It all happened so fast! In 6 days God created the a universe filled with wonder, spender, mystery, and beauty. He placed his prize creation in the most perfect of settings, a garden. He provided him a helpmate exactly suited to him. He was in daily communion with God and in charge of God’s creation. He lived under just one command - just one command! He should not eat from this one tree. But that wondrous existence seems to have only lasted a few days because by Genesis 3, it is all over!
Adam and Eve fell into sin. They believed the lie of the evil one and quickly found that the promises of Satan are empty and deceiving but the promises of God are steadfast. God promised they would die if they disobeyed. And they did, and since they are our parents, we died with them!
It all happened so fast! Even though the serpent was punished, sin would not abate - it never will! It had entered creation. It had spoiled God’s plan (or so it thought!). And it was here to stay. Of the many things to learn in the opening chapters of Genesis, we would do well to learn this: sin progresses unbelievably fast and leaves destruction in its path! The sin of chapter 3 is eating forbidden fruit. The sin of chapter four is murder! And it only gets worse because by chapter 6 sin has so covered and captured man that the earth must be cleansed by the waters of the flood! It all happened so fast!
But thanks be to God, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20)! God graced a man named Noah. Noah built an ark in obedience to God. God rescued Noah and his family and preserved the animals in the Ark. And with the end of chapter 8, God has made a covenant signified with the rainbow! After the Fall - there was grace!
I'm glad to see that you review these comments first, I'm a little embarassed that I might type in something really dumb! Here's a question from Gen. 5:28. Lamech names his son "Noah" because God will bring through this son relief and comfort from the hard work of scratching a living out of the ground. But how does Noah's life bring relief or comfort? Since the meaning of the name is written out it seems that it ought to have come true, that it ought to be significant. Is it? How?
ReplyDeleteGreat question Candy!! My initial thought would be that the flood is the answer. Noah would somehow bring "relief" or "rest" from the working of a cursed ground. In a sense, the flood did just that. It gave the cursed ground a rest and when the waters receded, everything had a fresh beginning. There was then a "rest" for the people as well. Again, just my initial thoughts! The Lord bless your reading!
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