January 15, 2009

• Hebrews 11:6-7 by Pastor Don

  This study is from 11/21 – a Friday Luncheon Bible study.  Those are so much fun for it is a round table discussion and people bring up so many good points. 

  We are still in Hebrews. Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

  This verse speaks for itself.  This verse is not fun for people.  It helps us to better understand why God does and does not do certain things.  God is sovereign, and wants faith, not wishing and hoping – although wishing and hoping can bring us to faith.

  God does not have to answer your prayer just because you pray it if it is against His Sovereign will.  For example He will not give a drug dealer a new car so that he can better do his drug business. We are supposed to line up with God’s will.

  Jesus looked for a sign.  God will not perform for the unsaved, because most likely they will not believe it even if God did, they would rationalize the miracles away.  There is one exception – during an evangelistic meeting.  God and God  alone knows what will move and motivate an unsaved person.  God knows what will reach God’s unsaved.  God knows the correct moment and time.

  We want to pray, “Lord give me wisdom and understanding so I can pray for this person.”

  Pastor Don talked about the drummer that was in his band years ago.  Pastor Don tried every way he could think to reach the drummer for the Lord – leaving out tracts, speaking, sharing his testimony, etc.  But the drummer did not respond.  One day Pastor Don was reading a book on end time prophesy and the drummer saw that.  He borrowed the book and the next day told Pastor Don that he had accepted Jesus into his life – it was reading the book that convinced the drummer.

  We must believe GOD EXISTS.  God gives us all a measure of faith, and those who do not know God can still find God as Romans 1 tells us through the glory of creation.  Those who do not believe in creation, who believe that things happened by accident, need a whole lot more faith to believe that than a person who believes God created the universe.

  One of our members is Greek and brings her Greek Bible.  Sometimes she takes a word and gives us a translation, and she told us that God is a rewarder – a rewarder gives the check for the day’s work, the pay maker.  We receive His favor.  We have a right to this reward once we diligently search for him.  Diligently seeking God is your work, your job. 

  Pastor Don suggested reading Josh McDowell Evidence that Demands a Verdict - CS Lewis, and Lee Stoebel to help you understand the truth of God. 

  If we diligently seek to prove or disprove His existence, God will answer us.

  Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

  Noah.  Divinely warned of things not yet seen, which ties us back to Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

  Noah did the actions of building the ark as a result of what he believed.  Up to that time it never rained on the earth, the ozone layer was thick.  Radiation was blocked by that layer and retained the moisture in the earth.  The earth was like a terrarium.  God spoke to Noah about rain and a flood. 

  We started talking about dinosaurs and how the plants in these conditions grew large – the T-rex with it’s inch deep rooted teeth was not a carnivore but a plant eater.  A carnivore’s teeth roots would have had to been embedded in the jaw much deeper than an inch.  And the T-rex’s stomach was found with seeds and plants. 

  Noah is called heir of righteousness.  Did that mean he did nothing wrong? No.  He was heir of righteousness according to faith.  He BELIEVED GOD.

  Genesis 4:26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.  Pastor Don told us that men began to call on the name of the Lord here.  Before that God came and walked with Adam and Eve, then sin entered the world and there was a need for God to separate himself to protect mankind.

  Pastor Don shared a great secret in Chapter 5 with the genealogy of Adam.

  ADAM -mankind
  SETH – appointed, to turn the face toward
  ENOSH – a mortal, grievous sorrow, calamity
  CAINAN -lament, mourn
  MAHALALEL – god who is praised
  JARED – comes down
  ENOCH – to instruct, to consecrate
  METHUSELAH – to die, to be sent forth as a prophet
  LAMECH – to be smitten, scourged
  NOAH – to give rest.

  (if you read the meanings from Adam to Noah you have the salvation given to us by Jesus presented in the genealogy of Adam to Noah – God had it so much in His control, now read a bit further by the following three names’ meanings.”

  SHEM – renown
  HAM – burning
  JAPETH – widespread, world-wide

  This is the spread of the Gospel, the renown of Jesus causes a burning in the hearts of men and the Gospel is spread world-wide.

  Genesis 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

  Why did Noah have favor? 

  Genesis 6:9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

  His genealogy gave him favor.  Noah’s genealogy was a just man not having a lineage that includes mating with fallen angels.  When it says that Noah was a just man it does not mean that he was perfect, sinless.  Compared to others on the earth his genealogy was perfect.  He is a direct descendant from Adam.

