Hope Now Bible Church: Fresno, California

Abraham's Long Test of Faith: Genesis 22

It is such a difficult thing to see your child lying in bed sick. They seem so helpless and every parent understands the worrying that ensues as their child gets worse before getting better. I can remember many nights, when our children were young, when Carol and I would lie awake during one of our girls’ illnesses, listening to make sure they were still breathing. Sometimes one of us would even go into their room and lie on the floor next to their bed, waiting and praying that they would get well soon.

Imagine what it would be like for God to speak to you and tell you to take your child’s life? Today, that would be incomprehensible. But that is exactly what God asked Abraham to do in our passage today. Let’s read the passage and find out why God would do such a thing and how Abraham responded.

God Calls Abraham, Again: Genesis 22:1-2

The first time God had called out to Abraham was way back in chapter 12. Abraham was living with his family in a place called Ur. God told him to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” And we read in the following chapters that Abraham believed God and obeyed him. Not only did God tell Abraham to leave his homeland, he told him that he would make of him a “great nation” and that his name would be “blessed.” God also promised him that he would establish a promise or covenant with him that from “his seed” would come a son from which all of these promises would be fulfilled. And sure enough, even in their old age, God was faithful to his promise and gave Abraham and Sarah a son who was called Issac.

Chapter 22 begins several years after Isaac’s birth. He is now a boy, most likely a teenager. Undoubtedly Abraham loved his son very much. He was Abraham’s only son, from his wife Sarah. And Isaac was special because he had been promised from God himself (Genesis 18:10). Now, God is asking Abraham what seems to be the impossible – to take his only son and “offer him…as a burnt offering.”

No one knows for sure where this area of Moriah was located, but many scholars believe that it was possibly in the Jerusalem area. We’ll look at this later, but for now it is enough to know that God told Abraham to go there and that God would direct him to the proper mountain on which he was to make the human sacrifice.

Abraham Does As God Commands: Genesis 22:3-4

In today’s world our first reaction to a command like this would be, NO! It is impossible for us to comprehend sacrificing a child. Every so often we hear on the news that a mother or father has killed their children in a fit or rage or drug induced insanity and our first response is, “How could they possibly have done that!”

In Abraham’s day, the idea of sacrificing a child was not a foreign idea. While Abraham did not practice human sacrifice, his worldview would have been that “some people sacrifice their children.” The Canaanites were notorious for building altars and offering their children as sacrifices to the gods. Several years ago when I was on a study trip to Israel I saw several Canaanite altar sites that have been uncovered and are still standing today. For Abraham, the idea of sacrificing Isaac was repulsive to him, but he certainly understood the concept.

You see, our worldview plays a huge role in shaping our moral character. For example, if you believe there is no God, it is very easy for you to embrace the idea of evolution; that the world was not created, rather it simply came into being. Despite evidence to the contrary, atheists will deny Creation, because of their disbelief in God. For Abraham, his worldview played a role in his action of obeying God, but there was more.

Abraham also had extreme faith in God. In the book of Hebrews, we find a wonderful description of what was going on in Abraham’s mind during this time of testing:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
(Hebrews 11:17-19)

Abraham was aware of the worldview of human sacrifice, but he also knew that God could raise his son from the dead and he had faith that he would.

The Smallest Mt. Everest: Genesis 22:5-8

Already, Abraham and his son Isaac, along with two servants had traveled long days. It must have felt like the walk of death. For three days, Abraham knew that his son was about to die and he was going to be the one to take his life. What agony was Abraham going through? Undoubtedly, he was already considering his son dead – dead man walking. Now, the last part of the journey stood before them: A small mountain that God had chosen. It wouldn’t have been an arduous climb since the mountains in the Jerusalem area are not extremely steep or treacherous, but it must have seemed as difficult as climbing Mt. Everest. The passage doesn’t give a lot of detail, but one can imagine the death march that Abraham was embarking on – made worse by the question of his son, “We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” That must have stung Abraham like no other question – the innocent question of a boy not knowing the consequences that lie ahead; his father knowing full well that the end was near. Abraham could only answer, with a quivering voice, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” The verse continues, “So they went both of them together.”: Most assuredly, quietly.

The Final Test: Genesis 22:9-12

In verse one, we read that God was testing Abraham. It was like a final exam. For three days he completed part one of the exam successfully, and now he was ready for part two. We read that Abraham lifted up the knife to sacrifice his son: A+. He had completed the exam and passed. Before he could bring his shaking arm down with a thrust of the knife to Isaac’s jugular, The Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!...Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:11-12).

God Provides A Substitute: Genesis 22:13-14

There was going to be a sacrifice made, but it wasn’t going to be Isaac. God provided a substitute to take Isaac’s place. Abraham had considered his son dead, but God said, “Abraham, even though you consider your son dead already, I will provide a ram that will take his place. He is no longer dead, but alive.” The Lord provided and because of that the place where they stood was called “The Lord will provide.” The verse goes on to call the place, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

This phrase, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided” leads me to believe that the place where God directed Abraham to take Isaac to be sacrificed was the same place his Son Jesus Christ was crucified. You see, this account in Genesis is a picture of what God was going to do for mankind in the future. He was going to provide a substitute for those who were already dead in their sins. And in fact, God did just that by providing his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. We were dead men walking, but God provided a substitute in our place and in turn has given us new life. It was on Calvary where God provided a substitute for us by sacrificing his Son Jesus Christ. This passage in Genesis is recorded to let you and me know that God not only covers our sin, but He forgives our sin through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ.

God’s Covenant with Abraham Renewed: Genesis 22:15-19

Here God reiterates his covenant that He made with Abraham several years before. God always remains faithful to His promise.

Why Did God Do It This Way?

One of the questions we have to ask is, “Why did God test Abraham this way? Doesn’t this show that God is some kind of a sadist (That is, one who gains pleasure from causing physical or mental pain to people)? From our own frail human perspective it might seem this way, but let’s look at some principles we can learn from this passage. Dr. Gene Getz has done an excellent job of creating some principles from this passage:

Principle 1: God does not tempt His children; rather, He tests us.

F.B. Meyer once wrote: “Satan tempts us that he may bring out all the evil that is in our hearts; God tries or tests us that he may bring out all the good.” James explains it even better:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
(James 1:12-14)

True, it is often difficult to differentiate between a trial from God and a temptation from Satan. That’s because we’re limited in our human perspective. The two experiences seem to overlap, and from our limited point of view, they do. But from God’s perspective, they’re totally separate.

Take Job for example. On the one hand, Satan tried to trip him up, to make him sin, to cause him to turn against God. On the other hand, God was refining Job, strengthening his faith and building his character (See Job 1,2).

You may have experienced something like this in your own life. When we seek to give God glory in all things, God intends testing for us for good.

Principle 2: When God tests His children, he prepares us for the trial.

God never sneaks up on our blind side simply to trip us up, to make us fall. Rather, when God tests us, He wants us to pass, never to fail. He prepares us for the crisis.

We see this clearly in the life of Abraham. God prepared him for his final exam

Satan often hits us when we’re weak, when we’re not looking. He hits below the belt. He is deceptive and deceitful. He tries to destroy us. This is how he approached Jesus Christ after his forty-day fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).

On the other hand, God tests us to build us up. Although he deals with our weaknesses, He prepares us for the trial. Frequently, His tests come after a period of leaning about Him. Has this ever happened to you?

Principle 3: God’s tests may come when we least expect them.

This is frequently the pattern God follows when He tests Christians. When everything is going smoothly, when we’ve worked out our problems well at one level, God suddenly tests us to raise us to a whole new level of patience and endurance. This is what James had in mind when he wrote:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
(James 1:2-3)

Realize also that Satan often works in a sudden and subtle way, using our moments of strength to also achieve his goals. His plan is never to build character and faith, but to destroy it. For this very reason Paul wrote:

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
(1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

Principle 4: God’s tests are often designed to help us grow and mature in our most sensitive and vulnerable areas.

In Abraham’s case it was by asking him to sacrifice his only son – the son he had waited 100 years to have! Abraham, of course passed the test. His love for God was stronger than it was for Isaac.

What is most important to you? Where does your security lie? We must not be surprised if we’re suddenly confronted with a choice between our dearest possessions and the God we also love. It’s in moments like these that we begin to understand how deep our love for God really is – or isn’t.

Principle 5: God’s tests often appear incongruous and illogical.

God’s command to Abraham didn’t make sense. It appeared inconsistent with what God had already promised to him. We can understand why.

The greatest lesson we can learn from a story like this is that as human beings we operate from a limited perspective. What appears illogical to us may be very logical in God’s mind. What appears to be a step backward may ultimately be a step forward. It’s at this point, in these moments that seem so irrational and incongruous; we must throw ourselves completely on God. We must trust Him with all our hearts. By faith, we must realize that he cares about us and loves us dearly.

Principle 6: God administers unique tests to special people He has chosen to carry out His purposes in this world.
How true this was in Abraham’s life. His trial is a dynamic illustration of God’s supreme love for all of us. Never before and never since has God ever asked a man to do what He asked Abraham to do. In fact, God’s laws that He later gave to Moses specifically forbade human sacrifice. It is an abomination to Him.

