12 January 2014 - Noah and the Flood

Per Genesis six, Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time

When he reached five hundred years old, he was still in his prime

For he then had three sons and with God he continues to walk

One day God revealed his plans to Noah during their daily talk

God needed to nip increasingly evil thoughts and deeds in the bud

He was therefore going to destroy all creatures with a great flood

He gave Noah detailed plans about how to build a very large ark

This would serve to protect him when things got so wet and dark

God told Noah to take his family and two of all living thing

“Every kind of food that is to be eaten” Noah was to bring

Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came

For forty days and nights the rain fell, everywhere was the same

The waters covered all the earth and even the mountains so tall

Everything not in Noah’s ark was destroyed, both big and small

“The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days”

Throughout that time, nobody was able to see the sun’s rays

“By faith Noah…built an ark” per Hebrews eleven verse seven

He “became heir of the righteousness” that comes from heaven

Noah sent out a dove, from Genesis chapter eight we understand

The dove flew back and forth but could not find a place to land

After seven more days, Noah sent out the dove once more

It returned with an olive leaf; it was time for Noah to explore

The water had dried up from the earth, which was no dry

Every living thing came off the ark and began to multiply

Noah built an altar and on it burnt offerings he did sacrifice

God said in his heart that the aroma was pleasing and nice

He promised never to “curse the ground because of man”

Even though man’s inclination is evil throughout his lifespan

“Never again will I destroy all living creatures” God did say

This is a promise that God has kept right up until this day

12 January 2014 - Cain and Abel

Eve became pregnant and gave birth to Cain and then to Abel

Cain worked the land; Abel kept flocks for there was no stable

Cain brought to God some of the fruits of the soil as an offering

But portions of some firstborns of his flock is what Abel did bring

“The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering” says verse four

Cain’s was not favorably received so he became angry and sore

God spoke to Cain and tried to explain about doing right

But Cain attacked and killed Abel when they were out of sight

In response to God, Cain said his brother’s keeper he was not

As a result of the murder, a lifelong curse is what Cain got

He was to become a “restless wanderer on the earth”

But God still protected him for he still had some worth

11 January 2014 - The Fall

The story of mankind’s fall is detailed in Genesis chapter three

The crafty serpent asked the woman about the forbidden tree

He twisted and turned God’s words and said she would not die

The woman saw it was “good for food and pleasing to the eye”

She wanted to gain wisdom so “took some and ate it” in verse six

Then gave some to her husband who ate it; now both were in a fix

Their eyes were opened and their nakedness became apparent

They sewed fig leaves to cover themselves wherever they went

The man and his wife heard the sound of God as He did walk

They hid from Him among the trees, as they were afraid to talk

In verse nine, the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Adam said he hid because he was afraid of what God would do

God asked Adam why he ate fruit from the tree in the garden

The woman blamed the serpent, for whom there was no pardon

God said the woman’s offspring would crush the serpent’s head

This foretold what Jesus would do when He arose from the dead

The cost of the woman’s sin God did make quite plain

That she would give birth with greatly increased pain

And because the man sinned after listening to his wife

He was cursed with working hard all the days of his life

God continued in a voice that was quite stern

“For dust you are and to dust you will return”

Adam named his wife Eve and God made them clothes

As a sign of His love for them despite what had arose

But from the Garden of Eden God did them both banish

The way back to the tree of life did effectively vanish

From 1 Corinthians 15:22 to a conclusion one does arrive

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive”

Romans chapter five from verse twelve similarly does begin

“Sin entered the earth through one man, and death through sin”

“In this way death came to all men, because all sinned”

For “sin was in the world” that no man could rescind

“But sin is not taken into account when there is no law”

“Nevertheless, death reigned” until God Moses saw

“But the gift is not like the trespass” per verse fifteen

Many died due to one man’s sin, as was often seen

But God’s grace and Jesus’ gift account for so much more

Via this justification and righteousness, God does restore

“For the wages of sin is death”, Romans 6:23 does say

“But the gift of God is eternal life” for forever and a day

9 January 2014 - The Creation (part five of five)

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array”

