Daily Bible Reading Reflection - "The Earth Was Ruined" (Gen 6)

Sometimes reading from a different translation leads to renewed insights and appreciation for the message.  Genesis chapter 6 paints a picture of a world where mankind has multiplied and filled it.  It mentions the Nephilim who were the ancient warriors of renown.  The New English translation does not translate Nephilim.  I remember older translation used to translate it as giants.  As I understand, the reason for this is that the Israelites called the inhabitants of Canaan, “Nephilim,” and declared that they were as grasshoppers compared to them.  It seems to me that the Israelites were exaggerating due to fear, and used the scariest word they could think of to describe the Canaanites, which would have been the Nephilim of Genesis 6.  

The Hebrew root behind the Nephilim,  N-PH-L, means “to fall.”  It should be translated as, “fallen ones.”  They may have in fact been large, strong, and scary people.  However, this is not something that comes from the word, “Nephilim,” but comes from the description of them in the text.

In Genesis 4, we see that men began to build cities, work metal, create music, and engage in the sorts of things you would expect in the building of a cultural civilization.  The text describes the Nephilim as “gibborim ‘asher me’olam” which means warriors or heroes of ancient times, and as “enoshey hashem” which means men of the name/reputation.  These designations do not appear to have been criticisms.

I would imagine that by human standards, mankind along with his technological and military progress was impressive.  This may not be unlike the way things are today.  Our technology allows us to do things that would have been unthinkable just a few short generations ago.  Our military might is unmatched compared to where things were in the 18th and 19th centuries.  

However, a word jumped out at me as I was reading the New English translation of Genesis 6.  Verse 11 says that, “The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence”  The word, “ruined” is probably not how mankind saw things.  The violence might have been so commonplace that it did not shock or bother people as much as it should have.  The next verse goes on to say that, “God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful.”

God saw from a completely different lens than mankind.  Mankind, who God had tasked with having dominion over and governing the world in service to the good God and creator, had ruined it all due to sin.  Lack of morals, ethics, and righteousness ruins God’s good world.

Another word that jumped out at me from Genesis 6 is from verse 6, where it says that “The LORD regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended.”  Other translations give the softer translation of, “…and he was deeply grieved/troubled” or something like this.  However, God’s subsequent actions of wiping out the earth by flood suggests that “offended” is a better translation that conveys the sheer insult sin brings to God.  Understanding this helps us to appreciate his grace and his mercy even more!

I am also struck by the fact that God tasks Noah and his family with not only building an ark for themselves, but also to preserve male and female specimens of the various types of animals on the earth.  This demonstrates that type of responsibility that God has placed into the hands of mankind when he told mankind they were to rule over the earth.  As God’s stewards, mankind is to care for the earth responsibly in service to God.  This means that discovering and exploitation of its resources must be done thoughtfully and responsibly.

This causes me to reflect.  What should the earth look like when it is NOT ruined?   In reflecting on this, I looked up some words that mean the opposite of ruined, and they include: “build, construct, create, fix, heal, mend, repair, adorn, beautify, protect.”  When we build marriage, families, and communities, the beauty of it all comes not from sound infrastructure, but from sound spiritual structure.  The beauty of holiness, righteousness, and devotion to God is the foundation of life.  Indeed, Jesus declared in John 17:3 that eternal life is knowing God and his son.

Daily Bible Reading Reflection - Where did Satan Come From? (Gen 3)

The first sign of trouble in God's ideal world came from the interaction with the serpent in the garden.  Later parts of the Bible make it clear that this is non other than Satan, who is called the adversary and accuser along with the Devil.  Jesus called him a liar and the father of all lies because this is his nature and there is no truth in him.

