Epistle for December 21, 2001

#1 · December 20, 2001, 5:37 am

Quote from Forum Archives on December 20, 2001, 5:37 am
Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>

Epistle

A ministry letter from Christian Civic Foundation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough FreeWay Foundation December 21, 2001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forty Days and Forty Nights
(Genesis 7:1-24)

I. Concentration: on the Lord's words to Noah

1. "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that
you are righteous before Me in this generation," v. 1.
2. "You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal . . . also seven
each of the birds of the air," vv. 2-3.
3. "Two each of animals that are unclean (inedible)," v. 2.
4. "I will cause it to rain on the earth 40 days and 40 nights, and I will
destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made," v. 4.
(The flood was a world-wide event; Jesus said so in Matthew 24:37-39 and Luke 17:27.)

II. Meditation: on these meaningful words from the Lord

1. God provides an ark of safety for His people who, through obedient faith,
have received His righteousness, II Corinthians 5:21.
2. God provides His people with all the material possessions they need to use
in making an offering when they come to worship Him, Genesis 8:20-21.
3. God cares about all of the creatures He has made, and His plan includes
the preservation of each species, v. 3.
4. God always sends judgment upon sinners, Numbers 32:23; Galatians 6:7.

III. Revelation: on the truths and implications of the flood

1. Noah obeyed God, gathered the animals, and entered the safety of the ark
with his wife, his three sons, and their wives, vv. 7, 13; I Peter 3:20.
2. God, himself, shut the door of the ark, v. 16 . . . sealing in all the
occupants to preserve them from the flood waters, and sealing out all
those who rejected Noah's righteous preaching, II Peter 2:5.
3. God demonstrated His justice and His omnipotent power . . . "the fountains
of the great deep (oceans) were broken up, and the windows (sluice-gates)
of heaven were opened . . . all the high hills (mountains) under the whole
heaven were covered," vv. 11, 17-20.
4. God eliminated all ungoldy persons through the world-wide flood, and He
gave mankind a second chance in a new environment, vv. 21-24.

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .

1. Trust completely in the mercy and grace of the Lord, and influence my
family to do likewise, Joshua 24:15.
2. Rest in the blessed assurance that God will preserve my soul through the
"floods" of my life, Isaiah 59:19.
3. Warn lost persons that God's final judgment is coming, II Corinthians 5:10-11.
4. Know that the Lord is preparing a perfect place (heaven) for His "saved"
people, John 14:2-3; Revelation 21:4.

Three Doves and a Raven
(Genesis 8:1-22)

I. Concentration: on the rising and falling of the flood waters

1. God saw and remembered Noah and every living thing in the ark, v. 1.
2. God made a wind pass over the earth and the waters subsided, v. 1.
3. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, v. 2.
4. The entire flood episode lasted for more than a year, Genesis 7:11; 8:14.

II. Meditation: on the chronology of these events

1. Noah was 500 years old when God told him to build the ark, Genesis 5:32; he
spent 100 years building it and preaching, Genesis 6:6; II Peter 2:5.
2. When Noah was 600 years old, in the second month on the 17th day, the flood
began, Genesis 7:11.
3. The flood lasted 150 days at its peak (second month, 17th day until seventh
month, 17th day) including the 40 days of rain, before the ark came to rest
on Mt. Ararat, Genesis 8:3-4.
4. Another 75 days passed before the tops of other mountains became visible
(tenth month, 1st day), Genesis 8:5.
5. Forty days later (eleventh month, 17th day), Noah sent out a raven and a
dove, Genesis 8:6.
6. One week later (eleventh month, 17th day), Noah sent out a dove which
returned with an olive leaf, Genesis 8:10.
7. In another seven days (eleventh month, 24th day), Noah sent out another
dove which did not return, Genesis 8:12 . . . another 40 days passed.
8. In Noah's 601st year, on the 1st day of the first month, the land had
become completely dry, and Noah opened the ark, Genesis 8:13.
9. On the second month, 27th day, Noah and his family exited from the ark
and offered a sacrifice in worship to God, Genesis 8:14.
10. The Lord received Noah's worship and promised that He would not ever
destroy the inhabitants of earth by water again, Genesis 8:21-22.

III. Revelation and Application: from this account of the flood

1. In His mercy and patience, God gives mankind abundant time to repent of
his sins, (He is long-suffering) Psalm 86:15; I Peter 3:20; II Peter 3:9, 15; and
God has a definite timetable for His purposes to be worked out in us as we
fulfill His destiny, Psalm 139:16.
2. The flood waters covered the earth when God opened the windows of heaven;
so also God will open the windows of heaven to flood His obedient people with
overwhelming blessings, Malachi 3:10.
3. God uses unlikely sources to reveal His will to us: the raven and the three
doves brought Noah progress reports on the receding flood waters.
4. Noah worshipped the Lord for His deliverance; today we Christians
should worship and thank Jesus for His great salvation, Titus 2:11-14.

