From Our Hearts

One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They noticed that some of His disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. . . . So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” Then He said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” He said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and His disciples asked Him what He meant by the parable He had just used. “Don’t you understand either?” He asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, He declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) And then He added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mark 7:1-2, 5-23 (NLT) see parallel reference at Matthew 15:1-20 and Old Testament reference at Isaiah 29:13.

The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day were often hostile towards Him and His ministry. In fact, some religious leaders would follow Jesus from place to place simply to watch for something to criticize. The religious leaders had created many man-made traditions. The Jews called their traditions “the fence of the Law.” These man-made traditions and teachings were often considered as authoritative and important as the Word of God—even though they contradicted living Word of God. Sadly, these traditions were external religious rituals and empty words to the lips (Isaiah 29:13). These traditions and rituals were not motivated by love and mercy, but by a desire to appear holy and to increase their status with people (see also Matthew 23:23-28). The religious people went through the outward forms of worship, but these rituals and traditions were not true worship of God because their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:1-9). 

Even today, people will follow routine religious patterns yet neglect to give God their first love and devotion (Matthew 6:33). Jesus proclaimed that God wanted our genuine and wholehearted love, alliance, and devotion to Him and not our empty, dishonest, and half-hearted worship (Jeremiah 4:4; see also Isaiah 1:10-20; Isaiah 66:3; Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 7:22-23; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21; Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 22:37). God wants everyone to love, obey, and worship Him from their whole hearts (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:37). In fact, the Great Prophet – Jesus Christ – quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 when He gave the most important commandment as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” (see Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30).

Jesus taught that true holiness is a matter of inward affection and attitude and not just outward actions and rituals (see also Matthew 5:1-12; Luke 6:17-26). True worship of God comes from the heart and directed by God's truth, not man-made rituals and traditions. Jesus stated that the source of holy living is from within, not from without. Since the Old Testament, true holiness has always been a matter of the heart, a right relationship with God by faith and worship of Him alone (see also Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 6:4-6, 16; Psalm 51:6, 10, 16-17). Moses made it clear in Deuteronomy that God wanted love and obedience to come from our hearts, and not be merely outward obedience to rules and rituals (see also Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 30:6, 20). The Holy Scriptures clearly teaches that God wants our wholehearted love, worship, and devotion to Him, and not just our lip service. It is not enough to act religious, but what is in our hearts is even more important to God. No wonder David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God!” (Psalm 51:10).

Sin begins in the heart. The human heart is sinful and produces all kinds of evil desires, thoughts, and actions, everything from murder to envy (Jeremiah 17:9). Sin produces defilement and death. Jesus declared boldly that sin comes from the heart. He pointed out that sin actually begins in the attitudes and intentions of the inner person (Luke 6:45). It is what comes out of the mouth and what we think that defiles us and makes us unclean. What comes out of the mouth begins in the heart, and these things defile a person. Allowing our minds and thoughts to dwell on lust, envy, hatred, or revenge will lead to sin. That is why the Apostle Paul encourages everyone to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT). What we allow to occupy our minds and thoughts will eventually determine our speech and actions.

Jesus realized that all humans are sinners and unable to control or change their hearts. That is why Jesus came to earth—to die for lost sinners. The heart can be cleansed and changed only by faith in Jesus and His saving work for our sins on the Cross (Acts 15:8-9, 11). When we place our wholehearted faith in God found in Jesus Christ, God makes us clean from within and gives us a new heart. We are not holy because of outward acts — we become holy on the inside as Jesus renews our minds and transforms us into His image through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 11).

References:

King James Version Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988.

KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1994.

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan, 1992.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

Citizens of Heaven

Apostle Paul:   Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine (Paul), and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the Cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He (Jesus Christ) will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. Philippians 3:17-21 (NLT)

As believers of Jesus Christ, we are aliens and strangers in this world, because our real home is heaven where God lives. True believers of Jesus Christ are aliens in that they are fully involved in the world, yet not of the world (John 17:14-15). In other words, believers of Jesus Christ are “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8) and are “children of God” (John 1:12-13). As God’s children, our true loyalty and devotion must always be to God and our citizenship in heaven. Yet, God commands all believers of Jesus Christ to live gracious and upright lives on earth as they continue the work of Jesus Christ (John 17:18, see also Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:9-12).

Apostle Peter:  You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God . . . . 1 Peter 2:9-12 (NLT)

Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been united with Him (Galatians 2:20). With this union, God has accepted us and raised believers from a life of death along with Jesus Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:5-6). Even more, through our union and faith in Jesus Christ, believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). This means that in Jesus Christ, believers have all the benefits of knowing God — salvation, adoption as God’s children, forgiveness of sins, wisdom and insight, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. All believers will one day experience all the special privileges of our heavenly citizenship when Jesus Christ returns.

Apostle Paul:  Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT)

Heaven is where God lives. In the Old Testament, heaven came to earth in the symbolism of the Jewish sanctuary (the tabernacle and temple) where God's holy presence inhabited. However, heaven came in a fuller sense through the Person of Jesus Christ, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Now, heaven fills the entire world as the Holy Spirit came to live in every true believer at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Someday, the kingdom of heaven will rule every of earth (Revelation 21:3).

