Through the Whole Bible: Genesis 12

Through the Whole Bible for Jan 31

Genesis 12 (Link) is today's look as we walk through the whole Bible today. I had an Old Testament professor once say that the bible is divided between Old and New Testaments in the wrong place: rather than splitting Malachi and Matthew, the Bible ought to be divided between Genesis 11 and Genesis 12. He was, certainly, prone to exaggerate and would not have cut and pasted in his Bible, but his point is well made.

This chapter marks a major shift in the narrative. Genesis 11 with the Tower of Babel is the last of the “anonymous” stories: you really have no names to attach to the mass migration or the tower of Babel. You cannot name the people that Cain is afraid of in Genesis 4 or even who married Noah, Ham, Shem, or Japheth.

Starting here, Scripture is a continual story of people. The Old Testament is the fullness of the story of one man and his descendants. The man we are introduced to in this passage: Abram. Here’s what we know: his father’s name is Terah. His wife’s name is Sarai. His nephew’s name is Lot.

And he’s from Ancient Mesopotamia.

That’s about it. Really. This man, Abram, becomes a critical part of the world’s three major monotheistic religions and we just don’t know much about him.

What do we do with that?

1.) We see that God selects people for His purposes. Abram, who becomes Abraham, is not recorded in Scripture as being holier or more righteous than any other. That’s called grace: unlike the earlier selection of Noah, there is no preliminary intro of Abram as having been righteous.

2.) We see that God works through speaking to people. In Abram’s case, we do not see the mechanism. In the modern day, we have that revelation clearly: the Word of God in the Bible.

3. We see this: if God can use Abram and pull him from the Euphrates River Valley, what can be done with you?

Seriously. What can be done with you?

The Word is there: God is calling you just as He spoke to Abram. Quit waiting and do it.

Through the Whole Bible: Genesis 11

Have you ever listened to someone talking and thought "I have no idea what language that is?" Perhaps you've commented, alongside Casca, that "it was Greek to me" when someone spoke. Maybe whilst doing your New Testament homework :) that thought arose.

Does that make you wonder why we all speak different languages? Even those of us that speak the same language speak different languages, don't we? (My Canadian, Australian, and English friends who speak derivatives of Southern American…oh, wait, that's not right.)

It's nowhere near ideal. In fact, one of the great ideals of science fiction literature is either a universal language (Galactic Basic in Star Wars) or universal translation ability (the TARDIS in Doctor Who or the aptly named Universal Translator in Star Trek). It's not logical that sheer geographic dispersion would cause so much difference: there's not enough similarity to link the main language groups back to one mother-tongue.

The solution in science fiction comes from, of all places, the radical atheist (his term) Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The characters in this group of stories (what else does one call a five-book trilogy?) get around the galaxy understanding one another thanks to a creature in their ears that helps them understand. It's called…

A Babel Fish.

What?

A Babel Fish.

Not babble, like talking incessantly and making no sense. Nor its related term, blog, which is to type incessantly and make less sense.

Babel.

Where did he get that idea? That name?

Genesis 11. (LINK)

Really. At this point in history, which fits somewhere during the descriptions of Genesis 10, people all speak the same language. Yet they are using that ability to attempt something that is not what God has commanded. They're building a tower.

Now, that does not sound so bad, but put this backwards to grasp the principle. God had told the people that came out of the ark to spread out and fill the earth. They are trying, now, to build a tower to keep themselves from spreading out. It's a problem of obedience.

Obedience is crucial. God sees and understands more than we do and so His commands are to be obeyed. Often, we can't quite put together why we should obey something, but it's there to be obeyed nonetheless. The commands are not as arbitrary as they look. Let's tear down this one:

What do you need for a massive building project?

Unified leadership. A centralized boss. A ruler to tell you how to build.

Who is the human race supposed to look towards?

God alone as their centralized ruler.

What is the conflict?

That a human ruler will invariably:

1. Pick different goals for the people than simple obedience to God.

2. Deny people the right to obey God fully, substituting himself for the final authority.

Babel was one outbreak of human dictatorship versus the freedom to obey God. God put a stop to it by confounding human language. Now, the question I have for you is this:

What will you do to stand for the individual human freedom to respond to God?

Sermon Wrap-up: January 29

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If you just want to read todays and then go on with life, here you go:

Morning Sermon: Audio Link

Nehemiah 1: Somebody, do something!

I. Historical Situation: Jerusalem lies in ruins, many of the exiles have been returned.

     A. Into exile why? National sinfulness: 2 Chronicles 36:15-17

     B. Out of exile why? God's grace 2 Chronicles 36:22-23

II. Nehemiah, though, remains in Susa, the ancient capital of the Persian Empire (Currently "Shush" in Iran)

     A. Personally separate from the suffering

     B. Yet he cannot accept that

III. Something must be done

     A. Nehemiah, though, has a good job, responsibilities

IV. Nehemiah goes first to God in prayer

V. Suffering continues

VI. We are not not unlike Nehemiah

     A. Just because we're not personally affected does not mean we should not do something

     B. We must be willing to put ourselves at risk for it

VII. When we see something that needs somebody to do something about it, that somebody is you.

Evening Sermon: Audio Link

Nehemiah 2:1-10

HAVE A PLAN!

