Bible Passage:  Genesis 11

It’s about the beginning of racial, language, ethnic and cultural diversity. And the beginning of the Jewish nation (the Jewish nation came from Shem).

I recently saw this when I was surfing a church’s website:

“Addressing the capacity crowd of 1,500 people, Senior Pastor *bleep* encouraged the believers to answer the calling of God to be light of the world and salt of the earth by actively engaging pop culture.”

If you can’t beat them, join them!?

When like-minded people come together, a herd instinct plays out in their speech and actions. All you need is an influential leader and the rest will be willing followers. It is hence foreboding to have fellow groupies with selfish or misguided motivation because they will only heighten and enhance each other’s ill intentions or poor judgement. That is why God tells us to constantly renew ourselves (Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23; Col 3:10) and to discern.

We would have thought the people who lived in the post-flood generations would be more careful with how they lived, more prudent, seeking and learning more about God. They would have heard from their grand-dads or great great great grand parents (the average life expectancy then was around 600 years old) accounts of how God destroyed the earth by the great flood because of man’s sins.

Through the great flood, God gave man the opportunity of a new beginning. Man not only did not take it further and improved, he went back to his old ways.

When it came to the time of Nimrod, it was believed that it was his descendants who formed the city and started this ambitious project to create a tower that reached to the skies.

Why was God so upset by this project? Was His intervention necessary? Read Gen11:4. It is mentioned in Nelson’s Study Bible that the people wanted to become famous as the Nephilim (giants) were before the flood. Motivated by arrogance, they wanted to make a name for themselves and embarked on an absurd and dangerous project. God saw their pride and ignorance and did them a favour by confusing their language and hence forcing them to disperse.

Strange how we never learn from our past mistakes. Even when we were punished for them. The lusts, temptations and pride in this life all work to desensitize us and draw us slowly away from God’s beautiful plan for us. It must be difficult to overcome these 3 evils drawing simply from the fact that it is so easy to fall right into them. It takes more than a hurried prayer to pull ourselves out of the rut and start anew.

But we must try - harder. For when we are baptised, it is the dawn of a new beginning. When we resolve to repent of our sins, it is a new beginning. When we choose to rid of our various poor habits, it is a brand new start!

A Chinese saying goes “A good beginning means you are well on your way to success”. When we think of beginnings e.g. first day in a new school, new job, new posting, our hopes run high, expectations are high, we set very high standards for ourselves, we start on a clean slate, placing only the choicest selections on that shiny new slate. This is a good mindset to adopt in each of our undertakings, and in facing each new day. Even God’s mercy and compassion are new every morning!

I’d like to leave you with these verses:

Is 40:31

“But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.”

Lam 3:22-24

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning,

Great is Your faithfulness.

‘The Lord is my portion’, says my soul,

Therefore I hope in Him!”

]]> http://closerdaybyday.info/2010/03/genesis-11/feed/ http://closerdaybyday.info/2010/03/genesis-10/ http://closerdaybyday.info/2010/03/genesis-10/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:55:40 +0000 biblereadingcompanion http://closerdaybyday.info/?p=2116

Bible Passage:  Genesis 10

After the exciting events over the last few days in the family of Noah, we come to this passage of the Bible which we have a tendency to skip over quickly.  I mean… what is it with all these names?  I hardly recognize anyone of them.  What can I possibly learn today?

I admit my mind was an absolute blank as I read chapter 10.  I know that this was the genealogy of Noah and his sons after the flood but is there anything to learn from the names of the descendents of Ham, Shem and Japheth?

The flood reduced the world’s population to just Noah, his wife, 3 sons and their wives (Gen 7:13, 20-23; 8:18).  In a sense, God was starting all over again - repopulating the earth from one righteous man’s family.  Today’s passage gives a summary of the nations that were born from that family (Gen 10:1).  That is why this chapter is sometimes called the “Table of Nations”.

I am sure you are tempted, like me, to skip over reading this list of obscure names and long forgotten places.  But as I read through it finally, I realised that this was the key to the rest of Biblical history.

