Today’s passage: Genesis 8:20-9:17

Helpful thoughts:

• Mankind was not going to change (Verse 21 – “The intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth”), but this specific response of God’s to man’s sin would never be repeated.
• God gave mankind the rainbow as the sign of a covenant.  It serves as a ceremonial reminder.  God has promised not to judge the sin of the world through a global flood.
  • The modern use of the rainbow is terribly ironic and a mockery of God’s intended purpose for it.
• After all of that death, and after the command to be fruitful and bring about more life, God gives instructions for what to do when there is death (Including through violence:
  • Animals were now to be used for food.  Mankind was now to eat both plants and animals.  The blood was to be drained, because God is the giver of life (Blood represented the life God had given, Leviticus 17:12-14).
  • There was a consequence for murder.  There was much violence before the flood.  Now, God gives a specific law concerning the punishment for murder so that violence would not be left unchecked.  God decreed the death penalty (Verse 6).

Questions to consider:

1. As was the case in yesterday’s passage, in what ways does this passage give hope, but also the expectation that all was not well?
2. Why are laws and the ability to carry out consequences a good thing?  Why are they necessary and important?  What makes governments, laws, and law enforcement distasteful to people?  Why won’t the troubles the world has had with justice (Or the lack thereof) be eradicated from the world before Jesus returns?
3. Why can it be appropriate to kill animals but not people?  What makes us different, distinct from all other living things?  Who made us different?  Why does that matter?  If someone doesn’t believe in God as the Bible reveals Him to us, how might they think differently?

Today’s passage: Genesis 8:1-19

Helpful thoughts:

• As we read through the narrative, we continue to see specific dates, amounts of days there was water, and the time in the ark.  This was a real historical event.
  • The waters “prevailed” over the earth for 150 days.
  • The waters “abated” for 150 days.
  • The ground dried for 70 days.
    • Noah and his family were in the ark for 370 days.
• When we read that God “remembered” Noah, it doesn’t mean God had forgotten about him for a year.  God was ready to act in the fulfillment of his covenant.
• Noah’s releasing of the birds describes for us the drying out of the land.  It was a process, not instantaneous.  But Noah didn’t get out of the ark when the dove didn’t come back.  Noah left the ark when God told him it was time.

Questions to consider:

1. What covenant did God fulfill with Noah?  What had He promised?  Why is it so encouraging to know God remembers His covenants and His people?
2. What is the command at the end of verse 17?  How does the story of the flood also speak of hope and new birth?
3. In what way did the ark fall short?  What was true of the people who came off the ark?  What would continue to be true of their children?  Was mankind saved from their sin?  Was the earth entirely cleansed?  What would it take to truly deal with our sin? (Hebrews 9:26)

Today’s passage: Genesis 7:1-24

Helpful thoughts:

• In verse 5, we see this reiterated, “Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”
  • Noah certainly exercised dominion over the animals as God had intended from creation (Genesis 1:26).
• The seven pairs of all the clean animals were brought on the ark for worship and for the survival of Noah and his family.  The two were kept to maintain the animals’ existence.  The rest would be used for burnt offerings and food.
• Details concerning the flood:
  • Water came from beneath the ground and from above!
  • The rain lasted 40 days and 40 nights.
  • The highest mountain was covered by water for 150 days.
  • Every air breathing creature that was not on the ark perished.  God’s judgment was fulfilled.

Questions to consider:

1. What do these measurements, mentions of time, descriptions of events help us to confirm about this narrative?  If this was only an illustration, how might it have read differently?  Why does it matter whether this really happened or not?
2. What do we learn about God in this passage?  When God says he is going to do something, what happens?  How do we see God’s wrath against sin?  How do we see His care and compassion for His redeemed? (Who shut the door to the ark?)

Today’s passage: Genesis 6:9-22

Helpful thoughts:

• Noah wasn’t without sin (No one outside of Jesus is).  But, by God’s grace, he lived a noticeably righteous life.  And, as Enoch had before him, he walked with God.
• Here is a link to a short video on the size of the ark. (And a plug for the Ark Encounter)
• God was about to bring judgment against the people of the world for their violence and corruption.  Noah and his family would be saved from judgment through the ark (1 Peter 3:18-22).

