Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture

Tag: Genesis 8:20-22

  • Not by Water but By Fire

    Why is it being taught that the Second Coming of Jesus will result in the destruction of the world by fire? Isn’t this a contradiction of God’s pronouncement and promise made right after the flood in Noah’s days?

    Consider the Scripture: “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in His heart, ‘I WILL NEVER AGAIN CURSE THE GROUND (this Hebrew word can also be translated as “earth”) BECAUSE OF MAN, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.’” (Genesis 8:20-21)

    God even provided a rainbow as the sign of His covenant, promising never again to destroy the earth due to the wickedness of man (Genesis 9:11-13). But incredibly, many preachers claim, God wouldn’t destroy the earth with water but fire. How does that sound to you?

    Consider a person saying, “I will never kill anyone with knives but guns?” Does that make any difference? It sounds the same, doesn’t it? It still means “I’m going to kill.” Let us not disregard God’s word and make Him appear ridiculous.

    Oh yes! Peter seems to be saying precisely that. Refer to the Bible, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day, the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and its works will be revealed.” (2 Peter 3:10) However, we should understand its contextual nuances and contemporary meaning. Peter said, “the elements will burn and be dissolved,” not the heavenly bodies as most translations convey. The Greek word for “elements” is exclusively used in the New Testament in reference to the Mosaic law. For instance, check Galatians 3:23-4:3, Galatians 4:9-10, Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:16-20, and Hebrews 5:11-6:6. On the other hand, “heavens and earth” refers to a covenant.

    Consider Jeremiah 31:31-34, which states, “Look, the days are coming” — this is the LORD’s declaration — “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt — My covenant that they broke even though I am their Master” — the LORD’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days” — the LORD’s declaration. “I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts (in other words, it’s no longer by works, but faith). I will be their God, and they will be My people. “No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them” — this is the LORD’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

    Isn’t that exactly what John was declaring, but he phrase it differently? See Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

    If death is no more, then sin is no more. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 clearly states, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:56) Consequently, similar to the statement of Jeremiah, God declares, “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.” By faith, Christ Jesus bears the weight of the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2), making us righteous in God’s sight. See Scripture:

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Co 5:17-21)

    The New Covenant therefore is the New Heaven and New Earth of Revelation 21. 

    Here’s another example. Moses addressing Israel declared, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed.” (Deu 4:26) Was Moses appealing to the literal heavens and earth or God’s covenant as a witness against them? Without a doubt, Moses refers to God’s covenant with Israel; that’s the context of Deuteronomy:

    “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.” (Deuteronomy 31:26)

    Preachers and pastors should not simply repeat what they have been told and taught. There is a reason why people who aspire to become pastors should enter seminary training. At the seminary, we are trained to properly handle God’s word, so let’s put it into practice. God will hold us accountable for all our words and pronouncements that we assume are taught in Scripture.

    Jesus Christ states, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27) Christians, ask yourselves, have you been hearing Christ’s voice and following Jesus or hirelings?

    Again, Jesus declares, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:11-13)

    Be discerning. Jesus warns, ““Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

    Again the Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

    Jesus Christ states, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Let us be sure to learn from Christ’s words alone.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • A Reflection on God’s Goodness

    Adam’s punishment for breaking God’s covenant was not only death, he would also toil for his food until he died (Genesis 3:17-19). However, this curse was reversed after the flood during Noah’s days, as seen in Genesis 8:20-22.

    “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.’”

    God’s restoration of His blessings to human toil was evident through His covenant with Noah. For that alone, we should be grateful for God’s grace.

    In fact, Jesus teaches us Christians to love even our enemies because God has a common grace for everyone. Check out Matthew 5:44-45, Psalm 145:9 and Acts 14:17. So why is there suffering and scarcity of food or resources for people? It is because of man’s selfishness and greed. Hence, in Christ’s parable in Luke 12:15-21, the rich man who has an abundant harvest is condemned to die because he laid up treasures for himself and is not rich towards God. 

    Christians, there have been talks of an impending economic hardship or collapse. Learn from the story of 1 Kings 17. There was a drought, and therefore, famine ensued. Elijah, a man of God, was shielded from the drought and famine. God asked him to go to the brook and commanded ravens to bring him food. Later, the brook dried up, and he was commanded to go to a widow, whom God commanded to feed Elijah. 

    Elijah came to the widow. She was destitute, with only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug, enough for her to prepare her and her son’s last meal. Strangely, Elijah told the widow to go prepare food and bring it first to him. 

    If you have been reading this story in the Bible, perhaps at this point in the story, anyone would say Elijah thought only about himself. Because the widow had already told him she had nothing left except her last resources for her and her son’s last meal. But reading on would reveal Elijah was simply exercising his faith in God. God told him to go to this widow for provision (1 Kings 17:8).

    The widow, clearly burdened by God, did exactly what Elijah told her to bring him food first. The Bible then narrates, “And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that He spoke by Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:15-16)

    The widow and her son actually benefited from the presence of Elijah, because God was with him. They experienced God’s divine providence because the widow honored God by responding positively to God’s instructions spoken through Elijah. 

    Christians, if God can provide for Elijah, the widow, and her son in strange ways, and He changes not, He would do the same if only we would trust God, even in the midst of economic difficulties. 

    The Bible in Psalm 37 states, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when He delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” (Psalm 37:23-25)

    Jesus Christ teaches us not to worry about food, drink, or clothing. God provides for even the birds, so how much more will He care for us, who are far more precious to Him? These worries often consume the thoughts of those who do not believe, but our heavenly Father knows all our needs. Instead, we should seek first His kingdom and His righteousness—through Christ Jesus (Romans 10:4)—and God will take care of our daily needs (Matthew 6:25-33).

    If we claim to believe in John 3:16, which states that eternal life is in Christ Jesus, why is it so difficult for us to trust that Jesus Christ cares for our daily needs? Stop worrying and have faith in God’s Word.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!