I mean, it is like the cast of characters given in the preface of a play so that the audience will understand who the players or actors are, how they stand in relation to one another and which ones have the main roles.

So when you read the rest of the Bible with Genesis 10 in mind, you will realize that God is working out a plan that includes all the peoples of the world.  In tomorrow’s passage you will read how He scatters them by confusing their language (Gen 11:1-9).  Then reading on, you will see how He chooses one family - the family of Abraham - through which to bless all the families of the earth (Gen 12:1-3).  Ultimately, that bleing comes through Jesus - whose work of salvation grace is seen clearly in the New Testament.

So keep some of these names in mind and if you have the time… spend some effort to find out more about these descendents of the sons of Noah.  After all… it just shows that everyone in the world is related.  And that amongst some of these descendents were the ones that raised up kingdoms that became great enemies of Israel.

But the assurance is this… we continue to see God’s hand in everything that happens in the world.

Finally, after leaving the ark, a new life begins.

While it must have been a relief to be able to leave the ark after being cooped up for such a long period of time, I’m pretty sure Noah and his family would have felt uncertain and even fearful when faced with this new life and new earth.

Imagine the whole world laid out before you. Your eyes see stretches and stretches of land from the mountains of Ararat; the Earth feels so vast and wide.

And you realise you and your small family are the only people in this vast and empty land.

Wouldn’t you feel strange and worried?

However, God, being the God who knows the needs of man and cares for him gives His assurance and promise to Noah as he begins his new life outside the ark. What did He say? What did He do?

Bible Passage:  Genesis 9

God’s Protection and Promise

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. (Gen 9:2-3)

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. (Gen 9:12-15)

The protection of God was seen in how He put the fear of man in all the animals. Can you imagine if God had not done so? Noah and his small family would probably have been killed by the larger and fiercer animals before they could repopulate the Earth. This is truly a great protection from God considering we really are slower and weaker than a lot of these animals.

Besides protecting them physically, God was also concerned for the mental and emotional well-being of Noah and his family. Having witnessed the fearsome flood that wiped out all life from the face of the earth, Noah and his family would be predictably nervous each time it rains, not knowing if it would be the onset of another flood. In fact, they might not dare to venture too far from the ark.

God knows this fear that they face and did not want them to be hindered by their fear for His will for them was to lead joyful, fulfilling, fruitful lives and to fill the earth. Therefore, He assures them of the fact that He will not flood the Earth again by letting them see the beautiful sign of this covenant each time it rains. Don’t you think our God is really wonderful yet so caring at the same time?

Next time you see a rainbow, do remember God’s promise and His loving-kindness while you admire His beautiful handiwork.

Bible Passage:  Genesis 8

After two chapters and a period of over 1 year, Noah and family (and animals) are finally out of the ark!

Clean scrubbed new place

If you think that the scene of the animals going into the ark two by two is magnificent and amazing, think about the scene when they all finally come out from the ark (Genesis 8:18-19)! They were entering into a world that was different (in terms of the physical conditions, climate, etc) from the previous one they were familiar with. To quote a fellow brethren, it was like “clean scrubbed new place”. Moreover, it was a place whereby God has willed for it to be so. How excited they must have felt!

In fact, as I was reading through the chapter, I can already feel the excitement that Noah (and family) might have felt since the day Noah opened the window (Genesis 8:6). Do you know how long has it been since he was shut in?

Around 8 months!

We were asked to ponder yesterday the feelings of Noah and family as they entered the ark. If there was any sense of uncertainty at all, by this time when he had already endured the period of so many months, I am sure he is feeling really excited to see the doings of God. Imagine his excitement increase by the day when the dove returned almost immediately, to when it returned with an olive leaf, to when it did not return at all. And then waiting patiently for the “go” signal from God.

This reminded me of a particular verse in the Bible:

for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11b)

The day of our salvation is indeed nearer day by day. However, how do we feel when we read this verse? Have we got the same excitement as Noah probably did? Or perhaps are we still apprehensive about that day?

