Tag: Flood

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Never again

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Elly Johnson on Unsplash

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done'” (Genesis 8:20,21).

The flood is over. The ark has come to rest. Noah, his family, and all the animals have disembarked. It’s time to start over. Noah begins with a sacrifice to the Lord, who is pleased with the aroma. No matter how evil humans and their hearts are, the Lord decides this will never happen again. No more curses. No more destruction. No more floods (Genesis 9:11).

At first glance, that might seem like Noah certainly came through with that act of worship. A sacrifice that pleases the Lord is a big deal. It changes the whole trajectory of history from that moment on.

All of that is true. But don’t overlook the awesome underlying Messianic truth here. Every Old Testament sacrifice points to the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. His once for all suffering and death on the cross means a way out of the curse, judgment, and destruction sin and evil demands. Never again will God unleash such devastation on the earth because he unloaded it all on his own son.

Remember what God said at Jesus’s baptism and transfiguration? “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). A pleasing, all sufficient, once-for-all sacrifice that means we’ll never again have to worry about that flood of God’s wrath.

Posted in Devotions, Grace, Through the Bible Devotions

I don’t think the flood solved the problem

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Chris Gallagher on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 6-9.

As I read about the flood in Genesis 6-9, it occurred to me that the flood didn’t solve the problem. Before the flood, God saw that “Every intent of the thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). After? God said, “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). Doesn’t sound like much changed at all.

That’s the way life is, isn’t it? Clothing gets dirty and has to be laundered over and over again. You have to dust the furniture, clean the bathroom, wash the dishes, and bathe the kids again and again. Everything keeps getting messy, including hearts.

So why wipe out life with a flood? Why save a few people who are just going to get into trouble again?

You have to admit that forty days and night of rain is a powerful message of God’s judgment. By the same token, an ark big enough to ride out the storm and preserve life is a dramatic illustration of God’s grace. The flood is a picture of law and gospel, justice and mercy, and power and love.

Along with David, we pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). God promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). What a difference it makes when Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (Eph. 3:17)!

I’m going to get in trouble again. So are you. Just don’t forget about that big boat of grace.