Thank you to Mark R for this message

Genesis 7

Let’s pause to pray and ask God to open our eyes to hear His Word to us today.

Last week we looked at the beginning of the Bible’s account of Noah and the flood in Genesis chapter 6.

We saw that the reason for the flood was God’s judgment on human sin, “The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5.

As we come to Chapter 7, we see the coming of the rain, and the terrible destruction of the coming flood.

We’ve already seen Noah has been given instructions for building the Ark.

As this chapter begins, he has completed his task.

Now, Noah and his family, his wife, 3 sons and their wives enter the Ark, along with birds, animals, and insects of every kind, so that when the flood waters recede, a new humanity and animal kingdom will step out of the Ark.

The story is so familiar to us that it’s easy to get caught up in the details and miss the essential point.

And the point is that God’s Judgment is not the final word…Grace is.

Remember what Noah’s name means? Rest and relief. In my Bible  translation, it’s the word ‘Comfort’.

We see this in Genesis Chapter 5:29 when Lamech names his son Noah.

It says this:

“He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.”

Noah was to be a blessing to the whole world.

Yes, The Lord would deal with the wickedness of humanity. There could be no new world without human sin being Judged and dealt with.

But in His Grace and mercy, God would rescue Noah and his family (and the animals) out of Judgment.

A brand new world would come into being.

And this leads on to the repeating theme of the Old Testament that finds its fulfilment in the New.

At the heart of the Universe is a God who in His kindness has revealed to us the way in which He will save us.

The story of Noah is a story of God’s perfect Justice, and His perfect Grace, Mercy, and kindness.

I’ve been watching the police drama Happy Valley on TV.

It’s title is ironic because it’s set in the beautiful Calder Valley of West Yorkshire.

But the valley is very far from happy as the issues it addresses range from human trafficking, to drug abuse, murder, and suicide.

Although it’s highly dramatised, I think it’s an accurate description of our world today…and the world that Noah lived in.

Even when he and his family came out of the Ark, into the new world, the problem of the human heart remained.

As human beings, we attempt to create our own “happy valleys”. We try to be better people, we try to be kinder, we try mindfulness, we try to be compassionate. And these things can all be good in themselves.

But they fail to address God’s diagnosis of our hearts and God’s solution to our dilemma.

The account of Noah shows us how God’s Grace is mediated…through one man.

Noah points forward to THE One Man who would bring rest, relief, and comfort to the human heart.

When Jesus died on the cross, He cried out “It is finished”.

This wasn’t a cry of defeat but a cry of victory. In His death Jesus took God’s Judgment for our sin. And through His death He rescues all those who come to Him in faith, trusting in His power over sin and death.

At the cross we see in Jesus God’s grace to save all those who turn to Him.

In Genesis 7:16, after Noah and his family and all the animals have entered the Ark, the verse tells us “The Lord shut him in”.

Everyone in the Ark would be safe from God’s Judgment as the floodwaters rose.

The Ark points us to the cross, and to the “One Man” who can keep us safe from Judgement and bring us out to the other side.

Are we trusting God’s diagnosis about the state of our hearts? Are we trusting in His solution…His amazing grace, kindness, and mercy? Have we chosen to enter the Ark, or are we outside it?


Category: The Bridge

Tags: