2B27

2B27. God responded to them:

In grace, God accepted them and favoured them in various ways, making Himself known TO and THROUGH them

2B27(title) God responded to them

God in grace had CONDITIONALLY offered that IF people obeyed His two basic requirements THEN He would accept them and make Himself know TO and THROUGH them positively, in His ongoing loving relationship with them [2A11].

2B27(sub-title) In grace, God accepted them and favoured them in various ways, making Himself known TO and THROUGH them

This was seen to be fulfilled for several people, as summarised below.

Arrow 2B26 -> 2B27

This arrow does not mean a direct cause-and-effect sequence. But it does represent the sure favour of God in various ways sooner or later in the lives of people who were wholeheartedly committed to Him.

Arrow 2B27 -> 2B24

Despite the FALL and the sinfulness of all people, God’s unchanging love meant that He always desired better things for them. This was what motivated Him to give further opportunities for them to obey His two basic requirements and fulfil His intended roles for them.

For those who had already responded wholeheartedly to God, these new heart-testing situations were occasions for renewed expressions of their commitment to Him and for “walking with God” in an ongoing intimate relationship with Him.

Cycle 1

2B27(a) God gave Adam and Eve further children who also had descendants

After the death of Abel, God was merciful to Eve and enabled her to have more children Gen 4:25a, 5:4. The first of these was named Seth (meaning “appointed”) and his lineage is given through ten generations of descendants, culminating in Noah Gen 5:6-32.

God’s favouring of Eve in these ways implied His acceptance of her, in grace, despite her disastrous failure at the FALL. He was making Himself known TO and THROUGH her and Adam by His generous gifts of further children and descendants.

Continue to Cycle 2 [2B24(a)(ii)]

Cycle 2

2B27(b) God looked with favour on Abel and his offering

It is significant that God’s favour applied not only to Abel’s offering but also to Abel himself Gen 4:4b. In these ways God was making Himself known TO Abel and THROUGH him to Cain.

Continue to Cycle 3 [2B24(a)(iii)]

Cycle 8

2B27(c) No response by God was recorded

There is no mention of any response by God to those who “called on the name of Yahweh“. Yet His later extraordinary responses to Enoch and Noah who “walked faithfully with God” could be taken as examples of how He dealt with those who “called on His name”! Gen 5:24, 6:8,9b.

Continue to Cycle 9 [2B24(a)(ix)]

Cycle 9

2B27(d) God was in an ongoing relationship with Enoch that was not ended by death!

God responded to Enoch by “walking with” him for 300 years! Gen 5:22b.

To “walk faithfully with God” portrays a kind of close companionship involving two-way communication and even a conversation! God would have been expressing His own nature TO Enoch, making known His values and attitudes, ways of thinking and acting.

In this relationship Enoch was getting to know God Himself. Surely this was what God still had in mind for all people. It was how He wanted to make Himself known TO them so that they would know Him and how to live in His ways. They would then be fulfilling God’s roles for them. God would be making Himself known THROUGH them by His ongoing loving relationship with them.

God further favored Enoch by “taking him away” without dying! Gen 5:24b.¹ He had received immortality and would live forever!! That was as though Enoch had eaten the fruit of the Tree of LIFE! This gave eternal dimensions to God’s primary purpose [2A3(e)].

By climaxing Enoch’s earthly life with this extraordinary ending, God was dramatically demonstrating the extent of His grace. He had virtually granted Enoch a complete pardon from the guilt and consequences of the FALL! God was powerfully making Himself known positively THROUGH the godly life and miraculous “passing” of Enoch [2A11(b)].

Continue to Cycle 10 [2B24(a)(x)]

Cycle 12

2B27(e) Noah was favoured by God and spared from God’s worldwide judgment of the people’s sin

In grace, Noah was the only recipient of God’s acceptance and favour in his generation Gen 6:8.

God spared Noah and his family from His worldwide judgment of the people’s sin Gen 6:5,7, 7:23. Noah’s family became God’s vital link in making Himself known THROUGH them TO all later people on Earth.

Continue to Cycle 13 [2B24(a)(xiii)]

FOOTNOTES

1. Enoch’s life on Earth was only about 40% as long as the other men listed in this genealogy Gen 5:3-31. However, in total contrast to all of them, he did not die at all! (Return to reading).