Please read Genesis 12-18 for this week. If you are short on time please get 12-15 read for sure.
If you have any questions from Gen. 1-11. please post them here so they can be addressed this week.
Reading for 1/26
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Gen 6:3 - Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
—Since man after the flood lived over 120 (Abraham, Sarah, etc.), the text seems to indicate that God is speaking in generally and not literally about lifespan - reserving extended life for those who he deems necessary. Is this correct?
Gen 9:5-6 - And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
— Do these verses point to Christ, that He must be man in order to reckon for man’s sin? Or are these verses that speak of murder? Or do they serve both purposes?
Genesis 6:3 “Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
The above translation and interpretation of the original passage offer some challenges.
The text does not say man’s spirit but “My Spirit.”
This refers to the Spirit of God not the spirit of man.
This is in accord with other Old Testament references to “My Spirit.”
There is a problem with translating “shall not abide in man forever.”
The Holy Spirit does not abide at all in the unsaved and only 8 were clearly saved.
Mankind is certainly in view. (A similar use of Adam {Man} is found in 5:2)
The translation “My Spirit shall not abide “among mankind” or “with mankind” is a bit better.
The word translated “abide” or “continue” most translate “strive” or “contend” or “plead.”
The general idea of the root word is “life expressing itself in action or in evidences of power.”
The basic idea from the context is that God will not put up with mankind forever –
Judgment is coming - the flood is coming!
The Hebrew indicates that something additional has happened to humans in their sinfulness.
They are “also” or “indeed” flesh – this is what Man’s life has now become.
People lived a very long time after the flood. (11:11 – 25; 25:7; 35:28; 47:9)
This is reason for believing that the 120 years does not refer to maximum life span.
Their days (the olden days of verse 4) would end in 120 years.
God in His longsuffering (1Peter 3:20) gives mankind one last period of grace.
During these years Noah built the ark and preached righteousness. (2Peter 2:5)
Regarding Genesis 9:5-6
God institutes capital punishment for murder
because of the importance of human life and
to protect it. These verses would only point to
Christ indirectly and by principle – murder is sin -
the wages of sin is death – and sin can only
be forgiven through the blood of Christ’s
sacrifice.
Thank you Mr. Chet, this certainly helps to clarify! See you tonight!