Finally, we know from Abraham’s experience that the shedding of blood is absolutely essential to atone for sin (Hebrews 9:22). But we also know that the blood of bulls and goats and even an innocent boy like Isaac can never satisfy God (Hebrews 10:4). There was only one sacrifice that could pay for the sins of the world: the sacrifice of God’s one and only Son on Calvary’s cross (John 3:16).

At the cross, there was no turning back on God’s part. There was no ram caught in the bushes that could suddenly replace the Son of God. The knife had to fall. Without that sacrifice, no man or woman could be saved, not even Abraham and Isaac.

The question for each one here is, “Do you believe in God’s sacrifice, Jesus Christ?” “Have you put your faith in Him?” You see, salvation is by faith alone, sola fides. Put your faith in Jesus Christ, and then be ready for the tests He will bring to make you stronger in your walk with Him.

Three Aspects of God’s Promise: Genesis 15:7-21

Last week we looked at Abram’s belief in chapter 15:1-6. We found that God promised Abram a son and likewise he promised him a future Savior who would come from his family line. The text tells us that Abram believed God and because of his belief God made him righteous. Abram received God’s righteousness. All Abram did was believe and God made him righteous.

God’s righteousness is his commitment to do what is right. In other words, righteousness is God’s unwavering allegiance to himself. It is all about him. Righteousness is 100% of God. He can never be unrighteous. Similarly, when we believe in Jesus Christ, God counts us as righteous. We are made righteous in Jesus Christ like Abram, not because of anything we do. There are no works involved in it. Jesus himself says it best in John 6:47, “Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.”

Eternal life means just that, it’s eternal. You will live forever. Not in some mystical floating on a cloud type of life, but real life where you will walk and talk and breathe. We’re told that one day we will receive new bodies. Paul says it this way,

(1Corinthians 15:52) “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

The Bible says that we will be raised from death imperishable – we’ll never die again. And, we will be changed. Paul continues in that passage in 1 Corinthians to tell us that the “change” that will take place is that we will be sinless. He says we will change from “corruptible” to “incorruptible.”

So our belief in Jesus Christ causes God to give us his righteous. He takes on all of our sin, past, present and future and we take on his righteousness.

Doubting God’s Promise: Genesis 15:7-8

So we saw from verse 6 that Abram believed God. He knew that God would give him a son and send a Savior. But now in verses 7 and 8, we find that Abram questioned God and asked him for a sign that this would really happen.

And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?"
(Genesis 15:7-8)

The Bible shows us over and over again that when God makes a promise he always keeps it. So is it okay to ask God for a sign? It depends on how you ask. In some cases, when we ask for a sign, it is as if we are saying “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But in Abram’s case he was asking for a sign that would not only confirm the promise, but give him greater understanding of it.

Turn in your Bible to Judges 6:36-40. Here we find the story of a man named Gideon. If you read the story of Gideon you will find that he was really a weak and insignificant man, but he was really trying to believe God. And so he asked for a sign that God would save Israel.

Then Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said." And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God, "Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew." And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
(Judges 6:36-40)

Today, we are led by the Bible, but it is not necessarily wrong for us to ask God for a sign, provided our heart is trusting God and our desire is to know him better.

God Makes a Covenant with Abram: Genesis 15:17-21

Because Abram asked for a sign, God makes a covenant with Abram. A covenant is a promise. We all know what a promise is. A promise is a pledge to do or not do something that you said you would do or not do. When you make a promise to someone, they expect you to fulfill your promise. When a promise is broken, it leads to distrust and bitterness.

We see covenants enacted in our world today. Nations make covenants with each other to protect each other. We’ve seen nations make a covenant to destroy weapons of mass destruction. Likewise we have seen nations break those covenants. The result is war and chaos.

Abram’s problem was this: he didn’t have any children. He came from a culture where the ability to make children and have a large family was very important. In Abram’s day, children were a sign of favor with God. King Solomon wrote:

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
(Psalms 127:3-5)

The ability to have children, even in our country, was a very important thing – more important than today – due to the fact that families needed lots of kids to work the farms and to do some of the chores. Those with large families had more help around the house and were able to accomplish more.

But God had promised Abram that he would be the father of a great nation and Abram knew that couldn’t happen unless he had a son. So, he asked God for a sign to ratify (to approve or accept formally) it clearly. He was asking God to confirm the oath he had just made.

We all know what an oath is. “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” That is an oath you would make in a court of law. To confirm the oath, you would place you hand on a Bible. Different cultures have different ways of confirming oaths. For us, these expressions of confirming oaths in other cultures seem strange. For example, turn to Genesis 47:29-31.

And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place." He answered, "I will do as you have said." And he said, "Swear to me"; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.
(Genesis 47:29-31)

Putting a hand under a thigh was an ancient way of confirming a promise or an oath.

Back in Genesis 15, God is going to confirm his covenant with Abram in a way that was common in Abram’s day. The method used to confirm an oath was to hold a ceremony where animals were cut into two parts along the backbone and placed in two rows. The people involved in the oath would walk between the parts and they would speak their promises there. Let’s read it in Genesis 15:7-19

And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
(Genesis 15:7-19).

When God makes a covenant, or a promise it consists of at least three parts.

1. God’s Covenants are one-sided. Now this was a ceremony that God enacted with Abram, but vs. 17 tells us that it was God alone who passed between the pieces. Abram wasn’t allowed to participate. When God came to confirm his promise, he confirmed it by himself. Abram said and did nothing. The book of Hebrews, in the New Testament, mentions this event. Turn to Hebrews 6:13-15:

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
(Hebrews 6:13-15)

The presence of God was signified by two symbols that were intended to tell Abram something about God’s nature:

1. Smoking fire pot. Today, we don’t know about fire pots. But in ancient times it was a very well known object. It was a small pot that was used to purify metals, like gold or silver. As the ore was heated in the pot (or sometimes it was called a furnace) the dross (literally the scum that forms on the surface of the molten metal) rose to the top. The refiner’s job was to skim off the dross until the metal appeared. He would look into the smoking fire pot until he could see his face in the surface of the molten metal.

Peter had this in mind when he wrote 1 Peter 1:7 when he wrote:

So that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:7)

In other words, the testing of our faith is worth more than gold, which will perish even though it is refined by fire.

In the book of Malachi 3:3 we read:

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.
(Malachi 3:3)

What Malachi meant was that God refines his people until he can see himself in them. That is what God wants to do with you. You may go through a trial and it may be painful, but it will be good for you. God will purify you until the scum is skimmed off and you reflect his image.

2. A flaming torch. The passage says, “A flaming torch passed between the pieces.” This too is a symbol of God’s presence. First John 1:5 says, “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.” God often presented himself to people as light.
a. In the book of Exodus he appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai and the glory of the light transmitted itself to the face of Moses.
b. God appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus.
c. Light spoke of the divine presence as the angels appeared to the shepherds in the field of Bethlehem.
So too, God appeared to Abram, but it was God alone who moved between the pieces and guaranteed the promises.

2. God’s Covenant was eternal. In fact, God’s promises are always eternal. They are unchangeable. When God says he will do something, he does not change his mind. One of the ways that God indicated the eternal aspect of his covenant is found in Genesis 17. We’ll look at that passage later, but it deals with circumcision. God instituted the sacrament of circumcision as a sign of his promise.

The one outstanding thing about circumcision is that it is permanent. When a Jewish child was circumcised, he had nothing to say about it. In fact, the child knows nothing about the rite of circumcision. He is not able to say “I’m a Jewish baby, and I elect to be circumcised.” But the circumcision is done anyway, and the results are permanent. He might even grow up hating to be a Jew. But wherever he goes, the mark of his nationality goes with him. Circumcision was a sign of the fact that God establishes his covenants forever.

Second, God indicates that his promise is eternal in Genesis 15:18 when he spoke the words to Abram regarding the land of Israel:

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
(Genesis 15:18)

Notice that God didn’t say, “I will give you this land.” He said, “I give”. Literally, the phrase means, “I have given.” It was a done deal. God gave Abram and his offspring the land.

This is way God speaks to us too. He says that through Jesus Christ he “has removed” our sin. At the time that was written, in the book of Isaiah, Jesus had not died, but those who believed in him were forgiven. And even though in our case, Jesus has died, his death on the cross does not only concern our past sins, but it includes the sins we have not yet committed! That sin too is past history in God’s sight. In God’s sight, sin has been dealt with forever, it is eternally done away with.

3. God's covenants are gracious. The third aspect of God’s promises is that they are gracious. They are established by God; they are eternal. But they are completely undeserved, and this means that his promises all come out of grace.

What did Abram do to deserve God’s call back in Genesis 12? Nothing. Before God called Abram he had been a worshipper of idols. What had he done to deserve God’s promises? Nothing. What could he do? Nothing. He had nothing to promise in return.

In the same way God comes to you. You have done nothing to deserve his great promises, yet he makes them to you. He promises salvation, life, joy, eternal security. He does so simply because it pleases him to do it. God’s promises are one-sided, they are eternal and they are of grace.

Next week we’re going to look at chapter 16 and see that after receiving the confirmation of the oath by God, Abram stumbles badly. You might want to read chapter 16 before we meet next week.

