Possessing promises: And then the LORD said to Abram:

'Lift your eyes now and look .... northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; ..... Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.'  (Genesis 13:14-18). Lot and his herdsmen had left. It must have been grievous to Abram, the quarrel had not been with Lot (13:7). So God comes and comforts him renewing again His promise (12:1, 7). The writer to the Hebrews tells that Abram dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, looking for and waiting for a heavenly city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:9, 10,  16).  

God has put eternity in all our our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11),  so that we might seek and find Him “though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). God's promises were to Abram and His descendants.  And,  echoing eternity, He has promised us steadfast love and mercy to “thousands of generations of those who love Him and obey His commandments” (Exodus 20:6).  God gives Abram, and us through him,  two instructions, “lift up your eyes,” and “walk.”

Concerning “lift up your eyes” we,  either like Lot lift up our eyes to the things of this world (13:10), or like Abram we lift up our eyes  to see those things that are far off, confessing that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Hebrews 11:13). It's about perspective!  As believers,  we are citizens of another kingdom. And when I am in danger of being offended by the pain, chaos and difficulties of life, I need to renew my perspective. “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come”  (Hebrews 13:14). And if we see with the eyes of faith,  we like Paul,  will understand that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Ephesians 1:18; Romans 8:18).


The phrase “the promised land” would become familiar to Abram's descendants. And having renewed Abram's perspective of the promise,  God now commands Abram to walk the land as a prophetic act declaring his,  and his descendant’s  God given eternal right to the land (see 24 February post).  The land however still had to be possessed.  And Moses, standing on the banks of the river Jordon just before the conquest,  instructs Israel to do just that  (Deuteronomy 1:8). It’s the same with the exceedingly great and precious promises the Lord gives us (2 Peter 1:4). God promised Israel would have rest after they had conquered and possessed the land (Deuteronomy 25:19). And “entering rest” is another Biblical picture of entering the promised land, possessing our promises. Many however did not enter because of two things, disobedience and unbelief (Hebrews 3:18, 19).   

Father, we are to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), but our fight is not a physical fight and our weapons are not physical weapons (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4). Nevertheless we are in a war to the death with the enemy of our souls. Teach us to fight the good fight Lord,  and so to be like Abram who, after he had patiently endured,  obtained the promise (Hebrews 6:15). We want to possess everything You have for us Lord, give us faith, obedience, courage and persistence Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Strife, unity and the Kingdom: “And there was strife

between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s   herdsmen. So Abram said to Lot, 'Please let there be no strife ..... for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.' And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was ... like the garden of the  LORD” (Genesis 13:7-10). Abram goes from one test to another. He had gone from fear of starvation and tyranny in Egypt,   to the problems of riches and wealth,   particularly in cattle, and it was for both he and his nephew Lot. The strife is between their respective herdsmen was because “the land was not able to support them” (verse 6).

Concerning the phrase “for we are brethren” Derek Kidner,  in his commentary, writes “Abram's handling is a model of insight,  good sense and generosity. His proposal as well as practical,  resolved the immediate situation with creating any future ones.” Unity,  peace and going the second mile,  are well pleasing to the Lord. “How good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). We are commanded as much as it possible to live at peace with all, and to be eager to maintain the unity purchased for us at the cross (Romans 12:18; Ephesians 4:3).  The command to prefer one another in love  can seem costly (Romans 12:10), but it has great reward.

Lot,  lifting up his eyes sees what 's looks good,  he chooses it for himself, and  “pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD” (verses 12, 13). All that glitters is not gold, and  what looks good will turn out for Lot to be a huge problem for him. Kidner again “The sequel for both men is instructive. Lot, choosing the things that are seen, found them corrupt and insecure; choosing selfishly he was to grow even more isolated and unloved. Abraham, on the other hand, found liberation!”  When we “lift up our eyes,” we are to seek the things that are above,  and set our minds there where Christ is,  for “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).  Walking in faith has eternal rewards.

Abram had problems, and so will we. Jesus told us “In this life you will have trouble, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world (John 16:33).  The say what doesn't kill you makes you strong. As believers we have all the resources of heaven at our disposal. And when we choose to respond in faith, it forms our character, a character that pleases God.  This needs to be our aim (2 Corinthians 5:15)!

Lord Jesus, please give us a spirit of generosity that prefers one another in love. It goes against the grain many times Lord. You tell us however,  that whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Your sake will save it (Luke 9:24). It's the upside down kingdom Lord. And when we seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness  all these things will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).  Thank You Lord for Abram's  example.  Show us how to walk in his faith, and please equip us to do do so,  in Your precious Name we pray Amen

Compromise and Grace: Now there was a severe famine in the land,

and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there (Genesis 12:10). The Bible is brutally honest about its heroes. Abram is fearing for his life because of the beauty of Sarai his wife.  He's worried they might take her and kill him. So he tells her to say she's his sister.  In fact Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house,  and Abram was give “sheep, oxen, donkeys, male and female servants  and camels.”  But “the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had” (verses 12-20).

Sarai of course was Abram's half sister (20:12), so it was only a half lie.  But why was Abram afraid they would kill him, God wasn't going to that happen, He had promised He would make Abram a great nation (12:2)? It's easy for us to sit in judgement on this, but it's one thing to build an altar, and quite another to put your life on the line. But we need to learn something here. When God makes a promise, we can take it to the bank. On the other hand, we will more than likely be tested. Faith acts! In Hebrews 11,  the faith chapter, we read over and over “by faith” so and so did something.  In particular faith trusts God in the difficult times,  and acts accordingly.  And God's exceedingly great and precious promises are there precisely to help us through us through in such times (2 Peter 1:4).  Would we have known what to do in Abram's situation? Well,  what we could have done, is to ask God, who promises to gives wisdom liberally if we admit that we lack it, and  then ask Him for it (James 1:5).  I've claimed this promise over and over, and when I do, I pray “Lord I qualify for this promise, I lack wisdom,  and I'm asking for it.” If Abram has asked,  God would likely have said “Trust me, I will protect you.”

In fact the Lord had protected Abram anyway, and he comes out of Egypt a rich man not just with cattle, but clearly enough servants so that his nephew Lot could be given some too (13:2, 7).  So contrary to the way some see God, He is not just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us. He knows our frame, He know we are but dust.” He knows how frail we are (Psalm 103:14). And He extends grace to Abram.  Justice is getting what you deserve,  grace is not getting what you deserve. The  wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23).

Father, wages are what we  get for what we did, but when we repent and turn to You  we are forgiven, cleansed, justified and adopted into the family of God (John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 6:11).  That's grace! We deserve none of that Lord, and but for Your mercy and grace there would be no hope! Thank You Lord for Your steadfast love and mercy, and I'm forever grateful Lord,  in Jesus Name Amen  

Thanksgiving and Worship: Then the LORD appeared to Abram

and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD (Genesis 12:7). Abram had left Haran as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. They passed though  Canaan and came to Shechem. He then moved on and pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai,  and built another alar there.  And there Abram called on the name of the LORD (Verses 4 - 8). We are not told the nature of the Lord's appearance, be it a dream or vision or whatever, but He speaks to him of his descendent inheriting the land, not Abram himself.  Sari was still barren of course (11:30), and  God was renewing His impossible promise.

Abram seems to have built the altars as a response to the renewal and confirmation of God's earlier promise (12:1-3). His calling on the Lord is said to be both worship, thanksgiving. It is also seen as   Abram identifying himself with the Name of the Lord, in the same way that a Christian identifies him or herself with Christ. Abram's response is of course an act of faith, and his response involves action.  It is about relationship, and relationship involves responding to each other. We too are called to respond to God in faith. Paul, speaking about not retaining God in unbelievers knowledge says  “when they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1: 28, 21).

