At the end of Genesis 8, God said in his heart he would never again destroy all flesh. In chapter 9 he establishes a covenant with Noah and his sons, with all flesh including the animal kingdoms as a matter of fact, that he will never again destroy all flesh and there will never again be such a flood. He places his sign, the rainbow, in the clouds as a reminder.
Genesis 8 contains one of my most favorite verses in all of scripture. It should encourage us that we are never alone in this world. God can see, God can hear, his arm is not shortened so that he cannot save. God is near. As the flood waters subside, God makes a promise to himself to never again curse the ground and destroy all living things.
I posted yesterday about why the Old Testament uses The LORD as the name for God. If you are subscribed via email or follow The Master’s Table on Facebook you probably saw that but here is a link just in case.
The flood story takes place across three chapters. In Genesis 6, God gives Noah instructions to build the ark and Noah does according to all the LORD commands. In chapter 7 Noah and his family, with at least two of every animal enter the ark, and the flood comes. It rains for 40 days and 40 nights but the flood lasts much longer than that. That’s where we will leave our brave hero today but join us tomorrow for Genesis 8 and one of my favorite verses in the entire scripture.
I am trying to do a better job at having a professional sound but I live in the real world. I do not have a recording studio with sound proof walls, I live in a house with other people and pets. I don’t know if you can hear dogs bark outside, or the clicky clack of their feet on the floor, or cars passing or the train; but I can and it drives me nuts.
Look on the bright side; anything you do for God, anything you do that will help people find God, learn more about him or seek his will, the devil will be opposed to. So I might be talking out my head here but if the enemy is opposing me then maybe I’m doing something right. Let’s look at Genesis 6, talk about the issues, and identify what we can know for sure about Noah, his family, and what he did in response to God’s instructions.
Genesis 5 looks like genealogy, and it is, but there are three interesting things we will note in this chapter; and only two of them are in the list of genealogy.
*Note: in the audio recording I claim that Noah only lived to be 950 years old. That is wrong; Noah only lived 930 years. I made the recording without my laptop. That’s where the music file is saved and where I had taken a few notes. I hope I have learned my lesson.
**Note: I apologize for all of the noises, the sliding around, bumping, etc. I was looking for a more controlled environment than my house full of family members and pets. This was recorded at church, at the same podium I preach from on Sunday morning. I was standing instead of sitting and apparently cannot keep my hands still. I need to do three things: Obtain a decent podcast mic, sit at my desk or dinning room table and at the very least use a basic editing software. Let’s see how long it takes knowing better to turn into doing better.
This will be our second discussion on 2nd Peter 2. And no, I didn’t make a mistake. Noah and Lot are used to represent times that God was able to save even during a time of judgement. God knows those that are his and he is able to save the just and punish the wicked. Continue reading
Mac & Cheese is a permanent addition to the Chick-fil-A menu. I think it’s very similar to KFC and Captain D’s if you are familiar with those. It reminds me of baked in the oven at home and is nothing like Kraft Dinner. It is the side I didn’t know I was missing. Continue reading
I saw this image on Facebook last evening. This comparison is often made to encourage listeners to heed the warning of God’s coming judgement. Let’s ignore this awkward translation of 2 Timothy 4:3-4 which actually uses the word Bible and focus on the caption at the top of the picture. “They were warned…” Were they though?
As I was making mental notes and forming an outline, I decided to check the archives to see if I had written on this topic before. Not only did I find a post I read through and realized it’s pretty good. Below is the full text of a post originally titled Did Noah Preach? posted March 30, 2014. Continue reading
Maybe I’ll come up with a more clever series title but let’s try this out. If you haven’t read the book don’t worry, there should be enough discussion of scripture and of the Christian life in general to give these posts merit. If you don’t know what book I’m talking about it read this page.
The process of writing God as Near as it exists in its final published form took place over a 2 year period of time, more or less. The first 4 or 5 chapters in particular have been around a while. Chapter 1 deals extensively with the creation story recorded in Genesis and Chapter 2 begins with a quick summary of the Noah story. As publication drew near I decided to leave those chapters alone and ignore certain recent events which are more suited for blogging anyway. Continue reading
I must be the only blogger left that hasn’t had something to say about the Noah film currently playing in theaters. Nope, haven’t seen it so I can’t write a review. I can say with certainty that the film does not represent an accurate retelling of the biblical story of Noah found in Genesis. The filmmakers were clear about that from the beginning, so the claims movie goers are being lied to is exaggerated. This infographic attempts to clarify some actual facts regarding the true story of Noah:
The Noah movie has incredible graphics and a dramatic story. The list of facts above is biblically accurate but boring. Is there a compromise?
Presenting for your viewing enjoyment: The True Story of Noah
I give this film 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up!
The Master's Table 