Read Genesis 8:20-9:17; 2 Thess. 1:10-12; 2 Tim. 4:18; Isaiah 46:9-10
As a believer, I have an urge to ask two questions. ‘Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” Without answering these questions, we will naturally slip into a life of idleness, laziness, confusion, and sin. There is so much in the Bible that urges me to be steadfast, enduring, and persevering…but why? And to what purpose?
In Isaiah 46:9-10, God says, “…for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”
Our Creator has a final purpose in Creation. As a part of that creation, we have a created purpose. God, the Creator, stands outside of time and declares what will be. Before sin entered the world, this purpose existed. And God will not allow man’s sin to keep His purpose from being accomplished. So, you may ask, “what is this purpose?!" This purpose is HIS GLORY FOREVER!!! Hebrews 2:10 says the He is drawing many sons to this glory. 2 Tim 4:18 expresses that this glory is to be to God forever and ever. God’s high renown, God’s honor, God’s magnificence, God’s great beauty, God’s distinctive and unimaginable being is what Christ died to bring us to. The aim is specific and its finality is certain. God will reign forever in glory.
On earth, God has given us the created purpose of putting His glory on display. But on earth, because of sin, we exist in a fallen state. In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with us to assure protection from the THREE main things that could threaten God’s final purpose of His glory being enjoyed by us forever; Animals, Man, and God. The animals could pose a threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth. With their physical strength and sometimes deadly instincts, they could kill man one by one. But God places the fear and dread of man upon every animal and gives man dominion over them all. Next, mankind, in his sin, could keep itself from being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth by killing each other. But God establishes “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image.” Finally, as we saw in the flood, the biggest threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth is God’s righteous judgment and wrath. But in this covenant God establishes that until the end of time, He will not wipe man out completely, specifically with a flood. You can imagine the great comfort this was to Noah and his family the next few times it started to rain…
Man is still sinful, but God, within the bonds of covenant, has gone to great lengths to redeem a people to accomplish His final purpose. Indeed, to Him be the glory forever and ever!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Hope When Our Hearts Are Far
Read Genesis 8:20-21; Rom. 15:4-7; Psalm 51:5-6; Micah 7:8-9; 2 Cor. 4
As I see Noah worshipping God when he steps off of the ark, before he does anything else, I see the clear truth that God should be worshipped in every circumstance. But sometimes our hearts are not in the same place. Sometimes our circumstances and sin give us a sense of hopelessness that makes us believe we can never worship God like that. We know it is the right thing, but our heart is not in it. In the next verse in Genesis 8, God explains that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Psalm 51 explains this heart condition by saying we were “brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin”. But it goes on to say that God goes to great lengths to redeem His children who are guilty of this sin. God aims His truth at the inward being of man. And God delights in this truth. He goes further to teach wisdom in the secret heart of man.
Romans 15 tells us that everything written in the Old Testament was written for our instruction so that we might have HOPE! What a TREASURE! And we have this treasure in jars of clay. That means that we are common and fragile vessels, so that when people see us called out of darkness and into light it is obvious that it is not by our own power. Rather, it is made known that the surpassing power belongs to God! My hope is that when sin and lies try to keep us from worshipping, we can proclaim with Micah, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him…[but] He will bring me out to the light!”
As I see Noah worshipping God when he steps off of the ark, before he does anything else, I see the clear truth that God should be worshipped in every circumstance. But sometimes our hearts are not in the same place. Sometimes our circumstances and sin give us a sense of hopelessness that makes us believe we can never worship God like that. We know it is the right thing, but our heart is not in it. In the next verse in Genesis 8, God explains that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Psalm 51 explains this heart condition by saying we were “brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin”. But it goes on to say that God goes to great lengths to redeem His children who are guilty of this sin. God aims His truth at the inward being of man. And God delights in this truth. He goes further to teach wisdom in the secret heart of man.