Paul is saying something important here. Firstly that we all start off knowing that God exists, that He is there (see also Romans 1:19, 20). Secondly we can loose that knowledge simply by not being thankful or by not worshipping Him,  by not calling on the name of the Lord! The Lord hates it when we are lukewarm, He would rather that we were cold (Revelation 3:16).  The Lord has taught me some things about negativity and thankfulness, about what it does to the brain, to our emotions,  and even to our physical health (you can suss out the research of Dr. Carolyne Leaf). So God is not some egotistical narcissist needing our thanks and praise to make Him feel good! No He does it because He wants the very, very best for us, and thankfulness and worship are big steps in His plan to bring life and health and peace to His beloved (Malachi 2:5). Some time ago now I started ending the day by writing down in my journal three things in my day for which I can be thankful.  It was hard in the beginning, but there are the old faithfuls, salvation, a place to live, friends, His Word, food etc.  And of course there are His exceedingly great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4), and the  prayers of praise and thanksgiving in His  word

Thank You Lord, thank You, thank You,  thank You! You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.   You have redeemed us by Your blood Lord Jesus,  out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And we give Your thanks and praise,  and we worship You this morning Lord, in Your precious and Holy Name Amen

Covenant promises: The LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out ..... I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This promise of blessing and cursing to Abraham and his descendants,  is of course a promise to Israel, for Abraham is Israel's father. You might think it a coincidence that during the tenure of US presidents who have stood with Israel,  that America has prospered. And that  the converse is also true. I don't think it a coincidence, but then I believe the Bible. Of course Israel is far from perfect,  but then neither are we, and we need to pray for her.  I don't want to be opposing God! Again, I am not saying there's no injustices, for there certainly are! But we are commanded to pray for,  and seek the peace of Jerusalem,  (Psalm 122:6; 34:14).

God called Abram out alone, in order that He might do a great work in him (Isaiah 51:2). The believer certainly needs to be in fellowship (Hebrews 10:25), but the deeper work of God is done when He gets us on our own. We see this in the stories of Joseph, David and Paul. These alone times are both times of testing and strengthening.  God is promising Abraham not only land, but a name,  and posterity – his descendants would multiply and become a great nation. But how on earth was this  going to happen, for Sarai his wife was barren.  In Romans 4:19 we read of Abraham that “not being weak in faith,  did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” Abraham was seventy five at the time of the promise (12:4), and he would be sorely tried as he waited, and as we shall see, he would make some serious mistakes.  

I know something of the fiery trial of delayed answers to His promises. The questioning “did I hear correctly;” The temptation to do God's part when He doesn't come through in our time frame;  the lack of closure on outstanding issues etc.,  etc. Several years into my promise,  and seemingly no closer than at the beginning, He asked me if I had waited patiently for Him.  He had earlier used Psalm 40:1 to instruct me to do so. I could only answer that I'd waited. Was it patient waiting?  That was another question altogether!  There's a saying that God is never early, and He is never late.  And He has things to do in us and in others,  as we wait. In particular “those who wait in hope on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles they will run and not be weary they will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). A little old lady friend of mine once comforted me by saying “The trouble with God, is that He has no sense of time!”

Lord, You are not slack concerning Your promises, for You have a very different sense of time. A thousand years with You is as a day (2 Peter 3:9). Thank You that You chose not to remember Abraham's mistakes,  and when we confess You don't remember ours (Hebrews 8:12). Thank You that by Your grace we can choose to never, never,  never give up, in Jesus Name Amen

The God who speaks: “Now the LORD had said to Abram

....” (Genesis 12:1).  I can't resist saying “He speaks, therefore I AM” (I know “I AM” exists [Exodus 3:14],  because He speaks to me).  But seriously,  if you tell someone today that God speaks to you, they are likely to lock you up.  Certainly lunatics have claimed to hear Him. I read that surprisingly many people claim God told them to murder someone.  But this can't be the God of the Bible, since  “You  shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).  The three persons of the Trinity talk to each other (Let US ...   Genesis 1:25; 11:7 etc.).  So should it be so surprising that the self communicating God, should communicate with His creation?   There need to be checks and balances of course, and we are to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). First and foremost He will not contradict His Word. He will not tell you to divorce our wife, for  example,  so that You can marry another (Matthew 19:9).

Jesus tells us that His sheep hear and know His voice. He is the good shepherd (John 10: 26, 14, 4). He knows His  sheep (His disciples – the ones who follow and obey Him), He call us by name and we are His. When we follow Him and learn to hear His voice, we do not listen to the voice of the stranger, the thief the one who comes to kill steal and destroy (verses 5, 10).  New converts tend to know His voice immediately, but are often intimidated into silence by others,  even Christians, I was!. Many  don't really have a relationship with Him, but it's what salvation is really all about.  We can't really follow Him if we don't know His voice.

God speaks to us primarily in and through His Word. Most of us who read the Bible have this experience of a verse or passage standing out to us. This is usually the Holy Spirit illuminating it and saying to pay attention.  Hearing His voice and obeying are closely related, we suppress the truth by unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).  Our own desires can lead us astray (James 1:14). Sometime we have to learn the voice of the stranger by our mistakes.  Then we need to confess and ask the Lord to teach us. In the end it is all about following. As with Noah and Abram,  following and obeying often goes against the stream. We must not be conformed to the World, we are to take up our cross in this way and follow Him (Romans 12:1; Mark 8:34). But to him who has more will be given (Matthew 29:25)! In other words when we hear and obey,  we will hear more often,  and more clearly! To learn more, I recommend Mark Virkler's Youtube videos.

Lord Jesus, You are my shepherd; I shall not want. You feed me with Your Word and You quiet and refresh my soul. Thank Your Lord. You lead me in  paths of righteousness to glorify Your name. Even in the dark and difficult times I will not be afraid,  for You have promised never to leave me nor forsake me. You correct me when I go astray,  and Your  discipline comforts me. In Your time You will cause my righteousness to shine like the sun. You fill my cup with peace and joy, I will drink of Your goodness all the days of my life,  and I will spend eternity with You. I thank and pause and honour and glorify You Lord, in Your precious Name Amen

The vessel that he made of clay was spoiled

... in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make (Jeremiah 18:4). The Lord had sent Jeremiah to the potters house, to see him making something on his wheel (verse 3). The vessel being spoiled is a parable of Israel's disobedience,  spoiling God's plan for  Abram's descendants  to be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3c). The  the Lord asks “Can I not do with you as this potter? Look Israel, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand” (verse 6)! Last day we were saying that God has a call and a destiny for each one of us. His plans are good plans, but we can mess them up through rebellion and disobedience.

As I said yesterday Jordan Peterson tells that he sees many people coming to a place of regret when things had gone wrong, and it's worse, because coming out of denial they know it's their fault, having squandered what they could have had. What is missing so often with the thought that I'm messed up is hope.  I am damaged goods, I'm a looser,  I'll never be good for anything.  At a similar point in his life David cries out “I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel” (Psalm 31:12).  Many of us can identify with this feeling. Isaiah cried out “You O LORD are our Father; You are the potter, we are the clay,  the work of Your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). Most of us have messed up, but the Lord does not throw us away, as long as we have breath, it's not too late.  He'll make us into another vessel as it seems good to Him.

God is sovereign and His overall plan to bless the nations through Israel could not be thwarted.   In many ways Israel has fallen away in that they rejected Jesus their Messiah.  “He came to His own, and His own received Him not, but to as many as received Him, He gave the right to be called the children of God (John 1:11). So then God's sovereign plan was carried out in spite of them, through their stumbling in this way.  Paul asks “have they stumbled that they should fall?” He answers no, this blindness in part happened to Israel, but only until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25a).” And now we Gentiles are to provoke them to jealousy.  This is our God!  God has not finished with Israel, for His covenant is an everlasting covenant  (Genesis 17:7). And when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,  “all Israel will be saved!” (Romans 11:25, 26).

Father,  when we mess up You do not throw us away, You did not throw Israel away,  and You won't with us either. And I pray this morning Lord for anyone out there reading this, who may have lost hope because of how badly they messed up. Let them hear the good news that it is not Your desire Lord that any should perish,  but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  We do need to take responsibility for our lives, but while we still live,  it is not too late to come to You to repent  and be saved. For this and many other things I give You thanks and praise in Jesus Name Amen

  The call of Abram: Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Jordan Peterson's insight into this verse is interesting (Biblical series IX). He says that our dreams and interests move us away from our country and the comforts of our childhood home, and into something that’s beyond us. Faith recognizes that it's God who puts these dreams and interests there in the first place. They are the first indication of His voice calling us to be more than we are.  He has plans and a destiny for  our lives, good plans, plans to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  He  put eternity in our hearts,  and He knows what will best fulfill us (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Many of us have this view of God that He would only call us into something we would hate, a missionary in Africa for example. But His plans are good plans, in fact following Him to “the land I will show you, ” is the only way we will be truly fulfilled in life.  And fear of the unknown is one of the many things that stops us from moving forward into the unknown, into an adventure with Him that He will show us if we let Him.  As a clinician Peterson over and over sees people who have resisted this call with disastrous results. They finish up with a meaningless life that leaves them ill equipped to deal with the pain and the chaos of life.  He says “And, worse, you’ll know that it was your fault, that you squandered what you could have had. This is not only a calling forth, but it’s a warning.”

