You will need your Bible today.
I am the most comfortable studying the Bible when I have lot of verses from all over the Bible to connect to any particular verse of the story. For me, writing about the Flood was pure joy since there are so many ways that the Bible connects back to it. I am the least comfortable when the connections are more abstract and I have to rely on commentaries and research to pull something together. Don't get me wrong, I would never teach anything that I wasn't certain was Biblical but sometimes the threads of Scripture are more subtle, and require a broader perspective.
You may (or may not be) surprised to discover that the story of the Tower of Babel is one of those more subtle threads. It is however a very pivotal moment in God's Love Letter.
Tucked neatly between 2 sets of genealogies, these nine verses create a bridge of sorts. They connect the sin and corruption before the Flood with the world that grew out of it. The Bible is quick to point out that even before the population began to grow, sin was already fast at work corrupting the hearts and lives of men.* As the population grew, once again so did their sins. God had poured out His wrath already, now He would intervene to preserve mankind for Salvation.
Please read Genesis 11:1-9
On the surface, the Tower of Babel is a simple one. After Noah and his family got off the ark, God reiterated the command He had given to Adam and Eve.
"Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." Genesis 9:1 (also Genesis 1:28)
He was not suggesting that they have a few kids and spread out a bit, God had created the whole earth for mankind to dwell in and He commanded them to fill it. When the people gathered together on the plain of Shinar they were being defiant, they knew God's command but willfully chose to do the opposite.
"Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'" Genesis 11:4
The plain of Shinar was the perfect place for man to settle and make a name for himself. Shinar is nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers along the Fertile Crescent. To the north of the Tigris is a vast mountainous region (Northern Iraq and Iran). The mountains were very difficult to pass, which provided protection as well as forced trade to run along the river. To the south of the Euphrates is the Arabian Desert. It too was difficult to pass through, providing protection and pushing trade up to the river region.** By building between the rivers, the city would have ample protection and be able to monopolize the trade routes on either side. The plain was also an especially fertile piece of land which would be able to produce many crops to support the city and draw traders from neighboring areas. From their human perspective, Shinar was the ultimate place to prove to God that they were capable of making their own way.
God, however desires our obedience not our innovation. God created mankind to be creative, intelligent, and curious. It is in our nature to strive and innovate, however, when we strive apart from God we end up creating new ways to sin.
We live in a world full of modern technologies. Internet, cell phones, hundredss of TV channels. We can get from one side of the world to another in hours instead of months. Most of our technology is helpful and can be used for great good. Sadly it is often used for evil though. It is now easier than ever to view pornography, children (and adults) harass each other on Facebook, Myspace, or over cellphones. We have to be on guard against someone stealing our identity because of the easy access to information. Sin is made easier by modern technology. Please don't misunderstand, technology in itself is not sinful, but people are. As a culture we don't need more innovation, we need Jesus.
"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed." Deuteronomy 30:15-17
Obedience brings blessing, but disobedience is sin and the cost of sin is death. When God looked out of the plain of Shinar, He saw that mankind had conspired to disobey. In His mercy, He decided to confuse their speech so that it would be more difficult for them to continue conspiring against Him. God is not capricious. He was not afraid that the people would be able to accomplish anything, He knew they would accomplish evil things.
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" Luke 9:24
On the surface it's a simple story of mankind's disobedience, yet it sets the stage for the human struggle that persists through the rest of Scripture. The tower of Babel, would offer it's name to the great city that arose from it's ashes. The city was known as Babylon, and throughout the Old Testament it was the enemy of Israel. Babylon also takes center stage in the book of Revelation.
"Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: Mystery. Babylon the Great. The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus." Revelation 17:3-6
From the plain of Shinar in Genesis 11 to her destruction in Revelation 18, Babylon represents mankind's defiance of God. She symbolizes all that humanity values apart from God; money, power, intelligence, innovation, the freedom to fulfill your every desire however you see fit. Yet this human-created paradise was full of violence, corruption, and depravity.
In Scripture, Jerusalem stands opposite Babylon. A city on a hill, where the LORD would guide His people. Obedience to the LORD brought security, abundance and peace. Jesus is the only way to true abundance.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10
* Genesis 9:18-28
** Mullins, Robert. "What Was the Old Testament World" in They Spoke From God. edited by William C. Williams. Springfield, MO. Gospel Publishing House. 2003. pg. 141
Showing posts with label Foreshaddowing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foreshaddowing. Show all posts
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Flood Day 6
Today we will share our last lesson about Noah and the Flood. I will not even pretend that we have exhausted all that there is to learn, but as we wrap up I feel we have at the very least done justice to it's depths. God's Word is perfect. Within in are the keys to Eternity, when we are faithful to study His Word, no matter how familiar we are with it, He is always willing to reveal a fresh Truth that draws us closer still.
"As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that is yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10 & 11
At this point we have looked at the Flood from several points of view. We looked at the conditions leading up to the Flood. How God's heart was broken by the sin and corruption. How a Holy God cannot over looks sin, but must eventually judge the wicked. We've seen that through the Flood, God's grace was sufficient for Noah and his family. And we've seen how even the detail of the story point forward to Jesus. Now we are going to look at the the major theme, judgment and grace, as the Flood points us further forward to a judgment yet to come.
While Jesus walked the Earth, He spoke often of a time when He would return again. Though His disciples didn't understand until after His resurrection, Jesus came the first to seek and save the lost. Through His death and resurrection He opened the way to the Father, but His work is not complete. The time is coming (and has been since He ascended) when Jesus will return to the Earth, not as a Servant , but as LORD.
There are few more controversial issues in the Church today than Christ's return. Though it is a clear doctrine, and there are actually more references to His second coming then to His first, the how and when have sadly created great division within the body. So today I tread lightly. I have no desire to create further divisions, nor do I wish to challenge any of the many perspectives on the End of Days. However I cannot shy away from Scripture nor I will not skip over that which is uncomfortable. The whole Bible is the Council of the LORD, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that;
"All the Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
With that is mind we keep our focus on the Word of God and I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
In Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His [second] coming, and of the end of the age. Jesus described the End as birth pains. There would be false prophets, wars, famine, earthquakes. Christians would be persecuted and some would even fall away from the faith. Yet all of this would just be the beginnings of birth pains. Sin in the world would grow continually worse until the moment of Jesus return. Jesus was clear that there would be indications but He also stressed that no one would know exactly when He would return.
