Genesis 12-16
Go forth from your country and from your family and from your father's house to the land which I will show you. I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:1-3
Yahweh looked throughout the earth and saw humanity in rebellion against Him. No one desired to follow Yahweh’s will. No one wanted to submit themselves to Yahweh. Instead, humankind had chosen to honor the national powers and idols made of human hands as king instead of Yahweh himself. But Yahweh remembered that he had promised the humans to rule over the earth. And he remembered his promise to Noah not to judge the earth with the waters. And so Yahweh chose a new plan—a plan to reform humans away from their rebellion and back to himself.
Abram was a man who had everything the world had to give. His father was about to die and grant him a large inheritance and he had a wife and many servants. However, he did not have a son to continue his inheritance. Yahweh spoke to Abraham and cut a deal with him: “Abram, this is Yahweh, the great God of the heavens. I want you to leave your inheritance and leave your family and just go. I will tell you where to stop when you get there, but you need to just leave with all you have. If you do this, I will make you one of the great men on earth. I will give you a great reputation and all of the peoples of the earth will bless you. Should anyone curse you, I will protect you and cause them to fail.” Abram accepted this and left his family and began to wander with his wife and servants and flocks.
Eventually, Abram wandered to Canaan, between the great nations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. At this place, Yahweh told Abram to stay and said that his children will own this land. And Abram worshiped Yahweh in that place, honoring him for his promise.
Abram had also brought his nephew, Lot with him to this land, who also had servants and flocks. Unfortunately, Abram’s servants and Lot’s often quarreled about the resources of the land—the water and grazing land. Abram took Lot to a tall hill and said to him, “Look at all the land there is. Lot, you chose what land you like and I will go somewhere else.” Lot rudely chose the best land for himself, near the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. As Lot left, Yahweh spoke to Abram and said, “Abram, you are righteous even in light of unrighteousness. Look all around you. All of this land I will give you and your children—everything you see. Now wander about the land and look at all I will give you.”
As Abram wandered, he heard that a great army had gone and attacked Sodom and his nephew, Lot, and had taken them all away. Abram gathered up his servants and chased the army, attacked them and freed the captives. The king of Sodom insulted Abram and Abram indicated that he would have nothing to do with Sodom. However, the king of Salem (later called Jerusalem) called Melchizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him one tenth of his possessions.
After this, Yahweh spoke to Abram and said, “Don’t be afraid of anything, Abram, for I will protect you.” Abram replied, “This is true—but how are you going to keep your promises to me? You said that my children would receive this land—but I have no children! My head servant will receive my inheritance! All because you have given me no children.” Yahweh answered, “I know that you are old, Abram and that your wife cannot have children. But listen to me, Abram. I will make sure that you have children—so many children that they cannot be counted. I brought you from a distant country in order to gain this land—and so shall your children receive it.”
Abram listened to God and trusted that God’s word was true. Because of Abram’s faith, he was considered righteous before Yahweh and was allowed to approach Yahweh before His throne. In the meantime, Abram waited for God’s promise to be fulfilled for 24 years.
In the midst of this 24 years, both Sarai and Abram became impatient for God’s promise to come true. So Sarai offered a compromise with Abram, “Look, you know that I am much too old to have children. Why don’t we just have a surrogate mother instead? You can just impregnate my slave, Hagar, and then her child will be ours.” Abram thought this idea was fine, so he and Hagar had a child.
Once she was pregnant, however, Hagar no longer acted like a slave, but a proper wife to Abram, and started to treat Sarai with contempt. Sarai was very angry and began to beat Hagar, so Hagar ran away. As she was by herself, wondering what to do next, an angel appeared to her. “Hagar, where are you going?” She replied, “I’m leaving my mistress Sarai—you wouldn’t expect me to live under those kind of conditions do you?” The angel said, “You are carrying Abram’s son, and if you return to live with them—even under such conditions—then God will bless you. You will call your son Ishmael and he will be the father of many generations and nations. And you will be cared for. Just try to endure under the difficulties for now.” Hagar praised God and returned to Sarai. And she gave birth to a son and his name was Ishmael. But Ishmael was not the son God had promised.
Why did God need another plan?
