Dating Jesus

Here’s the thing: I’m head over heels in love with Jesus.

There’s a reason why I am....

We dated, and fell in love.

Yup. That’s about it.

A precious friend saw me mention Dating Jesus on this blog a while ago, and asked me to expound, so that’s what I’m going to do. Or at least, I’m going to try. For those of you who’ve experienced it, you know it’s pretty tough to put into words. But what the heck! Here’s tryin!.....

The summer of 2010, as I’ve said, was the greatest summer of my life. My beautiful friend “Sanni” has a mother who, in my eyes, is kind of like a female Paul. She’s lived the majority of her life for herself, but once she came to Christ, she came all the way, and is for me and for many others one of the strongest beacons of Christ’s light. So for this particular summer, the two of them (Sanni and her mom) decided to host a shin dig called “Dating Jesus”. Once a week we went to their house, along with a few other girls and women, read the Word and learned from the other women. For the first (but by faaaar not the last!) time in my life, I felt the touch, the sweet kiss, of our Messiah. I was told for the first time in my life that God wanted to have a personal relationship with me, where He could love me and woo me and spend time with me as my savior as well as my sweetheart.

“For God so loved [YOU] that He gave His only begotten Son, that if [YOU] believe in Him, [YOU] will not perish but have eternal life”
John 3:16

One of the women who helped lead it, we’ll call her “Fanny”, became especially special to me. I know now that God led her to the group to teach me and guide me, and o how she did! She is beautiful and kind and loving and compassionate, and through her beaming personality I learned how it looks to follow Christ as a woman. By the way, this is something I’ve been thinking about lately: Men who seek Christ above all else are sooo handsome, and women who worship and serve Christ above all else have an unexplainable beauty. Wanna know the reason why? It’s very simple math. The closer we get to God, the more He dwells within us, and He IS more beautiful than anything we will ever know. End of tangent.

I won’t go into every detail of the event. If you want me to, feel free to ask and I will, but the details are not what need to be heard from that experience. The fact is, Dating Jesus is exactly what it sounds like. We met once a week, read the Word together, listened to the older women teach us, and learned each of their love stories (with the Father I mean). It was incredibly intimate, and so, so, so sweet. We were taught how to date Jesus, and so I began to. I would go to a coffee shop and bring my Bible and read with Him. One time when I went, I decided on a whim to get a biscotti with my drink. When I handed it to the girl, she broke it and handed it back, saying “Now it’s free!”. He does sweet things like that you know. I’d pop some popcorn and cuddle up to a movie with Him. Sometimes we go out to eat, sometimes we stay in. The point is, we spend time together. He listens to and comforts me, and while I’m still learning how to listen back, it gets better and sweeter every time.

“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her”
Hosea 2:14

At the end of it all, we literally threw a wedding. We wore white and were given veils and rings, and went off to read prophetic words the leaders had gotten for us. To describe my elatedness and joy is literally impossible. On that last day, as we were sitting around, one of the women turned to me and said, “I feel like this has all been for you Ariel. Of course God wanted these other girls here, but this whole event was something He intended for you specifically. I just keep hearing, ‘It’s all for Ariel’”. The other women agreed with her sentiments and felt the same. He gave me so many gifts, spiritual and literal, that summer and ever since. I’m literally in tears as I write this part. Why the heck He saw me worthy of such pursuit I will never know, but I am forever grateful He did, and I’m going to devote my life to Him for it. Because of Him, I’m never alone. I never have to die. I never have to feel the depth of pain I once knew.

“Turn your eyes on Jesus and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim”

My challenge to you is this: date Him. Let Him woo you. That Dating Jesus event, and Him focusing so much attention on me, was what I needed and He knew that (He did make me after all). He woo’d me according to how Ariel needs to be woo’d. If you’ll but open your heart, surrender yourself, and let Him in, He’ll woo you the way YOU need. Go out with Him. Do the things that bring you joy with Him. Explore, delve into His magic, and give Him a little bit more of your heart than you already have. He. Will. Reciprocate. And it will be truly and utterly magical. Let us know how it goes. Ask us for help or advice. You’re never, ever alone. He loves and adores you.

I love you

Ariel

P.S. I know some people are annoyed by the term "dating" because we, as the Church and Bride, are married to Christ. My reply to that is, does dating end at marriage? Courtney and her husband have "date night" once a week, so I'd say....... not if you're in love it doesn't!