Not writing from a position of faith in the God of the Bible,  he can offer no real hope to those of us who have utterly failed (we'll  look at that tomorrow)! But the picture of conversion as a new birth, a new start  (John 3:3ff) gives the idea.  Peterson again “You don’t know what’s possible, and you’re not as much as you could be. God only knows what you could do,  have,  and give,  if you sacrificed everything to it.”

The story of the toy pearls comes to mind. She was a little girl and she loved them. Her father asked her to give them up, and she wrestled and wrestled with it, until she finally did,  choosing to trust him. He then gives her a real pearl necklace. Peterson once more “You have to sacrifice that which is most valuable to you that is stopping you going forward.” The pearls are symbolic of course, and our heavenly father  knows how to give good gifts.  Jesus came so that we might have life in all it's fullness (John 10:10).  Coming to faith is not just about giving up something that hinders our moving forward. We are not just called out of that,  no we are called into the fullness of life of a life of faith that He will “show us.”

Father, forgive us Lord for thinking that You are some kind of Scrooge in the sky, just waiting to condemn us.  You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You, and You know how to give good gifts to Your children (Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 7:11). Teach us to trust You Lord,  to let go,  and let God. I know we will not be disappointed! We pray these things  in Jesus Name Amen

But Sarai (Abram's wife) was barren;

she had no child (Genesis 11 30). The genealogies in  chapters 9 though 11,  largely follow the godly line of Shem (Noah's son).   Shem's sons  are listed “according to their families, according to their languages and lands, according to their nations (Genesis 10:31). Note that  this implies exponential increase. Abram's  father Terah was at least ten generations from Noah (Luke 3:34-36), and Sarai was Abram's half sister, the daughter of his father, but not his mother (Genesis 20:12).  Idol worship had crept into the family (for example in Abram's nephew Laban Genesis 11:27; 29:5;  31:26, 30).

God was calling Abram out of this to continue the godly line. His  covenant with Abram included the promise that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (12:1,2). But of course Sarai was barren.  Rightly or wrongly, she understood that the Lord had prevented her from bearing children” (Gen 16:2; see also Gen 30:2). But how then was Abraham to become the father of faith,  the father of all who believe, the father of all to whom righteousness would be credited  (Genesis 15:16; Romans 4:11)?  Well, faith is not just about intellectually believing in God, faith is about overcoming  (1 John 5:5). But in order to be an overcomer, you have to have something to overcome. So yes, Sarai was barren, but all things are possible to the one who has faith (Mark 9:23).

I was asked just recently why we need to pray.  I mean God can simply do what He wants, He is Sovereign!  But God did not create man to be like pet mice in a cage, so that he could watch and be amused. He crated man in His own image to have fellowship with Him, and to co-labour with Him in bringing in the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:9).  Yes God is Sovereign,  and He could do anything He wants, but most of the time it's true that “without God, man cannot, without man,  God will not.” In other words He has chosen to largely restrict His intervention in creation to the prayers, and activity of His children.  This is especially true with respect to bringing in the kingdom.  

The other thing, is that we tend to be fixated on the end result, in Abraham's case, a son. But the Lord has purpose in the delay, and He has many things He wants to grow in us,  on the journey.  In particular faith. Faith is not believing what you know's not true, about being in denial of reality. Abraham “faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God” (Romans 4:19, 20). As we shall see, Abraham's patience and faith are far from perfect, but thank God that when we confess our mistakes the Lord chooses not to remember them (Hebrews 10:17).  In particular, when we don't give up on His promises, our faith is strengthened.

Father, these things are written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement we might also grow in the hope  and faith of Abraham (Romans 15:4). Help us, help me, to learn to be content on the journey,  knowing You are at  work all things for our good as we continue to believe. Help us like Abraham to never, never,  never give up, in Jesus Name Amen

And God said to Abram ... By faith Abraham obeyed ...

(Genesis 12:1; Hebrews 11:8).  Jordon Peterson,  already mentioned several times, has some very interesting things to say from the point of view of a Psychologist trying to help people get their lives together. As far as I can tell he's not a believer, but he does a lot of meditating on Scripture.  This gives him great wisdom and insight, which Scripture itself promises to those who do it (Psalm 119:99). I want to paraphrase a couple of things he says, and then make some comments.

In the introduction to his lectures on Abraham, Peterson speaks about our being fed an unending diet of rights and freedoms;  that there is something  pathologically wrong with that, and that people are starving for the antidote.  He tells that the antidote is truth and responsibility, and  that the room goes quiet when he speaks of the need to take responsibility. It's received as something like revelation.  One of our highest moral obligations, he says, is to treat ourselves as if we are  creatures of value,  a recognition of our divine worth,  regardless of our sins. Relating to Abraham's obedience he says that you don't know how rich and fulfilling your life could be if you stopped doing the things you know are wrong. He says that if we organize ourselves in this way,  it will give life meaning,  and it will help us when we encounter “the flood”  of life's pain and chaos, and give us the tools to get through.  Peterson is careful not to insist that you believe in God. He sees Scripture as a kind collected wisdom,  accumulated by humanity over the ages, wisdom that if followed works to improve life. To me this is similar to twelve step programs,  where we talk about a higher power. A higher power is something greater than ourselves, something we can look to. Peterson's  higher power  seems to be the collective wisdom of the ages.

The point is,  that this wisdom works.  The twelve steps are Biblically based,  and they work too.  The thing though, is that some in these programs are conquerors (overcoming their addictions),  and some are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).  Two relevant things here,  firstly as in any program,  what you put into it is directly related to what you get out of it. Secondly what Scripture adds to principles,  is relationship. I mean God speaks to Abraham, but more importantly for the believer, the Spirit witness to our spirit that we are God's beloved children, this to the most orphaned generation that ever existed. In fact, the Spirit causes us to cry out Abba, Daddy, Father (Romans 8:16, 15; 1 Corinthians 16:20). And it's only from within the security of His  extravagant healing love, that we can move from being conquerors,  to being more than conquerors. And we don't have to pretend that we are valuable, we were bought at incredible cost by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). This makes us infinitely valuable!

Lord Jesus, we have an enemy who is intent to kill steal and destroy, but You came that we might have life in all its fulness (John10:10). Open our eyes Lord to see that You intend only good (Romans 8:28), and that it is not only keeping the principles that bring life, but the warmth of You intimacy and embrace. And I choose again this morning Lord to be a living sacrifice in order that I gain You, Your abundant life and eternity,  in Your precious Name Amen

Tower of Babel: Now the whole earth

had one language and one speech. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:1,4) Research has shown, probably because we are all different, that when groups get too big they tend to fragment.  Nevertheless as Ross comments on this section of Genesis “All generations of humanity, including our own, have looked to political peace and unity among all peoples as the solution to humanity’s ills” (Questions in Genesis p.169).  

Over and over, again people have dreamed of utopia (a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions). The problem,  as history attests, is such unity can only be maintained by force. Ross again “in fact so-called peace and unity can lead to greater evil and suffering than conflict and disunity. And the reason is that evil people driven by greed and power always try to exploit social peace and unity to rob and oppress others.  Under the “peace and unity” of the Soviet Union for example,  16 million civilians and soldiers were killed.

Utopia would be possible only if humanity was basically good. But why do saying such as “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” make so much sense? An essential step in my conversion came with the realization of the wickedness of my own heart (Jeremiah 17:9).  I like Winston Churchill's quote “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”  It's only the worst form if you compare it to unobtainable and unworkable Utopia.

