About the Reading:
In today’s reading we learn about Cain and Able, two brothers borne to Eve. Cain, out of jealousy, kills Able and tries to hide that fact from God. Of course, God knows what has happened and punishes Cain, banishing him from society. He also marks Cain so that he will not be killed by others.
We also learn a bit about the ancestral lines of Cain and Seth (another brother to Cain) as well as the fact that these first people of God lived to be very old and that God realized that the length of life had to be shortened (Genesis 6:3).
And finally, we begin the story of Noah’s ark where Noah is instructed by God to build large vessel with specific measurements made of specific woods so that the world could be destroyed while saving species and Noah’s family. We end our reading today just as the storm begins (I wonder what will happen as we continue tomorrow :) )
(edited: Okay, I just picked up my trusty Bible to continue my reading and realized that I stopped at Genesis 7:17, not 9:17 so ignore my whole “I wonder how it will end thing”. Oh, and add to the discussion about the rest of the passage, grr don’t know how I did this, I may be adding more to my thoughts and notes in a bit after I read the rest of today’s reading…oops, is all I can say.)
My thoughts and notes:
Okay, I KNOW how the story continues tomorrow. What I find interesting is that, again, this is a story made familiar to me in childhood. I know that as we continue to read this year, there will be parts of the Bible that I will be very familiar with, parts that I will be vaguely familiar with, and parts that I will not recall ever having read before in my life (although I am sure that I have, at one point or another, read all the parts of the Bible, just not as intentional as this).
On thing I do know about this passage, and future one’s we will be reading, is that, although I am intrigued, I have never really put together the connections of all the people in the ancestry that is introduced at such great lengths. I know there is importance in this, otherwise it wouldn’t be in here. I know that it would probably be pretty easy to find it mapped out in today’s information age where you can find almost anything on line. It is just one of those things that I have never found the time to truly dedicate in educating myself. It has eaten at me for quite a while now, so I know that one day I will actually take care of it. Have any of you ever studied the ancestry? I would love to hear more if you have!
Let’s look at the story of Cain and Able. I can almost empathize with Cain in his jealousy. Have you ever done something at work/school/home and wanted more recognition than you have ended up getting? I know I have. I know there are times, even now, in my job in which I don’t always feel completely appreciated.
Does that mean I am going to kill someone because I am jealous of them? NO! Talk about going against the commandments (reference Michael Mary’s comment in yesterday’s post). It doesn’t mean that I agree with his actions; I’m just saying I can sort of understand.
However, God once again shows us the kind of parent he is (4:11-15). He will punish when punishment is warranted…and it is warranted here! Yet, in He again shows his compassion as well when he marks Cain so that no one will do him harm.
My last thoughts on the Cain and Able story is on Genesis 4:7,
‘If you are doing right, surely you ought to hold your head high! But if you are not doing right, Sin is crouching at the door hungry to get you. You can still master him.’
I love this verse. I can think of several situations in the recent past at work in which I have had to consider if I should hold my head high or reevaluate because I was wrong. I am a sinner, as we all are. However, I have made a very conscious effort lately to make sure that I do my best to do right. My life philosophy is “I will be a better person today than I was yesterday and a better person tomorrow than I am today.”
What I mean by that is that there are things that I did wrong yesterday that do not make me proud, aka sins. If I am aware of those transgressions, I make sure not to make that same transgression again. I can’t go back and change it; I can do my best to right my wrongs, and, maybe even better, I can make sure that I don’t do the same thing again. In all of that, I hold my head high.
No onto the story of Noah. I attempted about 4 years ago to read the Bible in a year. I failed miserably and don’t think I made it past January; something I am not planning on repeating. This time we will all make it through together. Anyway, I remember when I began reading then how I was shocked to see how specific the story is in telling Noah exactly how to build the ark. I mean, God give him the measurements, the types of woods to use, He gives him a verbal blueprint!
If we listen, doesn’t He give us the blue print as well? I know when I listen to Him things come much easier to me. Could you imagine if Noah had said, “Um, no, I think that’s a bit crazy. I don’t think it needs to be three levels, I’m going to make just two.”
I can just imagine the people around Noah and what they were thinking. I mean, what would you think? Crazy, right? Can you also imagine the work that Noah had to go through to get all these animals on that ark? I mean, talk about an organization nightmare! Lions and tigers have to be on an entirely different level than the zebra; food needs to be stored for all; and so much more! I couldn’t imagine! I can barely keep myself organized for a day!
I am disappointed, however, to see that those darn unicorns just don’t make it on that ark :)
On a serious note, this is a story that teaches us how powerful and almighty God truly is. I mean, who else do you know that can destroy the world whenever He chooses. I only know of one!