While writing Philippians, the apostle Paul was heartbroken that those who professed Jesus Christ actually lived as enemies of the Cross of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:18-19). Paul encouraged all true believers to set their hearts, minds and priorities on Jesus Christ and not the earthly things (Colossians 3:1-4, 15; see also Romans 6:1-13; Galatians 6:14; Philippians 4:8-9).  In other words, believers are to live life from God's perspective and to seek what He desires (see also Colossians 3:5-17). Heavenly conduct (e.g., love, goodness, servant-hood, self-sacrifice, and worship) should mark believers of Jesus Christ. Although our good service and behavior do not earn our salvation with God, but good service and behavior are results of our salvation (see Ephesians 2:8-10). D.L. Moody disciplined Christians for being “so heavenly minded they were no earthly good.” As believers in Jesus Christ, Christians have a dual citizenship—on earth and in heaven—and our citizenship in heaven should make us better people here on earth.

Jesus Christ:  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

As citizens of heaven, the true and living God (God the Father, the Son - Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit) must be our first priority and worship in our daily lives (Matthew 6:33, see also Deuteronomy 6:13-19).  We must actively and continually seek first God and His righteousness with a singled minded commitment (see also Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:37). Even more, our lives should be focused on “God-reality, God-initiative, and God-provisions” (Matthew 6:33; MSG) in every area of our daily lives. The things we should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. If we put God's will and God's righteousness first in our lives, He will take care of everything else and provide through His grace (Matthew 6:33).  Jesus Christ pointed out the sad consequences of not seeking God first and seeking the world’s pleasures (see Luke 12:13-21). Even more, Jesus Christ warned against the sin of living for the world and things of this life (e.g., greed and materialism) (see also Exodus 20:17; Psalm 119:36; Mark 7:22; Luke 12:15; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5).

References

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

The Holy Spirit and the Early Church

Luke to Theophilus:   In my first book (Gospel of Luke) I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up to heaven after giving His chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During the forty days after His crucifixion (death), He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:1-5 (NLT)

Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection from complete death He spent time with His apostles. Then, Jesus returned to God the Father in heaven. However, Jesus promised His apostles that God would send the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), God sent the promised gift of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, God became present in the members of the early church causing the church to grow from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Jesus to Disciples:  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit personally directed each major advance of the early church. For instance, the Holy Spirit sent Philip into the desert to meet an Ethiopian (Acts 8:29), set apart missionaries in Antioch (Acts 13:2), guided the first big church council (Acts 15:1-28), and helped plan Paul’s missionary journeys (Acts 13:4; Acts 16:6). As the writer of the book of Acts, Luke carefully notes that every major decision of the early church was made under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The early church waited on the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem before beginning to preach (Acts 2:4). Moreover, the Holy Spirit fell on each new group of believers in Jesus Christ:  on Jews (Acts 4:31), then on the Samaritans (Acts 8:17), then the Gentiles (Acts 10:44), and finally John the Baptist’s disciples (Acts 19:6). God through His Holy Spirit used these ordinary men and women of the early church with their frailties and limitations to take the Good News “all over the world” (Acts 17:6). In essence, Luke presents the Holy Spirit as the “power source” of the early church and not the power of humans (see Zechariah 4:6). Even more, Luke revealed the Holy Spirit as a living Person who spoke, guided, and empowered the early church. Indeed, some biblical scholars have suggested that the book of Acts should be renamed “Acts of the Holy Spirit” because of the dominant role of the Holy Spirit in the early church. The early church lived dangerously, but never before has such handful of people changed the world forever through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Essentially, ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things because the Holy Spirit’s power working in their lives.

How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Did you receive the Spirit by following the law? No, you received the Spirit because you heard the Good News and believed it. You began your life in Christ by the Spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power? That is foolish. Were all your experiences (suffering) wasted? I hope not! Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because you follow the law? No, He does these things because you heard the Good News and believed it. Galatians 3:2-5 (NCV)

How do we receive the Holy Spirit? The Apostle Paul reminded the early church members that they received the Holy Spirit not by keeping the law but by simply believing (faith) in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:5-9). In effect, the Holy Spirit came into the lives of the early church not by works or human efforts. These people received the Holy Spirit because they trusted and accepted Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:2-5). As mentioned earlier, when Jesus returned to heaven, He promised that God would send the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:1-5). God kept that promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), God freely poured out the Holy Spirit to everyone who believed in Jesus Christ. In summary, we receive the Holy Spirit (are baptized with the Holy Spirit) when we believe and accept Jesus Christ.

God sent the Holy Spirit so that He would be with and within His people after Jesus returned to heaven. The Holy Spirit would comfort, guide, teach, and empower God’s people to continue God’s work began with Jesus’ coming to earth (see John 14 — 16; see also Luke 24:49). God’s people could not belong to Jesus Christ and continue God’s work without His Spirit (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is God’s power that brings our new life. The Holy Spirit convicts the lost sinner and reveals Jesus Christ (John 16:7-11). When a person accepts and believes in Jesus Christ, that same person is then born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8) and receives new life. The Holy Spirit then changes that person from the inside out into the likeness of God’s Son, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:3; Philippians 1:6). Even more, the Holy Spirit baptizes and seals us into the spiritual body of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14) to share in His glory.