In his Biblical series lectures, Jordon Peterson paraphrases verse four as “we will make something so great it will compete with heaven itself. This means it will take the place of God.” It starts with “let's make a name for ourselves” (verse 4). Ross comments that this is start of humanism.  Peterson again says that if we give God the benefit of the doubt by assuming that He is Good, then He must have a reason for declaring “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (verse 7).  Humanism is the philosophical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively. But if humanism without God could ever work, then why is “man's inhumanity to man” so common?

God promised in the covenant to Noah that He would never again wipe out all humanity, I can't help thinking He might have been tempted to,  on numerous occasions. What is interesting to me, is that no empire has stood forever,  Scripture teaches  that God intervenes in said empire when He has had enough (Genesis 15:16). He is, I believe, determined one way or another to show the living “that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Daniel 4:17).

Father, I am just waking up to the knowledge that we are to be co-labourers with You in bringing the Kingdom to earth, as it is in heaven. It's not just about my inner peace! We're not to use the worlds weapons Lord (2 Corinthians 10:4), and I don't know what it is supposed to look like, but I do know it starts with repentance and prayer (1 Chronicles 7:14). Equip us Lord and guide us, and bring the fullness of the Kingdom in Jesus Name Amen

The Covenant of peace: “For this is like the waters of Noah

to Me; For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the LORD, who has mercy on you (Isaiah 54:9, 10).  In a real sense,  the whole Bible is about God unveiling and putting into action, His plan for the restoration of that was lost at the fall (Genesis 3; Acts 3:21). And it's like the waters of Noah in three respects, judgement on ungodliness (the flood), cleansing (washing away what is ungodly), and the restoration and preservation of the godly line represented by Noah.

We see a pattern repeated throughout Scripture, wickedness increasing, the preaching of righteousness, judgement (be it by direct intervention of God, or by reaping what we sow – Galatians 6:7),  repentance,  crying out to God. This is followed by God hearing and declaring His covenant. The cycle then starts over with the falling away.   This cycle illustrated well in Psalm 107. When Jesus came, He came preaching “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In saying “it is at hand,” He is saying it's here in it's mustard seed form as yeast (Luke 13:19; 13:21). But i't not yet here in its fullness. Returning  to this morning's verse, it looks forward to the end of all things when the mountains will be removed, and this cycle is longer be repeated. At that time there will be no longer need for His anger or rebuke, as everlasting righteousness and the fullness of the covenant of peace will be ushered in (Daniel 9:24; 54:10).

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders because they did not “discern the times” (Luke 12:56). And the fact of the matter is “now is the accepted time;  now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). And what are we to discern? Is the world going to hell in a hand basket, is our land in need of healing? I am hearing “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to their prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14). And “I will have mercy on you” (54:8).  

Lord Jesus, You are the prince of peace, and at the announcement to Mary the angel declared peace and goodwill to all (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:14). In fact the covenant of peace,  initiated in Noah,  finds it's fullness and completion in the New Covenant in Your blood (Matthew 26:28). But You did not save us Lord,  just so that we could go to heaven when we die, You saved us to be co labourers with You in the brining in of the Kingdom. Forgive us Lord that we have largely abdicated this role, and it is one of the reasons the World is in such a mess. Use this mess Lord to continue to wake us up,  to humble us to lead us to  pray, to seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways. Forgive and show us our part in bring in the Kingdom,  in Your precious Name Amen

The olive branch, the rainbow and the covenant

“Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth” (Genesis 6:11). Noah sent out three doves at intervals of seven days, the first, and this second one returned with the olive leaf or brach in it's mouth. This was God's way of letting Noah know the flood was ending.  The third dove did not return.  The olive branch has become the universal symbol of peace, and the fact that it is often accompanied by a picture of a dove with an olive branch in its mouth shows this Biblical account to be the origin of the symbol. As Rabbi Menace  Schooner  explains, the olive branch teaches us that rather than placing our trust in the promises of peace from man, we should place our trust in God.  

God said: “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you.  This is the sign of the covenant promise  between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud” (Genesis 9:9-13). Part of this covenant, is that “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (8:22). The fact that the rhythms of life,  day and night and the seasons can be explained by the rotation of the earth and tilting on its axis, in no way denies God's design behind them. And to those who have eyes to see, the regularity of these things speak of God's faithfulness. The phrase   “while the earth remains” points to the fact that  there is an end to all things (see Matthew 24:6).

As a young Christina as I first started to realize how offensive my sin is to God, I used to wonder why He did not crush me for it,  rather like a Monty Python foot coming down from heaven.  And it has to do with His covenant. This covenant is between God and all living creatures (9:9, 10), and He promises “Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (verse 11).  He does not promise there will not be floods, only that they will not cut “off all flesh” (all living creatures). This covenant, is clearly of the Grace (undeserved favour) of God. We see this,  because it remained and remains true that “the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth” (8:21). There is still the final judgement (Hebrews 9:27), but in the meantime the grace and the goodness of God is designed to lead men to repentance. We need to know this in our heart of hearts. We must not take it for granted and in doing so despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering (Romans 2:4).

Father, help us not to take this covenant of love for granted John 3:16). Let the symbols of Your peace,  hope, and the dawn of each new day remind us of Your faithfulness. Without You there would be neither peace, nor hope (Ephesians 2:12). ButYou give Your peace freely to all who come to You (John 14:27).  And the hope that You give is a sure hope,  it is an anchor for the soul (Hebrews6:19). For these and many other things Lord, we give You thanks and praise in Jesus Name Amen

The Ark and the Flood: So Noah, with his sons, his wife,

and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. .... So those that entered, male and female of all flesh (the animals two by two), went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in ( Gen. 7:7,16). God commanded the dimension of the the ark to be 300 x 50 x 30 cubits (Genesis 6:15). A cubit is estimated to be between 18 and 22 inches. At 18 inches this gives dimensions as 50 x 75 x 45 feet. To give some idea of the size,  the Titanic was 850 x 92 x 64.  They've  made a full size replica in Kansas (see pictures on the WEB). I'm told that such an ark is totally floatable (7:18), and it's certainly big enough to hold all “kinds” of animals (pun intended 6:20 NJKV).

Commenting on “the Lord shut him in,” Schaefer (Genesis in Space and Time p. 99) says “I am thankful that Noah did not have to shut the door.  Knowing that men would soon be drowning all around him, I don’t know how Noah could have done it.  But he wasn’t asked to,  he was asked to be faithful - a preacher of righteousness”  (2 Peter 2:5).  And why hard? Well we have a similar message to the one Noah gave, judgement is coming,  and there is only one way to escape it.  It's interesting that Jesus connects His second coming with the time of Noah.  “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man (Luke 17:26). Paul,  prophesied accurately of these last days when he wrote that they will be terrible,   “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure .... having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:2-5).

It was the same then for “wickedness was great in the earth” (Genesis 6:5). And what was the way of escape?  Well all those who came into the ark would escape.  Likewise for  “those in Christ,  there is now therefore no condemnation”  (Romans 8:1). There was plenty of room in the ark, and the invitation was to believe and follow the obedience of Noah's faith (Hebrews 11:7). Likewise  “Whosoever will may come,  come and  let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).  Back then it would have cost Noah to stand against the flow, likewise today at various levels we experience backlash and persecution.  In fact  “all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Compared with what is going on in some parts of the world, persecution is pretty tame in the West. And just perhaps this reflects how little godliness there is in Christ's body the Church.  

Father, You tell us we are to be in the world, but not of the world. And I come to You this morning,  confessing my part,  and the part of Your church,  in not being in the world, our being isolated from it, but at the same time being of the world (Romans 12:2).  Lord show us how to live as yeast for the Kingdom,  and so to do our part in Kingdom come,  will of God be done here on earth in Jesus Name Amen

The Flood: The waters were on the face of the whole earth

(Gen. 8:9). In addition to ample archaeological evidence, the many and varied  flood stories from around the world,  attest to the existence of an ancient and widespread flood. Interestingly the stories become more mythical the further away one gets from the possible birthplace of humanity. There's no need to forsake a literal interpretation of this morning's verse, to understand that the flood might not be global (as in covering Antarctica,  for example).  We only need to understand that while Genesis was written for us (Romans 15:3),  it was not written to us.  And to the early reader,  the whole earth would be all that they knew, to them their geographic area would represent the whole earth. In any case “the whole land,” or even “the whole ground” are also valid translations!  

