Nimrod the Great (in his mind)

     In the tenth chapter, we read about the peoples that formed from Noah and his family. One of those descendants was a man named Nimrod. He is called a mighty hunter before God. One might even call him the first tyrant. When he was through, all peoples had come to dwell in one place. Under his arrogant leadership, they planned to "make a name for themselves." In other words, they wanted to seek glory for themselves rather than their creator.
    The other problem was that they sought to defy God's command to subdue the whole Earth. They didn't want to be apart from each other. So rather than wiping them out and starting over, he forced them apart by confusing their language.
     One of the sure signs that a society is becoming more anti-theistic is when they start to clamor for world unity. It sounds good on the surface, but it reeks of pride and arrogance underneath.
      Allow me to be clear. We were not created to supplant our creator, but to serve and glorify him.

The Days of Noah

     Did you know that there is enough water on Earth to cover Mount Everest? Neither did I until I read the seventh chapter of Genesis. In fact, it says that the water sat twenty feet above the mountains.
     What did this accomplish? The Message puts it bluntly: "Everything died. Only Noah and his company on the ship lived." God doesn't play around.
     But God has compassion. He allowed the flood waters to recede and the land to dry out. when Noah and his family worshiped and thanked him for his protection, God was pleased with them. In the ninth chapter, he made this promise: "I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will a flood destroy the Earth".
     He made this promise after having acknowledged in the previous chapter that "they have this bent toward evil from an early age." In fact, at the end of the ninth chapter, Noah fell asleep naked after getting drunk. His youngest son tried to make sport of his father's nudity with his older brothers.
     Sin continues, but God's love will outlast it.

Consequences

     Genesis 3-6 shows how sin entered the world. It also shows the consequences. Life became a lot harder. Also, life was given a time limit. God was gracious and patient. But his patience has a limit.
     The best description of sin is in Chapter 4:7. Sin waits at the door to take you. How often do we open that door, rather than denying it entry?
     We see that there is always hope. In the genealogy of Adam, there is a man who walked faithfully with God until the day he was raptured into heaven. There are only three examples of this in the Bible.
     God also spared Noah and his family for their faithfulness. When the rest of humanity was beyond redemption, God spared his family from the flood. God's love and mercy are as much a part of his character as his wrath/ That wrath is not directed so much at people as their sin. Sin is the real enemy.

Flesh of My Flesh

     Today I found that the Complete Jewish Bible resonated with me in the second chapter of Genesis. After setting the precedent for a day of rest, the focus shifts from a general overview of creation to the specific events surrounding the creation of man.

     Most poignant to me was the fact that in Adam's search for a suitable helpmate he found that only another person would suffice. Eve is specifically called a person in this version. Women were not created to be lesser or greater than men. They were created to be equal.

     The institution of marriage began here in this chapter. The definition of woman is 'came out of man'. Woman was meant to be a part of man. In marriage, the wife is once again bone of her husband's bone and flesh of her husband's flesh. Is it any wonder that divorce is so messy?

Thoughts on Genesis 1

 My resolution this year is to read a chapter a day in God's Word. I like reading in multiple versions to help crystallize my thoughts. I found the New Century Version particularly enlightening for this first chapter.
 Two verses stood out for me. The second verse and verse 26 both point to the fact that God the Father wasn't alone in the creative process. The Holy Spirit hovered protectively over the waters at the beginning of the project. Then the first acknowledgment of God's triune nature is clearly seen when 'they' created us in 'their' image and likeness.
 This aspect of God as three-in-one is essential in understanding his desire for relationship. And he made us to desire relationship as well!
 I look forward to delving deeper into The Word this year.

A learning experience

      It has been a couple of years since my last blog. I spent all of last year either procrastinating or coming close to giving up on writing. The beginning of this year brought a renewed commitment to my craft. By sticking to a schedule, I completed my novella and have now sent it off to the editor.

     I know a lot more about writing a novel now. I gave my characters a life of their own. They drove the story. An outline is helpful, but it can't take the characters into account. They need to have a say in how the plot unfolds.

     I anticipate a release date around the beginning of next month. I hope you enjoy reading "Gods of Time" as much as I enjoyed writing it.

What we leave behind

     I was recently asked to share which two books I would leave behind to show who I was in life. I mentioned Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. One of them explains what I believe about God. The other presents characters that represent how I see my fellow man.

     Now I could go on all day about my belief in God. If you have any questions, leave them in a response to this post. For now, I am going to focus on the second book.

     We humans are very complex. We were born with a noble purpose and were given talents and intelligence to carry that out. However, we were also granted free will. That free will has allowed us to choose the wrong thing. We aren't perfect. We have flaws. Free will and imperfection make for a bad combination.

     Don't get me wrong. I am grateful for free will. It means more when we choose the right thing. The characters in LOTR all had their flaws. It made them more realistic in my estimation.

     On an added note, LOTR is written in my favorite genre.