RTW January 3
The Good of a Flood
And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.
Genesis 7:24
My Takeaways
Something Old
Floods
- Are sometimes necessary.
- Destroy, but they also cleanse.
- Eventually end.
- Gives us the opportunity to rebuild better than before.
Even in the flood God is
- Still good.
- Still God.
- Still in control.
Something New
Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan, not Ham.
Something to do
Patiently endure the floods in my life, so God can do all things necessary to shape me into the woman He designed me to be.
I love the Etch-a-Sketch analogy. And I’m so thankful that God has promised to never again Etch-a-Sketch the world! But he does continue to do that in us individually.
I’m convicted by the story of Noah’s sons and the fact of that Ham , Rather than taking action to cover up his dads nakedness, he ran out and talked about it instead. How often do I run out and TALK about a problem at work or with a person to others rather than take action to correct it? This is also known as “gossip“ in some instances. Yikes!!
Good morning!
My something new – was that The Lord shut the door on the ark. Thank you Lord for the shut doors even though sometimes we don’t understand. Thank you for your protection!
I noticed this as well and am reminded that what doors He closes not man can open. And the doors He opens no man can close.
That was my something new as well. How often do we wish for those doors to open back up so we can go back to the familiar instead of embracing and being excited about the paths He is opening for us! I need to walk my steps away from the closed door and see what God has planned for me.
Noah was righteous – not sinless. Righteous = “right relationship” (trusting the Lord). But God remembered Noah….
I need to let go and know that God remembers my prodigal children…praise Him!!!!!
Listening to the teaching this morning I’m reminded of Is 43:1-3 and the assurance that: God calls us by our names, as He did Noah; God has ransomed us out of the flood even though we’ll go through it; our times of “floods and fire” are appointed by God’s sovereign plan & grace; God Himself is w/us therefore we need not fear the flood; He is God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior; and precious to, honored, & loved by God.
Grateful that these floods transform the terrain of my heart & that the Creator walks with me through them.
What stood out to me anew today was God’s covenant promise to never destroy all mankind again. He promised that as long as earth remained that there would be planting and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night. In a life of uncertainty I can rest in the promise of God that he will bring each season to pass and walk through it with me. His love is so evident in this promise.
From Genesis 8:21-22 … God knows my thoughts and imaginations and my bent toward evil. And He has the power and authority and the right to destroy all living things but He chooses not to. Why? Because of His mercy. And what prompted His mercy? The sacrifice.
Forever grateful for His eternal covenant, for His steadfast love, for His mercies that are new every morning, and all because of Jesus and His sacrificial life and death on my behalf.
Good morning!
Loved the teaching.
What struck me was when “Noah lifted back the covering of the boat and saw that the surface of the ground was drying. Two More Months went by…Then God said”
Waiting on God’s perfect timing, instead of “looks close enough to me” Is a hard lesson, so many times I have gotten stuck in the mud because I jumped out before God said, go! Thankful for His Word and continuing to pray for an obedience and wisdom in trusting His Perfect timing! Have a blessed day.
I noticed that same thing. What patience, to wait and perhaps wait while not even being able to see small improvements. God’s timing is not my timing. I am currently very weary in my waiting. I must trust on God’s timing and understand that I may be behind the cover, not seeing what God is doing.
Have a blessed day everyone!
Me too! It is so hard waiting patiently on God’s timing and not my own timing. Waiting is so hard and I don’t like it, but everything that we wait for is worth waiting for. We just have to wait and see what God has in store. God works behind the scenes that we can’t see and someday it all comes to fruition and we can finally understand why God wanted us to wait for so long. His timing is perfect and it is never early or late. God is always right on time. God’s timing is so different from my own.
I love the etch a sketch analogy and am all too familiar with the floods in my life.. I also know that it isn’t meant for us to understand for our own good, everything that God does. but I keep wondering why, when he destroyed everything, did He let sin stay. I know he was so sad when he saw what was happening in his beautiful creation before sin rose it’s ugly head.. Just thinking…. and ready to check some commentaries.
Many people selected a word/concept to focus on for the year and mine didn’t come to me until this morning. Mine is Community. Today’s passages reinforced Community for me. Noah was the only person found righteous by God, yet his relationship with his wife, sons, and their wives got them in the ark with Noah where they could be saved from the destruction. Who around me should be benefiting from my relationship with God? Who does God want me to serve today? Am I hearing and obeying?
1.“Put a door on the side of the ark…” Genesis 6:16.Just as Noah came into the ark through one door, there is only one door that I can be saved, that door is Jesus Christ.
2. “But God remembered Noah…” Genesis 8:1. And he will remember me through the storms in my life. He gave me the Holy Spirit to guide me.
3. “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth…” Genesis 9:13,16. God made a covenant with Noah, and He made a covenant with me through Christ.
