Out of Zion

Dr. Susan Michael: Do you love God with your whole heart? Do you serve him wholeheartedly? This week we're going to hear about someone who did and how he was rewarded for it. So welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I seek to share just a little inspiration and bring a little peace to the close of your very busy week. So we have begun reading through the Torah with the Jewish community. We'll go through it in the coming year. This is our second week. So today's reading is from Genesis 6:9 through 11:32 and it's called Noah because the very beginning of this chapter is about Noah.

It's the account of Noah and his family and that Noah was a righteous man. He was blameless. Let me read to you from Genesis 6:9. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless or perfect among the people of his time and he walked faithfully with God. So Noah was righteous, which in Hebrew is but here also it says was blameless. A lot of translations say perfect. That word in Hebrew is It means perfect or whole, not as in pure or faultless. That it means perfect in terms of its whole, it's finished, it's full.

And it can mean wholeheartedly. So Noah was a wholehearted kind of person and God knew that the job would get done with Noah. He could count on Noah. And Noah did obey God. He built the ark and he saved a remnant of man and animals so that the earth could be repopulated after judgment. And then God made a covenant with Noah and with all the flesh on earth, it says. And gave a sign of that covenant was the rainbow. The sign that never again would God bring about a global flood wiping out humanity. So the point is this.

If you want God to use you, you may be desirous of a closer relationship with God, to be used in service to God. Well then walk with God wholeheartedly like Noah. Once he knows you'll get the job done the job is yours. You know, when I look at the world today, I fear that we are really near another time like the times of Noah. The world seems to be spiraling out of control. I sense the need for judgment on the evil that is just growing all around us. In fact, some days I feel the raindrops begin.

What we need today are Noah's. Are you one? And with that I just want to wish you a Shabbat Shalom. And please be sure and download our Torah portions chart so that each week you can read along with us. And then on Fridays I'll share just a little thought from this week's reading on Shabbat Shalom devotionals. So with that I say God bless.

Guest (Male): We hope you have enjoyed this episode of Out of Zion with Susan Michael. Be sure to subscribe to Out of Zion now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, pray.com, Salem One Place, Salem Life Audio. Out of Zion with Susan Michael is a production of ICEJ USA. All rights reserved.