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matthew 24:36-39
This same message is echoed in the Luke 17: 26 & 27. When Jesus returns there will be a similarity to Noah's day. There are many ideas within the Church as to how exactly the End Days will reflect Noah's days. There are scholars, infinitely wiser than me, who love the Lord with all their hearts, who disagree on the full meaning of these verses, but what we can know for sure is only what Jesus said. In Noah's day the people lived as though life would go on forever, and were caught off guard when the Flood waters came.
Jesus said they "knew nothing about what would happen." There are a few words in the Greek that mean, to know. Oida is the most commonly used in the New Testament and it implies a possession of information, being able to use the knowledge attained. Jesus used the world ginosko, which is a more basic understanding.* Noah had been preaching righteousness and coming judgment his whole life. Enoch, before him had preach of the coming judgment. It wasn't that the people hadn't heard that judgment was coming they just didn't believe it. They had no understanding of what was to come because they rejected the Word of God.
Peter tells us that it will be the same in the last days.
"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ' Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heaven and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:3-7
We do not know the day or the hour when Jesus will come again, but we do know that He will return, this time in glory and judgment.
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world'...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:31-41
There is another judgment coming. There will be a time when once again, God can no longer tolerate the rampant sin on this earth and will punish the wicked. Once again there will be those, like Noah, who will be saved, but there will also be those on whom God's wrath will pour out.
It is not pleasant to think about God's wrath. For those of us who are saved through faith in Christ Jesus, we have nothing to fear, yet we have a responsibility. Before Jesus departed this earth the first time He gave His commands to His disciples.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
Noah preached righteousness until the moment he got on the ark, God expects us to do the say until He returns. Whether He comes tomorrow or a thousand years from now, Believers have a responsibility to share their faith, and draw others into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be fund spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation." 2 Peter 3:14 & 15
* Goodrick, Edward W. & John R. Kohlenberger III. The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 1999. pg. 1538, 1575
"As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that is yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10 & 11
At this point we have looked at the Flood from several points of view. We looked at the conditions leading up to the Flood. How God's heart was broken by the sin and corruption. How a Holy God cannot over looks sin, but must eventually judge the wicked. We've seen that through the Flood, God's grace was sufficient for Noah and his family. And we've seen how even the detail of the story point forward to Jesus. Now we are going to look at the the major theme, judgment and grace, as the Flood points us further forward to a judgment yet to come.
While Jesus walked the Earth, He spoke often of a time when He would return again. Though His disciples didn't understand until after His resurrection, Jesus came the first to seek and save the lost. Through His death and resurrection He opened the way to the Father, but His work is not complete. The time is coming (and has been since He ascended) when Jesus will return to the Earth, not as a Servant , but as LORD.
There are few more controversial issues in the Church today than Christ's return. Though it is a clear doctrine, and there are actually more references to His second coming then to His first, the how and when have sadly created great division within the body. So today I tread lightly. I have no desire to create further divisions, nor do I wish to challenge any of the many perspectives on the End of Days. However I cannot shy away from Scripture nor I will not skip over that which is uncomfortable. The whole Bible is the Council of the LORD, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that;
"All the Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
With that is mind we keep our focus on the Word of God and I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
In Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His [second] coming, and of the end of the age. Jesus described the End as birth pains. There would be false prophets, wars, famine, earthquakes. Christians would be persecuted and some would even fall away from the faith. Yet all of this would just be the beginnings of birth pains. Sin in the world would grow continually worse until the moment of Jesus return. Jesus was clear that there would be indications but He also stressed that no one would know exactly when He would return.
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matthew 24:36-39
This same message is echoed in the Luke 17: 26 & 27. When Jesus returns there will be a similarity to Noah's day. There are many ideas within the Church as to how exactly the End Days will reflect Noah's days. There are scholars, infinitely wiser than me, who love the Lord with all their hearts, who disagree on the full meaning of these verses, but what we can know for sure is only what Jesus said. In Noah's day the people lived as though life would go on forever, and were caught off guard when the Flood waters came.
Jesus said they "knew nothing about what would happen." There are a few words in the Greek that mean, to know. Oida is the most commonly used in the New Testament and it implies a possession of information, being able to use the knowledge attained. Jesus used the world ginosko, which is a more basic understanding.* Noah had been preaching righteousness and coming judgment his whole life. Enoch, before him had preach of the coming judgment. It wasn't that the people hadn't heard that judgment was coming they just didn't believe it. They had no understanding of what was to come because they rejected the Word of God.
Peter tells us that it will be the same in the last days.
"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ' Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heaven and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:3-7
We do not know the day or the hour when Jesus will come again, but we do know that He will return, this time in glory and judgment.
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world'...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:31-41
There is another judgment coming. There will be a time when once again, God can no longer tolerate the rampant sin on this earth and will punish the wicked. Once again there will be those, like Noah, who will be saved, but there will also be those on whom God's wrath will pour out.
It is not pleasant to think about God's wrath. For those of us who are saved through faith in Christ Jesus, we have nothing to fear, yet we have a responsibility. Before Jesus departed this earth the first time He gave His commands to His disciples.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
Noah preached righteousness until the moment he got on the ark, God expects us to do the say until He returns. Whether He comes tomorrow or a thousand years from now, Believers have a responsibility to share their faith, and draw others into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be fund spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation." 2 Peter 3:14 & 15
* Goodrick, Edward W. & John R. Kohlenberger III. The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 1999. pg. 1538, 1575
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Flood Day 5
I had planed for today to be our final day focusing on the Flood, however it seem there is a bit more that we need to talk about. So today we are going to look at one last thread that ties Noah and the Flood to Jesus Christ, and tomorrow we will wrap up the Flood with a look at the future.
I am of the opinion that the Holy Spirit doesn't waste his breath. When specific details are written into Scripture (or even left out) I believe they are there on purpose. That doesn't necessarily mean they are theological, but I do believe there is always a point. It doesn't even necessarily mean that at this time we can know what the purpose is, but I believe the time will come, when Christ returns and all of the Scriptures are fulfilled and complete that every detail will have proven God to be Holy, Perfect and intentional. After all the Bible is clear:
"I make known the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:10
In the Flood account there are 5 specific dates, where the Holy Spirit gives us the day and month. On the 7th day of the 2nd month the rains started (7:11). On the 17th day of th 7th month the ark came to rest on the mountains (8:4). The mountain tops became visible on the 1st day of the 10th month (8:5). On the 1st day of the 1st month of the year the water was dried up (8:13), and on the 27th day of the 2nd month the land was completely dry.
(There are actually several other dates that are inferred, such as 7 days before the rain they got on the ark.)
I believe (my opinion) that part of the reason that these dates are specific is to make clear that the Bible intends the reader to see the Flood as fact, not fiction. Whenever the Bible mentions Noah, it is as an historical figure, and the Flood as historical fact. When Jesus refers to Noah and the Flood, He speaks of them as matters of fact. It is unBiblical to believe that the Flood is just a moral story, that didn't actually happen.
