"God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways." Genesis 6:12
It says the people "corrupted their ways." This isn't something that happened to them, but a decision the people made about their own lifestyles. They had a decision and instead of choosing the righteous path they chose evil. I'm sure they didn't wake up one morning and think, "I'm going to be evil now," but just one little decision at a time. "One little white lie won't hurt anyone." "I need it more than he does." "But it feels good." One step became twenty became a hundred and before they knew it they were enemies with God. What once was clearly wrong became normal and if it's okay for you than it's okay for me too. The devil can only lead us away from God if we let him.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Genesis 6:11
"Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence." Genesis 6:11
So we have Noah with his three sons living in a time of corruption and violence just running rampant across the entire world and he was still called a righteous man. That takes a lot of fortitude. How many times did Noah have to resist the temptation to repay the evil he received with more evil? How many times did he see victims he tried to help only to have the victims turn around and commit the same crimes and sins committed against them on others? How many times did he despair and almost loose all hope? How many times was he tempted to give in and give up on God and follow the example of his peers around him?
But he didn't. Noah remained a righteous man, walking continually with God. If Noah could do it with nothing but evil around him, why can't I when there are good influences around me?
So we have Noah with his three sons living in a time of corruption and violence just running rampant across the entire world and he was still called a righteous man. That takes a lot of fortitude. How many times did Noah have to resist the temptation to repay the evil he received with more evil? How many times did he see victims he tried to help only to have the victims turn around and commit the same crimes and sins committed against them on others? How many times did he despair and almost loose all hope? How many times was he tempted to give in and give up on God and follow the example of his peers around him?
But he didn't. Noah remained a righteous man, walking continually with God. If Noah could do it with nothing but evil around him, why can't I when there are good influences around me?
Monday, August 28, 2017
Genesis 6:10
"Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth." Genesis 6:10
So this righteous man had these three sons who are important to the telling of Noah's story.
So this righteous man had these three sons who are important to the telling of Noah's story.
Genesis 6:9
"This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." Genesis 6:9
Now, not only did Noah find favor in God's eyes, but, like his great grandfather Enoch, it says he walked with God. The way to find favor with God is to be in that continual conversation with him. God wants to have a relationship with each and everyone of us. It's hard to have a relationship when you never talk to someone. We've got to talk to him and listen and then maybe we can be described as people that walk with God.
Now, not only did Noah find favor in God's eyes, but, like his great grandfather Enoch, it says he walked with God. The way to find favor with God is to be in that continual conversation with him. God wants to have a relationship with each and everyone of us. It's hard to have a relationship when you never talk to someone. We've got to talk to him and listen and then maybe we can be described as people that walk with God.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Genesis 6:8
"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 6:8
Despite all the corruption around him, Noah managed to live a life pleasing to God. So even while he was sorry he had made man and planning to wipe them from the face of the earth, he looked at Noah and was pleased with what he saw. How amazing to be be able to keep yourself pure and good while all around you is encouraging the opposite.
Sometimes it may feel like that now in our world, that everything is encouraging just giving in to physical pleasures and selfish desires. Why is purity so great any way? And if God were to come now ready to destroy corrupt mankind, I can only pray that we would have mercy on me. The purity I've kept hasn't always been for the right reasons. I feel like I've been faking Christianity, hoping to just "fake it til you make it."
God, please help me do more than just fake it, but to be someone worthy of your love and favor.
Despite all the corruption around him, Noah managed to live a life pleasing to God. So even while he was sorry he had made man and planning to wipe them from the face of the earth, he looked at Noah and was pleased with what he saw. How amazing to be be able to keep yourself pure and good while all around you is encouraging the opposite.
Sometimes it may feel like that now in our world, that everything is encouraging just giving in to physical pleasures and selfish desires. Why is purity so great any way? And if God were to come now ready to destroy corrupt mankind, I can only pray that we would have mercy on me. The purity I've kept hasn't always been for the right reasons. I feel like I've been faking Christianity, hoping to just "fake it til you make it."