[ Bible study was adapted from a Sermon outline by James Montgomery Boice entitlted “God’s Covenant with Abram.”]

Choosing to Follow: The Life of Abraham, Genesis 12:1-13:4

One of the most chaotic moments in American history was the morning of 9/11, 2001.  Terrorists flew two jetliners into the World Trade Center Buildings in New York City.

William DeRiso worked on the 89th floor of the second tower.  When the plane hit the first tower, most people went to the window to look. DeRiso, started down the stairs. He said he was stopped by backed-up traffic at the 55th floor and thought about going back but made a choice to keep going, and then the second plane hit his building. There were 81 people at work on his floor that day, he said. Only 15 made it out alive.  Out of those who went back to the window to look, only one survived.

Robert Herzog glanced at his watch as his car on the C Train pulled up to the station in the financial district.

It was not quite a quarter 'til nine on that bright September day, and he already was supposed to be at his desk on the 96th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower.

It had been a morning of improbable delay. He was still exhausted after returning from a trip to California, so when the alarm rang, he reset it for a half-hour later. He had to drop off laundry and pick up mail.

It was 8:48 a.m. as he emerged from the shadowy subway tunnel and into the early morning brilliance in Manhattan.  He heard a noise he will never forget. He saw an orange-white flash.

Most decisions that we make, even the smallest ones, have some kind of lasting effect on our lives.

Important Choices

Have you ever been faced with a choice in life that seems like the most important decision of your life?  We all have.

We are continuing our study through the book of Genesis and we are looking the life of Abraham.  Abraham was at a point in his life where he had to make several choices.  John Walton in his commentary notes three choices Abraham had to make.

1.    He must decide whether to abandon his land in favor of the land of Yahweh (or Jehovah).

2.    He must decide whether to abandon what family he still has in favor of the family Yahweh promises.

3.    He must decide whether to set aside his blessing, his inheritance, for the inheritance Yahweh describes.

The Call and the Promise:  Genesis 12:1-3

Last time we discussed the three things God asked Abraham to do.  God told him to leave his country, his relatives, and his father’s house.  By leaving his father’s house he was also leaving behind his gods and the only way of worship he had ever known.  Not only was his physical life going to change, but his spiritual life as well.  Abraham was listening to a God he had never worshipped, and he was about to leave for a country he had never seen.  He was doing it all on faith.

God never gives a command without a promise.  He tells Abraham that by obeying, four things were going to happen:

1.    God would make Abraham into a great nation.
2.    God would bless Abraham and make his name great.
3.    God would bless those who blessed Abraham and curse those who dishonored him.
4.    God would bless all of the families of the earth through Abraham.

Those would be compelling reasons to do what God commanded.  But Abraham had to have faith that God would do what he said he would.  He didn’t know for sure, but he stepped out in faith and believed God.  Romans 4:3 says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”  That means God gave Abraham the gift of righteousness because he believed. 

And that’s what God does for us too.  When we believe in him, we do nothing to earn God’s righteousness.  It is a gift.  Abraham became righteous by believing in God’s promises.

What is a Blessing and a Curse?  Genesis 12:3

Blessing:  The basic idea behind a blessing is that a person who is blessed is under God’s protection and is enjoying God’s favor.  Therefore, if you pray that someone will be blessed by God, you are praying that God will guide that person and protect them – that God will look favorably on them.  To bless someone is to pray for God’s peace upon his or her life. Look at these three Biblical examples of blessings:

2 Corinthians 13:14:  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17:  “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”

Hebrews 13:20-21:  “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.”

It is Biblical to bless someone and we should do so.  But what is a curse?

Curse: A curse, when pronounced in God’s Word, is not a hex or a spell that is put over someone.  It is not a magical or mystical potion meant to bewitch something.  When a person was cursed in the Bible is meant that God’s blessing was removed. 

For example, the Apostle Paul pronounces a curse on those people (or even angels) who preach a gospel contrary to the true gospel of the Scriptures.  Paul says, “Let them be accursed.”  (Galatians 1:8-9).

So a person who is cursed is one who is cut off from God’s blessings.  A person who claims to be a Christian but is living in sin may experience God’s blessing being removed.  Life may become more difficult and trouble may follow.  It is because fellowship with God has been broken.  Yet, that fellowship can always be restored through repentance and God’s ensuing forgiveness that he offers (1 John 1:9). 

Someday, there will “no longer be anything accursed” (Revelation 22:3).

What is the Blessing God is Promising Abraham?

In the simplest terms the blessing promised to Abraham was that God was sending a redeemer to save mankind from their sin.  From now on, throughout the entire Old Testament, God is going to be revealing who this redeemer is.  He will come through Abraham’s family, Israel, which will be a “light to the nations.”  (Isaiah 60:1-3). 

We will see God’s redemptive plan unfolded before us as we continue our study through Genesis.

Time To Go:  Genesis 12:4-6

In chapter 11:32, Abraham’s father, Terah died.  Now, with his father gone and his old life behind him, it was time to move on. 

In our lives we experience the same thing.  When you become a believer in Jesus Christ, it is time to put the past behind you.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come. 

Similarly Colossians 3:9 instructs us, “Put off the old self with its practices.”  There is a time when we must move on with our life with God and follow his call.   

Abraham determined to follow God’s call.  Although he was old, he moved forward, unsure of the future, but secure in knowing God was in control. 

The Promise of the Land:  Genesis 12:7

If there is ever any question as to who the land of Israel belongs to it is answered right here.  God makes a promise to Abraham that “this land” would be possessed by Abraham’s offspring.  But this promise would ultimately be a global promise that will one day extend to the new heavens and the new earth.

Abraham Shows His Gratitude:  Genesis 12:7-9

Why did Abraham build an altar?  Couldn’t he have thanked God with a simple prayer? John Calvin (a Christian leader who lived in the 1500’s) gives his thoughts:  “I answer that the inward worship of the heart is not sufficient unless external profession before men is added.  Religion truly has its appropriate seat in the heart; but from this root, public confession afterwards arises as its fruit.”

Today, our external profession of our worship before others is shown when we meet together for Bible study or for our worship service.  Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some…”

Like Abraham, our worship to God comes from the heart, but is evidenced by our actions.  The book of James says, “Faith without works is dead (useless).”  (James 2:26).

Man-Centered Solutions vs. God-Centered Solutions:  Genesis 12:10-16

One of the most difficult things to do in a time a crisis is to trust God.  Our natural tendency is to take matters into our own hands and solve the problem ourselves.  The trouble with that is that we often don’t do a very good job of it.  Instead of getting ourselves out of trouble, our problems begin to grow.  One crisis leads to another.

There was a famine in the land.  Rather than consulting God on what he should do, Abraham “sojourned” to Egypt for help.  Perhaps if he would have asked God, God would have told him to go to Egypt or somewhere else, but there is no mention that he gave God a second thought once the famine hit.  He just packed up his family and went south.  Had he trusted in God his solution would have been God-centered rather than Man-centered. 
It is interesting how we think we can figure out our own problems when we are in disobedience to the Lord.  We think up solutions that tend to sometimes lead us deeper and deeper into sin.

Our solutions should always be God-centered.  Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  It is God who supplies our needs.  When we try to supply our own needs it is always second best.

In Egyptian times, if the royalty wanted a woman who was married, they would simply wipe out the husband and the rest of the family and take her.  Abraham was worried. So Abraham entered into a series of lies and deception once he got to Egypt.  Ironically, he was worried about the famine, but he faced the chance of being totally wiped out by Pharaoh in Egypt.  To keep from being killed he devised a plan to say that he was Sarah’s brother, rather than her husband. 

Abraham told a half-truth.  Sarah was actually is half-sister.  She was the daughter of his father, but not his mother.  She was his sister, but she was also his wife (Genesis 20:12).

In Spite of Ourselves, When God Chooses Us He Remains Faithful:  Genesis 12:17-20

Somehow Pharaoh discovered the truth.  We see also God’s amazing grace through all of this.  Abraham was allowed to keep everything – his livestock, servants, and his life! 

Notice too that Abraham never made an altar to the Lord while he was in Egypt.  God seemed to be an afterthought. 

When we live in sin that is what happens.  We forget God.  We turn our face away from him.  We stop praying, reading our Bible, fellowshipping with other Christians.  We are running from God.  But God still remains faithful to us. 

Abraham Remembers God:  Genesis 13:1-4

Fortunately, God always keeps his promises and Abraham was able to go back to Canaan.  Then, he remembered God.  We’re told that once he returned, he “called upon the name of the Lord.”  The time to call upon the Lord is now.  Don’t wait until you’re in trouble.  Trust God now, and believe that he will guide you and protect you through life’s trials.

Four Principles To Live By

Gene Getz in his book on the life of Abraham lists four principles to live by.

