15 January 2010
Psalm 16, 17; Gen. 6:1-8; Heb. 3:12-19; John 2:1-12

We skipped chapter 5, a genealogical review of everything from Adam to Noah. It does, however, begin with an interesting recapitulation that we were created in God’s likeness and then says that when Adam was 130, he became the father of a son in his likeness. It seems to me that the sin of Adam might be implied as having been passed on by that statement. The book resumes by telling us that as humans had flourished upon the earth, so had sin, so much so that the earth was full of wickedness and the thoughts of men’s hearts were only evil all the time. The Lord was sorry He had made us because of what we had done to creation with our sinfulness and decided to wipe out all life and start all over again. There is another book at the end of the Bible that tells us that this is going to happen again one more time.

Jesus begins to reveal Himself and His glory, to his disciples. His mother, Mary, must have had some inkling of what was to happen. Her question to Jesus and her instructions to the servants seem to imply that she expected Jesus to do something. Jesus doesn’t respond here to his mother’s prompt though, but to the Father’s, something we will see several times in the Gospel of John. The miracle of water into wine seems a small thing with which to begin the ministry of saving the world, but it was an important thing to do at that moment. We need to be aware of those little things God does in our lives in order to grow in faith.

Unbelief is a real danger. The writer encourages us to a “Today” faith by reflecting on the Israelites in the wilderness. As they wandered there those forty years they were forced to live in the mode of trusting God today. The provision of manna and the necessity of that provision gave them reason to be thankful each morning for the mercy of God. We tend to not live moment by moment but we are indeed upheld constantly by His grace. We are never guaranteed our next breath and it is well for us to remember that grace and to be truly thankful for all that we have and all that we are. Noah saw that the end could come remarkably quickly and decisively and we have an expectation that there will be another day of judgment for which we are called to be prepared.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.