January 3
GENESIS 7:1-10:5; 1 CHRONICLES 1:5-7; GENESIS 10:6-20; 1 CHRONICLES 1:8-16; GENESIS 10:21-30; 1 CHRONICLES 1:17-23; GENESIS 10:31-32
Two critical questions to ask ourselves as we read the Bible are: 1) What did my reading teach me about God? and 2) What did my reading teach me about myself/humanity?
Our reading today, like yesterday's, emphasizes the grace and justice of God. His justice is seen in his sending of a flood to destroy/cleanse a sinful world. Genesis 7:21-23 describes the extent of this judgment upon the Earth. Yet even in his judgment there is grace. We see God's protection of Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark. We then see God's grace in making a covenant with Noah and his descendants that he would never flood the earth again. We can be reminded of this grace every time we see a rainbow in the sky, which is God’s assurance that he will remain faithful to his promise. Finally, we see God's grace in the genealogy that our reading ends with. Some of these descendants would become the nations of Babylon and Assyria which would ultimately slaughter and exile Israel, yet God in his grace allows these nations to prosper and flourish. As we consider God's grace and justice we often only want to focus on one of these areas. Typically, as 21st century Americans , we focus more on God's grace than justice. If we only see God's grace then we might easily think that God is unconcerned about sin, or that sin is easily excused. Yet in understanding the fullness of God's grace and justice we come to the cross. We come to see that God takes sin so seriously in his justice that it took the sacrifice of Jesus to cover over sin. At great cost, grace is now made available to us. Without grace Jesus wouldn't have died and without justice the world would never be made right-- praise God that he is both gracious and just.
Father God, thank you that you are a holy, perfect God. Thank you that you are just in dealing with sin and through the death and resurrection of Jesus you are gracious in forgiving it. Help me to remember the cost of my forgiveness and motivate me to pursue holiness and glorifying you in my life. Amen.
Question: What would holding a more balanced view of God's grace and justice look like?
Two critical questions to ask ourselves as we read the Bible are: 1) What did my reading teach me about God? and 2) What did my reading teach me about myself/humanity?
Our reading today, like yesterday's, emphasizes the grace and justice of God. His justice is seen in his sending of a flood to destroy/cleanse a sinful world. Genesis 7:21-23 describes the extent of this judgment upon the Earth. Yet even in his judgment there is grace. We see God's protection of Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark. We then see God's grace in making a covenant with Noah and his descendants that he would never flood the earth again. We can be reminded of this grace every time we see a rainbow in the sky, which is God’s assurance that he will remain faithful to his promise. Finally, we see God's grace in the genealogy that our reading ends with. Some of these descendants would become the nations of Babylon and Assyria which would ultimately slaughter and exile Israel, yet God in his grace allows these nations to prosper and flourish. As we consider God's grace and justice we often only want to focus on one of these areas. Typically, as 21st century Americans , we focus more on God's grace than justice. If we only see God's grace then we might easily think that God is unconcerned about sin, or that sin is easily excused. Yet in understanding the fullness of God's grace and justice we come to the cross. We come to see that God takes sin so seriously in his justice that it took the sacrifice of Jesus to cover over sin. At great cost, grace is now made available to us. Without grace Jesus wouldn't have died and without justice the world would never be made right-- praise God that he is both gracious and just.
Father God, thank you that you are a holy, perfect God. Thank you that you are just in dealing with sin and through the death and resurrection of Jesus you are gracious in forgiving it. Help me to remember the cost of my forgiveness and motivate me to pursue holiness and glorifying you in my life. Amen.
Question: What would holding a more balanced view of God's grace and justice look like?
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