Bill Blurb: This post is longer than I intended, but again, like Genesis 3, there are many profitable avenues to explore, including one hilarious, and one amazing video. Come back and explore the links if you want to develop a reasonable faith.
Psalm 3:1-4 Believe What God Said, Not What Others Say
A Psalm by David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
Psalm 3:1 "YAHWEH, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me. 2 Many there are who say of my soul, "There is no help for him in God." Selah. 3 But You, YAHWEH, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head. 4 I cry to YAHWEH with my voice, and He answers me out of His holy hill. Selah."
Observation: Yahweh is God's name in covenant relationship with Israel, frequently translated LORD (in capital letters). Selah means stop and think about it. When we focus on our problems things can look hopeless. When we focus on our God's power, provision, and protection, we become hopeful.
Application: Prayer is for answers. When you call to God, look for the answer. (See Jeremiah 33:3).
Prayer: God, I praise You for revealing Yourself to be my Helper, Protector, and Provider; help me to not lose sight of You when the alligators are nipping at my earlobes. Amen.
Proverbs 1:15-16 Don't Walk, Run
1:15 “My son, don’t walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path, 16 for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.“
Observations: 1:15-16 Wise parental advice helps children see the consequences of actions that the naive don't notice. The enticing sinners of the previous verses spoke of the gain of wickedness. The reality is that the sinners will suffer loss (next verses), particularly for shedding innocent blood (which ranks right up there with idolatry and arrogant pride as things that bring God's wrath upon humans). These verses warn against taking steps in the wrong direction, particularly with the wrong companions, because the destination is destruction.
Application: Before setting foot on an enticing path, find out what lies at the end of it; if it leads to evil, don't walk on it, run the other way.
Prayer: God, give me discernment to keep me from going down the wrong paths; send me warnings from others if I can't see that well myself. Thanks for protecting me. Amen.
Genesis 6-9
For a comedic account see the conversation between God and Noah, (If the link doesn't work Google “Noah, how long can you tread water?”). Totally worth it!
Genesis 6 How Long Can You Tread Water?
6:3 "Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years.”... 5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 Yahweh was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart. 7 Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes.
9 This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
13 God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make a ship... 17 I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die.18 But I will establish my covenant with you...22 Thus Noah did. According to all that God commanded him, so he did."
Observations: Once again, a good guy (like Abel, who does what God wants) and bad guys (like you know who, who do whatever they want).
6:1-4 (Full text below) Did angels hookup with women? (Answer somewhere below.) Does knowing the answer make a difference in how you live today?
6:9 Noah, like Enoch faithfully strolled with God, and God took care of him.
Faith is believing that God is Who He said He is, and will do what He said He'll do.
Faith is believing that God is Who He said He is, and will do what He said He'll do.
Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7 By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."
The righteous, blameless, fully obedient Noah, was a lot like Job. The book of Job was written during the time of the patriarchs, and gives a portrait of a person who makes God delighted rather than “depressed”.
Job 1:1 "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil." (Cf. Job 1:9)
6:12 “corrupt” is used twice, once in the passive (Niphal) and then in the causative (Hiphil) [Click on the Online Bible verb parsing for details.] Note the characteristics of the bad guys, who corrupted their way (which implies what?).
6:13 Why is there violence? Because folks want what they want, when they want it; rather than obeying and waiting on God to give what's best when it's best.
6:18 Note the significance to the Exodus generation (only Joshua and Caleb paid attention.)
Application: Have you purposed to trust, fully follow, and do all that God has commanded you, even though no one else in your generation does? How will you follow through on that purpose? May God be with you (Matthew 28:18-20).
Prayer: God of Sky and Storms, though none go with me, still I will follow. Help your servant float on top of the waves today. Amen.
Genesis 7 How Do You Catch a Blue Woolly Mammoth?
7:1 "Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before Me in this generation...5 Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
11...all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky’s windows were opened. 12 The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. 16 Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and Yahweh shut him in...19 The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered...23...Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 24 The waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days.
Observations: Truth is that which best explains ALL the facts. Why are marine fossils found on the top of Mount Everest? How does a glacier catch and flash freeze a healthy tropical woolly mammoth in the middle of lunch? How can a ten foot high jumble of perfectly preserved predators playing Twister with their intact prey be uncovered in the fossil record? How did the Matterhorn take a 50 mile hike without leaving a footprint? How did a 135 mile by 15 mile section of Glacier National Park do a headstand without breaking apart? Why does Noah's Ark win first place design award among Ancient Civilization Flood Accounts?