1.    We will face periodic crises in our Christian lives, even when we are following God fully.  Sometimes God will allow these crises as tests because he wants to teach us and prepare us for an even greater work for Him.  Crises come in our lives for at least two reasons:
a.    Natural Circumstances:  Remember, there is sin in the world.  Christians are not immune from everything that happens in the world.  If it is raining on your house, there is a good chance it is raining on mine too.  We must expect some difficulties in life.  Read what the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:1-2.

b.    Disobedience:  One of the greatest things we can learn from Abraham is that we often face crises when we are out of God’s will.  You may think that you can continue to disobey because you know that God is a gracious God.  If he brought Abraham back to Canaan with few problems he will do the same for you.  Be careful with that attitude.  Although God is gracious, he also disciplines those he loves (Hebrews 12:6).  The results of your sinful behavior may not be immediate, but ultimately God will discipline us because he loves us.  Your actions today could impact the lives of your children generations from now.

2.    When we face crises, we will always be tempted to go to extremes in solving our problems.

a.    We are ego-driven:  Because of this we enjoy it when we can work out problems on our own.  We give ourselves credit and it makes us feel good.  Now, it is not always wrong to work out problems for ourselves.  God has certainly given us a brain and the ability to make decisions, but we have to maintain a balance.  We fail to consult God for help.  When we do that, we miss his blessings.

3.    We must follow God’s divine order in determining His will for our lives.

a.    Consult God:  Abraham most likely could have gotten word directly from God by asking what to do in the midst of the famine.  God had already spoken to him, it seems like he would have done it again. 

When we face crises we need to consult God through prayer and through his Word, the Bible.  But we must be careful that we don’t use the Bible as a magic book.  A pastor friend of mine said, “The Bible is not an aspirin.”  You don’t just open it up when things are going badly and read one verse and expect it to help you.  God could help you that way, but it is a violation of what God says to do in 2 Timothy 2:15 – that is, we are “rightly handle the word of truth.”  We are to “examine the Scriptures” (Acts 17:11) and “meditate on them day and night” (Psalm 1:2). 

But we can and should consult God directly.  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who give generously to all without reproach…”  Our prayer to God should always be combined with our study of the Word:  That way we “store up” God’s Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).

b.    Consult Other Mature Christians: 
i.    Colossians 3:16
ii.    Hebrews 10:24
iii.    Hebrews 3:13

This Week:  Are you looking to God for direction in your life?  Trust God for even the little things in your life this week.  Every decision you make, look to the Lord for help and strength.  Allow God, through faith, to lead you through the land!

The New World: Genesis 8:20 – 11:9

I love adventure stories.  Ever since I was a young boy I would enjoy reading stories of men and women who defied the odds – those who were true leaders – who paved the way for all of us who live in the 21st century.

One such story was that of the Mayflower.  In the early 17th century a group of Christians fled their country of England to avoid persecution and to worship freely.  Their journey first took them to Holland, and a short time later to the New World, which would later become the United States of America. 

Imagine the courage it took this small group of Englishmen, their wives and children, to leave everything that was familiar behind and travel to a distant, unknown country where all that awaited them was the harsh wilderness and the onset of winter. The 102 passengers aboard the Mayflower, and the crew, were hearty, strong people. One wonders if there is anyone like them today?

But, 4,000 years or so before the Mayflower another small band of pilgrims embarked on an even more harrowing journey.  Sin was rampant in the world.  Men and women had turned their backs on the Creator God.  Only 2,000 years prior to the Genesis Flood God created a perfect world in which there was no sin.  However, because he is a loving and gracious God, he gave man the ability to make choices.  God’s creation could obey and love Him, or they could reject Him and follow after their own desires.  Unfortunately, man chose the latter.

In the midst of all of the corruption, God found a man who was righteous.  We discovered in our study that Noah was righteous because he believed in God.  When we believe in God and love Him, He gives us the gift of His righteousness – and it is because we have been MADE righteous that we are good.  Noah was a good man because he believed in God and was made righteous.

We cannot please God by our own merits. There is nothing we can do to please God.  We can’t read our Bible enough, pray enough, or give enough offering on Sunday.  It is impossible to please God by our own good works.  Some people believe that by doing good things they will please God, but God says that is just not true.  Hebrews 11:6, clearly shows us how we are able to please God:

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

It is impossible to please God without faith!  And faith is what Noah had.  And so, Noah, his wife, his three sons and his sons’ wives entered the ark.  God “blotted out” everything that had the breath of life within them:  Every person and every animal that had breath.  The Bible tells us that after the flood, the “waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.” 

STOP AND GIVE THANKS:  GENESIS 8:20-22

At the end of the 150 days, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.  The flood was over and God made a covenant (or a promise) with Noah and the eight people on board. 

Notice that the very first thing Noah did once he was able to exit the ark was to build an altar to the Lord.  He thanked the Lord for their salvation, for getting them through the ravages of the flood, for protecting his family and keeping them together.

Have you ever been through a storm in life and you have prayed and prayed that the outcome would be favorable?  When the outcome was favorable, did you take time to thank God first?  Sadly, many of us forget God as soon as our lives are back on track.  “God, I will serve you forever if you just get me through this mess that I’m in!”  And then He does – but you forget all about Him.  If you have, you are not alone. 

In the book of Luke 17:11-19, Jesus stopped at the entrance to a village because some lepers were standing outside begging Him to heal them.  Lepers couldn’t enter a village because they were the outcasts of society – they were hated because people feared the disease.  The story in Luke says that the lepers cried out “Master, have mercy on us.”  And Jesus did.  He healed them.  As soon as they were healed, they ran off, but one man turned back to thank Jesus and to “praise God.”  In fact, verse 16 says the man “fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.”  But all of the others (nine of them) did not return to thank Jesus or to give praise to God.

Maybe that is what your life has been like. It’s never too late to turn, fall on your face before God, and praise Him. 

Because Noah was a righteous man, he wasted no time in giving thanks to God.  God saw his thankfulness and made a promise to Noah and to the world.  God said, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.  Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”  (Genesis 8:21,22).

Whether or not global warming is occurring, it is important to keep it in perspective.  First, it is not man who is in control it is God.  Second, God tells us that the seasons of the earth will continue as long as the earth remains.  We know from Scripture that someday, God is going to destroy the earth by fire – until then, we may have local heat waves, cold spells, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, etc., but the earth is going to endure until the end (2 Peter 3:1-18).

As a reminder to Himself, God placed the rainbow in the sky.  Whenever the clouds would come over the earth, the rainbow can be seen.  God promised, “I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.  And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh…”  (Genesis 9:15).

DON’T LET DOWN YOUR GUARD (GENESIS 9:18-29)

We know from earlier passages that Noah’s sons were righteous too.  They too believed in God and because of their belief God offered them salvation through the ark.  The account in Genesis 9:18-29 shows us two things:

1. Fathers must always be on their guard against sin.
2. Even children of righteous parents can become sensual and sin.

What happened in this passage?  It is difficult to interpret.  There are some hints, however, that might help us. 

Chapter 9:20 says “Noah began to be a man of the soil.” He became a farmer. He would have fit in very nicely in the San Joaquin Valley because he was a grape farmer.  He made wine and became drunk.  In verse 21 it goes on to say that he “lay uncovered in his tent.”  The implication here is that Noah was sprawled out naked and drunk on his bed.  In verse 22 it says that one of his sons, Ham, “saw the nakedness of his father.”  After telling his brothers about it, the text says that the brothers “covered the nakedness of their father.”

In Leviticus 20:11 (see also Leviticus 18) we get a hint of what might have happened here.  Leviticus tells us, “If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness…” It is possible that both Noah and his wife were drunk inside their tent and Ham entered and committed some kind of sexual sin.  When the phrase “uncover nakedness” is used in Leviticus 18 it always refers to a type of sexual sin.  Whatever happened, it was serious enough for Noah to see that not only was Ham evil, but Ham’s son Canaan would be just as evil.  Therefore, Noah pronounces a prophetic curse on Ham’s son Canaan.  The curse certainly held true since the Canaanites were later some of the most ruthless, godless people on earth. 

Had Noah not become drunk, could Ham and his descendants been spared the grief they would later encounter?  We will never know, but a father should always strive to set the example for his children.  Father’s can be one of the determining factors for their children turning away from God.  Each individual is ultimately responsible for his or her own soul, but children can certainly be led astray from the truth.  Here is what Jesus said regarding the role of fathers and children:

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6).

Noah got drunk and facilitated the sin of his son and grandson.  It is possible that Ham even encouraged Noah to get drunk.  Have you ever encouraged someone to sin?  Look at what the prophet Habakkuk (2:15) says about that:

“Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink – you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness.” 

THE THREE FAMILIES OF THE WORLD (GENESIS 10:1 – 11:9)

Chapter 10 introduces us to the nations that were descended from Noah. The idea of “race” is a human term that was popularized in the 1800’s.  By thinking in terms of “race” we tend to have the impression that some “races” are more superior than others.  That’s what Adolph Hitler thought.  He believed that the blond haired, blued eyed race was so superior that others should be systematically wiped out. 

Never once does the Bible mention the word “race” to describe different people.  The Bible always distinguishes people by tribal or national groupings, not by skin color or physical appearances.  In fact in Acts 17:26 we read that “every nation” came from “one man.” 

