Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 19: Building a Tower

We saw in Genesis 10 how people spread out to fill the earth as the Lord had commanded them to do. In Genesis 11, we read about those who stopped spreading out and instead decided to stay put and build a tower:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:1-4).

These people wanted to make "a name for themselves," and they determined to do it at any cost. What did they do? They made bricks. They lived in a hot climate, but decided to bake the bricks thoroughly, which meant they had to build fires, making an already unpleasant work environment even worse. Then they decided to use tar to hold the bricks together. Do you know what tar smells like when it's heated? It gives off a foul odor.

Contrast these conditions with those in the Garden and you will see what the Fall cost people in regards to their purpose and creativity and how they would ultimately be expressed. What's more, rather than spread out as they were commanded, these people decided to stay in one place and build up, believing they could reach heaven through their own effort and work. 

Proverbs 13:15 states, "Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard" (KJV) while Psalm 127:1-2 reports, "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves."

How would you characterize your work and career? Do you enjoy your work or are you toiling away in the heat of the day in unpleasant conditions? Are you building a name for yourself or glorifying God? Have you stubbornly planted yourself in one place, perhaps enduring mistreatment and a harsh environment rather than move on to something else, like as if you have the only job on the planet? If you are making bricks in the desert, can you trust the Lord for something better? How will you find it?

Purpose Study Bible 18: Spread Out

The Lord told Noah and his sons to "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). Here is an example of how they and the generations following them responded:

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city (Genesis 10:8-11).

Obeying God's command, some went out and built cities and kingdoms, being true to their interests and purpose like Nimrod, who was a "mighty hunter before the Lord." These men did not necessarily honor or glorify God through their efforts, but they went out nonetheless and bore fruit, building kingdoms and establishing population centers that are mentioned throughout the Bible.

Later, Jesus gave a similar command found in Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” What are you doing with Jesus command? Are you going? Are you helping others to go? Are you praying? Are you doing something in response to the command to spread out and bear fruit? "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (John 15:16).

It is important to understand that Genesis 10 and Matthew 28 are not simply directives to evangelize but to fulfill one's purpose, whatever that God-assigned purpose may be. Are you fulfilling your purpose and bearing fruit? If so, what is your fruit?

Purpose Study Bible 16: A Long-Term Goal

God directed Noah to build an ark and then gave him these instructions:

"You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with
you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them" (Genesis 6:19-21). 

What do these instructions tell us about Noah and his work:

1. The ark probably took between 50-70 years to construct.
2. Noah could not have built it himself; he had to organize his family to do the work with him.
3. His family had to have some construction skills in order to help.
4. Once built, Noah had to organize the way forward by gathering food, receiving the animals (note that he did not have to go fetch the animals; God brought them to him).
5. Noah, like Adam and Eve, worked in partnership with God. God directed the work but Noah had to draw on his gifts and intelligence to complete the task.
6. Noah had to have faith in God to begin and complete the task. Faith has always been a requirement to please and serve God.
7. Noah had to learn how to manage his time to get the job done.

Some significant projects and accomplishments cannot be achieved in a short period of time. They require thought and creativity in order to reach the goal. I just completed an 18-year project of writing and then publishing a New Testament commentary. That required me to apply the same practices Noah used as described above.

Do you have any long-term goals? Do you have something in which you can invest the best of who you are and who God made you to be? Do you feel like God is directing your work? Are you responding by utilizing your energy, gifts, and talent?

Purpose Study Bible 15: Noah's Creativity

As stated earlier, the concepts introduced in the earliest chapters of Genesis were still in effect after the Fall (things like purpose, creativity, and teamwork), but they were so infected by sin that eventually they became completely alienated from the Lord. Therefore, the Lord needed to "reboot" the human race as we read in Genesis 6:

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:5-8).

In order to start over, God gave Noah a set of plans to build an ark. Keep in mind that Noah had never seen rain and no one had ever built an ark before:

"This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks" (Genesis 6:15-16).

Those verses beg the question: How did Noah know how to build an ark? You may respond, "God told him how to do it," but is that accurate? After all, if someone gave you the plans to build a five-story building and you were not an architect or construction worker, would you be able to build it? Probably not. The point is that Noah had a skill, maybe even a gift, to build and he expressed his creativity to construct the ark.

