Great Abilities

 Read Genesis 11

As is sometimes the case, I take the road not taken in this service.  I hit some of the themes that are not the mainstream topic.  We will do a little of that today.  Consider these words from this chapter.

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”

Look at what humankind can do when they work together.  Nothing should be impossible for us.  We are told that with God, all things are possible.

The problem in Babylon was that God was not included in the equation.  Humankind’s purpose was to make a name for themselves.  It was a very self-centered purpose.  God had better things in store for mankind and he thwarted this building effort.

That’s the main thrust of this section, but let’s consider the statement that prompted God to confuse our language into many languages.

“If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”

We are created in God’s image and likeness.  God is good.  He is all-knowing.  He is powerful.  He is just.  He is righteous.  He is kind.  He is loving.  He is forgiving.

With God, nothing is impossible.

Should not we who are made in his likeness be doing incredible things?  Acting in one accord and with one language can we not do magnificent things? Let’s make a list.

No hunger in the world.

No more war.

Cure cancer and other diseases.

End homelessness.

End bullying everywhere.

Find green solutions that actually work.

Keep our air and water clean.

Stop filling landfills with plastics and other non-biodegradable items.

Replace politicians with public servants.

Live life to the full.

That’s just a list of 10 things.  We could go on and on.  I’ll add one more.  Let’s put Aunt Jemimah back on her syrup bottles.

Remember the premise at Babylon, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this…”

We live in a world that speaks over 7,000 languages with various dialects within many of those languages. Translators are needed for most international relations, and something is always lost in translation.

When I was on a 6-month cruise to Europe and the Mediterranean, I took my college German materials and studied as we crossed the Atlantic.  We would have a 2-week exercise in Europe, mostly in Germany. I would be ready.

When I got to Germany, the German people’s English was much better than my German and they didn’t want to go to the trouble of letting me practice my German.

Language is still a challenge in world affairs.  There are some common languages in the world.  Mathematics and music top the list.  Typically, they don’t require translation.

Love can be and should be a common language among all peoples, but I want us to now consider not the impediments but the inherent gifts that we have.

We all have gifts and talents and abilities.  Those who have professed Christ as Lord all also bestowed with Spiritual Gifts.

What is my point?  God has equipped you—and all of humankind to do great things.  He wants you to do great things in concert with his will, but we are equipped and have no excuse for not doing great things in this life and on this earth.

If we do these things to bring glory to God, we should expect God to provision us and bless us. If we do them to make a name for ourselves or for our own glory, we might expect God to allow the obstacles of this world to impede us.

Believe that with God all things are possible and believe that God has equipped you to do many great things. 

Jesus said take my yoke and learn from me. Thus, we need a teachable spirit ready to learn God’s ways.  We need to put the teachings of Jesus into practice. 

We need to understand that together when we seek God, his kingdom, and his righteousness, we can do great things.  He has already equipped us—humankind—to do great things.

We are made in his image and likeness and when we seek to do everything for him and for his glory, we can build the tallest tower in the world.

When we seek to serve and gratify and make a name only for ourselves, we should pray that our language confounds us until we return to God.

Amen. 

Build it to the Glory of God

 Read Genesis 11

The ark has been offloaded.  Noah’s kids had kids and their kids had kids and they are spreading out upon the earth as this populating process continues.  We can presume that the animal kingdom did the same though there is no  genealogy listed for them.  This might have only taken a single chapter in Genesis, but much time has surely elapsed since Noah hit the beach.

From that beachhead, some went to the east and decided that they would remain where they were and build a tower.  Others had built cities but they would build a tower that reached to the heavens.  They would put their mark upon the world in this feat of engineering and labor.

They would make a name for themselves.  Why should Nimrod be the only person with a claim to fame?  He might be a mighty hunter and a great warrior, but he didn’t have a tower that reached to the heavens.

Perhaps the tower was in concert with Nimrod’s desire for greatness; perhaps not. In any case, no such feat had been attempted in recorded history.  The tallest man-made structure up to this point was probably the ark towering about 50 feet above the ground when ashore.