Because even though violence was abated among humans, they were worshipping many gods who did not represent the Most High God at all. People will worshipping their national spiritual guardians and the sun and the moon—but Yahweh was not worshiped or obeyed at all. He needed to set up a new people, devoted to worshiping Yahweh alone and keeping His word.
Why did God chose Abram?
First of all, God chose Abram because he was willing to listen to Yahweh. He was willing to hear what others would not hear—that the Most High God wanted worshippers all to Himself. Abram’s father probably worshipped the moon, but Abram rejected that worship to only worship the Most High God. Secondly, God gave Abram a test. He told Abram to just leave his inheritance to receive God’s inheritance which he was not told what it was. So, in obeying God’s command, Abram, in a sense, also chose himself. Abram was the one who heard God and obeyed Him, even when it didn’t make sense.
Why did Abram make war?
Abram was committed to protecting his nephew, Lot. So he wanted to deliver Lot from slavery. But when Abram made war, he committed to an impossible war—300 men against thousands. Abram knew that he couldn’t win the war on his own. So he was depending on God to win this war for him. This was just another act of faith for Abram.
Why did Abram commit adultery?
The customs of ancient times are different than today. Today, we can have surrogate motherhood not through a sexual union, but through medical procedures. Well, in those days, this procedure—with a woman owned by one’s wife—was completely legal and considered moral. We do not consider it so today, and God was not satisfied with the process. This is why Ishmael was not given Abram’s blessing, but a different one. But what was the real problem is trying to force God’s hand through a human procedure. This isn’t faith, it is manipulating God. When God makes a promise, He will fulfill it himself.
What blessing did Ishmael receive?
Ishmael and his children received a few blessings from God. You can read them in Genesis 16:11-12; 17:20; 21:18; and Isaiah 60:1-7. It says that Ishmael will be many huge nations and that they will, in time, worship Yahweh and offer his people gifts. The sons of Ishmael, today, are the Arabic peoples which are mostly Muslim. They are the inheritors of God’s blessing to Ishmael, and they can receive even the full blessing of God through Jesus.
Monday, September 08, 2008
The Destruction of Humanity
Genesis 4-9, Luke 17:26-27
Just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man-- they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were given in marriage— until the day Noah entered the boat and the flood came and destroyed everything. Luke 17:26-27
Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in the image of God.
Genesis 9:1-6
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. Deuteronomy 32:8
Chaos Theory
The first man and woman had children—many, many of them. These children had children and humans spread out to rule over the land as far as they could. Thus, humans ruled over the earth, but not in justice. They killed each other and killed whatever they saw, without reason. They drank the blood of animals in order to gain strength. The first son, Cain, killed his brother, Abel, because God refused his shoddy offering. God punished him, yet another rose in his place, Nimrod who killed a man for lightly offending him. Warriors arose in those days, beginning wars and increasing the violence on the earth. Murder was commonplace.
Erase the Board
Yahweh looked at the earth and sorrow filled his heart. He said, “I deeply regret ever making humans. I will destroy them. I will destroy them all—all men and all the creatures that they rule over.” But Yahweh looked down again and saw a man without violence, a man who desired to do only what Yahweh told him. And Yahweh was pleased with him. So Yahweh spoke to Noah and said, “Noah, I am about to destroy everything living. I will cause the waters of heaven to come down and they will flood the earth and all flesh will die. But as for you, I want you to build a boat. It will be huge—enough for you and two of every kind of animal in the world. Do it quickly, for I will destroy the world soon.” Noah listened to Yahweh and obeyed him.
Lifetime Hobby
Noah finished the boat after 120 years. He sometimes told his neighbors about the coming flood, but no one listened to him. They were too busy with their daily lives to give any attention to his message that their world would be destroyed soon. But that didn’t stop Noah—he still worked, faithfully, as God desired. After the boat was finished, the animals were collected. Noah and his family were ready—and so was Yahweh.
Using Bad Guys Against Bad Guys
Yahweh used waters from heaven to judge the people. These waters fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, and so flooded all the inhabited earth. The waters were given control over the earth for one hundred and fifty days. But Yahweh remembered his promise to humankind that they would rule the earth. So as the waters went back to the heavens, Yahweh returned control of the earth to Noah and his family.