Questions to consider:

1. Why is this such a remarkable narrative?  How many times has this occurred in history?  How many boats do you think had been built to these specifications at that time?
2. What did Noah do in response to God’s commands and instructions?  What questions do you think he had?  What might have made obedience a struggle for him?  How was his faith displayed? (James 2:18)

Today’s passage: Genesis 6:1-8

Helpful thoughts:

• There are different views on who the “sons of God” who bore children with the “daughters of men” are.
  • Some think these “sons of God” are demons (Fallen angels).
  • Some think the “sons of God” are the descendants of Seth and the “daughters of men” are the descendants of Cain.
  • Some think they are simply princes, men from families who ruled over the people.  Taking the phrase “Sons of God” to be better translated as “Sons of the gods.”  In this instance, “the gods” would just refer to those who were in power.
    • I tend toward the third option.  But, whichever is true, what we do see is a repeat of the progression in the garden.  They SAW…and they TOOK in a way that was contrary to God’s command.  A repeat of the fall in the garden.
• The Nephilim are mentioned again in Numbers 13:33 when Israel spied out the Promised Land.  These early Nephilim would not have survived the flood.  Therefore, it would make sense to assume the spies likened the warriors they saw in Canaan to these men of renown they had been taught about from Genesis 6.
• God was not surprised.  He did not have to change His mind and rewrite all of eternity because of a mistake (Numbers 23:19).  However, in time, from man’s perspective, God changed direction from where things had been going.  This is the meaning of God’s “regret” in verse 6.
• Noah was not without sin.  He found “favor” with God.  Noah was going to be saved from destruction by the grace of God.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the condition of the heart of man as recorded in verse 5?  Was God being hyperbolic here or was this accurate?  How might Romans 3:10-18 help us answer that question?
2. What stark warning do we see in this passage?  If the world counts you a mighty man, a man of renown, does that automatically mean you are a delight to the heart of God?  What emotion did God have in response to the actions of mankind?
3. Why was Noah spared?  In what ways do we already begin to see an illustration of our salvation in Christ through the narrative of Noah?  Why have we been saved from judgment?

Today’s passage: Genesis 5:1-32

Helpful thoughts:

• Today, we read the genealogy from Adam to Noah, through Adam’s son, Seth.
  • Not every child is named, as is stated in the text.  Many other children were born.  These names are the specific men who bring us to the narrative of Noah.
• Some have attempted to argue these long life spans are only symbolic and literary.  But, there are no convincing arguments against a literal interpretation.  Furthermore, God specifically mentions the need to shorten lifespans in the next chapter of Genesis (6:3)!  Psalm 90:10 gives the typical life expectancy which is still true today.
• “Enoch walked with God, and he was not.”  There are two men in scripture who did not die like every other person.  Enoch and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-12).

Questions to consider:

1. This chapter begins with a reminder that Adam was made after the image of God.  What words are used to describe Seth?  What would be the implications of this description for Seth (And every other child born)?  In what way is the image of God passed down to children?  In what way is the image of the father (Or mother) passed down to children?  How might this help us better define what it means to be “after the image and likeness?”
2. Contrast the seventh in line from Adam and from Cain, Lamech (4:19-24) and Enoch (5:21-24).  What picture is being portrayed concerning God’s blessing of this line?
3. As much as we might like to live 900 years, why was it a mercy from God to shorten the span of our lives?  What would happen in the world if sinful man could live over ten time longer than we do?  Why are 800 years in Heaven with Christ a major upgrade over 800 more years on earth?

Today’s passage: Genesis 4:17-26

Helpful thoughts:

• In today’s passage, we see the beginning of civilizations (Cities), culture, and industry through Cain’s line.
  • We also see the beginning of sinful polygamy.
• Lamech evidences a self-centered arrogance in proclaiming a seventy-seven times avenging for anyone who would seek to harm him in response to killing a man.
  • He justified his killing (The other guy started it)
  • He determined his own verdict (He didn’t deserve punishment)
  • He claimed his own protection (If Cain got a seven-fold promise, I get…)
    • Jesus reversed this arrogance in Matthew 18:21-22.
• Though Adam and Eve had parented other children (Otherwise, Cain wouldn’t have ever married…) Seth is seen as the answer to the loss of Abel.
  • Noah would eventually come from the line of Seth.
  • The “seed of the woman” (Christ) therefore, would come from the line of Seth.

