Daily Bible Devotionals

“Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, ‘If as one people all having the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth and they stopped building the city.” Genesis 11:5-8

When I was a child, there was no internet, and we had very limited access to cable TV. The information people received concerning the world around them was very limited. Our Worldview was filtered through 3 network TV channels, a couple of newspapers & radio stations, and some magazines.

It never dawned on me that I could write a letter to another kid in a foreign country or that we could develop a friendship. I would never have assumed we could communicate several times a day, forming a real-time face-to-face relationship at no expense. The world was vast back then, and nations & cultures operated almost entirely independently.

But today, through satellite communication and wireless broadband internet, our world has become relatively small. English is the primary language of commerce. eBay is the world’s flea market. Amazon is the world’s vendor. Electronic banking handles all currency exchanges.

So, how does the story of Babel apply to our lives, today? What is so wrong with people sharing the same language and working together? Is society in & of itself “evil”?

As we learned in Genesis 2, both God and Adam knew it was not good for man to be alone. Man was made to live in community. It is necessary for us. Furthermore, God blesses our community when it honors Him. This “community of necessity” is not limited to the male/female relationship. It extends to our children, friends, and beyond.

The problem arises when men attempt to unite to the exclusion of God. In the days of the tower of Babel, if their designs had not been frustrated, mankind would have eventually employed their united strength for outrageously sinful purposes. We see this scenario ultimately played out in the book of Revelation…and developing rapidly in the World culture we are presently in.

All human collaborative effort, divorced from the ultimate goal of acknowledging and worshipping God, is nothing more than collective self-exaltation. Humanism is, in essence, self-worship. It is idolatry, with self-achievement as the idol of worship.

“These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their family records, in their nations. The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood.” Genesis 10:32

I have friends who are really into genealogy. They spend countless hours online researching their family trees. Perhaps it can be attributed to the breakdown of the family in America, but a whole culture of these types has developed. I suppose we would all like to believe we are related to someone famous. Maybe it gives us hope that some of the old “magic” for success may still be in our DNA.

I once heard a preacher say he traced his family tree back to a lying nomad and a drunken sailor: Abraham & Noah!

The Bible says Noah was a RIGHTEOUS man, but let’s not forget that, at his core, he was a righteous MAN. That means he was by no means perfect, but like Abraham, Noah was considered righteous because he believed in God BY FAITH. Point to consider: The Bible says nothing of the righteousness of Noah’s wife or his sons and their wives. Only Noah is singled out as righteous.

At the end of chapter 9, we see Noah’s flaws, warts & all, because he is found to be drunk & naked…a sailor to the end: Go Navy! One redeeming note is that two of his sons seemed to have learned to honor the Lord (and their father) through the flood experience.

Chapter 10 sets up the story of worship after the ark. It is hauntingly reminiscent of Israel, one generation after entering the Promised Land, the generation after Joshua, who did not know God. How quickly we forget.

For me, the takeaway is the profound similarity of origins we share with all other people on earth. Perhaps, the most profound is the similarity between our sin and our collective need for salvation. Tomorrow, we will read what happens when men, apart from God, decide to unite, work, and worship together. Did I mention “Apart from God”?

These are pertinent chapters because the cry is still going out from the World for nations to unite. I have nothing against unity, but if the nucleus of that unity is anything other than Messiah Jesus, those unifying efforts are destined to fail. Sure, the nations have a strong unifying factor: Our sin. And their unity may appear to have positive consequences for a season. But the only One who can restore everlasting unity is Jesus.

“And God said: ‘This is the token of the covenant which I make with Me and you and every living creature with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a token of a covenant with me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh: water will never again become a deluge to destroy all flesh. The bow will be in the clouds and I will look at it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh on earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have confirmed between Me and all flesh on earth.’” Genesis 9:12-17

When I was a kid, I loved seeing rainbows…and it seems I saw more of them back then. Perhaps, I should look up more because I suppose they happen pretty frequently.

A while back, I was down in San Clemente for a day of surfing. As I was about to enter the water for a surf session, the cloudy sea layer began to dissipate, and I noticed a rainbow. The irony was not lost on me. As I was about to ride the waves, I was reminded of the day when those waves came up and covered the whole earth. Then, just as quickly, I remembered God’s covenant never to do it again.

God had promised that He would flood the earth, and He did it. Then, He promised never to do it again, and He hasn’t. (Nor will He ever.) It sounds like a simple Sunday school lesson, but with every rainbow, we are reminded that God’s promises can be trusted.

Back when we read through the book of Revelation, we learned that God has promised to judge sin again. It won’t come by way of water because God promised never to do that again. The next time will be by an all-consuming fire. The coming Judgment will be even greater than the ancient flood because it will completely eliminate sin in the world.

That “promise of God” is not one that people claim often. When was the last time you prayed, “Lord, judge my sin with fire! You promised!”

But with the promise of Judgment comes the assurance of Salvation. There is a way out, an “ark,” so to speak. And that “escape” comes when we fully surrender our lives to Jesus, turning from our sin and receiving the atonement offered through Him.