Noah was sure that the day would come when he would leave the ark again into a new and better world. If we have the same faith as Noah, and if we had truly believe, we would know that that place that is coming is the best place that we can be, according to the will of God.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)

And if we truly have this belief, then every day would be rather exciting for us, as we see the plans of God unfold before our eyes to fulfill His salvation plan! This is the same excitement that Noah probably felt as he watched the dove coming and going.

God remembered Noah

Did God almost forget about Noah?

No way! God never once forgot about Noah and the ark. 150 days may seem like an awfully long time in the silence of God (Genesis 7:24), but God was waiting for the right time to act (refer to 8:1). Remember that the rain only poured for 40 days; there were more days when Noah spent the days in silence, when God neither cause rain to pour, nor water to subside. These are the most unbearable times, right?

Notice also that there is no record that Noah was told when all these will end. God only said,

“… after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” (Genesis 7:4)

Great faith, isn’t it?

The silence of God, and not knowing when all these will end. Yet, he patiently endured the times until God speaks again.

We are called to have such faith today too. For he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).

And the most marvelous thing is that our God is a faithful God Himself, and He never once forgets about us.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…” (Isaiah 49:15-16a)

One of my favourite verses. I can’t remember if I have shared it before, but I just have to share again.

So let us remember and learn to praise God, not only of His almightiness and great power, but also of His faithfulness.  The exhortation last week regarding this over the pulpit, together with Hymn 313, really touched me. I hope that His great faithfulness unto each and every one of us has left quite an impression on you too.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Bible Quiz: Are you the descendant of Cain or Seth?

Basic theory test of Noah & the Flood:

1. How long did it take to build the ark?

2. How old was Noah when he entered the ark?

3. How many days did it rain?

4. How many days did the water prevail on the earth?

5. Did Noah take two of every animal into the Ark?

Hehe, let’s try not to google for the answers but find them from reading the Bible.

Well if your answer to the last question is yes, then you would have been misled by pictures and other sources than the Bible. The answer is found in today’s chapter, that God commanded Noah to bring in the clean animals by sevens, and only the unclean animals by twos.

Now whether it is 4 males 3 females, or 3 males 4 females, or 7 pairs of clean animals… that I have heard different answers and translations, so its not so clear. But I guess that it would be 7 pairs… basically because it forms a nicer image in my head for them to go in pairs when they enter, since that is also the description of how they went in.

“two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.” v9

Hmmm… what do you think of the sight of all the animals walking orderly into the Ark? Actually you do not need to imagine it that much, because a movie had helped us do the imagery via 3d graphics.

Yes - Evan Almighty!

Well, the movie is a modern version of the story that has been edited, so you can’t expect it to be a faithful portrayal. But it does bring to light some of the things we might have overlooked. For example the animals beginning to gather around the building of the Ark. This by itself is already an amazing sight! Don’t you wonder why the people did not believe Evan that this is a work of God?

Talking about animals coming under the control of God, Friday night Dn Shee spoke about Balaam’s donkey that spoke, and he said Balaam was not the least surprised and even argued back with his donkey! It’s funny isn’t it? The donkey even had to defend herself and prove her history of loyalty to wake up his senses.

Now back to Gen 7…

Two things I thought I want to leave you readers to think about:

1. How many people do you think went into view the Ark when it was under construction? I for one, as an onlooker, would be curious to enter an almost finishing project to see the result of such a big piece of architecture.Morever the one who gave the blueprint of the Ark was God.

   Surely it was like no other construction at that time. Would they have seen the handiwork of God and how the Ark was designed to save them from the flood? Or perhaps they just saw how awful it would be to stay in the Ark for days, probably with restricted daylight and not so comfortable space.

   Whether there were visitors or not, we know that eventually all of them would have left and gone back to their own lives and houses…

2. What do you think Noah felt when he entered the Ark just before God shut him with his family in and sent the rain down?How would he have felt, looking at the people around him, who have not heeded his words that he was on a mission by God, that the Ark was the only way to be saved?

