This blog post is based on Bob Hoekstra’s popular devotional Day By Day By Grace. For previous posts in this series, click here.
“Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
(Genesis 9:11)
The history of the great flood in Genesis is a striking illustration that our God is a God of promises. The cause for the flood was the exceeding sinfulness of man. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God set forth His plan to deal with this problem by a promise of judgment. “So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth'” (Genesis 6:7). Thus, through promise, judgment by floodwaters became a certainty.
Along with a promise of judgment, God made a promise of deliverance, a promise of grace. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). This grace was available through the promised ark of protection. “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark” (Genesis 6:18). Noah trusted in the Lord’s plan and provision and was thereby preserved from judgment. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22). Then, the Lord promised Noah (and all humanity) that a judgment of floodwaters would never again destroy mankind. “Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Additionally, God established by promise a sign for this covenant. “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth” (Genesis 9:12-13).
These promises concerning the flood (and God’s “ark of salvation”) are a picture of Jesus’ being our “ark of eternal salvation.” Peter wrote of the flood and the ark. “The longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:20). Then, he likened Noah’s rescue through the ark and the floodwaters to our rescue through Christ and the waters of baptism. “There is also an antitype [a prefiguring] which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). When we identified by faith with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (which is the significance of water baptism), Jesus became our “ark of salvation,” whereby we are brought to God (rescued from the judgment due our sins). Now every rainbow can remind us of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises of salvation.
Lord Jesus, I rejoice in You as my ark of safety from judgment for my sins! Please remind me with every rainbow that You keep all of Your promises of salvation, Amen.
Donna Sharp says
July 9, 2013 at 5:58 pmWonderful is He “YHWH”
Great is He “YHWH”
Glorious is He “YHWH”
For He saved me “YHWH”
I had to break out in a little song to praise Him.
One of the most wonderful intimate moments on my walk with our Great Father was when he gave me Genesis 9 when I was first a brand new baby. I was in Ahhhhh….
A Promise… Never broken.
A Covenant Forever….Something I could hold on to for eternity without change, I had never known anything so wonderful, what a gift from a father to a child. Something I never knew before.
He sends me rainbows as love notes now always when I need them most of all. Just like you wrote Chris every time they remind me of His unfailing Love and our Unfailing Savior.
His unchanging ways.
His astonishing Love.
They always make me Praise The one who is above…
How Great He is “YHWH”
How Wonderful He is “YHWH”
How Majestic He is “YHWH”
What a Blessing today. 🙂
Thank you My great Father & Savior for your great Love and Unfailing ways !!!!!
Your Child, Donna
jim says
July 9, 2013 at 6:53 pmThe story of Noah, that’s a good one.
Question? Why do you think God had to close the door instead of Noah? YOU ever wonder that?
What if you were in Noah’s place with his family and all the people were crying to get in, what would you do?
Would you let people in, after all— they may have been saying, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, God forgive me! NOAHHHH let me or us in!
If I was Noah, I’d would open the door.
But God Closed the Door didn’t He? And when God closes the DOOR—it’s closed. God knows our frame and heart, God had to close it for the protection of Noah’s family and us. OK
Jim
jim says
July 9, 2013 at 6:59 pmRemember God promised He would take care of Noah and his family. Closing the door is keeping His promise of protection. What would have happened if God left that detail to Noah? And Noah let just one person in–just one–YOU think things would have been different on that Ark. God had to do it. He closed it,
What about the doors He closes for YOU–for your protection?
Something to think about here and again, makes you thankful.
Jim
Donna Sharp says
July 9, 2013 at 7:48 pmJim,
I have pondered those doors and watched him open and close them daily…wow!!! glad you see it too. Sometimes I stand in amazement.
I am grateful for Him closing the doors that need to be closed for me and my loved ones… all of us…and then opening those that need to be opened…Amen
He just changed my season, my reason, completely on the first day of Summer. In a moment he closed a few then just as quickly opened the others. Above all has given me the Grace to walk through those open ones all to His glory.
I trust he knows THE WAY better than me 🙂 I yield to Him completely.
Mark Hayes says
July 9, 2013 at 7:06 pmPraise the Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for His mercy.
I looked out my window as I arrived at work and sat down in my office this morning. And there, more visible then on my drive to work was the beauty of God’s rainbow.
I paused reflecting on the promise given to mankind in the rainbow. Genesis 9:12-13.
My next reflection was while God had blotted out (wiped out) all mankind during the flood, other than Noah and his family, in Christ my sins have all been wiped out.
This is grace, undeserved merit, and just as I am writing 5 hours after arriving to work another rainbow appears. Hallelujah.
When I look at society in my country around me, and indeed in the world, while there is much perversion and injustice, today hope is instilled in me.
Thank you Lord Jesus for Chris’s message this day, thank you Father for your work in Bob Hoekstra’s life, thank you dear Lord for the sharing of Donna and Steve today and the others that may feel encouraged to write.
My hope is in our Saviour and Father the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ
Mark H NZ
Mark Hayes says
July 9, 2013 at 7:12 pmOoops Apologies!
I should have written, ‘This is grace, undeserved favour’ NOT ‘undeserved merit.’ God is good, His gentle promptings.
In Christ
Mark H NZ
Donna Sharp says
July 10, 2013 at 3:52 pmMark, Got a Love Note 🙂
Tess says
July 9, 2013 at 11:35 pmSome quotes from Charles Spurgeon
I pray they bless you all as they blessed me.
I would be nothing but what he makes me, I would have nothing but what he gives me, I would ask nothing but what he promises me, I would trust in nothing but what he has done for me, and I would desire nothing but what he has prepared for me.
Beloved friends, we live in a world of sin and sorrow, and we ourselves are sinful and sorrowful; we need one who can put away our sin and become a sharer in our sorrow.
He preaches pardon to those who know that they have sinned, and confess the same; but those who have no sin have no Saviour.
If knowledge were bliss the devil would be in heaven.
We are bound to be just and right towards all men as men, whatever their religious convictions, or irreligious notions. Injustice is no friend to truth. We must not fight God’s battles with the weapons of ill-will. For us to hate those who are in error, or talk of them with contempt or wish them ill, or do them wrong, is not according to the Spirit of Christ. You cannot cast out Satan by Satan, nor correct error by violence, nor overcome hate by hate.