SFJ Bible Reading Plan

Genesis 8

The Flood Subsides

8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

God’s Covenant with Noah

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse¹ the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Footnotes

[1] 8:21 Or dishonor

(ESV)

Genesis 7

7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals,¹ the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and seven pairs² of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing³ that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits⁴ deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

Footnotes

[1] 7:2 Or seven of each kind of clean animal

[2] 7:3 Or seven of each kind

[3] 7:4 Hebrew all existence; also verse 23

[4] 7:20 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

(ESV)

Genesis 6

Increasing Corruption on Earth

6:1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in¹ man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim² were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Noah and the Flood

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,³ for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.⁴ Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,⁵ its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof⁶ for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Footnotes

[1] 6:3 Or My Spirit shall not contend with

[2] 6:4 Or giants

[3] 6:13 Hebrew The end of all flesh has come before me

[4] 6:14 An unknown kind of tree; transliterated from Hebrew

[5] 6:15 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

[6] 6:16 Or skylight

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Cain & Abel (10-10-15)

Today’s study on Cain and Abel gives us a number of things to mediate on and grow in.

1. The Importance of Giving God our First Fruits

Our Reading in Genesis 4 reveals to us that our sovereign Creator “had regard” for Abel’s sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock, while He did not approve of the elder brother’s gift of produce (Gen. 4:3–5a). Some have thought that God disregarded Cain’s offering because it was not a blood sacrifice. But this doesn’t work because the Lord did accept grain offerings on many occasions (see Lev. 2) so that the poorest in Israel could have their sins atoned by them.

The point of concern is that Cain did not bring to God the first fruits of his harvest.  In this, his heart was not wholly committed to the Lord, and thus he kept the choicest of his labor from God. This shows his lack of faith.  This was his sin and showed Cain’s wicked heart, which we see shows itself more clearly in his murder of Abel.

This is a good point to stop and consider if we are guilty of pridefully assuming that anything we bring to the Lord is acceptable.

As Abel’s example proves, true worshipers of God will give the first and best of their time, money, and possessions to Him.

John Calvin says this about when God sees false worship, “combined with gross and manifest mockery of himself, it is not surprising that he hates it and is unable to bear it.”

If we do not give that which is costly, the Lord is not pleased with our praise. Do you joyfully and freely and sacrificially give of your time, money, and efforts to the spread of the Gospel and make much of the name of Jesus? Abel’s example and Cain’s opposite example give us a great framework to consider the heart behind the way we dedicate our best to God in the area of time, talents and money.

2. We are our Brother’s Keeper

“The Lord said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground’” – Genesis 4:9-12

It is easy for us to see the crime of Murder and even Cain’s lying to God about his bother’s whereabouts, but hidden in his sin,is a heart that all to casually disregards his responsibility for the well being of his brother.

An Israelite’s brother had the primary responsibility to rescue him if he was in trouble according to Levitical rule. Additionally, Leviticus says life is in the blood (17:11), and so the most defiling substance possible is the shed blood of an innocent person.

This fact is what makes his disregard for Abel particularly horrendous.

In God’s word we are told the opposite.  That We are our bother’s keeper!  That God has adopted us into his eternal family and we are to show great love in laying down our life for each other.   This is a call to sacrificial love.

Philippians 2:4 says, Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The word “interests” here could be anything.

John Piper says it well: “So it could be, “Let each of you look not only to your own financial affairs, or your own property, or your own family, or your own health, or your own reputation, or your own education, or your own success, or your own happiness—don’t just think about that, don’t just have desires about that, don’t just strategize about that, don’t just work toward that; but look to the financial affairs and property and family and health, and reputation, and education, and success, and happiness of others.”

In other words, this is a way of saying the words of Jesus, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matt 22:39). So a Christian makes the good of his brother the focus of his/her interest and strategy and efforts.

How are you keeping your brothers?  Fighting for them?  Walking with them?  Serving them?

3. Confess your secret sin because it’s not a secret to God.

Cain refuses to confess and repent when confronted with his sin. God graciously gives Cain a chance to confess his iniquity, but he is too hardened in his sin to submit. Again, John Calvin comments on how this passage warns us when we are convicted of sin. Though the Lord no longer confronts us audibly, “let those, therefore, whose consciences accuse them, beware lest, after the example of Cain, they confirm themselves in obstinacy.” We must not harden our hearts as Cain did.

Cain is sorely mistaken when he thinks he can get away with this horrendous act for God says that Abel’s blood cries out for justice in Genesis 4:10. The verb rendered “crying” here is the same word used elsewhere to speak of the pleas of those who have met injustice.

Exodus 22:22-24, You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless

When the God, the great Judge of all punishes Cain, He puts on display what He promises by His word — that He always hears His faithful servants’ cries for vindication.

This promise is fulfilled in Christ who was vindicated by God in His resurrection (see Rom. 8:11; 1 Tim. 3:16).

IN says in Hebrew 12:24 that, For the saints, the blood of Jesus speaks a better word than Abel’s.

At Calvary the blood that demands judgment on and destroys the wicked becomes for us a cleansing flood.

Let us always be aware of God’s all seeing power.  Though our flesh may try to convince us that we can sin in secret, God knows every evil deed we commit, even if no one else on the planet finds out.   How have you sinned against the Lord in private? We should come clean in confession before the Lord about these things.  Not because he doesn’t know what they are but because confession allows us to agree with God that sin is indeed sin. It allows us to show right remorse for our transgressions and to begin our path towards real repentance.

4. Live by Faith

“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain” – Hebrews 11:4

At the end of Hebrews 10, the author of Hebrews makes it clear that it is by faith that we preserve our souls and are saved (Hebrews 10:39).

In Hebrews 11, we find many examples of persevering faith.

It is important to remember that persevering faith is not something that we create in ourselves.

We only possess true faith if God has sovereignty given it to us (Eph. 2:8 & Phil 1:29).

In

Genesis 6:4

4 The Nephilim¹ were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

Footnotes

[1] 6:4 Or giants

(ESV)

of Hebrews 11, known as “the Faith Hall of Fame”, we read, “by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain.”

Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel’s offering was done in faith, implying that Cain’s was not.

God had regard for Abel because he had faith; but Cain, though outwardly obedient, lacked such faith.

Do you trust that God will provide for you if you give him your best, your first fruits?  Do you believe that God will really give you all that you need if you lay your life on the line for him?   Take some time to look at the things you can offer to God — for example, time, money, or relationships. If you have been holding back in any of these areas, seek to give of them in ways that truly reflect trust in His provision.

It is amazing to me to see all the things we learn from this short testimony.   God’s word is so rich.  May it continue to shape us and convict us and cause us to worship Him with our whole lives!

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

National Chaplain

1 John 4:7-16

God Is Love

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

(ESV)