Scripture Nugget 1.16.2017
Scripture Read – Genesis 8-11
Nugget Genesis 9:1, 7, 11:1-4
“God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’ …. And you be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it.’ … Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’”
Devotional thought: Return with me to Genesis 1: “And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth,’ (21d-22). … God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living that moves upon the earth’ (27-28). Be fruitful, multiply, fill, abound, subdue, have dominion all words of blessing and growth as well as words of huge responsibility. Nowhere does God say, settle, be still, amass treasure, build up. God comes down to his creation, it is impossible for creation to build up to God. “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” In other words, let us settle for what we want the way we want it, never mind what God asked of us, what God created us for. Examination of conscience calls us to take a serious look at our attitudes, and motivations. Are we doing for ourselves? Do build and save to make a name for ourselves? Are we about that which God intended? Be fruitful and multiply = Go and make disciples. Take a look at your life as an individual, examine the priorities of your local church. I might suggest that if amassing a large positive bank balance at the expense of mission and ministry, outreach and evangelism then maybe you/your church have settled, are building your own city attempting to build up to heaven, an impossible task. “The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built.” (11:5) God The Father, sent his son, Jesus, Immanuel – God with us), we don’t have to strive to get to Jesus, we can’t save ourselves – just accept the gift that God’s has given and respond accordingly. Be fruitful and multiply – Go, be a disciple and make disciples!