To the High Council:  But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed Him by hanging Him on a cross (tree). Then God put Him in the place of honor at His right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey Him.”. . . The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5: 29-32, 41-42 (NLT)

References

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan,1992.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

The Faith of Abraham

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)

Starting at Genesis 12, God once again took the initiative to make a new beginning. Except for chapters 1 and 2, the first eleven chapters of Genesis record one human failure after another. First, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were cast out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Then, Cain murdered his brother Abel in a jealous rage (Genesis 4). Humanity’s sin and corruption continued with Noah’s generations until God decided to cleanse the earth with the great flood (Genesis 6 – 8). Then in prideful defiance of God, humans built a city and a tower so they would no longer have to depend on God (Genesis 11). Thus, disobedience, murder, wickedness, violence, and rebellion marked the first eleven chapters of Genesis. So starting with Genesis 12, God once again started a new and fresh beginning with humans. God chose Abraham to make this beginning. God wanted to build a people He could call His own and that would worship and trust Him as the only true God of heaven and earth. Abraham and his descendants would become the foundation of this new nation wholehearted devoted to God (Yahweh).

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep His promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. Hebrews 11:8-12 (NLT)

When God first called Abram (Abraham), God told Abram to leave his native country (Mesopotamia or modern day Iraq), his relatives, and his father’s family, and go to a land that He would show him (see also Acts 7:2). God promised Abram that “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great (make you famous), and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3, NIV). At God’s call, Abram obeyed and trusted God’s instruction. Abram departed his native country with his wife Sarai (Sarah), his nephew Lot, and all their possessions. At that time Sarai was barren (Genesis 11:30) and Abram was seventy-five years old when they all headed for God’s promised land – Canaan (Genesis 12:4). Though small in dimension, Canaan would become the focal point of Israel’s history as well as for the rise of Christianity.

Genesis 12:1-3 provides a foundational statement note only for Abram and for all humans. Not only would Abram and his descendants be blessed, but the other nations of the world would be blessed through Abram's descendants. God’s original blessings on the whole human race (Genesis 1:28) would be fulfilled in the lives of Abram and his descendants.  In various ways and degrees, God promises in Genesis 12 were reaffirmed to Abram (see Genesis 15:5-21; Genesis 17:4-8; Genesis 18:18-19; Genesis 22:17-18), to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-4), to Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15; Genesis 35:11-12; Genesis 46:3), to Moses (Exodus 3:6-8; Exodus 6:2-8), and to Abram’s physical descendant – and in Galatians 3:8 to Abram’s spiritual descendants (the Gentiles).

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your Shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “LORD God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless . . . . Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him (Abram) outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he (Abram) believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6 (NKJV)

Sometime later, God once again spoke to Abram. This time, God promised to be Abram’s “shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1, NIV). Abram was quite wealthy (Genesis 13:2; Genesis 14:23) but God reaffirmed to Abram that He was Abram’s greatest treasure, protection, and shield (Genesis 15:1). Abram said to God, “what can you give me since I remain childless” (Genesis 15:2, NIV). Then, God took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have! And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Genesis 15:5-6, NLT). In essence, God presented the impossible promise to Abram that he would have a son through whom his descendants would eventually be as numerous as the stars of heaven. Abram believed God (Genesis 15:6), and Abram’s faith proved to be an act of righteousness—faith is righteousness (see Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Romans 4:1-5, 17; Galatians 3:6, 11; Hebrews 10:37-38). This central statement about Abram’s faith is quoted three times in the New Testament (see Romans 4:3, 22-23; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23) to support the doctrine of righteousness before God comes only by faith in God. In essence, Abram revealed that faith in the true and living God is required to receive God’s blessings.

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? . . . For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” . . . .  Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. . . . So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. . . . For Abraham is the father of all who believe. . . . And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. Romans 4:1, 3, 9, 16, 22 (NLT)

Ten years after settling in Canaan, Abram and Sarai began to question God’s promises since they had no children. Sadly, Abram and Sarai decided to take matters into their own hands and did not patiently wait for God’s perfect timing and guidance. Abram and Sarai attempted to obtain the promised offspring by using human efforts and not God’s power. So, Sarai gave her Egyptian servant named Hagar to Abram to conceive a child and Abram agreed with Sarai’s arrangement (Genesis 16:1-3). Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant (Genesis 16:4). However, once Hagar became pregnant, Sarai began mistreating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away (Genesis 16:7). However, the Angel of the LORD found Hagar and told her “I will give you more descendants than you can count. . . . You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the LORD has heard your cry of distress. . . .  Yes, he (Ishmael) will live in open hostility against all his relatives” (Genesis 16:9-12). So, Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born (Genesis 16:15-16). Ishmael would become the founder of the Arab nations. Thus, Abraham's descendants include not only the Jewish people, but also the Arab world (through Ishmael) and the nations listed in Genesis 25:1-4.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve Me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” Genesis 17:1-2 (NLT)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God once again appeared to him. God told Abram, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life” (Genesis 17:1, NLT). The name “El-Shaddai” emphasized God’s power and greatness Abram. Nothing is too hard for God (see Jeremiah 32:17). Even more, God appearances to Abram reaffirmed to Abram to receive God’s promises he must live out “the obedience that come from faith” (Romans 1:5; see also Genesis 22). For Abram to receive God’s power and blessing required Abram’s wholehearted obedience to God and to walk a blameless life (see also Genesis 5:22; Genesis 6:8-9; Psalm 15:2; Luke 1:6; Isaiah 33:15; Isaiah 56:1; Micah 6:8; Habakkuk 2:4; and Mark 12:29-31). God wanted Abram and his descendants’ wholehearted trust and loyalty to Him. Even more, God wanted Abram and his descendants to look to Him as their Protector and Provider of all physical and spiritual blessings (Genesis 17:7). Previously, Enoch and Noah had walked blamelessly with God (see Genesis 5:22; Genesis 6:8-9) and God required Abram to continue this lifestyle.

