Series:
SUPPLANTING The LEGACY Of WICKEDNESS—Genesis 6:9—10:32
A—GOD’s REMOVAL STRATEGY—Genesis 6:9-22
Toward Removing the Legacy of Wickedness
B—GOD’s DESIGNED DESTRUCTION(& Salvation)—Genesis 7:1-24
C—SALVATION REALIZED(Getting to Normal)—Genesis 8:1-19
D—EXPERIENCING The VICTORY(Man’s Response)—Genesis 8:18-22...
OR RATHER--MANIFESTATIONS Of ACCEPTANCE—Genesis 8:18-22
E—CONSTRAINTS Of RESTORATION-III—Genesis 9:1-19
1. CONSTRAINTS For FRUITFULNESS(Success)—Genesis 9:1-7
2. GOD’s COVENANT With The EARTH—Genesis 9:8-17
F—SAME Ol’ SAME Ol’—Genesis 9:20-29
G—The NATIONS—Genesis 10:1-32
Attention:
!NO OPENING ILLUSTRATION!
Our Success as Christians is Constrained thru certain relationships & actions.
CONSTRAIN—‘To severely restrict the scope, extent, or activity of.’ OR--‘To compel or force toward a particular course of action.’
OR rather--for OUR/Today’s APPLICATION--‘To keep within God’s limits.’
Need:
The constraints attending mankind’s restoration may not be what you may imagine!
God blessed Noah’s family with a restoration based on relationship.
Man’s restoration is to be constrained/limited contained/determined thru relationships.
How do relationships constrain/determine our restoration?
3 relationships constraining/determining our restoration.
We have already found that ‘Our Restoration is constrained thru relationship with’...
1. GOD(:1a)
2. REINSTATEMENT(:1b-2)
3—Restoration is constrained thru relationship with...
CREATION(:3)
Explanation: (:3)
:3—“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” ”
It explicitly states here that the previous rules of sustenance(1:29-30) will no longer hold true in this new post-diluvial world. God had formerly “given” green herbs, plants & seed for food for both mankind & animal-kind alike(1:29-30). At that time there was no provision made in which a person would take an animal’s life for food or vice-versa(implied). The only mention of the lives of animals being taken were in the context of worship(4:3-5).
“Noah’s world included killing,” “& this demanded safeguards.”—NAC
With Noah now set as the second Adam(Jesus being the Last Adam(1Cor. 15:20-26, 45)), “all things,” including animals, are given to him “as” are/were “the green herbs”(1:29-30). There is now nothing to hinder Noah & his future generations(mankind) from gratefully accepting “all things” as gifts of the Lord for their survival, thriving & enjoyment(gladness of heart).
We must also realize that even with such food restrictions removed, there is also a very real recognition of “clean”(acceptable) as opposed to “unclean”(unacceptable) as seen in Noah’s worship(8:20).
This is reminiscent of Paul’s statements in 1Tim. 4, where he writes...
1Tim. 4:1-5—“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, & commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe & know the truth. For every creature of God is good, & nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God & prayer.”
Likewise, Peter’s grasp of the universal application of the Gospel was pictured in his foregoing/giving up the severe limitations of ceremonial dietary Law for an acceptance of all things “God has cleansed.”
Acts 11:5 -18—““I[Peter] was in the city of Joppa praying; & in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; & it came to me. “When I observed it intently & considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, & birds of the air. “And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill & eat.’ “But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ “But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ “Now this was done three times, & all were drawn up again into heaven. At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, & we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, & call for Simon whose surname is Peter, ‘who will tell you words by which you & all your household will be saved.’ “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ “If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; & they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.””
Now imagine yourself as someone who loves God—& imagine yourself as a vegetarian only...Not knowing any other way...Seeing animal life as a precious gift of God & a continual reminder of His manifold graces in creation.
Now imagine how you would be impacted in your worship were you to be driven of the Holy Spirit to provide an animal sacrifice to cover your sin—& that only temporarily.
I believe it is vastly more informative & humbling for us as sinners if we could grasp God’s intended respect for animal-kind & thereby the enormity, seriousness & atrociousness of our own sinfulness as seen thru God’s eyes.
We share the earth with creatures which our God has preserved & blessed for both His glory & our sustenance(:3).
Realizing this, we are immediately driven to a respectful rather than an exploitive attitude toward them.
We are also driven to examine the motives & manifold methods regarding involvement in such human-sustaining activities...the nationalized production of meat for the public.
Some questions we must ask ourselves...Are our actions necessary?...Are they humane?...Are they sustainable over time?...Do they glorify God?...Are they becoming to the children of God?
Expanding upon this concept...?don’t you suppose that much of the sense of God’s directive here is lost in supplanting an agrarian society with an industrialized one?