Rainbow Blessings and Family Curses
(Genesis 9:1-29)

I. Concentration: on the major themes mentioned in this chapter

1. Sanctity of human life, vv. 1-7.
2. God's covenant of mercy, vv. 8-17.
3. Drunkenness leading to sin, vv. 18-23.
4. Causing a family to curse, vv. 24-29.

II. Meditation; on the Scriptural foundaitons of these themes in Genesis 9

1. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the
image of God He made man," v. 6.
2. "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant
between Me and the earth," v. 13.
3. "Then he (Noah) drank of the wine and was drunk, and became
uncovered in his tent," v. 21.
4. "Cursed by Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren," vv. 25-27.

III. Revelation: on the implications of these basic Biblical ideas

1. Capital punishment is mandated here as a way of magnifying the
importance of the "image of God" life of the victim, whose life was
taken away. According to God's system of justice, the penalty must
fit the crime, and no other penalty, except execution, adequatley pays
the just price for murder.
2. The rainbow in the sky is a sign of God's covenant of mercy and grace
with mankind. The rainbow is a periodic reminder of God's judgment
in days past, and a constant warning of God's future judgment upon
the earth . . . not by water, but by fire, II Peter 3:10, 12.
3. The fermented juice of grapes contained alcohol, a drug which produces
drunkenness. Drunkenness not only leads to sin, but drunkenness is a sin,
Proverbs 23:29-35; Galatians 5:19-21.
4. The influence of a person's sin can adversely affect generations to come.
The curse of Noah's sin (drunkenness and immodesty) plus the curse of the
sin of his son, Ham (breaking sexual standards of decency and gossiping
about his father's failure) were visited upon the seemingly innocent grandson,
Canaan, Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18.

Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .

1. Stand firmly for the sanctity of human life . . . opposing abortion and
euthanasia, while also favoring capital punishment and God's just
and authorized punishment for pre-meditated murder.
2. Rejoice in my new convenant relationship with Christ, I Corinthians 11:25, Whose
appearance is associated with a rainbow, Ezekeiel 1:28; Revelation 4:3; 10:1.
3. Advocate abstinence from alcohol as a Christian virtue, Ephesians 5:18.
4. Recognize the importance of my influence over family members and others;
live a God-honoring life of spiritual integrity.

(Upon the suggestion of my good friend, Dr. Dennis Crowder, director of missions of Pulaski Baptist Association, I will be publishing my "Personal & Practical" outlines and notes on the first 12 chapters of Genesis during the month of December. Dennis asked me to do this to provide another resource for pastors as they prepare to teach this portion of Genesis during "January Bible Study Week." We plan to resume our regualar format in January, 2002. Blessings! Curt) Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year from the FreeWay Foundation!

Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>

Epistle

A ministry letter from Christian Civic Foundation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough FreeWay Foundation December 21, 2001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forty Days and Forty Nights
(Genesis 7:1-24)

I. Concentration: on the Lord's words to Noah

1. "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that
you are righteous before Me in this generation," v. 1.
2. "You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal . . . also seven
each of the birds of the air," vv. 2-3.
3. "Two each of animals that are unclean (inedible)," v. 2.
4. "I will cause it to rain on the earth 40 days and 40 nights, and I will
destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made," v. 4.
(The flood was a world-wide event; Jesus said so in Matthew 24:37-39 and Luke 17:27.)

II. Meditation: on these meaningful words from the Lord

1. God provides an ark of safety for His people who, through obedient faith,
have received His righteousness, II Corinthians 5:21.
2. God provides His people with all the material possessions they need to use
in making an offering when they come to worship Him, Genesis 8:20-21.
3. God cares about all of the creatures He has made, and His plan includes
the preservation of each species, v. 3.
4. God always sends judgment upon sinners, Numbers 32:23; Galatians 6:7.

III. Revelation: on the truths and implications of the flood

1. Noah obeyed God, gathered the animals, and entered the safety of the ark
with his wife, his three sons, and their wives, vv. 7, 13; I Peter 3:20.
2. God, himself, shut the door of the ark, v. 16 . . . sealing in all the
occupants to preserve them from the flood waters, and sealing out all
those who rejected Noah's righteous preaching, II Peter 2:5.
3. God demonstrated His justice and His omnipotent power . . . "the fountains
of the great deep (oceans) were broken up, and the windows (sluice-gates)
of heaven were opened . . . all the high hills (mountains) under the whole
heaven were covered," vv. 11, 17-20.
4. God eliminated all ungoldy persons through the world-wide flood, and He
gave mankind a second chance in a new environment, vv. 21-24.

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .

1. Trust completely in the mercy and grace of the Lord, and influence my
family to do likewise, Joshua 24:15.
2. Rest in the blessed assurance that God will preserve my soul through the
"floods" of my life, Isaiah 59:19.
3. Warn lost persons that God's final judgment is coming, II Corinthians 5:10-11.
4. Know that the Lord is preparing a perfect place (heaven) for His "saved"
people, John 14:2-3; Revelation 21:4.

