Journey Through Genesis-Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) by: Francis Jackson

      After prior discussion on three of the major events of the Genesis storyline (Creation, The Fall, and The Flood), we now make it to the fourth which is the Tower of Babel. As mentioned in the beginning of this series, Genesis can be broken down by the understanding of 4 people and 4 events. The 4 people being Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and the 4 events being creation, the fall, the flood, and the tower of Babel. After the flood, civilization was repopulated by Noah's son Shem, Ham, and Japeth (Gen. 9:18-19). The sons of Japeth inhabited the norhtern part of the land from what is now known as Turkey, stretching across to the Caspian Sea. Japeth covered the most territory just as Noah prophesied (9:27). Sons of Shem took the region just below which started along the border east of the Mediterranean Sea stretching through Mede and Persia which is around modern-day Iran. Sons of Ham inhabited the land which later became Israel (after Jacob who was given the name-Gen.32:28) down through northern Egypt and modern-day Saudi Arabia. Now everyone on the earth had one language (11:1). God's purpose for them were to spread out so that they may fill the earth as stated to Noah after the flood (9:1). The entire population was aware of this charge (11:4), yet under the leadership of Nimrod who was a mighty hunter and builder as well (10:8-12), influenced the people that a tower be built as a self-monument surrounded by a city in which they would also build. Pastor John Macarthur refers to this sin as a "double prideful rebellion" in a commentary out of The Macarthur Sudent Bible (NKJV). One, the idea of making a name for themselves was a disrespect towards the reverance of God (11:4). Satan wants to make a name for himself as well. The bible tells us the end result of that (Is.14:12-15-see also Satan's Purpose in Notes on Facebook). Two, the idea of building a city for themselves was a statement that they weren't going anywhere as God commanded. So God came down and saw what the people opted to do with their ability to communicate all in one language and decided to confuse their language and forcibly have them scattered (11:5-8a). They were unable to finish building the city (11:8b) and its name was called Babel because of the Lord confusing their language. This city is later called Babylon which has shown to be a city of great rebellion against God (Rev.16:19; 17:5; Jer. 50:35-38; Dan. 3:15-20).

OLD SOUL

I've heard many people speak of someone having an old soul. usually towards a youngster that acts like an older mature individual.  Not to say they are always ultra mature or even conservative, but it usually references someone who, due to they way they carry themselves, reminds people of their grand parents.  This description is usually considered a complement and I have seen recipients accept the statement as a badge or honor.

This all brings to mind the thought of old-fashioned and the negative connotation that brings, and I have to wonder...what's so negative about it?  A. W. Tozer once wrote that it is flawed to think that all things old are good, and all things new are bad.  Think "GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION."  There is however a new strain of thought, that doing things the old way is bad and the new is good innovation.  So where is the line or truth drawn?  In Jeremiah 6 it states:

Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls

You see there is a way that is old, but it is more than old, it is the original way, the standard way, the perfect way.  This was of course messed up, but we are called to remain some DNA of the old ways in our lives.  What is this old way?  LIVE IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD!  The old way is the timeless way that has shown in the lives of extraordinary people for centuries, and is the mark of good character.  Now this doesn't mean that we discard the old.  As Tozer stated, innovation is needed because change is constant an we have to learn how to make proper use of the changes.  (THINK internet, facebook, twitter, etc)  God can give us the wisdom to use all these things to His Glory, he just needs people who are seeking that old timeless way of walking in submissive faith and running the race set before us in an innovative way. I THINK IT'S AWESOME HOW THE WATER OF LIFE CAN BRING SO MUCH HEAT!

Let me end with a quote A. W. Tozer who said that he would "like to see...a number of persons committed to the everlastingness of the truth as it is given from heaven, manifested in the inspiration of scripture and the faith of our father...."  IMAGINE THE RESULTS.

The Christmas Story- Spiritual Warfare (Rev.12:1-5) by: Francis Jackson

      Often times we hear the Christmas story from the perspective of the manger scene, the amazing news given to Mary of giving birth to the Son of the Most High, the wise men and their gifts, and other areas surrounding the pregnancy of Mary. The background however, is not something we hear a lot about. The events prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. This amplifies the meaning of Christmas so much for me because of how the bible reveals all the spiritual warfare God surpassed in order to bring forth the Messiah that we celebrate. Ever since the first prophecy given in the bible by God (Gen. 3:15b) of the serpent's head being bruised by Eve's seed, Satan has been at work to prevent this process from happening. Satan is the dragon in this passage as described in verse 9. The woman clothed with the sun, moon, and twelve stars is identified as the nation of Israel (Gen. 37:9). The Child is identified as Jesus Christ (Ps. 2:8-9). With Satan knowing of Christ being born through the nation of Israel, his whole purpose was to destroy that possibility by annihilating the Jews. Biblical history gives great examples of Satan's attempts to devour the Child (Rev. 12:4b). For instance, the coming of Moses in Exodus 1. The pharaoh saw the Jews were greatly numbered and ordered the Hebrew midwives to execute all newborn males (vv.15-16). This would stop them from reproducing, which would eventually lead to their extinction. This attempt failed due to midwives disobeying king's orders out of fear of the Lord (vv.17-18). Later Haman conspires to completely wipe out the Jews by smooth, flattery words to the king that the Jews were not conforming to the king's laws (Esther 3:8-11). This attempt failed through Esther's courage to go against the law in approaching the king in the inner court to save her nation (4:10-11,15-16; 5:2-3; 7:3-6)-read through ch.8. Last but not least is Herod's plot to wipe out the all the infants in Bethlehem in order to kill baby Jesus (Matt. 2:13b,16). This attempt failed due to the wise men not returning to Herod (v.12) and the family fleeing to Egypt til Herod's death (v.13). Through it all, God's sovereignty ruled over all spiritual warfare and Israel gave birth to the Son who would rule the nations with a rod of iron (Rev.12:5; Ps. 2:8-9). Our promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would come and take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Merry Christmas.