The height of the Tower of Babel is estimated to have been about one hundred meters or so—that’s 300 plus feet above the ground.  These are estimates.  The tower stands no more and surely was incomplete at the time when the language of men was confused.

Are there any remains of the tower?  Perhaps, but this was a land where tower building became popular at some point.  The ziggurat—or terraced tower—become the model for all subdivisions.  These were more like pyramids than towers.  When people think of towers, the Leaning Tower of Pisa comes to mind for many. 

These ziggurats were more like pyramids with terraced patios.

Architecture was not at the heart of what prompted God to confuse the language of humankind.  What was it?

Did God think that these people could build a tower to heaven?  I doubt it.  While their construction was surely impressive; reaching God was not their objective.

They wanted to make a name for themselves.  This was not something constructed to the glory of God.  It was built out of the human desire to be our own god.

Pleasing God and bringing glory to him was not on their to-do list.  Bringing glory to themselves seemed to be the objective. 

The rest of the world was spreading out to the four winds.  That part seemed in accord with God’s direction to fill the earth.  These people who were involved in the tower project wanted to go against the directions of God.

They wanted a name for themselves, thus they would build a city with this impressive tower. They were probably a group of narcissists. They managed some teamwork and went from it’s all about me to it’s all about us.

Apparently, they were good at what they did.

What difference did that make?  What’s one tower built by a collection of narcissists? Did it really make any difference?

Do you remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?  Did we have to get rid of that in Woke America or can we still use that?  I don’t subscribe to the politically correct channel so I don’t know. 

I thought when we changed all the names of those sports teams and took a picture of a black woman off of a syrup bottle world peace had broken out everywhere. 

Enough digressing—I had not used my full quota of sarcasm allotted for 2022 and the year is running out.  And I can’t carry it over to the next year.  It’s use it or lose it.

Back to Maslow.  He builds a pyramid with basic physical needs as the base—air, food, water, and the like. The next level is safety—that’s more than safety from others, but includes things like employment, resources, health, and the like.

Then comes love and belonging—friendships, love, intimacy.  Above that is esteem—confidence, mutual respect, achievement, and others.

Finally, at the top of the pyramid comes self-actualization—morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem-solving, acceptance of facts, and other advanced skills.

It’s the be all that you can be thing.  It’s the live life to the full concept.  It’s realizing your full potential as a person.

It’s the gestalt effect.  The whole is greater than the sum of all of the parts.  That sounds good.  That sounds like something we would all like to realize.

The problem was that these people were moving towards that without God.  What kind of morality do you have without the One who is good and says what is good and what is evil?

What good is creativity if is only serves yourself?

What good is problem-solving if it doesn’t consider all factors—especially how a solution may not consider those Jesus would later call the least of these my brothers and sisters?

When you are very successful in the land of it’s all about me, you are moving away from bringing glory to God.

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

We have seen this sort of intervention before.  Do you remember? This came after Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Let’s think about our ongoing struggle.  We wrestle with a sinful nature and we have God-given free will.  We get to choose.

Let’s think on being made in the image and likeness of God. God is all-knowing and creative.  We hunger for knowledge and we like to create.  It’s in our nature. It’s in our God-given nature.

Let’s think about God and his goodness.  We want to be like God.  We want that divine heart.  We want to be loving and generous, forgiving and full of love, but sometimes our sinful nature wants us to be God instead of being like God in his many attributes.

Being like God—or as Paul would phrase it—being imitators of God—is a good model. 

Desiring to be God comes from surrendering to our sinful nature.  Think a few millennia forward from this tower to the time of Jesus.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When money, power, wealth, achievement, and other things of this world give you all that your desire, then your desire for God and the things of God are subordinated or altogether forgotten.

Whether you make your own god or feel like you have become your own god, then the reality of God is lost to you.  You are blind to the truth.

You will call good evil and evil good, and it will make sense to you. You will be clever—wise—in your own mind, but make no mistake, you will have been deceived.

The world will reach this point at some point.  Many people think that time is upon us, but so did the first-century apostles. 

