Genesis 8-11

Yesterday, I read chapters 8-11 in Genesis. It was a great time of sitting, reading, and meditating a little bit on what was said. Typically, I read the scriptures on my phone while resting..It has worked out pretty well for me. It has helped me to stay focused on the readings and avoid turning to any of the distractions that may tempt me. Ending up to read in a really quick, undistractable area of the house has really been effective for me getting into the Word deeper, and let me ponder what is being said and going on in the scripture.


With that said, let's get into a little bit of my world as I read the scriptures..


Genesis 8


As I continue to think about what it means to be broken, I look at Noah. Noah and his family lost everything pretty much in a sense, when God flooded the earth due to its destruction and getting beyond out of control. But what inspires me most is what Noah did afterwards. He spent a year and a couple days in a boat with just his family and animals. At this time, they were still just eating plants. How did they do it? God hadn't given them the command that they could eat meat yet..hmm.. Anyway in spite of their brokenness and God's provision, they praised Him. The scriptures say that Noah made an altar and worshiped God through sacrifice. There was no command, but I believe it was just the outpouring of Noah worshiping God. God had protected his family from the evil and spared them when God felt a start over was needed. Even when He wanted to start over, here was Noah who worshipped Him and was probably very faithful! I can see the power that brokenness has on our worship to God and how He can use everything for His ultimate good!


It was the continual result of sin that the entire race was wiped away with the exception of Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives. But what about his family and friends? what about the devastation that probably brought about? Whatever the case, he used it to worship God and bring him closer to God.


It was through the continual sin, and lives being shortened. Seasons were made, harvests and temperatures were created.


Genesis 9


God gave Noah and his sons the commands again to multiple and fill the earth, which they did very well on--I might add. They also were told to exercise control again against the animals. Multiply the earth and animals under control: The commands are very significant because this is the second time God has given them.


In Genesis 9:3, God gives the command for them to use meat as food. Everything on the earth is to be used for food.


What I found unique is in the 6th verse, God says--made them to be like me. Again, we see that we are in God's likeness. This verse relates to God's standard that if we kill, we ourselves must be killed. It reminds me that as Jesus died for our sins that we ourselves need to "kill" (not literally) our sinful selves. We need to put the old man away, and continually work to please God instead of working for evil.


A situation arised for Noah and his boys when Noah got drunk and ended up being naked. I think it was a matter of integrity. Instead of Ham doing something about what he saw, he decided to turn and go tell others. Instead of doing the thing of integrity, he chose to go talk. But when he told his brothers, they immediately did something of integrity. (Genesis 9:20-27). As a result, Ham was cursed. His brothers were blessed.


Also, God gave a very important promise. He would never again flood the earth. Hence, the rainbow =).


Genesis 10


The family of Noah was greatly multipled during this time, and filled the earth. They created their own nations.


Genesis 11


They wanted to build a tower for their own glory to avoid being scattered. No longer was there one language for all to speak. God came down from Heaven to see the tower. It was probably to see a perspective that seemed to have the ability to relate to the people.


Genesis 11:6 is a central verse for me as I go through the readings.  "The LORD said, “These people all speak the same language. And I see that they are joined together to do this work. This is only the beginning of what they can do. Soon they will be able to do anything they want."


There is so much going on, and so much deterioration of evil in the people, communities, and worldwide. As the result, people are scattered and cannot speak to each other due to the language barrier which is a blessing in disguise.


Sometimes what we fear leads us to action results in our fears coming true. This is what happens to these people. They fear being scattered, do something, and boom everyone is scattered!


After yet another rebuking and discipline from God our Father, Shem's sons begin having kids in their 30s. I thought that was an interesting thing to see. In our culture, we see so much gearing toward having kids younger when in the Bible--they did not have kids until much later!