Daily Bread for Jan 2, Gen 4-7

We're going to take a "Big Picture" look at how the Bible fits together and tells us about who God is, what His plan of redemption is and how it works, particularly in these first books.

Today's readings are Gen 4-7.

In Gen 4, we see that Cain, who seemingly has godly parents (Gen 4:1), also has an angry and murderous heart. This exposes the fallen nature of man. Left to his own devices, he is self-centered and longs to be self-determined. Even though Cain is guilty of murdering his brother, God is gracious. There are real-time consequences. But God, who has promised lineage to Adam and Eve, spares and preserves Cain.

Men are blessed with long lives, perhaps to populate the world, maybe merely because it is God's plan. We follow the generational lines up to Noah. By Noah's time, man's nature has been corrupted entirely and is evil. God decides to judge the entire world by bringing a flood.

Noah, who is declared righteous (compared to other men), is shown grace. God wants Noah to build an ark. All those on the ark will be spared the judgment that is coming.

Notice, God chooses who goes on the ark. The ark symbolizes salvation through grace. God shed His grace on Adam and Eve, despite their disobedience. They had earned death, but God preserved them. God spared Cain by His grace. He spares Noah and his family by the same type of grace. The clear message we see in these first few chapters of the Bible is that God saves through grace. Those who are not recipients of God's grace die in the flood which covers everything on earth.

By the time the waters subside, everyone except Noah and his family is dead. Noah, along with his family, is a remnant. It seems this is another way God operates; He always preserves a remnant who has been declared righteous by His grace.

In this scenario, we see three ways God interacts with His creation: by grace, by His declared righteousness and through a remnant. There's one more crucial lesson about God and His nature. He saves through the righteousness of one man. Noah as we will see, is not worthy of any of these blessings. He receives them because of who God is, not because of who Noah is.

With each chapter, God is revealing a little more of His character and nature. We are learning how He operates and relates to His creation, step by step.