Digging Deeper: First, the answer to catching a Blue Woolly Mammoth... use a blue woolly mammoth net. (*Groan*) “How do you catch a White Woolly Mammoth?” “Errrr, with a white woolly mammoth net????” “One would think so, but no. You grab his trunk and twist it so he can't breath, and then when he turns blue, you use your blue woolly mammoth net.” (*Double Groan*, then tell it to someone else.)
If you want a more scientific explanation of the facts, in six minutes Walter Brown, another MIT PhD (and a lot more) gives a compelling view of the facts. It's better than Bill Cosby, though it starts a little slow.
For Digging Even Deeper. Find the sermon summarizing of lot of relevant findings, with supporting links on Truthbase.net. Check out the five flood links under Resources below.
Genesis 8 BBQ
Observations: A whole burnt offering (WBO), burned up the entire animal. In most sacrifices, the worshiper burned the guts (symbol of the will being submitted to God), gave the priest his “cut,” and then had a BBQ with his family and friends, while he told them about how God had saved or blessed him. In the WBO, God got it all. It was total dedication.
Genesis 9 Fruitfulness and Fruit of the Vine
9:1 "God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4 But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His own image. 7 Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”
8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “As for Me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you...11 I will establish My covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the token of the covenant...13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth...
20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent...28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died."
Observations: 9:1 Blessing like Adam's.
9:3 Burgers legit. Carnivores rejoice!
9:4 Blood pudding is a no-no. Life is in the blood (note: a blood sacrifice is a reminder that rebellion is worthy of death).
9:6 Beginning of Capital Punishment. (As a deterrent? Do the research; check source bias.)
9:8-13 If God kept His covenant with Noah, He would also with the Exodus Generation.
9:20-27 Righteous Noah's self indulgence gave others an opportunity to sin.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: He blesses the good guys; He's patient with sinners, giving them opportunity to repent (1 Peter 3:20, 2 Peter 3:9-10), but there is a limit to His patience (2 Peter 2:5). He keeps His promises.
Us in a nutshell: When we follow our heart to please ourselves, we displease God and suffer the consequences. There are righteous folks who find favor with God and reap the blessings. Starting well is no substitute for finishing well.
Last Application: Some consider “sons of God” to be angels (cf Job 1:6). The Greek mythology has the “gods” seducing humans. But the judgment in Genesis 6 is on humans.
The mighty men of old, men of renown, were clearly humans. Some have suggested demonic possession as an explanation. Maybe. Regardless, despite having “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” they didn't do too well in the flood of judgment. Don't wait until we get Psalm 52 to take corrective action; by then it might be raining.
Psalm 52:7 "Behold, this is the man who didn't make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness."
Where to Go for More:
See www.icr.org for even more fact based evidence.
Genesis 6-9 (complete text)
Genesis 6
6:1 "It happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 that God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose. 3 Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters. They bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 Yahweh was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart. 7 Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes.
9 This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
13 God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15 This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. 17 I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come to you, to keep them alive. 21 Take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did. According to all that God commanded him, so he did."
Genesis 7
7:1 "Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. 3 Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. 4 In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Every living thing that I have made, I will destroy from the surface of the ground.”
5 Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 7 Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the waters of the flood. 8 Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground 9 went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 10 It happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky’s windows were opened. 12 The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship; 14 they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 They went to Noah into the ship, by pairs of all flesh with the breath of life in them. 16 Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and Yahweh shut him in. 17 The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. 19 The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 21 All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. 23 Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 24 The waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days."
Genesis 8
8:1 "God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. 2 The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters receded from the earth continually. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased. 4 The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains. 5 The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
6 It happened at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, 7 and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 He sent out a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, 9 but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him into the ship; for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 10 He stayed yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. 11 The dove came back to him at evening, and, behold, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 12 He stayed yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him any more.
13 It happened in the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dried. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
15 God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ship, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.”
18 Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.
20 Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in His heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again strike everything living, as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”"
Genesis 9
9:1 "God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4 But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat. 5 I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His own image. 7 Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”
8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated. 20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. 24 Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25 He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers.” 26 He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” 28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died."
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