A Promise is a Promise
Yahweh promised Noah—and through him all humankind—that He would never again destroy the earth by the waters and that the normal times and seasons of the earth would continue until the final time of the earth. Yahweh also gave some laws by which all humans must abide, even if they are in rebellion. Humans must fill the whole earth in order to take control of it. Humans may eat the meat of animals, but they must never drink blood. And no one—no human or animal—must murder another human. If anyone kills a human, then they will be destroyed by humans.
The Beginning of the World
Noah’s sons had many children and they spread out throughout the earth, developing peoples, nations and languages. As humankind separated themselves into nations, Yahweh placed a heavenly power over each nation in order to keep the rebellious humans in check.
Q&A
Why did Cain kill his brother?
The first murder occurred because God liked Abel better than Cain. We don’t know why God liked Abel better, but he did. And Cain was intensely jealous of Abel and angry at God. So he killed his brother. Perhaps that seems petty, but that’s how violence starts—about something petty. And it grew not only in Cain, but from generation to generation until the world became a murderous mess.
Why did God destroy humanity?
Because humanity’s violence was getting out of control. Everyone was a murderer, thinking of how they can get violent revenge on each other. It was a terrible place to live, and just the opposite of God’s intentions for the world.
Why did God chose someone to survive?
Why didn’t he just choose to wipe them all out? Because God had made a promise. He promised humanity to rule the earth. So he couldn’t destroy them all. And also because Noah didn’t sin like his fellow citizens did. So God chose him out of everyone to survive the terrible trial he was putting the earth through.
Is it important that God used water to kill?
Yes. You see, God was re-creating the situation the earth was like before he started creating—Genesis 1:2. The water rebelled against God and God punished the water by separating it. This time, God is using the water to do what it originally did in rebellion—to cover the earth. So the Sea—one of the original bad guys—was tamed by God to do His work.
Could God destroy the earth some other way?
Technically, he could. The earth, it is said, will be covered with fire, it says in II Peter. But even with that, God will re-create the world through his Son first. God will change the governments and allow his son to rule before he makes the big change and everything begins from scratch again.
Why did God give rules to Noah?
In order to keep humanity from becoming as violent as they had before. God set up a system of vengeance in order to prevent people from murdering. While it worked generally, there are still vicious murderers in the land. So God needed a new system. And he chose Jesus as the better way of transforming humanity. Noah was just a stop-gap.
Just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man-- they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were given in marriage— until the day Noah entered the boat and the flood came and destroyed everything. Luke 17:26-27
Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in the image of God.
Genesis 9:1-6
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. Deuteronomy 32:8
Chaos Theory
The first man and woman had children—many, many of them. These children had children and humans spread out to rule over the land as far as they could. Thus, humans ruled over the earth, but not in justice. They killed each other and killed whatever they saw, without reason. They drank the blood of animals in order to gain strength. The first son, Cain, killed his brother, Abel, because God refused his shoddy offering. God punished him, yet another rose in his place, Nimrod who killed a man for lightly offending him. Warriors arose in those days, beginning wars and increasing the violence on the earth. Murder was commonplace.
Erase the Board
Yahweh looked at the earth and sorrow filled his heart. He said, “I deeply regret ever making humans. I will destroy them. I will destroy them all—all men and all the creatures that they rule over.” But Yahweh looked down again and saw a man without violence, a man who desired to do only what Yahweh told him. And Yahweh was pleased with him. So Yahweh spoke to Noah and said, “Noah, I am about to destroy everything living. I will cause the waters of heaven to come down and they will flood the earth and all flesh will die. But as for you, I want you to build a boat. It will be huge—enough for you and two of every kind of animal in the world. Do it quickly, for I will destroy the world soon.” Noah listened to Yahweh and obeyed him.
Lifetime Hobby
Noah finished the boat after 120 years. He sometimes told his neighbors about the coming flood, but no one listened to him. They were too busy with their daily lives to give any attention to his message that their world would be destroyed soon. But that didn’t stop Noah—he still worked, faithfully, as God desired. After the boat was finished, the animals were collected. Noah and his family were ready—and so was Yahweh.