In virtually every ancient culture around the world there are Flood stories. The cultures that are closer, geographically to the Middle East, have accounts that more closely resemble the one in the Bible. The Gilgamesh Epic, from Babylon, contains a flood account that is quite similar, yet it is clearly polluted with pagan themes. The prevalence of Flood stories in every part of the world, certainly would imply that the Flood was historical, not allegorical. That they differ so much only indicates that as time and distance separated people groups the story became polluted. Each culture began to interpret the account based on how they understood the world, instead of how and why the Flood actually happened. Similar to the children's game Telephone, over time the story only barley resembled the original. The true story, however was preserved in Scripture and authenticated by Jesus.**
One of the dates given in the Genesis account has additional significance, but we need a bit more background (well foreground from the Flood).
God created time. The calendar used to mark the days of the Flood was created by God. He set up the night and day as well as seasons, days and years within the first days of Creation. The Hebrew calendar has 12 months and is based on the lunar cycle. Each New Moon was the beginning of a new month. The 1st month of the year was Tishri, followed by; Heshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av and Elul.
Noah and his family would have gotten on the ark on the 10th of Heshvan, and the rain started on the 17th. The ark rested on the 17th on Nisan, the mountain tops appeared on the 1st of Tammuz, and the water was gone on the 1st of Tishri. Finally the land was completely dry on the 27th of Heshvan, a little over a year from when they boarded the ark.
In Exodus 12 God creates a new calendar. As the Israelites prepared to brush lambs blood over the doors of their homes in Egypt, so that the plague of death would "pass over" them, God told Moses that from then on that month would be considered the 1st month of the year.
"The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." Exodus 12:1
God wanted the Passover, to signify Israel's new beginning so He made Nisan the 1st month of the year.
Even today Jews around the world use two calendars the civic one beginning in Tishri and the religious one starting in Nisan. (This isn't really that strange, we have school calendars that start in August or September, fiscal ones that start in October, as well as our civic calendar starting in January).
In the Bible, all the dates after the 1st Passover in Exodus are based on the religious calendar. All the months are the same they are just shifted ahead, beginning with Nisan and ending with Adar. (its also important to know that the Jewish day starts at sunset and ends at the following sunset)
In Leviticus 23, God institutionalized 6 festivals as well as the weekly Sabbath. The 1st festival is the Passover which was to be celebrated on the 14th of Nisan. That would be the day that each household in Israel would sacrifice a perfect lamb, and share a meal to commemorate the 1st Passover in Exodus.
When Jesus was in the upper room the night before He was crucified, He was celebrating the Passover feast with His disciples. After dinner, they went to Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested. All night long He was abused and brought before the leaders of the area, until finally they nailed Him to cross. It was still the day of Passover, the 14th of Nisan when Jesus' blood poured out as the perfect Passover Lamb. Three days later, the Bible says, on the 1st of the week two women had the honor of discovering an empty tomb, and bumping into the risen Christ. Three days would make it the 17th of Nisan, the anniversary of the day the ark came to rest.
When Jesus died on the Cross He bore our sins, He took on our judgment. There was (and is) no other way to save mankind from the death our sins demand, so Jesus took it. His death paid the price. His resurrection, His victory over death, is what gives us life and rest. Not only is our sin debt paid but we are made new creations. We are no longer weary and burdened by our sins, we have been given rest. Noah's name meant rest, but it is Jesus who is our Ultimate Rest!
The LORD's fingerprints are all over the Scripture, pointing the way to Jesus, and confirming that only He could write a Love Letter that knows the End in the Beginning. Only through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit could 40 authors over 2000 years create a work that is so thoroughly integrated that the first author could perfectly foreshadow what the last authors experienced.
"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come." Isaiah 46:10a
* Walton, John H. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2009. pg. 48, 49
** Matthew 24:36-41
*** Missler, Chuck. Learn the Bible in 24 Hours. Nashville, TN. 2002
I am of the opinion that the Holy Spirit doesn't waste his breath. When specific details are written into Scripture (or even left out) I believe they are there on purpose. That doesn't necessarily mean they are theological, but I do believe there is always a point. It doesn't even necessarily mean that at this time we can know what the purpose is, but I believe the time will come, when Christ returns and all of the Scriptures are fulfilled and complete that every detail will have proven God to be Holy, Perfect and intentional. After all the Bible is clear:
"I make known the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:10
In the Flood account there are 5 specific dates, where the Holy Spirit gives us the day and month. On the 7th day of the 2nd month the rains started (7:11). On the 17th day of th 7th month the ark came to rest on the mountains (8:4). The mountain tops became visible on the 1st day of the 10th month (8:5). On the 1st day of the 1st month of the year the water was dried up (8:13), and on the 27th day of the 2nd month the land was completely dry.
(There are actually several other dates that are inferred, such as 7 days before the rain they got on the ark.)
I believe (my opinion) that part of the reason that these dates are specific is to make clear that the Bible intends the reader to see the Flood as fact, not fiction. Whenever the Bible mentions Noah, it is as an historical figure, and the Flood as historical fact. When Jesus refers to Noah and the Flood, He speaks of them as matters of fact. It is unBiblical to believe that the Flood is just a moral story, that didn't actually happen.
In virtually every ancient culture around the world there are Flood stories. The cultures that are closer, geographically to the Middle East, have accounts that more closely resemble the one in the Bible. The Gilgamesh Epic, from Babylon, contains a flood account that is quite similar, yet it is clearly polluted with pagan themes. The prevalence of Flood stories in every part of the world, certainly would imply that the Flood was historical, not allegorical. That they differ so much only indicates that as time and distance separated people groups the story became polluted. Each culture began to interpret the account based on how they understood the world, instead of how and why the Flood actually happened. Similar to the children's game Telephone, over time the story only barley resembled the original. The true story, however was preserved in Scripture and authenticated by Jesus.**
One of the dates given in the Genesis account has additional significance, but we need a bit more background (well foreground from the Flood).
God created time. The calendar used to mark the days of the Flood was created by God. He set up the night and day as well as seasons, days and years within the first days of Creation. The Hebrew calendar has 12 months and is based on the lunar cycle. Each New Moon was the beginning of a new month. The 1st month of the year was Tishri, followed by; Heshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av and Elul.
Noah and his family would have gotten on the ark on the 10th of Heshvan, and the rain started on the 17th. The ark rested on the 17th on Nisan, the mountain tops appeared on the 1st of Tammuz, and the water was gone on the 1st of Tishri. Finally the land was completely dry on the 27th of Heshvan, a little over a year from when they boarded the ark.