Do you have any creative skills that seem so natural that you think anyone could do what comes easily to you? Can you read a pattern and create a dress? Can you read instructions and put together a bicycle? Can you learn a language quickly and easily by listening or following a step-by-step guide? If you can do any of those things or a myriad of other similar things, then you have unique creativity that is not an accident—it is something God equipped you to do and you should take it more seriously than you have up to this point in your life. If you are to take it more seriously, what should you do? school? reading? find a mentor or coach? get busy creating? Whatever it is, stop wasting this skill or skill (or whatever you label it) and start being more creative than you have ever been.

Purpose Study Bible 14: Diversity of Purpose

After Adam and Eve sinned, life on Earth began to expand but the elements introduced in the pre-Fall days were still in effect, including purpose as we read from these verses:

Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah (Genesis 4:19-22).

Notice from these verses the diversity of interests and skills that emerged. There was one who was a shepherd, one a musician, and another a blacksmith or metal-worker. I wonder how they knew what they were to do with their lives? It was simple, as it is today: each one followed his or her interests and they led them right where they needed to be. Also, it seems that each person then passed on their skills and interests to others so that entire industries or areas of labor were introduced and continued through the generations (but not only to family members but to other interested and skilled individuals). 

There had to be creativity expressed in each of these areas as people pioneered their work and learned how to be productive. What's more, God was with them because this was His intent from the beginning—that each person would fulfill his dominion mandate described in Genesis 1:28: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'"

What is your area of interest in life? Have you pursued it to the extent that you can be proficient and master that area? Has fear kept you from doing that? Are you teaching others, imparting the skills and knowledge you have amassed in your area of expertise? What more can you do to become absorbed in your work or to be more effective in passing it on to others? What would people say is your legacy as they behold your life and work?

Purpose Study Bible 13: The State of Affairs in Eden

As we move into Genesis 4, we read that Adam and Eve got on with their lives after the cataclysmic events surrounding their Fall from grace:

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil (Genesis 4:1-2).

Before we proceed, let's consider what has happened so far and their implications. We looked at five concepts present in these first three chapters of the Bible:

1. We saw that Adam and Eve had direct fellowship with God who spoke with them face to face.
2. God directed their work in accord with His desire that they multiply and have dominion over the earth, which was their purpose.
3. While God directed their work, Adam and Eve injected their creativity into the mix.
4. Eve was created to work alongside Adam and form a creative and purposeful team.
5. The first family was to rest on the seventh day, not because they were exhausted but so they could refocus and enjoy the fruit of their labors.

Then our parents sinned and each aspect was impacted by sin but not totally eliminated. They were still expected to be purposeful, have fellowship with their Maker, be a creative team, and rest. As time went on, each aspect became more complicated and difficult to carry out until they were totally obscured or buried under centuries of sin residue. 

The good news is that Jesus came not only to restore our fellowship with God, but also restore God's intent of how things were to be before the Fall. In other words, Jesus came to restore our ability to be purposeful, creative, work in teams, and truly rest from our own works (and that is not to lie on a hammock and do nothing): 

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:18-20, emphasis added).

Have you ever given any thought to the fact that Jesus, who is the second Adam (see Romans 5:12-21), came to restore the Garden scenario in our lives? Are you allowing Christ to reconcile, restore, and activate every aspect of your being, or are you only expecting spiritual and not purpose restoration? Are you actively seeking to understand your God-given purpose and creativity? Do you realize that your limitations require you to work in a team setting, whether in a family, ministry, or work setting, relying on other's strengths while you contribute yours? Are you resting in your work as you enjoy your fruit and the fact that you are doing God's will right where you are?

Purpose Bible 12: Two Trees

There are two trees that figure prominently in the Genesis story: the tree of the knowledge of good and
evils and the tree of eternal life:

The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).

"And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3:22-24).

Of course, Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This meant that they would no longer rely on God's interpretation of good and evil; instead, they would substitute their own standard. They would decide what was good and not good, and we see that play in society all day every day. People decide what they want to do, how they want to do it, and then label the results good or bad. Of course, what God considers good is often considered not good and vice versa.

Once the couple was in their fallen state, God could not allow them to eat from the eternal life tree (which they were permitted to eat from prior to their sin). If they had done so, they would have existed in their fallen state forever with no way of escape. Therefore, God posted a guard to keep man from accessing that eternal life fruit, and that tree was only made available later through Christ. 