(edited to add: okay, now that I’ve read the entire reading, I do want to add a few things. First, a funny story. I remember reading this story as a child and I remember the part about the dove flying around and brining an olive branch. However, it wasn’t until I was about10 that I truly understood why the dove had to go out and what the significance of the branch was. I mean, I really didn’t understand that it meant that the water was drying up. Yeah, I wasn’t a very quick child when it came to getting ideas like that.
in 9:3-4 it states
Every living thing that moves will be yours to eat, no less than the foliage of the plants. I give you everything, with this exception: you must not eat flesh with life, that is to say blood, in it.
Just before this God, once again, gives to us the earth and all that is in it. We are to use these items and be responsible for them. Just as he instructed Adam, he again instructs Noah.
Now He is also telling Noah in very specifics that we are to eat the items of the land. We are to eat the vegetation AND the animals! I had always heard of a Kosher diet and am somewhat familiar of the idea through Jewish friends and coworkers who I have known. I see now exactly where it comes from. This passage sums it up, doesn’t it?
Finally, God sums it up by promising to never again destroy all living things again. He makes this promise by putting out a rainbow. You know, every single time I see a rainbow two thoughts go through my mind:
One is that there is ALWAYS a twin, sometimes you have to look really hard, but there is always a mirror image of the rainbow in front of you slightly dimmer than the other. When there is a very light rainbow, it is often difficult to catch the other one, but it’s there.
My other thought, and always really my first thought, is of God and this story. Every time I see a rainbow in the sky I can’t help but to cross myself and say a silent prayer to God in thanks for giving us this world in which to live and for the knowledge that He will never destroy us again.
Alright, those are really my final thoughts on this reading, now that I have read it all. Add one more question to the list below:
What do you think of when you see a rainbow? )
What are your thoughts on today’s reading? Have you ever researched the ancestry?
Just a note that I will be sans internet service the next couple days. Oh, there will be posts still, I just won't be able to respond to your comments as much as I would like. I do have my phone and will attempt to respond from it, but I have really enjoyed reading your responses and want you to continue the discussion amongst yourselves if I can't make it, okay?
ReplyDeleteThe story of Cain and Able brings many questions that do not have answers. Why was Able's offering accepted and not Cains? No one, save God, knows the answer to that. HE didn't see fit to tell us, so I think it must not be of great importance. The point is God knew what happened, He confronted Cain, Cain tried to weasel out of it, but God was just in his punishment.
ReplyDeleteThen comes the genealogy part. We see the generations of Cain and his children. THen God gives Adam and Eve another son, Seth. It is through Seth's line that we have Enoch, who walked with God and was not. Enoch was the first person to be 'raptured out'. He didn't die, he was taken up into heaven. (the first reported alien abduction, perhaps) We also meet Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived. Did you realize that Adam was still alive when Methuselah was born? Yep. Methuselah was alive when Noah was born. Noone else (that we know of) knew both Adam and Noah. Also it wasn't until Methuselah died that God sent the flood.
"Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." This is one of my favorite verses. I hope that in the end of my life, they will say of me, "She found grace in the eyes of the Lord."
God was very specific in telling Noah how to build the Ark. He is very specific in his directions through out the Bible. He demands our very best 100% of the time. Do we give it to Him? I know I certainly don't. But He is also faithful and just and oh so forgiving.
Did you catch what Noah did first when they finally left the Ark? He built an alter and sacrificed to God for his goodness and the sweet aroma pleased God. No one had to tell Noah to build an alter, he knew in his heart what was right. When we walk with God, we know the right things to do. We don't always do them (or at least I don't), but we know. God now allows man to eat meat. It isn't until much later that God hands down the dietary laws followed by the Jewish people. It is interesting to note that Noah seemed to know which animals were 'clean' and which weren't when he loaded the animals into to Ark. (he was instructed to bring seven each of clean animals and two each of all others Gen.7:2)
God sat a rainbow in the sky as an emblem of His promise to Noah (and us). I always say a prayer of Thanksgiving when I see a rainbow. and know that "As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease."
So as we begin yet another year, let us be mindful of God's never-ending love for us.
A note on the ancestry: To my understanding, the ancestry laid out in the Old Testament is there in order to show us the lineage of people leading up to Christ.
ReplyDelete(I hope that sentence made sense. I'm very tired and heading to bed, just wanted to give you my input first!)
=)
Ida, I, too, found it strange that Able's gift was accepted and not Cain's. I'm glad you pointed it out. I did find it interesting that Noah built an alter as soon as he was out. I figure it's just right. The first thing we did when we got married was put our alter in our home up and, when we move, the first thing we will do is choose the location for our alter and put it up as well.
ReplyDeleteDarth Mama, I know you are correct in that it shows the lineage to people leading up to Christ. Thank you for the input!