Ken Ham, in his book One Blood, says, “Some people think there must be different “races” of people because there appear to be major differences between various groups, such as skin color and eye shape…. Scientists have found that if one were to take any two people from anywhere in the world, the basic genetic differences between these two people would typically be about 0.2 percent – even if they came from the same people group…the differences are absolutely trivial…If a white person is looking for a tissue match for an organ transplant, for instance, the best match may come from a black person, and vice versa.” 

There is really only one race, the human race.  It is permissible Biblically for all people to freely interbreed and produce fertile offspring.  In fact, the Bible only forbids one type of interbreeding:  That is between a believer and an unbeliever.   The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthian 6:14 gives this warning, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness…?”

That means not only in marriage, but also in any business venture you might undertake as well.  Christians are not to enter into a partnership with unbelievers. 

We tend to congregate with others who look like us because we like to have things in common with people we hang around. Most people tend to want their offspring to look like them because that is what they are used to and feel most comfortable with.

That is why Christ draws people together.  In the church, black, brown, white or any other variation in skin color can come together because of their love for Jesus Christ.  And that is what heaven will be like:

“I looked and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Jesus)…and crying out in a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9,10).

All of the nations of the world came from three families:

Japheth (Genesis 10:2):  The India and European nations
Ham (Genesis 10:6):  The varying shades of Asian, Indians, and the Africans
Shem (Genesis 10:22):  The Semitic people including the Jews, Arabs and some other ancient and modern groups

THE PEOPLE ARE SCATTERED:  (GENESIS 11)

In chapter 11 we read about how all of the families were scattered over the face of the earth.  Ken Ham says, “Because of this dispersion, and the resulting splitting of the gene pool, different cultures formed, with certain features being predominant within each group. Some of these (skin “color,” eye shape, and so on) became general characteristics of each particular people group.

The reason for the scattering of the people is because they were in united rebellion against God.  Ancient Ziggurats (or towers) have been found that show their purpose was to worship false deities (gods).  The people of Babel had slipped so far spiritually that they had a distorted view of who God is.  Rather than believing by faith that God was with them and near them, they felt the need to find him by searching the heavens.

In a sense, this is what we do today.  We search the heavens with our telescopes and spacecraft in order to find the meaning of life.  Mankind begins to worship the creation rather than the creator. 

In Babel, they thought they could manipulate God – that they would be held in high esteem for being religious and seeking after God.  But God cannot and will not be manipulated.  Psalm 50:14 says, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

God only asks that we offer thanksgiving to him.  He doesn’t care about our sacrifices.  He doesn’t care how important we are.  He doesn’t care about our power here on earth.  He only wants us to call upon him – to depend on him for all of our troubles and when we do, he promises to deliver us so that he might be glorified.

NO GREAT MYSTERY

There is really no great mystery to anything we have studied in the first 11 chapters of Genesis.  The message is consistent throughout.  Mankind is sinful and God offers redemption.  He is the God of second chances, but he is also a God of judgment who will punish those who deny him and turn away from him for their own gain.

The only salvation we have is through the redemption, which comes only through his Son, Jesus Christ. 

Escape From the Storm: Genesis 6:11 – 9:17

The earthquake that generated the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Giant forces that had been building up deep in the Earth for hundreds of years were released suddenly on December 26, shaking the ground violently and unleashing a series of killer waves that sped across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet airliner.

By the end of the day more than 150,000 people were dead or missing and millions more were homeless in 11 countries, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami in history.

Survivors who knew the earthquake meant trouble reported how they ran for high ground, rounded up family and friends, and tried to warn people who were drawn to the water's edge.

Somehow the animals seemed to know that disaster was imminent. Many people reported that they saw animals fleeing for high ground minutes before the tsunami arrived. Very few animal bodies were found afterwards.

The Tsunami of 2004 was the most destructive and deadliest tsunami in history, with the exception of one.  The Genesis Flood.

Over 4,000 years ago God unleashed a force so great that it would destroy every living thing on the earth, both people and land animals.  The only way to be saved would be to flee to higher ground – and the only higher ground available was a huge ship, known in the Bible as The Ark.

NOT A MYTH:  Genesis 6:11-16

“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.” 

Our passage begins with the standard for moral goodness and moral corruptness.  The standard is “God’s sight.”  How does God see your life?  Some people say, “I can do whatever I want.”  That’s not true. There must be a standard for living.  How else would we gauge what is wrong or right?  We must have a measuring standard.  Our standard should always be God’s Word.  We must always ask, “What would God say about this action that I am about to do?” 

In Genesis, God saw that the entire world was evil (with the exception of Noah and his family.)  Therefore, God told Noah to build an ark.

The book of Genesis gives us the description of the place Noah and his family would live in order to escape from the storm.  He told Noah to,

“Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.  Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.  This is how you are to make it:  the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and it height 30 cubits.  Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side.  Make it with lower, second, and third decks.” (Geneis 6:14-16)

God gave the exact measurements for the ark in clear and matter-of-fact detail.  It is not a mythical account.  It was a real ark and it saved Noah and his family, along with all of the animals that entered into it.  But not only was the ark a literal (real) boat which was literally used to save a civilization, but it is also a symbol or type, pointing to something else.

Here’s how Webster’s Dictionary defines the word, “type.”  “A person, thing, or event that foreshadows another to come.”  For example, when you see a Bald Eagle soaring through the air you might think that an eagle is a type of someone who is strong, bold, courageous or majestic.  On the other hand a Turkey might point to someone who is less desirable. 

Every detail of the ark in Genesis points to Jesus Christ.

1.    Gopher Wood: No one knows exactly what Gopher wood was, but the Hebrew word for “Gopher” and “Pitch” are from the same root word that means, “to cover.”  Later, in other books written by Moses, he uses the same word for “atonement.”  So, the ark was made from “atonement” wood.  (The basic meaning for atonement is “the act of making amends (compensation) for a wrong.”  And that’s what Jesus did.  He made atonement for our sins.  We sinned and he made amends for us!  So as a “type” the ark points to Jesus Christ who was sent as an ark of safety for the people of God (Believers in Jesus) to carry them through the floods of God’s judging vengeance.   

2.     Make rooms:  The word “room” used here is the common word for “nests”, like a bird nest.  The idea is that the ark was not only a place of escape from the storm and a place safety, but a place of rest and comfort too.  Therefore, through Jesus we not only find safety, we find rest and comfort.  Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (Matthew 11:28).

3.    Ark Dimensions: St. Augustine, who lived around 400 A.D. said that the proportions of Noah’s Ark typified the ratio between length, height, and width; exactly that of a full-grown man. The man Jesus Christ came to earth to redeem us.

4.    The Door: There is only one door in the ark as there is only one way to Jesus Christ, by faith.  Jesus said this in John 10:9, “I am the door.  If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

5.     Three Decks:  This may be a hint of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ – body, soul and spirit.  The whole man was given up for us. 

The entire Bible reminds us that we are to avail ourselves of Christ as the One who will save us, not only for eternity, but here on earth as well.  The ark was a way of escape for those who would have otherwise perished.  Likewise, Jesus is the way of escape for us.

First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

The ark was a “way of escape.”  It provided shelter from the storm. There is a billboard around town that pictures the Dalai Lama working for peace.  While we should all strive for peace, only Jesus Christ can offer shelter from our trials and troubles.  We are to go to Christ for our peace and no other.

GO INTO THE ARK:  GENESIS 7: 1-24

Since the ark is a type of Christ in whom our salvation is given, we must enter into it.  And that is what Noah and his family did.  The phrase “Go into the ark” might be better translated from the Hebrew “Come into the ark” for it was God calling Noah into the ark.  The implication is that God is waiting there.  God is waiting for you to “come to him.”  We already looked at the verse in Matthew 11:28 where Jesus said, “Come to me.”  In John 7:37 Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts let him come to me…”  That is Jesus’ message to you today, “Come to me.”

Are you listening?  Are you obeying?

That is what Noah and his family did.  In Genesis 7:7 we read, “Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.” 

Likewise, all of the animals had gathered and entered the ark too, “Every beast according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature.  They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.  And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him.  And the Lord shut him in.”  (Genesis 7:14-16).

The story continues in chapter 7 with the flood continuing for forty days on the earth.  The waters, we are told in verse 17 rose high above the earth.  Verse 20 continues, “The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep (a cubit was about 18 inches.  The waters were about 22 feet above the mountains). 

All living things on earth that had the “breath of life” were “blotted out from the earth.” 

“And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.”  (Genesis 7:24).

LET’S ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS

1.    How could all the animals in the world fit into the ark? Dr. John Whitcomb and Dr. Henry Morris, in their book, The Genesis Flood, through a series of calculations, have estimated that there were 35,000 individual animals that would have come onto the ark.  Noah would have taken only the young animals into the ark – not a giant dinosaurs, adult elephants, or tall giraffes.  Whitcomb and Morris estimate the average size of the animals on the ark to be the size of a sheep.

Stock cars (or box cars) on a train can hold about 120 sheep per deck.

“This means that at least 240 animals of the size of sheep could be accommodated in a standard two-deck stock car.  Two trains hauling 73 such cars each would be ample to carry the 35,000 animals.  The ark had the carrying capacity equivalent to that of 522 stock cars of this size!”