Who may worship in Your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. Psalms 15:1-5 (NLT)

Then God said to Abram, “This is My covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! I will confirm My covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:3-8, NLT). Then, God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants” (Genesis 17:15-16, NLT). Both names, Sarai and Sarah, evidently mean “princess.” The renaming of Sarah also stressed that Sarah was to be the mother of nations and kings (Genesis 17:16) and thus to serve God’s purposes (Genesis 17:6).

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. Galatians 3:6-9 (NLT)

Thus, Abram’s offspring, who like the descendants of Noah (see Genesis 10) would become many nations and spread over the earth. Abram means “Exalted Father” and Abraham means “father of many” (Genesis 17:5; see also Nehemiah 9:7). God’s promises to Abram was initially fulfilled in Egypt (see Exodus 1; Deuteronomy 1:10; Hebrews 11:12). Ultimately all who trust in and belong to Jesus Christ are Abram’s offspring (Galatians 3:29). Ultimately, Abraham’s promise finds fulfillment in his descendant, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1). Through faith Jesus Christ, all people – Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) share in God’s blessing on Abraham (Genesis 12:3; see also Romans 4:11-25; Galatians 3:8-9, 16, 29; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 21:24).

Apostle Paul:  For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Galatians 3:26-29 (NLT)

References

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan,1992.

NLT Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989. 

Earth’s New Beginning and New Nation

The sons of Noah who came out of the boat with him were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. . . .  These three men were Noah’s sons, and all the people on earth came from these three sons. . . . At this time the whole world spoke one language, and everyone used the same words. As people moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They said to each other, “Let’s make bricks and bake them to make them hard.” So they used bricks instead of stones, and tar instead of mortar. Then they said to each other, “Let’s build a city and a tower for ourselves, whose top will reach high into the sky. We will become famous. Then we will not be scattered over all the earth.” The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built. The Lord said, “Now, these people are united, all speaking the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do. They will be able to do anything they want. Come, let Us go down and confuse their language so they will not be able to understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. The place is called Babel since that is where the Lord confused the language of the whole world. So the Lord caused them to spread out from there over the whole world. This is the family history of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born. . . . After Terah was 70 years old, his sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran were born. This is the family history of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot. While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died in Ur in Babylonia, where he was born. Abram and Nahor both married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah. Sarai was not able to have children. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife) and moved out of Ur of Babylonia. They had planned to go to the land of Canaan (the Promised Land of God). Genesis 9:18-19, Genesis 11:1-10, 26-31 (NCV)

After the great flood, God once again made a new beginning with humanity and that new beginning started with righteous Noah and his family (Genesis 6:8-9; see also Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5). Noah was the father of three sons – Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 5:32). All three sons were married (Genesis 7:13). Ham was the youngest son (Genesis 9:24) and Japheth was the eldest (Genesis 10:21).  Of Noah’s three sons, Shem was the chosen line of God (Genesis 9:26). The descendants of Shem were called Shemites (later modified to Semites).

Prior to the flood, the earth was filled with utter evil, wickedness, violence, corruption, and murder (Genesis 4:8, 23; Genesis 6:1-13). Everything the people thought or imagined in their heart was totally evil (Genesis 6:5; see also Proverbs 4:23). But Noah was different as he found favor in God’s eyes (Genesis 6:8). Noah was “the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God” (Genesis 6:9, NLT). To eliminate the total depravity and wickedness on the earth, God decided to bring a great flood to destroy all living creatures – humans and animals – to cleanse the earth of evil and wickedness (Genesis 7). With this flood, “God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat. And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days” (Genesis 7:23-24, NLT). Thus, only Noah, his family, and the animals with Noah were saved from the devastating flood waters (Genesis 7:13, 20-23, Genesis 8:18). “Only a few people, eight in all” (1 Peter 3:20) survived the flood waters (2 Peter 2:5).

After the flood, God blessed Noah and his three sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1, NLT). So from Noah and his three sons, God created “all the nations throughout the whole earth” (Acts 17:26, NLT). As we survey the many nations of the world today, all humans ultimately are part of the same family as we are all descended from the same righteous Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (see Genesis 9:18; Genesis 10:1; Genesis 10:32). Noah’s three sons spread out all over the earth after God scattered them, and they became the nations of the world (Genesis 10:1-32; Genesis 11:1-9).  

Despite this new beginning, the curse of Adam and Eve was not lifted (Genesis 3:14, 16-19). The flood did not reform the human heart (Genesis 6:5; see also Jeremiah 31:31-34). Noah and his three sons were still descendants of Adam (Romans 5:12-19) and carried in their hearts the inheritance to sin (see Psalm 51:5; Psalm 58:3; Ephesians 2:3). Thus, the new beginning with Noah eventually led to one of the most arrogant and prideful revolts against God recorded anywhere in the Holy Scriptures, the Babel story (Genesis 11:1-9).