But the story of God’s relationship with humankind would not be accelerated by the acts of men.  Humankind would be given a chance to be redeemed from sin and reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus.

The self-actualization of humankind is a good thing.  It is living life to the full, but if it is void of bringing glory to God, it is deception.  It is narcissistic. It is a harmful drug that moves us away from the goodness of God.

God tells us to make it all about him and he will give us life so full, it will overwhelm us.

So if you want to build a tower, build it to the glory of God and make it the best tower that you can.

If you want to be the best football player on the planet, do it to the glory of God and be that player.

You want to be the person who cures cancer, then cure it to the glory of God.

When I preach the Parable of the Talents, I usually ask this question.  What did I do with what God gave me?  My hope is that it will help motivate you to put your God-given gifts and talents to work and that you will produce fruit for the kingdom of God and the body of Christ.

Today, I ask you why?  Why do I want to use the gifts, talents, and resources that God gave me?  If it is to make a name for yourself, then be careful.

If it is to bring glory to God, then go for it with reckless abandon that only one who seeks to please God can know.

If you are building a tower to make a name for yourself, stop. 

If you are doing something for the glory of God, become unstoppable. It is the Lord, God whom we serve.  Let us do everything to the glory of God.

The rest of this chapter gets us to Abraham, which is where we will begin next week.

Amen.

Many Peoples, Many Gods

 Read Genesis 10

There are a lot of people named in this chapter.  We don’t know how many daughters were born during this time, but surely about the same as there were sons.

But in this culture, at this time, people focused on the sons.  Even when Jesus came, a man’s name often included the name of his father.  Do you remember Simon Bar-Jonah?  That’s how Jesus addressed Simon who would be called Peter after he professed Jesus as the Christ.

The link from father to son was an integral part of Hebrew society.

What is not included in this chapter is that most of these named people fathered lines of people who made up their own god or gods as they filled the world. They did not carry the name of the one true God with them.  They made up their own.

God’s own people would live in the lands where false gods were worshiped. The world did not know the one true God.

Let’s turn the clock ahead a few centuries to that pagan world and remember the story of God’s people.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

“‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you.  But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

We say those last words almost every Sunday, but do we realize that we have false gods all around us?

Hold on.  I haven’t seen a temple for a false god anywhere.  I don’t see signs on the highway calling me to worship Baal.  What false gods?

Here’s a big one:  Money and its first cousin—stuff.  We want the abundance of things in this world.  The good news for us is that God tells us if we truly seek him, he will also give us many of the things that the godless people have made into their gods.

Here’s another one:  Fame.  I don’t know too many famous people, but I do like attention.  I like it when my post gets 1000 likes or my tik tok video goes viral.  We like people to like us and make us feel good.  Sometimes it’s ok.  Sometimes, we like it more than we want God.  That’s when it’s become a false god.

How about idols and icons?  Only in America could we have a television show called American Idol and not think twice about it.  How about idolizing a football player or an actress or a rock star?

We can enjoy sports, have a favorite team, and even like a particular artist more than others, but once they take center stage in our lives, they are coming dangerously close to being a false god.

America is so materially blessed that even when we complain about inflation and the economy, we have more than most people will ever know.  We are spoiled when it comes to blessings.  Sadly, we often forget the One who has blessed us and make the things with which we have been blessed into our gods.

How do we not do this?

Again, we look to Joshua.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

If we will seek God and his kingdom and his righteousness, God will be with us wherever we go.  We don’t have to look for divine guidance in the world that we go into—we bring God with us.  His Spirit lives within us.  We are never alone.

That’s not the way the story unfolds as we go through Genesis.  For most of the people of the earth—you just read about the first few generations—they would seek or make or worship other gods.

Remember, that we gather here each Sunday and do our best to live each day to the glory of God because of one line of people who brought the one true God with them wherever they went.

Sure, they messed up a bunch, but God was always present.

Be familiar with the generations, but know the one true God who is faithful through all generations.

Amen.

The Story Continues

 Read Genesis 10

Shem gets us to Abram, Abraham, who gets us to Christ, but much of the early story centers elsewhere.  Among those children and grandchildren of Noah, was Nimrod.

