MIT and LIT Study Group
Tuesday 3 March 2009
Genesis 6+7
Observation: The Story of Noah's Ark is not cutesy.
Many people teach Noah's Ark from a cute perspective - there are animals involved, and so it's often taught to young children using bright coloured elephants, giraffes and zebras, songs sung about it are along the lines of 'the animals went in two by two hurrah, hurrah' as though they're all off on a camping trip somewhere.
What seems often to be missed is the intensity of this situation. Grown ups often refer to this chapter and the following ones as 'the flood' - which it is, but we need to see this for what it is - the utter destruction of everything that has gone before - except for one family and the animals that God has put under their care. Everyone else died in a most horrific manner - the rain fell, and they were confused by it - streamlets gathered, and turned into rivers - the people withdrew from this water taking their herds and families with them - they'd be scared by what they feared would happen - nothing like this had ever occured before! They would search for higher ground, huddling together as the floodwater rose - this was rainwater, remember - it took time to build up - more and more people would huddle closer together, eventually, one by one they would drown until no one was left - animals would die first - sheep floating away bleating, until there was only people left eventually there would be too little land for them to stand on and people would start getting desperate - fear and selfishness would make some push others into the water to try and preserve themselves - natural swimmers would try to find more land to stand on, until they couldn't any longer and evetually give up, exhausted.
This flood was horrific. And we have to stop and think why would a good God do this? Well, the answer is given in the text - man had become so corrupt, so removed from God that God could no longer stand the sight of all this sinning. As an attempt to show them who they are supposed to be - they were designed to walk with God - He is forced to point out who He is in their lives - it is by His hand that they live or die, and yet in their arrogance, they believe that they are masters of their own destiny and can live as they please. God is forced to humble them, because they will not humble themselves.
For generations after the flood, mankind was able to look back and say 'God is BIG and He is worthy of our respect, our fear and our love - simply because He is the creator and He controls our living and our dying and our very next breath and heartbeat'. This is a hard lesson to understand if your perception of God is characterised only by His love - yes, He loves us, but we have to see Him for who He is. And that is GOD.
Many people teach Noah's Ark from a cute perspective - there are animals involved, and so it's often taught to young children using bright coloured elephants, giraffes and zebras, songs sung about it are along the lines of 'the animals went in two by two hurrah, hurrah' as though they're all off on a camping trip somewhere.
What seems often to be missed is the intensity of this situation. Grown ups often refer to this chapter and the following ones as 'the flood' - which it is, but we need to see this for what it is - the utter destruction of everything that has gone before - except for one family and the animals that God has put under their care. Everyone else died in a most horrific manner - the rain fell, and they were confused by it - streamlets gathered, and turned into rivers - the people withdrew from this water taking their herds and families with them - they'd be scared by what they feared would happen - nothing like this had ever occured before! They would search for higher ground, huddling together as the floodwater rose - this was rainwater, remember - it took time to build up - more and more people would huddle closer together, eventually, one by one they would drown until no one was left - animals would die first - sheep floating away bleating, until there was only people left eventually there would be too little land for them to stand on and people would start getting desperate - fear and selfishness would make some push others into the water to try and preserve themselves - natural swimmers would try to find more land to stand on, until they couldn't any longer and evetually give up, exhausted.
This flood was horrific. And we have to stop and think why would a good God do this? Well, the answer is given in the text - man had become so corrupt, so removed from God that God could no longer stand the sight of all this sinning. As an attempt to show them who they are supposed to be - they were designed to walk with God - He is forced to point out who He is in their lives - it is by His hand that they live or die, and yet in their arrogance, they believe that they are masters of their own destiny and can live as they please. God is forced to humble them, because they will not humble themselves.
For generations after the flood, mankind was able to look back and say 'God is BIG and He is worthy of our respect, our fear and our love - simply because He is the creator and He controls our living and our dying and our very next breath and heartbeat'. This is a hard lesson to understand if your perception of God is characterised only by His love - yes, He loves us, but we have to see Him for who He is. And that is GOD.
Monday 2 March 2009
Genesis 5
Observation - Genealogies
Genealogies appear throughout the Bible in several places, including Jesus' line. There are various reasons some of which are cultural - it was very important for Jews to know where they had come from in order that they were able to establish how they fitted into the tribal system. In addition to this, it was important to make sure that when young people married, that they were not too closely related - remember, much of this would have been in the context of small-village life. Additionally, there were several laws requiring that genealogies were kept in order to establish racial purity - meaning that when a young Jew wished to marry a young lady, she would have to provide proof that she was jewish going back 4 or 5 generations.