At one time, everyone on earth spoke the same language and used the same words (Genesis 11:1). As the people wandered to the east into the plains of Babylonia, they began saying to each other, “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” (Genesis 11:4, NLT). Thus, the people built their tower as a monument for their own greatness and to make a name for themselves rather than for God and God’s glory. The people at Babel followed the pride of this world and idolatry. The people’s plans were egotistical and proud. The tower builders sought fame and to undertake a united and godless effort to establish a gigantic enterprise by which they would dominate God’s creation in ways God never intended. Jesus warned that those who “makes himself great will be made humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be made great” (Matthew 23:12, NCV). The Holy Scriptures also warn that “people may make plans in their minds, but the Lord decides what they will do. . . .  pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin” (Proverbs 16:9, 18 NCV).

Human history reveals that people are ambitious – they want to succeed. In the book of Genesis, humans were as so ambitious that they tried to compete with, rather than serve, God. The story of Babel revealed the people’s desired independence from God instead of a close, personal, and faithful relationship with God. Adam and Eve’s rebellion and sin in Eden recall humans’ first attempt at independence from God and God’s commands (Genesis 3:1-7, 22). At Babel, humans once again tried to succeed without God and God’s plans in a citywide effort. However, God frustrated humans’ plans by confusing their language. Without a common language, the humans’ joint efforts became impossible. Being the righteous Judge of the universe, God came down from heaven to look at the city and the tower the people were building and said, “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other” (Genesis 11:5-7, NLT). In that way, God scattered the people all over the earth and confused the people with different languages (Genesis 11:8-9). Even the greatest of human powers cannot defy God and long survive. Today, there are more than three thousand languages and dialects.  “People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord’s plan will happen” (Proverbs 19:21, NCV).

In breaking up the unified community at Babel, God was miraculously working out His divine purposes in His world despite the plans and projects of sinful people. If the people remained united in their prideful attempt, a godless human kingdom would displace and exclude the kingdom of God. God knew that the people were united around a sinful and prideful desire to declare their independence from God and His will (Genesis 11:6). Therefore, God confused human language as an act of His grace. Humans’ inability to communicate stopped their unified sinful ambition. God was preventing humans from committing itself to self-destruction. Thus, the events described in Genesis 11:1-9 led to the scattering of nations that is reflected in the genealogies of Genesis 10:2-30.

Similarly, Adam and Eve’s punishment for disobedience and independence from God and Cain’s punishment for murder involved banishment and scattering by God (Genesis 3:23; Genesis 4:12, 14). This scattering anticipates the warning for ALL people that are enemies of God and who fail to walk in a close and obedient relationship with Him (e.g., see Leviticus 26:33; Numbers 10:35; Deuteronomy 4:27; Deuteronomy 28:64; Deuteronomy 30:3). Obedience and faithfulness to the one true and living God is the key to God’s blessings and favor (see Genesis 6:8-9; Leviticus 26:1-13; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Galatians 6:7-10; James 1:22-25).

Amazingly, many centuries later, the same God who scattered the people at Babel began to gather people together again at Pentecost. At Pentecost, God’s Holy Spirit began to create a new community unified around our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1–13; see also Ephesians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21). In one sense, Pentecost was a reversal of Babel, for the people present in Jerusalem at Pentecost heard the praises of God in their own languages. The God-honoring unity of language on the day of Pentecost was a symbolic reversal of the Babel scattering (Acts 2:5-13). In the end, the day will come when people from every tribe and nation will worship Jesus Christ (Revelation 15:4) and the judgment of Babel will be done away as the people join in unity to worship God (Zephaniah 3:9-13; see also Psalm 86:9; Isaiah 45:22-23; Malachi 1:11; Philippians 2:9-11).

The story of Babel sets the stage for God’s call of Abram and His redemptive plan to save humanity from their sins. After the story of Babel, God decided to work through one man and his family to accomplish His purposes—the family of Abram (later renamed Abraham), a descendant of Shem (Genesis 9:26; Genesis 11:10–26). From Shem's descendant line came Abram and the entire Jewish nation (the Israelites, also called the Hebrews). God’s grace links the repopulation of the earth with the blessing placed upon righteous Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:1-2) and Abram’s family (12:1-3) as His solution to the prideful wickedness  in the Babel story (Genesis 11:1-9). From Genesis 12 forward, Abram and his family becomes the center stage in the entire Bible narrative and through which God chose to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3). Abram’s name means “Exalted Father.” This indicated his honored status as ancestor of God’s chosen people. Later in Genesis 17:5, Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, which means “Father of a Great Multitude.”

God promised to give Abram a famous name because of his humble obedience (Genesis 12:2). Thus, while the tower of Babel was built by the human energy and the motivation of pride, the nation of Israel was built by the grace and power of God through Abram’s humble obedience. God was bringing a new humanity into being, of whom Abram was the father (Genesis 17:5). “And so a whole nation came from this one man . . . a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them” (Hebrews 11:12, NLT). In the New Testament, Abraham is presented as the outstanding example of those who live by “faith” and as the “father of all who believe” (Romans 4:11-12; Galatians 3:7, 9, 29). Like righteous Noah (Genesis 6:22, Genesis 7:5 see also Hebrews 11:7), Abraham’s faith expressed itself in obedience to God (Genesis 12:4).

