NOAH: THE ARK AND THE CROSS
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
READING: GENESIS 9:8-17 | JOHN 3:16-17
GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH
Why would God destroy what He loves? This is one of the disorienting questions we need to wrestle with when looking at the story of Noah. On this side of the cross, we know that God loves the whole world and is willing to do whatever it takes to save it. However, as the story progresses from Genesis 3-6, what becomes evident is that evil is wreaking havoc on Earth, and something must be done. So, God sends a flood. Sin always brings death. It always comes at a cost. This is a stark picture of our history under the Old Covenant (or Old Testament). However, even this story points us towards a New Covenant coming.
The symbol of God’s covenant with Noah is a rainbow that He sets in the sky as a reminder that He will never again flood the earth as He did. The word used for rainbow bears the image of a warrior's bow. The Jesus Storybook Bible tells us that “God’s strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more – but not on his people, or his world. No, God’s war bow was not pointing down at his people. It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven.” In the same way the ark was a means of salvation from the consequence of sin, the cross is the place where God’s righteous wrath against sin itself was satisfied through the death of Jesus. The Old Covenant was fulfilled, and the New Covenant was formed!
“‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:24).
The symbol of God’s covenant with Noah is a rainbow that He sets in the sky as a reminder that He will never again flood the earth as He did. The word used for rainbow bears the image of a warrior's bow. The Jesus Storybook Bible tells us that “God’s strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more – but not on his people, or his world. No, God’s war bow was not pointing down at his people. It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven.” In the same way the ark was a means of salvation from the consequence of sin, the cross is the place where God’s righteous wrath against sin itself was satisfied through the death of Jesus. The Old Covenant was fulfilled, and the New Covenant was formed!
“‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:24).
JOURNAL QUESTIONS
- What stands out to you from today’s reading?
- Write out a “Grateful Four” list. What are four things you are grateful for when you think about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? (Consider inviting your whole family to do this together).