuke, or teaching from the Lord about it. Could we be guilty of thinking, "My will" instead of "His will"? That could have been Cain's problem, as he was more concerned about himself and what he wanted to give, rather than asking the LORD what he should give. Although we know that we have Jesus and a way back in, Cain allowed his anger to lead him down the path outward. 

 

A Way Back In

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A WAY BACK IN

Gen 3:20-24

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

NIV

Well, well, they got kicked out of the paradise of God because they did not listen, pay attention, believe, or obey the word of God about that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The word used is banished, as the Hebrew word means sent away, or the man was kicked out of the garden of Edon. He was sent out to work the ground from which he was taken. Now Adam had to labor for his food, which was once just there for the taking. And if being sent out, kicked out, or driven out, God placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim, some kind of angelic being, together with a flaming, flashing sword going back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Therefore, Adam and Eve no longer had the option of eternal life; they were going to die because of their sin. This case of Adam and Eve was sad, but at the same time, it gives the rest of mankind an example of God's justice: that he is always faithful to his word. He told them that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die, and that is exactly what happened to them. Knowing what happened, we should make sure that we listen, pay attention, believe, and obey the word of the Lord. God's justice will always prevail; His will is always going to be accomplished. However, he has also provided a way back into his paradise. It may not be the exact same Garden of Eden; in fact, it won't be, but Jesus has prepared a new paradise, and by his coming to earth to pay the penalty for our sins, or our not paying attention, not obeying the word of God. In a sense, we have a way back into the Garden of Eden, and it is not through some effort or payment of ours, for Jesus made the effort and the payment so that we can now eat from the tree of life. Jesus made so many references to him being the life. He is the vine, and we are the branches. The only way for the branch to live and bear fruit is when it is connected to or lives in the vine. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only way to life. We are told in the letter to the church that he or whoever overcomes will be given the right to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. We are also told in that same revelation that was given to John that running down the center of the great new city of God is a river with on each side is the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit every month and that those who are blessed are those who washed their robes, that they may have the right from

            

the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. We have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and so we may enter into the paradise of God and eat from the tree of life, for Jesus made a way back in. 

The Judgment

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE JUDGMENT

Gen 3:16-20

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

NIV

The serpent was judged, and now the LORD God spoke his judgment on the woman first, and then on the man. What God said to the woman has been either forgotten or deliberately disobeyed. Because women usually experience pain during childbirth, it would make sense that the full judgment must come true, which is that the wife should have a desire for her husband and that he rules over his wife. There is no way around this, as the Hebrew word translated as rule carries the meaning of having dominion over, to govern, to reign, rule, or have power over. Perhaps there are two problems at work in our post-modern culture in our country.  First, there is the disobedience of many women in submitting to their husbands. The second is that the husband is not being the man he should be. God's first judgment of Adam was because he listened to his wife instead of being the head of their household, which would or should have prevented Eve from listening to the advice of another. There is much said about the relationship between a husband and a wife in the New Testament that bears out this truth. God spoke to both the man and the woman, but it does seem as though much of this truth has gone by the wayside, left behind, forgotten, or disregarded. The judgment against the man was that through painful toil, or work for our sustenance, all the days of our lives. How many men work all the days of their lives? It seems most men have taken up, disobediently storing up wealth for their sixty-fifth year, when they decide to stop working all the days of their lives, to do nothing, or whatever they decide to do as a retiree. It would also seem that many men have abdicated their responsibility as head of the household, putting their wives under pressure; they were not designed by God to experience. In fact, because so many women have desired to be equal with men and have entered the workforce with a vengeance to gain positions of leadership, more women now die of heart attacks than men. The point is that many men have failed to be the husbands God designed them to be. Many women have also failed to be the wives God designed them to be. Can we solve this dilemma? Only if we live according to the truth of God, according to his judgment. 

