And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Gen. 6:7-9). The fall of man began on the day that sin entered into the world (3:1-7), and through 10 generations it continued on unabated. The first-born son of Adam and Eve, Cain, proved the depths of human depravity when he committed the worlds first murder of man, killing his brother Abel in a jealous rage (4:8). With each passing generation, mankind grew further and further removed from their Creator, God. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6:5). Even in the midst of evil, God still maintained an earthly presence. Through the lineage of Seth, Adam and Eves third born son, a faithful servant of the Lord remained. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. In this one man, God saw the future of creation. But with thee will I establish My Covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives with thee. (6:18). When God looked at Noah, He did not just see one righteous man, He also saw everyone that would come after, good and bad. Thus God set into motion His great plan to save humanity from itself. The initial rebellion of all of creation against the Creator was ended with a global flood. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (6:17). It was the greatest catastrophe ever experienced by the earth and its inhabitants (Matt. 24:37-39; Heb. 11:7; I Pet. 3:20; II Pet. 2:5; 3:3-7). In just 40 days and nights, the population of the world was reduced to only one family and a boatload of animals. This seemingly inconceivable tragedy, however, is in truth a testament to the unconditional love of God. Even though he was not perfect (Gen. 9:20-25), Noah found grace with the Lord. It was through this grace that the Lord revealed His love for His creation; in mercy, He established a new life and hope for mankind. The flood served its purpose. It was an act of judgment against sin, and it provided a vivid reminder of the absolute authority of God. The Lord cannot and will not live in the presence of evil, nor does He wish for His children to do so. Noahs separation from sin and death, spiritually and physically, was provided by the Ark (which foreshadowed Christ) that was commissioned by God. Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him. (7:5). Had Noah not been willing to put his entire faith in God, he would have suffered the same fate as the rest of creation. Because of his unshakable love for the Lord, however, the unbelieving world had no influence on Noah. Through faith alone, Noah was saved. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8). Thought for Today: We live in evil times, and God is looking for men and women like Noah who desire to please their Lord. Christ Revealed: Through Abels blood sacrifice (Gen. 4:4-7). Christ is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for mans sin (John 1:29; Heb. 9:22; 11:4). Mans best achievements can never take the place of Christ’s atonement made through His own sinless blood. Word Studies: 4:1 knew = had intercourse with; 4:4 had respect unto = approved; 4:6 fallen = angry, resentful; 4:15 a mark = a sign of protection; 4:18 begat = fathered; 4:22 artificer = metal craftsman; 4:23 to my wounding = for wounding me; 5:22 walked with = believed in and was obedient to; 6:2 sons of God = followers of God; daughters of men = worldly women; 6:6 repented = grieved; 6:8 grace = the Lords favor; 6:9 perfect = blameless; 6:15 cubits = about 18 inches; 6:16 to = for; 6:18 My Covenant = binding agreement with qualifications given by God. Prayer Needs: Pray For the Country of Mongolia (2,953,190) East-central Asia Major Language: Khalkha Mongol Religious Freedom: Societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice - 53% Buddhist; 3% Muslim; 2.1% Christian; 2.9% Shamanist; 0.4% Other; 38.6% None Prayer Suggestion: Remember that God hears and answers our prayers (Is. 65:24).
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 23:33:37 +0000
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