Worship Exhortations

 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:20-22).

oah’s new beginning and worship: When Noah came out of the ark, it was entirely a new beginning upon the cleansed earth. Noah, as soon as he and his family came out of the ark, built an altar and worshiped God with burnt offering.

Noah was filled with worship most probably 1) because he and his family escaped the wrath of God, the great flood by the grace of God. The entire flesh perished because of the wickedness. Grace unmerited favour of God. Grace and mercy manifests in the wrath of God. Similarly we are saved from the greater wrath of God – eternal condemnation of hell fire (Ephesians 2:2-3). 2)  Secondly Noah is filled with worship because of the provision of the ark. God asked Noah to make an ark that he and his family may be protected (saved) from the wrath of God. Ark speaks of Salvation in Christ. Grace and mercy are related to the salvation. Noah prepared ark for he and his family. But the Lord God prepared His dear Son, Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. When Noah offered a burnt offering, it was sweet smelling and pleasing sacrifice to the Lord God. Our Lord is pleased at every such occasion that points to the sacrifice of His dear Son on the cross.

There are four aspects that we notice had beginning with Noah (these words appear for the first time in the Bible): 1) Grace, 2) Righteousness, 3) Altar and 4) Burnt offering. All these four words gives the picture of the cross. We worship the Lord for the new beginning that we are given by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross by grace through faith. Moreover, we are going to inherit the new heaven and new earth wherein dwells the righteousness (2 Peter 3: 10-13).

-KIT

Table Exhortations

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:28-31.

he church at Corinth and the problems: The believers at Corinth were gifted with all the gifts of God. Apostle Paul, Apollos ministered to them. But they had many problems – they were divided and some said we are of Paul; and some others have said we of Apollos and other said that they were of Cephas (Peter) and others of Christ. Sadly, Christ was last in their order.

In the church Christ should be given first place (because body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:27) then come all others that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12: 28-20. Many of the members of the church at Corinth were still natural (unsaved) and many  were carnal believers still having the old nature of sin.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  1 Corinthians 3:1-3. 

A strong message from Paul to  all those who still in old sinful nature is,

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Apostle Paul preached to them the cross and Christ who was crucified. Through the work of cross, a believer can overcome the old sinful nature. A believer has nothing to do with the idols and things related to idols. One can not take part in the table of the Devil and in the Table of the Lord. The word of God encourages us to purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).

-GJ