COVERED WITH PITCH
Genesis 6:14
“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.”
The Ark was made of wood, so it had to be waterproofed. The most suitable type of waterproofing would be a hydrophobic substance, such as oil or grease. So it was coated inside and out with pitch. But what actually is pitch? In modern parlance, this refers to an oil fraction. But here some people raise a problem. If pitch is an oil fraction, then do we not assume that oil was produced during the Flood? If that is so, then it could not have been around before the Flood.
This objection actually misses the point. The Hebrew word translated as pitch in Genesis 6:14 is khafar. The only other places where the word pitch is used to describe a bituminous substance would be Exodus 2:3 and Isaiah 34:9, but in these latter two cases, a different Hebrew word (zepheth) is used. Khafar is only used to mean pitch in Genesis 6:14, but khafar appears in another 101 places in the Old Testament. In all those other places, it is translated with words such as appease, reconcile, or atonement. The word is used in the Pentateuch for the coverings of blood, which foreshadow the blood of our Savior. The altar was covered by a sin offering of blood. Noah and his family were waterproofed against the watery judgment of God, and we, who belong to Christ, are fireproofed against the judgment to come by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, which not only covers, but washes away all our sin.
Thank You, Lord, that You made a way of salvation. Just as You saved Noah by grace, so You save us by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, covering, and washing away, all of our sin. Amen.
Ref: Sarfati, J. (2015), The Genesis Account, (Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book Publishers), pp. 498-499. Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
Genesis 6:14
“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.”
The Ark was made of wood, so it had to be waterproofed. The most suitable type of waterproofing would be a hydrophobic substance, such as oil or grease. So it was coated inside and out with pitch. But what actually is pitch? In modern parlance, this refers to an oil fraction. But here some people raise a problem. If pitch is an oil fraction, then do we not assume that oil was produced during the Flood? If that is so, then it could not have been around before the Flood.
This objection actually misses the point. The Hebrew word translated as pitch in Genesis 6:14 is khafar. The only other places where the word pitch is used to describe a bituminous substance would be Exodus 2:3 and Isaiah 34:9, but in these latter two cases, a different Hebrew word (zepheth) is used. Khafar is only used to mean pitch in Genesis 6:14, but khafar appears in another 101 places in the Old Testament. In all those other places, it is translated with words such as appease, reconcile, or atonement. The word is used in the Pentateuch for the coverings of blood, which foreshadow the blood of our Savior. The altar was covered by a sin offering of blood. Noah and his family were waterproofed against the watery judgment of God, and we, who belong to Christ, are fireproofed against the judgment to come by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, which not only covers, but washes away all our sin.
Thank You, Lord, that You made a way of salvation. Just as You saved Noah by grace, so You save us by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, covering, and washing away, all of our sin. Amen.
Ref: Sarfati, J. (2015), The Genesis Account, (Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book Publishers), pp. 498-499. Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
THE FLOODWATERS RISE
Genesis 7:11-12
“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.”
Imagine that the tide went out much farther than it had ever done before. Imagine that you lived in a world full of evil, but this day it seemed like something big was about to happen. One man and his family had been building an enormous vessel while warning people of the coming judgment of God. You had joined in the laughter with everyone else. But now, there was a rumbling like thunder, the sky had strangely darkened, and water was falling like it had never fallen before. The largest tsunami the world has ever seen was heading your way.
Fanciful fiction? The Bible tells us that it is a real event from the history of the world.
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (Genesis 7:11-12)
The detail of the timescale suggests a real event. The waters rose while rain continued for 40 days. The rain stopped, but the waters continued to rise due to geological upheaval for a further 50 days. Then the waters prevailed: for a further 60 days, making a total of 150 days. Gradually, the waters abated for 110 days and then receded from the land for 110 days.
These are real events, and the Apostle Peter reminds us that it is the scoffers who remain deliberately ignorant of the facts that God made, and later flooded, this world.
Lord, we do not want to be found among the deliberately ignorant. Teach us to trust and follow Your word in all its aspects. Amen.
Ref: Taylor, P.F. (2008), In the Beginning, (Belfast, UK: Ambassador Publications), p. 28. Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
Genesis 7:11-12
“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.”
Imagine that the tide went out much farther than it had ever done before. Imagine that you lived in a world full of evil, but this day it seemed like something big was about to happen. One man and his family had been building an enormous vessel while warning people of the coming judgment of God. You had joined in the laughter with everyone else. But now, there was a rumbling like thunder, the sky had strangely darkened, and water was falling like it had never fallen before. The largest tsunami the world has ever seen was heading your way.