The Sentence

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE SENTENCE

Gen 3:14-15

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,

"Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

NIV

Much has been said by the theologians of old regarding who this serpent was and what it became. However, we notice that, whatever this creature was, it had no defense; it could not blame anyone, as both the man and the woman had. Whatever creature it was, apparently it stood upright, maybe not two-footed, but maybe a quadruped; however, it was of the highest order above all other of the livestock and wild animals. The sentence was pronounced on this creature, changing it from whatever it was to becoming something like a snake, or maybe even an earthworm, for they literally eat the dust. Whatever the agent was that tempted the woman, it was just an agent of Satan, and this sentence was against him, more than upon the agent he used. We have been subjected to agents of Satan all our lives; in fact, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, all their offspring, all mankind, were born with what has been labeled as "original sin". There is none righteous, not one, we have all turned aside from God.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, quotes that truth from the Psalmist. So what are we to do? The tempter has been sentenced; he is doomed, he will eat dirt, so to speak. He is the lowest of the lowest, the least of the least; his future is to perish, yet he continues to try to bring us down with him. He may have thought he stuck the heel of Jesus, but Jesus crushed his head, demolished his stronghold on man. The tempter  no longer has any power over those who have decided to follow Jesus. He may try to tempt, he may use some agent to bring about our temptation, but all he can do is create an illusion, because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within. There cannot be two spirits in our being; the tempter cannot be within us. He cannot speak to us as he did with Eve. There may be times we fail, we fall, but it is not the tempter's fault; it is our own. We might be able to blame Satan, as that old Flip Wilson saying, "The Devil made me do it," indicates. But the truth is, no one makes us do it, except ourselves. The tempter has been judged and sentenced. We, who are in Christ, will not be judged, for we have already been declared innocent, holy, and pleasing in the eyes of God. Jesus broke that chain that we were connected to Adam and Eve with; He broke us free, and because Jesus set us free, we are free indeed. This is the sentence. 

Where Are You?

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHERE ARE YOU?

Gen 3:8-13

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

NIV

What is referred to as the fall of man is the central theme of this act of feeling shame and covering their nakedness. We have the conversation between God and the man and the woman when God finds them hiding among the trees and asks that penetrating question, "Where are you?"  Surely, God knew exactly where they were physically hiding among the trees, but he wanted them to expose themselves, to come out and admit where and why they were trying to hide from him. Much has been said about the man making the excuse, actually blaming God for putting the woman here in the garden with him, that it was her fault, she gave him the fruit to eat. Of course, the woman blamed the serpent. But what may have been missed in this narrative is that incredible question from God, "Where are you?" This is the question he could be asking any of us at any time in our lives. Could there be times when we think we might be able to hide from God? When we start to listen to our own heart, wanting our own way, thinking we can choose what we do, how we do it, and when we do it, then perhaps we are either deceiving ourselves or being deceived by 'the serpent'. God is asking us, "Where are you?" Where are you spiritually? Where are you in your spiritual journey? Where are you in either your obedience or rebellion?  Have you chosen religion instead of me? Have you eaten from the tree of religion, rather than from the tree of life? Have you chosen good works instead of my grace? "Where are you?" Why do we try to hide from God, even when we want what we want, when we want it, which ends up being sin? Do we think he will reject us, throw us out of the garden, as he ended up doing with Adam and Eve? The major difference is that Jesus is "The Gate." He made it clear when he said, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters through me will be saved". Jesus opened the way back into the garden, into the paradise, the very presence of God, where we can walk with him, talk with him, and he will tell us we are his own, and joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. If God ever asks, "Where are you?" we need to answer, "I am here, Lord". 

The Lie

 

DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE LIE

Gen 3:1-7

3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

NIV

This is one of the most difficult yet most important passages. The question of the ages has always been about the identity of the serpent. This creature was made by God the same day he formed man, and, according to the account, this creature walked upright, spoke the same language as Adam and Eve, and had reason, as it reasoned with Eve during its temptation of her. None of the great theological minds has come to an agreement as to what kind of beast this was, other than it was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. We could not speculate, as we have no basis to know what kind is meant by the term serpent, although every time the Hebrew word is used, it is translated as serpent, at times implying a type of snake, but then that was the curse placed upon it for its role in the fall of man. However, the point we believe is relevant to the truth is that the attempt to deceive with a lie always comes from the mouth of Satan. Then we would have to believe this serpent, whatever type of beast, was an agent used by Satan to draw Eve away from believing God. Because that is the truth of this passage, we can be certain that all temptations are from the evil one, Satan, or an agent he uses, to draw us away from believing God. There is no question that we are all born with sin, and in our human condition, we will never be totally free from all sin. However, what is the cause of our sin, and does it draw us away from believing God? Surely, we believe in God, but the serpent's temptation of Eve was not about her belief in God, but her believing God. This is the question for our hearts: do we believe God? It is a much larger issue than believing in God. Can we say that all temptations are an effort to sway us from believing God? Had Adam and Eve told the serpent that they would stick with believing God, they would not have fallen, and sin would not be in the world today. They had the choice to believe God or the lie.  Then we need to deal with the omniscience of God, that he knew before creation, this temptation and acceptance to believe evil rather than him would happen, and that Jesus would need to come to redeem his creation, giving them back the choice to believe the serpent, or God. That is always the choice, but when we fall, does that mean we choose at the moment to not believe God? That seems to be true, no matter how much we say we believe what God has said. We should always remember his forgiveness, his grace, his love, his mercy, that we are in Christ, our sins are covered by his blood, we have been washed cleaner than the whitest snow, and that we have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us. Thank you, Lord!

Naked and Shameless

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NAKED AND SHAMELESS

Gen 2:23-25

23 The man said,

"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

NIV

Now that God took the rib from the side of man and made a suitable helper for him, he brought her to the man, who, just as he named all the living things on the earth, he named her 'woman' for she was taken out of man. Some would say that her identity is associated with the man, or that the woman exists from man, and therefore was made for man. However, in the context of the scripture, it clarifies the exact relationship. Although at the time of this beginning, the account was put into words, there were many fathers and mothers; yet, at the time woman was taken out of man, there were none. Yet the truth remains that the two shall become one flesh. This Hebrew word, translated as "flesh," can mean exactly one body, but it is also used to refer to blood relatives, kindred. The idea is that the two should become one person, united. This would indicate that there are not two individuals, each with their own agendas, plans, or goals; they would be living as one, united. Because of further instructions given by God regarding the family structure, God has given the man the responsibility for the woman, or husband and wife. Because the husband is held accountable to God for his wife, he has also been given authority over his wife. That is not the most popular concept in our modern age, where, in the most recent years, the push for equal rights has been at the forefront.  However, in light of God's word, the two are one; they are already equal, for one cannot be divided into two with one half trying to be more than the other, but they would only be half of one, not one. The other truth we should consider is that Adam and Eve, man and his wife, were both naked and felt no shame. That is how God intended them to be, naked and without shame. Of course, we now wear clothes, but the idea is that we should be living bare before God, naked, exposed, hiding nothing from God, and living with no shame. At this point in their lives, Adam and his wife had not committed any act of disobedience or sin, so they had no reason to feel shame. We cannot say that we have not committed sin or that we do not continue to have sin in our lives. However, when the Holy Spirit convicted us of our need to repent, to change the way we think about God, our lives, and sin, we turned from a sinful life to believing the truth of God and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When we did that, it did or does not mean we are now sinless, but because of Jesus, we are still able to live without shame, for God has declared us innocent, or holy and pleasing in his sight. Because our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus, shame has been covered. Let us live bare, naked, and shameless before God. 

Side by Side

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SIDE BY SIDE

Gen 2:18-22

18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

NIV

Why is it one of the important truths that it is not good for man to be alone? All creation, every living thing, was created male and female, for God had already commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. On the sixth day, as stated, he made male and female, but now we are getting into the details of how he did that.  First, he made a man and gave him charge over the garden to tend it, for the garden provided all the man needed for food. However, this man was alone; there was no suitable helper or helpmate. God formed the man from the dust or dirt of the land with his own hands and breathed life into him, but he did something different when he made the woman. He took a rib from the man's side to make the woman. First, we believe that was an important act of God with a specific purpose. The Hebrew word used for the suitable helper is Ezer, which means aid, one who helps, and when combined with the word for mate, which is in the Hebrew, Neged, which has many uses, but in the context it is used to mean parallel to, or in front of, opposite, from before the eyes of, opposite to. In other words, as the woman was taken from the man, they are not the same, but quite different. Nevertheless, God determined that the woman's expressed purpose was to aid the man. That is an extremely unpopular concept in Western culture. Because she was made from a rib, or the side of man, it appears that God wanted the woman to walk at man's side, or that they were to walk side by side as equal creations of God, but with different functions. God did not take a bone from the man's head to put the woman in charge of him, nor a bone from his foot to put the woman subject to him, as some Eastern cultures have established. Side by side, to walk together, with the woman being the aid to the man. Without being chauvinistic, we have, for the most part, lost that truth in our modern culture in several ways. First, it is not good for man to be alone; this applies when men are chosen to serve the Lord in some ministry. The overseer must be the husband of one wife, meaning a single man would not be called into ministry, for he has no aide mate. Second, this world has gone so far from God's truth, with men trying to be women and women trying to be men. This is true in both the gender sense and the purpose sense. In our culture, we have witnessed the equality of men and women taken out of the context of God. God made the woman and brought her to the man. It is that simple, but we will see how the man responded to the woman God brought to him. We could see this as man and his helper, or living side by side. 

