Genesis 4
(read Monica's comments here)
The first thing that caught my eye in the story of Cain and Abel was it's lesson about pluralism. Cain and Abel both brought similar offerings (they were both the first fruits of their labor), but because Cain's was not a blood offering it was not acceptable. God doesn't punish Cain for his inadequate offering but instead encourages him to do better, and warns him against sin. But Cain's anger allows sin to get the better of him and he pays a dear price. This is anything but consistent with the concept that there are multiple ways to God. Instead we learn that God can be pretty particular about what he accepts from us.
In some ways, it's after Cain has killed Abel that his life gets most interesting. He is cursed to be a fugitive and a wanderer, yet he seems almost immediately to have built and settled in the first city mentioned in the bible. It's in the land of Nod that he fathers what might have been an entire line that remained hidden from the face of God. Yet despite this seeming lack of devotion to God, scripture almost implies that it was the descendant's of Cain that pioneered the technological and cultural developments of the time.
I think that the significance of Lamech's proclamation in verses 23-24 is possibly that this was the first time man decided to play god, or is at least an example that the practice was common. Lamech tried to promise himself what God promised Cain, and the result is more bloodshed. It was a classic instance of man trying to develop his own law without God's guidance, and violence ensuing. These verses work with verse 26 to establish the contrasting cultures of Seth's descendant's who called upon "the name of the LORD" and Cain's descendant's who developed their own man-made system.
The only problem I have with this chapter is that it's an all too brief window into what must have been a fascinating world. I have so many questions that are left unanswered. What were the nature of Cain and Abel's sacrifices? How did the the "mark" God gave to Cain manifest itself? What was it like living in the first human civilization EVER, when all the different technologies mentioned were developed for the first time? If I could go back and live in any period of history, the time of this antediluvian civilization might just be the one I'd pick. For the sake of curiosity if nothing else.
As always, please expound with your comments.
God bless,
Zach
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
What is in a Name?
Genesis Chapters 5 and 6
I was not planning on formally apologizing for not having posted recently, but it seems it is a tradition of the blog world. I do apologize I actually was studying and prepared to post two weeks ago but have found myself without a computer as my hard-drive has died. Borrowing has not been as easy as I thought it might. Therefore I do apologize and hope that I can pick up easily where we left off. Now for the Bible!
In Genesis 5 we see the genealogy from Adam to Noah. Now I am not a scholar of names by any means nor do I feel myself qualified to talk about the genealogy in much detail in regards to history and translation, but I can tell you that there is much more to this chapter than just a list of names. God is a master designer and planner of the world. It is important to remember that each person from the beginning until now has been placed here on purpose, not by some accident. I found a couple sites in reference to the genealogy that go into more detail about the significance of the name and dates. I hope that these are able to shed light in a way that I cannot in this chapter.
http://bible.org/article/ages-antediluvian-patriarchs-genesis-5
I would like to point out a few things that catch my attention here. First is that after Adam, sons were made in the image of there father rather than the heavenly father (Genesis 5:3). This is a reflection of how sin has separated us from God. No longer was man a natural reflection of God, but rather mortality and sin. The second thing is in regards to Enoch’s life. Enoch is described as having walked with God. Walking to me is an agreement to stay together. I can sometimes be a rather fast walker, but when I am walking with someone, there are efforts made to match strides. Amos 3:3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” Walking with God is living righteously. Is not walking with God what Adam first did in the garden before sin and what Christians around the world should strive to achieve? According to verse 24, Enoch is did not die, but was taken by God before death. This is one of two occurrences where this happens in the Bible, the other being Elijah in 2nd Kings 2:11. God cared for Enoch so much that he spared him death, an honor God couldn’t even give his son Jesus. Granted Jesus needed to die to save us, so do not take that out of context; rather it is just to show that Enoch was well favored by God. I would love to have a life capable of being labeled as a walk with the Lord.