Fanciful fiction? The Bible tells us that it is a real event from the history of the world.
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (Genesis 7:11-12)
The detail of the timescale suggests a real event. The waters rose while rain continued for 40 days. The rain stopped, but the waters continued to rise due to geological upheaval for a further 50 days. Then the waters prevailed: for a further 60 days, making a total of 150 days. Gradually, the waters abated for 110 days and then receded from the land for 110 days.
These are real events, and the Apostle Peter reminds us that it is the scoffers who remain deliberately ignorant of the facts that God made, and later flooded, this world.
Lord, we do not want to be found among the deliberately ignorant. Teach us to trust and follow Your word in all its aspects. Amen.
Ref: Taylor, P.F. (2008), In the Beginning, (Belfast, UK: Ambassador Publications), p. 28. Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
THE GODS WHO DID NOT CREATE
Jeremiah 10:11
“Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.”
One of the fundamental lessons we learn from Scripture is that there is only one God. There are, however, a lot of false gods. In biblical times, these would often have been idols of wood, stone, or metal. But there are idols all around us today which demand our worship. These could be anything that people have put in the place of God.
Some modern idols would, however, be recognizable to people of biblical times. These might be such objects as charms, horoscopes, or crystals. Sometimes, like the Children of Israel, Christians can be tempted by such idols.
In Jeremiah 10, we read:
Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens." It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. (Jeremiah 10:11-12)
Our attitude to such idols needs to be to remind ourselves that these idols did not make the universe. Only God has the power to create, and the Bible reminds us that He created the whole universe in just six days about 6,000 years ago. Compared to God, the false gods and idols look so worthless. What is the test of whether or not they are true or false? The test is whether they created the heavens and the earth. Our God is the only true God, the God who really did make the heavens and the earth.
Thank You, Father, for Your Grace and for Your Power. Thank you that, even though You made this universe, You still are concerned for the likes of people like us. Amen.
Ref: Taylor, P.F. (2008), In the Beginning, (Belfast, UK: Ambassador Publications), p. 16. Image: Public domain.
Jeremiah 10:11
“Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.”
One of the fundamental lessons we learn from Scripture is that there is only one God. There are, however, a lot of false gods. In biblical times, these would often have been idols of wood, stone, or metal. But there are idols all around us today which demand our worship. These could be anything that people have put in the place of God.
Some modern idols would, however, be recognizable to people of biblical times. These might be such objects as charms, horoscopes, or crystals. Sometimes, like the Children of Israel, Christians can be tempted by such idols.
In Jeremiah 10, we read:
Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens." It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. (Jeremiah 10:11-12)
Our attitude to such idols needs to be to remind ourselves that these idols did not make the universe. Only God has the power to create, and the Bible reminds us that He created the whole universe in just six days about 6,000 years ago. Compared to God, the false gods and idols look so worthless. What is the test of whether or not they are true or false? The test is whether they created the heavens and the earth. Our God is the only true God, the God who really did make the heavens and the earth.
Thank You, Father, for Your Grace and for Your Power. Thank you that, even though You made this universe, You still are concerned for the likes of people like us. Amen.
Ref: Taylor, P.F. (2008), In the Beginning, (Belfast, UK: Ambassador Publications), p. 16. Image: Public domain.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VERSE IN GENESIS
Genesis 6:8
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
Genesis 1:1 is pretty cool. It tells us that God made the world, the universe, and everything from nothing. It is a verse that gives the lie to all the great philosophies of the modern age. Yet, if I had to choose what I thought was the most beautiful verse in Genesis, that first verse would be close, but not the one.
Genesis 2:24 talks about the importance of marriage – that a man leaves his father and mother and holds fast to his wife. It reminds us that marriage is to be between one man and one woman and should last for life. It is beautiful – but, to me, not the most beautiful.
Genesis 9:13 is pretty special, where God sets His bow in the clouds as a sign to remind us that He will never again flood the Earth in a worldwide deluge. He has no obligation to limit Himself by covenant, yet He does so out of love for us, and He keeps those covenants out of love. Yet even this special verse is not the most beautiful.
In my opinion, the most beautiful verse in Genesis is in chapter 6, and verse 8.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:8)
The verse begins with a "but" because we have just learned how evil men's hearts are. Nevertheless, Noah was to be saved because of God's favor; in other words, by grace. It is only by grace that we are saved – and that grace was extended to Noah as it is to all who repent and trust in Jesus.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for saving us by grace, through faith – and even this is the gift of God. We have not earned it, and therefore we cannot boast in it. Amen.
