The story of Noah is NOT a cute little children's story. It's a wonder that we teach it in Sunday School. In some ways it is kind of amazing that we decorate baby's rooms with images from the most cataclysmic event in the story of humanity. This is tsunami and earthquake and hurricane all rolled into one.
We just read and witnessed a brother's inhumanity to brother. Now extend it a few generations and degeneration multiplies exponentially - to the point where God grieves that he had ever created these humans in his image - humans with the knowledge of good and evil. He contemplated washing the planet clean and starting over. From "very good" to "very bad."
Before 9-11, there was a sense in our world that humanity was getting better - that our worst days were behind us. Communism was receding, the economy was humming, tech and medical advances brought optimism. After 9-11, the question of evil came back into our vocabulary. How could a human being do this?
Something not very popular in our culture (and even in the church?) is the concept of total depravity - that without the grace of God in our lives, we cannot resist evil, we choose to do the wrong. It seems harsh. We want to think, we're "decent people." But what if we're not?
The image of God has been marred and none of us are clicking on all cylinders. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. (That's Paul's line, not mine.)
Noah too was living in this muck, but he found favor with God. Why? He walked in "close fellowship with God." He stayed connected to God - his source of goodness was God. God's grace infuses those who turn to Him. The Psalmist wrote, "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." To disconnect from God makes us sub-human.
Jesus said, "Remain in me and you will bear much fruit."
Noah or glug, glug, glug? Haven't seen too many nursery wall clings of people drowning . . .
3 comments:
I have tried to resist evil on my own, but it sounds so good at the time. It is short term pleasure and excitement at the cost of others.
A teacher I know complains about a certain parent: how they SHOULD raise their child, how much time they spend standing around talking to her, how she always wants attention, how she is always defending herself...and so on. In this teacher's mind, the mother is awful, a pain: evil
This mother has been abused by her husband...in many ways, ignored, neglected and now feels the burden of trying to raise a young man she is seeing turn into his father. She is also still doing everything she can to make sure the father is in his son's life, despite the abuse.
Where am i going with this...Stan said we often think we're decent people, but we're not. This teacher thinks she is loving, kind and doing what is right while passing judgement and her own set of morals onto this woman.
BTW - everytime I see this mother she tells me, "the Lord is good"
without the Lord we are selfish and evil and we don't even know it...we think we're doing what is best. So often when I think I am doing what is best I am only helping me and fulfilling my desires.
I want to be so close to the Lord that I can feel His presence and His desire for my life EVERY SINGLE day. Who do you want me to be Lord? How can I serve...on a selfish note, I also realize that He says "in his presence their is joy" psalm 16:11 (On me leg)
When I am doing His work and what He wants I am full of joy...work and joy, hmmm
After reading it, it really does make you wonder how it became such a popular baby's theme (Jeremiah's first car seat was Noah's Ark theme).
But as I read it, the line that stood out the most, verses 6 and 7:
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
That's tough to take in. He regretted us, wanted to wipe us all off the face of the earth!
I think about that line, and how much damage it would do saying, "I regret meeting you..", "I regret marriage...", or "I regret ever having kids..." -- (not my lines, just examples) -- and that can do a lot of damage to someone emotionally.
It's hard to find the God of love in that. In the end though, I guess it's tough love(?)...
He didn't wipe Noah and his family off the earth. And skipping ahead - he did make the covenant and say "Go forth and multiply."
reflecting on your comments - knowing God's love, things must have been really BAD. The other thing that Paul wrote is that God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ dies for us. Rather than humanity dieing for their sins, Jesus paid the price. Don't doubt God's love. Even if we have this bent for sinning, God loves.
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