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This podcast is designed to help you better understand the Word of God — both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is the story of the Covenant which God made with His chosen people Israel. And the New Testament is the story of the Cross which signifies the fulfillment of the Old Covenant with Israel and the formation of a New Covenant with redeemed people from many nations.
We always like to start out with the Word of God, and today’s passage of Scripture is Genesis 8:1-3 which reads: “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; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.”
Allow me to share with you some further commentary on this passage from the Reformation Study Bible by Dr. R.C. Sproul:
The account of post-Flood history mirrors the pre-Flood period: the creation out of dark waters, the depraved condition of the human founders, Adam and Noah; the division of the founder’s sons into elect and reprobate lines; the tyrannical non-elect building a city and making a name for themselves, Cain and Nimrod; the preservation of a godly line and of a faithful agent of blessing in the fallen world. The parallel judgment on the reprobate will come with the fiery judgment and the introduction of the new heavens and the new earth.
The Hebrew expression, “God remembered Noah,” indicates action based on a previous commitment, not merely mental recall.
The Hebrew word used for “wind” is the same one used for “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2, recalling the original creation account and introducing God’s first re-creative act renewing the earth out of the waters. Successive re-creative acts mirroring the original creation follow: the gathering of the waters, the placing of birds in the heavens, the establishment of dry ground, the emergence of animals and humans upon the earth to multiply, and the divine blessing.
Today’s quote about the Bible is from John Quincy Adams. He said: “So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year.”
Our topic for today is titled “The Flood (Part 3)” from the book, “The Promise and the Blessing” by Dr. Michael A. Harbin.
If the Flood was indeed a global flood, what are the implications? At a minimum, it would seem to indicate that many of those who are looking for evidence are looking in the wrong places. A global flood would leave its traces in the geological record rather than the archaeological. That is, the deposits would be sweeping landscapes rather than mud layers in cities. Several organizations are beginning to evaluate and organize possible evidence of the Flood, but much work still needs to be done.
The third question relates to the significance of the Flood to the original audience that stood at Mount Sinai. Two areas of significance are noted. First, the Israelites would have understood that the Lord was a God of both judgment and mercy. In the case of Noah, God judged the world but had mercy on a remnant. This element likely brought to mind to the nation of Israel that they too were a remnant. For us, it brings to mind Peter’s warning about a coming judgment. Second, the Flood highlighted for them the pattern of failure that we have been seeing. Because of the failure of humankind, God purified the world. But as we will soon see, even this purification process was inadequate. The problem is the human heart. For this reason, the biblical writer will soon start showing God’s process for heart renewal. But before he does that, there are several loose ends to tie up regarding the structure of the world.
After the Flood, three more failures are cited. First, Noah got drunk. We are given no explanation or excuses — the event is just noted. While he was drunk, his son Ham “saw his father’s nakedness, and told his two brothers outside.” They carefully backed into the tent with a blanket and covered their father. After sobering up, Noah cursed Canaan, the son of Ham. While we do not really understand what was involved or why Canaan was cursed instead of Ham, the significance to the Israelite audience would have been clearer. They were about to go into the land of Canaan. This episode would serve to encourage them regarding the outcome of that invasion.
Lord willing, we will continue looking at this topic in our next broadcast/podcast.
Let’s Pray —
Before we close, dear friend, I want to remind you that the most important thing you should know about the Bible is that it is the story of God working to save humanity from sin and the consequences of sin. He did this by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and take the punishment that we deserve on Himself. Romans 5:8 says, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you want to get to know Him today, all you have to do is believe “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” and you will be saved. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Pray and ask Him to come into your heart and He will.
Until next time, remember the word of God is the foundation to a successful life. God bless.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in twenty-three foreign countries. He is the author of thirty-four books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report and the Second Coming Watch Update. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master’s degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.
BCNN1 WP 