Thus, four great events are recorded in Genesis 1-11: the creation of the world and its people, the fall of humankind, the great flood, God’s repopulation of earth through Noah, and the attempted construction of the Tower of Babel. These eleven chapters reveal humans’ disobedience to God and God’s judgment of sins. Yet in God’s faithfulness and grace, He makes new and restored beginnings for humans. In the New Testament, we see God’s supreme faithfulness and fulfillment of His promise when He sent Jesus Christ, “the Seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15), to defeat evil and bring salvation to all who believe (see also Genesis 9:26-27; Romans 3). God’s blessing found in Jesus Christ came through Shem and Abram (Luke 3:34-35). God’s purpose has always been to bring people into a close fellowship with Him. God fulfilled that purpose through Abraham and his wife. From Abraham and his wife, God would build a nation, and from that nation, God would bless all the nations of the earth (see Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 18:18). Ultimately, God’s purpose and blessings was fulfilled in Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:3–4, 7–12; Colossians 1:26–27).

And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 (NLT)

Reference

King James Version Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988.

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan,1992.

NLT Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008.

Word in Life Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

Noah: The Man Who Obeyed God

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. . . . But Noah found favor with the Lord. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah . . . . “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper. Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm My covenant (promise) with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. . . .” So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. Genesis 6:5, 8-20, 22 (NLT)

Noah was a righteous and obedient man (Genesis 6:9; Genesis 7:1, 5) and he found grace (favor) in God’s eyes (Genesis 6:8). Most people only know that Noah built an ark. However, the Holy Bible said he was “the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God” (Genesis 6:9, NLT). As indicated from this passage, Noah’s righteousness flowed from his close fellowship with God. The righteousness of Noah is also mentioned in other places throughout the Holy Scriptures (e.g., see Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5). In fact, Noah was known as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) who warned his generation of God’s coming judgment.

Despite Noah’s righteousness, Noah was not sinless. The Holy Bible makes clear that only Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on this earth (1 Peter 2:21-22; 1 Peter 3:18). Indeed, the Holy Bible records one of Noah’s sins at Genesis 9:20. Nevertheless, Noah wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God (Genesis 6:22, see also Hebrews 11:7). Noah’s daily walk revealed a godly character of obedience, goodness, and virtue among the people and with God (Genesis 6:9; see also Philippians 2:12-16; Titus 1:10, 16; 2 Peter 2:5). His great-grandfather Enoch had also faithfully lived and walked in “close fellowship with God” (Genesis 5:22-24; see also Galatians 5:16, 25; Ephesians 5:2, 8, 15), and Noah maintained the godly line of Seth that began praying and worshipping in God’s Name (Genesis 4:25-26; see also Luke 3:36-38).

When Noah was born, his father Lamech named him “Noah.” Lamech had hope and believed that the curse brought on by Adam and Eve’s sin would be lifted (Genesis 3:17; Romans 5:12-14) and Noah would “bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed” (Genesis 5:29, NLT). Noah became father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 5:32). Ham was the youngest son (Genesis 9:24) and Japheth was the eldest (Genesis 10:21), and all three boys were married (Genesis 7:13). Shem became the father of the Hebrew nation (the Israelites) and a descendent of our Savior, Jesus Christ (see Genesis 10:21-32). Thus, Lamech’s prayer that Noah would bring the world the rest and comfort came true through his descendent, Jesus Christ who said “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NKJV).

Noah lived during an evil and violent generation. God had given humans the command to care for the earth (Genesis 1:28). Instead, humans engaged in rampant murder, violence, and corruption (Genesis 4:8, 23; Genesis 6:11-13). The Holy Bible describes the world in Noah's day as filled with utter evil, wickedness, violence, corruption, and total depravity (Genesis 6:1-13). Everything the people thought or imagined in their heart was consistently and totally evil (Genesis 6:5; see also Proverbs 4:23). Like Enoch before him (Jude 14-15), Noah preached God’s righteousness to the people (2 Peter 2:5). Even more, God’s Holy Spirit had been dwelling and striving with the people (Genesis 6:3). Yet, the people rejected God and Noah’s message. God saw the extent of wickedness on the earth and how the world had gone wrong. Human sin had so corrupted God’s earth that judgment fell on the animal too (Genesis 6:13, 17).

So, God decided He would “cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes” (Genesis 6:17, NLT). God said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time” (Genesis 6:3, NLT) because He had become unhappy He had ever made humans and put them on the earth. In essence, human sin and utter wickedness broke God’s heart – filled God’s heart with pain (Genesis 6:6; see also Ephesians 4:30-32). Consequently, God said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will 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. I am sorry I ever made them” (Genesis 6:7, NLT). As Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23-24), all humankind would be purged and removed from God’s creation (see 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; 2 Peter 3:6). God’s gift at creation (Genesis 1:30; Genesis 2:7) would be taken away from these wicked humans because of their sin. God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures . . . . Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!” (Genesis 6:13, NLT). The flood waters would come from the underground water and the rain from above (Genesis 7: 11-12; Genesis 8:2) to cleanse the earth (global cleansing) of its sin and corruption and create a new order. God’s radical cleaning would check the rampant evil. However, the curse of Adam and Eve was not lifted (Genesis 3:14, 16-19) because the flood did not reform the human heart (Genesis 6:5; see also Jeremiah 31:31-34). Noah and his offspring were still descendants of Adam and carried in their hearts the inheritance to sin (see Psalm 51:5; Psalm 58:3; Ephesians 2:3). Much later, God would graciously send His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to save the world of sin and change the human heart. Through faith in the life and ministry of God’s Son, God Himself through His Holy Spirit changes humans from the inside out to create a new heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Hebrews 8:8-12).