Genesis 37-Exodus 4: Life of Joseph

   Yay! We've completed our first Old Testament book! 

 

   Honestly, this has been my favorite week so far. I was really inspired by the story of Joseph. He lived such a crazy, amazing life and I think we can find a lot of insight and application in it for ourselves. So, this is going to be an abnormally short and sweet post today, as I just have two things I'd like to say.

   A. Joseph's dream interpretation skills are pretty rad. Had to mention that. Because they are. 

    2. I think it is incredible how Joseph responds to his brothers after revealing his true identity to them in Egypt.

 




   They sell him into slavery, and he says: Don't worry, God sent me here to save your lives. You didn't send me here, God did, so bring our father to see me and live here so I can take care of all of you (45:5-13). Then the most amazing part: 

And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. (v. 15) 

   Woah.

   It's like there wasn't even anything to forgive.

   Fast forward a few chapters. 
   Jacob has died. 
   And if there were any questions as to whether or not Joseph was only putting up with his brothers for his father's sake:

But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (50:19-21)

   In light of Joseph's story, my thoughts have been here all week:

• Looking back at the what's, how's, and why's of the circumstances Joseph had to endure before he lived a lovely life with his family in Egypt - What does this say about the Bible's view of suffering? How do the obstacles I have endured fit into this model?
• Looking back at Jacob's incredible example of forgiveness - How does that compare to the forgiveness I have shown others in my own life? How might I shape my actions and, really, my life to better forgive others? Specific people and in general?

What do you guys think?
About Joseph? About suffering and forgiveness? About passages I haven't addressed?
Let's chat :)

~Courtney  

Missional Mindset

Surprise!

I’m not Courtney OR Ariel (though I might enjoy using parentheses even more than she does), but I’m commandeering their blog! A long time friend of Courtney’s, and recent friend (and glad for it!) of Ariel’s, they
asked me to guest post for them this month. I am so flattered, excited, and nervous! A little bit about me: Jesus
lover, Entrepreneurship Major & German Minor at UNT (graduating in May!), music enthusiast, crazy cat lady, coffee addict. That about sums me up! You can check out my own ramblings here, where I’m currently blogging through my recent-ish mission trip to Germany… Which is a nice segway to the topic I landed on chatting with you about: grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s talk missions!

What is the first thing that comes into your mind on the topic of missions?

From my own experience, I feel that there are several common avenues of thought about missions and missionaries in America:

1) “Mission trips are just something youth groups do.”

2) “Mission trips are expensive, so only that’s why I don’t go/only the rich go…”

3) “I’m not ‘good’ enough to be a Missionary! It’s a noble thing, but not for me.”

4) “I don’t understand why one feels the need to move/travel across the world to share the Gospel when America is in such bad shape! We need Missionaries here!”

Have you heard any of these ideas? Or perhaps you've found yourself thinking these things, too, once or twice?

It’s my goal to touch on these potential misconceptions, challenge my own thinking, and hopefully challenge your perspective as well! I want to help you think about missions in a different way: Missions overall is part of God’s story for the world, and you have a part written in! Many of my thoughts are rooted from my participation in a class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (I highly recommend every believer to take this class, whether you feel you have an interest in missions or not!)

I’m not at all a biblical or missional expert, so I would love to hear your feedback and where you stand on the subject J

   1) Missions is biblical and part of God’s story for the world.

Let’s look at a few scriptures and their missional implications!

Genesis 12:1-3

“Now the Lord said to Abram,

‘Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ ”

The last line, also phrased “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” shows God’s purpose to reach all nations. It demonstrates to me not only how timeless God is (a promise made years ago to Abraham is still valid today), but also how truly global His mandate is. A mandate is better than a command; with God’s promise, we become partners with Him to proclaim the gospel of salvation and bring glory to His name. Our responsibility and purpose as the church is to be a blessing to others by bringing the message of salvation to the nations. This is “missions” in its barest form!

Romans 10:14-15 

      “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those bring good news!'

      This one seems pretty straightforward to me: Matthew 24:14 (below) says the gospel will be preached everywhere and this excerpt from Romans follows up with the “how.” Someone has to go.

Matthew 24:14
“This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.”

     This verse speaks about worldwide evangelization until the end of the Age. It gives us a hope that it is possible to reach all the nations (meaning ethne, people groups or ethnicities defined by language and culture) of the world and a focus to concentrate on those who have not heard the good news of the gospel of the Kingdom.

