Understanding the generations of Men

Call To Prayer

Title: Understanding the generations of Men

By: Simon Maina Nuhu

Date: 16.12.2022

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4).

Since the fall of man, several generations of men have come and gone until the current one. The wisdom of the scripture wants us to understand that, although those generations have passed away, we still need to learn from their mistakes, behaviors, and lifestyle. There are three major generations of mankind.

The era of conscience; This is the first generation after the fall of man when God took Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden. Thereafter men began to multiply on the face of the earth and their activities became prominent. In this time, the people were given conscience as their guide, because the spirit of God was striving with them due to their continuous crafts in evil imagination (Genesis 6:3-). The people had ways to reach God but only a few of them like Enoch and others walked with Him. In this same generation, God established His first covenant and promise to man through Abraham (Covenant of circumcision  Genesis 12:1-3) and in Genesis 22:18, and also with Noah (Genesis 9:1-19). Sodom and Gomorrah, the land of Lot were destroyed in this dispensation.

The era of the law began with Moses from the book of Exodus to the end of Malachi. This is the generation where God honored His promise to Abraham concerning His descendants. In this generation, God gave them the law with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-18) on tablets of stones, and also made a covenant with the Israelites at Horeb-Sinai (Exodus 19-24). The essence of the law was to guide, convict, pinch and discipline them in the ways of God. The law, however, could also administer judgment, penalty, and death to those who erred or disobeyed. Although there was grace, it was only limited to some anointed chosen vessels of God. So the law was unable to save or redeem them, as they were rebellious and the law took its unmerciful effects on them. Through the law, prophets, Kings, judges, and priests were appointed to uphold the law’s duty.

The era of grace; This is the last generation of mankind which happens to be ours. The author of this era is Jesus Christ, who became the mediator of the new covenant by shedding His precious blood for the redemption of sin (Hebrews 9:15). He symbolizes the lamb that was used in the old covenant for the atonement of sin or wrongdoings before God. The grace came through Him, that salvation is very possible and we are justified by faith. The significance of grace is that men have unlimited and free access to God without the interference of the law, as the law could not save a man but was acting like a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The grace conquers the law, and that by faith we are justified, not by works of righteousness through the law. Mankind in this generation lives above the law through Christ.

Prayer point:

Let’s thank God for the message today and also ask Him to help us appreciate daily what Christ has done for us.