Following the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the paradise of God's garden, we might expect a story of Adam and Eve's efforts to make it in the new "cursed" world, with at least some redeeming news in the making. That's not the case. Eve has two sons who immediately find themselves in conflict, with Cain's jealously of Abel leading to murder. Good grief! Seth's birth provides some promise of redemption in that it is through his line that God's elect will come.
Then we have the lineage chapter, and the enigmatic "sons of God" taking wives of the daughters of men. I don't read too much into those two verses.
The more important issue is Gen 6:3 when the Lord says, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh..." I don't much like the sound of that warning. Then in v5, "the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." Now that sounds really bad.
But God, in His grace, spared humanity through Noah, the soon to be drunkard, who would have a perverted and disrespectful son. And you thought you had family issues.
Then humanity gets together and determines to use technological advancement in order to build a tower to heaven. If the apple did not make us like God, maybe a few bricks and mortar can get us there anyway. Sadly, we still think our modern technologies make us like God, and with the advent of modern genetics, weaponry, etc.; some people like to play God. God thwarted the plans at the Tower of Babel (trans.; confusion), and He will thwart our modern plans as well.
The first eleven chapters of Genesis seem to have an abundance of death and destruction. It's not a very encouraging story to say the least. The only real encouragement comes in the form of God's gracious acts of forbearance, and his covenants of promise that spare the earth from total annihilation.That's why I say we do not have to wait until John 3:16 to find the love of God.
God acts graciously throughout the history of humanity as found in Scripture. Remember that grace is God's acts of love freely given. He is not bound by us at all, but does bind Himself by His promises to us; which is an amazing fact in and of itself.
As I read the early chapters of Genesis I'm struck by the sinfulness of sin, and the "pervasiveness of perversity." (I just made that up...) We struggle with sin and come by it naturally. I sin, you sin, we all sin, and no one wins. It is a classic "lose; lose." Yet we do it anyway.
I've been asked many times, "Pastor Keith, why do I continue to struggle with sin?" My answer from Scripture, "Because you're a sinner." We sin because we're sinners. We're not sinners because we sin. There's a difference. The one who says he/she has no sin is a liar, and deceives themselves (1 John 1:8). So there it is; the unhappy truth.
From the very beginning we've sinned as quickly and as desperately as possible. The Bible does not give a time on Adam's first sin, but I believe the tempter came very quickly and the sin came even quicker. Adam and Eve certainly had not had time to conceive a child before sin entered, so it could not have been very long. From there the acts of rebellion continued to build and build until God wiped the whole earth clean, save Noah and his family.
What does this tell me as a person? Sin is my biggest problem. It's not finances, my health, my wife, my children, my government, who will win the game on Sunday, or a million other trivial things we worry so much about. My biggest problem is me. My sin. It's quite horrible really. I just can't seem to play charades with it any longer. Sin is an ugly stain on my soul, a constant reminder of my own pain and desperation, and the pain and desperation I create for others.
Thank God for grace! Thank God for the "Seed" who God promised would come and deliver us all. Until we see sin, no scratch that..., sinners in all their despicable ugliness, we will never see the beauty of Christ. Until we experience the depths of despair, we will never see the glorious heights of the cross. Genesis 1-11 is just such an "in your face" look at humanity. It makes me long for Jesus (Yahweh is Salvation).
As a pastor I face sin from two sides really.
On one hand, I'm continually amazed at how complacent confessing Christians can be on the issue. We cover up sin with a pretty dress, some nice make-up, a new suit and tie, a haircut, a smile and a handshake. We're good. If we're not good, at least we're good enough... right? Wrong. Let's be honest for once. We think we have it all figured out. We'll just take what God says not take, and then we'll be like God. If we don't like the way things are going we'll just blame our spouse (way to go Adam), or someone (government, culture, the coach, teacher, OPEC, etc.). If our brother offends us, kill him. Can you say "Iraq," or "Afghanistan?" If we want to reach heaven, nirvana, the ultimate ground of being, or whatever it's being called these days, we'll find a way with new technology. (Michael Jackson tried hard. He's still dead). All that being said, I really do not understand how people can sit week after week and look at me stone faced, with so little conviction of sin and so little gratitude for grace. Where are the tears of sorrow and joy? I wonder.
On the other hand I'm deeply burdened by the sufferings that my brothers and sisters in Christ have to bear. Divorce, wayward kids, job loss, cancer, death... The prayer list weighs on my heart weekly like a million pounds of lead. We suffer just like everyone else. I wonder, why Lord? Why do your children seem to hurt so much? Why so many tears? Why so much struggle? Why, why, why? Still God does not answer all the whys I ask. At least, not yet. So it hurts. The pain goes on and I battle against my own desire to sometimes insulate myself from it. I can't just send my church family home at the end of the day and go on myself as if it doesn't matter that they're struggling. And I can't fix anything. The "engineer brain" in my head spins on and on with what can I do, how can I help, how can I fix it??? But I can't. No one can. No one that is except the One. Jesus. So what do I do in the face of so much sin and suffering? I point people to Christ. I lead people to Christ. I take people to Christ. I pray people to Christ. And I hope.
That's what Genesis 1-11 tells me. Sin is big, but God is bigger. Our situation is bad, but God is better. As Paul will say in Rom. 5:20-21, "But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." NKJV
Thank you Lord.
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