I realize this interpretation is controversial,  especially among Bible believing Christians. But one Bible study method that I use,  is the inductive method. It asks three questions 1. What does it say? 2. What does it mean?   And 3. How does it apply? The need to distinguished between 1 and 2  is is seen when Jesus said “Unless you hate your mother and father you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). The problem comes when people confuse what the Bible says with what they think it says, in other words with their interpretation. Perhaps my interpretation is wrong, what would be certainly be wrong would be for me to say that my interpretation is what the Bible says. If I'm wrong I'll be forgiven (James 3:2)! If the flood was indeed not global,  then Christians who claim that the Bible says it was, are putting an unnecessary road block in the path of unbelievers! In this way, in a no doubt a genuine attempt to defend Scripture, they unwittingly turn many honest seekers away from even considering faith.

Hugh Ross (Questions in Genesis pp. 142, 142),  comments that even if the flood was not global,  then by the principles that govern God's judgement set forth in Scripture, we can respectfully conclude that  it touched all the creatures God reached out to judge, no fewer and no more.  He believes the human race had remained localized to the environs of Mesopotamia at that time. He says “that was the only place God needed to flood  – the region that constituted the whole world to the antediluvians” (p 142). I had to look that up, it means the pre-flood population!  

I don't agree with everything Ross says, but then I don't agree with the me of twenty years ago! We need to be growing in the wisdom and  knowledge of God!  There is usually some truth behind every error! And if I dismiss other views out of hand, I am likely to miss insights that can be gained. I certainty don't want to make agreement with my interpretations of the early chapters of Genesis a test of whether you're a Christian or not! Unfortunately many do!  There are many places where we need to take a stand, but in my book the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis is not one of them!

Father, give us the humility to realize there are many things we don't  know or understand. Forgive us Lord when we have judged those with whom we disagree,  and let our errors (mine too) fall to the ground.  Help us to study to be approved unto You,  and we'll give You the Glory in Jesus Name Amen

But Noah found grace, in the eyes of the Lord

(Gen. 6:5).  This Follows the pronouncement that every intent of the thoughts of man's heart was evil, and that God had determined to send the flood. God was grieved in His heart (verses 6,7), but Noah found Grace “in the eyes of the Lord.”  Noah  was righteous before God “in this generation” (7:1). Hebrews clarifies what God is saying here. We read “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household .... and inherited the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

The heroes of the faith were not perfect. King David was a murder and an adulterer, Noah was something of a drunkard (Genesis 9:4). But when we confess and forsake our sins, we are forgiven, and God chooses to remember them no more.  In this way we are perfect “in the eyes of the Lord” (Proverbs 28:13; Hebrews 8:12). Noah not only inherited the righteousness of faith (Philippians 3:9), he also inherited salvation by grace (see Ephesians 2:8).

In fact we see here in Genesis all the ingredients of a balanced Biblical view of salvation by grace. Grace is God's undeserved,   unearned favour.  It's not however, as some have perverted it,  permission to live ungodly lives,  to do exactly what the sinful nature wants to do.  Let's look first at Ephesians 2:8-10. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Paul is saying on the one hand that we cannot earn salvation. It's a gift,  and you don't earn a gift. On the other hand there are things that we need to do, not to earn salvation,  but embrace the new life in Christ. 


Paul again tells us that the righteous requirement of the law is  fulfilled in those who do not walk according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4). And we read “Noah walked with God” (6:9).  Paul again “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel, ..... according to the commandment .... unto the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:25, 26). In Genesis 6:2  we read of Noah's obedience,  that he  “ did everything just as God commanded him” (see also Hebrews 11:7).


Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the attitude that refuses to obey,  that does not work out our sanctification with fear and trembling  “cheap grace” (see Philippians 2:12).  Such grace is not grace at all! It's presumption, and  there are warnings in scripture about willful presumption (i.e. Hebrews 10:26).   Bonhoeffer wrote that cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without living for Jesus Christ.  Above all grace is “costly because it cost God the life of his Son.” Costly grace is taking up our own cross daily,  and following Him (Luke 9:23).

Lord Jesus Christ, God forbid that I should cheapen Your incredibly costly sacrifice by refusing to obey,  or to walk in the Spirit.  I need Your help Lord,  because the spirit is willing,  but the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38).  Thank You Lord,  that Your grace is sufficient for me,  and that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). For this and many other things,  I give You thanks and praise,  in Your precious Name Amen

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man

was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man, and was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast ...” (Genesis 6:5-7).

You don't have to look further than the genocidal maniacs of the twentieth century, with the murder of millions and millions, to understand that wickedness can be “great in the earth.” I'm thinking of Stalin, Mao, Hitler etc. We may never know the true numbers, but Hitler's was over six million, and Stalin's and Mao's were far greater! God knows the “intents and thoughts” of our hearts, and declares that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). It was a shock to me to learn, in the process of being convicted of sin righteousness and judgement (John 16:8), just how wicked is my own heart. As the Jeremiah quotation implies, I was deceived. It's not something we want to admit, most of us like to think we are good people.

When bad things happen to you, know that God is grieved, and He is just, and in the end every wrong will be put right. God was about to release His judgment on the earth, through the flood, but He did not, and never does, do this without warning. But Noah walked with God (6:9) and He tells him “I am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you (Genesis 6:8, 17, 18). So where do we read about the warning?

Well Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and through his preaching warned the people (2 Peter 2:5). He did this all through the long process of building the ark, during which time the “Divine longsuffering waited” (1Pet. 3:20). Again God is not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). However at that time only eight souls repented and were saved!

As we see the World going to hell in a hand basket, we need to hear Jesus,  speaking about Himself, warning  “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they did no know until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37-39).

Lord Jesus, it's not fashionable to talk about sin, righteousness and judgement. We talk only about Your amazing love, and it truly is amazing (John 3:16). But mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace kissed at the cross (Psalm 85:10). God is love, but God is just too, and sin must be punished. And if we don't receive Your offer to take our punishment in our place (1 Peter 3:18), then we must bear our own punishment. I am forever grateful Lord that You sought me out when I had no idea how lost I was. Thank You again for salvation in Your precious Name Amen

 

The two humanities continued: “Eve bore a son and named him Seth,

'For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel.'”  We see here the godly line that was Abel,  who was murdered by Cain,   being continued through Seth.  Indeed after Seths's son Enosh was born  “men began to call on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:25, 26). It didn't last long, since  “it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth.... that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose” (Genesis 6:1, 2). The phrase 'the son of' in Scripture essentially means any descended.  Thus Christ is David's son (Matthew 1:1).  According to the genealogy in Luke 3:38, Seth is the son of Adam,  the son of God. So then Seth is a son of God, and the sons of God in 6:1 above,  are his godly descendants  (see also John 1:12). The sons of men then,  are the other line.  

Concerning the mixed marriages in 6:2 Ellicott  notes “when they married for mere lust of beauty, universal corruption soon ensued.” In fact three verses later we read “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (6:5).  The godly line always seems to be in danger of switching and  becoming corrupt.   Paul warns “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:53). Also  “when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4);   It can go the other way of course, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Perhaps this is why Paul command that we not be unequally yoked with unbelievers,  as in becoming one flesh in  marriage with them (2 Corinthians 6:14).

In 6:3 we read “And the LORD said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.'” The earlier extremely long lifetimes (i.e. Genesis 5:27) are some what puzzling, but see “Questions from Genesis” by Hugh Ross, Chapter 15.  Ellicott again “As the descendants of Seth are now the fallen race, it is their covenant Jehovah who determines to reduce the extreme duration of human life to that which, under the most favourable sanitary influences, might still be its normal length, ” (see also Psalm 90:10). Matthew Henry writes “The Spirit of God strove with men, by sending Enoch, Noah, and perhaps others, to preach to them; by waiting to be gracious, notwithstanding their rebellion.” As we read in Peter,  God is not desirous that any should perish, but all come to repentance and hence eternal life (2 Peter 3:9).