2.    Where did all the water come from?  Ken Ham, in his book, The New Answers Book, states, “The Bible tells us that water came from two sources:  below the earth and above the earth.  Evidently, the source for water below the ground was in great subterranean pools, or “fountains of the great deep” (Genesis 7:11).”  These pools were broken open by volcanic and seismic (earthquake) activity.

We see this type of phenomenon on a smaller scale even today.  On September 26, 2007, scientists studying the melting of the Arctic over the past few decades said,

“[Our] team watched in amazement as water from melting permafrost a meter below ground lubricated the topsoil, causing it to slide down slopes, clearing everything in its path and thrusting up ridges at the valley bottom "that piled up like a rug….The landscape was being torn to pieces, literally before our eyes. A major river was dammed by a slide along a 200-metre length of the channel. River flow will be changed for years, if not decades to come."

This happened over the entire earth when God unleashed the forces of nature during the Genesis flood.

3.    If the entire earth was flooded, where did all of the water go? It is still here.  Today, water covers three-quarters of the earth’s surface.  As the waters burst open from the volcanic activity, mountains were thrust upwards, displacing much of the water and settling in our oceans, seas, and lakes today.

4.    Where is there evidence of a worldwide flood today?  I love this question because the answer is so simple.  There is evidence everywhere!  Years ago our daughters were playing in the backyard of a friend’s home in Ohio (over a 1,000 miles from the Atlantic ocean.)  The girls came screaming in with excitement as they showed us some shale rock they had found in our friend’s backyard.  Clearly impressed on these rocks were images of seashells.

Fossils of sea life can be found nearly everywhere.  Fossils are formed by a rapid covering of clay, mud, or silt.  As the flood “burst forth” billions of dead things (fossils of plants and animals) were buried very quickly. 

Today, fossils of fish and other sea life can be found in places like Mt. Field, British Columbia.  Mt. Field sits high in the Rockies in Canada, nearly a mile above sea level.  How did those fossils get there?  They were buried during the Genesis flood when the entire earth was covered quickly with water.

The question for you today is, “Do you believe God’s Word?”  Or, “Do you place your trust in the manmade stories of people who deny the truth of God’s Word” The evidence for existence of God, creation, and the flood is staring us in the face everyday. 

4,000 years ago, the only way to escape the raging floodwaters was to seek shelter in the ark.  Today, God offers you the same shelter from the raging storms of life and the coming future judgment of the earth.  Jesus is our ark of safety.  Will you go through the door? 

The Bible says that someday in the future (no one except God knows the day or the hour) God is going to destroy the earth again, but this time by fire.  But because we are stubborn people, we tend to continue living our lives as if nothing is wrong.  That was the mistake the people of Noah’s day made.

Here’s what the Bible says about that in 2 Peter 3:1-18

“Scoffers will come in the last days…following their own sinful desires.  They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?  For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’  For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.  But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly…”  (Read the rest of the chapter in your Bible.)

This week: Examine your heart.  Ask, Do I believe the Bible to be God’s Word?  Do I believe that Jesus Christ is my Escape from the storm?  Am I living my life in a way that is without spot or blemish?  Am I at peace with the Lord?  These are important questions that can only be answered between you and God.  Take time with God this week and grow in his grace and knowledge through reading the Bible and prayer.

A Righteous Man: Genesis 6:9,10

We are continuing our Bible study through the book of Genesis.  In this study we come to the true account of The Flood and a man named Noah who survived it. 

There is a lot of interest in the subject of Noah's ark.  Many questions come to our mind as we think about it.  Was there really a flood?  Was it worldwide?  Did Noah actually build an ark?  How could all of the animals fit inside of it?  Where did the water come from and where did it go?  These are just some of the questions that people ask and are curious about.  In the next couple of weeks we will answers these questions.

SHOW ME THE ARK AND I'LL BELIEVE IN GOD!

Some people today have made it their mission to search for the remains of Noah's ark.  They think that by finding it, they can silence those who look at the story as mere myth.  But let me say right from the beginning that if Noah's ark were to be found, some people would still not believe.  Jesus made this clear in the book of Luke where he told a true story about two men one named Lazarus who was poor, and a rich man.  (Luke 16:19-31.)

In the story the rich man and the poor man died at the same time.  The poor man was a believer and was taken to Heaven where Abraham was present.  The rich man was not a believer and was sent to Hell where he was tormented.  As the rich man suffered in Hell he spoke across a great chasm to Abraham and begged him to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his five brothers.  But the answer was not what he expected and Abraham said to him, "If [your brothers] do not believe Moses [the author of Genesis] and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."

You see, there is evidence of God's existence all around us, and like we have said over the past few weeks, mankind refuses to believe the evidence.  Even if Noah's ark were found, those who refuse to believe the book of Genesis would still refuse to believe.

WHAT IS THE REAL PURPOSE OF THE STORY OF NOAH'S ARK?

We need to understand from the beginning of our study that God recorded the story of Noah's ark for a specific reason.  He did not record it so that we would have an account of a world disaster (although it certainly proves that there was a world disaster.)  He didn't record the account of Noah's ark so that we could focus on finding it in the 21st century and thus prove the story to be true.  No, the reason God recorded the account of Noah is allow us to answer the question "Why did Noah and his family survive a worldwide flood?"  Out of the millions of people who were alive, why was Noah chosen?  What set him apart from the rest of the human race?  We find out the answer to that question as we pick up the story in Genesis 6:9,10.

WHO IS WORTHY TO SURVIVE? GENESIS 6:9-10

We have learned from previous studies that for a person to be saved from Hell, he must do one thing, that is, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are no works involved.  There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation.  It is a pure gift from God.   Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14:6.)

THE RIGHTEOUS PERSON

The Bible is clear that every person is a sinner and that no one is righteous.  Yet in Genesis 6:9 we read that Noah was a "righteous man."  When you think of the word "righteous" you may think of "good."  You say, "Noah must have been a good man."  But, Romans 3:10 tells us the opposite, "None is righteous, no, not one."  So which is it?  Was Noah righteous or good or was he not?

Jesus said, "No one is good except God alone."  (Mark 10:18).  So where do we find the answer to the question of "Why does Genesis 6:9 say that Noah was righteous?"  We find the answer in Romans 3:22.  The apostle Paul clears up the mystery for us by telling us that it is God who is righteous and that his righteousness is given to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus Christ that we become righteous.  Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Therefore, Noah was "righteous" because he believed in Jesus Christ.  He looked forward to God's promise of a Savior and believed and because he believed God made him righteous.  When Noah became righteous, he became good.  The goodness was God living through him.  Noah put his faith for salvation in Jesus Christ.  How do we know?  Hebrews 11:7 tells us.

If we fast forward about 4,000 years to our lives today we have the same responsibility to believe, just like Noah.  God has offered us the ark of salvation, which is his Son Jesus Christ.  We can believe in him, like Noah, in "reverent fear" or we can reject him and suffer the consequences.

In summary, Noah was a righteous man because he believed the Word of God.

THE BLAMELESS PERSON

In the midst of all the wickedness, self-centeredness, and idol worship, we read that Noah was blameless.  The word blameless means that Noah followed and obeyed God.  He wasn't a hypocrite.  He didn't say one thing, then do another.  He was able to live this way because he was righteous.  Pastor Ray Stedman in his commentary on Genesis said it this way,

"God always begins at the heart of the matter.  Surely this is the problem with society today.  Because man refuses the righteousness which God offers by faith....man cannot be good.  But the man who receives that righteousness becomes good....So, Noah found the secret of control.  He had inner peace imparted by the indwelling of God, the righteousness which comes by faith.  Therefore, he was blameless; he was a whole person, well-adjusted, able to handle the situations that came his way, at peace with himself internally."

Wow!  Isn't that how we would all like to live?  We can, by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.

TAKE A WALK WITH GOD!

Because Noah was righteous and blameless, he was able to "walk with God.  He had daily contact with God.  He must have talked with God about building the ark.  We'll see later that he got the original blueprints for the ark from God.  He must have talked with him about how to build it and some of the many other details that needed to be taken care of.  In other words, he walked with God and lived his life with God everyday.  Ray Stedman wrote, "This is the secret of a man who survives the disaster of his age."

What disasters are you going through?  Are you talking to God about your problems?  Are you bringing your fears and concerns to him?  We walk with God by reading his Word daily and we talk with God through constant prayer. 

NOAH WAS A FAMILY MAN

Unlike the Griffin family in the television show Family Guy, Noah was a true picture of a godly father.  He was the head of his family.  He had three sons, "Shem, Ham and Japeth."  It appears that Noah's sons were also righteous since later we will see that they enter the ark with Noah.  How were they righteous in the midst of the wickedness of the world?  Because Noah's faith effected his entire family.  Because of his faith, his sons watched him and saw his non-hypocritical, blameless life and they followed his example and believed too.