1. The world does not want to see you sad

     Especially if you have claimed that God is your supply and strength.

     What are our words worth if our countenance does not reflect them?

2. Do not assume hostility from the world to all your purposes

     Neither can you assume that material support means they agree

     The king does not come to the One True God

3. Know what you want

     Ask God for strength

     Then follow through with it

4. Be prepared for opposition

     What you are doing does not meet with everyone's approval

     Your actions will disturb those against God's people

Through the Whole Bible: Genesis 10

Here's another chapter that derails people on their "Read through the Bible plan." It's another long list of names, but this time it's not just a genealogy. Rather, what Genesis 10 (Link) contains is the words to put on a map. The descriptions, while containing some lists of ancestors and successors, contains where the different families of the descendants of Noah moved off to after the Flood.

If this were an interactive class, I would photocopy maps and hand them out to you, and we'd label locations. I'd advise you to grab a good study Bible and look up the area.

The names here do not have many that need highlighting. Nimrod shows up, and his legend outside of the Bible is bigger than this text supports. He is counted as "A Mighty Hunter"  but that's not really a positive. The idea is that he went overboard with his hunting: he possibly is the father of bag limits. He's the guy with the chariot with the big buck strapped to the hood, that type of thing.

He also forms a kingdom which is found in the same region the later Babylonian Empire exists. In turn, he tends to be blamed for lots of bad things, and there's nothing really to prove he was or wasn't responsible.

Yet what can we see in the rest of this? We see, partly, the spread of humanity. If you turn it backwards, we see that humanity comes from a small group of people and spreads from there. Which is not only theoretically possible, but something that even evolutionary science supports.

In all, though, what starts happening now with the narrative of Scripture is a focusing. The story moves from 'the world this' and 'the world that' into a more personal story. Even the story of the Nation of Israel is related through individual people in most cases.

What does that matter? It matters because of this: you're an individual person. 

Because God works through individual people. Because the Kingdom of God is made up not of earthly kingdoms of men but of people like you and like me and together we are here to obey the Word of God. The idea is not that we should get one nation or another to obey God through the law but that we should challenge all people to obey God through the Spirit. In turn, the laws would reflect godliness in general.

Note: that's not to say one does not try to restrain evil through the law. That's really what good earthly law is: restraining evil. Law can never make a man good but it can stop his evil actions.

That's all for now…Genesis 11 coming up!

Doug

Through the Whole Bible: Genesis 9

I know, I’m rapidly becoming the “evening edition” around here. Sorry.

Genesis 9: (LINK) Rainbows and Ruins. At least that ought to be the subheading here. The Flood ends. Noah and family come out of the Ark, animals come out of the Ark, and life starts afresh in a very different environment.

Oh, and God sees that man will be so violent that instituting the death penalty for murder is necessary and Noah gets drunk and passes out unclothed in his tent. There’s that, too.

What do we do with this?

Let’s work the opposite question first: what do we not do with this?

1: We do NOT take Genesis 9:25-27 as justifying slavery, racism, or any other ethnocentric nonsense. Seriously, I have respect for many of Baptist forbears and men and women of other branches of Christianity that went before me, but that part was dumb. I do wonder what part of mine will be counted just plain dumb by my great grandchildren, but I digress. That Canaan was cursed by Noah does not mean you get to curse someone you think is descended from Canaan.

Got that?

Good. Keep in mind, there’s really only two kinds of people in the world: those who need the Gospel and those who need the Gospel. Well, the difference is those who have responded to the Gospel and those who have not. So,you’re not better than anyone because of your skin color and you’re not worse. Your culture may be different and there may be points of difference to discuss but we’re all the same before God: sinners in need of the Savior.

2: We do NOT simply write off the rainbow portion as mythic nonsense. Of all the reasons man would invent for the rainbow, we’d make up that it’s God’s sign there won’t be a worldwide flood? For that to be the invented reason, mankind must have a common memory of a worldwide flood. So…

3. We do NOT take the provision of capital punishment as the right to take our own revenge. There’s more here than just a simple vengeance principle and it’s also not a definite command to execute murderers. I think it is a Biblically acceptable practice when guilt is exceedingly clear, but that’s another discussion. The purpose of the statement in Genesis 9:6 is to establish the value of human life: we are higher than the animals and are not to be killed just for hunting. (Hear that, Slitheen? Good.)

4. We do NOT get drunk and pass out unclothed in our homes. Or elsewhere.

Now, what DO we do?

1. Trust God: imagine the terror of storms. It’s easy, really, when you have seen tornadoes and hurricanes. Now, amplify that terror by adding some big survivor guilt. Yet the reassurance of seeing rainbows as a sign that God will preserve a remnant. When you see stress coming, trust God. Seek His Word.