Romans 15 tells us that everything written in the Old Testament was written for our instruction so that we might have HOPE! What a TREASURE! And we have this treasure in jars of clay. That means that we are common and fragile vessels, so that when people see us called out of darkness and into light it is obvious that it is not by our own power. Rather, it is made known that the surpassing power belongs to God! My hope is that when sin and lies try to keep us from worshipping, we can proclaim with Micah, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him…[but] He will bring me out to the light!”
Monday, April 7, 2008
The Right Response / Some Worship is Unacceptable
Read Genesis 8:20-21; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 2:14-17
As we come to the end of Genesis 8, it is hard for us to really take in what is going on here. Noah has just stepped off of the ark after a long, tedious, scary, lonely, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud ride. There is so much to do and they are the only ones left. But rather than taking a nap to get ready, or writing up a game plan, or even just getting straight to work, NOAH WORSHIPS! There are a million things to do, but Noah worships. Resources are limited, but Noah gives his best to God. It is good for us to try to consider what God is receiving at this point. Only one year before it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. But now, about a year later, every source of grief is gone and only one Patriarch is left. And he, Noah, is WORSHIPPING! This pleases God.
I think it is safe to say that since the flood, there has not been another man who has had more on their plate than Noah! Our schedules usually include “feed the dog, pay the electric bill, and don’t forget about soccer practice…” and somehow this keeps us from worship! Noah’s schedule, however, included “build a house for you and seven others, establish a city, and populate the earth…” yet, the first thing he did was worship! Noah could have said, “God, let my flock repopulate, and then I will sacrifice a burnt offering…or God, let me at least get a roof over my families head, and then I will worship You.” Noah is alive! And he knew that he didn’t deserve to be. As a recipient of God’s mercy and grace, Noah saw no other option than to worship God and offer a pure sacrifice.
God has offered Christ, the purest of all sacrifices, to cover our sins and bring us back into fellowship with Him. The result is that we are now called to live every day AS living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, and we are to BE the sweet aroma, first to God and then to the world. God is not pleased when His children are half-hearted creatures. It does not please Him if we put off worshipping Him for ANY reason! Our encouragement, as we repent and move forward in faith, is the same encouragement that Peter gave to his brothers and sisters in Christ. “Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”
As we come to the end of Genesis 8, it is hard for us to really take in what is going on here. Noah has just stepped off of the ark after a long, tedious, scary, lonely, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud ride. There is so much to do and they are the only ones left. But rather than taking a nap to get ready, or writing up a game plan, or even just getting straight to work, NOAH WORSHIPS! There are a million things to do, but Noah worships. Resources are limited, but Noah gives his best to God. It is good for us to try to consider what God is receiving at this point. Only one year before it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. But now, about a year later, every source of grief is gone and only one Patriarch is left. And he, Noah, is WORSHIPPING! This pleases God.
I think it is safe to say that since the flood, there has not been another man who has had more on their plate than Noah! Our schedules usually include “feed the dog, pay the electric bill, and don’t forget about soccer practice…” and somehow this keeps us from worship! Noah’s schedule, however, included “build a house for you and seven others, establish a city, and populate the earth…” yet, the first thing he did was worship! Noah could have said, “God, let my flock repopulate, and then I will sacrifice a burnt offering…or God, let me at least get a roof over my families head, and then I will worship You.” Noah is alive! And he knew that he didn’t deserve to be. As a recipient of God’s mercy and grace, Noah saw no other option than to worship God and offer a pure sacrifice.
God has offered Christ, the purest of all sacrifices, to cover our sins and bring us back into fellowship with Him. The result is that we are now called to live every day AS living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, and we are to BE the sweet aroma, first to God and then to the world. God is not pleased when His children are half-hearted creatures. It does not please Him if we put off worshipping Him for ANY reason! Our encouragement, as we repent and move forward in faith, is the same encouragement that Peter gave to his brothers and sisters in Christ. “Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”
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