Matthew 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We can gather that Christ expected the Church to finish the Great Commission, because it would not be

completed with the first disciples. We are also called to be on mission with Christ, just as Christ was on mission

with God (John 20:21). This means we aren’t to be “like” Jesus, but are literally to do as Jesus did. And Jesus

reconciled us, once lost, to the Father. Therefore, we, the Church, are to be part of His mission to

reconcile a lost world to God. When this task is finished, there will be a people within every people-group

who worship and confess God as the only One.

Selah.

Stop for a moment and just think about how mind blowing this really is: take away all the preconceived notions

and human constraints placed on missions and meditate on the fact the Holy, Almighty, Sovereign, Perfect, Loving

Father wants to use you to bring the lost back to Himself. He is totally and completely capable of reconciling them

without your help, but He wants to include you in the story, because just as Christ, you are His child! He wants to

bring glory to Himself by making much of you.

Selah.

It is important to realize that these are not isolated, individual verses calling some people to missions. These

verses are part of God’s bigger story for a world to be reconciled to Himself: the entire Bible is God’s plan; the

whole story is one of missions. Think big picture, and it should be virtually undeniable that as believers, our

purpose on this Earth is to further the Kingdom.

2. We are all called to be involved in missions (whether that is to go or to send).

Checkout this quick video by John Piper!

True, America is in bad shape, and though you probably don’t need proof aside from the sad, deteriorating moral

state our country is in, how’s this for eye-opening: Did you know that during the 1990’s the number of non

Western missionaries grew eight times faster than those from the West? Did you know that the number of non

Western cross-cultural missionaries surpassed those from the West sometime around 2005?

Some of us are called to stay and some of us are called to go. That doesn’t mean those who are called to go are

any more “good” or “holy” than those called to stay; God is simply choosing to use each person in a different way

to further the kingdom. However, if you are using the argument “we need missionaries here,” before you rain on

some missionary’s parade, ask yourself whether you are being a missionary here…I don’t say that in a

condescending manner, because so often I take a step back in conviction and think to myself, “I claim that I feel

the Lord leading me to Germany as a long-term missionary, but how am I living that out in my daily life here in

Denton, Texas?” There seems to be a large stigma in our minds that missions is “going on trips,” when it

should truly be a lifestyle (regardless of whether that missional living is domestic or abroad). If we all

lived like missionaries, wherever we are, the world would look much different. Checkout this mind-blowing,

convicting video for a visual representation of what I mean! Seriously, watch it.

“Wherever you are, be all there.” Jim Elliott, American Missionary and Martyr

   3. Missions is NOT the ultimate goal.

This point may seem counter-intuitive since I just spent the majority of this post expressing my belief that

missions is biblical & all believers are called to live a missional, discipleship-centered lifestyle. However, to show

what I mean, here is a quote from chapter 9 of John Piper’s book, Let the Nations be Glad:

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions."

Here is my commission to you: there are lost, dying, broken souls everywhere that are desperately in need of

Christ. In some places, like Eastern Germany (called by several sources to be the Atheist Capital of the world) and

as America seems to be moving towards, the people are fully aware that they are apathetic toward religion and

God. In other places (about 40% of the  world's population, actually), the people are known as "unreached people

groups" and have little to absolutely no knowledge of the gospel of Christ, and they cannot know until someone

brings it to them (or until God chooses to reveal it to them through dreams or another means...). Only about 10%

of the world’s missionaries are working among these unreached people groups! Where He calls me I will go. Until

He tells me where to go, I have been called to reach the city of Denton and the University of North Texas.

What’s He telling you?

Best Metaphor Yet

I have a very close friend. He likes to explain everything in metaphors and analogies, partly for his listeners sake, but I think also partly for his sake, so he can understand what it is he’s trying to tell. A few days ago, he told me his best one yet...