God's Paradise

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD'S PARADISE

Gen 2:8-17

8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.   14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

NIV

The first truth is that man's attempt, as intellectual as they think they are, is only a feeble attempt at best to discover the location of the Garden of Eden, and the current names, if in fact they are relevant, of the four rivers. This place and its rivers will never be found, just as the ark of the covenant. The garden in the east, Eden, was a specific place created by God for the express purpose of placing the man he formed in a paradise that supplied all his needs. We should consider the future paradise that Jesus has prepared for those who follow him, those who are born again. There will be another physical place created by God, the Son, which will come down from heaven. It is the new city of Jerusalem that will rest on the new earth. Just as there are many opinions about where the garden was, there are just as many about what this new city looks like. Ours is just that, an opinion, but we cannot help but think because God appeared to Moses on Mt Sinai, referred to as the Mountain of God, this new city will be a Mountain of God, only its base will be fifteen hundred miles long and wide, and just as high, with a great high and wide wall around it. The point is that it is a paradise where God will place his people, where every need will be met. From the description, there will be many trees of life, bearing fruit that will never perish. However, there will be no tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know what happened to Adam and his helpmate Eve, as they were deceived by the serpent through the influence of Satan. This is the choice every person must make in their life. To eat from the tree of life, representing the influence of Jesus in their lives, and live, or eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, representing the influence of Satan in their lives, and surely they will die. Of course, there is the question of believers accepting the influence of Jesus in our lives; we are constantly faced with temptations by Satan, but that is all they are, attempts to draw us away from Jesus. Sure, we are not perfect beings, as God intended Adam to be; his fall, his disobedience, his sin is upon us all, yet Jesus came to give us a fresh start, a new life, so we live under his influence. Let us live so that we will be in God's paradise. 

The Breath of Life

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE BREATH OF LIFE

Gen 2:4-7

4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens —  5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground —  7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

NIV

We cannot tell for certain, but from all this account of what the earth, or ground, or land was like before any rain, we must only ponder what the face of the earth was like.  Because there was only a mist, which is a more accurate translation of the Hebrew, there would have been no soil erosion from the mountains. We are not told if there were rivers, raging waters, like the Colorado, that would have eroded the Grand Canyon, or if God formed it just for his own pleasure, just as when he formed the great peaks of the Himalayas. But now he formed man. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for man is 'adam, which is also the name of the first man, Adam.  Because God formed man from the dust of the earth, what makes it so wonderful is that the Hebrew word for dust, or ground, is 'adamah, which then makes 'adam a form of 'adamah. This brings to mind what Solomon wrote about the fact that we were made from the dust and will return to dust, it is the cycle of life, that we are no different or have any advantage over the animals, that all with the breath of life experience the same end. However, God has another thought regarding what will happen to the man he formed from the ground. Because he formed us in his own image, we are different from all other living things. We are the only creation of God that is aware of itself, or sentient. We might want to make certain species of the animal kingdom aware of themselves, but they all function on the instincts God instilled in them. Man is the only one who was formed from the dust of the ground into their own image. We can see that as a triune form, Spirit, soul, and body, or we can see that as we are the only ones who are sentient, aware of how we were formed by the hand of God and how he breathed his breath into our nostrils, giving us life. This means every breath we take is the breath of God. Some have said that the sound of our inhales and exhales is the word, Yahweh. Whatever it sounds like, we know without a doubt that God breathed life into us.