Human Life Prioritized

Human Life Prioritized

Genesis 9: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. ² And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. ³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. ⁴ But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. ⁵ Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.

 

⁶ “Whoever sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed;
For in the image of God
He made man.
⁷ And as for you, be fruitful and multiply;
Bring forth abundantly in the earth
And multiply in it.”

 

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Life as Noah was used to had changed. No longer would things be the same. GOD had not spoken to Noah’s sons before. Perhaps they were not interested, BUT GOD was starting humanity over. Satan had caused humans to fall. His demons fell and birthed giants. Noah’s sons were living in a world that could care less about GOD.

 

They got married, possibly to descendants of Cain or maybe from the lineage of the giants, spawned from the demonic union. Whatever the case, GOD saw something different in Noah’s sons that HE had to provide clarity to.

 

My Observations:

• GOD values all human life, male and female.
• GOD allowed humans to eat any animal, bird or bug as food.
• GOD specifically emphasized that humans should not be killed or eaten.

 

Turning the planet over to Noah and his family showed the change in the relationship between GOD and humans. GOD would no longer walk with the humans, BUT HE would talk with them. Noah’s sons did not cower in fear when hearing GOD, because perhaps they were used to hearing HIM talk to Noah.

 

GOD gave instructions to grow HIS kingdom. HE blessed humans with dominion over the earth. Animals and bugs were changed during this blessing. They would not own the earth, rather become food. All vegetation could be used by humans as they saw fit. Abundance was established again. Humans were placed on top.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD seem to change the relationship between HIM and Noah’s sons?
• Have you ever started something and came to a point where it was someone else who would be responsible for carrying it forward?
• Can you be fruitful with your creativity and multiply what GOD has given you so HIS kingdom will be expanded abundantly?

Tame Planet

Tame Planet

Genesis 2: ⁴ This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, ⁵ before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; ⁶ but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.

 

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This seems to be the beginning of the explanation of what happened during the creation. Volumes of books can be written on “why” something was made the way it was made. BUT GOD reveals only what is necessary. I noticed HE explains rain was made, but was not necessary because a mist would water all vegetation.

 

My Observations:

GOD made a place for humans to live that could take care of itself.

GOD made it easy for anything to grow that a human would ever want.

GOD made the earth available for humans to participate in creating by providing the materials of life.

 

What stuck out to me was “”For the LORD GOD had not caused it to rain on the earth.” GOD took time to create rain, but it was not necessary, yet. Before any vegetation was available, GOD made water available so it could flourish in abundance with no effort. Humans had it made.

 

Challenge

Why do you think GOD told Moses about rain if it was not necessary?

Have you ever watched vegetation grow in fascination?

How is GOD setting you up for success?

Create the Menu with Love

 

Create the Menu with Love

Romans 14: ¹³ So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin. ¹⁴ My union with the Lord Jesus makes me certain that no food is of itself ritually unclean; but if you believe that some food is unclean, then it becomes unclean for you. ¹⁵ If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died! ¹⁶ Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name. ¹⁷ For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives. ¹⁸ And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.

 

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Putting together the lunch menu for the business meeting was supposed to be easy. I liked a certain type of food, but when I asked people what their choice was, I was shocked. “You mean you don’t like piles of deliciousness falling off of your plate?” I thought to myself. Several people wanted something different than what I would choose. I changed the menu.

 

• There have been times when I questioned what people ate.
• There have been times when I considered letting the ”picky” people, find their own meal.
• There have been times when I wanted to speak about CHRIST but my menu left people, who had different beliefs, out and I could not share the gospel with them.

 

Arguments over food needed to be addressed, so Paul wrote on this matter. He got to the heart of the matter, speaking to those who felt free to eat anything, telling them to curb their freedom for those who bound themselves to eat a certain way. It was not about the food, but the example.

 

• GOD wants me to think of others when I eat.
• GOD wants me to consider my freedom as offensive to those I may be trying to reach.
• GOD wants me to be flexible temporarily so I can serve those who HE wants to reach.

 

My freedom should not make someone fall. I mean, if I am alright with doing something, eating something or being somewhere that another person cannot handle, I should be flexible enough to pause my freedom for a moment. It’s not worth trying to convince “that” person to eat or drink a certain way.

 

GOD wants a good reputation and HE chooses sinners to provide it. HE wants me to be able to surrender my freedom temporarily, in order to reach the lost. It is not about me, it is about JESUS.

 

• Are you complaining about the way someone eats or does not eat?
• Do you think “that” person is weaker in faith?
• Will you “stop judging one another” and be a good example for CHRIST so you may be “approved by others” for HIM today?

Food

Food

John 6: ²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

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Sitting in the highly decorated restaurant, a number of people waited on our table. We had our own wait staff who promptly brought out any food or drink that we requested. The main course contained a very expensive Kobe beef steak. “This meal is a long way from beans and franks” I thought to myself. “Maybe I should become rich and eat like this more often.”

• I have eaten expensive foods.
• I have eaten at some very high end restaurants.
• I have sought out new foods as entertainment and pleasure.

The crowd sought JESUS because HE fed them when they had no food. JESUS performed a miracle, dividing a boy’s lunch into thousands of filling portions. JESUS saw through their quest to follow HIM. HE warned them not to seek HIM because HE was some sort of food pantry. But what is HE?

• JESUS wants me to seek HIM for everlasting life.
• JESUS wants me to start my eternal life right now by listening to HIM daily.
• JESUS wants me to accept HIS seal that no one can steal or remove, including myself.

Seeking food for pleasure or necessity can distract me from the real food GOD wants to give me. When JESUS said “Man does not live by bread alone” HE was telling me that there is more to life than eating. Preoccupation with staying healthy or gaining new tastes can take up precious time that could be spent with GOD.

HE knows I have to eat and does not mind if I eat a tasty meal, but what about those who have not eaten a meal in a while? GOD wants me to listen to HIS food so I can be nourished with the word enough to execute what it says. HE wants me to share my spiritual and physical food with those in need. I am glad HE feeds me daily.

• Are you hungry for GOD?
• Do you seek physical food?
• Will you take time today and seek GOD’s food which is everlasting?