In Genesis 6:8-9 we read that Noah was also a righteous man who walked with the Lord. Noah’s favor with God is what saved mankind. As man was moving from order of God’s creation towards the chaos of sin, God became disappointed with his creation. What he made and once called good now brought him sorrow. Rather than destroying everything, God would wipe out the evil generation with a flood. He used Noah to save the good from the flood, and it was Noah’s faith and obedience that allowed mankind to continue.
Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (ESV)
Noah by following God and not the world did in fact condemn the world. That is no easy task, and yet by doing so Noah became an heir of righteousness. This leads me to thinking about a common challenge that I know I face in my own Christian walk. Is God’s prize for me bigger than anything that the world has to offer? Do I find God’s favor for me more important than the favor of the world? If you are a Christian and have a hard time saying with confidence yes to those questions, you are not alone. It is a challenge that many face in their lifetime. However, I encourage you to find your answer.
Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Ephesians 4:14-15 “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Or anything else other than God)
These are my thoughts; I would appreciate yours as always.
-Monica
I was not planning on formally apologizing for not having posted recently, but it seems it is a tradition of the blog world. I do apologize I actually was studying and prepared to post two weeks ago but have found myself without a computer as my hard-drive has died. Borrowing has not been as easy as I thought it might. Therefore I do apologize and hope that I can pick up easily where we left off. Now for the Bible!
In Genesis 5 we see the genealogy from Adam to Noah. Now I am not a scholar of names by any means nor do I feel myself qualified to talk about the genealogy in much detail in regards to history and translation, but I can tell you that there is much more to this chapter than just a list of names. God is a master designer and planner of the world. It is important to remember that each person from the beginning until now has been placed here on purpose, not by some accident. I found a couple sites in reference to the genealogy that go into more detail about the significance of the name and dates. I hope that these are able to shed light in a way that I cannot in this chapter.
http://www.direct.ca/trinity/hidden.html
http://bible.org/article/ages-antediluvian-patriarchs-genesis-5
I would like to point out a few things that catch my attention here. First is that after Adam, sons were made in the image of there father rather than the heavenly father (Genesis 5:3). This is a reflection of how sin has separated us from God. No longer was man a natural reflection of God, but rather mortality and sin. The second thing is in regards to Enoch’s life. Enoch is described as having walked with God. Walking to me is an agreement to stay together. I can sometimes be a rather fast walker, but when I am walking with someone, there are efforts made to match strides. Amos 3:3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” Walking with God is living righteously. Is not walking with God what Adam first did in the garden before sin and what Christians around the world should strive to achieve? According to verse 24, Enoch is did not die, but was taken by God before death. This is one of two occurrences where this happens in the Bible, the other being Elijah in 2nd Kings 2:11. God cared for Enoch so much that he spared him death, an honor God couldn’t even give his son Jesus. Granted Jesus needed to die to save us, so do not take that out of context; rather it is just to show that Enoch was well favored by God. I would love to have a life capable of being labeled as a walk with the Lord.
In Genesis 6:8-9 we read that Noah was also a righteous man who walked with the Lord. Noah’s favor with God is what saved mankind. As man was moving from order of God’s creation towards the chaos of sin, God became disappointed with his creation. What he made and once called good now brought him sorrow. Rather than destroying everything, God would wipe out the evil generation with a flood. He used Noah to save the good from the flood, and it was Noah’s faith and obedience that allowed mankind to continue.
Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (ESV)
Noah by following God and not the world did in fact condemn the world. That is no easy task, and yet by doing so Noah became an heir of righteousness. This leads me to thinking about a common challenge that I know I face in my own Christian walk. Is God’s prize for me bigger than anything that the world has to offer? Do I find God’s favor for me more important than the favor of the world? If you are a Christian and have a hard time saying with confidence yes to those questions, you are not alone. It is a challenge that many face in their lifetime. However, I encourage you to find your answer.
Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Ephesians 4:14-15 “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Or anything else other than God)
These are my thoughts; I would appreciate yours as always.
-Monica
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