Imagine there’s this guy who sags his pants, and doesn’t work or do anything. He’s a dead beat, but you’re madly in love with him. So you do everything for him, and constantly sacrifice, in spite of how and who and what he is, because you just love him so much. So finally, one day, he realizes that he’s going to pull his pants up, because he loves you too and wants to show you. Ariel, that’s how we are for Jesus. We need to pull up our pants and clean up our act, because when you’re in love, that’s what you do. You show it.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth

1 John 3:18

I’ve been thinking about his metaphor ever since, because the fact is, I reeeally need to pull my pants up. The fact is I am doing a lousy job at showing Jesus just how much I love and adore Him. It didn’t quite sink in though. Not really. Then I was listening to a sermon online from my home church, and the pastor was talking about the fact that lucy’s (you remember. That loser whose name we will not capitalize because he is a loser serpent) number one desire is to be worshipped. So I thought, “What do I worship?”. Without a hum of a beat my mind answered: myself. These are the thought’s I’ve been obsessing over lately: I don’t feel pretty. I don’t feel strong in my faith. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life. My heart is broken and I need to figure out how to get over it. I don’t know how to live better for Christ....... That’s a lot of first-person pronouns. Basically, my concern is about Ariel, and how to fit Christ in. YEESH why didn’t I see this before?!
 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 
Galatians 2:20

My revelation: EYES ON HIM ARIEL.

So now, instead of focusing on my broken heart from some guy, or my lack of knowledge on where I’m going in life, or any of that other junk, I’m just going to think about my Sweetheart. I’m going to focus my energy and attention on Him, because I’m in love, and that’s what you do when you’re in love. I’m going to live day by day, knowing that He’s stitching my heart back together and I don’t need to worry about it, and just wonder how I can better serve Him today. Who can I love for you Father? How can I show you my adoration, my obsession, my gnawing desire for you? Forget Ariel. He’ll take care of her in His time. My eyes are set on Someone else, and I tell ya. So far? It’s been a pretty sweet love affair :)


With love and hope and faith in the Man who promises to never tell me He’s lost His passion for me or can’t marry me,
Ariel

“Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without”
Meet Joe Black

Genesis 18-36: Patriarchal Madness

   This week’s chapters had three individual stories that stood out to me as being . . . we'll call it outlandish. 

   

   I think it's worth noting that I believe in Biblical inerrancy (though I do not believe in a strictly literal interpretation of the Bible). While I recognize the numerous steps and edits and conventions and crazy stuff the Bible went through in becoming the compilation of writings we know it as today, I do believe that its construction was God-orchestrated and divinely inspired. I think if we take an honest and prayerful view of Scripture as a whole, we can decipher the bits and pieces that don't make sense or seem a little crazy. I suppose you could say I take the Bible as a "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" work. 

   Anyway, here is my take on three questionable Old Testament stories, though I'm no expert. Please share your thoughts too and maybe we can come to a better understanding of the meaning behind these passages.

 (18:16-32) Abraham Pleads for Sodom: 

Reason to Believe That the Wrath of God Unleashed in the Old Testament is More Than Fair 

   This is one of my favorite Old Testament passages. Abraham is very boldly pleading with God to save the city of Sodom. His argument is: “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (v. 23). I think that’s a question we would all like to ask, for any of the Biblical stories that show devastating events affecting human beings. This passage seems to answer for all of them.

   

   Abraham is foot-in-the-door’ing God as he asks, “what if 50 of them are good people?” God says, “then I will save the entire city, just to protect those 50.” Abraham continues, “what about 45? 30? 10?” Each time, God promises to save the city for the sake of the righteous, no matter how few.

   That’s not even fairness – that is mercy. To save an entire city on account of a righteous few. And I guess in a way it alludes to Christ. The Righteous One has God saving the entire world. Despite our sinfulness, God decreed to allow the life, death, and resurrection of one to save us all from death to our sins and death to our relationship with him. In a world before Christ, we can see several times throughout the Old Testament that God is loving and merciful in ways such as this. All small acts leading up to the ultimate giving of his son. Let's keep an eye out for those, because they're awesome.

(22: 1-19) Sacrifice of Isaac:

This Sounds Like One of Those “I Drowned My Kids in the Bathtub Because God Told Me To” News Stories . . . say what, God?

   If anyone planned to sacrifice a child in today’s world at the request of God, CPS would be all over that, stat. So I think the question begs to be asked . . . why the heck is this in the Bible? Why would God ask something like that of Abraham? And what does this mean for people now who claim to have been asked to complete a similar task?

   Well, first off, this was done in a time when sacrifices were all in a day’s work. God regularly asked for sacrifices of animal life, so human life wouldn't be too much of a stretch I suppose. In a post-theocratic (we’ll delve into theocracy a bit later in the OT), Christ-resurrected world, there aren’t sacrifices of this sort being made anymore.