Ham brings us to Nimrod. Nimrod takes a leading role in much of the ancient world.  He was regarded as a great hunter but his line included the builders of cities. Among all of Noah’s offspring, Nimrod was probably the most powerful and revered by worldly measures.

Those descending from Japheth started their own dialects, perhaps before the Tower of Babel was conceived. We also see what are described as maritime people.  Surely, people spread across the land and the sea as they filled the globe.

And there is mention of Canaan.  We don’t see the curse placed upon him manifested at this point, and wonder if it was something other than material things.  That one stays in the box of unanswered questions.

And so, what do we do with these names and generations?  We don’t see Moses or Abraham on the list.  So, what do we need to take home from our reading?

How about the story continues?  How about everyone contributes ins some way? How about it’s more than grist for the mill?

The Boggy Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized on August 13th, 1899.  Beginning with only 13 members and a supply pastor, Reverend T. S. Cosey, the church met in the Boggy Schoolhouse, which at that time was a half-dugout.  Cosey left the church two months after it was started and Reverend J. L. Joyner, a local farmer, became the church's second pastor.  His starting salary was $82.50 per year.  After a few years, the church met in a school building two and one-half miles east of Burns Flat.

Reverend Joyner served through 1911 and the following year the church was without a pastor but added 23 new members following a revival.  Reverend M.C. McCullough and Reverend B. P. Butler served as pastors in 1915.  There is no record that the church had a pastor from 1916 through 1922.  Reverend M. C. Scrudder served the church from 1923-1924.  Reverend Elmer Kelly then served as pastor from 1925 through 1949.

In March 1929, the Boggy, Novice, and North Burns School Districts consolidated and began building a school in Burns Flat.  The Boggy Cumberland Church found themselves without a meeting place and purchased one acre of land near the present-day high school.  In six weeks, the church had completed a 34' X 40' basement, furnished it with pews, and began services in the new location.  This project began with only $20 in the treasury.

Following a revival in late September 1930, the church decided to erect a church building over the basement.  Lumber was ordered on October 1st, 1930 and six weeks later the building was completed all through donated labor from the Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches.  Reverend Kelly reported as many as 38 men and boys from these churches gave their labor and the sanctuary was completed with only $400 of debt.

Let’s skip a few decades.

In the 1980s, the front entrance and steps were constructed.  Beneath these concrete steps lie the original steps to the Boggy School where the church first met.  In the 1990s, the church considered a new building program but opted for remodeling of the church to include a ramp and rails on the north entrance to the building and remodeling of the basement and educational unit.  The church borrowed $20,000 for the project and quickly repaid the loan.  A dedication of the work and open house was held on 22 March 1992.

Again, we leap forward.

By 1999, the church again experienced growth and arrived in a new century considering its options for expansion.  Our pastor was Jim Fisk.  The first area of growth addressed was in the area of supporting our ministries with the purchase of a church van.  A $10,000 loan was taken from the bank and repaid 8 months later.  The van has been instrumental in supporting our youth and in other church activities.  In the summer of 2000, the van hauled members of our church and the Living Waters, Assembly of God church on a home-building mission to Mexico.  The fundraising for this trip was supported by the entire community.

While church growth is often charted in terms of attendance, buildings, and vehicles; another sort of growth was concurrently taking root--small group ministries.  On a Saturday afternoon in the spring of 2000, Jim Fisk led a brainstorming session of about 50 members--adult and youth alike--searching for areas where we could better do the work of the church.  Evening Bible Study and Women's Bible Study joined an already strong youth program that has sustained them.  Participation in gathering food and gifts during the holiday season increased and other small group ministries were tried for shorter periods.   In 2001, a series of training sessions were conducted for the church elders.  Concurrently with these small group ministries, committees were revitalized and among them, the building committee began exploring options for expansion or new site development.  During this time, the church adopted its motto, "God's Love in Action."

As we considered our own future, we received assistance and support from the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Missions.  This consisted of periodic visits and consults by Reverend George Estes and some monetary grants to accelerate our revitalization.

