Well, I told you it would be bad. What a mess we see on earth as the story of Noah unfolds. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (v.6:5) Then, God comes down and expresses himself in very relatable, human terms, saying, “I am sorry that I have made them.” So, he decides to clear it away and start over. Well, not entirely over. God is going to reboot the human race through a man named Noah and his family. Noah is a model of upright conduct and trusts God enough to build a giant boat in the middle of the desert. Then God allows Noah to be a successful steward of the creation – just as humans were designed to do from the beginning. In this story we see that God takes sin seriously. But God is also committed to redemption. The ark carries his chosen people through the waters of judgment and the world will be renewed. However, even as the waters are subsiding it becomes clear that redemption will require something more. Noah gets drunk and his family lineage is continued in an act of disgrace. God promises never to destroy the world with water again, but if the reboot is going to work, we need more than just a fresh start. Humanity needs lasting forgiveness and radical transformation.
Reflect: How do you see evidence for the fall in the actions of humans around you and in your own heart? Connect: In the New Testament, Peter compared God’s salvation in the ark to the salvation that believes have in Christ. As the ark brought Noah and his family through the waters of judgment, baptism connects us to Jesus, who brings his people through the judgment of God through his victory over death. I Peter 3:20-22 …God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God… In the narrative flow of the Bible, we move very quickly towards the introduction of a major problem. Adam and Eve are tempted, they give in, they sin, and they are expelled from the garden. It may seem too severe, but their actions were significantly harmful. In some sense, eating the fruit changed them. “Their eyes were opened.” (3:7) The relationship with their creator was altered. In their rebellion they stopped trusting in God and rejected his right to rule over them. Once we step outside of a relationship in which God is supreme and where we live dependently as his created beings - then everything gets turned upside down. At the same time, we see God’s first act of grace. Adam and Eve do not die immediately, but it appears that an animal is killed in their place. They are clothed with animal skins and expelled from the garden. Their relationship with the created world is now cursed, and they cannot access the fruit of the Tree of Life – death will find them. But God also promises that one day a seed from the woman will crush the head of the tempting serpent. (3:15) In the following chapters, we see what life is like “East of Eden.” It is not a pretty picture. Brother kills brother, and violent boasting becomes the order of the day. It is going to be a mess.
Reflect: How do we face temptations that are similar to that faced by Adam and Eve? In particular, how might we be tempted to pursue knowledge apart from God, or to disbelieve God’s description of what is dangerous and what is good? Connect: Romans 1-3 describes humanity after the fall, where we all live, “East of Eden.” Romans 3:9-12 For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” |
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April 2021
CategoriesAuthorThis blog is part of the ministry of City Reformed Presbyterian Church. Unless otherwise noted, the entries are written by Matt Koerber. This is part of a project that our church is doing as we read through the narrative sections of Scripture between early January and Easter 2020. New entries will be scheduled to drop automatically at 5:00 am on the scheduled day. |