In Exodus 12 God creates a new calendar. As the Israelites prepared to brush lambs blood over the doors of their homes in Egypt, so that the plague of death would "pass over" them, God told Moses that from then on that month would be considered the 1st month of the year.
"The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." Exodus 12:1
God wanted the Passover, to signify Israel's new beginning so He made Nisan the 1st month of the year.
Even today Jews around the world use two calendars the civic one beginning in Tishri and the religious one starting in Nisan. (This isn't really that strange, we have school calendars that start in August or September, fiscal ones that start in October, as well as our civic calendar starting in January).
In the Bible, all the dates after the 1st Passover in Exodus are based on the religious calendar. All the months are the same they are just shifted ahead, beginning with Nisan and ending with Adar. (its also important to know that the Jewish day starts at sunset and ends at the following sunset)
In Leviticus 23, God institutionalized 6 festivals as well as the weekly Sabbath. The 1st festival is the Passover which was to be celebrated on the 14th of Nisan. That would be the day that each household in Israel would sacrifice a perfect lamb, and share a meal to commemorate the 1st Passover in Exodus.
When Jesus was in the upper room the night before He was crucified, He was celebrating the Passover feast with His disciples. After dinner, they went to Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested. All night long He was abused and brought before the leaders of the area, until finally they nailed Him to cross. It was still the day of Passover, the 14th of Nisan when Jesus' blood poured out as the perfect Passover Lamb. Three days later, the Bible says, on the 1st of the week two women had the honor of discovering an empty tomb, and bumping into the risen Christ. Three days would make it the 17th of Nisan, the anniversary of the day the ark came to rest.
When Jesus died on the Cross He bore our sins, He took on our judgment. There was (and is) no other way to save mankind from the death our sins demand, so Jesus took it. His death paid the price. His resurrection, His victory over death, is what gives us life and rest. Not only is our sin debt paid but we are made new creations. We are no longer weary and burdened by our sins, we have been given rest. Noah's name meant rest, but it is Jesus who is our Ultimate Rest!
The LORD's fingerprints are all over the Scripture, pointing the way to Jesus, and confirming that only He could write a Love Letter that knows the End in the Beginning. Only through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit could 40 authors over 2000 years create a work that is so thoroughly integrated that the first author could perfectly foreshadow what the last authors experienced.
"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come." Isaiah 46:10a
* Walton, John H. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2009. pg. 48, 49
** Matthew 24:36-41
*** Missler, Chuck. Learn the Bible in 24 Hours. Nashville, TN. 2002
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Flood Day 4
It is always a happy day for me when I get to talk about Jesus. If you do these lessons with me you'll find that every time the lesson focuses on Jesus I can't help but say I'm excited. What can I say I love Jesus and I love seeing Him all over the Old Testament. Luke 24:27 is one (of many) of my favorite verses. "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." On the 7 mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus Jesus appeared to 2 of His disciples (there were many more then the 12) who were brokenhearted and confused. They had seen Jesus crucified and heard the story of the empty tomb but they didn't understand what it all meant and they didn't recognize Jesus as He walked with them. So Jesus started telling them a story, a Love Story. Starting with Genesis (the 1st of Moses' 5 books) and ending in Malachi (the last book of the Prophets) Jesus showed the 2 men that it was all about Him.
Oh to have been on that road and hear Jesus reveal Himself through the Old Testament! I'm not sure I could bear to hear Him recite the words of Isaiah 53, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (53:5) I can't help but wonder if His nail scarred hands reached out to one of His disciples as He spoke the words. Or if the disciples noticed a certain twinkle in His eye when Jesus spoke the words of Zechariah 14, proclaiming a yet future time when he will return in triumph, "The LORD will be king over the whole earth [and] there will be one LORD, and his name the only name." (14:9)
I wonder how much time he devoted to Noah and the Flood? Seven miles would probably only take about 2 hours, so maybe He just hit the highlights, but I have no doubt that by the time the 2 men got to Emmaus they were awed at what they had been taught. No wonder they begged Him to stay with them a little longer.
Jesus is all over the Flood account. Some things point to Him very obviously, others require a bit of study, some are just hints or common themes. As much as the Flood is about a Holy God judging a sinful world, it is equally (or maybe more so) about a Merciful God providing Salvation to the faithful. Nothing screams Jesus louder then that.
God told Noah, "Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." Genesis 6:14
The ark was made of wood, which is pretty much common sence yet hroughout the Old Testament wood is symbolic of humanity. The Hebrew word for ark is tebah, which actually implies more of a box then a boat. Some scholars believe that the word is derived from the Egyptian word for sarcophagus.* Though it was gigantic is size, the shape of the ark definitely resembled a coffin. The means of Noah's salvation was symbolically through the death of a man, Jesus.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death- even death on the cross." Philippians 2:5-8
"Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3 & 4
The ark was covered inside and out with pitch, a tar like substance that was probably common for waterproofing, however usually only applied to the outside of a boat. Whats interesting is that the Author used the Hebrew word, koper (which means pitch), instead of zepet (which also means pitch).** When Hebrew is written the vowels are left out, so koper in Genesis 6:14 would read, kpr. To the Hebrew reader this was a play on words. You see the word for atonement is kapar and would be written kpr also. The distinction would be the context. Since kapar (atonement) meant to cover over (most often in reference to the covering over of sin with the blood of sacrifice) it was actually interchangeable with koper. The implication is that it was more then a tar like substance that covered the ark and kept Noah and his family safe. The pitch represented the blood of Atonement that would cover the sins of humanity and provide salvation. When Jesus yelled at the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23-36, He called them "whitewashed tombs" and chastised them for appearing righteous on the outside, while on the inside they were sinful and dead. They needed their hearts covered with the atoning blood of Salvation. The atonement of Jesus begins on the inside and works it's way out into our lives making us new creations. That is why the ark was covered inside and out.
The ark had only one door. Jesus is the door to salvation. In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that He was going back to the Father to prepare a place for them. They were concerned that they wouldn't know the way to follow Him, so He told them that He was the way.
"I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (14:6)
There was also only one ark, and God had made the blueprints. No raft made by human design would be able to provide salvation through the raging waters. No religion apart from Salvatin provided by God through Jesus Christ can save anyone from God's judgment.
Throughout the Bible water is symbolic of cleansing. God's judgment came in the form of torrents of rain and springs bursting out of the ground. The water washed away all the wickedness that had corrupted the earth. The planet was literally baptized. In a way Noah and his family died to the old world and were reborn to a new creation, through the waters of baptisim.