In late 2000, the church session met to consider purchasing Don's Grocery Store but felt that the asking price for the property was more than the church could afford.  The property became available at auction in 2001 and the church purchased it with what had been set aside in the building fund and a $37,000 loan.  The church also sold the manse a few months later and used the funds to pay off the loan.  Workdays to clean up debris and remove some interior walls were conducted once the purchase was finalized.  The church held a lawn chair service a few weeks after the purchase and a September 11th prayer service in the somewhat austere conditions of the building.

Having done yeoman's service in producing building plans by the year's end, the building committee encountered the first of several external obstacles--a revised building code.  Revising and obtaining final approval of the plans compliant with the new code would take almost another year, but the time was not lost as subcommittees began exploring options for furniture, appliances, carpeting, and numerous other details required to make the transition complete.  Also during this time, the church purchased several used pews from a church in Tuttle and transported them to Burns Flat.

In the middle of the building project, the session reluctantly accepted the resignation of Jim Fisk so that he could return to Arkansas and be closer to his family.  Services and ministries continued with church members of all ages stepping forward to lead services or help wherever help was needed.  A pastoral search committee was formed and the church was blessed to find Duawn Mearns after only a few months.  Duawn and his wife Honey accepted the call to minister in Burns Flat in the summer of 2003.

By 2003, workdays had resumed and contracts were finalized.   Construction and remodeling continued through the spring of 2004.  Pews were recovered and seating arrangements were revised for the new sanctuary.

A drive-through awning was added in front of the church, a steeple was placed atop the roof, and a cross donated from the Methodist Church building was lighted and placed next to our church name. What had been a store building only months before was unmistakably a church.  On June 20th, 2004 the church held its first service in the newly remodeled building.  A few weeks later, a dedication service was conducted on the evening of July 11th, 2004.

Many of you know the first two decades of this century personally.  Our ministries expanded, at one time enumerating over 50 ministries of various shapes and sizes.

Some served for only a season or two.  Others continue today.

We are a people set on pleasing God, knowing his word—the full biblical witness, serving others, growing in grace, and being known by our love.

Those are goals and objectives and things and places to which we look forward.  Sometimes it is good to see how we got there—to look back momentarily.

Not every person listed in Genesis 10 has a landmark story, but they get us to those who do.

Not every part of our local history comes with a marque headline, but they get us to those that do.

Sometimes the story is just that the story continued.  It could have all come to an end with the flood, but God preserved a remnant, from which he would choose a special people, from whom he would send forth the Savior of the world.

Today may not be your birthday, wedding anniversary, graduation day, the day you pay off your house or car or student loan, but it is the day that the Lord has made.

We are called to rejoice and be glad in it.  We continue the story of God’s relationship with humankind and our part, however big or small we think it is, is part of the story of taking God’s love to the world.

Our story is part of God’s reconciliation of all things to himself.

Our story is about trusting the Lord over our own understanding.

Our story is about being known as Christ’s disciples by our love.

Our story is part of the story of God’s relationship with humankind.  Sin didn’t enter the world through us.  We didn’t build an ark.  The law did not come through us.  Our blood did not atone for the sins of humankind, but all of these are a part of our story.

Bringing up your children in the way they should go is a part of the story. Faithfull tithing and giving generously beyond the tithe are a part of the story. Taking love to some who seem beyond God’s love is part of the story that is now our story.

Being known by our love in a generation where the love of many has grown cold is part of that story that goes back to God saying, “Let us make man in our own image.”

It may seem like just another day or week or year, but this day and this week and this decade is one lived as part of the story of God’s relationship with us.

We don’t remember the names of everyone listed in the Bible.  We don’t remember every day that we have lived.  But they lived and we lived and we are all part of the same story, and it is a good story.

Hang in there.  Press on towards the goal.  Today may not be the best day ever or worst day ever, but it gets us one day closer to the coming of our Lord.  It is an essential link in the chain, step in our journey, or prelude to the glory that awaits us. Hang in there.

