Creekside Church, Sunday, Nov 17, 2024
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Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Noah - Genesis 6-9 (NASB, NIV)
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Genesis 6:9-13
9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth.
13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.
- vs13 - It's like he end of humanity is something that creation is on it's way toward. God's decision to bring the flood then, is connected with the corruption/ruin/disaster/violence that humans are perpetuating. The notion is that the demise of all flesh has passed before God and made itself evident. God then chooses to accelerate this process.
This is often termed a "handing over" to the consequences of our decisions. More often than not, this is how God's judgement/wrath comes in the Bible.
---
Everywhere you read "flood" in our english translations in these chapters the Hebrew word is "mabbul".
“Mabbul does not mean ‘flood,’ ‘inundation,’ or even ‘destruction,’ but it is a technical term for a part of the world structure, namely, the heavenly ocean. This heavenly sea, which is above the firmament (raqia‘), empties downward through latticed windows (Gen. 7:11). Here we have the same realistic and cosmological ideas as in Gen. ch. 1 … [T]he Flood, therefore, is a catastrophe involving the entire cosmos. When the heavenly ocean breaks forth upon the earth below, and the primeval sea beneath the earth, which is restrained by God, now freed from its bonds, gushes up through yawning chasms onto the earth, then there is a destruction of the entire cosmic system according to biblical cosmogony. The two halves of the chaotic primeval sea, separated—the one up, the other below—by God’s creative government (ch. 1:7-9), are again united; creation begins to sink again into chaos. Here the catastrophe, therefore, concerns not only men and beasts … but the earth (chs. 6:13; 9:11)—indeed, the entire cosmos.”
von Rad, Gerhard (1973). Genesis: A Commentary (rev.). Westminster John Knox Press. 128.
Psam 29:10 - The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters (mabbul); the Lord sits enthroned as the eternal king.
What's described creating this "flood" is more like a cosmic collapse. The waters that were separated and held at bay by the God of the cosmos is allowing them to press back in.
---
One portrait…grieved, judgement, authority, collapse
Another…Ark…Remembering…Covenant…commitment to it creation
The God who carries his creation to a new heavens and a new earth.
Salvation.
---
This story: God of judgement and salvation.
If we ended here…it’d be fair.
The message would be, be righteous like Noah, or experience the consequences of your destructive choices.
That’s how you’d teach this story isolated on it’s own.
But that’s not very hopeful.
B/c you’re not Noah. (Righteous and blameless.)
By the end of the story Noah isn’t even Noah. (he gets drunk and something unspeakable happens between him and one of his sons).
Which is why, as Christians, we pick up the themes of this story, and see them through the lens of Jesus.
The faithful righteous one who stands in for the many.
Noah’s family is not said to be righteous and blameless.
Genesis 6:22-7:1 – Noah’s faith = righteousness. Just like Abraham.
For Christians – Noah, is a foreshadowing of Jesus.
Jesus, the one for the many
In Christ - in the ark – escape the coming judgement of God
How does that work?
How do we just get to enter the "ark" called Jesus?
Because he endured a type of cosmic collapse for us.
The cross – where Jesus gasped for breath under the weight of his own body. Where the sky went dark and the earth shook.
It’s like Jesus went through the "flood" for you.
And now you’re offered a ride on the ark to the new creation.
The ultimate revelation and expression of the themes in the Noah story are found in Jesus.
In the full story the Bible is telling, Jesus is the God who will endure the ultimate flood for us.
The God who will provide an ark, built with his blood and carry us to a new creation.
In Jesus you don’t have to be righteous and blameless, you just have to trust and follow the one who is.
In Jesus we find that he is the same God we met back in Genesis 1.
Good. Very Good. Who gives generously. Tells us we're made in his image. Even to the point of giving his own life.
---
Is this your worldview? Are these themes central to the story we’re in?
Is the flood/judgement foreign or central?
---
2 Peter 3
- Clearly taking up the themes of the Noah story and works them together into the Jesus story.