Father, You are slow to anger abounding steadfast love, but there is a limit to Your patience. You wait for us so that You can be gracious to us, but You are a God of Justice (Isaiah 30:18).  In the end then, when it is clear You have been rejected,  You judge righteously. The   fact is however,  that all  have sinned and fallen short of Your Glory (Romans 3:23). In the end You do not send anyone to hell,  and the gift of freewill will be a curse to those who reject Your free gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23)!  Sometimes Lord this overwhelms me. Give me grace to deal with it Lord, and help me live a life that attracts other to You in Jesus Name Amen

Generational sins: “Then Lamech said to his wives

hear my voice wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me,  a young man for bruising  me. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Genesis 4:23, 24). This is typical Hebrew poetry where each line is is repeated and/or amplified with subtle differences. So we have  'for wounding - for hurting, man – young man, seven fold – seventy sevenfold. Thus Lamech had slain just one youth, not two (as some translations imply).  In particular, the “and” of “and a youth” of some translations,  is not in the Hebrew, and the wound is  bruising.

Like his great grandfather Cain (verses 16-18), Lamech shows no sign of remorse for his deed. And his proud boasting seems to indicate that this is an act of revenge,  an act which goes well  beyond getting even.  Perhaps Lamech's wives feared retribution, and Lamech's proud boasting indicates a couple of things, firstly his confidence that this would not happen. Part of this no doubt, was that his son Tubal-Cain, was “an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron” (verse 22). Interestingly, the name Tubal-cain has a double meaning,  worldly possession and  possessed of confusion, indicating the two things often go together. Commentators agree that  what was being crafted was weapons of warfare. Thus what Lamech seems to be saying if that if God would have avenged Cain seven times if somebody killed him (4:15), then with our “modern” weapons God would avenge him seventy times should anyone dear to kill him!  In other words “wives of Lamech,  no-one would dare!”

Thus we see fear and dominance arising, together with pride and presumption  “God on our side.” It is strangely familiar!  Lamech had not only copied his great grandfather in committing homicide, he had gone further, not only in his deeds, but also in his attitude. The Lord would later elucidate the principle that “the sins of the fathers are visited on the children to the third and forth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5). “Visited” is to be preferred to some other translations which have “punished” (see Ezekiel 18:20). It means the default for descendants is to engage in the same sins or worse. As I said earlier, there are only two humanities, those of the faith of Abel and those of unbelieving Cain. If we do not love Him, in His eyes it is the same as hate. Jesus puts it this way “He who is not for me is against me” (Matthew 20:30).

There is a “but” that follows the Exodus reference, and “but” changes everything. In this case it changes the line from that of Cain to that of Abel. Verse 6 reads   “but showing mercy to thousands of generations, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Note it is not just about loving God, it is also about obeying His commandments. The two are related for “If you love me,  keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Father, most parents want the very best for their children. And when we truly see that our bad gets carried down not only to our children,  but to our children's children,  and to our children's, children's,  children, it can motivate us to change. Too often Lord we don't see our faults, so I am asking this morning that You search me o God,  and see if there be any wicked way in me, that You grant me repentance and lead me in the paths of life,  in Jesus Name Amen

The LORD said “Not so. Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance

.... shall be taken on him sevenfold”  (Genesis 4:15). Cain had cried out “anyone who finds me will kill me” (verse 14), and this morning's verse was the Lord's declaration. He put a mark on Cain to that effect, though we are not told the nature of that mark. Ellicott comments “Cain’s punishment was severe, because his crime was the result of bad and violent passions, but his life was not taken because the act was not premeditated. Murder was more than he had meant. But as any one killing him would mean murder, therefore the vengeance would be sevenfold: that is, complete, seven being the number of perfection.

Vengeance (revenge) is defined as the act of committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, it be can be real or perceived.  Even when civic government was put in place to carry out the Lord justice , vengeance was and is,  God's prerogative, and was to be carried out under His guidance.  It is written “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35).  To take vengeance into our own hands is to play God – it was Satan's original sin (Isaiah 14:14).

The scornful, prideful and casual boats of Lamech (Genesis 4:23) indicates,  and is confirmed by archaeologists, that escalating blood feuds were common in ancient cultures.  From the dictionary,  blood feud is “a cycle of retaliatory violence, with the relatives or associates of someone who has been killed or otherwise wronged or dishonoured,  seeking vengeance by killing or otherwise physically punishing the culprits or their relatives.” Current gang warfare, and the presence of blood feuds in early American history make the archaeologist's claims totally believable.

With our long history of law and order based largely on Judaeo-Christain values,  is it hard at times for us to imagine how necessary and how radical were the 10 commands (Exodus 20:1-17).  Some have suggested that the law and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:24) is barbaric. But you have to realize that the practice was essentially two eyes for one eye and two teeth for one tooth,  that is escalating violence.  

The higher law to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44), would have fallen on deaf ears.  Even today for believers full of the Spirit,  this is still something of a stretch at times.  For those without the love of God poured into their hearts (Romans 5:5),  it would have been impossible. What the Law is saying, is to settle for justice not revenge.  But as I say, there is a higher law “mercy triumphs over justice.”

Father, the full verse of this last quotes is “judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). I remember commenting to a friend when I had been let off a speeding ticket “That's what I want when I die, mercy not justice!” Thank You Lord that You are  merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and mercy (Psalm 103:8; Joel 2:13). And You call us to be merciful for You are merciful’ (Luke 6:36).  We need Your grace Lord, the wherewithal to perform Your will, and I am asking for it this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

Cain had slain Abel, but he replied  “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4:8, 9)?  As I mentioned last day there are two and only two condition of  mankind, two paths, the one that follows after Cain, and those who are of the faith of AbeI. When God had asked Cain why he was angry, he had refused to look inward to see the condition of his heart (verse 6).  He now moves even further away from God. He tells an outright lie, and fails to take responsibility, not only for what he had done, but also in his natural position of the older brother,  as protector.  There's no remorse, no repentance, no confession, his conscience is seared (1 Timothy 4:2), and pride clearly raises its ugly head.  He had attempted to conceal his crime, but as Proverbs tells  us “He who covers his sins will not prosper, whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

God replies to Cain “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground” (verse 10). Our God is a God of justice (Deuteronomy 32:4), yes He is merciful too, but the sense that something needs to be done when  things are unjust, is part of our being made in the image of God.  Justice dictates  “judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.” On the other hand  “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). It is only when  we confess our sins that He can be faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9). He does this through the divine exchange, the mystery of the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Again we see the two humanities here, it is only to those who both receive Him and put their faith in Him,  that He gives the right to be called His children (John 1:12).

So because there is no repentance,  God is just to curse Cain, and to sentence him to lead the life, neither of the shepherd, nor of the tiller of the soil, but of the roaming Bedouin of the desert (Cambridge commentary verses 11, 12). Cain cries out that his punishment (iniquity some translations)  is greater than he can bear (verse 13)!  There are two kinds of sorrow for sin. Firstly there is the sorry I got caught, the sorry that I am reaping the consequences of what I have done (Galatians 6:7). Then there is the godly sorrow that produces repentance,  a turning away from sin, such repentance leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10). Clearly Cain's sorrow is of the first kind, and this again emphasizes the two humanities,  those of the human race who are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and  those who are of the faith of Abel (Hebrews 11:4).

Father, we might like to think there is a middle ground,  many do. I hear people say things like  “I am a good person.” They are deceived  Lord, for as Jesus told us only God is good (Mark 10:18). Paul thought he was good, but when You opened his eyes, he realized his own righteousness was as filthy rags (Philippians 3:8; Isaiah 64:6). He and I have received the righteousness that comes from You by faith (Philippians 3:9), and now I am a child of God. For this and many other things Lord, I give you thanks and praise in Jesus Name Amen

Cain rose up and slew his brother: Two humanities

 They say more evil is committed by those who are perfectly sure they know what they are doing! God had asked Cain why he was angry (Genesis 4:6). The question was for Cain's benefit, not God's. Trials difficulties and temptations come to humble us, and to expose what's in our hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2). The fourth step of twelve-step-programs is to make a fearless moral inventory of ourselves. The steps all have a Biblical basis, this one is based on the admonition to examine ourselves (introspection – 1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 6:4). Doing this could have changed Cain's destiny!