Oh by the way, if you did try to find all the answers for the theory test above and you could not really get a definitive answer for Qn 1, don’t worry, I heard its an age old question. So there have been several theories for different answers. But let’s just know that it took many years, and might be as long as one’s lifetime!

All aboard!!

Welcome onboard Noah’s Ark! Made with the finest gopher-wood, finely covered with pitch both inside and out.. Standing (or floating) at an impressive 300 by 50 by 30 cubits, it has enough rooms to fit a whole zoo in it! How d’ya like that? Three decks, and with a window and a door. Now that’s a ship. Forget about those superstar cruises and speedy yachts.. This ark doesn’t just float.. It saves!

*Warp back to reality*

I’m sure we’re all very familiar with this incident..

The world had become increasingly evil to the point that the people were committing sins that were really atrocious (e.g. Taking any beautiful daughters of men for wives, and any other kind of nonsense, you name it, they probably did it..). It was so bad to the extent that God said this:

I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. - Verse 7

His judgment was about to fall upon all of them. All of mankind. Except for a certain man and his household.. Cue to Noah..

Noah was a just man and had found grace in the Lord’s eyes (verses 8-9). God then told him to build an ark that could hold him, his household and two of every animal. But God didn’t just tell him to build one just anyhow. He gave him specific instructions and blueprints on how the ark was to be built (Editor’s note: Flashback to alternate reality warp.. Paragraph 1 and 2.. Need to switch to decaf to avoid such scenarios..). And Noah obeyed without question, for I’m sure he knew that God’s way would save him and make the ark float.

Now how has this incident got to with us?

If we look around, like that time, the world now is also becoming increasingly evil. Not evil in the sense of a rising number of madmen planning to take over the world in grand visions of total world domination.. But rather, and probably more seriously, the proliferation of sin over the face of the earth. New and different kinds of sin are sprouting with each passing moment, and sin is growing too.. Just like during the time of Noah.. The world is definitely doomed for God’s judgment..

Fortunately for us, we have an ark too.. And what is that ark?

That ark is the true church, the church that we are in.. Noah followed the very specific instructions that God gave to him in order to have the ship save them. Likewise, as the true church, we follow the very specific instructions and commandments that God has given to us through His teachings in the Bible, so that we may be saved in the last days. This ark will float when all else sinks…

Funny when I typed the word “sinks”, hymn 376 came into my mind.. And with it came this verse (Well.. Not in my mind but on the hymn book):

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” - Matthew 7: 24

As a church, and as individual followers of Christ, we have to built our house on the solid rock. We have to not just hear the commandments and teachings of Christ, but also really follow accordingly and do them, just like what Noah did. Imagine if Noah hadn’t done that, and who knows… The ark might have sunk too, killing all onboard (Time paradox alert!).

Likewise, if we don’t do this and not build our house on the rock, then as the hymn describes in the chorus, we sink in all other ground that is sinking sand..

When Christ comes again, will we be floating above the waters, or will be under the sea? No doubt, the true church really is the ark in the last days.. But as individuals, probably we can see ourselves as our own arks. Are we building up ourselves according to the teachings and instructions of God? Will we be able to be saved?

This is something we all need to ponder as we are hammering in the nails building up that hull in our ark..

Bible Passage:  Genesis 5

This chapter documents the lineage from Adam to Noah.  We read about the relatively long lives of the people in the ancient days and along the way, encounter a few famous people - one of them being Enoch.

It is inevitable that when we hear the name Enoch, we are reminded that he was one that walked with God and did not die.

After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. … And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Genesis 5:22, 24

I heard this lovely story of how a young girl told her mother about Enoch. She said, “Enoch used to take long walks with God. One day he walked so far God said, ‘It’s too far to go back; come on home with me.’” That is what happened to Enoch.

While that may not be entirely true, the fact of the matter is that in walking close to God day by day, Enoch was taken up to heaven without having to taste death.

