Lent - Pt 3

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 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: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (Genesis 9:8-13 ESV).

Spring rains in the Smoky Mountains produce some of the most wonderful displays of God’s promise. That promise is detailed in our reading today. Since Lent gives us a great opportunity for reflection on our spiritual condition, we should also see how fragile life is. We should also learn that the human condition is marked not merely by fragility, but by depravity. That is the story of Noah. In his time human corruption and violence had become so pervasive that God was grieved to his heart and filled with regret. That the all-powerful God could be portrayed as regretting the creation of man powerfully conveys the sinfulness of sin. Yet, in the midst of the gloom and in the aftermath of the storm of God’s judgment, we see hope shine through. Noah looks up and sees against the gray clouds the dazzling glory of the rainbow emerging where sun and storm meet. And there in the clouds he sees the bow of God’s wrath laid aside in the promise of peace. And that great promise is that no matter how dark our sin might grow, God will not turn his face against us again. Instead, God would sooner point the bow of his wrath upward, towards heaven, at his own Son, than unleash his wrath upon us again. And on the cross, where the sun of God’s love and the storm of God’s wrath would meet again, Jesus would die in darkness so that the brilliance of the glory of God’s saving plan would shine forth into our hearts. In a few days, the Lenten season begins in many churches with the taking of ashes, thus the name “Ash Wednesday.” While we’ll look more closely at the symbolism of that day later, I wonder if today might not be a great day for each of us to be reminded that all of our sin has been atoned for in the death of Jesus. You cannot have, nor will you, commit any sin so great that His death is not sufficient to restore you to a perfect relationship with God. I would suggest that you spend a moment or two simply thinking about what God has done for us in Christ. Be thankful for that great grace!