   Second, God didn't actually let Abraham go through with it. It contradicted everything that God had said was planned for Abraham and his descendants. I think the point is that Abraham trusted God enough to walk up that mountain with his kid, knowing that no matter what happened, God was on their side - both of them as God's children and covenant members. I think another good point is that Abraham's mentality wasn't just climbing a mountain to murder his kid, but more willing to offer what he valued most in his life to God. Abraham was recognizing that God gave him that son and God could take that son away. Abraham wouldn't hold on to his son for merely his own pride and joy, but first and foremost, he would place Isaac in the hands of his creator and heavenly father. 

   That is a lot of faith on Abraham’s part. A whole. lotta. faith. To be willing to say, “Hey God, I've wanted this basically for forever, and you finally gave him to me, and I love him so so so much. But always be it your will, not mine.” 

   Third, this passage shows the importance of substitutionary atonement. Basically, God calls for sinless people. It’s impossible. Instead of being dead in sin (remember from last week how Adam and Eve's sin in the garden held the consequence of death for all of mankind?), God allowed something else to be a physical representation of sin-death to make up for it. In this case, it’s a ram. Much later on down the timeline, Jesus is the permanent substitutionary atonement for the entire world.

(32:22-32) Jacob Wrestles With God: 

Uh . . . okay . . .?

   This is pretty unique, right? Jacob is wrestling all night and then we come to find out that he’s wrestling with God.

   Jacob is a wrestler. He’s been wrestling with everyone throughout his entire life. He wrestled Esau out of his God-given birth right and blessing from Isaac. He wrestled with Laban for Rachel and livestock. But his real struggle all along has been with God.

   Clearly, God had the power to dominate the wrestling match at any time (look at what he did to Jacob’s hip with one touch v.25). God could win whenever he wanted to, so the struggle must have been the point of the wrestling, not the outcome itself. And maybe that’s what Jacob needed to understand: that God was the one in control, no matter how hard Jacob fought for anything otherwise. 

   I think this also shows us how hard God is willing to pursue his people. He does whatever it takes to get them to know him, and yield their lives to him. 

Notes for Next Week:

   This week we’re finishing up Genesis and beginning our journey through Exodus. Here are some things to keep in mind while reading:

  1. Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch. We're still looking at God fulfilling the promises he made to Abraham (the people of Israel are Abraham’s offspring and have inherited his covenant with God), despite the fact that Israel is now enslaved and up against Egypt, a very formidable foe, and despite Israel continually falling short of God’s standards for them.

  2. We’ll discuss the historicity of the exodus in the next couple of weeks

  3. Moses is around starting now and lasting for pretty much the rest of the Pentateuch. Moses acts as a mediator between the Lord and his people.

  4. There are two parts. 

 Part 1 – Israel is freed from slavery and gets the heck out of Egypt 

 Part 2 – The early beginnings of a theocracy, with the 10 commandments and all that good stuff

   5. The presence of the Lord shows up from time to time and will dwell among the people, begging the question – how can the presence of an infinitely holy God be with a sinful group of people?

   6. Relation to the New Testament: Jesus is the New Testament Exodus, reenacted in his own life and death. Keep an eye out for parallels.

Please share your thoughts on these strange stories from Genesis and any other passages from this past week that you think warrant discussion!

Courtney

Genesis 1-17: The Beginning

   (If you have no idea what this is, first check out this and/or this)

   Alright, first let's do a quick summary: God created the world and everything in it. This includes man who was made in the image of God, but fell short of all that image entailed by disobeying God. As a result, sin entered the world and caused all kinds of problems for humans among themselves. God told Noah to build a huge boat for his family and a bunch of animals to hang out in while He flooded the world to rid it of evil. Even though the evil that God had wiped from the earth was sure to rise again, God made a covenant with Noah and then with Abraham to bless the people of the earth and put them on a very long path to redemption. Neither of those individuals was perfect, but both followed God.

Creation

   Adam and Eve were created in the image of God to serve him and till the land in the Garden of Eden. When the couple was tempted by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit, they exposed themselves to death because that was the price to pay for their actions. This seems like a steep price for eating a measly piece of fruit, but it’s about a lot more than just the fruit. It’s about what the eating of the fruit signified for Adam and Eve. Choosing to eat from the blacklisted tree was not only an act of disobedience, but an arrogant decision that said they knew more than their creator. It was an act of defiance that shouted out, “We can be our own gods!”(1:5-6)

   We see several instances in the Old Testament of representatives producing consequences for mankind – Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus. Since Adam and Eve were the representatives of mankind, their consequences extended to all of us. We continue to follow in this old, sinful path every time that we disobey God and his commands. We say, no God, I should be my own authority – I know better than you.

