Author of Life
God is concerned about life.
Genesis(23) (Part of the Origins(23) series)
by Stuart Johns(25) on September 22, 2024 (Sunday Morning(32))
Origins
Author of Life
(Genesis 9:1-17)
INTRODUCTION
“The UK newspaper The Guardian recently ran a story exploring the greatest photo of the 20th century. Can you guess which photo became their top pick? Perhaps something from sports or politics? No, The Guardian chose a stunning photo from a 1965 edition of Life magazine.
A Swedish photojournalist named Lennart Nilsson told the editors of Life his plans to capture the beginnings of human existence while visiting New York in 1954. The editor’s at Life expressed skepticism about the project. But a decade later he returned with the first photographs, shot in both color and black and white--an unprecedented feat that fused photography and biological study. They were published in Life as an iconic photo essay, entitled Drama of Life Before Birth. Nilsson also published the pictures in A Child Is Born, intended as a guide for mothers to be. It is one of the top-selling illustrated books of all time, having been translated into 20 languages.
The photos created controversy. Some people wanted to deny the obvious--that the fetus looked utterly human. The article tried to remain neutral, but here’s how the author summarized the controversy: ‘The images caused a stir in Paris and it’s easy to see why: their quiet beauty has a powerful emotional pull.’ A gallery owner said, ‘Nilsson wanted to make the invisible visible--and show us the astonishing journey we all make, one that unites all humans. He wanted to give us an opportunity to look inside ourselves, to discover pictures that define us as humankind.’”
Check out the link to see the stunning photos.
Source: Charlotte Jansen, “Foetus 18 Weeks: the greatest photograph of the 20th century?” The Guardian (11-18-19)
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2020/january/worlds-greatest-photo-fetus-at-18-weeks.html].
BODY
ME
Deer hunting
I have hunted deer for most of my life, except when we lived in FL and CA.
I tell people that I am a great hunter, but a lousy getter
I have only harvested four doe in all the years I’ve hunted
I probably could have harvested more deer, but I’m a pretty conscientious hunter – I want to make sure that the shot I take is a kill shot
So, I have passed up deer, because I was not confident that I could get a good clean shot
I never want to wound a deer and then not be able to harvest it
I know that God has given everything that lives and moves in the animal kingdom as food for humans, but I do not want to be careless in harvesting those animals
I want to honor and respect the authority God has given me over animals, because He is concerned about life
In just the short time we have lived in VA, I have run over too many squirrels for my liking – I don’t understand why they are so indecisive
Seeing deer killed on the side of the road is difficult for me too, because I always think about the wasted meat
WE
Perhaps every one of us feels the weight of authority that God has placed on us as human beings as it pertains to the animal kingdom
My prayer is that all of us feel the weight of responsibility that God has placed on us as it pertains to human life, regardless of the stage of life
I also pray that we feel the weight of responsibility that God has placed on us, as humanity, to hold those accountable who have taken another human beings life
Warren Wiersbe did an excellent job of identifying four areas of life in the Genesis 9:1-17 historical account. Those four areas of life will be our four points this morning. He says this, “Though given initially to Noah and his family, these instructions apply to all people in all ages and all places. They are permanent ordinances from God for all humanity, and they must not be ignored or altered. Life is precious, and it must be handled with care.” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament, Genesis-Deuteronomy, 53]
Therefore, the author of Genesis wants us to understand that . . .
BIG IDEA – God is concerned about life.
Let’s pray
GOD (Genesis 9:1-17)
NOTE: The four, main point, headings come from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary [Wiersbe, 53-54]
“Multiplying Life” (vv. 1, 7)
Verses 1 and 7 form what is called an inclusio – the same information is repeated in verse 7 that was initially stated in verse 1
God addressed Noah and his sons in verses 1 and 7
In verse 1 it is clearly stated as “Noah and his sons, saying to them”
In verse 7 it is only clear when we realize that the personal pronoun, “you,” is actually in the second person plural form in Hebrew (in English we would probably say, “As for you all”)
The first instruction about life that the Lord gave to Noah and his sons was to procreate, have lots of children, repopulate the earth
God gave the same instruction to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28
There are many similarities between the creation narrative and the recreation narrative
God had not forgotten about the world He created [Atkinson, The Bible Speaks Today, The Message of Genesis 1-11, 154]
PRINCIPLE #1 – “God remains faithful to His world.” [Atkinson, 154]
We should be grateful and thankful for this truth about God
He is faithful!