God, please help me do more than just fake it, but to be someone worthy of your love and favor.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Genesis 6:7
"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.' " Genesis 6:7
It seems unfair to wipe out the animals when it was mankind that angered God. Had the animals become corrupt like the men of that day? Can animals sin? We know that they are not made in the image of God like we are (Genesis 1:26), but do they have the cognitive functions necessary to make moral decisions?
GotQuestions.org suggests that possibility that the animals themselves were corrupt or that they were corrupted by their association with the men around them. Benson Commentary states that the animals were made for man so they were destroyed with man. Likewise, Barnes' Notes on the Bible states, "these animated creatures are not moral, and, therefore, the violent termination of their organic life is not a punishment." The point these commentaries are making is that they are just animals, so their destruction was not punishment, merely collateral damage for mankind's punishment.
It is important for us to remember the influence our decisions have. While we might think no one else will get hurt, that's not actually the case. What things do I allow myself to indulge in that change my perspective so that I no longer see sin where I should? What evil is happening around me that I am tolerating that I really should be doing something to stop it? Are these indulgences really only hurting me? Or are they hurting the world around me by letting myself become corrupted?
It seems unfair to wipe out the animals when it was mankind that angered God. Had the animals become corrupt like the men of that day? Can animals sin? We know that they are not made in the image of God like we are (Genesis 1:26), but do they have the cognitive functions necessary to make moral decisions?
GotQuestions.org suggests that possibility that the animals themselves were corrupt or that they were corrupted by their association with the men around them. Benson Commentary states that the animals were made for man so they were destroyed with man. Likewise, Barnes' Notes on the Bible states, "these animated creatures are not moral, and, therefore, the violent termination of their organic life is not a punishment." The point these commentaries are making is that they are just animals, so their destruction was not punishment, merely collateral damage for mankind's punishment.
It is important for us to remember the influence our decisions have. While we might think no one else will get hurt, that's not actually the case. What things do I allow myself to indulge in that change my perspective so that I no longer see sin where I should? What evil is happening around me that I am tolerating that I really should be doing something to stop it? Are these indulgences really only hurting me? Or are they hurting the world around me by letting myself become corrupted?
Monday, August 21, 2017
Genesis 6:6
"The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart filled with pain." Genesis 6:6
The Qbible translates that God wasn't just grieved by man's evilness, he also regretted ever creating man. In his article Genesis 6: Does God Make Mistakes? Morgen Kriedemann points out that God is not regretting a mistake he made, but rather the failings of mankind. He is sad to see the choices man has made and continued to make. It had gotten so bad and dangerous that he had to step in to protect the few believers still on the earth.
Just like verse 5 before, the word translated to heart can also be translated as inner most being or center. God was so grieved, he was pained to very core. Today God still sees the choices we make, the actions we take, and our inner most thoughts. What does he think of them? Are we, like those early men before us, grieving him so deeply that his heart is filled with pain? Or is he pleased with the choices his creation is making? I wish I could think the latter, but I fear he's probably grieving for us.
What can we do to change that? We can't control other people's thoughts or decisions, but we can control our own. Maybe something I do or say will at least cause someone else to think about it and re-examine their own life. A waterfall begins with one drop of water.
The Qbible translates that God wasn't just grieved by man's evilness, he also regretted ever creating man. In his article Genesis 6: Does God Make Mistakes? Morgen Kriedemann points out that God is not regretting a mistake he made, but rather the failings of mankind. He is sad to see the choices man has made and continued to make. It had gotten so bad and dangerous that he had to step in to protect the few believers still on the earth.
Just like verse 5 before, the word translated to heart can also be translated as inner most being or center. God was so grieved, he was pained to very core. Today God still sees the choices we make, the actions we take, and our inner most thoughts. What does he think of them? Are we, like those early men before us, grieving him so deeply that his heart is filled with pain? Or is he pleased with the choices his creation is making? I wish I could think the latter, but I fear he's probably grieving for us.
What can we do to change that? We can't control other people's thoughts or decisions, but we can control our own. Maybe something I do or say will at least cause someone else to think about it and re-examine their own life. A waterfall begins with one drop of water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)