These two trees have implications for you in regards to your purpose and creativity. No longer can you alone be the judge of your assigned purpose or your expressed creativity, deciding whether they are good or not good. You must learn to trust the Lord and rely on His perspective of who you are, rejecting fear and shame (products of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and drawing on the life found in Christ. Are you ready to surrender your desire to judge who you are and the work you do according to your own perspective? Are you willing to trust in the standards presented in God's word for what is good and evil? Can you rely on God's direction for your life's work and not take matters into your own hands by judging according to the world's standard of right and wrong?

Purpose Bible 11: Enmity

After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, the Lord spelled out the consequences for their deed,
starting with the serpent:

“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:14-15).

The Lord addressed the serpent who had human qualities of understanding and communication, and it is obvious that the serpent represented Satan and his kingdom. The Lord promised to put "enmity" between his kingdom and the woman's offspring, which is another world for hostility and hatred. That promise has certainly come to pass, for believers are involved in spiritual warfare once they put their faith in Christ throughout their earthly existence.

Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus (Revelation 12:15-17).

This passage also includes the first proclamation of the gospel of Christ, for God promised to act in such a manner that the woman and her offspring would be victorious over their enemy through one of the woman's offspring, which we know to be Jesus. This is also confirmed in the Revelation 12 passage.

This hatred or enmity is certainly present when anyone seeks to express their God-given purpose or express their creativity, and the intensity fo the opposition can cause anyone to doubt or hesitate as they move forward. This often gives rise to fear that perhaps they have missed the Lord or are out of His will. Have you experienced this kind of spiritual opposition? Are you surprised by the intensity? Do you fight back with the weapons you have at your disposal? 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-12).

If you are going to realize your full potential in Christ, you must be ready to do battle in a war you did not start but were drafted into when you made a commitment to Christ.

Purpose Bible 10: Fear and Shame

Immediately after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, this is how they reacted:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in
the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Genesis 3:8-10).

We read in Genesis 2:25 that "Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." Then they fell from grace and we read that they were afraid and felt shame, realizing they were naked. This led to the almost humorous scenario where they tried to hide from the Lord among the trees of the Garden. We are the children of Adam and Eve and we are also hiding, sometimes even in the Church, because we are self-conscious and overcome with feelings of terror due to our inadequacy and separation from God. In Genesis 2, God had spoken to Adam and he responded without fear. After his sin, Adam heard God and hid.

Fear and shame that cause us to hide are usually still our first reactions to the concepts of purpose and creativity. We are afraid of getting ahead of the Lord, of missing the Lord, of failure, of success, of what others will say and do. When we step out to create, we tend to minimize what we have done because we are ashamed of what we have produced. What's more, the fear and shame mask themselves as rational and even spiritual responses that seem normal and acceptable to God. 

Where and how are shame and fear robbing you of the chance to fulfill your purpose and express your creativity? My advice is to assume that fear is blocking your way even if you don't agree or see that it is. Ask God, "Am I afraid?" Keep looking and usually there is fear or shame somewhere that is holding you back. When you discover the fear, simply bringing it to the light and exposing it for what it is will set you free. If you continue to allow fear to masquerade as something else, you will be content to watch others express the will of God for their lives while you stay hidden from yours.

Purpose Bible 9: Teamwork

After Adam expressed his creativity by naming the animals, his next lesson was about teamwork:

So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,' for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame (Genesis 2:20-25).

The work God had assigned Adam could not be done alone, so God created a helper "suitable to him" after He had already ordered him "to be fruitful and to multiply" (Genesis 1:28a). This meant there would be many other helpers needed to "rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Genesis 1:28b). This introduced the concept of teamwork, which would eventually have to go beyond husbands, wives, and families to include a host of others, all uniquely gifted to contribute something to man's dominion mandate. It is of note that Adam and Eve felt no shame in one another's presence, but we will revisit this concept of shame again after the Fall.

The New Testament painted a clearer picture of the concept of teamwork when Paul introduced the concept of spiritual gifts and roles in the body of Christ. He expanded on the need for teams, but that need was first expressed here in Genesis 2. Are you part of anyone's team, whether in ministry, work, or some other expression of the dominion mandate? What are you strengths that you bring to the team? Is the objective of your work and teamwork clear to you and others? How well do you know your teammates? (I am not relating this passage to marriage, for there are many who are single but who can also find a meaningful place of significance and purpose in their 'singleness.' The context of Adam's helper was not one of companionship, but of purposeful work together while they also pursued their oneness in marriage.)