You see, the father in the family effects the whole family.  In 2000, Montana State University conducted a study on fathers.  Here are some of their findings:

1.  Children form attachments to fathers...from the age 7-13 months.
2.  It is through the father that a baby first learns about comings and goings, transitions, separations, and non-mother nurturing.
3.  Fathers are actually better [than mothers] of keeping a baby's attention.
4.  Children whose fathers were actively involved with them during the first eight weeks of life managed stress better as school-agers.
5.  Premature infants whose fathers spent more time playing with them had better mental outcomes at age 3.
6.  A close warm relationship with Dad fosters a daughter's sense of competence.
7.  Children of highly involved fathers have fewer psychological and behavioral problems, are less likely to become delinquent, and are less likely to use drugs.

In America we have lost a lot of what it means to be a family.  We need fathers who turn away from selfishness and turn to God for their strength.  We need families, headed by a father, who will sit down at dinnertime, with the television off so that the family can talk about the day and the issues in life that are troubling them. 

It was because of Noah, his righteousness, his example, his family leadership, that Shem, Ham and Japeth, and their families believed in God and were able to enter the ark.

A CHALLENGE FROM NOAH

The story of Noah is the true message of the Flood and the Ark.  We’ll look at the ark itself and the impact that the flood had on the earth over the next two weeks, but don’t miss the point of it all.

God calls you to believe in him.  Your response determines how you will live your life here on earth and more importantly, where you will spend eternity. 

Therefore, you must ask yourself; “Am I a righteous person?”  Have you taken the step of faith to believe in the One and only Savior?  Then, are you striving to live a blameless life?  Being transparent in front of your friends and family?  That’s the message of Noah.  It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that saves us. 

A Pure Heart, Genesis 4 - 6:8

Do you know that you have been brainwashed?  It’s true, most people have been.  Here’s a good definition of “Brainwashed” from Webster’s Dictionary,

“A forcible attempt by indoctrination to induce someone to give up his basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes to accept contrasting regimented ideas.” 

If you’ve ever had a science class in school or watched programs on stations like the Discovery Channel or the Science Channel you are being “induced” or “Influenced” to give up your natural tendency to believe in God and his creation.  Look at what Romans 1:19-20 says,

“For what can be known about God is plain to [all people], because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

If you read science magazines or watch programs relating to science on television you will see that the latest theory of how life began goes something like this:

“Life arrived from outer space on a comet. What we've found up in the Arctic is that asteroids and comets can form little cracks in the rocks by shattering them, which essentially sets up little apartment complexes in the rocks where microbes can live. Life could have evolved on Mars. We know it had liquid water in its early history, which could have been conducive to early life. Life on early Mars could have been transferred to Earth. We might find evidence of this life on Earth. We know that Martian meteorites land on earth. And there are probably pieces of Earth landing on Mars. Some of those rocks might have contained micro-organisms.”

This scenario of how life began on earth is what is being taught in many public schools today and of course is being put forth as truth on television programs.

But the real truth is, this story is purely a theory.  It’s made up.  There is no proof.  There is no evidence.  In fact, there is not one scientist on earth who has any proof that this is how life began. Consider this quote from paleontologist Andrew Knoll, a professor of biology at Harvard and author of Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Life, when he was asked, “How did life on earth begin?”:

“The short answer is we don't really know how life originated on this planet.”

What a startling statement from a Harvard Professor!  Yet this theory that life evolved from simple microbes is being taught as truth. Never once do any of these scientists look at the convincing truth from the Bible that “In the beginning God created…”  Here’s why,

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Claiming to be wise, they become fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God…[and]…the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”  Romans 1:21-22, 25.

People believe they are smarter than God, so they reject him.

When did this rejection begin?  It began when Adam sinned in the Garden.  From that first act of rebellion, sin spread like a communicable disease to every person who would ever be born on earth.  And the cure for the disease was God’s Son, Jesus Christ who gave himself as a sacrifice for our sin because he was holy.

The book of Romans continues by saying, “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God…they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.  They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”  Romans 1:28-31.

This is where we find the human race in Genesis 4-6:8. 

Cain and Abel:  Genesis 4:1-17

There is never any reason to read “between” the lines in the Bible.  We should always concern ourselves with reading “the lines” that were written for our instruction.  God wrote down everything that he wanted us to know.  He didn’t leave anything out. 

Therefore, from chapter 4 we see that Adam and Eve had sexual relations and they had children.  One of their children was named Cain and another was Abel.  Chapter 4 is not a record of how many children Adam and Eve had, although Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam “Had other sons and daughters.” 

So the question we must ask is, “What does God want us to learn from the story of Cain and Abel?” 

1.    Worship of God Comes From a Pure Heart:  Moses, in writing the book of Genesis, didn’t give us any details about these two offerings that were presented before the Lord.  All we know is that the Lord regarded one and the other he did not.  We can tell the attitude of Cain’s heart by his reaction to God – “Cain was angry and his face fell.”   In fact his response was twofold:
a.    Anger against God, vs. 5
b.    Anger against his brother, vs. 8

When we come before God it should always be with an attitude of thanksgiving and of praise and adoration for him.  We should never come before the Lord in a way that suggests that the Lord deserves to hear from us.  It appears that this is what Cain did.  It was almost like Cain was saying,  “Here Lord, take this offering, you should be honored that I am giving it to you!”  Rather, we should always come before God with a contrite heart.  Here is what king David said in the Psalm 51:17;

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Abel brought his offering before the Lord with a pure heart and an attitude of brokenness, Cain did not.

2.    Even though he sinned (by false motives and being angry), God offered Cain the way of Salvation:  In verses 6 and 7 God offers Cain the opportunity to “do well” and to “be accepted.”  Unfortunately, Cain refused to take this opportunity.

God gives us the same opportunity. When we sin, he gives us a chance to repent.  Sin, when it is left to grow and fester can lead to death.  In 2 Peter 3:9 we read,

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 

God is an ever-loving, ever-forgiving God.  There comes a time when we have to make our choices in life.  We are all responsible for our own souls before God.  In the case of Cain and Abel, Cain could not accept responsibility for his own actions.  He had to blame someone else.  In this regard, Cain behaved like many people do today – People are selfish, proud, and rebellious – and it is through these three attitudes that Cain planned to commit the first murder.

3.    We may be able to lie to those around us, but we cannot lie to God and get away with it:  The apostle Paul in Acts 17:27 says, “The Lord is actually not far from us.”  God knows our thoughts and our intentions.  He sees our shame, but offers us forgiveness.  There comes a time when our rejection of God becomes permanent and Cain has reached that point.

For the rest of his days on earth he would be cursed.  Likewise, he would spend eternity in hell because of his rejection of God’s salvation.  On earth, he would be destined to wander aimlessly, without a home.  Even with this judgment pronounced to Cain, he still didn’t repent.  Instead, he only thought of himself, “My punishment is more than I can bear!”  Cain is worried that his life will be taken by perhaps his other relatives or the relatives of Abel.  But, God, still gracious to the sinner, gave him some kind of mark that would prevent anyone from killing him.  There is no evidence of what it was, so we shouldn’t speculate.

In verse 16 we read that “Cain went away from the presence of the Lord…”  God will never force anyone to be saved.  But if you remove yourself from his presence, you may find you are never able to come back.  And that’s what happened to Cain.  He wandered in the land of Nod.  “Nod” means wandering – so the point is Cain had no home.

Who Was Cain’s Wife

Very simply, it had to be one of his sisters.  Remember that the gene pool had not been corrupted like it is today.  Adam and Eve had sinned, and sin would be passed down from generation to generation.  It would take time for the DNA to mutate.  Today, it is forbidden to marry a close relative because the genetic defects that will cause problems with the child who is born.  Adam and Eve undoubtedly had many, many children (Adam lived to be over 900 years old) so initially there was intermarriage within the family that took place.

Sin Continues to Grow On The Earth:  Genesis 6:1-8

These next eight verses are somewhat difficult to understand.  It should be mentioned that no one knows exactly what some of the things in these verses mean.  Therefore, we have to first look at what we can understand.  Let’s break it down:

What We Can Understand

1.    There was a population explosion on earth (Genesis 6:1).
2.    The women were attractive (Genesis 6:2)
3.    God does not allow mankind to live more than 120 years.  Some interpretations of this verse say that God was giving them just 120 years to prepare for the flood. (Genesis 6:3)
4.    Children were born (Genesis 6:4).
5.    There was great wickedness on the earth (Genesis 6:5).
6.    The Lord was sorry he had made mankind (Genesis 6:6).
7.    God determined to wipeout mankind and the animals from the face of the earth (Genesis 6:7).
8.    A man named Noah found favor with God (Genesis 6:8)

What We Cannot Understand

1.    Who were the “sons of God”? (Genesis 6:2)
2.    Who were the “Nephilim”?  (Genesis 6:4)
3.    Who were the “Mighty men of old, the men of renown”? (Genesis 6:4)

As mentioned above, this passage is tough.  No one knows exactly who these people were.  Therefore, a teacher can either ignore them or give an opinion.  I will give an opinion.  Whether it is right or wrong, it is just an opinion.  I’ll give the opinion in the form of rephrasing the narrative of 6:1-8:

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land, daughters were born to them who were very attractive.  Because there was so much sin in the land, the men (sons of God) began to take any woman as a wife.  It was a selfish act and they married whomever the wished to marry – it didn’t matter if they were believers in God or not.  The Lord said, “I’m tired of granting these disobedient people long life.  They are constantly turning their backs on me.  Therefore, instead of allowing them to live hundreds of years, I’m going to limit their lives to only 120 years.”

