Day #3

Sermon - Audio
Genesis 8-11 - Audio
Genesis 8-11 Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

1. 8.1: This is the great turning point in the story. To this point the focus has been on judgment, from here on out it will be on mercy. For God to “remember” Noah means that he acts with loving concern based on his promises/covenant.
2. 8.15-19: God commands Noah to leave the Ark, Noah obeys. This command/obedience scheme is repeated over and over again in the flood story. Noah’s righteousness is connected with his willingness to hear and obey the word of God (cr. 1 John 2.3-6 “whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus walked”.
3. Chapter nine focuses on God creating a covenant with Noah and the creatures on the earth. Chapter 10 focuses on the table of nations—the 70 nations that come from the descendants of Noah (remember numbers have meaning so 70 [10X7] represents completeness or all the nations of the earth.
4. Rainbow is literally “bow” in Hebrew. The idea is that God who had shot arrows from heaven (lightening bolts) in the flood is now hanging up his bow in the heavens. Not only is he hanging it up but it points upward, away from the earth. The hung up bow is a sign of peace.
5. Nimrod is the first emperor. When he is called a mighty warrior the literal rendering is “mighty tyrant” i.e. he is not a nice guy. When he is called mighty hunter it carries the idea of being a person of royalty. He brings all of Mesopotamia under his rule.
6. 11.4: “tower” ziggurat: symbolizes a sacred mountain where god and man can meet. The attempt is to manipulate the god to come down or to attempt to go up to god to control him.
7. 11.5: a moment of humor—this great tower that is being built is so puny from God’s perspective that he has to come down from heaven to see it.