"...God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 20-21
Sometimes in Scripture it's the details the Holy Spirit leaves out that creates the parallel. The Bible is clear that Noah was found righteous in the eyes of the LORD, but no where does it mention that his wife, sons or their wives were righteous as well. My opinion is that it would be a safe assumption. Each of the fathers and sons of Genesis 5 passed their faith down to the next generation. It makes sense that Noah, a preacher of righteousness would preach to his sons, if they didn't believe that God was going to bring judgment I doubt Noah could force them onto the ark (but this is just my opinion). The Bible, however only says that Noah's whole family got on along with all the animals. Because the Bible omits the families righteousness but highlights Noah's it's possible that the Holy Spirit was drawing a parallel between Noah and Jesus. The Bible draws the picture that through Noah's righteousness his family was saved, just as through Christ's righteousness we are saved.
"For just as through the disobedience of one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus] the many will be made righteous." Romans 6:19
The last parallel we are going to look at today is in Genesis 7:1. The King James Version reads, "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark." Many scholars believe that using Come in the KJV is a more correct translation than the word Go in the NIV. I do not read Hebrew so I rely completely on Hebrew- English dictionaries and lexical aids for my definitions, and I honestly cannot find a definitive answer as to which is better. However the if the KJV is correct, it creates another beautiful parallel.
God doesn't command us into His presence He invites us. Often in the Old Testament (specifically the Prophets) God is shown as a husband or lover, wooing His beloved, drawing her to Himself. If God indeed said to Noah, to come into the ark, it would be consistent with His invitation to us. Jesus said to the wear and burdened, "Come to me and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). To the hungry He said, "Come to me and never be hungry again" (John 6:35). God invites us to come to where He is.
I don't know if on the 7 mile walk to Emmaus, Jesus took the time to point out every detail of the Scriptures that hinted at Him or if He focused on the major points. I'd like to think that once He started talking that the pace slowed way down. Maybe the 2 hour trip took all day, as they listened more then they walked. When they got to Emmaus they begged Jesus (whom they still did not recognize) to come and eat with them. At the table Jesus broke the bread and gave thanks, and suddenly they saw that He was Jesus, and He vanished from sight. I love what they say to each other after He disappeared.
"Were not our hearts, burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24:32.
May our hearts always burn as the Holy Spirit opens the Scripture to us.
* Williams, William C. They Spoke from God: A Survey of the Old Testament. Springfield, MO. Gospel Publishing House. 2003. pg. 127
** Goodrick, Edward W. & John R. Kohlenberger III. The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 1999. pg. 1400 & 1426
Oh to have been on that road and hear Jesus reveal Himself through the Old Testament! I'm not sure I could bear to hear Him recite the words of Isaiah 53, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (53:5) I can't help but wonder if His nail scarred hands reached out to one of His disciples as He spoke the words. Or if the disciples noticed a certain twinkle in His eye when Jesus spoke the words of Zechariah 14, proclaiming a yet future time when he will return in triumph, "The LORD will be king over the whole earth [and] there will be one LORD, and his name the only name." (14:9)
I wonder how much time he devoted to Noah and the Flood? Seven miles would probably only take about 2 hours, so maybe He just hit the highlights, but I have no doubt that by the time the 2 men got to Emmaus they were awed at what they had been taught. No wonder they begged Him to stay with them a little longer.
Jesus is all over the Flood account. Some things point to Him very obviously, others require a bit of study, some are just hints or common themes. As much as the Flood is about a Holy God judging a sinful world, it is equally (or maybe more so) about a Merciful God providing Salvation to the faithful. Nothing screams Jesus louder then that.
God told Noah, "Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." Genesis 6:14
The ark was made of wood, which is pretty much common sence yet hroughout the Old Testament wood is symbolic of humanity. The Hebrew word for ark is tebah, which actually implies more of a box then a boat. Some scholars believe that the word is derived from the Egyptian word for sarcophagus.* Though it was gigantic is size, the shape of the ark definitely resembled a coffin. The means of Noah's salvation was symbolically through the death of a man, Jesus.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death- even death on the cross." Philippians 2:5-8
"Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3 & 4
The ark was covered inside and out with pitch, a tar like substance that was probably common for waterproofing, however usually only applied to the outside of a boat. Whats interesting is that the Author used the Hebrew word, koper (which means pitch), instead of zepet (which also means pitch).** When Hebrew is written the vowels are left out, so koper in Genesis 6:14 would read, kpr. To the Hebrew reader this was a play on words. You see the word for atonement is kapar and would be written kpr also. The distinction would be the context. Since kapar (atonement) meant to cover over (most often in reference to the covering over of sin with the blood of sacrifice) it was actually interchangeable with koper. The implication is that it was more then a tar like substance that covered the ark and kept Noah and his family safe. The pitch represented the blood of Atonement that would cover the sins of humanity and provide salvation. When Jesus yelled at the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23-36, He called them "whitewashed tombs" and chastised them for appearing righteous on the outside, while on the inside they were sinful and dead. They needed their hearts covered with the atoning blood of Salvation. The atonement of Jesus begins on the inside and works it's way out into our lives making us new creations. That is why the ark was covered inside and out.
The ark had only one door. Jesus is the door to salvation. In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that He was going back to the Father to prepare a place for them. They were concerned that they wouldn't know the way to follow Him, so He told them that He was the way.
"I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (14:6)
There was also only one ark, and God had made the blueprints. No raft made by human design would be able to provide salvation through the raging waters. No religion apart from Salvatin provided by God through Jesus Christ can save anyone from God's judgment.
Throughout the Bible water is symbolic of cleansing. God's judgment came in the form of torrents of rain and springs bursting out of the ground. The water washed away all the wickedness that had corrupted the earth. The planet was literally baptized. In a way Noah and his family died to the old world and were reborn to a new creation, through the waters of baptisim.
"...God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 20-21
Sometimes in Scripture it's the details the Holy Spirit leaves out that creates the parallel. The Bible is clear that Noah was found righteous in the eyes of the LORD, but no where does it mention that his wife, sons or their wives were righteous as well. My opinion is that it would be a safe assumption. Each of the fathers and sons of Genesis 5 passed their faith down to the next generation. It makes sense that Noah, a preacher of righteousness would preach to his sons, if they didn't believe that God was going to bring judgment I doubt Noah could force them onto the ark (but this is just my opinion). The Bible, however only says that Noah's whole family got on along with all the animals. Because the Bible omits the families righteousness but highlights Noah's it's possible that the Holy Spirit was drawing a parallel between Noah and Jesus. The Bible draws the picture that through Noah's righteousness his family was saved, just as through Christ's righteousness we are saved.
