This week’s memory verse:
This week’s Scripture Readings:
Devotions:
Creation – Genesis 1 and 2
In this first chapter of the first book of the Bible, we have a straightforward description of how God created all things. Theologians use a Latin Phrase to describe God’s creative work in Genesis, “Ex Nihilo” which means, “out of nothing”. From nothing, God creates Light, darkness, the heavens, land, sea, sky, and all creatures. What an amazing God!
Yet, do not miss the presence of Jesus even in the beginning. Verse 26 the One Creator God talks ofmaking mankind in “our” image. From the first pages of scripture we see allusions to God’s Triune nature. God is a Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this great truth we that Jesus does not show up only when we need a savior! Jesus was before the foundation of the World, present with the Father, and acting as creator. Thus, He twice owns our lives. He not only created our lives, but redeemed them when we submitted to sin.
In chapter 2, we have not only a description of God’s rest on the seventh day, but also a creation account of Adam. First, we must see that God does not rest because he needs to or because he is tired. He rests to show his work is done and there is a blessing for man in rest. This sabbath day is a gift to man. He shows man there is rest in God. However, the sabbath, this seventh day of rest, is only a shadow of what is to come in Jesus. Man can only find rest in God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is his blood that allows us to rest eternally in the saving power of his sacrifice. As we will see, just as one man’s disobedience (Adam) led to the fall and the bondage of sin, so one man’s perfect obedience to the Father (Jesus, the new Adam) can set us a new creation! We are made to rest in God, created to grow in likeness to Christ, and formed to tell others of the hope we have.
It does not take many chapters for God’s good creation to fall into sin. Eve is deceived by the serpent and, with her husband Adam, jumps head long into disobedience! This first sin in human history is a good place to develop an understanding of sin. You will notice throughout the creation account, God declares His creation to be “good”. In Genesis 3, Eve sins when she sees the forbidden fruit as “good” for food. That is, she sins when she looks for sin outside of God. She sins when she attempts to find what only God can provide in something other than God. She sins when she believes she should be able to create her own reality and be her own God.
There are immediate consequences to man’s disobedience. Their eyes are opened, they are ashamed, and they try to hide from God. It is pointless to try and hide our sin and shame from God, the all-knowing One. There is only one way for man’s sin to be dealt with and that is through the deliver promised in this darkest hour! In verse 15, there is what many refer to as the “first good news.” There is a prophecy given that the serpent will strike the heel of the seed of the woman, but that man will ultimately crush the adversary. That seed of the woman is most certainly Jesus. The Messiah, the deliverer, the one to redeem mankind, is already known and beginning to work. God is never caught off guard and his work is never derailed. The rest of our journey through scripture is the continued unfolding of this initial promise in the Garden.
The Flood – Genesis 6 and 7
There is much speculation about these “sons of God” and what they actually did here. Some say these “sons of God” were angelic creatures, probably those angels which had rebelled with Satan. Upon seeing the daughters of men, these rebellious angels sought relations with these women. Maybe Satan figured if the offspring of mankind were half demon/ half woman, the promised offspring of 3:15 would not exist. Others believe these “sons of God” describe those from the line of Seth and that those “daughters of men were from the line of Cain. Thus, the relationship would be between the godly and ungodly. No matter the interpretation, it is clear the offspring of these rebellious relations angered God. Along with these rebellious relationships is the continual evil of all mankind, which is growing at an alarming rate. So, the Lord declares that that in 120 years, the judgement of the flood would blot out mankind. God knew this would happen, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t grieved by the sin his creation had fallen into. As the Creator-King who has made all things, God is free to govern and judge what He has made!
Thankfully, in the midst of such darkness there is the shining example of Noah. God knew he would begin again with Noah! Though we need to be clear – Noah found this grace God gave, he didn’t earn it. Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. God commands Noah to build the ark and informs him that alloutside the ark will be destroyed. He further promises to establish a covenant with Noah. Because of Noah’s righteous faith his family was saved, and he was vindicated from all of those who saw him building a giant ship and laughed. We too are saved by someone else’s righteous faith. Because of the faith and obedience of Jesus, we too are saved. More than that, Jesus too was vindicated. All of those who laughed when he said he was the Son of God, who spat upon him and beat him, they now see him high and lifted up at the right hand of the Father.
God’s Covenant with Noah – Genesis 8 and 9
With flood waters receding, the ark is brought to rest. Once the ground is dry, Noah, his family, and the animals leave the ark. Noah immediately builds an altar, makes a sacrifice, and begins to worship God for what he has done. This was a costly offering unto God. With only a few of each animal on the ark, Noah risked the extinction of some of the animals by sacrificing them or potentially losing a meal for himself and his family! Nevertheless, costly sacrifice is pleasing to God. Costly sacrifice pleases God, not because God needs or wants to get as much from us as He can, but because God Himself sacrificed at great cost. God wants costly sacrifice from us because it shows we are being conformed into the image of Jesus, who was the greatest display of costly sacrifice.
In chapter 9, we have God solidifying his covenant with Noah. God tells Noah and his sons to be fruitful, multiply, and they can now eat meat (Yay!). However, they must respect the blood of the animal (by not eating the animal’s flesh with blood in it or on it) as it is the life force. We know how important blood is throughout scripture. Blood will seal God’s covenant with Israel, blood will make atonement for the people, blood will seal the New Covenant, and Jesus’ blood will bring salvation to all. God also emphasizes that man’s blood should not be shed, as man is made in the image of God. Yet Jesus, as God in flesh, has his life blood shed. A blood that certainly should be respected. It is his blood which does bring salvation to all. God then details the covenant, the sign of the covenant, and how he will “remember” this promise.
Then something odd happens which will become a continued pattern in the life of the Bible’s “heroes”. The man who was righteous in the eyes of God becomes drunk, is naked, seen by his son, and then curses his son. Noah was a good man but he was not a perfect man. His sin helps us learn early on that there can be only one true hero of the Bible!
Tower of Babel – Genesis 11
After the flood, humanity continues to expand. But not only do humans grow in number, they grow in their sinful disobedience to their Creator! The disobedience at Babel isn’t that obvious at first. But, upon reading you see that this pledge to group together and build a tower goes directly against God’s command to spread over the earth (Gen 9:1). Furthermore, they built the tower out of waterproofed material, which means they do not trust that God will not flood the earth again.
In response to this great sin God takes a look! Isn’t it fascinating that what seemed so impressive to men was something God had to “go down to look at”?
Then God confused the languages and scatters man. The forced separation of men from Babel was more God’s mercy than His judgment. God, in dividing man both linguistically and geographically, put a check on the power of his fallen nature. The whole account of what happened at Babel with its anti-God dictator, its organized rebellion against God, and its direct distrust of God’s promise shows man hasn’t gotten any better since the flood. Time, progress, government, and organization have made man better off, but not better. Now God will begin to make man better, and He will start as He always starts: with a man who will do His will, even if he does not do His will perfectly, as we see the chapter end with Abram’s birth. God’s promises continue to unfold as the world looks for One who will do more than make us better, but who will redeem us.