From Adam to Noah to This Generation

There are just so much to digest.
My Lord, this first book is surely heavy-loaded!

Chapter 4 - The famous Cain & Abel

Cain is just doing his job yet God did not find favor in his offer. Rather He looked with favor on Abel, the first shepherd ever. Here's a great point. God "created us in His images"--which is like a shepherd in the most part! No wonder why God poured out His favor upon this shepherd!
I always crack up when I read how Cain murdered Abel--Cain said, "Hey, let's go out to the field(so that I can kill you), bro!" The Chinese translation of this is that while they were talking in the field, Cain killed his brother Abel. lol. I don't know but it's so random, isn't it?

However, it's not a random thing for our God. He forwarned Cain--"But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."(4:7)

God's talking to us! When we have anger against anyone, sin's right there to trip us at the doorstep! And God says we MUST master sin! However, Cain did not overcome.

Am I my brother's keeper? (4:9)
Just linger on that for a sec.

The enemy definitely had something to do with this reponse from Cain. Trying to hide the sins instead of facing it. Did not turn to God after the warning. Many people are just like that. They always need a big BOOM to come to the realization that they are killed by sin instead of they are killing sin.

So God gave Adam & Eve another son, Seth, to replace Abel. I mean, Cain went out from God's presence(1:16), so here's Seth who is born in Adam's image, God's image. And here's a really interesting thing: After the birth of Seth's son Enosh, men began to call on the name of the Lord. Woah. So here's my calculation:

Basically from the day Adam & Eve were casted out from Eden until the birth of Enosh, NO ONE was found favor in God's eyes.

130 (Adam's age when Seth was born)
+
105 (Seth's age when Enosh was born)
= 235 years!

For 235 years God was looking for SOMEONE, just ONE to call upon His name. Yet no one did since Abel. So Seth became the blessed one, whose blood would go all the way down to Jesus.

Chapter 5

Three significant points:
1) Enoch was the first person got taken by God and the first to walk with God for 300 years (5:22). A faithful servant indeed. He's got a son, Methuselah.

2) The name Methuselah means the flood is coming! So I can't help but wonder how Enoch would feel to have a son with that name. lol. So if he were to go to school, he would be scoffed by his friends and relatives I bet. "Hi, my name is THE FLOOD IS COMING!!!!!" Anyhow, I bet God told Enoch what was ahead by telling Enoch to name his son Methuselah. For 969 years, the world still did not turn back to God. Then the flood came as promised by God almost 1000 years ago.

3) 10 names appear in this chapter up till Noah. And the words "Had other sons and daughters" appear after all the names before Noah. So I suppose there are so quite a lot of people on the earth by the time the flood came.

Chapter 6

Noah. The ONLY person found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Out of thousands, there was only ONE.
Anyhow, I still remember during a cell group meeting long time ago, Jack talked about this crazy thing about how the flood came the year Methuselah died. The Bible is so crazily true! Let me do a bit of calculation for you here, you can refer to the verses to find out why:

187 (5:25)+ 182 (5:28) + 600 (7:6) = 969 years (5:27)

God was telling everyone that the flood was going to come for almost 1000 years, yet NO ONE seemed to care. A one-thousand-year prophecy straight from God! Wake up, people!!! Crazy stuff, isn't it? Thanks Jacko. You probably don't remember now but that's one of the cell group meetings that I will never forget.

Chapter 7

This chapter spoke to me the most.

God's promises:
I have found you righteous in this generation. (7:1)
I will send rain on the earth. (7:4)
Noah's faithful response:
And Noah did all that God commanded him. (6:22, 7:5)
The result:
The floodgates of heavens were opened. (7:11)

I think the same promise and the result would happen in our time too! An outpour of His consuming fire would come down from the heavens when we follow His ways and do His will and stay faithful, we shall found favor in His eyes!

God let me be called the faithful & righteous one in this generation! I do not want to be left behind! I'm not content with where I'm at right now! I long for Your blessing and love so much! God may I be the ONE out of millions that walks with you and is close to Your heart! I will love You, my Lover. I am Yours. Use me and break me and mold me again. Hear my cry and the desire that many will be called faithful and righteous so that the world does not have to be flooded! Oh God for the righteous ones You would not destroy a nation! This nation!

Open up the floodgates of heavens!

That was quite a long read yet fantastic!
Thank You Holy Spirit. I love You!

Johnny