And God punished the world long ago when He brought a flood to the world that was full of people who were against Him. But God saved Noah, who preached about being right with God, and seven other people with him. 

2 Peter 2:5 (NCV)

Despite the corruption and violence of the human race, God’s grace (favor) remained with Noah and his family (Genesis 6:8; see also 2 Peter 2:5). Noah and his godly life stood in contrast to the sinful and wicked generation surrounding him. To save Noah and his family, God gave Noah precise instructions for building the boat (ark) by which Noah and his family would survive the coming flood. Noah obeyed God’s building instructions down to every detail (Genesis 6:14-16, 22). The boat God commanded Noah to build was enormous. The dimension of the boat was the most stable known and is even used today for the design of tankers and freight-hauling ships. By 1900, every large vessel on the high seas was definitely inclined toward the proportions of Noah’s boat. God was the Captain, Scientist, and great Architect of Noah’s great boat with no sail or rudder.

Seven days before the flood, God commanded Noah to lead his family and all of the animals into the ark and Noah obeyed God (Genesis 7:1-5). Previously, God had instructed Noah to bring “you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive” (Genesis 6:19-20, NLT). These couples and animals would procreate and repopulate the entire earth after the flood. So, pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground came onto the boat (Genesis 6:20). But how did Noah gather such a large number of animals, birds, and creeping things? Providentially, God caused these creatures to come to Noah (Genesis 6:20; Genesis 7:8, 15). Noah not only learned about the faithfulness of God, but he also witnessed the sovereignty and provision of God in action.

Then, God sent rain onto the earth for “forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:4). Noah and his family were saved from the devastating flood waters (Genesis 7:13). “Only a few people, eight in all” (1 Peter 3:20) survived the flood waters (2 Peter 2:5) as God Himself shut the doors to Noah’s boat (Genesis 7:16). “God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat. And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days” (Genesis 7:23-24, NLT).

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7 (NLT)

The story of Noah demonstrates that faith involves obedience in the face of the unseen. Noah obeyed God and “did everything exactly as God had commanded him” (Genesis 6:22, NLT). This verse stresses Noah’s wholehearted obedience to God (see also Genesis 7:5, 9, 16). Although God's command to build a boat on dry land seemed foolish to the world, Noah obeyed God. Noah prepared the boat and gave witness that judgment was coming (2 Peter 2:5), the same message his grandfather Enoch had given during his lifetime (Jude 14-15). Thus, Noah not only heard God’s Word, but he also obeyed God’s Word (see also James 1:22-25), while the rest of the world was ungodly and rebelled against God and God’s Spirit (Genesis 6:3, 5-7; see also Jude 15). God warned the people about the coming disaster through Noah (1 Peter 3:20). However, the people rebelled and would not listen to God and God’s messengers.

Noah and his family along with the animals entered the boat, and God shut the door and made it safe (Genesis 7:5, 16). God’s grace extended His loving kindness to the whole family of righteous Noah – Noah’s wife, his sons and their wives (Genesis 6:18; see also Exodus 34:4-7). Through Noah’s obedience to God, his “house” was not destroyed when the storm came (Matthew 7:24-27). Even more, God used Noah to save the human race (as Noah is now the new father of the human race)! Noah became part of God’s great plan of redemption (Genesis 8:20-9:17). Through Noah came Abraham, David, and our Savior, Jesus Christ (see Genesis 3:15). God worked through Noah’s obedience to save humanity from complete destruction (Genesis 6:5, 9). The story of Noah’s deliverance from the flood foreshadows God’s full redemption of His people (Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5) and is viewed by the Apostle Peter as in some sense symbolic of Christian baptism (1 Peter 3:20-21).

Genesis chapters 8 and 9 records God’s new beginning of earth after the flood. Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 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” (Genesis 8:15-17, NIV). Once out of the ark, Noah built an altar and worshipped God (Genesis 8:20-21). Also, human and animal relationships were again defined by God and the sanctity of human life was given special focus (Genesis 9:1-7). God’s blessing and mandate first given to Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:28) was now reissued to Noah. God spoke to Noah saying, “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth” (Genesis 8:15-17, NKJV).

Finally, God had told Noah before the flood that He would create a new covenant (promise) with him (Genesis 6:18). Noah’s covenant was God’s first and most basic covenant recorded with humans. In this covenant, God sovereignly promised to Noah, Noah’s descendants and to all other living creature (humans and animals) never again to destroy the earth and its inhabitants with a flood and flood waters (see Genesis 9:8-17). God marked this first covenant with a rainbow seen in the storm cloud. So, the rainbow is a sign of Noah’s covenant for all future generations that God will never again to deal with sin by sending such a devastating flood (Genesis 9:11, 15). Times and seasons, created by God in the beginning will never cease till the end of human history (Genesis 8:22; see also Genesis 1:14). Even more, the dove with an olive branch stands as a symbol of peace, and the origin of that symbol traces back to the flood and God’s restored peace between Him and His creation (Genesis 8:6-12). God is a God of judgment but God is also a God of redemption, protection, and restoration (Genesis 8:1; see also Psalm 8:4).

References

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan,1992.

NLT Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008.