Using Bad Guys Against Bad Guys
Yahweh used waters from heaven to judge the people. These waters fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, and so flooded all the inhabited earth. The waters were given control over the earth for one hundred and fifty days. But Yahweh remembered his promise to humankind that they would rule the earth. So as the waters went back to the heavens, Yahweh returned control of the earth to Noah and his family.
A Promise is a Promise
Yahweh promised Noah—and through him all humankind—that He would never again destroy the earth by the waters and that the normal times and seasons of the earth would continue until the final time of the earth. Yahweh also gave some laws by which all humans must abide, even if they are in rebellion. Humans must fill the whole earth in order to take control of it. Humans may eat the meat of animals, but they must never drink blood. And no one—no human or animal—must murder another human. If anyone kills a human, then they will be destroyed by humans.
The Beginning of the World
Noah’s sons had many children and they spread out throughout the earth, developing peoples, nations and languages. As humankind separated themselves into nations, Yahweh placed a heavenly power over each nation in order to keep the rebellious humans in check.
Q&A
Why did Cain kill his brother?
The first murder occurred because God liked Abel better than Cain. We don’t know why God liked Abel better, but he did. And Cain was intensely jealous of Abel and angry at God. So he killed his brother. Perhaps that seems petty, but that’s how violence starts—about something petty. And it grew not only in Cain, but from generation to generation until the world became a murderous mess.
Why did God destroy humanity?
Because humanity’s violence was getting out of control. Everyone was a murderer, thinking of how they can get violent revenge on each other. It was a terrible place to live, and just the opposite of God’s intentions for the world.
Why did God chose someone to survive?
Why didn’t he just choose to wipe them all out? Because God had made a promise. He promised humanity to rule the earth. So he couldn’t destroy them all. And also because Noah didn’t sin like his fellow citizens did. So God chose him out of everyone to survive the terrible trial he was putting the earth through.
Is it important that God used water to kill?
Yes. You see, God was re-creating the situation the earth was like before he started creating—Genesis 1:2. The water rebelled against God and God punished the water by separating it. This time, God is using the water to do what it originally did in rebellion—to cover the earth. So the Sea—one of the original bad guys—was tamed by God to do His work.
Could God destroy the earth some other way?
Technically, he could. The earth, it is said, will be covered with fire, it says in II Peter. But even with that, God will re-create the world through his Son first. God will change the governments and allow his son to rule before he makes the big change and everything begins from scratch again.
Why did God give rules to Noah?
In order to keep humanity from becoming as violent as they had before. God set up a system of vengeance in order to prevent people from murdering. While it worked generally, there are still vicious murderers in the land. So God needed a new system. And he chose Jesus as the better way of transforming humanity. Noah was just a stop-gap.
Loving Your Neighbor 2
We should love others as we care for ourselves.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:15
We all have a basic level of care for ourselves, which we should share with others.
For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:29-30
We should do to others as we would want them to do to us.
In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
We need to show more interest in other’s needs than in our own.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
We are to have mercy on everyone we meet in need.
Jesus asked, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" The scribe said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:36-37
Be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, forgive, and give freely, and God will give us according to what we have given.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you. Luke 6:36-38
You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:15
We all have a basic level of care for ourselves, which we should share with others.
For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:29-30
We should do to others as we would want them to do to us.
In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
We need to show more interest in other’s needs than in our own.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
We are to have mercy on everyone we meet in need.
Jesus asked, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" The scribe said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:36-37
Be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, forgive, and give freely, and God will give us according to what we have given.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you. Luke 6:36-38
Loving Your Neighbor 1
We owe love to everyone.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8
If we fail to love, we do not have God’s love in us.
Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. I John 4:20
Everyone will know that we are a disciple of Jesus if we love.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35
We are to do good to everyone.
Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. Galatians 6:10
Everything we do should be done in love.
Let all that you do be done in love. I Corinthians 16:14
If we fail in love, we have failed no matter what other good we do.
If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. I Corinthians 13:2-3
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8
If we fail to love, we do not have God’s love in us.
Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. I John 4:20
Everyone will know that we are a disciple of Jesus if we love.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35
We are to do good to everyone.
Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. Galatians 6:10
Everything we do should be done in love.
Let all that you do be done in love. I Corinthians 16:14
If we fail in love, we have failed no matter what other good we do.
If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. I Corinthians 13:2-3
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