Abraham and Noah

On the plane back from Jackson Hole on Saturday, I simply opened my Bible to read – for I had a few hours of wondrous, uninterrupted silence. I decided to read about Noah – and his account – of the promise given to him by God and just how he responded. I noticed that scripture said that Noah was “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Gen 6:9). It also said Noah “did all that the LORD commanded him” (Gen 7:5). Lastly, in the beginning of chapter 8, it says “But God remembered Noah”. Those 5 things really stuck out in my mind. I chewed on them a bit and decided to flip over a few chapters and read the account of Abraham – and the promise given to him. What I noticed was similar. I noticed that in Chapter 15, it says “Abraham believed the LORD and He credited it to him as righteousness”. Further, in the beginning on Chapter 17, God says to Abraham, “Walk before me and be blameless”. I also noticed that when God offered the covenant of circumcision, Abraham, on that very day, did as the LORD commanded him. Then, “at the very time God has promised him, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham” (Gen 21:2).

So, 5 things boiled down:

1. Being Righteous
2. Being Blameless
3. Walking with God
4. Doing All that LORD Commanded
5. God Remembering His Promise

I marked those things in my mind and decided I would study them later. Well, “later” came that very afternoon.

Righteousness
I did a google search on “righteousness”. The first entry was Wikipedia and it said that righteousness is one of the chief attributes of God – and is imparted onto us as believers in Christ because God is the only one “right”. It said the Hebrew word for righteousness in tseh’-dek. (Incidentally, would you believe my Sunday School lesson the next day was “A Study of the Names of God: Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS” (of course!)).

Blamelessness
I also did a google search on “blamelessness”. I found a great sermon by David Wilkerson, of Times Square Church, from 1993 which was insightful. Then, on Sunday, I found in my Bible where I had marked Psalm 19:13 (“Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression”) – and put in the margin “definition of blameless”. I went back to the two accounts and noticed that both Noah and Abraham sinned – even after they received their promises. So, blameless doesn’t mean sinless – it just means that willful sins are not ruling over you.

Walking with God
This was an easier one for me. For as a believer in Christ, walking with God means living by the Spirit (“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” Gal 5:16).

Doing All the LORD Commands
To me, this was simple obedience. But remember, scripture says obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). I think there is a fine line there. Being obedient is out of love and surrender. Being sacrificial is usually out of pride.

God Remembering His Promise
Sunday’s “Streams in the Desert” said it best for me: “His own way. His own time”. But I always hold on to 1 Cor 2:9 (‘However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’).


Every morning I want to ask myself this question:
Choose this day whom you will serve.

I pray my answer each day will be:
I will be faithful.

All for now,
Lisa