God said that Noah was righteous! His son Ham was not, in fact he turned his heart back to the wicked ways he once knew before the flood, as did his son Canaan. Noah also strayed after the flood, he became drunk causing shame to enter his tent, exposing his son and grandson to sexual perversion and humiliation. Instead of speaking a blessing on Ham and Canaan, in his haste and anger, he spoke a curse. Noah caused division and pain in his family’s lives by a careless drunken act that affected Ham, Canaan, his ancestors for the rest of their lives.
The lesson; when we stray from God and his word, revert to our old ways, exposing our family to shame and evil ways it can affect our families for the rest of their lives. God says if we sow to the wind we will reap a whirlwind! God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, we must remember He is also just, there is always consequences for wrong choices!
I really appreciated this insight. Not sure I ever fully thought about the responsibility and consequence of Noah and his actions following the flood. You are so right…..It is a significant thing when we make a selfish and wrong choice. The ripple effects are always felt by our families. A very sobering thought. (no pun intended! Or maybe it is…….)
I also love your insight. Thanks for the new understanding.
I was tracking with Wendy’s encouragement not to skim over the genealogies. I felt the Holy Spirit encouraging me to do this when I started reading my Bible this morning.
The following is what I noticed as I read through them:
~The descendants of Javan became seafaring people’s that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, clan, and national identity. (Gen 10:4) Did this begin at the Tower of Babel time?
~The first son of Eber was Pelegrín, which means “division”. During his lifetime the people were divided into different language groups. (Gen 10:25 and 1 Chron 1:19) Was this at the Tower of Babel time also?
I was wondering the same thing…
I just researched in my commentary and yes, the divisions were after the judgement on the Tower of Babel.
Thanks for taking the time to look this up! I wanted to do that but hadn’t taken the time to do it yet and now I don’t have to.
You are very welcome!
I always love the Old Testament presentations. They seem so rich in detail. Many spiritual lessons can be had from all of it and many commenting have pointed to those. I got stuck on some often asked and simpler questions in todays reading.
l. Why did Noah send a raven and a dove out of the ark? What was the significance? Lots of opinions on this query! Noah did not have the advantage that we do in knowing the end of the story. He was attempting to find vital information and both birds provided needed answers. He had an ark full of animals that he was responsible for and it was important to know when he could safely release them so that they could survive as well as when it was safe for his family to disembark. Some animals needed dry ground. Some could fly and needed only the ability to nest. Both the raven and dove answered practical questions for him. I’m not sure the theory that the raven “failed” so he had to dispatch the dove is the correct interpretation.
2. What happened to the aquatic life during the flood? We are told that God wiped out all animals and birds, (Genesis 6:19-21). But it does not say anything about fish and sea life. We can safely assume that they were allowed to continue. But I’ve always wondered why the distinction? (Other than the obvious).
3. Why did God curse Ham’s son for Ham’s sin? And what was Ham’s sin? There are so many variations on this. The most straight forward one seems to be in attitude and motivation again. Ham seems to have disclosed his father’s shame, (and may have even ridiculed him), while Shem and Japheth respectfully covered their father’s shame and showed discretion. In cursing Canaan it was not a personal curse upon him, but rather a more universal curse upon Ham’s descendants.
On a more relevant note:
Genesis 8:20 always stands out to me. The FIRST thing Noah did was to build an altar to the LORD and sacrifice on it. “And the LORD was pleased…..”
Love your post!
I also liked the etch-a-sketch analogy. God allows us to walk through these storms to make us stronger, and He never leaves us either. That is such a comfort to me, no matter what is going on in my life.
“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.” Gen 8 :1
This is my “old” choice- and it is every year. Perhaps because it brings me such comfort. When times grown dark I repeat it to myself.
I do not have to be perfect to be saved because it is not my remembering God that saves me. What brings about the change is that God remembers me.
A few thousand years forward and you have the good thief speaking to Jesus on the cross “Jesus Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom ” are the words he said.I
I am pretty sure there was a wind then as well.
Thanks Wendy for the etch-a sketch analogy. I love that even in my storms and floods that God is still in control and God is always good no matter what I go through. My something new- is that I learned that the flood covered the highest mountains on the earth rising more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks. My something to do- is to trust God during my storms of my life and to know that God is in control of everything in my life.
“Floods give us the opportunity to rebuild and be better than ever.”
I am witnessing abd exoetiebcing this in many ways to be true in the lives of businesses and friends around me. I live in Wilmington, NC and we were hit very hard by hurricane Florence this past Sept. Businesses and homes that were affected had to be rebuilt and I’ve read and heard countless stories about God’s provision and protection through it all. Homes, businesses, lives are being rebuilt better than they were. The lessons that we’ve all learned throughout this storm are many. The biggest takeaway is that although God doesn’t cause every storm, He is with His children through each and every one.
I love reading everyone’s posts and amazing insights! Mine was that GOD not only spared the animals approved for eating/sacrificing but He also spared those animals that were not. (Gen 7:8) In this, GOD reminded me that He cares for the Jews as well as the Gentiles. Plus His covenant was with ALL the creatures on earth! Beautiful!