   This, my friends, is why Jesus is so important. This is why he is necessary. And the rest of the Old Testament continues to point back to this necessity of a savior.

Interesting things to note:

1. Other ancient interpretations of creation involve the coming into being of the gods. The Genesis creation story is remarkably unique because it does not address where God comes from, but jumps straight into the creation of the world. God has no contemporaries or enemies, no need for human sustenance in care or feeding. The focus is very apparently on what God has done for us. In all instances of Scripture we see that God always holds up his side of the bargain (and then some), while mankind is continually distracted and deceived by other things.

2. In the creation story, there is a plurality, a use of “our” (1:26). Some have argued that this meant that God did in fact have contemporaries. I disagree. I think that it refers to the trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), in existence long before Christ came to Earth. (1:2, 27)

Genealogies and Life spans

  Genealogies are most people’s least favorite passages to read. They include strange names that are impossible to pronounce and are a huge lull in the action of the story. But they do have a purpose!

   First, the genealogies act like scene bridges in novels; they allow for a time lapse and sum up everything that took place during that time. They tell us the generations that lived in the interim and a few important events that took place (5:22, 10:5, 12:27-32). Another important thing about genealogies is that, during ancient times, blood lines were very, very important to the people – therefore, it was important to them that they be included. And finally, the progression from Adam to David to Jesus is being mapped out. As we will see later, this is very important to the Old Testament storyline.

   The specified life spans in the Old Testament are interestingly long. There are two theories as to why this is. The first is that they could in fact be the literal, exact life spans. The thought here is that one of the consequences of the flood was decreased years of life. While Shem’s descendants (ch. 11) still live extra-long lives, they are shorter than the pre-flood lives and we can see them decreasing with each generation. The second is that the writers (traditionally believed of Genesis to be just Moses) and/or the editors could be using the typical ancient imagery for a full life – listing a great number of years.

Noah's Ark and God's sovereignty

   So if God wiped out almost the entirety of his creation because it became rotten, how can we still believe that he is a sovereign God? (6:6-8)

   

   I think rather than showing us that God had no control over the evil taking place in the world, this story shows us that no matter how many fresh starts we get, human beings are doomed to imperfection. Adam & Eve's original sin became a vicious, irrevocable cycle. The verses immediately following Noah's exit from the ark tell us that nothing will change (8:20-22). This story is one of many examples of the pouring out of God's wrath in the Old Testament, which clearly points toward the need of a savior.

   Interesting thing to note: There is a parallel to the flood story from the Gilgamesh epic. Just like in Noah’s Ark, the divinity singles out an individual to build a boat and take animals into it. And just like in Noah’s Ark, at the end of the flood, the individual brings a sacrifice before the god(s). In this Babylonian story though, royalty is singled out and the gods gather around the sacrifices like flies, concerned with their own hunger and requiring food from mankind. In the Biblical story, Noah is a common man chosen because he is willing to follow God (6:8) at the risk of sounding insane to every person he knows, and the sacrifice is made out of devotion as opposed to material needs of God (8:20-9:17). God is more concerned with man and man’s needs. The God of the Bible needed no food or shelter from the world that he created.

Tower of Babel and Human Self Sufficiency

   

This passage is short, but very important.

   It’s a great example of 2 heart idols that humans desperately crave (then and today) – security and praise. The humans were seeking security when they sought to build a city that kept them from being dispersed across the earth. And they were seeking praise when they built the tower to reach the heavens, in order to make a name for themselves. (11:4)

   It also points back to the creation story. Both show people thinking they can be on equal playing ground with God.

Abraham and The Covenant        

   God made a 3 part promise to Abraham of land, descendants, and blessing (12, 15, 17). Through his family line God would create a pathway to salvation and blessing (12:3, 17:7) for all. This is central to the development of the Old Testament and it is fulfilled over time, so remember it and remember all 3 aspects of it. 

Summing it Up – What does this mean for us today?