What does it mean to walk with God?

I liked what OurKing’sWatchman said in his posting on Ephesians 5-6.  He talked about walking the right way, walking together and walking as Christian soldiers in our life of faith.

Enoch’s walking with God also reminds me that I am very far from the standard that God wants from me.

So in what areas of walking with God must I improve in?  Besides what OurKing’sWatchman said, there are a few other areas I want to walk better…

Walking With God In The Way I THINK

We are often reminded of what Paul said, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:2).

He also said to think of things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil 4:8).

I must admit these are difficult to do.  I may do it once in a while… but to do it all the time…that is something different.

But walking with God requires me to think like God.

The battle that Satan is waging now is often on our minds. We are tempted with wishful thinking, lustful desires, boastful pride and scornful wisdom so much so we are blinded to what the Bible says.

Paul said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

Stop thinking like the Devil! Start thinking like Jesus!

I must bring my way of thinking back in line with the Scriptures.  And that is why I need to read the Bible daily.

Walking With God Involves Steady Progress

In a world of instant gratification, many are reluctant to wait for steady progress.

Many years ago when I was supposed to train for my fitness test, I was told to start running 10 minutes a day first, and then slowly increasing it by 5 minutes every 3 days.  In that way, I would be able to gradually build up my fitness and run for longer periods.

Peter advised us to, “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18).

“Growing in grace” requires me to increase my spirituality.

“Growing in knowledge” requires me to learn the Scriptures, listening to sound teaching and preaching, getting to know Jesus better and better.

It will mean spending more time with Jesus than I am doing now. Going farther with Jesus than I am used to.

These are not new ideas and we all know them.  But I need constant reminders for this and I am sure you need them too.

We may have used to walk with the Lord and were fervent in the Spirit once.  But our walk has been hindered by Satan and we walk less not more. We grow weaker, not stronger.

Peter tells us to resist the devil.  Keep walking.  Keep pace with God.  Stay with God.  Don’t stop.

To grow in grace and knowledge, I need to read the Bible and pray regularly.

I need to start… and continue doing it day by day.  If I fail, I need to restart again.

I need to commit myself to it and stick with it.  Will you join me in my walk?

Walking With God Brings Great Satisfaction

I’ve heard elderly people say, “I’m ready to go;”

I’ve stood in front of caskets and heard people say, “My loved one’s better off in a better place now.”

Indeed, there is a lot of satisfaction in a life that has lived for God.

One day, we too will go the way of the world.  And there is something we MUST do before we get there.

Paul said, Enoch “pleased God.”

Just a simple epitaph.  But what an eloquent one - one that I would love to be able to have it honestly and deservingly etched on my tombstone.

Pleasing God…

Who does not want to hear God say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Luke 25:21).

Here’s what the Bible says about pleasing God…

“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier”

2 Tim 2:4

A Christian’s life is not a bed of roses.  Neither is it a playground with everything nice.

It’s a spiritual battlefield.

Paul reminds us that some are losing the spiritual battle because they got themselves entangled in the affairs of this life.

They allowed things in their life to bog them down, take time away from God… and these things could be our hobbies, our sporting activities, our work, our social life, our… whatever.

We can never replace God with these things… neither can we please Him.

It may seem we are winning if we are involved heavily with the things of the world… but we are not.  We are losing.

I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.

Psalm 69:30-31

We can please God with songs of praise and words of thanksgiving.

We can do this anytime. Anywhere.  Wherever you go.

I know we tend to reserve such outbursts of praises to when we are in Church.

But when you are out walking with your beloved, haven’t there been times you just burst out into a song?  You are so happy you shout out aloud?   The people who are around may think you are crazy.  But you don’t care… because this love within you is bursting to get out.

We should sing aloud more and praise Him more… as we walk closer to Him day by day.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21

How do we please God?

We please God by doing His will.

By being doers of the Word and not hearers only.

