Methusala and Noah

Good afternoon friends,
Thanks to everyone for a great meeting and congregational meeting today. Today's reading gives us Methusala, known as the oldest man ever, living to the ripe age of 969 year. We also bring this bit of genealogy to a close as we meet the main character of our next story, Noah. May God bless you as you enjoy the beautiful weather and as you begin the new week,
Sam

Genesis 5:25-32

²⁵When Methuselah had lived one hundred eighty-seven years, he became the father of Lamech. ²⁶Methuselah lived after the birth of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷Thus all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years; and he died.

²⁸When Lamech had lived one hundred eighty-two years, he became the father of a son; ²⁹he named him Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.” ³⁰Lamech lived after the birth of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and had other sons and daughters. ³¹Thus all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years; and he died. ³²After Noah was five hundred years old, Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Enoch

Good evening friends,
Thanks to Bob, Sally and Chris for serving at the Redwings game last night. They worked hard on a busy night to raise a good deal of money for the Rochester Family Mission to serve those in need. I want to remind you that tomorrow during worship we will welcome new members into our church, which is always an encouraging moment. Right after worship we'll have a brief congregational meeting to elect officers for our life together. I hope you can be there to take part in this important moment.

Today's reading gives us a couple more generations in the family of faith. Most notably, we get the story of Enoch. Enoch is a departure from the normal pattern of the way the author presents the generations because rather than tell us that he died, we're told that "Enoch walked with God and then was no more because God took him." That has led to speculation about Enoch's departure into heaven. I don't have any great insight to offer on that, only to point out the difference, since our New Testament authors sometimes refer back to it. I hope the day has been wonderful for you and I look forward to seeing you in worship tomorrow.

God bless,
Sam

Genesis 5:13-24

¹³Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴Thus all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died. ¹⁵When Mahalalel had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Jared. ¹⁶Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years; and he died. ¹⁸When Jared had lived one hundred sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch. ¹⁹Jared lived after the birth of Enoch eight hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years; and he died.

²¹When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. ²²Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. ²³Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. ²⁴Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.

kept safe

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Yesterday we read how Joshua sent spies to Jericho to check out the area before Israel attacked. The spies found refuge in a prostitute named Rahab's house where she hid them from the King of Jericho's soldiers. Today we see what she has to say to them about why she is helping them. Matthew's Gospel adds Rahab to the genealogy of Jesus. One of the things I love about the Bible is how the heroes are often surprising people: women in a sexist society, poor people, the sick, the forgotten. God's kingdom looks very different from the pages of a celebrity magazine. Each of us may has a part to play in God's story.

God bless,
Sam

Joshua 2:8-16
⁸Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof ⁹and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you. ¹⁰For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you.

The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below. ¹²Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith ¹³that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” ¹⁴The men said to her, “Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land.”

¹⁵Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself. ¹⁶She said to them, “Go toward the hill country, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way.”