Next week we are building a tower to heaven.

Amen.

Make Love not War and whatever you eat or drink, do it to the Glory of God

 Read Genesis 9

Which animals did God tell Adam he could eat? If you find any listed in the creation accounts, please let me know.

Which animals did God tell Noah he could eat?  All of them.

But were there not clean and unclean animals?  For sacrificial purposes, yes.  Noah knew before the flood which animals were clean and unclean for sacrifices to God.

Were they clean and unclean for eating as well?  The question is illogical, nonsensical, and nonrational. That’s a question without reason.  God did not give Adam permission to eat anything with a heartbeat. The dichotomy for clean and unclean was initially for sacrificial purposes.

When the time came for God to grant mankind the chance to eat meat, he did not discriminate. He said you can eat everything that lives and moves about. You need to drain the blood from it, but you can eat it.

That’s going to continue all the way to Abraham.  After Abraham, it continues in Ishmael’s line today. Drain the blood.

The law that came through Moses made some changes for the descendants of Isaac.  Animals for eating and even touching were defined as clean and unclean as God separated a people for himself from all the peoples of the world.

These dietary directives separated one people from all of the peoples of the world.  God made them all but he was using one group to do special things in the world he created.

With the Advent of Christ and his death and resurrection, God returned us to the diet approved for Noah.  God chose all people to be his through Christ Jesus.  What you eat or drink would not come between you and God.

And the animal kingdom would fear us.  Maybe that’s because we might eat them or it could be because God told humankind to fill the earth.  The animals—nature would yield to us as we expanded into the world.

We still have stewardship over the world and the creatures in it, but we should not have conflict.  If we are destroying a species, it’s not up to the species to fight against us.

We as stewards of the world should see that these things don’t happen.

As for the blood of man, we received an early commandment.  Thou shalt not kill.  It’s a forerunner of commandments to come in the vein of an eye for an eye.

We see a forerunner of the law and the first time that God granted humankind the authority to kill another person made in the image of God.

The sole occasion was that the condemned party had killed another person.  They had shed human blood.

We are made in the image of God.  Killing an animal for food was fine.  Killing another person was not.  We don’t see any of the legal categories that we do today.  Malice aforethought was not mentioned.

There should be no reason to kill anyone, but if someone did kill another person, the penalty was death. The penalty would be carried out by mankind.

By the time we get to the Law of Moses, there are all sorts of special conditions on killing and injury, but for now, nobody should kill anybody, but if they did, they too must be put to death by humans.

In this, we also see the beginnings of human government.

Humankind’s mission was to make people not kill them.  It’s like the 60s all over again, except several millennia ago without the headbands and peace signs.  What?

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR!

God has rebaselined humankind.  He gave us a new diet.  He gave us the same command to multiply and fill the earth.  He gave us a directive against killing and the consequences for violating this directive.

We don’t have any directives on consuming alcohol at this point; though Noah could have used one.

For now, let’s connect with the full biblical witness.

My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

And if you are cooking ribeyes, I like mine medium.

Amen.

 

Ashore

  Read Genesis 9

They are all ashore now—8 people and all of the animals.  Then what?  Let’s make a list.

God blessed Noah and his sons.

He told them to populate the earth.

Every living thing will have a fear of humankind.

That fear is well-founded.  God said, now you can now eat all the green plants and all the animals. Just drain the blood from the animals first.

And here is the forerunner of an eye for an eye.  It’s the death penalty for killing another person.

God reminded humankind that we are made in his image.

God affirms his covenant.  He won’t destroy everything by a flood again.

The sign for us and the reminder to himself is the rainbow.

Noah’s three sons and their wives will populate the earth.

Noah planted a vineyard.

Noah got drunk and naked. Was there more to the story? Surely. Perhaps.

Ham discovers his father naked and reports to his brothers.

Shem and Japheth cover their father.

Noah discovers what happened and curses Canaan, a son of Ham.

Noah praises God and petitions him to bless Shem and Japheth.

At the age of 950, Noah died.

