Wed.’s Devo - The Flood

Read: Genesis 5:1-7:24; Matthew 3:7-4:11; Psalm 3:1-8; Proverbs 1:10-19 Adam’s genelogy up to the flood was written. The men averaged 900 years old. What strikes me as how old they were when they had their first child. Sixty-five was the youngest but most were over one hundred. Noah was 500 before he had his three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. *** As men began to multiply on the earth, sin and corruption followed. The fallen angels of Satan desired to have sex with the human women and came down to earth and married some of them. Their off-spring were the Nephalim who became famous warriors during their day. They were half-demons/ half-humans. The book of Enoch says that they taught humans all kinds of wicked behavior as well as how to make weapons of mass destruction and hallucinogenic drugs. *** God took an account of all the wickedness on the earth and saw that every thought of man was evil and decided to wipe the human race off the face of the earth along with the animals. But then he saw Noah, who was righteous and blameless. Noah walked with God so God told him his plans. He was going to destroy every living thing from the earth but he wanted him to preserve humanity. He told him to build a ark and cover it with pitch. He gave him the exact dimensions of every level and just how to construct it. *** God told Noah He was sending a flood. Noah was to preserve his wife and three sons and their wives and two of every animal - a male and a female. He was to take seven of animals to be sacrificed later. It took him years to build but when he was 600 years old, the rains began to fall. It was the 17th day of the second month. The rain came down in torrents and continued for 40 days. On the day it began, Noah and his family along with the animals, entered the boat. God closed the door. The waters rose higher and higher until every living person and animal on the earth was destroyed. The waters covered the earth for 150 days. *** In Matthew, John the Baptist was out in the wilderness baptizing people who repented of their sins. The Pharisees had come to see what was going on and John confronted them. He asked them who had warned them of the wrath of God which was coming. Then he told them that they had to repent and show by their actions that they had repented. He quoted Malichi saying that God was going to cleanse his threshing floor and burn up the chaff with fire. (In other words God was going to judge the people in the Temple). *** Jesus came to John to be baptized and John was intimidated and thought it should be the other way around. But Jesus explained that he had to fulfill the law of righteousness. So John baptized him. When Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened and John saw the Spirit of God descending on Jesus like a dove that alighted on him. John heard God say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” *** Jesus was immediately led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He had fasted for 40 days and nights and was hungry. Satan first tempted him to turn to the stones to bread. Satan wanted Jesus to obey him. Jesus was sent to do that very thing - take the law written on stone tablets and make it palpable bread for all to eat. But he was going to do it on God’s command, not Satan’s. He told him that Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from he mouth of God. The Word had to come from God’s mouth. *** Then the devil took Jesus into the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and told him that if he was indeed the Son of God he could throw himself down and his angels would catch him and keep him from harm. Jesus answered that He was not to tempt the Lord. He wasn’t falling for the dare. *** The third time, the devil took him on a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and told him he would given them to him if he would fall down and worship him. Jesus sent him away sayin he would only worship the Lord and serve him. The devil left and God’s angels came and ministered to Jesus. *** Our Proverbs for the day tells us what to do when we are being tempted by our peers. We are to turn our backs on them. Don’t go along with them. There deeds will rob them of their life. Lord, may we take your way of escape when being tempted to go the wrong way. May we walk on your path and keep our eyes on you.