Gênesis 8
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 8
Cole - Genesis 8 implies that Noah and those with him in the ark were the only living creatures on earth after the flood (esp. Ge 8:1, 15-17). God’s promise not to destroy the earth in this manner again (Ge 8:21-22; 9:15-16) would not be true if the flood was merely local, because there have been many severe local floods in history. Genesis 9:19 and Ge 10:32 state that the whole earth was repopulated from Noah’s three sons. So the biblical evidence that the flood was universal is overwhelming.
Gênesis 8
Cole has a similar thought - Genesis 8 reminds us of the creation account in Genesis 1. In both accounts, the earth is covered with water. In Genesis 1 the Spirit moved; here God caused the wind (same Hebrew word as “Spirit”) to blow. In both accounts the dry land is separated from the waters, vegetation sprouts and the earth is prepared for man. Both chapters show us God’s gracious provision for His creatures. Remembered in Prayer Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her. Genesis 30:22 Today's Scripture & Insight: Genesis 30:1–2, 22–24 In the large African church, the pastor fell to his knees, praying to God. “Remember us!” As the pastor pleaded, the crowd responded, crying, “Remember us, Lord!” Watching this moment on YouTube, I was surprised that I shed tears too. The prayer was recorded months earlier. Yet it recalled childhood times when I heard our family’s pastor make the same plea to God. “Remember us, Lord!” Hearing that prayer as a child, I’d wrongly assumed that God sometimes forgets about us. But God is all-knowing (Psalm 147:5; 1 John 3:20), He always sees us (Psalm 33:13–15), and He loves us beyond measure (Ephesians 3:17–19). Even more, as we see in the Hebrew word zakar, meaning “remember,” when God “remembers” us, He acts for us. Zakar also means to act on a person’s behalf. Thus, when God “remembered” Noah and “all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark,” He then “sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded” (Genesis 8:1). When God “remembered” barren Rachel, He “listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son” (30:22–23). In what area of your life do you need God to remember you? How willing are you to pray with such intent and purpose? Dear heavenly Father, grow my understanding of Your remembrance of me. Then, where I need You to act, please remember me. God Remembers God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. —Genesis 8:1 Today's Scripture: Genesis 8:1-17 A Chinese festival called Qing Ming is a time to express grief for lost relatives. Customs include grooming gravesites and taking walks with loved ones in the countryside. Legend has it that it began when a youth’s rude and foolish behavior resulted in the death of his mother. So he decided that henceforth he would visit her grave every year to remember what she had done for him. Sadly, it was only after her death that he remembered her. How differently God deals with us! In Genesis, we read how the flood destroyed the world. Only those who were with Noah in the ark remained alive. But God remembered them (Ge 8:1) and sent a wind to dry the waters so that they could leave the ark. God also remembered Hannah when she prayed for a son (1 Sam. 1:19). He gave her a child, Samuel. Jesus remembered the dying thief who said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Today You will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). There is an Arm that never tires When human strength gives way; There is a Love that never fails When earthly loves decay. —Wallace To know that God sees us brings both conviction and comfort. F B
Gênesis 8
Cole - Then there is the time which it took for the flood waters to abate. The water prevailed upon the earth for 150 days (Ge 7:24). This means that it took 110 days after the rain stopped for the water to recede enough for the ark to touch down on Mount Ararat (Ge 8:3, 4). It took another ten weeks for the water level to go down enough for the tops of other mountains to become visible (Ge 8:5). All told, it was just over a year before it was safe for Noah and those on the ark to disembark (Ge 8:14-15). No local flood would require that much time to subside.
Gênesis 8
Cole adds this THOUGHT - Often when God is silent in our lives, it’s because He wants to bring us into a situation where He makes all things new. But sometimes He has to destroy the old before He can remake the new. But we can count on His faithfulness during the silence, knowing that He has saved us in the past, He has promised to preserve us in the future, and He is providing for us in the present. Behind Nature’s ‘laws’ is Nature’s Lord! -- A W Pink Spurgeon on summer and winter (the seasons) - They never have ceased. He have this year had a long and dreary winter; it looked as if spring would never come. Only a few days ago, the chestnuts were just beginning to turn green, and then there came the little spikes, and now you can see them in full flower. How faithfully God fulfils his covenant with the earth! How truly will he keep his covenant with every believing sinner! Oh, trust ye in him, for his promise will stand fast for ever! Warren