New Questions from an Old Story
April 24, 2016//
Topics to Dig Into
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.Hebrews 11:7 (NIV)
I learned about Noah and the Ark through song and hand motions mimicking the rain and the rising water. I’ve taught it in Sunday school and adult studies dozens of times. If you haven’t read the story in awhile, it can be found in Genesis 6-9. It’s one of the first Bible stories, before the Tower of Babel, before Abraham, before Moses.
It’s funny how the song doesn’t mention all the drowning people. Have you struggled with that? I have! It’s disturbing! How could God drown all those people?
In my time with God today, I looked at it with new eyes. I love that God can reveal an entirely new message from a familiar passage! He continues to speak through this ancient book.
I saw the scene from God’s point of view which Genesis 5 describes as total depravity – “every inclination of the thoughts of [their] hearts was only evil all the time…the earth was corrupt… and filled with violence”. People were vile. The Message translation calls it a sewer.
And they refused to change.
Throughout the years of building this crazy ark, Noah certainly repeated God’s warning. People had many chances to turn to God but didn’t. They heard the coming consequence and neither believed nor changed their ways.
Why? Was it too far-fetched? Had they not heard of God? Was their view of God too small to cause a flood? Did they prefer their lifestyle or need proof in order to believe?
Food for thought:
Are we like Noah, obediently following God’s instructions even when it sounds crazy? Or are there messages we refuse to hear?
#SeedsOfScripture #consequences #GodsPower #faith
Spend a few minutes to plant a quick Seed. Or stay longer and plant a whole garden.
