To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Month: February 2014

Wind pass over the earth

Genesis 1:2 says that the earth was without form and void and the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters and God began his work of creation. After the flood, once again the earth was in a sense without form and void of all living outside the ark, and God made a wind to pass over the face of the earth and to make the waters recede (Genesis 8:1), so that the world could be recreated. This wind made the waters to recede.

The word ‘spirit’ in both Hebrew and Greek means breathe or breeze (i.e., wind). Jesus likens the Holy Spirit of God to be like the wind, who like air is needed to be the breathe of life for a believer, who is invisible, yet audible and whose presence is experienced (John 3:8) like a wind breeze.

Points to ponder:
Without the wind that God made to pass over the earth, the waters would not have receded. Without the Holy Spirit of Jesus, who is the passover lamb of God, the things that can drown us will not recede. Have you experienced the Holy Spirit wind of God pass over you?

Genesis 8:1 (KJV)
1. And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;

John 3:8 (KJV)
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

And God remembered Noah

After it started to rain for forty days and forty nights, during the time of Noah, the waters prevailed for a little less than half an year (hundred and fifty days) when Noah and his family were in the ark along with the creatures that Noah had taken into it. Genesis 8:1 says that “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him [Noah] in the ark …” What does this mean?

Close scrutiny of this text bring to surface certain treasures hidden in it — about the very nature of God.

First and foremost, it tells us of the unforgetting nature of God. And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, does not imply that God had forgotten about Noah or any of the living residents in the ark, for God does not forget his people, let alone even a small bird like a sparrow (Luke 12:6).
Second, God’s righteous nature is demonstrated in this, for God not only cares for his people but also for his creation (all living creatures) as the Bible says that a righteous man (who is made in God’s image) regards the life of his beast (Proverbs 12:10).

Points to ponder:
Life may seem tumultuous and waves of despair and discouragement may buffet against our lives, but if you are feeling lonely and desolate, you can be assured of one thing … that you are not forgotten nor forsaken … for God remembers you. You may feel lonely, but you are not alone. Infact, even a mother can forget her child, but God will not forget you (Isaiah 49:15). God is righteous and kind toward his creatures and so we can be assured that he is righteous and is kind towards you and me. When we have to tide over the waves of life, as long as we are in Christ (The Ark), we can be assured that God will not forget us.  Just as it is written, “And God remembered Noah …”, since God’s people are engraved in the palms of his hands (Isaiah 49:16), you can be assured and say, “And God remembered [insert your name here].” The question that remains, which demands an answer is “Do you/I remember God?” (Deuteronomy 8:18; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Proverbs 3:5-6)

Genesis 8:1 (KJV)
1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;

Luke 12:6 (KJV)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

Isaiah 49:15-16 (KJV)
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

The Ark lifted up (above all the earth)

Genesis 7:27 states that during the flood in Noah’s time, the waters increased (filled the whole earth covering the highest of mountains) and bore the ark up and lifted it above the earth.

The Bible says that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover (fills) the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Jesus Christ is the Ark of salvation for all of mankind, for whoever is/abides in him, by faith, shall not perish like those who were outside the ark that Noah built for God (John 3:16, Genesis 7:23). Jesus willing chose and submitted himself to the will of God and became obedient, even unto death (Philippians 2:8). So, God exalted (lifted) him up and gave him a Name that is above all names – at whose name the entire world shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

Points to ponder:
The waters bore the ark up and lifted it above all the earth. With the knowledge of the glory of God, evident in Jesus Christ, do we lift him up above all other things in our life?

Genesis 7:17-24 (KJV)
17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Natural proof of Creation… (even in Noah’s time)

Anti-theists and atheists attempt to deny the existence of God while evolutionist use nature and their limited understanding of the world God created and aim to disprove his eternal existence as the Almighty Creator, only to realize that even naturally in all the events, we see the creation account to be not disproved but proven and validated . Life did not just come to be. God created the world and life of many kinds and man after his own image.

During the time of Noah’s flood, the Bible records that the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened and it rained for forty days and forty nights. In other words, the waters came from below (great deep) as well as from above (heaven). How could waters be separated – some above and some below? To understand this, we need to go back to the creation account. The Bible says that God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven.” (Genesis 1:6-8).

In other words, Noah’s flood gives proof to the creation of the firmament and the existence of waters in the great deep (below) and in heaven (above). Additionally, we can also extrapolate and perceive that in the natural event of the global universal flood during the time of Noah, we see, what God had done during his creation (separating waters from waters) was undone (as the separated waters from below and above now were no longer separated), because of man’s selfish, seditious and sinful nature.

Points to ponder:
First, nature and natural events point to the existence of an intelligent designer – the Almighty Creator, if only the denier takes time to see Christ by whom and for whom, were all things created (Colossians 1:16).
Second, are we selfish, seditious and sinful – so much so – that God has to undo what he has done? Think about it.

Genesis 1:6-8 (KJV)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Colossians 1:16 (KJV)
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Enter and get shut in to be saved

Genesis 7:6-24 tells us that Noah was six hundred years old when he entered the ark, along with his wife, his sons and their wives and the creatures that God has commanded him to bring into the ark. True to God’s word, it rained for a period of forty days and forty nights, as the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. All of the land creatures and people, except those who were in the ark, perished in the flood. What is interesting to note is that the Bible records after Noah and his family and the creatures that God had commanded him to bring into the ark, entered the ark, it was the Lord himself who shut Noah in (Genesis 7:16). Noah entered the ark by faith (Hebrews 11:7) and the Lord shut him in.

The ark had only one door and this was not shut by any man, but by the Lord himself? Why would the Lord himself shut Noah in? Hidden in this account is the treasure of learning about the plan of God for the salvation of all mankind.  The shutting of the only means of Salvation by the Lord himself means that no man can open it by his own abilities or actions, and only those who enter in by the door will be saved from God’s judgment.

Points to ponder:
Jesus said, I am the door and if any man enter by him, he shall be saved (John 10:9). When God’s judgment falls on this earth, only those who have believed in Christ, and entered into God’s presence through Christ Jesus, the Door, by faith, shall be saved. And the Lord will shut those who are in Christ from condemnation (Romans 8:1) and second death (Revelation 21:8). The Lord shuts the door to save us. Have you entered into newness of life by believing in Christ Jesus and are you shut in Christ Jesus?

Genesis 7:16 (KJV)
16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.

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