To your possible disdain, your pastor is one who advocates/commends ‘free range’, ‘cage free’, 'antibiotic free', etc. attempts at raising potential ‘meat’ for human consumption. Why?...because I am a ‘tree-hugger’? No!...'Tree-huggers' turn the creation into god! I advocate these things because it is biblical! All Christians are charged with taking ‘godly’ care of/with God’s creation!
“Food”—hlka ok-law'—1) Food—1a) Food, eating, 1b) Object of devouring, consuming—1b1) By wild beasts(figurative), 1b2) In fire, 1b3) Of judgment(figurative). Used 18X.
“Given”—Ntn naw-than'—Qal Perfect—1) To give, put, set—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend, 1a2) To put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate, 1a3) To make, constitute. Strong—a primitive root; To give, used with greatest latitude of application(put, make, etc.).
“All things”—lk kol OR--lwk kowl—Noun Masc.—1) All, the whole. Strong—properly--The whole; hence--All, any or every(in the singular only, but often in a plural sense).
“Green”—qry yeh’-req—Noun Masc.—1) Green, greenness, green plants, greenery. Strong—properly, Pallor, i.e. hence, The yellowish green of young & sickly vegetation; concretely--Verdure, i.e. Grass or vegetation. Used 6X.?From—qry yaw-raq'—a primitive root; To spit(here in the sense of vacuity of color).
“Herb”—bse eh’seb—Noun Masc.—1) Herb, herbage, grass, green plants. Strong—Grass(or any tender shoot). Used 33X.?From an unused root meaning—‘to glisten’(or be green).
Argumentation:
Rom. 8:18-22—“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans & labors with birth pangs together until now.”
Isa. 65:24-25—[in the future]—““It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf & the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the LORD.”
1Cor. 7:29-32—[within an argument commending both marriage & singleness] Paul says,—“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord.”
God’s creation is meant for us, BUT creation is not for us to abuse!
Likewise...
1Cor. 9:16-18—“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.”
2Pet. 3:11-14—“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness, looking for & hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, & the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless;”
The new & future earth in which righteousness dwells does not give us license to live unrighteously before that time!
Rom. 14:1-23—“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, & let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; & he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; & he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, & gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, & no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; & if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died & rose & lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead & the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. I know & am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating & drinking, but righteousness & peace & joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God & approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace & the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”
Illustration:
“Stats on animal abuse show a sharp correlation between animal abuse & other crimes, including rape, robbery, murder, sexual homicide, domestic abuse & more. eg.—studies show 100% of sexual homicide[perpetrators] (like Jeffrey Dahmer) started by abusing animals. Even policemen, prosecutors & social workers say, “Show me an animal abuser & I'll show you someone with a long rap sheet.”—hg.org Global Legal Resources
*Don’t disrespect what the blood of all things represents & Who it recalls!
I have met people who kill deer just to get their antlers!—What a travesty & disregard for animal life!/Your God-ordained fruitfulness as a child of God is constrained thru a proper respect for God’s CREATION
Per Christian outdoorsmen: Some deer hunters will leave an entire carcass to rot!/They kill the deer for the sake of it’s ‘choice’ edible meat(backstrap & loin?) alone & discard the rest!/A ‘good’ & godly sportsman uses the entire animal/Such behavior is atrocious!/Your God-ordained fruitfulness as a child of God is constrained thru a proper respect for God’s CREATION
Per Christian outdoorsmen: Some grouper & snapper fishermen take only the fillet but wastefully throw away the remainder!/The cheeks & throats are delicious!/A ‘good’ & godly sportsman discards only bones!/Your God-ordained fruitfulness as a child of God is constrained thru a proper respect for God’s CREATION
*Therefore, We must fully consider our relationship with our natural world realizing that it is God’s creation. And as such, it must be appreciated for its sheer bounty, diversity, & wonder as well as its intent for mankind. NOT for mankind to abuse, or to use selfishly, but to use according to God’s desire...with respect for it as being ‘a little lower’ than mankind—just as mankind has been made “a little lower than the angels”(Heb. 2:7)/Your God-ordained fruitfulness as a child of God is constrained thru a proper respect for God’s CREATION
Application:
? Is Your Restoration constrained thru Relationship with CREATION?
? Is Your Restoration determined by God’s desire...or your own?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Our Restoration is constrained thru relationship with...
3. CREATION(:3)
1. GOD(:1a)
2. REINSTATEMENT(:1b-2)
Pt# 2 only! Presented 07/21/2019pm to:
FBC Cbelle
2-6 Storrs Ave(SE Ave. A).
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pt#s 1-3 Presented 05/20/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