The Amplified Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

Butler, Trent. Holman Bible Dictionary. Broadman & Holman Pub., 1991.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

Close Fellowship With God

This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, He made them to be like Himself. He (God) created them male and female, and He blessed them and called them “human.” When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him—in his very image. He named his son Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. . . . When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. Genesis 5:1-5, 5:21-27 (NLT)

After the sin of Adam and Eve, God banished the first humans from the Garden of Eden and the tree of life (Genesis 3:23-24) and human death came into the world. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s first command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:3). “The Lord God commanded . . ., ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 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’” (Genesis 2:16-17, NIV). However, Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s clear command and ate from the tree (Genesis 3:6).  From this disobedience, all humans are now subject to death (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19) and God’s Word was fully correct (see also Romans 5:12-19).

Next, Adam and Eve had their first child, Cain. When Eve gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” (Genesis 4:1, NLT). Eve acknowledged that God is the ultimate source of all life as the Lord of heaven and earth (Acts 17:24-26). Then, Eve gave birth to Cain’s brother, Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground (Genesis 4:2). Abel and Cain offered a sacrifice to God. Abel offered a sacrifice that pleased God, while Cain's sacrifice was found unacceptable to God. Why God preferred Abel’s sacrifice offering to Cain’s offering is uncertain. In the Old Testament, God accepted both animal and agricultural offerings.  Quite possibly, Cain’s problem was his heart attitude, and not his offering to God. Motivation and heart attitude are all-important to God. Cain became instantly angry with God when things did not go his way. The Holy Bible indicated that Cain attacked and murdered his brother Abel due to his evil attitudes of anger, deception, falsehood, sin, and jealous (Genesis 4:3-9; see also 1 John 3:11-12).  

Later, Adam and Eve gave birth to another son to carry on the family line. Eve named him “Seth” for she said, “God has granted (or appointed) me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed” (Genesis 4:25, NLT). Seth was the “appointed” by God as a replacement for “righteous Abel” (Matthew 23:35; see also Hebrews 11:4). Also, Seth is a confirmation of God’s faithfulness and grace to the promise of a righteous “Seed” to defeat evil (Genesis 3:15). Seth took Abel's role as leader of a line of God's faithful people and God’s grace became evident to the people (see also Romans 5:20-21). Through Seth’s family line came Noah, Abraham and ultimately our Savior, Jesus Christ (Luke 3:36–38). When Seth grew up, he had a son he named “Enosh”. With the birth of Enosh, people first began depending on God by “praying and worshiping in the Name of God” (Genesis 4:26, MSG).   

Another shining example of Seth’s descendent is Enoch (Genesis 5:18). Enoch occupied the seventh place in Genesis 5’s genealogy from Adam and is called righteous (Genesis 5:22; see also Jude 14–15). The Holy Bible declared that Enoch walked in a closed fellowship with God like Noah (Genesis 5:22-24; see also Genesis 6:9) and Enoch’s close fellowship with God pleased Him (Hebrews 11:5). Even more amazing, Enoch’s righteous life resulted in God’s saving him from physical death. All the biographies in Genesis chapters 4 and 5 end with the words, “And then he died.” However, Enoch’s biography was the exception – Enoch did not die. “Enoch walked with God; one day Enoch could not be found, because God took him” (Genesis 5:24, NCV). In essence, Enoch did not die; God raptured Enoch away to heaven into His presence. In the life of Enoch, God’s grace was reigning (Romans 5:20–21). Enoch believed God (Hebrews 11:5–6) and faithfully walked with God in a close relationship in the midst of a godless society (Jude 14–15). The New Testament honored Enoch as an example of faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:5–6) - walking in close fellowship with God. Even more amazing, Enoch fathered Methuselah, the oldest man mentioned in the Bible—lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27). Methuselah possessed the longest life span of any man in history. As we seek God, we find life (see Amos 5:4-6, 14). “This is what the Lord says . . . Seek Me and live; . . . Seek the Lord and live . . . .  Seek good, not evil, that you may live. . . .  Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts” (Amos 5:4, 6, 14-15, NIV).

The only other person never to experience death is the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 2:11). Like Enoch, God simply took Elijah into His heavenly presence without dying. Thus, both Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven bodily without passing through physical death which was imposed upon the rest of humans (Romans 5:12-19; see also Hebrews 9:27). This is the “blessed hope” of all faithful and holy believers of God (Titus 2:11–14). Even more, those alive at Jesus Christ’s second coming (advent) will experience such deliverance from death (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

Walking with God starts a person on a beautiful lifetime journey. So, how do we walk close with God? First of all, a close and personal relationship with God requires daily devotional time and communication with Him (see Psalm 5:3). God wants to be our FIRST true love each day – before our spouses, family, friends, church relationships, and work (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 6:33). The greatest commandment of the Holy Bible is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38, NIV). As we commit our continual love and fellowship with God, we will also have an abundant and joyous relationship with our spouses, family, friends, churches and work (Matthew 6:25-34). A breakdown of daily trust and communication with God causes disruptions and evil to enter into our hearts (see Genesis 3:8). How do we communication with God?  Humans communicate and fellowship with God through daily prayer, reading God’s Word (the Holy Bible), and listening for God’s divine response (see 1 Samuel 3:3–15; Psalm 103–105; Psalm 119:9–16; Matthew 7:7-8). Daily Bible reading and prayer help us grow closer to God and to flee evil temptations (see Proverbs 3:6; John 6:33–35; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:5-11).  

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed His approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Hebrews 11:1-6 (NLT)

References

Believer’s Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1995.

King James Version Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988.

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan, 1992.

Word in Life Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren. With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991.