When the population explosion took place there were giant men that roamed on the earth called Nephilim.  But the children who were born were not afraid of the Nephilim – the children grew to be mighty men who were well known for being strong and victorious over the Nephilim.  People put more trust in the mighty men than they did the God of heaven.

God watched as mankind sunk deeper and deeper into self-centeredness and sin and he determined to blot them out from the face of the earth.  But, there was one man who had remained faithful to him.  His name was Noah and Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

The point of these eight verses seem to be written to set the stage for the worldwide flood that was about to take place.  Whether or not we understand who these people were is not the point.  The point is that mankind is evil, God sees evil, and he punishes evil – Yet, he also recognizes those who have a pure heart toward him.  And to those people he grants redemption.  Redemption is what the Flood is about and we’ll look at it next time.

This Week:  Come before God with a pure heart.  You do that by confessing your sins everyday to the Lord.  When you confess your sins, God sees your sincere heart and offers you immediate forgiveness.  You can walk around victoriously this week (without any guilt) knowing that your sins are forgiven!

 

Through One Man...Genesis 3

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you know what it is like to have been in a situation where things were going just right for you.  You were living your life for the Lord, trying not to sin.  Then, suddenly, without warning you were tempted to do something that you knew was wrong -- and just as suddenly as the temptation arose, you gave into that sin and you fell?  It’s the kind of situation that leads people to say to you, “Oh, you call yourself a Christian?”  Then you walk around guilty and defeated for a while. 

Temptation comes to everyone.    Temptation is not the problem; giving in to temptation is.

A famous pastor told this story about his encounter with temptation:

    “I was once in Canada. I had been away from home eight days and there were two more to go–a weekend. I was lonely and having a pity party for myself at supper—alone. I bought a newspaper, thumbed through the sports section, and found nothing but hockey—a Canadian favorite but not mine. I heaved a sigh and walked toward the elevator. En route, I heard a couple young women talking and laughing as they used the hotel phone in the lobby. I smiled as I passed by and a few steps later punched the “up” elevator button. I got on. So did the two ladies. I punched ‘6.’ They didn’t reach for the row of buttons, so I asked, ‘What floor?’ One looked at me rather sensually and said, ‘How about six? Do you have any plans?”

    We were alone on an elevator. In Canada. I was flattered, to be honest, since most folks don’t usually mistake me for [Justin Timberlake]. These women were available and I was lonely. On that trip from the lobby to the sixth floor, I had an extremely significant decision to make...the bait had been dropped. Do you know what immediately flashed into my mind? My wife and children? No, not at first. My position and reputation? No, not then. The possibility of being seen or set up? No. God gave me an instant replay of Galatians 6:7 where it says ‘Do not be deceived:  God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”’ and Ephesians 6:11,

    Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.’ and Romans 6:11-12, ‘So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.’ During that elevator lift, the memorized Word [verse after verse] flew to my rescue. I looked back at the two ladies and replied, ‘I’ve got a full evening planned already; I’m really not interested.’ They looked at me like I was some sort of fool and stayed on the elevator as I stepped off. I walked to my room grateful for the overcoming power of God’s book.”

This pastor was close to God and was able to overcome the temptation, but in our passage in Genesis we are going to find a completely different story with two people who literally "walked with God" but disobeyed him and gave in to temptation.

THE SETTING

Genesis 3 takes place in the Garden of Eden.  In the account, the earth and all its animals have been created.  On the sixth day God created man and woman and on the seventh day God rested from his work.  The creation account set up a model or pattern for us to follow of Work, Rest, and Worship.

The Bible doesn't say how much time has passed since the creation of man and the beginning of chapter 3, but God put them in the garden of Eden to live and gave Adam one command, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16,17).

And this is where we find Adam and Eve at the beginning of Chapter 3.

INTRODUCTION TO THE TEMPTER:  GENESIS 3:1

In verse 1 we are introduced to the serpent.  There is not much said about the serpent except it "was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made."  The Bible is clear in several passages that the serpent is connected with Satan (Romans 16:20 and Revelation 12:9.)  A logical question would be, "Where did Satan come from?"  On two Sundays in November we are going to answer that question and many other questions about Satan.  We will look at his Personality and Power and his Work and Destiny.  But for now we want to concern ourselves with what was Satan's role in the Garden of Eden.

If we take the approach that the Bible is to be read "literally" then we should conclude that the serpent was a literal animal.  In fact, that's what verse one called the serpent, a "beast of the field."

Remember, the world as it existed in the Garden of Eden was different than our world today.  Sin had not yet entered the world.  Death was not a part of life.  Therefore, animals may have possessed different characteristics than they do today. So, it is makes sense that as the serpent began talking to the woman, she was not afraid, nor was she surprised that the serpent was talking to her!  The reason for this is because the serpent was not evil.  Sin had not yet entered the world so there was no reason for Eve to be afraid. 

THE SHINY ONE

The Hebrew word for serpent is nachash which actually means "shiny" or perhaps "luminous."  The serpent was most likely a very attractive animal.  Because of its shiny and attractive appearance Eve was naturally drawn to it.

[That's what Satan does to us today too.  The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11:14, "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."  He uses things that are attractive to entice us and lure us into sin, and that's what he did to Eve.]

Notice too that the serpent is known as "crafty."  Crafty can be either good or bad.  For example, the word can also mean "prudent" and in Proverbs 1:4 that the book of Proverbs gives "Prudence to the simple."  In other words the book of Proverbs helps a person be crafty or cautious in the way he handles practical affairs of life.  But in the sense of the serpent in Genesis, Satan used its craftiness to twist the commands of God.

SATAN'S ATTACKS:  Genesis 3:1-5

Speaking through the snake, Satan launches three separate attacks -- his purpose was to gain authority over the earth. 

1.  Attack Number One:  God's Authority is questioned by Satan.  "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?"  Notice what Satan does.  He twists God's words.  God had made his command clear.  It was only one tree they could not eat from, but Satan tries to confuse and bait Eve by including all trees. 

Since Eve had not yet been created when God gave the command to Adam (See Genesis 2:16-22), she learned about the tree verbally from Adam.  But Eve knew the correct answer to Satan's question.  She understood that God had forbidden them to eat of the "fruit tree that is in the midst of the garden."  Eve also knew the consequences of eating from it:  Death. 

2.  Attack Number Two:  Satan denies that there is a penalty.  Here is the very first lie that is recorded in the Bible and it comes right from Satan himself.  All lies begin with Satan because he is the "Father of lies."  (John 8:44). 

3.  Attack Number Three:  Satan denies God's Integrity.  Satan is the liar, but he calls God a liar in verse 5.  He's lying to you Eve!  Don't you know that the only reason he doesn't want you to eat from that tree is because when you do, you'll become like him! 

At this point Eve should have turned to run as quickly as possible, but instead she took the fruit and ate of it.
Remember, Satan is speaking through a serpent here, but the Bible also tells us that he “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.

THE PROGRESSION OF EVE'S TEMPTATION:  Genesis 3:6

Three things won Eve over.  First, she hung around and kept looking at the fruit.  Second, she lusted after it because it looked so good.  Third, it appealed to her pride.

Those are the three areas that we stumble in too.  1 John 2:16 makes it very clear that "the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--[are] not from the Father but [are] from the world." 

James 4:7 says we are to "Resist the devil" and he will flee from us.  1 Peter 5:9 says, "Resist him."  It takes hard work to resist Satan -- We'll find out how hard it is and how to do it in our study in November.  But Eve failed to do it.

ADAM IS GUILTY AND GOD HOLDS HIM RESPONSIBLE:  Genesis 3:6

Notice that Adam is standing next to Eve the whole time Satan is talking to her.  He never said a word.  Then, when Eve ate the fruit, he never tried to stop her.  Finally, after she had eaten it, she handed him a piece of fruit and he ate too.

At that moment, sin entered the world.  At that moment, for the very first time, Adam and Eve were ashamed.  They felt guilt and they did what a lot of people do when they are guilty; they hid themselves. 

One author makes this point, "Both Adam and Eve sinned, but the Bible distinguishes their sin.  The distinction was this:  Eve was deceived (see 1 Timothy 2:13,14 and 2 Corinthians 11:3), but Adam sinned with full knowledge; for him it was an act of rebellion.  The Bible clearly places the responsibility of the Fall of man upon Adam as the representative head (Romans 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-23). " 

When Adam sinned the entire human race fell into bondage with evil.  There is a phrase that theologians use for this and it’s called “original sin.” 

Every one of us inherits sin and guilt from Adam.  That is our problem.  That is why our human natures are morally despicable. It is why we are rebellious; why we are corrupt; why our minds are against God.  And Romans 8:7-8 says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

The only solution to this fleshly nature of sin is the “Re-Creative” work of God. 

THE RESULT OF THE SIN OF ADAM -- SPIRITUAL DEATH:  Genesis 3:7-8

Three things happened as a result of Adam's sin:

1.     Loss of Innocence: They found out that Satan's promise had been a lie.  Rather than having knowledge of good and evil in a positive sense, they experi