"For just as through the disobedience of one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus] the many will be made righteous." Romans 6:19
The last parallel we are going to look at today is in Genesis 7:1. The King James Version reads, "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark." Many scholars believe that using Come in the KJV is a more correct translation than the word Go in the NIV. I do not read Hebrew so I rely completely on Hebrew- English dictionaries and lexical aids for my definitions, and I honestly cannot find a definitive answer as to which is better. However the if the KJV is correct, it creates another beautiful parallel.
God doesn't command us into His presence He invites us. Often in the Old Testament (specifically the Prophets) God is shown as a husband or lover, wooing His beloved, drawing her to Himself. If God indeed said to Noah, to come into the ark, it would be consistent with His invitation to us. Jesus said to the wear and burdened, "Come to me and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). To the hungry He said, "Come to me and never be hungry again" (John 6:35). God invites us to come to where He is.
I don't know if on the 7 mile walk to Emmaus, Jesus took the time to point out every detail of the Scriptures that hinted at Him or if He focused on the major points. I'd like to think that once He started talking that the pace slowed way down. Maybe the 2 hour trip took all day, as they listened more then they walked. When they got to Emmaus they begged Jesus (whom they still did not recognize) to come and eat with them. At the table Jesus broke the bread and gave thanks, and suddenly they saw that He was Jesus, and He vanished from sight. I love what they say to each other after He disappeared.
"Were not our hearts, burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24:32.
May our hearts always burn as the Holy Spirit opens the Scripture to us.
* Williams, William C. They Spoke from God: A Survey of the Old Testament. Springfield, MO. Gospel Publishing House. 2003. pg. 127
** Goodrick, Edward W. & John R. Kohlenberger III. The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 1999. pg. 1400 & 1426
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Sin Effect Day 3
You will need your Bible Today
Today's lesson is going to be a short and hopefully fun one.
I think it's reasonable to say that most people prefer to skim over, or completely skip genealogies in the Bible. In our Western culture lineage isn't all that important, so pages of so-and-so begat so-and-so don't exactly scream to us "vital information." Some genealogies in the Bible have clear importance, such as the ones in Matthew, Luke and John (technically John 1:1 is a genealogy). We may still skip them but we know that they trace Jesus' line back through the Old Testament, to fulfill the prophesies. Other genealogies, like the ones in Genesis appear to be little more than a transition from one period to another.
Genesis 5 would fall into the later category. In the text it bridges the gap from Adam and Eve to Noah, but we are going to dig just a little deeper and see what the Holy Spirit wove into this chapter.
Please read Genesis 5, if you have a piece of paper it might be fun to write down all 10 names.
Names in Bible times were very important. Sometimes they reflected the circumstances around birth or conception, other times they were prophetic of character traits or future events. In Genesis 5 we will find all of the above and more. Of the ten names that we are about to look at 8 have commonly accepted meanings, while two of them are debatable. This isn't an exact science but it is enlightening. I did not stumble across this myself, I first saw it in Learn the Bible in 24 Hours, by Chuck Missler, but rather then trusting in the research of someone else I have checked and double checked for myself. I hope you find this little exercise as amazing as I did.
Adam means Man. Genesis 2:7 and 2:20 use the same Hebrew word translated two different way, once man and once Adam. The words are interchangeable.
Seth means granted or appointed. This too we get from Scripture. Eve declared at his birth, "God has granted me another son." In the King James version the word is appointed.
Enosh means frail, feeble, mortal.*
Kenan means sorrow, or acquired depending on which root you link it to. **
Mahalal'el means praise or Splendor of God*
Jared is to go down*
Enoch means to teach.* Enoch is interesting for a couple of reasons. He was one of only two men in the Bible that did not die (Elijah was the other, 2 Kings 2:11). Genesis 5:24 says that, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Hebrews 11:5 tells us that Enoch pleased God by his faith and God spared him from death. Jude1:14 reveals that Enoch had been a prophet. During his life (leading up to the Flood) Enoch proclaimed that God would judge and convict all the ungodly. His son's name showed that he truly believed the judgement was coming soon.
Methuselah means his death shall bring.*
Lamech likely means lament or despairing.** Though some scholars take it back to a root meaning powerful, destroyer, and others state that the meaning is unclear, it's possible that the text itself gives us a hint that leans toward lamenting or despairing. There are two Lamechs in Genesis. One in the line of Cain (Genesis 4:18) and this one in the line of Seth. Both are the only ones in their genealogy that speak and both lament their situation.
Finally Noah means comfort or rest. This is obvious from Lamech's lamentation, he says that Noah will bring us comfort (or rest) from all their trouble.
What is fascinating to me is what happens when you place the meanings of each of these names next to each other.
Man, appointed mortal sorrow, the Splendor of God shall come down teaching [that] His death shall bring [the] despairing rest.
How seriously cool is that. Woven into the tapestry of this mundane genealogy the Holy Spirit saw fit to prophesy the coming Christ. Now please don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that we read into or manipulate Scripture to find hidden meanings. I am merely demonstrating that the Bible was written by the Holy Spirit. Every detail has meaning, and it all points to Jesus and only to Jesus. I find great comfort in knowing that God wrote the Bible with intention. It's not just a book about things that happened, or how we should live. The Holy Spirit took great care to point to our Salvation in every layer of the text. When John calls Jesus the Word made Flesh (John 1:14) he wasn't using a metaphor, he was being literal. Everything that Jesus is, the Bible says, and everything that the Bible says Jesus is. God intended us to see Jesus in every word. Only a supernatural power (the Holy Spirit) could weave the meanings, imagery and foreshadowing that is so interconnected, into a book written over 2000 years by 40 different men. If He took such care to get the message to us, how could we ever doubt that He cares for us. Oh how He loves us.
There is one last detail I'd like to point out in this chapter. Enoch believed that God's judgement on the sinful was coming quickly. He named his son Methuselah (his death shall bring) as a prophetic warning that God's mercy would come to an end. Methuselah's life was symbolic of God's mercy. What is awesome, and so very God, is that Methuselah lived the longest life of any man, before or since.**
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise [judgement], as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
What is true of Enoch's time is true in ours as well. Someday God will bring judgement to all the ungodly. Jesus will come again, but in His mercy and grace, our Lord continues to wait.
* Smith, Stelman; Cornwall, Judson. The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ. Bridge- Logos, 1998. pg 69, 164, 121, 69, 173.
** Missler, Chuck. Cosmic Codes. Couer d'Alene, ID. Koinonia House. 1999. pg. 73, 74, 72
Today's lesson is going to be a short and hopefully fun one.
