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Read Genesis 10 &11
Genesis 11:2 & 4 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there…4 Then they said, "Come, let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world." THE Tower of Babel points to a sinful pride demonstrated throughout Scripture and in the human heart. After the Flood, a large population gathered in a place to form a city Babel in “Babylonia” located east of Canaan, where Israel would be one day. Other history writings refer to Babel and the building of ziggurats, which were pyramid-like structures often used for worship. The people of one language desired to build something bigger. Here is the pride factor again. Their purpose was to make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world (Genesis 11:4) In effect they desired the same as Eve wanted the wisdom the forbidden fruit would give her. (Gen 3:6) Time after time, the human heart is filled with the pride of our accomplishments and desire for more. We fail to recognize God’s hand to create in our minds and hands the abilities to invent, build, write, develop, know and work. “Look what I have done.” is pride’s voice elevating us above God’s providence. When God said, “After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!” (Genesis 11:6b) he wasn’t concerned about technological advances. God knew, though, that as a united people their capacity for evil would increase. You could say it’s the one world order that consistently threatens God’s order on earth – man rules. In response, God’s sure judgment dispersed the people to form new languages and nations that would fill the earth. “Babylon” in the Bible is synonymous with self-seeking pride, arrogance and opposition to God. We will see read of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon conquering Judah one day and learn of God’s judgment against the prideful king and Babylon. In Revelation, the apostle John uses “Babylon” as a reference to Rome’s evil and to Satan’s ongoing opposition against God. Today Babylon exists in the prideful human heart. Sadly, our pride often destroys families, the church and community. The culture teaches, “Do as you desire. You can do anything you want.” These lies may “look pleasing to the eye”, but they cast God aside and destroy people’s souls. As we strive to live into God’s will, let’s be sure we credit God for what he has done and is doing in our lives. Let’s seek his will, so we know what we are to build to glorify his name. Read Genesis 6-9
Genesis 7:4 “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.” FOR some reason, the Great Flood has been recreated to become a nice children’s story. There seems to be no dread in our hearts of God’s will to destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. (Genesis 6:8) What do you say? Is this destroying God one you want to know, to love and to trust? Can he be the same God the apostle John defines in 1 John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. To know God through the Flood is to know God’s holy character includes love, law, judgment, grace, and salvation. He demonstrates each of these to Noah and his family, to the world then and to us today. Genesis tells us sons of God – righteous people – intermarried with women of the world- of sin – and all people became of the world. God’s creation followed Satan’s rule. In response, the righteous God judged their evil. Still we see his grace when he chose one righteous man to be the one to save mankind from total death. Noah became the way of mankind’s salvation into a new creation. With love God then empowered Noah to build the ark. He protected Noah’s family, the animals and the birds to come through the curse and be blessed to repopulate the new earth. Can you see, then, how Noah is a type – an image of the Christ? Noah was given knowledge to do everything exactly as God had commanded him. (Genesis 6:22) Noah obeyed God’s laws. He knew what we all must know: God is Creator, who commands his people to right living. It’s as if Noah was in the Father and the Father was in Noah. This was Jesus’ testimony to his life and ministry. John 14:11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. This must be your testimony, too. God’s just law points us toward a true love and fellowship with him and one another. Think about it. Do you ever trust or love one who says, “No rules here!” Of course not. If God had no law, there would be no way to the true way. That’s why our Lord’s law of redemption is now “flooding” the world with the blood of his one and only Son. Covered in Jesus’ blood, we know we are free of sin’s death. This is God’s law. Thanks be to God Read Genesis 4-5
Genesis 4:2b-7 When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. 6 "Why are you so angry?" the Lord asked Cain. "Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." ABEL’s and Cain’s story is an illustration of how sin corrupts God’s image in the human race. One aspect of God’s image in us is revealed in the brothers’ acts of worship. Every human heart has a desire to worship. We must learn God is the only One to whom we fully offer ourselves. Have you ever wondered how the brothers knew to worship God? We can easily believe God taught proper worship to his son Adam. Then Adam and Eve told their sons of God’s creation, his commands, their own disobedience, the curse and God’s promise to redeem the curse (Genesis 3:15). As Eve rejoiced in Cain’s birth, she seemed to be hopeful Cain is the man God promised to overcome Satan. Yes, Cain worshiped. But why was God displeased with Cain’s offering? We don’t know for certain because the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us. But there is some good evidence. First, the Bible repeatedly tells us the Lord desires true sacrifice. Perhaps, given Cain’s prideful nature, God did not see his offering as a sacrifice but as a convenience to Cain. Where’s your heart when you worship? Second, Cain obviously was very prideful. As the older brother he had the responsibility to lead Abel to true worship as God decreed, not in Cain’s own pleasure. Cain rejected the Lord’s command to repent. God cannot accept a sacrifice from a self-seeking, untrue heart. A third reason is God’s redemptive plan requires a blood sacrifice. In God’s law there would be grain and animal sacrifices. But the atonement – the true payment – for sins would only come in a blood sacrifice. Thus, we see the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world foretold here. We also see God’s mercy. God gave Cain the opportunity to worship correctly. Then after Cain’s premeditated murder of his brother, God put a mark on Cain to protect him from harm. But Cain’s sin was so strong in his heart, his entire life was a constant battle against God’s Word. What we can see in Genesis 4-5 is the beginning of two separate lines of people: those who obey God and those who do not. As you read Genesis 5, you have seen God replace Abel with the righteous Seth. And you have read of Cain’s continued disobedience, even as God spares and protects his life. This conflict is repeated throughout the Bible with people of God against people of evil. This will continue until the new heaven and earth when only God’s righteousness rules the earth. As a Christian, we must understand who we worship. When sin confronts you, do you look down in anger or up to God for his forgiveness? Is it God’s law you follow or your own desires? Who rules your life? |
AuthorBob James Archives
January 2025
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