Genesis 16-17  Sarai/Sarah was quite a character.  She was quite beautiful, we are told, but had a strong will of her own.   When it was clear that she was barren she convinced Abraham to marry her servant girl, Hagar, an Egyptian woman.  Hagar bore Ishmael when Abraham was 86 years old.

Hagar's life was not an easy one.  She became Sarai's maid.  She had no choice in marrying Abraham. She was treated harshly by Sarah ( bringing this on her own self).  She ran away, but returned after meeting the Lord. She raised Ishmael, but was again thrown out when he was 14, after he mocked Isaac.

Antagonism. Rivalry. Jealousy.... Hatred.  God made it clear that Isaac would be the heir and His covenant would be through him.  But, he also promised a future for Ishmael.

God established another covenant with Abraham.  The first covenant was for the land.. this one is for people.... descendants that would become nations.

Knowing how things turned out between the two sons of Abraham , it makes me wonder why God allowed it.  Of course, I wonder why God made any of us... knowing how we would sin and that His Son would die on a cross for our sins.   He has showed us the greatness of His love and grace and mercy.  He has revealed to us His wisdom and power, far beyond what we can grasp.  How wonderful it will be to spend eternity in His Presence worshiping our Mighty God.

Father, along with Abraham we believe and trust You.  We know You are the God who sees and who hears us.  Thank You for showing us mercy and grace. Thank You for being faithful to do all that You have said.  Be glorified and honored by every being in heaven and on the earth! Amen.

Genesis 13-15   Abraham went to Egypt, lied about Sarah, and was found out... then he returned to Canaan.  After a while he and Lot have to split up and he ends up in Hebron - thus he becomes Abram the Hebrew.   When a war breaks out and Lot is captured, Abram and his people go after him and are victorious.

Here is what strikes me... two kings greet Abram as he returns to his land - the king of Sodom and the king of Salem.  Melchizedek, the king of Salem "was a priest of the God Most High".   He blesses Abram and Abram gives him a tithe of one tenth of all the spoil.   The king of Sodom meets him and asks for his people back, offering the goods to Abram.   Now, Abram already had all the people and all the goods... he had already given one tenth to Melchizedek.  The king of Sodom had no right to anything... he had fallen in the tar pits and run away!  Yet, Abram graciously gave it all back to him, only allowing his fellow soldiers to take their share.  He would not be known as one to submit to the king of Sodom or be beholden to him.

Once again, we are reminded of the fact that we must always make choices that honor the "Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth."   Abram did this and was wonderfully blessed.  He chose to serve the Lord and to turn from evil.  A choice we make in everything we do and say.. and how we live..

Father, You tell us in Your Word to stand firm and resist evil by taking up the "full armor of God".  We can do this with Your Truth, Your Righteousness, and Your Peace.  We take up our shields of faith and the sword of Your Spirit, the Word of God.. praying at all times in the Spirit, and making petitions for the saints. May we truly live worthy lives, choosing always to honor and worship only You.  We ask for Your grace and for Your peace in the name of the One who loves us and whom we love, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Genesis 11 -12   Noah's sons and their families quickly dispersed and started multiplying as they were directed.  However, it didn't take long for them to forget that the Lord had spared them from destruction by the flood and some to forgot God altogether.  When they started to build cities and then a tower to reach heaven and "make for ourselves a name"... the Lord intervened once again.

" Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language... so the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city."  ( v7-8)

The narrative then switches here, as the generations leading from Shem to Abraham - 10 generations are recorded.  In chapter 12 we read of the covenant that God makes with Abraham as they enter into what will become God's promised land.

The nations were appointed.  The languages were appointed.  The scattering of people across the whole earth was accomplished.  God's plan was put into action.  One man, Abram, was chosen to start a specific nation in a specific location, with a specific language... for God's purposes - that  " all the families of the earth shall be blessed..." 

Father in heaven,  You are the One who holds all of creation in Your hands.  Your will be done!
Only You, Eternal, all wise God,  full of grace and mercy.. would and could set in motion a plan of redemption so great!  Thank You for being faithful and trustworthy. Thank You for this extraordinary gift of salvation.. perfect in every way.. We come to You because of Your grace, through faith, in the salvation that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Genesis 9-10  The Lord "blessed Noah and his sons.. "  A new society was begun with this small family.  A new covenant was given :

All animals were given for food now,  as well as the plants;
They were never to eat something still alive, with its blood.
They would be held responsible for bloodshed - blood for blood;
They were to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth;

As a sign of this covenant God set His "bow" in the cloud.  It is an" everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."  ( v16)

But, sin reared it's ugly head quickly enough in this new world.
Noah planted a vineyard, made some wine, and passed out drunk.
His son Ham "saw the nakedness of his father" and went to tell his brothers.
Shem and Japheth carefully covered their father with their faces turned away.
Because of this, Ham's lineage was cursed, starting with his son Canaan.

Chapter 10 gives the genealogy of Noah's sons.
Out of Ham's descendants we learn the origins of the Assyrians, The city of Babel; The Philistines;  The Canaanites, the Amorites and the Jebusites. All these will become enemies of God's chosen people.

On the other hand, the descendants of Shem will lead to Abraham.

All three of Noah's sons would establish cities and become nations.  They all had the same covenant and same opportunity, but choices were made.  Same for us.. we all have the same opportunity to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins.  We have the choice to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him... or we can harden our hearts and go our own way.. the way of destruction.

Father in heaven, You are the God of mercy and grace and we hallow Your Name.  Thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, Your Son.  May we not harden our hearts but open them wide to receive Your Word and to live in covenant relationship with You forever. Amen.