I think it's reasonable to say that most people prefer to skim over, or completely skip genealogies in the Bible. In our Western culture lineage isn't all that important, so pages of so-and-so begat so-and-so don't exactly scream to us "vital information." Some genealogies in the Bible have clear importance, such as the ones in Matthew, Luke and John (technically John 1:1 is a genealogy). We may still skip them but we know that they trace Jesus' line back through the Old Testament, to fulfill the prophesies. Other genealogies, like the ones in Genesis appear to be little more than a transition from one period to another.
Genesis 5 would fall into the later category. In the text it bridges the gap from Adam and Eve to Noah, but we are going to dig just a little deeper and see what the Holy Spirit wove into this chapter.
Please read Genesis 5, if you have a piece of paper it might be fun to write down all 10 names.
Names in Bible times were very important. Sometimes they reflected the circumstances around birth or conception, other times they were prophetic of character traits or future events. In Genesis 5 we will find all of the above and more. Of the ten names that we are about to look at 8 have commonly accepted meanings, while two of them are debatable. This isn't an exact science but it is enlightening. I did not stumble across this myself, I first saw it in Learn the Bible in 24 Hours, by Chuck Missler, but rather then trusting in the research of someone else I have checked and double checked for myself. I hope you find this little exercise as amazing as I did.
Adam means Man. Genesis 2:7 and 2:20 use the same Hebrew word translated two different way, once man and once Adam. The words are interchangeable.
Seth means granted or appointed. This too we get from Scripture. Eve declared at his birth, "God has granted me another son." In the King James version the word is appointed.
Enosh means frail, feeble, mortal.*
Kenan means sorrow, or acquired depending on which root you link it to. **
Mahalal'el means praise or Splendor of God*
Jared is to go down*
Enoch means to teach.* Enoch is interesting for a couple of reasons. He was one of only two men in the Bible that did not die (Elijah was the other, 2 Kings 2:11). Genesis 5:24 says that, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Hebrews 11:5 tells us that Enoch pleased God by his faith and God spared him from death. Jude1:14 reveals that Enoch had been a prophet. During his life (leading up to the Flood) Enoch proclaimed that God would judge and convict all the ungodly. His son's name showed that he truly believed the judgement was coming soon.
Methuselah means his death shall bring.*
Lamech likely means lament or despairing.** Though some scholars take it back to a root meaning powerful, destroyer, and others state that the meaning is unclear, it's possible that the text itself gives us a hint that leans toward lamenting or despairing. There are two Lamechs in Genesis. One in the line of Cain (Genesis 4:18) and this one in the line of Seth. Both are the only ones in their genealogy that speak and both lament their situation.
Finally Noah means comfort or rest. This is obvious from Lamech's lamentation, he says that Noah will bring us comfort (or rest) from all their trouble.
What is fascinating to me is what happens when you place the meanings of each of these names next to each other.
Man, appointed mortal sorrow, the Splendor of God shall come down teaching [that] His death shall bring [the] despairing rest.
How seriously cool is that. Woven into the tapestry of this mundane genealogy the Holy Spirit saw fit to prophesy the coming Christ. Now please don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that we read into or manipulate Scripture to find hidden meanings. I am merely demonstrating that the Bible was written by the Holy Spirit. Every detail has meaning, and it all points to Jesus and only to Jesus. I find great comfort in knowing that God wrote the Bible with intention. It's not just a book about things that happened, or how we should live. The Holy Spirit took great care to point to our Salvation in every layer of the text. When John calls Jesus the Word made Flesh (John 1:14) he wasn't using a metaphor, he was being literal. Everything that Jesus is, the Bible says, and everything that the Bible says Jesus is. God intended us to see Jesus in every word. Only a supernatural power (the Holy Spirit) could weave the meanings, imagery and foreshadowing that is so interconnected, into a book written over 2000 years by 40 different men. If He took such care to get the message to us, how could we ever doubt that He cares for us. Oh how He loves us.
There is one last detail I'd like to point out in this chapter. Enoch believed that God's judgement on the sinful was coming quickly. He named his son Methuselah (his death shall bring) as a prophetic warning that God's mercy would come to an end. Methuselah's life was symbolic of God's mercy. What is awesome, and so very God, is that Methuselah lived the longest life of any man, before or since.**
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise [judgement], as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
What is true of Enoch's time is true in ours as well. Someday God will bring judgement to all the ungodly. Jesus will come again, but in His mercy and grace, our Lord continues to wait.
* Smith, Stelman; Cornwall, Judson. The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ. Bridge- Logos, 1998. pg 69, 164, 121, 69, 173.
** Missler, Chuck. Cosmic Codes. Couer d'Alene, ID. Koinonia House. 1999. pg. 73, 74, 72
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Fall Day 3
I'm just going to admit right up front that today's lesson is probably not going to be entirely cohesive. We are going to look at Genesis 3 in terms of patterns and foreshadowing and to get all the information tucked neatly into 10-15 minutes I'm gonna have to cut out a lot of flourish. I promise taking a second look at this chapter will be well worth a possibly chaotic writing style.
First I'm going to ask you to refresh your memory and take the time to reread all of Genesis Chapter 3.
Adam, unlike Eve, was not lied to by the serpent.
"And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner." 1 Timothy 2:14
Eve handed Adam some fruit and he took it and ate. What I find fascinating (though I may be barking mad) is that Adam was without sin, but when he saw that his bride had sinned, he chose to sin as well in order to be with her. It's the same and yet the opposite of what Jesus does for us. Holy, perfect, wonderful Jesus saw that His beloved bride was filthy with sin, so He became sin to make her holy and perfect.* Adam's sacrifice pushed the weight of sin onto all mankind, while Christ's sacrifice cleansed us of our sins. As I said in The Fall Day 1, Adam is both a pattern of Jesus and yet Jesus is the end to what started with Adam.
The pattern continues in verses 17-19. Because of Adam's sin, providing for his family would become hard work. The ground would produce thorns and thistles and eventually Adam would die a physical death (return to dust). Adam would be the first man to bear these consequences, but Christ would conquer them.
"Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head." Matthew 27:27, 28a
The Roman soldiers in their utter ignorance and cruelty thought it would be funny to make the "King of the Jews" wear a crown. They wound up some thorny branches, the symbol of the fallen world, and put it on Jesus' head. When they were done mocking and beating Jesus they took off the robe but apparently left the crown.** Jesus was then led up a hill to a very real and physical death. The Christ died bearing the curse so that we could be set free.
In God's grace and mercy, He saw fit to set patterns and symbols into His Word so that we would know Salvation when He came.