The genealogies in this chapter have been heavily disputed for many years - some believe that the ages represent certain things - 777 years for instance being in relation to God's number - 7, therefor 777 referred to a perfect life. This is a lot to read into such a small chapter, because there is nothing anywhere in the Bible that suggests that this is not an actual literal account of people and ages. And regarding the 777 thing - only on person lived a perfect life, and He died aged 33. These are reported to be the actual, genuine ages of these men. They were the founders of villages and towns and eventually whole nations. Noah's boys were the three who eventually became the great-grandfathers of all people today.
Genealogies appear throughout the Bible in several places, including Jesus' line. There are various reasons some of which are cultural - it was very important for Jews to know where they had come from in order that they were able to establish how they fitted into the tribal system. In addition to this, it was important to make sure that when young people married, that they were not too closely related - remember, much of this would have been in the context of small-village life. Additionally, there were several laws requiring that genealogies were kept in order to establish racial purity - meaning that when a young Jew wished to marry a young lady, she would have to provide proof that she was jewish going back 4 or 5 generations.
The genealogies in this chapter have been heavily disputed for many years - some believe that the ages represent certain things - 777 years for instance being in relation to God's number - 7, therefor 777 referred to a perfect life. This is a lot to read into such a small chapter, because there is nothing anywhere in the Bible that suggests that this is not an actual literal account of people and ages. And regarding the 777 thing - only on person lived a perfect life, and He died aged 33. These are reported to be the actual, genuine ages of these men. They were the founders of villages and towns and eventually whole nations. Noah's boys were the three who eventually became the great-grandfathers of all people today.
Genesis 4
Observation 1: Attitude.
There was something about Cain that was slightly wrong - slightly off. I say this because as we read, he apparently does much the same as his brother - when Abel brings offerings to the Lord, so does Cain, but for some reason, God rejects it. Having his offering rejected by God has upset Cain a great deal and he responds by 'being downcast'.
God reacts by asking what the problem is, and then by pointing out that if Cain does what is right, then he has no reason to be in a strop. This suggests that something about Cain's offering was not right - either he was being stingy where his brother had been generous, or perhaps he had gone through the harvest picking out the fruit and veg that he didn't really feel was fit for human consumption, so it's alright, God can have that.
If this is the case, then it would explain why he gets into a sulk when God rebukes him - the immature personality type that withholds from God as though He doesn't know is also the personality type that would get angry for being pulled up on it - he's shamed and embarrased for being caught and responds by being surly. Cain takes this to ridiculous extremes by killing his brother and then hiding that from God as though God doesn't know - and then God's reaction is that of so many parents when their children lie - HOW DARE YOU LIE! The offence was bad enough, but LYING? - a lie breaks trust. Doing wrong is wrong, but lying removes trust. And it's Cain's lack of character - in withholding, failing to accept correction and lying that eventually get him exiled.
There was something about Cain that was slightly wrong - slightly off. I say this because as we read, he apparently does much the same as his brother - when Abel brings offerings to the Lord, so does Cain, but for some reason, God rejects it. Having his offering rejected by God has upset Cain a great deal and he responds by 'being downcast'.
God reacts by asking what the problem is, and then by pointing out that if Cain does what is right, then he has no reason to be in a strop. This suggests that something about Cain's offering was not right - either he was being stingy where his brother had been generous, or perhaps he had gone through the harvest picking out the fruit and veg that he didn't really feel was fit for human consumption, so it's alright, God can have that.
If this is the case, then it would explain why he gets into a sulk when God rebukes him - the immature personality type that withholds from God as though He doesn't know is also the personality type that would get angry for being pulled up on it - he's shamed and embarrased for being caught and responds by being surly. Cain takes this to ridiculous extremes by killing his brother and then hiding that from God as though God doesn't know - and then God's reaction is that of so many parents when their children lie - HOW DARE YOU LIE! The offence was bad enough, but LYING? - a lie breaks trust. Doing wrong is wrong, but lying removes trust. And it's Cain's lack of character - in withholding, failing to accept correction and lying that eventually get him exiled.