Genesis 8 -
Noah and his family entered the ark, along with all the animals that God brought to him.  It was the 17th day of the 2nd month, seven days after they had entered the ark, that the "fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened." 7:11
The rain poured down for 40 days and nights. Every living thing outside of the ark were "blotted out".

For 150 days "the water prevailed." 7:24
Then God brought wind and the water began to subside. 8:1

"In the 7th month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the Ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat".  8:4  ( 5 months after they entered the ark)

On the 1st day of the 10th month - they could see the mountain tops. 8:5
40 days later, Noah released the raven.
He released a dove, who returned and 7 days later released her again.. this time with an olive leaf in her beak.  8:11
Seven days later, he released the dove again, and she did not return.
On the 1st day of the first month Noah removed "the covering of the ark" and saw dry ground. 8:13
On the 27th day of the 2nd month they were finally able to leave the ark. 8:14-19

A year of living in the ark.  The animals were released "with their families".
Noah immediately built an altar and sacrificed an offering to the Lord.

God makes a promise to "never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done." 

We know that there will come a time when this earth and heaven will be burned with fire. But, until then God has promised "seedtime and harvest... cold and heat.. summer and winter.. day and night".

A new beginning was given for Noah and his family.
Since that time we have had all that God promised.
We also know that it is true that "the intent of man's heart is evil"... for all have sinned and fallen short of God's standard of holiness.

Yet, even then, God had a plan.. to send His Son to be our Redeemer.. to once and for all bring an end to evil.

Peter wrote, " But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people out you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." ( II Peter 3:10-13)

Father, we look for these things,  diligent to be found in Jesus.. in peace, spotless and blameless.  We regard Your patience to be salvation..Thank You for the promises to Noah and for the promises to us.
May we do Your will and stand firm in the Truth as we wait for the coming of our Lord. Amen.

Genesis 5-7  Chapter 5 gives the genealogy from Adam to Noah and his sons.  Chapter 6 gives the reasons for the flood and chapter 7 gives the details of the flood.

10 generations - sons and daughters born to these families; plus the "sons of God" and the "Nephilim" intermarrying with these "daughters of men"...  the result - violence; evil; corruption;

The Lord found favor only with Noah. Noah heard the command of the Lord and obeyed.
Because of his obedience Noah and his family were saved in the ark.
All of the earth was covered by the flood water and only those in the ark were preserved.

I am a bit fascinated with the record of the generations of Adam - Noah.  Looking at the numbers, it appears to me that all of the ancestors of Noah were dead before the flood, except one - Methuselah, Noah's grandfather,  died the year of the flood.  When you consider that Methusaleh was the son of Enoch, who walked with God, and the grandfather of Noah, who found favor with the Lord.. it is interesting to think about this man, famous for living longer than all the rest.   But, what if he died in the flood? An unbeliever.   Perhaps he died before it happened.. he was 969 years old.. but we are not told.

The truth is.. we each have to decide to believe and obey.  It doesn't matter how wonderful our family is - our faith has to be an individual decision.  I am re-reading the Left Behind series.. which is fictional but filled with Scriptural truths.  The premise of the story is that the Rapture occurs and some who failed to put their faith in Christ are left behind. They quickly realize that they were wrong and turn to Jesus. The truth is that Jesus is going to come again and if we aren't His children, we will not be saved from the destruction to come.  Like in the days of Noah...

Father, You are holy and Your desire is for us to live holy lives, set apart for You.  May we know (and receive)  the salvation that is in Christ alone. He is the way, the truth, and the life.  May Your Word be preached to every tongue, tribe, and nation, so that many more will put their faith in Jesus Christ.   May we be ready for that day when Jesus comes again.  Amen.

Genesis 4 Cain and Abel  - a farmer and a shepherd;  both successful and fruitful in their work; both prepared an offering to bring to the Lord.

Cain's offering came from - the "fruit of the ground". 
Abel's offering came from- "the firstling of his flock and of their fat portions". 

"The Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard."  Abel's offering was a true sacrifice. It was offered in faith we are told in Hebrews 11:  "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks."

Cain's offering was not offered in faith.  He became angry and jealous. The Lord spoke to Cain and warned him that "sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." 

But, Cain didn't resist.  Instead, he plotted and killed his own brother.  Like always, sin gains nothing and loses everything. Cain, the proud farmer, is cursed so that he can no longer cultivate the ground.  He is sent out to be " a wanderer on the earth ".  Even then, Cain does not repent.

Cain goes out and builds a city.  He becomes a father and a grandfather and a great-grandfather.  His offspring become ranchers, musicians, and metal workers.  Five generations later, Lamech exceeds Cain's sinfulness by taking two wives and by killing two people and bragging to his wives about it.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary says this, " Lamech altered the plan of God and married two women. His family produced musical instruments and implements to make life enjoyable.  But in spite of this prosperous good life, evil was advancing ominously. ... So here is a picture of an affluent society defying God and His laws, seeking pleasure and self-indulgence. "

Meanwhile, Adam and Eve give birth to Seth.  It is during the life of Seth's son Enosh that "... men began to call upon the name of the Lord."  It is from Seth's line that faith is preserved and righteousness is possible.

Father in heaven, once again You lead us by Your Word to remember and to be encouraged to abide in You, to be obedient to the Word, to hold on to Truth and Life through faith.  Your will be done, Lord !  Keep us in Your Hand.  Increase our love and fill us with Your Spirit every day. Amen.