Today’s Reading: Genesis 8-11
The Message
English Standard Version
Hint: When you reach the genealogy section, don’t pronounce the names in your head. That way you will read the important parts without feeling overwhelmed by the Hebrew names.
The Message
English Standard Version
Hint: When you reach the genealogy section, don’t pronounce the names in your head. That way you will read the important parts without feeling overwhelmed by the Hebrew names.
Thought to Guide Your Reading
Every major culture in the world has a story about a catastrophic flood with one family surviving.Summary in 100 Words or Less
God makes the flood waters recede from the earth. Once out of the boat, Noah and his family made an animal sacrifice. Smelling the sacrifice, God promised not to destroy the earth again because of man’s sin. God blessed Noah and his sons and gave them responsibility over the earth.Many years later, all people living on the earth decided to make a great tower which would make them famous forever. When God saw what they wanted to do he decided to confuse their language to scatter them around the world. Because of this the place was named “Babel."
How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right
God decided to no longer punish the whole world because of man’s sin.
It is difficult to say that God “changed" as a result of the flood. However, God decided no longer to punish his creation because of the sin of man. The earth would continue to be under the curse given because of Adam and Eve’s sin, but it would no longer be collateral damage to punish humans.God gave all animals for humans to eat.
Compare Genesis 2:29-30 and Genesis 9:2-3. At first God did not give meat for man to eat. After the flood God allowed Noah to kill and eat animals.Noah cursed Ham because he did not make things right.
Shem, Japheth, and Noah were angry with Ham not because he saw his father naked in his tent but because he saw him and did not cover him. Instead he went to his brothers to tell them of what he saw. If he had covered his father he would not have been cursed.Foreshadowing: Ham became the father of the Canaanites. These would be the people who the Israelites, the children of Shem, would later conquer and force to be their slaves.
God confused everyone’s language at the tower of Babel because they wanted to make themselves famous.
God’s reason for changing their language came from their attempt at becoming famous apart from God. Becoming famous (or making a name for yourself) because of God is something Christians could aspire for. However, even this is dangerous.
What else did you see reading this passage? Questions? Comments? Leave a comment in the section below or on the Sonoma Mountain Parkway Church of Christ Facebook page.
Gen. 11:6 (New American Standard Version) "The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them." I think The Message waters this thought down – “No telling what they’ll come up with next…”, but I think it can be a positive lesson, too – if we work as “one people” for God, we can accomplish incredible things. When we are divided in purpose our efforts are weakened.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Sharla. There should be no watering down here. Although this is a negative but important part of God's story, it is one where God compliments the human family... tips his hat so to speak... at the great things he created us to be capable of.
ReplyDeleteGod said, "Let there be light..." Man said, "Let there be computers and the internet and we can discuss the Bible on them..." Hmmm... what a kick in the head. We 'speak' things into existence too! (though not quite like our Creator).