He has not forgotten about us
He has not abandoned us
He continues to faithfully execute His master plan for the world
Even when we don’t understand His master plan or what is happening in our world today, we can trust that God is faithful
That is one of His many attributes
#1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Worship the Lord for remaining faithful to His world.
Notice that Adam and Eve and Noah and his sons were able to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth, because God had blessed them
God is concerned about multiplying life.
Verses 1 and 7 are like the two cookies on the outside of an Oreo or whoopie pie, or like the bread on the outside of your favorite sandwich
The good stuff, the important stuff is on the inside, which is also true of this historical account
The next two instructions about life are the good, important stuff on the inside
“Sustaining Life” (vv. 2-4)
Increased food options
Up to this point it appears as though humanity only ate fruits and vegetables (Gen. 1:29; 2:9, 16)
Some scholars believe that domesticated animals were already used as food and now the “wild” animals were allowed to be hunted for food – unfortunately, this is not spelled out specifically for us, so that is simply speculation
Perhaps the domesticated animals were used for milk and their wool or hair used for clothing
What we do know is that God instructed Noah and his sons that all the beasts of the earth, all the birds of the air, all the creatures that move along the ground, and all the fish of sea would be food for them
“Cain was a farmer, Abel was a shepherd, but Noah and his sons were now hunters.” [Wiersbe, 53]
God is concerned about sustaining life.
Importance of lifeblood
The relationship between animals and humans changed after the flood
Animals would fear and dread humans from this point forward
I have found this to be true in my own hunting experience
As I mentioned earlier, I am great hunter, but a lousy getter
Is there anyone else like me who sees big bucks before the hunting season begins, but never sees one during the hunting season?
One place I hunted in PA was Letterkenny Army Depot
I had a good friend who is a retired Marine who sponsored me to hunt there with him
Their hunting seasons were a little different from the state wide hunting seasons
They would have doe-only days, which is usually when I would see bucks
When they had buck or doe days, I would never see a buck I could shoot (they have a four-on-one-side rule in PA)
Those buck are definitely afraid of me, which is why they hide when I’m hunting
God put a restriction on eating animals
We are not to eat meat that still has the lifeblood in it
“The Hebrew language has two ways of stating a prohibition: lōʾ with the indicative and ʾal with the jussive. The first is much stronger than the second. It is used to express a categorical prohibition, one that is permanently binding. It is this form that is used here, and, for example, in the Decalogue [Ten Commandments].” [Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, 314]
The Lord wants us to understand that we should not eat meat with the blood still in it
“Animal life, though given to humanity for sustenance, remained valuable in the eyes of God as a living creature and therefore merited proper care, not wanton abuse.” [Mathews, The New American Commentary, Vol. 1A, Genesis 1-11:26, 402]
“The life is in the blood, and that life comes from God and should be respected. Furthermore, the blood of animals would be important in most of the Mosaic sacrifices, so the blood must be treated with reverence.” [Wiersbe, 53]
God is concerned about life.
Sustaining life through the proper care of hunting animals is the first good, important stuff on the inside of this inclusio
The second good, important stuff about life is protecting human life
“Protecting Life” (vv. 5-6)
God made it clear to Noah and his sons and to us also that He is very concerned about the sanctity of life
This includes life in the womb
The life of those with disabilities
The life of the elderly
Every life is sacred and valuable to the Lord!
PRINCIPLE #2 – “The Lord gives life and He alone has the right to authorize taking it away.” [Wiersbe, 54]
Animals and human beings do not have the right to authorize taking life away on their own, individually
Parents don’t have the right to authorize taking their child’s life
Women don’t have the right to authorize taking their child’s life
Doctor’s don’t have the right to authorize taking a child or elderly person’s life
Adult children of elderly parents don’t have the right to authorize taking their parent’s life
The government does not have the right to authorize taking a child or elderly person’s life
Only God has the right to authorize taking a person’s life
Job 14:5, Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
Read Psalm 139:13-16
Job had the correct perspective about God’s authority to give and take life
Job had lost his donkeys, sheep, camels, and children
While he probably did not understand why all of this was happening, we see his response
Job 1:20-22, At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Some human beings believe they have the right to usurp God’s authority concerning taking life – they have taken on the role of god
Distorted worldview
Our world has distorted and twisted God’s values and priorities
“A recent Angus Reid poll asked 1,528 Canadians for their moral perspectives on a wide variety of issues. Among the findings: while 51% thought that using plastic straws is always or usually morally wrong, only 20% thought the same of ‘doctor-assisted dying’ and just 26% for abortion.