With Eve, it's less about symbols and more about themes. The Bible is an intricately woven tapestry, everything is connected in some way to everything else. Of course, with Scripture, it all leads to Jesus.
Tucked neatly into God's declaration of war in Genesis 3:15, He says the most peculiar thing.
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers."
The problem is, it's hard to see how strange this statement is unless you either look in the notes at the bottom of your page or read it in the New King James Version. The Hebrew word, Zera, translated in the New International Version as offspring, is better translated seed. Though indeed it is the offspring that would ultimately crush Satan's head, there is an implication that is lost in the translation. Without going into too much detail, seed is never equated with female reproduction. Strictly speaking, seed comes from men. No author, ancient or modern, would call someone the seed of a woman without expecting their audience to read into it. What is even more interesting about this particular Hebrew word is that is is singular. God is speaking of one specific descendant of the woman.***
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14.
When God declared, through His prophet Isaiah, that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, no one should have been surprised. He had hinted at a virgin birth since the beginning.
God promised that the Savior would come from woman, but because of her sin, it would not be the most pleasant experience. Birth would become a bittersweet event, how much more so for a young virgin in Nazareth. Her pregnancy almost cost her her husband, her reputation, possibly even her life, yet she was about to give birth to the Savior of the World.
The last bit of foreshadowing we are going to look at (which is my no means the last bit in chapter 3) is in verse 21.
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
It seems like a simple and easily overlooked verse, but again we see a hint at what was to come.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22b
Before removing Adam and Eve from the Garden, God showed them what the cost of their sin was. Sin could never be overlooked by God, it has a price and the price must be paid. But God, in his infinite mercy and grace allowed for a substitution. In place of Adam and Eve's death, God taught them to offer an animal for atonement.
Atonement in the Bible is an interesting word. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for it implies a covering over, or pushing ahead of sin.**** But the Greek word used in the New Testament means the sin-debt has been paid in full and removed.*****
It would be thousands of years before Moses would receive that Law on Mount Sinai with all the regulations for sacrifice to make atonement. It would be thousands more until Christ would take the burden of all sin unto Himself, once and for all. In the Garden at the beginning, God showed Adam and Eve the price of their sin. However, in love and mercy He demonstrated for them His provision for atonement.
From the first pages of Genesis to the last page of Revelation, God's love letter to us is Jesus.
"For God so Loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live." John 3:16
* Ephesians 5:25 & 26
** Matthew 27:31
*** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. Chattanoga, TN. AMG Publishers. 1996. pg. 1514
**** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. pg 1524
***** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV pg. 1634
First I'm going to ask you to refresh your memory and take the time to reread all of Genesis Chapter 3.
Adam, unlike Eve, was not lied to by the serpent.
"And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner." 1 Timothy 2:14
Eve handed Adam some fruit and he took it and ate. What I find fascinating (though I may be barking mad) is that Adam was without sin, but when he saw that his bride had sinned, he chose to sin as well in order to be with her. It's the same and yet the opposite of what Jesus does for us. Holy, perfect, wonderful Jesus saw that His beloved bride was filthy with sin, so He became sin to make her holy and perfect.* Adam's sacrifice pushed the weight of sin onto all mankind, while Christ's sacrifice cleansed us of our sins. As I said in The Fall Day 1, Adam is both a pattern of Jesus and yet Jesus is the end to what started with Adam.
The pattern continues in verses 17-19. Because of Adam's sin, providing for his family would become hard work. The ground would produce thorns and thistles and eventually Adam would die a physical death (return to dust). Adam would be the first man to bear these consequences, but Christ would conquer them.
"Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head." Matthew 27:27, 28a
The Roman soldiers in their utter ignorance and cruelty thought it would be funny to make the "King of the Jews" wear a crown. They wound up some thorny branches, the symbol of the fallen world, and put it on Jesus' head. When they were done mocking and beating Jesus they took off the robe but apparently left the crown.** Jesus was then led up a hill to a very real and physical death. The Christ died bearing the curse so that we could be set free.
In God's grace and mercy, He saw fit to set patterns and symbols into His Word so that we would know Salvation when He came.
With Eve, it's less about symbols and more about themes. The Bible is an intricately woven tapestry, everything is connected in some way to everything else. Of course, with Scripture, it all leads to Jesus.
Tucked neatly into God's declaration of war in Genesis 3:15, He says the most peculiar thing.
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers."
The problem is, it's hard to see how strange this statement is unless you either look in the notes at the bottom of your page or read it in the New King James Version. The Hebrew word, Zera, translated in the New International Version as offspring, is better translated seed. Though indeed it is the offspring that would ultimately crush Satan's head, there is an implication that is lost in the translation. Without going into too much detail, seed is never equated with female reproduction. Strictly speaking, seed comes from men. No author, ancient or modern, would call someone the seed of a woman without expecting their audience to read into it. What is even more interesting about this particular Hebrew word is that is is singular. God is speaking of one specific descendant of the woman.***
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14.
When God declared, through His prophet Isaiah, that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, no one should have been surprised. He had hinted at a virgin birth since the beginning.
God promised that the Savior would come from woman, but because of her sin, it would not be the most pleasant experience. Birth would become a bittersweet event, how much more so for a young virgin in Nazareth. Her pregnancy almost cost her her husband, her reputation, possibly even her life, yet she was about to give birth to the Savior of the World.
The last bit of foreshadowing we are going to look at (which is my no means the last bit in chapter 3) is in verse 21.
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
It seems like a simple and easily overlooked verse, but again we see a hint at what was to come.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22b
Before removing Adam and Eve from the Garden, God showed them what the cost of their sin was. Sin could never be overlooked by God, it has a price and the price must be paid. But God, in his infinite mercy and grace allowed for a substitution. In place of Adam and Eve's death, God taught them to offer an animal for atonement.
Atonement in the Bible is an interesting word. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for it implies a covering over, or pushing ahead of sin.**** But the Greek word used in the New Testament means the sin-debt has been paid in full and removed.*****
It would be thousands of years before Moses would receive that Law on Mount Sinai with all the regulations for sacrifice to make atonement. It would be thousands more until Christ would take the burden of all sin unto Himself, once and for all. In the Garden at the beginning, God showed Adam and Eve the price of their sin. However, in love and mercy He demonstrated for them His provision for atonement.
From the first pages of Genesis to the last page of Revelation, God's love letter to us is Jesus.
"For God so Loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live." John 3:16
* Ephesians 5:25 & 26
** Matthew 27:31
*** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. Chattanoga, TN. AMG Publishers. 1996. pg. 1514
**** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. pg 1524
***** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV pg. 1634
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