Will you join me today and say…

I’ll Walk With God

Bible Passage:  Genesis 4

Today, we read of the first murder in the Bible, and the murderer - Cain. The first child born of the first man and woman (Gen 4:1) became a murderer. It was a sad turn of events which happened way too early in the beginning of man, not that we wish for it to happen at all. Barely four chapters into the records of the creation of man, we see Satan rearing his ugly head twice. The first time in Gen 3 as a serpent appealing to Eve’s senses of lusts and pride, and now in Gen 4, not in any form visible to the human eye, in a subtle yet potent manner, working on Cain’s attitude of worship, feelings, temper and sense of pride. It is the unseen - deceitful thoughts and streaks of pride running through our minds and hearts - which can be most worrisome and which can result in terrifying consequences if left unchecked.

Cain killed not for wealth, but in a jealous fit of rage. What was his story behind the series of events that took place on that fateful day?

Let us read Gen 4: 3-15. God was neither partial nor temperamental in His acceptance of Abel’s offering and dislike of Cain’s offering. Heb 11:4 records that God was pleased with Abel’s faith and righteousness, shown by his offering of the best - firstborn of his flock and their fat. Cain offered a token gift of his produce to the Lord but Abel offered the very best.

Also, from 1 Jn 3:11-12,

“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.”

And Gen 4:7,

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Cain did not do well (Gen 4:7) not because he offered up ‘the fruit of the ground’ to the Lord, but because his sacrifice was lacking. His attitude in offering was found wanting (Gen 4:5, 9) and the quality of his offering was lacking (Gen 4:3). These are reflections of his attitude in worshipping and thanksgiving towards his Creator. And God was not pleased. Further, Cain did not humble himself to reflect the reason for God not being pleased with his sacrifice. Instead, he became ‘very angry’ and his face changed (Gen 4:5)! Jealousy began to eat into him, and he allowed sin into the door of his heart, pouncing on him as a lion (1 Pet 5:8, Gen 4:7). Cain coldly and unremorsefully committed the first murder in the history of humankind.

The latter portion of verse 7 mentions that when sin’s desire is for us, we can and should rule over it. The devil is mighty - appearing twice so far, but our Lord Jesus Christ is even mightier! (Rom 5:21, 6:12) Sin may occur anytime, especially in moments when we are weak or not watchful, and it may even have a strong hold on us. But we do not fear it. Our Lord Jesus have cleansed us of sin by His blood, we are sparkling clean. We are in the muddy ground of the world, but not stuck in it.

Let’s pull those heaven-laden feet up and tread on higher ground!

This chapter may sound like a fairy tale, or a fantasy story, because you read of a serpent that talks, a tree that can make people wise, an angel to guard Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Well, these events happened thousands of years ago, no one with human wisdom can verify if this really happened, but only our eternal God who is not limited by time was there. So, we need the heart of faith to see, and from the other parts of the Bible, we can know for sure that the recordings in the whole book of Genesis are true and historical. (ref. 2 Peter 1: 21)

There are also spiritual lessons to be learnt, so let us first read this interesting chapter.

Bible Passage: Genesis 3

The First Deception

From the first 2 chapters, we have been hearing the voice of God; He created all things and commanded with His Words.

Now a strange voice enters the scene, and that is the voice of the deceiver (ref. 2 Cor. 11: 1 - 3), a liar (ref. John 8: 44), Satan.

He denied God’s warning and substituted with a lie for God’s truth.

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Gen 3:5

Satan used this to deceive Eve, and since then, he had been using this to entice man to sin against God. This deception is a direct hit at the very core of human wants, i.e. the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.

1Jo 2:16

So we have to be very weary of this ploy of Satan. We are living in this world that is under the sway of the wicked one, but we must not conform to the wickedness of lusts and pride that Satan wants us to crave for.

The Finger Pointing Man

Eve was not careful in keeping the commandment of God that they were not suppose to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Notice that Eve also added some words to the command of God. Compare the following verses and you shall see what Eve added to the command of God when she told the serpent.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Gen 2:16 - 17

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”‘

Gen 3: 2 - 3

Can you see the additional words Eve included? Yes, God did not say “nor shall you touch it,”

This is an example of adding to the Word of God, and thus adding burdens to man.

