120105 - Genesis 09-10 - Dominion and its Abuse

S: And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. (Ge 9:1-7).
O: Again God speaks to Noah, giving him a new covenant. Although the covenant is with all his descendants AND with all living creatures, (vv. 9-10), God speaks to Noah and not to every living creature. Again the image of God is stressed in this way and in the penalty for killing a human being: it's because man is made in the image of God that the man or beast who sheds man's blood requires their blood in return.
A: In today's prayer time on our GodLife.com website, one of the visitors who requested prayer pointed out how often governments and powerful groups use racist views to oppress. It's so true, and so abominable in God's eyes. All nations of mankind are of one blood (Acts 17:26) and were created in God's image. To despise that image is to blaspheme God Himself, and He has been consistent in condemning the desecration of His image in man. Nevertheless, this very chapter (Noah's curse of Ham) is often used as justification for enslavement of the Hamitic races.
P: Father, deliver your people from the yoke of injustice wherever they are hated simply for who they are or what they believe. You warned us not to judge another's (YOUR) servants, and to cease biting and devouring one another. Help your people learn grace and truth, that they may present a better witness to those who are without.

Comments

springnsunshine said…
This has to be the best post I ever read. I am constantly reading the Word of God to get a new lease of life. But today you have opened my eyes to the reality of what human beings do to each other in the name of greed. Yes racism and all other form of prejudice is indeed an abomination in the eyes of God because He created us in HIS OWN IMAGE. But today I am wondering the death penalty might as well be a curse. Even if it is a law in most country, it does not justify anything.

Thanks for your candid view of the word of God.
12:12 PM
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