Genesis 6-8; Matthew 3
Genesis 6-8 is the story of the flood. I actually taught a bible study on this not too long ago. The idea of God destroying the earth caused me to wrestle… really wrestle. I struggled to see how God’s goodness was revealed in destroying every living thing on the earth (except those few on the ark). Seriously, what good was the flood?
I believe God patiently endured my questioning and gave me not just one, but several glimpses of his goodness in this passage of Scripture.
- Firstly, I believe God gave the world the opportunity to repent and be saved. Remember, I’m no bible scholar, but think about it… It took Noah and his sons a VERY long time to build that ark. Scholars debate on the specifics, but it was somewhere between 75-100 years of building. Don’t you think news would have spread about this crazy guy building this humongous boat? Don’t you think Noah tried to warn people of the coming flood? They had a chance to repent, believe and be saved… But they didn’t. And they perished.
- Secondly, (and this is a hard one for me) every living thing deserved to be destroyed. The bible says “every intention of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God showed his grace by preserving a remnant.
- Thirdly, (and I love this) I see God’s tender, personal care for Noah and his family in verse 7:16, “And the Lord shut him in.” God, himself, shut the door to the arc and protected them from the deadly flood. He, personally, saved them.
- And finally, Noah’s story is both a warning and a joyful proclamation to us. Just as those who were in the ark were saved from the flood… If we are found “in Christ” we will be saved from the judgment that is to come. God, in his mercy, warns over and over that there will be judgment for those who do not turn to Jesus for help. None of us are good enough to earn entrance into heaven. Jesus offers us a trade: we get his perfect record, and he gets our tarnished one. As a result, he received the punishment we deserve, and we get the reward that only he deserves. That’s good news. That’s the gospel.
P.S. You can follow the rest of my journey through the bible at bible365blog.com
Crayons In My Water 
God in all His actions is as a doctor expunging the sickness of sin and death, so that we (humanity) are free to grow into “sons” and heirs. He loves each of us and knows each of us, and provides every opportunity for each of us to repent and know Him, and it is shocking when we read how He prunes the vine in order to bring healing to His creation.
Church architecture worldwide is still in the form of an inverted ark (ceiling rafters as ship hull structure). We have always been saved together. Be careful what judgmental thoughts you have for the loud-mouth, fat, smelly rhino sitting next to you during the sermon. You’re both in the same boat.
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