Ref: Sarfati, J. (2015), The Genesis Account, (Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book Publishers), p. 490. Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
Genesis 6:8
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
Genesis 1:1 is pretty cool. It tells us that God made the world, the universe, and everything from nothing. It is a verse that gives the lie to all the great philosophies of the modern age. Yet, if I had to choose what I thought was the most beautiful verse in Genesis, that first verse would be close, but not the one.
Genesis 2:24 talks about the importance of marriage – that a man leaves his father and mother and holds fast to his wife. It reminds us that marriage is to be between one man and one woman and should last for life. It is beautiful – but, to me, not the most beautiful.
Genesis 9:13 is pretty special, where God sets His bow in the clouds as a sign to remind us that He will never again flood the Earth in a worldwide deluge. He has no obligation to limit Himself by covenant, yet He does so out of love for us, and He keeps those covenants out of love. Yet even this special verse is not the most beautiful.
In my opinion, the most beautiful verse in Genesis is in chapter 6, and verse 8.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:8)
The verse begins with a "but" because we have just learned how evil men's hearts are. Nevertheless, Noah was to be saved because of God's favor; in other words, by grace. It is only by grace that we are saved – and that grace was extended to Noah as it is to all who repent and trust in Jesus.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for saving us by grace, through faith – and even this is the gift of God. We have not earned it, and therefore we cannot boast in it. Amen.
Ref: Sarfati, J. (2015), The Genesis Account, (Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book Publishers), p. 490. Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
HURRICANES: ARE THEY OUR FAULT?
Psalm 55:6-8
“And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
One leading left-wing UK newspaper headlined a report on Hurricane Harvey with these words:
"It's a fact: climate change made Hurricane Harvey more deadly."
The newspaper went on to opine that the recent devastating hurricanes in the United States – Hurricanes Harvey and Irma – may not have actually been caused by human activity and industry, but were certainly exacerbated by it. The ferocity of these hurricanes is therefore collectively our fault. The belief is that human activity has so increased the average global temperature that abnormal weather patterns are now becoming the norm, and the only way to solve this problem is to take international multi-national action to reduce the production of greenhouse gases and so work against this global temperature rise.
But how abnormal are these hurricanes? No one, least of all me, would want to downplay the human suffering caused by these catastrophic events. However, the south coast of the United States of America has hosted numerous terrible storms in the past. For example, the city of Pensacola was first settled by Spanish explorer Tristan de Luna in 1559, but decimated within months by a hurricane, finally leading to the abandonment of that first colony in 1561. Other Gulf Coast communities have suffered hurricane damage since then.
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Hurricane Harvey arrived in 2017. That is a remarkable gap of 12 years, during which the US mainland did not get a hurricane landfall. That fortunate 12 years is the abnormality, not the devastation caused by the storms. The world is not coming to an end until God says so – and that event is in His timing, not ours.
We place our trust in You, O Lord, knowing that all of the world's weather is in Your hands and that You are in control. Amen.
Psalm 55:6-8
“And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
One leading left-wing UK newspaper headlined a report on Hurricane Harvey with these words:
"It's a fact: climate change made Hurricane Harvey more deadly."
The newspaper went on to opine that the recent devastating hurricanes in the United States – Hurricanes Harvey and Irma – may not have actually been caused by human activity and industry, but were certainly exacerbated by it. The ferocity of these hurricanes is therefore collectively our fault. The belief is that human activity has so increased the average global temperature that abnormal weather patterns are now becoming the norm, and the only way to solve this problem is to take international multi-national action to reduce the production of greenhouse gases and so work against this global temperature rise.
But how abnormal are these hurricanes? No one, least of all me, would want to downplay the human suffering caused by these catastrophic events. However, the south coast of the United States of America has hosted numerous terrible storms in the past. For example, the city of Pensacola was first settled by Spanish explorer Tristan de Luna in 1559, but decimated within months by a hurricane, finally leading to the abandonment of that first colony in 1561. Other Gulf Coast communities have suffered hurricane damage since then.
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Hurricane Harvey arrived in 2017. That is a remarkable gap of 12 years, during which the US mainland did not get a hurricane landfall. That fortunate 12 years is the abnormality, not the devastation caused by the storms. The world is not coming to an end until God says so – and that event is in His timing, not ours.
We place our trust in You, O Lord, knowing that all of the world's weather is in Your hands and that You are in control. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.