Welcome to the Whole Counsel Devotional for Monday, February 5th.
We start this week doing something different because, while this is a form of expositional
teaching from the Bible, these videos are designed to be daily devotionals.
With that in mind, we're going to skip a few verses here in Genesis chapter 4 and pick
up with verse 25.
Nevertheless, I'd like to spend a little time on the value of every bit of the Bible.
We recently looked at the importance of God's Word and that we aren't to add to it.
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
While this Scripture tells us clearly not to add to His words, the implication is that
taking away from His words would be just as bad.
Every one of His words is pure and is valuable.
II Timothy 3:16-17 says, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the
man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us that man doesn't live only by bread, but man lives by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
Every word in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is profitable for us.
Every word should be our life.
That we are skipping a few verses here or there does not make them less important.
We might skip through some genealogies or small stories, but I encourage you to look
at them on your own time.
You might be left wondering what value they might have, but I challenge each of us to
examine the Bible in detail.
Pray and ask that God would show you how that Scripture can be profitable to you, to thorougly
equip you for every good work.
With that said, let's look at the last couple of verses in Genesis 4.
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed
another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."
Eve names her third son Seth, whose name means appointed, because God had appointed her another
seed.
Eve is still trusting in the promise of Genesis 3:15, that her Seed would one day crush the
seed of the serpent.
And as for Seth, to him also a son was born, and he named him Enosh.
Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.
This is another very interesting verse that the English does not do justice.
While I don't want to give an in-depth lesson on Hebrew, that word, chalal, or began is
an unusual one.
If you look it up in say Strong's, you'll see that there are two main definitions for
the word.
The less frequent usage means to wound, pierce, or bore through.
The more common definition of this word is to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, or
to begin.
Now, how exactly to profane or to begin is a very similar concept in Hebrew, I don't
know as my knowledge of Hebrew is very minimal.
However, in the King James Version, this word is translated begin 52 times but is translated
profane, pollute, or defile 68 times.
So what is this verse saying?
Some of the oldest translations of the Bible by Jews, translate the verse along the lines
of "Then men began to profane or blaspheme the name of the LORD."
Many suggest that idolatry began in the days of Enosh and the verse is saying that in that
time, it was profane to call on the name of God.
Even using the word began could be negative as some suggest the Bible is saying that at
this time, men began to call non-sacred objects using the name of God, YHWH.
While nearly every Christian translation of the Bible translates this verse as a positive,
saying that at this time men began to look to and call upon God's name, in Jewish tradition,
the time of Enosh is considered the beginning of a negative time, a beginning of decline
into idolatry.
While we can't know for sure what the Bible is saying here, as we continue with the story
of mankind and come to the times of Noah, a negative interpretation of this phrase makes
more sense than a positive one.
But, as the title of this video suggests and as I stated at the beginning, these few minutes
a day are designed to be a devotional.
So then why are we spending time examining the Hebrew and leaving all of us with the
idea that not only can we not define this verse with 100% certainty, we can't even know
if the Bible is making a positive statement or a negative one?
If those two ideas sound at odds, perhaps it's because we have a flawed view of what
a devotional should be.
It's a time where we act upon our love for Him, a time where we look to Him, honor Him,
but also learn about Him.
While I may be leading this journey along a particular route which sometimes takes us
to looking at the definitions of words in Hebrew, the destination is to be closer to
our Creator.
And we cannot do that passively.
Our time with God should not be a time where we sit back, read a couple of Bible verses,
and listen to someone say a few words that make us feel good about ourselves or about
the God that we serve.
It stands to reason that a devotional should be a time of devotion.
What is devotion?
In the dictionary, we find definitions like "profound dedication; consecration", "earnest
attachment to a cause or person", "the fact or state of being ardently dedicated or loyal".
An hour or two a week and a few minutes a day doesn't sound like ardently dedicated,
doesn't sound like earnest attachment.
We must dig into God and into His word.
What does the Bible say?
What is He speaking to us as individuals?
You may not be in paid, full-time ministry, but your purpose is far more than working
at a job for 50 years and then retiring.
What does God want from us?
How can we honor Him?
If we're not moving forward in our Christianity, we're going backward.
If we're not calling on the name of the Lord, we're profaning His name.
The LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious
to you, the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Have a great day.
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