“God had finished the work he had been doing” by the seventh day

Genesis two verse two says that on this day He did rest

God then made the day holy and forever it was blessed

“Keep the Sabbath…holy” per Exodus twenty verse eight

That is what the fourth commandment does clearly state

But remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Mark two

“The Sabbath was made for man”, so that is what we must do

“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground”

And then gave man the breath of life, Genesis 2 does expound

Into the Garden of Eden, God took the man and had him take care

He could eat anything, except from the tree of knowledge there

If he ate from that tree, he would “surely die” per verse seventeen

God said that man needed a helper, based on what He had seen

So then from one of the man’s ribs, a woman God did create

Which is why man and woman will “become one” to this date

He was called Adam; the woman had yet to be given a name

“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame”

Psalm eight says “how majestic is your name in all the earth”

For reasons to glorify God, David says that there is no dearth

“Glory above the heavens” and “the works of [his] fingers”

“The moon and the stars” whose light during night lingers

“Made “a little lower than the heavenly beings” was “the son of man”

He has ruled “over the works of [God’s] hands” since time began

David was referring to God’s works during the six days of creation

In this and several other psalms expressing awe and admiration

8 January 2014 - The Creation (part four)

Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures”

Mammals, reptiles, amphibians with all sorts of features

And God saw that is was good, per verse twenty five

For He had created the earth and made it come alive

And if Psalm fifty verses eight to fifteen we do read

Our sacrifices and burnt offerings God does not need

For to Him belongs every animal, creature, and bird

As in so many songs of worship we have heard

And when we do call upon Him in our day of trouble

We will honor Him when He delivers us from the rubble

“Let Us make man in our own image” God did then say

“According to our likeness”, in verse 26 on the sixth day

“They will rule” all the fish and animals upon the earth

For being made from His image, we have great worth

God blessed mankind, saying to be fruitful and multiply

For every living creature, food He will always supply

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good”

That ended the sixth day; God had done all that he could

6 January 2014 - The Creation (part three)

Then God said “let there be lights in the expanse of the sky”

Verse 14 says “to separate the day from the night” was why

“They will serve as signs…to mark seasons and days”

The sky will thus “give light on the earth” is the next phrase

God made two great lights, to govern the day and the night

He made the stars, and he saw that all was good and right

“And there was evening, and there was morning – the fourth day”

God’s eternal city is what Revelation 21:22-26 does portray

“The glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp”

There will be no night, for with His honor God will it stamp

Then God said, “let the water teem with living creatures”

He created fish and birds, each with individual features

Some swam and some flew; some big and some small

“God saw that is was good” and “God blessed them” all

“Be fruitful and increase in number” in the sea and on land

There was evening and morning – the fifth day God planned

“How many are your works, O Lord” says Psalm 104

He cares for them all, whether in water or on shore

5 January 2014 - The Creation (part two)

This continues "The One Minute Bible Day by Day"

I am going to try to write it in poetry the entire way

“Let there be an expanse between the waters” God said

The expanse above the water He called “sky” instead

Per verse 8, “evening came, and then morning: the second day”

“The heavens declare the glory of God”, Psalm 19:1 does say

And as David said in verse 10 of Psalm fifty seven

“For great is [God’s] love, reaching to the heaven”

Jeremiah 10 verse 12 says “God made the earth by his power”

He used his wisdom and understanding in that initial hour

Then God said “let the water…be gathered to one place”

“Let dry ground appear”; “land” is what He called this space

He called the gathered waters “seas”, it is understood

Per verse number ten, “and God saw that is was good”

God had the land produce vegetation – plants and trees

They all bore fruit and seed, all of which did God please

“Bringing forth food from the earth”, as Psalm 104:14 does convey

 “And there was evening, and there was morning – the third day”