Questions to consider:

1. What appears to be the contrast between the line of Cain and the line of Seth?  What is characteristic of Cain’s children (See Lamech)?  What is characteristic of Seth’s children (See the end of verse 26)?
2. In order for Lamech (5th generation from Cain) to understand marriage, murder and vengeance (Or justice) as he did, what had to be true of his understanding of what happened between Cain and Abel?  His view of God?
3. What good things were happening among the descendants of Cain?  How does the blessing of creativity and productivity, mixed with sin, give us a picture of what the world is still like today?  Why is man able to be creative and productive (Genesis 1:27)?  How has the curse of sin taken this gift from God and turned it into a reason for arrogance and rebellion against God?

Today’s passage: Genesis 4:1-16

Helpful thoughts:

• Cain and Abel brought different offerings to the Lord.  This passage never says there was a problem with the content of Cain’s offering.  There would later be specific offerings Israel was given from the fruit of the ground (Their harvest).
  • As far as we can tell, it looks like the problem with Cain’s offering was not the content, but the heart with which he gave it.  God knew his heart, something was wrong, and therefore the Lord did not regard the offering.
• Cain’s countenance fell in his anger.  His face fell…you could see the disgust on his face.
  • From Cain’s perspective, God was the problem.  If God had accepted his offering, he would have been just fine.
  • From God’s perspective, Cain was the one who needed to change.  And if Cain would repent, his countenance would be lifted,
    • The Hebrew from verse 7 could be translated, “If you do well, will not your face be lifted?”
• Cain chose not to repent.  He did not do well.  He did evil and his countenance was not lifted.
  • Even after murdering his own brother, Cain still thought of God as unjust.
    • Verse 13, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.”

Questions to consider:

1. What evidence do we see today that the curse of sin has been passed on to the descendants of Adam and Eve?  Why is it significant to our understanding of the world (Mankind) to see a murder in the very first passage after the fall and the curse from Genesis 3?  What is the condition of man?
2. Cain certainly felt sorrow after he murdered his brother.  But, what actually caused his sorrow?  Again, was this a worldly sorrow or a godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:8-13)?  What evidence do you see of worldly sorrow?  What do you think godly sorrow would have looked like for Cain?  What does godly sorrow look like in our own lives?
3. When Cain followed the lead of his feelings, he did terrible things.  What order of events did God tell him to pursue?  Was Cain to follow his feelings, or was he to follow the truth, which would result in better feelings?  How can this apply to us today?

Today’s passage: Genesis 3:14-24

Helpful thoughts:

• Now that sin had entered the world, everything had changed.
• The Serpent
  • Whatever the serpent had been before the fall, it was now always going to be brought low, crawling around and stuck in the dust of the earth.
• The Woman
  • Bearing children became burdensome.
    • This is true physically.  But it also has to be true in other ways.  Before the fall, in a world without sin, being a mother would only be something to rejoice in.  Now it is often seen as a burden.
  • Being a “helper fit for him” became a burden
    • The relationship between a husband and wife became a challenge.
    • Our understanding and desire for leadership, submission, love, care and respect was all obstructed and tainted.
• The Man
  • Work became difficult and burdensome.
  • Man (All mankind) will return to the dust (We will physically die).

Questions to consider:

1. What was the final promise to the serpent?  Who is the seed of the woman who crushed the head of the serpent? (1 John 3:8)  How did Jesus defeat Satan?
2. Because of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, they needed covering.  How did God initially provide a covering (Verse 21)?  What could the death of an innocent (The shedding of its blood) to provide a covering picture?  How could this have been a precursor to the OT sacrifices and eventually the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
3. In what way was the banishment of Adam and Eve a work of God’s mercy?  What would have been true if Adam and Eve never died?  What is far better for us than to continue to live forever in this world as we are now (Philippians 1:21-23)?