Sabbath: “All Future Generations”
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen: 3:6; Gen: 6:5, Genesis 6:11; Gen: 6:18; Gen: 9:12-17; Isa: 4:3, Rev: 12:17.
Memory Text: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8).
Bacteria are plant organisms too small to see without a microscope. A single, common round bacterium appears no larger than a pencil point, even after being magnified 1,000 times. Given favorable conditions for growth — sufficient warmth, moisture, and food — bacteria multiply at an extremely rapid rate. For example, some bacteria reproduce by simple fission: a mature cell simply splits into two daughter cells. When fission takes place every hour, one bacterium can produce over 16,000,000 new bacteria in 24 hours. At the end of 48 hours, hundreds of billions of bacteria will have appeared.
This microscopic phenomenon in the natural world illustrates the rapid growth of evil after the Fall. Gifted with giant intellects, robust health, and longevity, this virile race forsook God and prostituted their rare powers to the pursuit of iniquity in all forms. While bacteria may be exterminated by sunlight, chemicals, or high temperatures, God chose to check this rampant rebellion by a universal Flood.
The Week at a Glance: What did sin do to God’s creation? What were some of the characteristics of Noah? What elements were involved in the covenant with Noah? In what ways is God’s grace revealed in the covenant with Noah before the Flood? What does the covenant God made with humanity after the Flood teach us about His universal love for us?
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 17.
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What did sin do to God's creation? This is why God hates sin so much. Sin brings misery, destruction and death to those God loves. In the book of Malachi it says that God hates divorce. "For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." God hates divorce but He loves divorcees! His love for divorcees is why He hates divorce. It overwhelms them with cruelty and heartbreaking pain. How can we makes sure the sinner understands that God loves them while teaching that God hates the sin destroying His creation?
The author mentioned the possibility of eradicating bacteria with chemicals, sunlight, etc. On the other hand God only checked sin by the flood. He did not eradicate it. Until He eradicates it, there will be glaring evidences of the effect that sin has. Sometimes it shows itself in the various forms and growing complexities of divorce. One way we can bring some relief is to treat others kindly. We look forward to Eradication Day.
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of they mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Ps 59:16
Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man Ps 60:11.
“All Future Generations”
What a wonderful Heavenly Father we serve. Before sin entered the world, I do not know if bacteria had existed to do good. After sin entered the world, dont know if the good bacteria rebelled causing misery and havoc. All bacteria are not bad, there are many good bacteria that works for humans to protect and provide in many ways for us. It is the bad ones that cause the problems in and on our bodies and in our present world.
Speaking about bacteria which we cant see neither know how the work but the do work for good or for bad. It is said bacteria in and on the human body is between 1-10 times that of our normal cells. Our normal cells are approx 100 trillion cell in one human adult.
Starting from the mouth, there are approx 700 different bacteria found in the mouth(good and bad). Esophagus approx 140 different species of bacteria(good and bad). Stomach- approx 100 trillion bacteria which can be (good and bad). Intestines(small and large) over 400 species(good and bad). Bacteria are also found in the rectum and at the anus. Bacteria live in their normal habitat/home and only causes problems if that area has a break in the skin or if the bacteria is transfer from one place to another e.g mouth to esophagus.
Good bacteria starting from our mouth to the rectum helps to breakdown the foods we eat so as to provide the needed nutrients our body needs. Bacteria helps to produce probiotics to fight the bad bacteria. Bacteria can be natural or man-made. We use things made from bacteria in our every day life without even knowing we are using bacteria.
While humans tried to destroy the bad bacteria, they saved the good ones because the can be very beneficial to us.
As noted, the Lord destroyed the bad humans who were very rebellious but save the good ones by either putting them to rest in the grave or saved 8 in a boat for another new generation.
So let us embrace the good things of life.
"How can we make sure the sinner understands that God loves them while teaching that God hates the sin destroying His creation?"
By telling them, God loves them, then the Holy Spirit works on their heart to help them understand. As the Saviour did, we can do. "Use Christ’s method, which alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, Follow Me" ( The Ministry of Healing, p. 143).
Thank God that Noah found the Father’s heart to respond with grace – Gen.6:8KJV. I cannot imagine the sorrow our Father experienced, it grieved him at his heart, when He saw man’s heart and mind having deteriorated to such a state of wickedness that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (in Heb. Seat of mind, intellect, purpose) was only evil continually” - Gen.6:5KJV.
But the power of the Father’s compassion for that which He created was greater than His disappointment of having been forgotten, and this is what moved His heart. Even under these dire circumstances, He mercifully, and patiently continued to care for His children and decided to give humankind a fresh start with Noah and his family - But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD”.
I found in the margin of the KJVersion of the Bible a note highlighting the text of Gen.6:9KJV – “And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast (since they were made for man), and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
‘All future generations’ of man, beast, creeping things, and the fowls of the earth were blessed by the Grace the Father showed Noah. Noah was given the instruction to build the Ark to save the creatures who otherwise would have been destroyed. If it would not have been for Noah and his family, the earth as we know it would be no more. The Father foresaw that Noah and his family would fall into sinning, but He promised Noah not to destroy all life on earth again.
His sign was to be the beautiful rainbow, visible to us already as the sun comes forth whiles the rain still falls; no more deluge lasting for days without end – the Covenant promises for the Son to rise and to remain with man, and by and through Him humankind will be freed from the stranglehold evil has on the heart and mind of man.
Sin is like leprosy. The bacteria gets into the body, slowly grows attacking the nerves in skin and extremities causing the leper to lose feeling in hands and feet.The leper then sustains injury but is not aware of injury which festers . The leper may not recognize his serious plight until he smells the burning flesh when he has rested his hand upon a hot stove. Thus it is with sin. Today there is a cure for leprosy . God long ago had a cure for sin. John 3:16
The covenant avails God's efforts and zeal to always reconcile with the fallen humanity as well as ammend the broken relationship caused by sin, Lastly its Gods' aim to prove to mankind that one day , only one day sin will be blotted away from this planet earth
The cure for sin is already available to every individual, though the cleansing of all sin from the earth and all creation will be at the appointed time, and will involve all who have not individually accepted the cure in this present life.
We have a very important message to bear to the world, and it seems there is little time left to do it as we look around and see that the world has become "as it was in the days of Noah".