FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

You Shall Go Into the Ark

“And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” (Genesis 6:17-18).

After Adam’s fall, God’s Holy Spirit strove with men, but sin multiplied until, a millennium and a half later, God purposed to end the corruption, violence and gross evil by destroying all flesh on earth with a world-wide flood.

But in grace God revealed His intention to Noah, the only righteous man in his generation, telling him to build “an ark for the saving of his household” (Hebrews 11:7).

All Noah’s ancestors would have died before the flood. Abel was the first man to die, followed by Adam at 930 years of age, followed by Enoch’s translation at age 365. Last of all was Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather, the longest living man (969 years). He was a walking prophecy, because his name means “when he dies it (presumably, the judgement) comes!” In seeming fulfilment of that prophecy God sent the flood the year of his death.

Men lived about 900 years then. When God spoke to Noah he was 500 years old, having three sons, Ham, Shem and Japheth.

The ark they would build would be a giant wooden vessel constructed according to God’s specifications. As a consequence it would be unsinkable. Being as large as an ocean liner it would also accommodate Noah’s family, pairs of animals of all sizes and species, and carry sufficient food for them all. Its purpose would also be to protect them from all earth’s massive upheavals during the deluge.

Noah’s obedience to God’s every command contrasts strongly with Adam’s disobedience. Building the ark in the face of events and factors not seen as yet, preaching and enduring the ridicule of scoffers, and putting in years of painstaking labor, shows how his faith contrasts markedly with Adam’s lack of faith—a simple command was given to Adam and yet he disobeyed in a matter of minutes!

“You shall go into the ark.” What a gracious promise. Noah and his family would be saved and delivered from a terrible judgement.

Adapted and modified excerpts from Day by Day: Bible Promises
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Her Seed . . . Shall Bruise Your Head

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Having created the heavens and the earth God made man, placed him in the garden of Eden with every provision, and gave him just one command: not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But man disobeyed God. His wife, having succumbed to the serpent’s temptation, gave him the fruit—and he ate it.

To be true to His character God must mete out justice and punishment—to the serpent, as Satan had used the serpent, the woman and the man. But God’s grace came with the first promise, was embodied in the first prophecy, and His mercy was signified in the first sacrifice—a picture or type of redemption wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The promise of Genesis 3:15 regarding Satan would be fulfilled in three stages—at our Lord’s crucifixion, in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years, and in the lake of fire eternally. Paradoxically the first promise is the final radical solution—the total subjugation of the sin-originator, Satan.

It is remarkable that the Seed of the woman was promised and prophesied even before the birth of the seeds of man and woman and that the Seed would ultimately triumph through death.

The first animal sacrifice pointed to God’s way for man’s forgiveness—the blood of a substitute slain, and coats of skins picturing garments of imputed righteousness. “God’s way” was our Lord Jesus Christ, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), from the beginning to the end of time.

God did not destroy Satan immediately because His program for mankind must run its entire course according to His plan and purpose (see Ephesians 1:9–11; 3:11). That plan will climax with the Lamb reigning with His bride, the church, over redeemed Jews and Gentiles in His Millennial Kingdom and throughout eternity. For Satan and his followers, including those of mankind not redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, there will be the lake of fire forever.

Thus would the first promise be the final solution.

Adapted and modified excerpts from Day by Day: Bible Promises
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

From Beginning to End

Endings are always difficult. But when they’re new beginnings, they’re revitalizing.

At the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we not only see Paul the apostle, but Paul the empathetic and concerned pastor. Paul knows that if dissension or temptation rules over the Roman church, they will fail in their ministry, so he warns them (Romans 16:17-19) and offers them a word of hope:

“And in a short time the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Romans 16:20).

Here, Paul is echoing God’s words to Adam, Eve, and the serpent after the fall, when, instead of carrying out God’s request to bring order to creation (as He had done in the beginning), humanity turned from Him, defacing His image (Genesis 1:1-2, 27-28; 3:14-20). But while Genesis 3:15 merely depicts Satan biting the heel of humanity and being struck on the head in return, Paul depicts Satan as being crushed under the heel of the Church. Through Christ, people will be victorious over Satan. Christ did use, is using, and will continue to use people to restore order to the world.