(People) are rejecting God’s Law and … are creating their own substitutes in an attempt to justify themselves (Jer. 2:13-14. Luke 18:9-14). Sure, I may have just had my elderly mother euthanized, and had my unborn baby aborted, but I’m a good person because I always use a bamboo, not plastic, straw. I’m doing my part!”
Source: Jon Dykstra, “Poll: More Canadians condemn plastic straws than abortion,” Reformed Perspective (5-6-20)
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2021/january/more-people-condemn-plastic-straws-than-abortion.html]I don’t even know what to say about that
God is all-knowing and sovereign and He knows the number of our days and how we will die
He alone is the One who has the right to authorize taking life away – no one else
I don’t know where you are today as it pertains to the taking of life through abortion or euthanasia
“Innocent human beings have a right not to be deliberately killed.” [Atkinson, 160]
I know what God’s Word says about it and I choose to stand on the firm foundation of His Word
#2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Stand on the firm foundation of God’s Word and trust His authority to give and take life.
God will demand an accounting from every animal and human being that kills a human being and He established civil government to handle the punishment phase
Civil government
What we see in verse 6a is the concept of capital punishment
“Human government and capital punishment go together as Paul explains in Romans 13:1-7.” [Wiersbe, 54]
Read Romans 13:1-5
1 Peter 2:13-14, Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
Capital punishment is reserved for murderers and not for those involved in involuntary manslaughter – God provided the nation of Israel with cities of refuge for those involved in involuntary manslaughter
Some of us may be thinking today, “Isn’t capital punishment simply a second murder?”
“The resulting death, because it is done in response to a command of God, is considered the proper result, not a second murder.” [Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 92]
PRINCIPLE #3 – “Civil government is ordained by God to protect human life and dignity.” [Gangel & Bramer, 97]
Others may be skeptical of civil government in our nation, but just think about the alternative – “anarchy and people doing what’s right in their own eyes (Jud. 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).” [Wiersbe, 54]
Even with all of its flaws, God established civil government for our benefit and protection
#3 – My Next Step Today Is To: Worship God for establishing a civil government to protect human life and dignity.
God is concerned about protecting life.
The reason He is concerned about protecting life is because human beings have been made in his image
Bearer of the divine image
When we take the life of another human being we are usurping God’s authority and destroying His very image
“To murder someone is to extinguish a revelation of God and to display contempt for God who has made mankind with the highest value in all of creation. . . . God expects human beings to place the highest value on human life” [Gangel & Bramer, 93 & 98]
“An ambassador is the official representative of her government; in a sense she bears the image of her nation. Now imagine that a foreign government seizes the ambassador and kills her. That wouldn't simply be murder of a single human being; it would also be an act of war against the government the ambassador represents. In a similar way, one person's murdering another person is an act of war against God. It is an attempt to murder God by killing one who bears his image.”
Source: Timothy Peck, "The Trinitarian Life," PreachingToday.com
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/december/7120307.html]
We have now seen the good, important stuff that was sandwiched between the instruction for Noah and his sons to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth
The final area of life that God talks about is enjoying life
“Enjoying Life” (vv. 8-17)
Inclusio
We have another inclusio in verses 8-17
In verses 8-10 the narrator gave us the specifics of who the covenant was with
Noah and his sons
Noah’s descendants
Birds, livestock, wild animals
Every living creature on earth
In verse 17 the narrator significantly shortens the description of who the covenant was with (all life on the earth)
The good, important stuff
The covenant
God promised two things in His covenant
Never again would all life be cut off by flood waters
Never again would there be a flood to destroy the earth
God is concerned about life.
The covenant was unconditional – humanity would not have to do anything in order to maintain the covenant, because God would maintain it regardless
The covenant would be for all generations to come, which includes us!
The Lord then explained how He and humanity would be reminded of the covenant
The sign of the covenant
God provided the rainbow as His sign
The Hebrew word for rainbow can be translated bow, which was an instrument of war
“Here the warrior’s bow is hung up, pointed away from the earth.” [Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, 146]
“Stretched between heaven and earth, it is a bond of peace between both, and, spanning the horizon, it points to the all-embracing universality of the Divine mercy.” [Delitzsch cited by Waltke, 146]
PRINCIPLE #4 – God provides peace through His divine grace and mercy.
As we learned two weeks ago and today, that even though the inclination of our hearts is evil from childhood, God will not destroy the earth or all living creatures by flood again
He waited for the time when Jesus would come from heaven to earth to bring lasting peace between God and man
Romans 5:1-2, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
#4 – My Next Step Today Is To: Have peace with God by believing in Jesus through faith.