In the midst of my first marriage breaking up, I had been so convinced she was evil, that I had murder in my heart. What's scary for me, is that I am not at all sure I would not have followed through if I thought I could have gotten away with it (I didn't by the way)! It lead to my conversion when Holy Spirit showed me that I too was far from guiltless that,  and Jeremiah 17:9. It reads “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” 

Most of our behaviour, especially our so called goodness,  is shaped and formed in us by rewards and punishments, in other words by behaviour modification.  From his observations during his imprisonment,  and the horrors and inhumanity in the Gulag Archipelago, Russia's notorious prison, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts.”  Part of what this means, as I had  discovered, is that each and every one of us, given the right or perhaps the wrong circumstances, is  capable of the most heinous of crimes. As I said our goodness is conditioned. Jesus put it these way “only God is good,” elsewhere “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Mark 10:18; Romans 3:10).

Many who seek to work the steps in twelve-step-programs, quit at the above mentioned fourth step. The reason I believe is that they come face to face with what we are discussing this morning,  and the truth is just too much to bear (John 16:12). This is especially true if we don't know that we can flee to Jesus for refuge (Hebrews 6:18). Through His sacrifice on the Cross,  He gives us His righteousness in exchange for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). This salvation is a gift that needs to be received (Romans 6:23). You are either righteous by faith or you are lost (Philippians 3:9)!

It was by faith that Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, and  like Abraham through his faith he was declared to be  righteous  (Hebrews 11:4; Romans 4:3). There are two humanities, two condition of mankind, that of Cain (dead in trespasses and sins – Ephesians 2:1) and that of AbeI (righteous by faith). Which one are you?

Father,  I had gone the way of Cain and messed up my life completely. You waited to be gracious to me, so that You could   rescue me (Isaiah 30:18). You clothed me with a rob of righteousness, so that I would not be found naked at Your appearing (Isaiah 61:10; 2 Corinthians 5:3). My prayer is that at my testimony many may see and fear and put their trust in You (Psalm 40:3).  Thank You Lord for my salvation, I'm forever grateful in Jesus Name Amen

So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry?

If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:5, 6). Cain would soon murder his brother (verse 8), and God's question was designed to stop him in his tracks. Here we have the first mention of sin. “Do well” is a more literal translation than those that have “do right.” It's an important distinction, because “do right” immediately gets us into the question of what is right and wrong.  The concept of sin is developed throughout  Scripture, but here neither Cain nor Abel would have understand the more developed notion. Here it is crouched in terms a child, and a world without the later revelation of sin and its consequences,  could understand. In particular doing well is doing what pleased God with whom Cain and Abel were in relationship. Just like a young child with loving parents.


With this early understanding of sin,  those trapped in addictions illustrate well that is it “crouching at your door and it desires to have you.”  Mankind's desire and taste for freedom is warped, desiring to be free from rules, especially God's rules. But as I keep saying His rules are there for our provision and protection. You are free to take drugs, but you are not free from the consequences of taking them.  You could say the drug is crouching at you door like a tiger,  and it desires to have you. In other words first you have the drug, then the drug has you!  It's the same with all sin, if you break God's laws, they will eventually break you.  You're free to break them, but do not be deceived, we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).  Bad choices (not doing well) have bad consequences.

This brings us to the phrase “you must rule over it." We might think  freedom is doing anything we want, but true freedom is the ability to say no to things that are bad for us. Jesus puts it this way “he who sins is the slave of sin,” but “if the Son shall set you free, you will be truly free.”  Being set free requires our cooperation, and our part is knowing His Word, studding and obeying it,  living it out (John 8:31-34). It's an ongoing process. Self control is part of the fruit of the Spirit, the benefit of being vitally connected with Him (Galatians 5:22, 23).

The first step in twelve-step-programs, is to admit that we are powerless not only over our addictions,  but also over our compulsive behaviours. So it's not just for addictions! But we're not likely to enter such programs until reaping the consequences of our choices bring us to our deepest bottom, to the end of ourselves. Know this, like with Cain, if we can acknowledge our need to be rescued,  it is not too late. Jesus came to rescue us, to seek and to save those of us who are willing to admit we are lost (Luke 19:10).

Lord Jesus, You came to give life in all it's fullness.  Your ways are best Lord, for You are the way the truth and the life. Thank You that when I was still without strength,  You died for me to in order to reconcile me with the Father  (John 10:10b; 14:6; Romans 5:6). I praise and thank You Lord,  in Your precious Name Amen

He did not respect Cain and his offering and Cain was very angry: Anger and sacrifice (Genesis 4:5)

Perhaps one of the greatest struggles most of us have, is against our status as creature before the creator. I mean just who does He think He is, that He feels He has the right to tell me what to do, and then judge me for not doing it? Have you ever met someone who feels the world revolves around them, and acts accordingly? We call that arrogance! Do you ever feel God expects too much?

One of the reasons that it is important to know that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh (Isaiah 9:6), is that we then know it was God Himself who humbled Himself to this extent: He became obedient to every command of the Father, eventually even submitting to an unjust and unbelievably painful death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). And He did it, because He believed it was God's will, and He did it for love knowing that this obedient sacrifice would make it possible for mankind to be reconciled with the Father (Luke 22:42; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:19). So then God is far from arrogant, and He does not expect from us anything that He Himself was not willing to do, only more so!

The Stanford marshmallow experiment is interesting. Children were given the choice of one marshmallow to eat immediately, or two ten minuets later. But they had to wait with the other in full view. Those who managed to wait, only did so with great difficulty. How like children we are, in that we want what we want, and we want it now! Delayed gratification (sacrifice) even for something better, is a stretch in our culture. And God and His rules just get in the way. Never mind that His rules, like the loving Father He is, are there to protect and to provide (see 22 January).

Scripture makes is clear that we come into the world knowing God instinctively, but that knowledge gets twisted, warped and suppressed by our own desires, by false views and representations of Him, by religion etc. (Romans 1:18-20). According to verse 21, the slippery slope begins when we neither glorify Him nor are thankful. In particular resentment, bitterness, ingratitude and all negativity draws us away from relationship, away from knowing Him.

The way some people act you wouldn't know the Bible does not condemn anger in and of itself. People, especially Christians even show displeasure towards a raised voice. So there is a widespread tendency to suppress anger and to deny it. But dealing with it like this comes out somehow, and often in very destructive ways (such as passive aggression, or punishing silences). On the other hand, brain research has shown that when we obsess on negativity, or nurse our anger, it becomes explosive. Scripture then tells us to be angry and sin not, and to not let the sun go down on our wrath (Ephesians 4:26). It also tells that the solution is to come against it in the opposite spirit. We are, for example, to give thanks in all situations. This is the will of God (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It's a sacrifice!

Lord Jesus, only when I'm full of Your Spirit, can I even start to rejoice in You always, and to give thanks in everything (Philippians 4:4). I need Your help to put to death the deeds and desires of the sinful nature (Romans 8:13). But You are well pleased with such sacrifices (Hebrews 13:6). So with Your help, I choose again to offer the sacrifice of praise, giving thanks to You in Your Holy Name (Hebrews 13:15) Amen

And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,

but He did not respect Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry (Genesis 4:4,5). Able was a keeper of sheep, and he had brought the firstborn of his flock.  Cain was a tiller of the ground,  and he had brought the fruit of the ground (verses 2-4). So both had brought forth from the labour of their hands, and God's rejection raises many questions. What made the men and their offerings acceptable or not? Was it fair of God to do this? Is God fair, is He just?  Have you ever been angry with God (I have)? How do we deal with rejection, disappointment and loss?

Let's get one thing straight, life is not fair, and if rewards and punishments are in this life only, then God is not just. The psalmist wrestles with this question “I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” It had almost cause him to slip and take offence (against God). That is  “until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (Psalm 73:2, 3, 17). The other thing, is that I have always wondered how I would react if I  lost a child. I know how I would want to react, but I know myself well enough to know that I can be overwhelmed by my emotions.

The Bible is its own best interpreter, and we read in Hebrews 11:4, that it was “by faith that Abel brought God a better offering than Cain.   By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.” Certainly God would know what was going in in Cain's heart. Elsewhere we read of backsliding Israel “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, but their heart is far from Me” (Isaiah 29:13). The heart of the matter is the heart. And we are commanded to keep our “heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is where the issues begin. Jesus tells us that things like  murder, adultery, fornication, theft etc., all start in the heart as evil thoughts (Matthew 15:9).