2. Value human life: all human life. From the moment of conception through death, all human life is precious. That means seeking the good of all people—not just the convenient ones. So, what can we do about that? Lots, and we need to work on it.

3. Take care of the earth: we’re suppose to fill it (and we haven’t, you neo-Malthusian folks) and populate it. That means live here. Your house may be your house, but you don’t just fill it with trash and leave the heat blasting, do you? Seriously, I like the term “Creation Care” better than “Environmentalism” but many of the goals are the same: keep this place fit to live on.

And I think we should do it because God told us to, not because we’ll miss the whales and polar bears.

4. Consider the effects of our actions when we respond to sin: do we desire only to embarrass the sinner or do we seek redemption? Want to be Ham or Shem?

That’s that, then.

Doug

Through the Whole Bible: Genesis 8

Note: I apologize for the delay with today’s posting. Hopefully I’ll get a few days ahead soon and be on the mornings consistently.

Moving ahead: Genesis 8. (LINK) We’re still in the Flood. Actually, we start the chapter while the water is still upon the Earth. There’s lots of water at this particular point—over the tops of the mountains. There are additional sources to discuss the physical possibilities on this one.

The application angle I want to look is this: take a look Genesis 8:13 and compare to Genesis 7:11. The flood has taken a year.

Now, consider this: the purpose of the flood was to bring judgment on sinful humanity by destroying most of the human race. This is in response to the sinfulness of humanity: it is not an arbitrary judgment or undeserved one.

How long do you think that really needed? Channeling my best Bill Cosby as he does his old Noah routine: “How long can you tread water?” It didn’t need a year to accomplish that. There are reasons one can guess for why the flood took that long to happen and then subside. The general idea is that more was at stake than just purging the first post-Edenic world. Maybe there were cities or buildings to destroy. Perhaps this was a time that saw continents formed or deformed. The answer is: we just don’t know.

Had Noah been the one to make the decision, he probably would have spent about a month in the ark, come out, and gone on with life. After all, who wants to stay locked in a boat with a bunch of animals?

We would make decisions differently. Faster, for one thing. Without the extra time surrounded by smelly critters for another. We want life to move and work at our pace.

Yet  it does not happen that way. Very rarely does anything take place as quickly as we want. Whether it’s building success or growing a garden, more time is necessary than we want.

When God is working to move us from dead sinfulness, it’s the same way. It is an instant in which our dead spiritual life is raised by the power of God in conversion. Yet we’re not instantly holy on the outside. It takes time. Continual effort, sustained patience. Time.

More than we want it to take. All the while, we have to keep going. While we wonder how long it will take—while Noah wonders when the water will go down, he keeps feeding animals, keeps shoveling out the bottom of the ark, and keeps going.

That is the key for us: keep going. Some days, all we see is the flood water.

But eventually, the water recedes and we go forward. We keep going.

God is not finished working in our lives—and we’re not done with what we’re supposed to be doing for Him.

Through the Whole Bible: Genesis 7

The flood story continues here in Genesis 7 (LINK). This chapter addresses the story of the actual coming of the flood, including more details of the directions God gave to Noah regarding animals. We tend to remember the instruction to bring two of every kind of animal, but this chapter actually gives an expansion. It was two of every kind, and seven of the clean kinds.

There are some questions that the chapter leaves unanswered, such as exactly which animals are to be considered clean and unclean. The Mosaic law that will dictate that for the Israelites is still several centuries away, but there is apparently a known distinction even then. It is also a logical thing: if these are the animals that can be eaten and considered "acceptable" then you're going to need more of them. You're going to need them quicker, too.

The focus, though, for this chapter falls in verse 1. The Lord tells Noah to go into the Ark. This is important.

Why?

Consider this: for a hundred years, Noah and Sons have been in the ship-building business. They have, alongside doing whatever was necessary to survive, been building a ship that exceeds any thoughts of seaworthiness or control: it's going to be a big, floating box that is too big to steer, too big to move to the water, too full of animals to keep it clean…

The whole effort could have been a waste. Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth all could have decided not to bother getting in the Ark. They could have decided that building it was enough. They could have decided that they had done what God had commanded: build it. Now, they're commitment was proven and it was time to call it a day.

Yet what would that have accomplished? Not a thing. Not one single thing.

If they don't obey and get in the ark, then they die in the flood. Failing to finish their obedience would result in an overall failure.

Can you see where this is going?

What are God's commands for us? Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly before your God, perhaps? (Micah 6:8) Love God with all you have and love your neighbor as yourself? (Matthew 22:36-40) Make disciples of all nations? Not just converts and notches in the pulpit and tally marks on the attendance rolls, but disciples? (Matthew 28:18-20)

These things are not to be half-done. They are to be completed.

Not because our salvation depends upon it—God in His grace saves sinners, even ones who do not fully obey Him. Our faithfulness is at stake.

And our faithfulness reflects on the One we serve. It affects people's response. Our incomplete obedience to the Gospel drives people to distrust us and our teaching and our Master.

So, the goal ahead is this: finish. Take the last step, finish the task ahead and do all of what God has commanded you.