#DailyDevotion God Has Had Mercy On Us. Don’t Miss The Boat!
Gen. 9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Many people see the wrath of God, ONLY, in the account of the flood. Such people are generally the same people that would have been taken away in the flood. They hate God. They hate God’s ways. The flood is a reminder to them of their coming judgment in fire. So it’s no wonder they only look at this text and see God’s wrath. Why even a certain segment of this generation have turned the sign of God’s covenant into a symbol of their sin.
Yet we who confess our sinfulness and look to God for mercy in Christ Jesus see a merciful and kind God in the flood account. If it were not for the mercies of God there would be no human race. The Lord could have wiped all of us out and started over new with something completely different. But the Lord has had mercy on mankind. He said he would back in the Garden when we first rebelled against the Lord. He promised a savior for us way back then. So the Lord keeps his promise made there by preserving a remnant, eight souls in all and even saves the animal kingdom through his servant Noah.
The memory of the flood hangs deep in our collective memory. The fear raised by storm clouds still is raised in our hearts as we see the clouds gather. Across the world there are stories in many, many cultures concerning the world wide flood that wiped everything out. Because they did not stay with the Lord after the flood, many of these accounts are not consistent with the biblical account, nevertheless they bear witness to it. So we may fear the Lord made a covenant with this world and all who dwell in it. Never again will the destroy everything and everyone with a flood. When you see the rainbow in the clouds, you can know God remembers his promise.
The world as we know it is also going to come to an end. Not by a flood but by fire. Like in the days of Noah, mankind continues to rebel against him and even invents new ways of doing evil. The hearts of men are growing cold towards each other. Now the Lord has provided a New Ark to save mankind from the coming wrath. This Ark is the Church. The Lord has given us a sign, himself, in the flesh lifted high upon the cross as the way to escape the coming wrath. For the Lord does not wish to punish man. He does not want to send them away into the Lake of Fire. So he has provided a way out, faith in Jesus and the Church. Now through the waters of baptism and faith in Christ Jesus we enter the ark of the Church. Don’t be like those in Noah’s day who ignored his preaching. Repent of your sins, trust in Christ and be baptized into his name.
Heavenly Father, your mercies and grace are beyond comprehension. Grant us repentance and faith that we may enter the ark of the Church and survive the coming judgment. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.