January 10

Genesis 11; Matthew 10

Genesis 11

Ready:
After reading about Noah’s descendants that spread across the earth now Moses brings me back to see what event lead to this dispersion with the different languages and such. Lord let me hear your message and see the significance for my life.

Reading thoughts:
The chapter opens with the focus on the construction of a tower for the purpose of making a name fore themselves so their greatness would never be forgotten by their descendants that spread all over the earth eventually.  Knowing that God did not approve of the tower it seems that maybe this was a great arrogance and an effort to establish themselves apart from God (remembering God and his greatness from generation to generation might have been a better idea).  So the tower is a kind of humanistic expression of independence and accomplishment (compare to the space race maybe).  Maybe “we built that tower reaching into the sky”  would be like “If we can go to the moon…”.   I also see in this chapter a descending length of life from the first generation after noah living 500 years (Shem) to Abram’s father (Terah) living 205 years. I don’t know enough right now about biblical timelines and such to say for sure but just by adding up this timeline it looks like Noah was alive for about 60 years after the birth of Abram…of course there was a dispersion generations early across the earth and who knows if Noah and his descendant Abram were communicating.  I found some interesting information on the internet about linguistic studies of a protolanguage where linguistic scientists are suggesting the existence of an ancient language (protolanguage) that was the source of all languages on earth long ago.  Thinking back to the last chapter it is interesting that God divided the languages according to the grandsons of Noah…very orderly.

Key Verses:

“1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” (Genesis 11:1, ESV)

“4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”” (Genesis 11:4, ESV)

“6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.” (Genesis 11:6–8, ESV)

I see the theme as- God disrupts mans errant attempt at independent greatness and self realization through the establishment of languages and nations.

Rumination thoughts:
Limiting my thoughts to the broad message in this chapter the main things I see here are below:
     1.  God does not approve of human arrogance and efforts of independence.  God was pleased with the sacrifice of Noah when they got our of the ark but not so pleased by this tower effort.  In some manner it appears that God saw a very negative impact of this coming together of man in their own prowess to establish a name.  I think the name of God was the name they should have been proclaiming.  Hard to say exactly and no time to look up what others have suggested on this today.
     2.  It seems that something drastically changed on earth due to the flood as the descendants seem to rapidly have a reduction in lifespan and it seems erasable to consider that this was a result of the food and the changes to the earth.  I imagine that the dinosaurs death and long life of the first people came to an end with the flood.
     3.  The creation of the nations is a giant step in the big over-arching story (sometimes called a meta-narrative) of the Bible.  In the end God seems to be more highly glorified by the coming together of many nations to worship than he may have otherwise been just by one people group.  It is to his praise that he is able to send messengers empowered by his Holy Spirit to the ends of the earth and to build his church across cultures and languages (See Rev. 7:9-12).
     4.  Moses leaves us at the end of the chapter looking at Abram and his family.  We see that there is a practice of marrying within one’s family still at this point since Nahor seems to marry his niece.  We see and early death of Lot’s father and Lot seems to be taken under Terah's wing.

Response:
Thank you for intervening and guiding your people into your wonderful plan of diversity and unity O God.

Reaction:
May we see through the color of skin and the language and the cultures and may we know that all mankind is made for your glory and all need Jesus as their King.

Matthew 10

Ready:
Jesus had asked the disciples to pray and consider the need for many workers to be harvesting for the kingdom after he was moved with compassion by the people who were lost and did not have faith in God.

Reading thoughts:
I see Jesus sending the twelve on mission and telling them that it will not be easy and he tells them that they will suffer (v16-24) and that there will be families divided over this challenging message that is not tolerant of falsehood (v35-36) and that they must choose Jesus over family (v37-39) and that there will be reward eternal for our living for God and for others (v40-42).  He stresses that they are not to fear because man cannot do any more than kill the flesh but God has authority to damn the soul (v26-28).  But this authority is wonderful because this all-powerful (omnipotent) God loves us and he is all-knowing (omniscient) and has the ability to sustain us and keep us and protect us (v29-31).  Since God is omnipotent and omniscient, our thinking of Jesus and our response to Jesus defines everything, including our eternal destiny (v32-33).  So this is back to the loving and gracious God who holds us accountable to love his Son.

Key Verses:

“1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew 10:1, ESV)

“5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5–6, ESV)

“16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16, ESV)

“19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:19–20, ESV)

“28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:28–31, ESV)

I see the theme as- The all powerful and all knowing God has called the Apostles to carry a tough message to the people and he wants the message to be heard and to be honored regardless of the cost and he promises great reward to come.

Rumination thoughts:
     Again limiting my thoughts to a broad brush here due to time.  To the summary above I only add that I see the parallel in the message Jesus gave the apostles here with the theme in the Bible of salvation coming to the Gentiles because the King and his gospel was rejected by the jews.  Jesus had to die on the cross for the whole plan of God to come together (Acts 2:23).  Paul speaks of this idea that salvation was first to the jews and then to the gentiles (Rom 1:16 & 2:9-11).  He also speaks of the Jews rejecting Jesus, according to the plan of God (John 11:49-53), is how God brought salvation to the Gentiles (Rom 11:11) and would then bring it back around to the Jews (Rom 10-11 and summarized in 11:25-36).  It was necessary and therefore God hardened the Jews in order that they would reject Jesus (Rom 11:7-8, 25).  This hardening is like what he did with Pharaoh (Rom 9:15-18, Exod 7:3-5 & 9:34-35) and is not an active turning of the heart but a passive release of his mercy that keeps an unbeliever from being as evil as they could be without his restraint (person is accountable for their sin).  So it is a releasing and allowing the person to do what they would do from the sinful nature they have and this serves God’s purpose (see Rom 1:24, 28).
     Also to note is that they were not spreading the gospel of Jesus crucified and risen here in this chapter.  The disciples did not even understand what was going to happen and how salvation was actually to come.  Their message was simpler than that.  It was about the obedience of faith and it was an announcement of what Israel should have been waiting for.  It was a proclamation of the arrival of the bridegroom, the Messiah. They were announcing to the Jews that their long history and their long story from the promise to Abraham to their deliverance under Moses and the promise to David is being fulfilled!  This is a trumpet to awaken a people who has forgotten to pay attention to the Word of God and who are not waiting for the Messiah the way Simeon and Anna were waiting for him (Luke 2:22-38).

Response:
     Thank you Lord for those who were worthy of this message carried by the Apostles and by Jesus- those who recognized the offspring of Eve that would come and conquer and the Messiah who wold deliver Israel.   Thank you for your amazing plan of rolling out your identity and your mission with such wisdom and purpose that you would accomplish the salvation of all peoples through such an amazing denial and then eventual returning of the nation of Israel.  Paul sys it well in his response to this amazing plan O Lord…

“33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33–36, ESV)

Reaction:
Though this message was to your apostles and their message was different than the message you have given us due to the full revelation of your plan, I pray that you would enable me and all the men of our group to serve as your workers in the harvest. Your gospel message is dividing and tough and you do not call us to lives of luxury and comfort but to lives like this…

“38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38–39, ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!