Noah
Advent Day 8
Genesis 6:8
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
Noah was a sinner, just like you and me, but God, in His mercy, chose to save him. God planned to restart humanity through Noah and his family. The wrath of the great flood reveals what humanity truly deserves.
Much like the Christmas story, the story of Noah and his ark often takes center stage in children’s books and lessons. However, the reality of Noah’s story is much darker than the cheerful images painted in many church nurseries. God not only saved humanity, but He did so through judgment. By preserving Noah and his family, God kept the promise He made to Eve. He also made an additional promise to Noah: never again would He destroy the earth in the same way.
While God has promised not to flood the earth again, He has made it clear that He will not allow the guilty to go unpunished. Because God is both good and just, He must deal with the wickedness of this world.
This raises an important question: How can God be loving, merciful, and forgiving, yet still remain good and just? How can He allow us to escape the judgment we deserve?
The ultimate answer is found in Jesus. He was born to take upon Himself the wrath of God that we all deserve. Jesus came to die so that we might live. His life serves as our protection from the eternal death that should be ours.