January 3, 2010 Gen. 6-8, Luke 3

This is about the Flood.
Method: Pick out verses that strike me then - Title, Scripture, Observation, prayer coming out of these particular verses.
I once spent a long time on the first few verses of Genesis 6 - a whole semester - taking each original Hebrew word and seeing the possible meanings that it could take. That is all the Hebrew I ever took - one short year, one course - should have taken more. Anyway -

Title: How should we pick our spouses?
(S) Gen. 6:1-2 "When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beaultiful, and they married any of them they chose."
(O) It says that the sons of God saw the daughters of men - that to me seems to say that those who followed God's ways were attracted to and married those who did not follow God's ways. Later in the Bible this is called unequally yoked - where a Christian marries a non Christian. It is always easier to bring something down than to bring it up - this marriage of those who followed God to those who followed ungodly ways within a few verses leads to great wickedness on the earth. Within the first few chapters of the Bible we are warned of the results of marriage to a person who is not Godly.
(A) It is important to hold up the standard that a Christian should marry a Christian.
(P) God I pray that my children and others will choose a Christian spouse.

Title: Who were the Nephilim? Were they giants or other types of beings - like space beings of some sort??
(S) Gen.6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days---and also afterward-- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown."
(O) These were deffinately superior beings as compared to regular humans - probably larger and stronger - giants probably. Now I cannot figure out where these Nephilim came from - is this just out of several generations of selective breeding due to location that a superior race evolves or were Adam and Eve originally larger than normal humans and some of their larger offspring stayed in one area and through generations of breeding together created a superior race? I know that angels are without sex and so these are not fallen angels breeding. No idea on this one.
(A) The more I read the Bible - the more I see things that are a mystery to me. Nothing would surprise me about what is possible with God. I know that the King James version of the Bible in Gen. 1:27 says replenish the earth - so are these left over beings from another world that existed prior to this one - no that is not impossible but too strange and it would spoil the "type" of Adam the image of the first man and a "type" of Christ - anyway do not get the verse about the Nephilim.
(P) Help me to find out some of these mysteries of the Bible.

Title: A Wicked world.
(S)Gen 6:5-6 "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain."
(O) It can happen - that we come to this place of every thought heading to evil - individually or as a nation -
(A) Only committment to leading others to God has the potential of steering humanity away from depravity. It is a challenge that needs Christians that are passionate. Am I passionate - no - I enjoy the Bible but I am not a passionate person that shares this Bible to lead others to you. I am a selfish enjoyer of the Bible - and that is the truth. I am wrong on this one and must change.
(P) Lord make me a doer of the word and not a hearer only.

Title: Noah is completely obedient to the small details.
(S) Gen. 6:22 "Noah did everything just as God commanded him."
(O) Noah did exactly everything the way God asked him to the kind of wood to the measurements of the boat to the creatures and people that should be on the boat even though it was under others mocking him - even when it made no sense - how obedient.
(A) I often know what God wants of me but I really do not want to do it - I know it is something I have to work on.
(P) God help me to be aware of what you want me to do and to actually do it regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Title: How does Noah know about the Jewish laws on clean and unclean animals when they haven't been written yet???
(S) Gen. 7:2 "Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate"
(O) There seems to be some understanding of Jewish law here on the clean and unclean animals -

Title: Perfect Timing
(S)Gen 7:1 "The Lord then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteouls in this generation"
(O) Noah has been building this odd boat for a long time but God sets the day and Noah obeys on when to "go into the ark" - In the King James version it says "Come" into the Ark and I like that better as it indicates that God went in before Him and leads him into the ark.
(A) Application here - is listen to God, and go where he leads - it will be the best option and save us all in the end.
(P) Lord teach me obedience - inspite of everything.

Title: Another mystery about the Bible - in Matt. 24:29 it says "the sun will be dark - and the moon will not give its light"
(S) Gen:8:22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
(O) I guess this promise does not include the end times as in Matthew 24:29 it says the sun will be dark and the moon will not give light - kind of a contradiction.
(A) I am constantly noting things that don't make sense - what do I say to this?
(P) I am the Ethiopian Eunuch and really could do with some explanation to some of these contradictions that I see -- is there someone walking along the road who could explain this one.

Luke 3 - John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Title: Minimalist living
(S) Luke 3:11 "John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
(O) This means that we should live sparingly - with little - and not more than we require.
(A) My cupboards are full and overflowing - I must purge and live smaller so that others may live --- what is the saying - 'live simply so that others may simply live'.
(P) Lord - it is the beginning of the year help me to live with much, much, much less.

Jesus was 30 when he began His ministry.

Title: Why is the line through Joseph if Christ is not the son of Joseph?
(S) Luke 3:23 "He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph"
(O) Even though it was an immaculate conception - to show that he also can go through Joseph back to God the last part of the chapter goes back to Adam and then to God.
(P) Another mystery that I can't fathom. God help my unbelief.