From Eden to Babel

     So last night I finished reading Genesis 1-11.  These chapters cover the creation through Noah's flood and Abram leaving for Haran.  The story of creation and the story of the flood are both stories that we've all heard before.  If you're like me, you grew up listening to these stories being told in Sunday school and heard them from your grandparents over and over.  Even if you didn't grow up in the church you're probably still very familiar with these stories by now.  I'd venture to say that even if you're not a believer you've probably heard all or part of these stories before.  They're iconic.  God created the world in 7 days, placed the crown of his created beings in the garden of Eden with one simple commandment, humans did exactly what they were told not to do, God has to remove them from Eden,  childbearing pains are increased, surviving becomes harder, death enters the world, and every human to follow is born separated from God (my apologies to my high school English teacher for that incredibly long run on sentence).

     I've heard this story so many times but for some reason, as I read this time, I see God in a different light.  I see a God who loved His creation and who was not pleased to have to turn them out of the beautiful garden He had created for them.  I see a God who cared so much for His children that before He sent them out from the garden He took the time to kill an animal and provide adequate clothing to protect them, and cover their shame, as they went out into a much different world.  I can't help but wonder how it must have broken God's heart to have to turn out His children from such a beautiful place.  He knew what awaited them on the outside.  He knew about sickness, pain, death.  He knew what the heartache they would face.  And we see in Gen. 3:15 that God has already put into motion what He will do to remedy the situation.  He will come to the rescue.  He will restore His children.  He will get back at the one who tempted His children.

     So humanity goes on and we see that sin quickly rears it's ugly head in the fact that the next generation of humans, Cain and Able, are involved in the first homicide in human history.  We didn't waste any time did we?   And sin just keeps on piling up on through the generations.  When we get to Noah we see that humanity, and even angels, are involved in such heinous sins that God wants to completely rid the world of humanity.  Genesis 5:6 says that God was sorry he had made man and put them on the earth.  It must have been bad!  So He tells Noah that He's going to flood the world with "rain" so He needs to build an ark.  Now interesting note, not only was it crazy to build an ark in the middle of the desert but it had never rained before!  Imagine the ridicule and jokes that Noah got.  "Why are you building a boat here?"  "What is rain?"  God's plan of salvation was foolishness to these people.  Doesn't that sound familiar? 

      "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."   1 Corinthians 1:18

     The same is still true today.  People think that God's plan of salvation is completely crazy.  A servant king?  A crucified savior?  It doesn't add up to them.  But God tends to do exactly what we would never expect!

     The next big event we see is the Tower of Babel.  I just want to note that the guy in charge of the construction project was named Nimrod....seriously? Man exhibits his pride and desires to make his name great by building a tower to reach the heavens.  Imagine that.  Humans want to glorify themselves.  So God confuses their language and we get the many languages that we have today.
   
     I know I blew through that pretty quickly and there is so much packed into these stories.  I can already see it's going to be hard to share everything I'm learning this year!  I'm only 11 chapters into the 1st of 66 books and the theological truths so far are so deep and so immense.  It's going to be a good year.
   
     Well tonight I take a break from Genesis to read about Job.  Apparently Job lived during the time of Abraham so chronologically, his story fits here.  Learned something new!
 

God bless!!