Is there anything else?  We should note that time has elapsed from the beginning to the end of the chapter.  Noah planted a vineyard.  That’s probably a year or two until it’s producing much.  Did he bring young plants on the ark or did he start from seed? The soil was surely rich and moist so it might have only taken a year.

We also see that Noah has grandchildren now. That takes a few years.  So, from disembarking the ark to Noah’s drunkenness, it was surely at least one or two years to get the vineyard going but grandkids take decades.

Not to brag, but Marines and Sailors can accomplish getting drunk and naked all that in one day ashore.

If you keep reading, you will see that it is Shem’s line that gets us to Abram and ultimately to Christ, but we don’t get there in this chapter.

So where are we?

Noah and his family found salvation in the ark.  They have left the ark for the world and are commanded to fill it. They seem to be following that command.

God, who was saddened by humankind because of the evil that they begat in the world, finds favor in Noah, and promises not only Noah but all flesh that he will never judge the world in this way again.

We know that judgment is coming to us as well, but it won’t be by a flood and because of the blood of Jesus, we have an ark as well.  And we know that we are all appointed to stand individually before our Lord.

God put the rainbow in the sky as a sign of the covenant.

Then comes the drunkenness of Noah and a bunch of unanswered questions.

God had already blessed Noah and his three sons, but it is the youngest son of Ham whom Noah curses. God did not curse Canaan, Noah did.

That begs the question: Why?

You will not find a definitive answer anywhere in this chapter or in Genesis or in the Bible.  There are many interpretations based on a bible verse or two, but nothing definitive about why Canaan was the one to be cursed.

The most common interpretations are that Canaan had sex with his grandfather or his grandmother while his grandfather was drunk, and Ham discovered what happened.

Another is that Canaan castrated his father. Noah doesn’t have any more children ashore, so the theorist points to that indirect evidence.

Nothing suggests that Ham did anything wrong, though some interpretations suggest that Ham was putting his father down when he told his brothers about finding him naked.

Some interpretations suggest that a race of people would be subservient to others.  That’s a possibility but most commentaries reject this and it surely doesn’t fit the politically correct narrative. Who cares about the politically correct narrative.  It doesn’t fit the modus operandi of God’s heart.

I researched a bunch of the possibilities, but at some point, we come to what if these theories were raised in a court of law would raise the objection:  Facts not in evidence.

It’s all conjecture, speculation, and interpretation based upon parallel examples, theories, and outright guesses, but no facts directly bearing upon this event that are found in scripture.

There are scriptures here and there from which you can put together an argument, but which provide no substantive foundation directly linked to Noah’s family.

This one is just going to have to go in the unanswered box or you can do what so many do today and just pick the explanation that you like or that keeps your comfort zone satisfied. It’s ripe for speculation but doesn’t change how we live, so the return on investment for chasing these theories is low.

It’s a rabbit trail that branches in countless directions.  It produces no fruit. At best it is a best guess.

So, what do we do?

Focus on that which is clearly given to us.  God made a covenant with humankind—and all flesh for that matter—not to destroy the world again by a flood.

God has retained the right to judge us, destroy us, or his favorite—bring us to life, abundant life, and eternal life.

There is a whole lot of genealogy and history before we get to the One—Christ Jesus—through whom we will know life.

But we live in that time where we know in the age to come or perhaps at our passing, we will all give account to God individually. As mentioned before, eight people and a bunch of other lifeforms survived the flood in the ark.

Our sinful nature and our free will also survived. Noah’s drunken encounter was confirmation of both, in whatever form it took.

We still live with our sinful nature.  We still have the freedom to choose.

So, while we read about Noah and his family getting off the ark, making kids, and drinking some wine, I remind you that God chose you for life, life abundant, and life eternal.

Will we not only choose to receive this free gift—most of you have—but live in joyful, grateful response to God’s grace and mercy.

Noah’s salvation was in the ark.  We see what happened when he and his family went ashore. We see our sinful nature and our free will survived the flood.

God will provide us with more counsel on drunkenness in the full biblical witness.  Alcohol is not condemned, but drunkenness can come at a high price.

