Day 2 Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today's Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Genesis 4:1–6:8; 1Chronicles 1:1-4
Judgment and Grace
Parents want their adult children to live responsible or even godly lives. However, sometimes they cause them grief. They commit crimes, use drugs or become alcoholics. Or, they do foolish things, get into financial trouble, mistreat their family members, and end up divorced if married. This can happen even after parents faithfully and lovingly support their children and all their activities. They may take their children to church, and their children may even make professions of faith and be baptized. If parents have done these things, how is it that their children sometimes turn away from God? How can they be turned back to him? In today’s Bible study, we will see God’s judgment and grace. We don’t like the word “judgment,” and we may not like the thought that there is an all-powerful being who punishes people (unless, of course, it is someone we don’t like). But why does God do it? Why does God judge people?
Our Sin Causes God to Judge
Because he is righteous, the LORD must punish sin. In today’s Bible reading, Adam and Eve have been cast out of Eden, each having received a curse for their sins. Now, as they begin to have children, their sinful natures are genetically passed on to them. Thus, we have the first reason people turn away from God, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV). “Sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12b, NIV). Each person inherits a sinful nature; nevertheless, every man and woman is responsible for their own sins (Ezekiel 18:20).God Judges Cain for Murder
Sin causes jealousy and strife. There is a sibling rivalry between Cain and Abel, the two adult boys of Adam and Eve. When the young men bring offerings to the LORD, Cain is angry because God accepts Abel’s offering but not his. Why does God favor Abel’s offering over Cain’s? The answer is that Cain’s offering is a grain offering. It is a contribution from his crops (the text does not say his grain offering was the first fruit of his harvest).
In contrast, Abel’s offering is a sacrifice, the sacrifice of one of his firstborn sheep. It is a better gift born from a righteous heart (Hebrews 11:4). His gift pictures what Jesus would later do for us— the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by offering himself as a sacrifice for our wrongs (John 1:29; 1Peter 3:18).God favors Abel’s sacrifice, and this makes Cain jealous. The LORD tells Cain sin is “crouching [like a lion ready to devour] at the door. You must master it” (Genesis 4:7, NIV). How can Cain master it? In the same way that we can master it—through faith in God and obedience to him! Cain fails, and it leads him to murder his brother. In God’s mercy, he does not kill Cain; however, he is cursed and banished from the fertile land of Eden. Nevertheless, God graciously protects him.
God’s Gracious Choice
In Genesis 5, there is a genealogical record of Adam’s descendants. The reader might first notice that there is a chosen line of descendants from Adam. Adam’s firstborn son is Cain, but neither he nor Abel are mentioned in this genealogy. Seth is the first of the chosen line, and after that, individuals from his family tree are also part of it. Why is this? The answer is that God is selecting a family line which he is choosing to favor. This line will lead to the formation of the nation of Israel through Abraham’s seed and later to Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14).This is amazing grace.Because of God’s Judgment and Grace, We Lead Others to God for Salvation
Seth, Enoch, and Noah are bright lights in the genealogy of Adam and Eve. When Enosh, Seth’s son, was born, “men began to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26, NIV). Did this happen by chance? Probably not. It seems that after Enosh was born, Seth took his fatherly role seriously; he led his children to seek the LORD when for a time, his own generation did not.
If Seth did this for his family, should we not do the same? Do we set the example of worship and devotion by daily spending personal time with God? This one-year daily chronological Bible study is an excellent way to do that, and it helps you stay on track. Do we lead our families to seek the LORD by spending time with them in Bible study and prayer? Do we go to church with them? Do we serve the LORD together? If we do, our children will learn to call upon the name of the LORD and seek him.
A casual reading of Genesis 5 also shows us that sins’ consequences bring death. Although they live a very long time, death comes to Adam and Eve and all their descendants. The Apostle Paul will later write, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NIV). Have we accepted God’s gift of eternal life? If so, here is another application: Christians, it is good to live for God, for we only have a short life on this earth to please him (James 4:14).God Judges the World, but one Family Receives his Grace
What kind of a world would we have if evil people were allowed to live, not just 70-80 years but 800 to 900? We already know what could happen when we read the account of Noah.
In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness was so great that “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5, NIV). This grieved God. Because of this, he would wipe all people, land creatures, and fowl off the face of the earth. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (v.8, NIV). This is judgment, but in God’s judgment, he is often gracious.
Focus Verse
Psalm 143:1 (NIV) “O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.”
Discussion
What things result from sin?
Sin is like a lion, crouching and ready to devour. How do we master it?
What can we do in our family to help our children seek the Lord?
Does God only care about judgment? Explain
Focus Verse
Psalm 143:1 (NIV) “O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.”
See the more insights page, Longevity; How did people live so long in the early ages of the earth?
Please join me for a prayer response to today’s Bible study:
Dear Father in Heaven, great and righteous is your name, your character, your very being. You must judge sin, not because you are mean or unfair, but because you are holy and good. You long to bless us and save our souls from eternal destruction. Dear LORD, I pray we would remember your judgment and grace, and because we love our family, friends, and acquaintance, share the gospel with them. I pray we would be a good witness of what God has done for us, and the love of Christ would constrain us to witness. Please give us a daily portion of courage. Please forgive our sins and lead us from temptations that would ruin our testimony. May our lives be lived to the praise of your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Please send your comments to me, Rod
Looking Ahead: Will God put up with evil forever? When is there a need for God to Remove evil and Renew the world? Find out in our Next Lesson.
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