   God challenges people to abandon personal security, identity, family, and country and he did it long before Jesus started asking people to drop what they were doing and become “fishers of men”. We can see very clearly in the stories of Noah, the Tower of Babel, and Abraham that this notion has been around since the beginning. 

   So how does God challenge us as modern-day Americans to abandon our sense of personal security & identity, our families, and our country in order to follow him?

   Looking back at the Tower of Babel, what cities and towers do you build? 

   How are Abraham and Noah examples of great faith and where do they fall short? What can we learn from their stories?

   What do you guys think about these first 17 chapters?

   Is there something important I left out that you would like to see addressed?

(There are so many things I could write about here and many that I’m leaving out for the sake of a readable-length post.)

- Courtney

P.S. I'm no expert on Biblical exegesis by any means - not by human standards and certainly not by divine standards. Feel free to challenge me if you disagree with something, or voice your affirmation if you agree with something - I joyfully welcome both! Also, if you would like to hear about my background in studying the Bible, don't hesitate to ask. I thought the post was long enough as is, or I would have included it!

God + _____ = Enough

    Huh.

    Dangit.

    Aww maaan.

    Just thought I'd fill ya'll in on what went through my head after I heard this phrase. Hopefully the same ones don't go through yours. Let me start from the beginning...

    Once upon a time (actually about three months ago), I was sitting in a room with a bunch of awesome, God-fearing women. One of them told us all this phrase: God plus blank equals enough. She followed it with "What's ya'lls blank?". Instantly, without a second to spare, my head-voice (you know. The one that's in your head. Not the bad one. Just your head-voice. Ya feel me?) shouted out "HUSBAND!". Quickly after this came the words from above: Huh... Dangit....... Awww maaan!

    There should be nothing there, right?! My blank should BE blank! It should be A blank! But, ever since I can remember, I have dreamt of being married. I am a hopeless romantic, and have massive dreams about what my husband will be like and how we'll live together. Soo.... not being married is literally not anything I have ever considered.

 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols
1John 5:21 (You best believe a husband has been one of my idols for a loong time)  


    The night my friend told me about this phrase, I was dating someone. Well..... dating is a light term here. I was with who I thought to be my soulmate. He and I talked very often about marriage, and even had plans for it. After I considered what my blank was, I became terrified about losing him because I knew I shouldn't need a man to be content. Sure enough, a week later he broke up with me. Shattered my heart is really a better way to put it.

  Please don't misunderstand me. I don't believe that God separated us because he wanted to teach me a lesson. I think the guy was just an idiotic moron. Just kidding.... Really.

  Moving on......

 I've been pondering and praying about this phrase ever since. Is it wrong that I want a husband? Of course not. It is a God-given desire, and is absolutely justifiable and right. Wanting, nay, needing, a husband in order to feel fulfilled in life is what is unjustifiable. My contentment, as I have learned, is fully in the Lord. I believe that the Lord has given me desires and dreams for a reason and that He is faithful and will honor them. BUT, if I live the rest of my life single, I will forever remain joyful, sustained, and content.

For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances 
Philippians 4:11 (I should note that this was written by the guy who sat in prison for his beliefs and was beaten to a pulp countless times.... and he was single while he did all of it)
Be joyful always
1Thessalonians 5:16
But godliness with contentment is great gain
2Timothy 6:6 

    Thing is, I am not the only person to have a word in that blank. Words that I've seen in it are "money", "a big house", "a nice car", "a successful job"...... most of it revolves around materialism, obviously. We are in America, and this is a blog about Christians in America, after all. Actually it's about Americans who are Christian, but more on that later. My point is, our focus is on the wrong point. Our eyes should be on Christ and His Kingdom, but too often they are on things (inanimate things, mind you) on this earth. Pursuing money, marriage, success.... all of it will fade away. God never changes, never leaves, never forsakes. That boy I dated let me down and broke all the promises he made to me. God, in His mind-blowingly beautiful faithfulness and kindness, has kept every single promise He's made to me. He is with me every day, He loves me unconditionally, He fights for me (literally to the death!), and He never changes His mind! God is so. Good. Of COURSE I can find my contentment in Him! God + ____ really DOES = Enough!!!
God has said "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you"
Hebrews 13:5
If we are faithless, He will remain faithful
2Timothy 2:13
     What's your blank? Do you disagree and think it's ok to have a blank? All opinions are welcome :) So long as they are presented in kindness, maturity, and love!

      Thanks for reading about my blank. I love you!

Ariel