Our ark is Jesus Christ. Our salvation is in Christ Jesus.  He is our ark. What will we do when we go ashore?

Before I conclude and charge you to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received I want you to think on something I shared—mostly with the younger folks—this past Wednesday evening.

God is love.  I did some word substitutions using the word love when we found the word God, or the Word, or Christ in the text.  Here one of those substitutions.

In the beginning Love created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Love was hovering over the waters.

We are learning the story of Noah, but we must not forget that this whole creation began in love.  Love is our destination.  A loving relationship with God and each other is the objective.

Even in loss, pain, trials, temptations, and death, it’s all about love.  That is sometimes hard to see, but we should continue to remind ourselves that God loves us, God is love, and God has good plans for us.

Love has good plans for us, even if it seems like we are spending a year on an ark.

God preserved a remnant to get us to this perfect love.  You live now in the flesh because of that love.

It seems that those who perished by the flood may also have a chance to receive Christ who is greater than all of humankind’s sin.  Yes, that requires the full biblical witness. That’s a separate Bible study for sure, so let’s return the focus to us.

What will we do now that we have been saved?  How will we live out our salvation?

Will we live a life worthy of the calling that we have received?

My prayer is one of affirmation, that we will choose the ways of the Lord and our lives will be a grateful response to our salvation.

I have known most of you long enough to know that is your heart’s desire.  Sin is still in the world.  We still have the ability to choose.  We sometimes struggle, but we long to please God.

I believe that you will persevere on that course.

Amen.

God is Love

 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:8

Did you think about that statement—God is love.  We should be able to substitute the word love in most cases where we see the word God.  How would that work?

We all know the first couple of verses in the Bible, right?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

What if we substituted the word love for the word God?

In the beginning Love created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Love was hovering over the waters.

What if we see love in the very beginning?  What if we see the creation coming out of love? Now God is righteous, powerful, all-knowing, eternal, and so much more but at his essence, God is love.

Let’s try this word substitution with some New Testament verses. We will start with John 1:14.

The Word—which we are told is God—became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Let’s try this with love.

Love became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from Love, full of grace and truth.

Love became flesh.  Love was manifested as a person.  We look at the person of Jesus and see love.  When people look at us, they should see love in us.  They should see God in us—love in us.

In the 5^th chapter of John’s gospel, the religious leadings are attacking Jesus for working on the Sabbath.  This is his response.

My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.

Let’s do the substitution, this time for the word Father—who is God.

Love is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.

Love is always at work.  The work of love never ends.  Love does not cease. Let’s put that thinking into the context of 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 Love never fails.

Does that not sound like love is always at work.

Let’s try one more—John 14:6

Jesus is only a few hours from going to the cross. He is sharing with his closest followers and friends.  He tells them that he is going away.  The disciples don’t know where, so Jesus explains that it’s not so much a location as a relationship with him.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Let’s try this one with love.

Jesus answered, “Love is the way and the truth and the life.

And now the second part of the verse.

 No one comes to Love except through Love.

When we understand that God is love, we begin to understand that it’s not about being a rulekeeper, though the rules are for our own good.

It’s not about gathering together to worship, though we are supposed to continue in our worship as a group.

It’s not about how much you put in the offering plate but whether it was given in love.

It’s not about whether you can hold a tune but whether your song was offered in love.

It’s not about hoping you get into heaven, but living your life in love so you are already living in the kingdom of God.

You are living in the kingdom of love.

Every time that you read your Bible and come across the word God, think to yourself that God is love.  Even when our circumstances seem harsh, remember that God disciplines those whom he loves.

Now take these two precepts and consider them in the context of God is love.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Perfect love cast our fear.

We may begin by fearing the Lord but our destination is love.  We may receive the discipline of our Father who is love but we will not receive his wrath.

The fear of the Lord might be where we begin, but once we are walking in his ways, fear gives way to love.  God is love.

We are to be imitators of love.

As you try to please God and love others and study your Bible and put the words of our Lord into practice, do so with this thought in mind, especially when you struggle with making sense of it all.

What thought?

God is love.

Amen.