BSF Genesis Week 7 – The Notes are Good

BSF Genesis: Week 7, Day 4

Questions:

9.
a.
God walked with him. spoke to him, revealed his plan, gave specific directions, waited for it to be accomplished, told them to enter ark, shut them in the ark, brought the flood, God remembered Noah, told him when to come out of the ark

b.
walked with him, talked with him, forewarned him (great motivation) and gave him specific instructions – also helped with the animals

c.
Gave me his word, allows me to talk to him daily (and even more frequently), guides my life and give me specific instructions and support through the bible, church, family.

10.
a.
Only Noah and his family knew and then not exact day until one week before it started to rain. In Noah’s day “all the people on earth had corrupted their way” in Matt warning to keep watch implies there is a means of salvation (Christ=Ark, we are invited in)

b.
The one important thing missing is communion with God. Only Noah found favor in God’s eyes. However, there is also no mention of work or service, just self-serving. Basically, they were doing nothing other than self focus and self interest, nothing that other animals weren’t doing.

c.
Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come

d.
scoffers say everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation – forgetting judgment by flood that came and ignoring judgment by fire to come

Today’s Journal:

Then the Lord shut him in.

What an interesting sentence to focus on from Gen 7:16. We often think of being shut in as a negative. But when battles rage, the protection of a safe shelter is our desire.

Noah built the ark according to God’s design, but only God could seal the deal. Only God knew the hearts of all other humans to be able to close Noah in and the others out when the rains began to fall. What a blessing to Noah that it was not up to him, that he didn’t have to choose whether to open the door to allow others in. What a relief of any guilt or regret.

In our life God opens some doors and God closes others. When we follow God’s will and wait on His timing it is never up to us to open or close the doors, only to seek the path He wants us to walk with Him and go through the doors He has provided. But we like to plan. We like to linger in the safe and secure. We like to go back and relive things.

What doors in your life do you need God’s help in closing?

BSF Genesis: Week 7, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

6.
a.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God

b.
change who is around you – walk with God (i.e., be around him)

7.
That he was going to destroy all people, build an ark (specific instructions) what animals to take, when to go in, 7 days countdown to wipe-out

8.
a.
v 19 all high mountains covered, 21 every living thing died, everything with nostrils died, everything even birds

b.
I cheated on this one (it was a challenge). The main evidence I saw was a sedimentary layer that covers everything (sea fossils found on the summit of Everest). From ancient tradition the fact that virtually every culture has a flood story. For more info: http://www.icr.org/noahs-flood/

c.
8:11+ All the springs of the great deep burst forth, floodgates of the heavens were opened, rain fell 40 days/nights, flood kept coming, waters rose and increased greatly, mountains covered to depth of 15 cubits

My Daily Journal

My take away today was in the question about being godly when everyone around you is not. This is as true of a challenge in our day as it has been in any day. If anything, the influence of culture can be even more difficult to avoid, with the intrusion into every media, billboard, airwaves, dress. But we get a good example of how to address this from Noah’s and Enoch’s examples.

On pinterest (yes, I have a pinterest account), I saw a sign that says you become like the 5 people that you spend the most time with. So what example do we see in Genesis? Noah was surrounded by people whose every thought was evil. So who did he spend his days with? God! If the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are 3 of the 5 people you spend the most time with, how would that transform who you become?

BSF Genesis: Week 7, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
Sons of God were angels (same greek word ben elohiym is used here and in Job 1:6, there translated as angels) which is different than Matt 5:9 “blessed are peacemakers called sons of God”.

4.
a.
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race every thought was evil all the time

b.
Gen 9:17 Covenant of God to not destroy again by flood. Hbr11:7 by faith we all became heirs of righteousness (w/ Christ)

c.
God’s judgment is swift, powerful and just, but not harsh. Through grace he provides a means of salvation for those who come onboard in faith and a covenant for all mankind for ever.

5.
a.
Sin: in thought, word and deed, not only by what I have done by by what I have left undone

b.
Filled with the joy of the Lord in teaching and encouraging others, particularly children and I find strength in their faithfulness

My Daily Journal:

I found it interesting that we, as humans, try to justify our reclassify our sins under the heading of “if no one gets hurt then it isn’t a sin.” This logic follows the “no harm no foul” mentality.” Consenting adults can do what they want. I can be as self destructive as I want, it is my personal freedom. Society judges us to be judgment if we don’t just accept that everyone can do what is right in their own eyes as long as no one gets hurt.

But, as we read in our lesson today, God gets hurt. God feels regret.

When my children do wrong, I feel regret for them. Not regret that I have them as my children, but regret because I understand the consequences of the wrong, both in terms of its direct repercussions but also for the lost opportunities that could have been pursued instead. I hurt with that regret for them. I think this is the same feeling that comes into our heavenly Father’s heart.

As David wrote to God: ‘Against You, You only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight’ (Psalm 51.4) All sin is against God and someone (God) always feels hurt.

BSF Genesis: Week 7, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
Jesus tells us that he prays for us to the Father even though he is part of the trinity. I think it means that was happening.

12.
a.
2/17 started, lasted 150 days, 10/1 mountains visible, 40 days later raven, 1/1 saw dry earth, 1/27 complete dry – They were in the ark until God said to come out, not a day more or less.

b.
God said to Noah “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.”

13.
I have prayed and God has intervened. I had prayed that a new employee at our company starting this week would have a great first day on the job. When he didn’t show up for work on his first day and then called to say he had accepted a different offer the day before and had started with that company instead, I knew God was in control. I assume he had a good day at his job, but he wasn’t not supposed to be part of our team. It isn’t easy to rely on God in the short run, but I have to remember that God knows far more and better than I.

Today’s Journal:

My meditation for today was on stepping in puddles. Our verses today made me think about how many times I get my feet all wet and how muddy my walk is because I rely on my own judgment to step out rather than wait on God. Noah sought discernment with the raven and the dove. I seek discernment with bible study and prayer. Noah waited patiently for God’s word. I knock down doors when I think the timing is right. Noah found favor with God. God’s grace shines favor on me, but I’m sure the muddy tracks I leave in His house must be very frustrating to Him.