Whenever you see a fully devoted believer in Jesus, think of a rainbow. Every believer can be assured of the forever promise of God’s salvation.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 8. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“‘For in seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and nights; I will wipe out every living thing that I have made from the face of the earth.’ Noah did all that the Lord ordered him to do.” Genesis 7:4-5

Have I shared the story of the “devil school”? Perhaps I have, but I feel it is important to share it again!

There was a demon school, and the Devil was quizzing 3 of his students. He asked them, “What will you tell people to ensure they go to Hell?”

Demon #1: I will tell them there is no evil.

Devil: No, it’s too obvious that some things are good, and others are evil. They’ll never believe that.

Demon #2: I will tell them there is no Hell.

Devil: No, if they believe in good & evil, they will naturally assume God dwells in Heaven, and evil resides in Hell.

Demon #3: I will acknowledge there are good & evil, Heaven & Hell…but I will tell them they have MORE TIME to decide between the two.

Devil: Now, THAT they will believe.

The whole time Noah was building His ark, collecting his food, and assembling the animals, people watched. No less than a few times, they must have asked him what and why he was undergoing such an enormous building project. I’m sure they all had a good laugh at poor Noah’s expense down at the local tavern. The Bible says that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). Perhaps, some even entertained the idea of helping him or joining in his belief system. But nobody did, except, perhaps, his sons. Surely God would have invited anyone who honestly repented, yet that was not the case. They all rejected God’s Word through Noah’s testimony and paid eternal consequences. (1 Peter 3:19-20)

Eventually, everyone would come to believe God’s Word and Noah’s testimony…but they were too late. Their “sun-setting” opportunity had become eclipsed by the dawn of God’s judgment. Even today, the World scoffs at us believers: Those of us who have rushed into the “ark” of Jesus’ grace & mercy, having believed God’s warning of coming judgment. Who knows what is going on in their minds, why they would reject so great a salvation? Perhaps, they have believed in the lie: You have MORE TIME to decide. Whether it is from natural or apocalyptic causes, we will all die someday. Make sure you jump into Jesus’ “lifeboat” while it is still offered.

“When the Lord saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and every scheme that he thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe off the face of the earth: man, whom I created together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky – for I regret that I made them.” Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6: 5-8

When mankind was created, God said, “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness. (Genesis 1:26) The text describes God in the plural form instead of a singular “I will make man in MY image, according to MY likeness.”

This usage of God in the Plural is similar to the Bible’s opening statement, “In the Beginning, God…” (Elohim: Gods). Genesis 1:1

Because of the Bible’s statement that God is ONE (Echad) (Deuteronomy 6:4), the non-Messianic rabbis have traditionally rejected the notion that God exists as a Plurality. That is, they do not believe in the “Trinity” or tri-unity of God.

Two main arguments these Rabbis use to explain away the notion of God as a “singular plurality” are:

1) The traditional Hebrew use of plurality to a single person illustrates power, i.e., “one” possesses the strength of “many.” This is certainly true of omnipotent God.

2) Plurality denotes internal debate. That is, they believe that God debated as to whether to create man. That is, the terms “us” and “our” are simply representative of the different opinions God held (within Himself) while debating whether to create mankind at all.

If you agree with the rabbis’ argument over God’s internal debate, it is easy to understand His statement, “I regret that I made them.” God is represented as being “singular,” “One.” But that argument has a problem: It is impossible for God to be double-minded. (1 Samuel 15:29, Malachi 3:6) Remember God pronounced creation “Very Good” at the end of the 6th day. So, how can creation be “very good” and “regrettable”?

Perhaps, the answer lies in the primary roles of the individual members of the Trinity. God: Justice/Mercy Jesus: Redemption/Grace, Spirit: Revelation of Truth. In the creation of man, we are allowed a glimpse of the Trinity conversing with each other as a single unit: “God said, ‘Let Us…’”. In the pronouncement of judgment in the days of Noah, we see the persons of the Trinity represented individually with respect to their ministries: The Spirit: reveals widespread wickedness. The Father: weighs the Spirit’s testimony and pronounces regret over mankind’s sin. The Messiah: provides grace for Noah and the rest of his family. (Remember: only Noah was “pronounced” righteous, not the others in his ark) Therefore, we conclude that, while still in communion with the Spirit & Son, it is altogether possible for God’s pronouncement to be as an individual.

“These are the family records of the descendants of Adam. On the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God; He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man (Adam). Adam was 130 years old when he fathered a child in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.” Genesis 5:1-3

Some believe nature is evolving and changing for the better. Attached to their belief is the notion that society is also evolving. Obviously, we have more technology than any generation before us. Medicine, education, and science are more prominent than ever. But are we “better” people than our ancestors? How does this generation’s morality compare to that of our grandparents? Or Great-grandparents?