Journey Through Genesis- The Flood (Gen. 6-9:17) by: Francis Jackson

 The story of the flood is one of the greatest stories of faith recorded. The story is prepped by one of the boldest and graphic illustrations of the wickedness of man. Although the sons of God (fallen angels) are highlighted as the life of the party (Gen. 6:2-4) being that they are the only detailed subjects mentioned, this wickedness referred to was in relation to all men (6:5-8). Evidence is that all of reproductive creation (man and animals) was destroyed, not just those possessed by the sons of God. Noah was the only one spared (6:13,18) along with a pair of every animal in order for the world to repopulate afterwards (6:19). In this story, Noah is told to build an ark in a time when rain was foreign. Nowhere in the text prior to the flood is rain recorded. In the beginning, a mist came up from the earth and watered the whole ground (2:5-6). However, the ground was cursed after the fall so the mist that came up dried out forcing man to work harder to produce crops (3:17-19). How do we know it didn't rain? It could have just not been recorded? Well the writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 11 that Noah was "divinely warned of things not yet seen"-v.7 (NKJV). So Noah, being on dry grounds, having never seen rain, but was told to build a huge boat in preparation for a great flood. Not only that, but that the boat would take 120 years to build (6:3). Talk about faith?! A cubit is about 18 inches, so doing the math, this boat was 450ft long, 75ft wide, and 45ft high, and he had to gather and prepare the wood himself. There is no greater faith than to go through all that trouble preparing for something that was absolutely blasphemous at the time. But he did it cause God told him to. So Noah finished the ark, which took 120 years and brought in his family and the animals all in the same day to enter the boat (7:13-14) and God got to work with the scheduled destruction. The rain and flood came (7:17-20), all flesh was destroyed with the exception of those in the ark (7:21-23), and Noah, through his obedience, was delivered (8:15). God made a new covenant with creation (9:1-7) and established His everlasting covenant with Noah (9:11-17).

Journey Through Genesis- The Fall (Gen. 3:1-19) by: Francis Jackson

      The story of the fall is very important because within defines how our depraved nature came about. Man, in the original state was perfect, but creaturely- meaning they were still inferior to God. In creating mankind, God set up a theocratic form of government in which the chain of command was Man-Woman-Creature (Gen. 1:26; 2:18; 1 Cor. 11:8-9). Knowing this system of government helps us to better understand why Satan came in the form of a serpent. His plan was, and still is to pervert the system in which God set up for Himself. As a result, the woman follows the creature and the man follows the woman, rebelling against God and flipping His system upside down. In bringing this about, Satan came to Eve with the focus on the restriction (Gen.3:1). He also takes the word God uses in reference to all the other trees they could have ,"every," to exaggerate the restriction (2:16). Eve has her own mishandling with words in her response. One, God never said they counldn't touch the forbidden tree but just couldn't eat of it (Gen. 2:17) and two, He said they could eat freely from every other one (v.16). Eve responded leaving out the words "every" and "freely." Satan then brought it home by making the restriction appear as something good God was keeping away from man and twisted the truth to do it (Gen. 3:4-5). They would become like God, knowing good and evil, but they also would die (3:22). Nonetheless, they ate (v.6). Then the most amazing part, God, the wonderful Creator, used their nakedness to expose their sin (2:25; 3:10-11). From there, guilt caused them to blame one another (3:12-13), God issued the punishments (3:14-19), and promised us a Savior (3:15).

Journey Through Genesis- Creation (Gen. 1:1-2:3) by:Francis Jackson

        Genesis can be broken down by 4 events and 4 people- creation, the fall, the flood, and the tower of Babel. The 4 people are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  There are many views in relation to how the world came about. This topic is covered in more detail in paper that will be posted soon titled "In the Beginning."  How we view the creation of the world and its inhabitants place a big part in how we view God.  Six of the more popular views of creation are the Gap Theory (also known as reconstructive theory), the Day-Age Theory (also known as progressive creationism), Evolution (3 kinds-Atheistic, Theistic, Threshold), and Six-Day Creationism. The gap theory is the view that supports God creating the earth twice.  In this view Satan has fallen in between Gen. 1:1-2 which explains how "darkness was on the face of the deep."  The fallacy in this view is that after God finished creating, He looked and saw that everything was "very good" (1:31). This cannot be so if Satan has already fallen. God cannot look upon sin as being good (6:5-7).  Satan had to have fallen in between chapter 2 and the serpent's encounter with Eve. The day-age theory is built around how the reader interprets the word "day." God gives the connotation of his intent in Exodus 20:8-11 regardless of other legitimate definitions of the word.  Atheistic Evolution excludes God altogether. Those in support of this view believe what is known as "The Big-Bang Theory" that the world came about through some cataclysmic explosion which evolved into all that is created today.  This view falls when confronted by the principle of causality- Every cause has a beginning. Therefore, everything caused had to have been brought into existence by something that has always existed, God.  Theistic Evolution says God created the world using the processes of evolution and not His word ("Then God said").  Threshold says God created but then only jumped in during major parts of time like the flood and the destroying of Sodom and Gomorrah. Six-day creationism takes the biblical account as literal with support from Exodus 20:8-11. This view is most consistent with the truths of the bible.  So where do you stand in relation to how the earth was created? Is it consistent with the rest of Scripture?