I am reminded of the question as to Satan's origin.  Where did the Devil come from?  While it is true that the Devil is God's adversary, this does not mean that he is an evil deity or an alternative "god."  The fact that he appears in garden as a creature makes it clear that like Satan falls in the same category as every other created thing.  In Revelation, the Devil appears as an even greater creature.  Even though he is a fearful seven-headed dragon, he is still a creature and not the creator.  God's angels defeat him in chapter 12.  God's people also defeat him in chapter 12 because of the blood of the lamb.  In chapter 20, all it takes is for ONE of God's angels to bind the dragon and throw him into the abyss.  At the final judgment in chapter 20, the Devil is thrown into the lake of fire in the final judgment along with all of his work, including death.  As a creature, like every other creature, there was a time when the Devil didn't exist.  As an enemy of God, like every other enemy of God, there will come a time when he will be no more in the lake of fire.

As I look at Satan in the garden, I am reminded that he only has the power of deception.  His lies make him seem more powerful and wise than he is.  It really isn't important to know Satan's backstory because the Bible does not give it.  If we have everything we need for life and godliness, then we already have all that we need.  The introduction of Satan as a creature in the beginning, and the prophecy of his end as a creature because he is an enemy of God gives perspective on where his false "wisdom" leads.  

Later, the book of proverbs will declare in chapter 9 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  The last part of 1 Corinthians 1 tells us that Christ has become our wisdom, and that this is a wisdom that none of the rulers of this age have understood.  Because of this, we can see the fruit in the prohibited tree for what it is.  We gain our wisdom from God.

Giving Up Leads to Fruit

I have been spending some time reflecting on harvest during the fall season.  With all of the fall community celebrations along with apples, fruits, preserves, there is an atmosphere of celebration in enjoying the fruit of labor.

I am reminded of something Jesus said during the fall season of his life.  In the upper room, he had his final Passover with this disciples and friends.  Soon, he would be the new Passover.  There, he instituted a new, weekly Passover when he transformed the meaning of the cup and bread.

His choice of words bears some reflection.  In Matthew 26:27-29, he said, “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” 

When Jesus gave them the cup of Passover wine, he assigned new meaning to it.  For wine to be associated with the new covenant evokes the common scriptural images of a bountiful harvest that comes because of the favor of the Lord.  Part of this imagery includes the joyful abundance of wine (Isa 25:6; 55:1-2; Hos 2:21-22; Hoel 2:18-24; Amos 9:13-14).  For years in my Bible reading, I did not notice the abundance of wine as a sign of God’s favor.  This way probably because of the negative connotations associated with strong drink.  However, in these cases it is not about drunkenness, which the Bible condemns, but about an abundant harvest that is a sign of God’s favor due to human faithfulness.  For example, in a message of hope for future restoration, Isaiah 25:6 says, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”  On the other hand, the lack of wine is a sign of God’s disfavor and judgment to due sin (Jer 48:33; Hos 2:8-9; Joel 1:10; Hag 1:10).  For example, due to Israel’s consistent sin, in Hoses 2:9 God said, “Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season.”  (This may offer a subtle message that God’s favor has returned when Jesus turned water to wine in John 2.)

Jesus’ choice of words also bears reflection.  Jesus could have said, “wine,” and all of the above images related to wine would still be there.  However, he said, “fruit of the vine” and connected it to his blood which he would shed for our sins.  The connection of wine, fruit, his blood, and his death is a powerful reminder for us.  When he shed his blood on the cross, his death bore abundant fruit.  It was the restoration of God’s favor, expressed in a new covenant that has been inaugurated by the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross.  This calls to mind when Jesus announced his impending death with this explanation in John 12:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”  Truly, Jesus’ death bore much fruit. 

It occurs to me that we also need to “die” in order to bear fruit for God.  His death, burial, and resurrection is the pattern for our new life in him, which we demonstrated by being buried with him in baptism, dying to ourself, and being raised up as a new person in him (Rom 6:1-7).  When we truly die to ourselves in him, our death will produce abundant fruit.  The only way to bear fruit is in giving up of ourselves.  

One practical example of this in action comes from 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 9:6-11 and also bears reflection.  In pointing out some of the poverty-stricken brethren’s overwhelming generosity in giving to needy brethren, the text goes on to say this. “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God” (2 Cor 9:10-11).  The self-sacrificing spirit in the name of Christ will not only produce an abundant harvest of thanksgiving to the Lord, strengthening the faith of the brethren, but God will also continue to bless with more seed for more harvests!