Monday, January 2, 2012

Crouching behind the door

Crouching at your door!
Genesis 4, 5, 6 and Matthew 2
The words make me want to get up and go see what is crouching at my door!  Sin crouches at all our doors, it’s just whether we admit it or not…
Today’s reading in Genesis and Matthew deal with sin constantly.  Two verses just grasp my attention.  First is Genesis 4: 7 ~
…But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”   Sin is always right there and it is our choice to allow the sin around the door where it is lurking, waiting on us or slam it shut!  The words here remind me of the scripture where the Devil is described as a prowling lion waiting to grab makes sense that sin would be described as crouching and lurking and the maker of sin just prowls waiting.
The next verse is in Genesis 6 with the scripture about the flood and Noah.  The world is described as only evil all the time.  Lots of bad stuff happening with the people only concerned with their own agendas, their own desires with no thought of right or wrong.  Doesn’t sound too different from right now, does it?  Anyway, verse 6 tells us that The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 
Reading this verse just grabbed my attention.  I don’t know why I’ve not really paid attention to it before, but today it hit me right between the eyes.  God made humans in His own image and He rested because it was all good.  Remember, and He is God – He makes no mistakes, but here we learn he grieves because He made man and the choices that man made.  It’s hard for me to grasp other than to think of a parent and when a child makes a mistake it breaks their heart, but they don’t regret having them or maybe for a moment some do…God was broken hearted because He loved so much.
In verse 8, we see that Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  In the original language, favor in this verse means grace.  The world was undeserving, but God showed grace to Noah.  Noah was righteous and blameless, but he made mistakes.  God showed him grace.  We also see that Noah walked with God.  Imagine walking with God.  I wonder if this was physically somehow or like we walk with God by our actions?
The world was corrupt and God told Noah to build an ark.  Now this I always love thinking and pondering.  Did Noah immediately start to work on this massive boat in the backyard?  What did the neighbors say?  What did his family say?  Whatever was said and done didn’t seem to bother Noah because in verse 22 we are told that Noah did everything just as God told him to do.  Noah was obedient regardless of whatever anyone else had to say! 
Obedience is the key word for Noah and Joseph!  Joseph is again a central person in chapter two of Matthew.  The wisemen come to visit baby Jesus after they stopped by King Herod and shared about the star and the special baby that had been born with him.  Joseph again had a dream and he was obedient following the instructions to flee to Egypt immediately to protect Jesus.
King Herod is so filled with pride that he orders the murder of the babies in Bethlehem under the age of 2.  Talk about sin all from fear of a “New King” getting in his way!  Sin caused the death of innocent little boys. 
Today’s reading had men like Noah and Joseph that were obedient and trying to be aware of the crouching sin waiting to jump on them vs. the men that could not resist the temptation.  A world filled with allowing the crouching sin to come right on in; almost throwing the door wide open saying come on in and welcome!
The most fascinating part for me today was the scripture from Genesis 6:6; which I am still pondering knowing that God doesn’t make mistakes, but yet He regretted making man at this particular moment enough to want to wipe them out.  I am going to ponder on this some more…another fascinating thought to me is again found in Genesis 6:20 describing the animals…they will come to you.  God prepares everything.  He made the animals move toward this boat.  When you watch animals in the wild this just blows your mind, how this would happen?  Did He put them in a trance and they just walked onboard?  Wow, what an image of God’s awesome power of getting 2 of every kind of animal on that ark and all the food that will be needed!
My takeaway thought today is to be more like Joseph!  I want to be able to have the trust and obedience that I will immediately follow through with what the Holy Spirit tells me to do.  I don’t want to wait for months wondering am I getting it right, I want to know in my heart without a doubt that I am so in tune with the Spirit that I get up and leave immediately in the middle of the night just like Joseph!
Pondering,
Debbie

3 comments:

Frankie said...

Some of the verses that jumped out at me today were Genesis 4:26, "At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord." I just find that statement interesting in that calling on the name of the Lord had to start at some point. I just never thought it having a starting point.

Debbie, like you I also noticed that the animals/creatures CAME to Noah in Genesis 6: 20-21. Thinking about it now it seems very logical or Noah would have been on quite a "roundup." I never took note of the rest of that passage that says Noah was to take every kind of food...and store it. That was a job too!

And that Joseph, he was so attentive and obedient such an example for all of us! I have never thought too much about Joseph until the last couple of years, but now I see that just as God picked the right mother for Jesus He also picked the right father for Jesus and husband for Mary. Joseph's role was so very important!

Rozi said...

Imagine being so good that you caused God to change His mind like Noah did. Awesome! And all I can say about Joseph is "What a man!"

Rozi said...

Noah was so obedient that He changed God's mind! How awesome. And all I can say about Joseph is "What a man!"