We must listen to God’s wholesome word with care. We must also obey God’s silence.

When God came to question Adam, he pushed all blames to God and Eve, and then Eve pushed all blames to the serpent.

Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Gen 3:12 - 13

Are we guilty of such act when we did something wrong? Blame God, blame others, and everything else except ourselves!

The Judgment And The Grace

Our God is Love, but He is also just.

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,

And will not at all acquit the wicked.

Nahum 1:3

God cursed the serpent and the ground, but He did not curse Adam and Eve. The consequences of man’s fall are all around us, and we suffer because of them, the ultimate judgment to man is death.

Man can overcome a difficult environment to some extant, but man can do nothing about “the last enemy” - death. But through Jesus Christ, man can have victory over death when one has faith and trusts in Him.

The act of God showing mercy to Adam and Eve by making tunics of skin to clothe them marked the beginning of God’s redemption plan for man.

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Heb 9:22

God truly knows our weaknesses, for He knows our frame, for we are but dust. Yet God loves us so, that He came as the Lamb of God to die for our sins, to save us from the bondage that our ancestors Adam and Eve had caused.

So we have to be diligent to hear His Words, obey Him wholeheartedly, and praise Him for His wondrous grace and love!

Like biblereadingcompanion said, the creation story is one we’ve heard so often that we tend to go into sleep mode when we come across it just once more. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s not just the first chapter, but the whole book of Genesis that we read repeatedly. (Going along the reasoning that we start reading the Bible from Genesis and keep going until we hit the second part of Exodus or if you’re more tenacious, Leviticus. Stop. Then start with Genesis again. J)

Knowing the events in the book is all well and good, but we know the Bible is not a storybook or a textbook. After reading, we must go through the stage of ‘knowing’, then ‘understanding’ and finally ‘doing’. This means that we must not just stop at the whats and hows but should seek to find out the whys behind the seemingly straightforward events.

What is one of the whys we can ask for today’s chapter? Let’s read and find out.

Bible Passage:  Genesis 2

The chapter talks about a beginning which is very close to our hearts - the beginning of man. By this simple fact, we know that the God we worship is not just the God of the Hebrews or Christians but of all mankind for we read that He created the first couple from which we all are born. My question to readers is this however:

Why did God create man from dust?

I’ll share some answers (from various sources) to this question and hope you can share yours too.

Be humble

[...] Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord. (Gen 18:27)

This is the first answer most people would give and with good reason indeed because the term “humility” is derived from the Latin word humilitas, a noun related to the adjective humilis, translated not only as “humble”, but also alternatively as “low”, or “from the earth”.

Bearing this in mind helps us keep the correct Christian perspective no matter how great we become or how much work we do for we remember that we are but dust and that no one is above another because we are all made from dust. This is the same dust that animals were made from as well as the dust that they trod on before we were created. When we think about it this way, what is there for us to be haughty about?

Remember what’s precious

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor 4:7)

Having said that however, let us remember there is more to us than our physical bodies. When God made animals and man, He made them all from dust. What makes us different from animals then? It is the breath of life that God breathed into us.

This is what is precious and makes us more honourable. This breath of life is also what sets eternity in the hearts of man (Ecc 3:11) so that we can look beyond the temporal physical body and prepare as well as yearn for eternal life.

Submit to God’s sovereignty

You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”? (Is 29:16)

One way of preparing for eternal life is obviously to submit to the One who gives this eternal life. This is also linked to the fact that we are made from dust.

Like earthen vessels, we are shaped and moulded for the Potter’s purpose. Our bodies did not come about by our own doings or will thus it is important that we remember who made us and submit to His will and direction instead of trying to run our own lives and think we know better.

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I’ve deliberately *not* shared all the answers I have so that readers can share as well.:)

So what do you think? Why dust?