Despite all of our technical innovations, society is actually morally worse than ever. I would put forth that morality has been on a downtrend, devolving since Adam. Here are a couple of examples:

First off, the Bible identifies every successive generation as “Descendants.” That downward verbiage doesn’t sound very optimistic. It states the obvious: the more generations we produce, the more we descend spiritually. On the contrary, God’s children could be characterized as “Ascendants.” We all share the hope of resurrection and are co-inheritors of Messiah’s blessing. All who faithfully believe in Jesus have been given the right to be sons & daughters of God. Now, that’s an up-trend!

Secondly, Adam was created in God’s image and likeness. But Adam’s descendants were created in Adam’s likeness. That’s a descending trend if I ever saw one! Adam was made perfect in God’s image and then sinned. Adam’s descendants were born into his cursed image & likeness, with the need for atonement. Only Messiah Jesus can break that curse.

“As in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22

Again, amid society’s degradation, we have the reminder of Grace: While we were yet sinners, Jesus atoned for our sin. More than simply giving us a fresh start, Jesus’ salvation transforms His followers, forever altering their downward trajectory. Being transformed into the image of Jesus is literally the difference between eternal death and eternal life.

“Adam knew his wife intimately again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, ‘God has given me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ A son was born to Seth also and he named him Enosh. At that time, people began to call on the name of the Lord.” Genesis 4:25-26

Many, especially those in Eastern religions, believe the World must be held in a BALANCE of Good & Evil. The World is not designed for such balance. It runs most efficiently on Goodness alone. We see this scenario displayed in the latter chapters of the Revelation, where all evil is expelled, and sin is nowhere to be found. Yes, for a season, there are Evil and evil men, but God’s desire is for ALL to come to repentance.

“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter 3:9

So, is there balance in the World today? Is “Good” held in check by an “Evil” counterweight? No. There is only the perception of balance because God’s Spirit restrains humanity from becoming completely evil. This restraint is only for a season and expressly to call men unto repentance & submission to God. John 16:8-11

Perhaps, Eve believed that Cain & Abel provided that balance of Good and Evil. The Bible doesn’t say. After Cain’s murder, she named her next son Seth. (Hebrew: Placed; appointed) Seth may have been a wonderful guy, but humans will never provide a moral balance because, at our core, we are ALL sinners. There will never be enough “Mother Theresa’s” to offset the “Hitlers.”

Furthermore, while we all wish to bestow names to our children that pronounce a blessing for their future, our fates are not determined beforehand. We each must choose to receive God’s grace. This means of salvation through faith was God’s design, not mankind’s.

“Yet to all who RECEIVED Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13.

Seth’s son, “Enosh” in Hebrew, can be translated as “mortal man” or “sick.” In one of the most misunderstood statements of the Bible, Enoch’s birth is considered by many theologians to have brought about revival as a balance to Cain’s sinful family traditions. The word interpreted as “BEGAN to call on the name of the Lord” in Hebrew is “huchal.” This word is also interpreted as the homonym “PROFANED.” Looking at the degradation of society leading up to Noah, it could be that Enosh may not have brought about such an expected revival. Instead, men began to PROFANE God’s name through idolatry. Perhaps, this was part of God’s reasoning for the first three Commandments.

Salvation comes not from a balance of good men but exclusively from the righteousness of the “God-man,” Messiah Jesus.

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden at the time of the evening wind and they hid themselves from God among the trees of the garden.” Gen 3:7-8

Before I was married, I had a friend who had several children. I remember him telling the story of how his youngest son, still a toddler, had overheard his older brothers talking about sex. The young boy approached his father and asked what sex was. Grasping his son’s lack of comprehension, the father asked the boy to bring him the large toolbox from the garage. The boy answered, “It’s too big for me to carry.” The father replied, “Yes, but someday you’ll be big enough to carry it, and when you can, I’ll answer your question. Now, tell your brothers to come see me!”

We will never know if God would have eventually allowed Adam & Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil. Perhaps, He would have spoon-fed them bits as they grew in maturity and faithfulness. We only know that they ate when He forbade them…and as a result, we are all still paying for it because we are all born into sin. From sinful people come sinful offspring. When will we learn from Adam & Eve’s example and stop trying to deny and cover up our sin? When will we repent, confess our sin and receive not only God’s covering but His complete cleansing through Jesus’ blood and righteousness?

When we read through the Revelation, we were reminded of the image of Adam & Eve cowering, trying to cover themselves with fig leaves. There is a time forthcoming when the earth’s sin will again be exposed, and all who have denied God’s Salvation and Lordship will be revealed.

“Then I saw Him open the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred, the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair; the entire moon became like blood; the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind…” Revelation 6:12-13

“…and they said to the mountains, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come! And who is able to stand?’” Rev 6:16-17

Can’t you picture Adam and Eve cowering, dressed in fig leaves, looking like two young figs, dropped before their ripening…unduly heavy from the knowledge of their sin, and blown off the branch as the Lord moves through His garden as an evening wind?

So, what is our takeaway? We all sin, and all sin will be judged. It is impossible for mankind to cover his own sin, and only the atoning blood of Jesus fully satisfies the Lord’s requirements for “covering.” Best of all, salvation is a free gift offered to all who will believe in Jesus by faith, confess their sin, and turn from it to follow Him.