Three Doves and a Raven
(Genesis 8:1-22)

I. Concentration: on the rising and falling of the flood waters

1. God saw and remembered Noah and every living thing in the ark, v. 1.
2. God made a wind pass over the earth and the waters subsided, v. 1.
3. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, v. 2.
4. The entire flood episode lasted for more than a year, Genesis 7:11; 8:14.

II. Meditation: on the chronology of these events

1. Noah was 500 years old when God told him to build the ark, Genesis 5:32; he
spent 100 years building it and preaching, Genesis 6:6; II Peter 2:5.
2. When Noah was 600 years old, in the second month on the 17th day, the flood
began, Genesis 7:11.
3. The flood lasted 150 days at its peak (second month, 17th day until seventh
month, 17th day) including the 40 days of rain, before the ark came to rest
on Mt. Ararat, Genesis 8:3-4.
4. Another 75 days passed before the tops of other mountains became visible
(tenth month, 1st day), Genesis 8:5.
5. Forty days later (eleventh month, 17th day), Noah sent out a raven and a
dove, Genesis 8:6.
6. One week later (eleventh month, 17th day), Noah sent out a dove which
returned with an olive leaf, Genesis 8:10.
7. In another seven days (eleventh month, 24th day), Noah sent out another
dove which did not return, Genesis 8:12 . . . another 40 days passed.
8. In Noah's 601st year, on the 1st day of the first month, the land had
become completely dry, and Noah opened the ark, Genesis 8:13.
9. On the second month, 27th day, Noah and his family exited from the ark
and offered a sacrifice in worship to God, Genesis 8:14.
10. The Lord received Noah's worship and promised that He would not ever
destroy the inhabitants of earth by water again, Genesis 8:21-22.

III. Revelation and Application: from this account of the flood

1. In His mercy and patience, God gives mankind abundant time to repent of
his sins, (He is long-suffering) Psalm 86:15; I Peter 3:20; II Peter 3:9, 15; and
God has a definite timetable for His purposes to be worked out in us as we
fulfill His destiny, Psalm 139:16.
2. The flood waters covered the earth when God opened the windows of heaven;
so also God will open the windows of heaven to flood His obedient people with
overwhelming blessings, Malachi 3:10.
3. God uses unlikely sources to reveal His will to us: the raven and the three
doves brought Noah progress reports on the receding flood waters.
4. Noah worshipped the Lord for His deliverance; today we Christians
should worship and thank Jesus for His great salvation, Titus 2:11-14.

Rainbow Blessings and Family Curses
(Genesis 9:1-29)

I. Concentration: on the major themes mentioned in this chapter

1. Sanctity of human life, vv. 1-7.
2. God's covenant of mercy, vv. 8-17.
3. Drunkenness leading to sin, vv. 18-23.
4. Causing a family to curse, vv. 24-29.

II. Meditation; on the Scriptural foundaitons of these themes in Genesis 9

1. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the
image of God He made man," v. 6.
2. "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant
between Me and the earth," v. 13.
3. "Then he (Noah) drank of the wine and was drunk, and became
uncovered in his tent," v. 21.
4. "Cursed by Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren," vv. 25-27.

III. Revelation: on the implications of these basic Biblical ideas

1. Capital punishment is mandated here as a way of magnifying the
importance of the "image of God" life of the victim, whose life was
taken away. According to God's system of justice, the penalty must
fit the crime, and no other penalty, except execution, adequatley pays
the just price for murder.
2. The rainbow in the sky is a sign of God's covenant of mercy and grace
with mankind. The rainbow is a periodic reminder of God's judgment
in days past, and a constant warning of God's future judgment upon
the earth . . . not by water, but by fire, II Peter 3:10, 12.
3. The fermented juice of grapes contained alcohol, a drug which produces
drunkenness. Drunkenness not only leads to sin, but drunkenness is a sin,
Proverbs 23:29-35; Galatians 5:19-21.
4. The influence of a person's sin can adversely affect generations to come.
The curse of Noah's sin (drunkenness and immodesty) plus the curse of the
sin of his son, Ham (breaking sexual standards of decency and gossiping
about his father's failure) were visited upon the seemingly innocent grandson,
Canaan, Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18.

Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .

1. Stand firmly for the sanctity of human life . . . opposing abortion and
euthanasia, while also favoring capital punishment and God's just
and authorized punishment for pre-meditated murder.
2. Rejoice in my new convenant relationship with Christ, I Corinthians 11:25, Whose
appearance is associated with a rainbow, Ezekeiel 1:28; Revelation 4:3; 10:1.
3. Advocate abstinence from alcohol as a Christian virtue, Ephesians 5:18.
4. Recognize the importance of my influence over family members and others;
live a God-honoring life of spiritual integrity.

(Upon the suggestion of my good friend, Dr. Dennis Crowder, director of missions of Pulaski Baptist Association, I will be publishing my "Personal & Practical" outlines and notes on the first 12 chapters of Genesis during the month of December. Dennis asked me to do this to provide another resource for pastors as they prepare to teach this portion of Genesis during "January Bible Study Week." We plan to resume our regualar format in January, 2002. Blessings! Curt) Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year from the FreeWay Foundation!