God’s other signs
God established other covenants throughout history that included signs
His covenant with Abraham included the sign of circumcision (Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:9-12)
His covenant with Moses and the Israelites at Sinai included the sign of weekly Sabbath (Ex. 31:16-17)
“We have no obligation to conclude that the ‘rainbow’ was unknown before, even as circumcision was not unique to Abraham nor was Sabbath to Israel before its designation as the covenant sign (cf. Exod 16:23-29). Rather, the rainbow was newly appropriated and accorded special significance by the Lord for future generations.” [Mathews, 411]
God has the authority and power to appropriate and assign special significance to the things He has created, but humanity does not have the same authority and power to appropriate and assign meaning and significance to God’s created things
PRINCIPLE #5 – God keeps His promises.
Every time that the dark storm clouds roll in and the rain falls down and the sun comes back out and we see a rainbow, we can know with confidence that God will never destroy the earth and all living creatures by flood again
“Mark Twain and his friend William Dean Howells stepped out of church just as a violent rainstorm began. Howells said, ‘I wonder if it will stop?’; and Mark Twain replied, ‘It always has.’ He was right; it always has! Why? Because God made a covenant and He always keeps His word.” [Wiersbe, 55]
Rainbows in Scripture
We just learned that Noah saw the rainbow after the storm
The prophet Ezekiel saw a rainbow in the middle of the storm (Ezek. 1:28)
The Apostle John saw a rainbow before the storm of judgment broke loose (Rev. 4:3)
“The personal lesson for God’s people is simply this: in the storms of life, always look for the rainbow of God’s covenant promise. Like John, you may see the rainbow before the storm; like Ezekiel, you may see it in the midst of the storm; or like Noah, you may have to wait until after the storm. But you will always see the rainbow of God’s promise if you look by faith.” [Wiersbe, 56]
#5 – My Next Step Today Is To: Look for God’s covenant promise in the storms of my life.
YOU
Are you ready to worship the Lord for remaining faithful to His world?
Do you need to stand on the firm foundation of God’s Word and trust His authority to give and take life?
When was the last time you worshiped God for establishing a civil government to protect human life and dignity?
Is today the day when you will have peace with God by believing in Jesus through faith?
Do you need to look for God’s covenant promise in the storms of your life?
WE
We can worship the Lord for remaining faithful to His world
We need to stand on the firm foundation of God’s Word and trust His authority to give and take life
We need to worship God for establishing civil government to protect human life and dignity
We need to look for God’s covenant promises in the storms of our lives
CONCLUSION
“University professor Dr. Chris Gabbard used to believe that some human beings should be allowed or even encouraged to die. In his own words, Gabbard "grew up prizing intellectual aptitude … and detesting 'poor mental functioning.'" This led Gabbard to adopt the ethics of the contemporary philosopher Peter Singer, who argues that society has a right to exclude people who are not "persons." For instance, Singer and Gabbard believed that severely disabled people should either be killed or allowed to die.
But the birth of Gabbard's son radically changed his viewpoint. During childbirth, his son experienced permanent brain damage, and today he is a blind quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Gabbard writes movingly about the first time he saw his newborn son in the intensive-care unit:
After his birth … I was deeply ambivalent, having been persuaded by [Peter Singer's] advocacy of … infanticide. But there was my son, asleep or unconscious, on a ventilator, motionless under a heat lamp, tubes and wires everywhere, monitors alongside his steel and transparent-plastic crib. What most stirred me was the way he resembled me. Nothing had prepared me for this shock of recognition, for he was the boy in my own baby pictures, the image of me when I was an infant.
Today Gabbard is an advocate for the inherent dignity of severely disabled human beings. After pointing to a 2010 Gallup poll* that says that nearly half of Americans (46 percent) support assisted suicides, Gabbard writes, ‘Many such well-meaning people would like to end my son's suffering, but they do not stop to consider whether he is actually suffering. At times he is uncomfortable, yes, but the only real pain here seems to be the pain of those who cannot bear the thought that people like [my son] exist.’
The story of Dr. Gabbard's change of heart serves as a powerful reminder of the inherent dignity of every human being as made in the image of God.”
*The latest statistic, as of 2/2/24, now shows that 55% of Americans consider doctor assisted suicide morally acceptable
Source: Editor, “Do you consider doctor-assisted suicide morally acceptable or morally wrong?” Statista (2-2-24); Karen Swallow Prior, "A Peter Singer Sympathizer Changes His Mind," Her.meneutics (12-7-10).
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/january/1011711.html].