  Genesis 6:1-3  Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

  Pastor Don asked us how many times 50 (Jubilee) can be divided into 6,000 and it turns out to be 120 times.  There will be 120 Jubilees to complete all the years of Jubilee to the end of the age. God limited the age of man on earth to 120 years – before that they lived 600-900 years – but since Adam no one lived 1000 years (one day) for God told Adam that in the DAY that you eat the fruit you will die.  Adam and Eve did not live to 1000 years (1000 years is as a day).  But because of the increasing sin on earth, God began to limit even more the time man could live on earth.

  Genesis 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

  This is the ungodly offspring of the unholy mating of fallen angels and man – the Nephalim.  Goliath and his four brothers were part of this.  As are the myths of the various gods of paganism which fall into this category of Nephalim.

  Pastor Don pointed out that God did many of the things He did according to the Jubilee – to 50.  The years of captivity of Israel in Babylon was due to the number of Jubilees that the Israelites did not celebrate. The Israelites on the 50th year were to free their slaves and return the land to the original owners, but they did not celebrate the Jubilee as God intended. It is for this reason that they went into captivity.

  Pastor Don then talked about the current Jewish calendar pointing out that there were missing years – 200 to 240 missing years.  So right now if you added 200 years to the calendar 5769 you would have 5969 which would make us 31 years from the 6000th year.  or 31-7 (tribulation years) = 24 .   Or 24 years or so away from tribulation.

  We do not know for certain the times.  According to Pastor Don there were times when the Jews did not count the years – they did not count years in captivity.  It is hard to be exactly sure of the date.

  Then Pastor Don told us that in 2014 and 2015 (our time) that all the eclipses fall on Jewish holidays.  The Mayans say that the end of time is 2012.  Our Greco Roman calendar is off 4 years – for Jesus was about 4 years old at year “0″.  If the calendar is adjusted it then fits the recorded time of the death of Herod.

  God tells us that we need to know the season – it is not by years and dates.  We are to watch the signs of the times. 

  In Hebrews we see that God lifted up Noah, and Noah’s fruit (children) with him.

  Genesis 6:5-7 Then 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.”

  Godly fear. Notice that the intent of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually.  But Noah had Godly fear.  Noah’s faith brought condemnation on the world.  Your personal walk matters to God.  Something about the way He lived brought the favor of God.  By listening to and obeying God, Noah became heir of righteousness according to faith.  Noah’s behavior was not righteous in his behavior, he sinned – he was righteous because he BELIEVED God.

  Genesis 8:13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.

  God delivered Noah and his family from the flood. 

  Chapter 9:16-17 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

  God gave man a sign of His Covenant, the rainbow. That God would not destroy the earth by FLOOD again.

  Genesis 9:18-19 Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated

  The whole of earth’s population comes from the sons of Noah – and this has been proved by genome studies.

  Noah’s sin is one of self-control.

  Genesis 9:20-21 And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.

  Noah planted a vineyard, drank and got drunk and naked.

  Genesis 9:22-29 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said:  “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.” And he said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant.” And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.  So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

  Noah died at 950 years, had to die before 1000 years.  Pastor Don pointed out that alcohol can open a gateway for the devil to operate.  The problem is not drinking but drunkenness.  When Noah got drunk he acted in an improper manner.

  When Ham spread the news of his father’s nakedness, Noah was aware of it.  He knew what his son did.  Yet the punishment was put on Ham’s sons, Noah’s grandson.  The sins of the father are visited on the children.

  Pastor Don told us we would understand that when we become parents.  For we see our sins being copied by our children.

  Noah was not righteous by his behavior, but because he was a man of faith.  Noah spoke what God said into existence and believed it. 

  Pastor Don talked a bit about the Arabs in Canaan land. He pointed out that even though the oil in the land has made many people wealthy there, there is still tremendous poverty – that the riches of the land do them no good.  He reminded us of when we went to Jordan how the land was covered with garbage – we saw a field covered with plastic grocery store bags, and tons of litter.  They did not take care of their land.  Pastor Don also reminded us how we had an armed guard on our bus – not to control us but to protect us from the the people, for their poverty could have caused them to endanger our lives. 

  Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

  Noah was heir to righteousness by his faith.  He did not doubt God, obeyed God and carried out God’s plan. 

  We are faced with a choice: BELIEVE GOD OR DON’T BELIEVE GOD.

  Hoping your day is blessed.

  Heather

  • 7:46 am
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