Paul sees the end as a time when Satan will no longer have control and Christians will be victorious through Christ. Satan is fighting a losing battle. His ravaging of humanity is temporary; likewise, in the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah saw the other nations’ ravaging of God’s people as temporary. Jeremiah remarks:

“You, O Yahweh, will sit forever on your throne for generation to generation. . . . Restore us to you, O Yahweh, that we will be restored; renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:19, 21).

Yet Jeremiah must qualify his statement—he adds:

“Unless you [Yahweh] have utterly rejected us, unless you are angry with us beyond measure” (Lamentations 5:22).

Today, there is no qualification. Christ loves us beyond all measure. Satan has lost this battle. The ravaging of God’s people will come to an end when Jesus ultimately returns (Revelation 22). The end is full of hope. The end is a new beginning.

Adapted and modified excerpts from Connect the Testaments
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the Lexham English Bible, LEB © 2012 by Logos Bible Software.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Proverbs 31 Woman

A Proverbs 31 (Proverbs 31:10-31) woman is hard to find, but it isn’t for lack of effort. She’s been the topic of more than a few Bible studies. She can be recognized by her many positive traits—strong, courageous, and trustworthy. She is hardworking, discerning, giving, dignified, business savvy, wise, and kind. If we’re looking for a vice or an Achilles heel, we’ll have to turn to another passage in the Old Testament (we’re sure to find more failures than achievers within its pages).

As we look through the list of qualities, though, it’s hard to check them all off, even for Type-A personalities. But the key to understanding the list of characteristics isn’t found in what we can attain. It’s found in the last verse—the crux of the poem. The crown of the woman’s wisdom isn’t her charm or her beauty or even her ability to “get things done.” It is her fear of Yahweh. This relationship with God guides all of her actions.

If we’re trying to earn favor with God by being “the best version of myself” or “being the best me,” we’ll fail miserably. If we live to define ourselves by a task, or even a role, we’ll fall short every time. It’s God’s work in us—through Christ—that defines us.

As redeemed people, we can strive to be wise and discerning thanks to the work of the Spirit. We can strive to be stewards of the time He’s given us. We can strive to live unselfishly in all of our relationships. When we fail, or when we fall short, we can trust that it’s not on our own merit that we find favor with Him. His favor extends from His enduring faithfulness to us.

Adapted and modified excerpts from Connect the Testaments
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the Lexham English Bible, LEB © 2012 by Logos Bible Software.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Grace of God Shines Through

I was once asked why the Bible is so brutal—why it depicts things like babies being killed and war. It’s true, the Bible has many moments of darkness and violence. But these depictions of the rawness of humanity—in all its ungratefulness and depravity—demonstrate how much people need God. And more than that, through these moments, the Bible shows how much people need a savior.

The book of Lamentations is brimming with sorrow and gnashing of teeth. Little hope can be found in this book. The prophet weeps and moans over his fallen nation, over watching Jerusalem crumble. In this poetic work, we see people who don’t follow the God who loves them dearly and so badly yearns to see them return to Him.

“How desolate the city sits that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations! Like a woman of nobility in the provinces, she has become a forced laborer. She weeps bitterly in the night, her tears are on her cheeks; she has no comforter among all her lovers. All her friends have been unfaithful to her; they have become her enemies” (Lamentations 1:1-2).

How can we process a passage like this? How can we handle this kind of depression?

The first time I read the book of Lamentations, I wept. I had grasped a bit of what the prophet felt, and weeping was the only natural response. But it wasn’t just that. I saw myself as Jerusalem. I was her. I had walked away from God’s desire for my life, and I deserved destruction.

Sometimes we must break before we can be rebuilt. Sometimes we must fall before we can rise to the greatness God has called us to. Are you Jerusalem? Call out to God like the prophet did. Tell God how you feel. Be honest with your mourning and your sadness. It may not make the fall easier, but it will surely make you more eager to accept the grace that God has offered. God wants you to experience His grace, including salvation in Christ. He wants you to live it.

Adapted and modified excerpts from Connect the Testaments
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the Lexham English Bible, LEB © 2012 by Logos Bible Software.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.