And “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).  We don't know exactly what was going on in Cain's heart, but it was not good, and it did indeed lead to murder (verse 8). God knows the end from the beginning, and for Him to accept Cain's offering would have been to enable Him in his sinful thoughts. Instead He uses the occasion to warn him, and to point out that it is still possible to remedy the situation (verse 7).

In times of frustration I often picture myself with God's arms around me,  and me pummeling His chest with my fists. I know I am wrong, but I also know that God who is love, is big enough to deal with my temper tantrums.  And it always ends well,  with my surrender and His forgiveness (1 John 4:16; 1:9).

Lord Jesus, if this life is all there was, You would not be just! But this life is not all there is (John 3:16), and the greatest injustice ever was You,  the spotless lamb of God,  crucified (1 Peter 1:19). You did for us Lord, the just for the unjust,  so that You could bring us to God (1 Peter  3:18). I'm forever grateful Lord,  that You came to seek and save the lost, like me (Luke 19:10). In Your precious Name Amen

Now Adam knew Eve his wife,

and she conceived and bore Cain and Able. Able was a keeper of sheep, and brought of the firstborn of his flock as an offering to God (Genesis 4:1-4). Sacrifice in its broadest sense is the act of giving up something,  especially in order to get or do something else. In the ancient world sacrifice to gain favour or forgiveness with a deity was widespread and seems to be instinctive within human nature.  In the book, that is thought to be the earliest of all the Biblical writings,  Job offered burnt offerings to God just in case his sons had “sinned and cursed God in their hearts” (Job 1:5).

Able offered the firstborn of the flock, and as such no doubt it was the most precious,  the most valuable, and it represented a significant sacrifice. Later sacrifices under the Law were always the firstborn,  unless that animal had a defect  (Deuteronomy 12:6; Exodus 12:5). It was regarded as an insult to God to present anything that was less than perfect.  We are not told if Abel's offering was an attempt to make up for some sin, or that had even sinned. It appears to be a thanksgiving offering, and something given voluntarily.   

The universal instinct to sacrifice lead the ancients to sacrifice their children through the fire to the god Molech. Apparently they beat drums to drown out the child's screams. The rationalization went something like this, “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul” (Micah 6:7).  There is something diabolical about such a doctrine,  and it was expressly forbidden to ancient Israel (Leviticus 18:21).  The Lord made it clear this was abhorrent to Him,  and that such things were not in his heart for mankind to do (Jeremiah 7:31).   Many with a false view of God have likewise supposed that He is some sort of demanding tyrant.  Others have committed atrocities that was never in God's heart, but were nevertheless supposedly done in His Name.  

The idea of the “fruit of my body for the sin of my soul” was somehow compelling, and ancient Israel certainly fell into it at times. It was and is true that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). Nevertheless, there was there was a flaw in the logic of it. In particular,  since all humanity inherited the sin nature from Adam, the sacrifice would not have been without blemish and so not acceptable to God.  The only acceptable sacrifice was  “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).

As followers of Christ, who voluntarily sacrificed His life for us, we are called to voluntarily lay down our lives for others (1 John 3:16). We are called to be living sacrifices, to continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name. We are admonished to not forget to do good and to share, “for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15, 16). We are never more like God than when we voluntarily make such godly sacrifices.
 
Lord Jesus, one of my heroes,  Heidi Baker talks a lot about being laid down lovers of God. She lives is Lord, and her life continually challenges me. But it's the only reasonable response to Your tender mercies  (Romans 12:1 NKJV).  So we offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving this morning Lord,  and we give You all the honour, glory and praise,  in Your precious Name Amen

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us,

to know (experience) good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden  (Genesis 3:21,22). They had become like God in this, to know good and evil. In Hebrew the concept of knowing is far greater that intellectual knowledge, they knew good and evil in that they experienced its effects,  and were participants in it. Being made in God's image,  mankind contained the nature of God to be good, but  the nature of the serpent was birthed in him when he fell. So then these two natures reside within each of us, and they are at war with each other.

The Law was introduced as a tutor to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). God had to demonstrate beyond a shadow of doubt,  that rules and regulations would not be enough the overcome the sinful nature within us. This demonstration is seem clearly throughout the pages of the Old Testament. To put this another way, you cannot legislate the heart. Or yet again,  we sin because it is our nature to sin, it's the default. Why am I saying all this in the context of this morning's scripture?  It's because if the sin nature was allowed to be present in paradise,   it would not be paradise.  If heaven is to be heaven there can be  “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain” (Revelation 21:4).  It was for this reason that Adam in his unregenerate state had to be cast out of the garden, out of paradise (verse 22).

To say more, nobody is perfect (Romans 3:23), and how much manipulation, how much put down, control, codependency, selfishness etc., do you want there to be in heaven? Remember things tend to get worse rather than better, and if you get there,  you will be there for ever,  and ever,  and ever! Nobody's perfect, so all this would exclude us all, except that creation was subject to the curse in hope (Romans 8:20). Without Christ we are without hope (Ephesians 2:2), but in Christ we have a sure hope of eternity (Hebrews 6:19; John 11:25). It involves a choice, a choice by faith to accept His free gift of life (Romans 6:23) and then, as living sacrifices,  to cooperate with Him in putting to death the deeds and the desires of the sinful nature (Romans 12:1; 8:5, 6, 13; Galatians 5:24). This cooperation is what it means for the church, the bride of Christ,  to make herself ready (Revelation 19:7, 8).

As the picture of the bride implies, it's all about love, about our responding the the initiating love of God in sending Christ to make provision for us to be put right with Him (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1, 2). Our initial choice to get saved (justification - Romans 5:1; Acts 4:12),   needs to be followed by our becoming holy (sanctification  - 1 Peter 1:16). In this way we can live changed lives that demonstrate to the Word,  the reality of Christ in us, the hope of Glory  (Colossians 1:27).

Lord Jesus, we're all a work in progress.  We need Your help to be   being transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Thank You that You who have begun a good work in us,  will keep right on working until that day we get to be with You forever (Philippians 1:6) in Your precious Name Amen

Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin,

.... and clothed them (Genesis Gen. 3:21). After their disobedience  Adam and Eve knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings (3:6, 7).  Looking deeper there are two things that we will see here. The first is that  nakedness will be seen from time to time as a metaphor for sin,  guilt and shame. The second is that it is God and only God who can cover this metaphorical nakedness. Adam and Eve had tried to hide their nakedness.  However “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). And in the resurrection we will be clothed with immortality so that we shall not be found naked (2 Corinthians 5:3).

Adam and Eve had made a futile attempt to cover their nakedness, their sin and their guilt, and shame, with fig leaves (3:7). As a race we use various means to attempt to cover our sin, we suppress it,  pretend it does't exist or that it does not bother us, we blame others for laying guilt trips on us etc.  In Proverbs 28:13 we read “He who covers his sins will not prosper.” David cried out “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all the day long” (Psalm 32:3). Researchers increasingly are finding  connections between guilt and shame and health, mental,  physical and emotional.

The cure for guilt is to be forgiven, and ultimately God is the only one who can forgive. After committing adultery and a subsequent murder (2 Samuel 11, 12),  David declared “Against You only have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4). He was not prospering,  his sin was ever before him (verse 3). The second half of Proverbs 28:13 then reads  “but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
When we confess our sins, our guilt and shame are covered.  David again “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (1 John 1:9: Psalm. 32:1). The believer is clothed with the garments of salvation, and covered with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).  We have a part to play. As we the church,  the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:27),  make ourselves ready (sanctification), it is granted to us to “be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7, 8).

In order for God to clothe Adam and Eve in animal skins, the animals had to die.  This too points to a deeper meaning of the text. Ultimately, as the Scripture tells us,  without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin,  no covering with His robe of righteousness (Hebrews 9:22). This first act of sacrifice foreshadowed the animal sacrifices that were prescribed under the Law. These animal sacrifices are themselves “a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:17).  That is Jesus Christ Himself is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World (John 1:29).

Lord Jesus, perhaps is it no coincidence that the chorus “I'm forever grateful” is on my heart this morning.  I'm forever grateful that You came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). In view of Your tender mercies Lord we present our bodies again this morning as a living sacrifices Holy and acceptable to You,  and we give Your the glory in Your precious Name Amen