- Those counting on no return, no judgement
- Cosmic language
- Hope of new heaven, new earth – back to the Garden type scenario
- Patience, salvation
---
If you haven’t become a follower of Jesus…the invite is open.
Repent. Re-think your strategy for living.
Come and follow Jesus.
Trust in his righteousness.
The one for the many.
That he can save you.
That he endured a type of flood, a type of cosmic collapse for you.
---
Genesis 6:9-13
9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth.
13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.
- vs13 - It's like he end of humanity is something that creation is on it's way toward. God's decision to bring the flood then, is connected with the corruption/ruin/disaster/violence that humans are perpetuating. The notion is that the demise of all flesh has passed before God and made itself evident. God then chooses to accelerate this process.
This is often termed a "handing over" to the consequences of our decisions. More often than not, this is how God's judgement/wrath comes in the Bible.
---
Everywhere you read "flood" in our english translations in these chapters the Hebrew word is "mabbul".
“Mabbul does not mean ‘flood,’ ‘inundation,’ or even ‘destruction,’ but it is a technical term for a part of the world structure, namely, the heavenly ocean. This heavenly sea, which is above the firmament (raqia‘), empties downward through latticed windows (Gen. 7:11). Here we have the same realistic and cosmological ideas as in Gen. ch. 1 … [T]he Flood, therefore, is a catastrophe involving the entire cosmos. When the heavenly ocean breaks forth upon the earth below, and the primeval sea beneath the earth, which is restrained by God, now freed from its bonds, gushes up through yawning chasms onto the earth, then there is a destruction of the entire cosmic system according to biblical cosmogony. The two halves of the chaotic primeval sea, separated—the one up, the other below—by God’s creative government (ch. 1:7-9), are again united; creation begins to sink again into chaos. Here the catastrophe, therefore, concerns not only men and beasts … but the earth (chs. 6:13; 9:11)—indeed, the entire cosmos.”
von Rad, Gerhard (1973). Genesis: A Commentary (rev.). Westminster John Knox Press. 128.
Psam 29:10 - The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters (mabbul); the Lord sits enthroned as the eternal king.
What's described creating this "flood" is more like a cosmic collapse. The waters that were separated and held at bay by the God of the cosmos is allowing them to press back in.
---
One portrait…grieved, judgement, authority, collapse
Another…Ark…Remembering…Covenant…commitment to it creation
The God who carries his creation to a new heavens and a new earth.
Salvation.
---
This story: God of judgement and salvation.
If we ended here…it’d be fair.
The message would be, be righteous like Noah, or experience the consequences of your destructive choices.
That’s how you’d teach this story isolated on it’s own.
But that’s not very hopeful.
B/c you’re not Noah. (Righteous and blameless.)
By the end of the story Noah isn’t even Noah. (he gets drunk and something unspeakable happens between him and one of his sons).
Which is why, as Christians, we pick up the themes of this story, and see them through the lens of Jesus.
The faithful righteous one who stands in for the many.
Noah’s family is not said to be righteous and blameless.
Genesis 6:22-7:1 – Noah’s faith = righteousness. Just like Abraham.
For Christians – Noah, is a foreshadowing of Jesus.
Jesus, the one for the many
In Christ - in the ark – escape the coming judgement of God
How does that work?
How do we just get to enter the "ark" called Jesus?
Because he endured a type of cosmic collapse for us.
The cross – where Jesus gasped for breath under the weight of his own body. Where the sky went dark and the earth shook.
It’s like Jesus went through the "flood" for you.
And now you’re offered a ride on the ark to the new creation.
The ultimate revelation and expression of the themes in the Noah story are found in Jesus.
In the full story the Bible is telling, Jesus is the God who will endure the ultimate flood for us.
The God who will provide an ark, built with his blood and carry us to a new creation.
In Jesus you don’t have to be righteous and blameless, you just have to trust and follow the one who is.
In Jesus we find that he is the same God we met back in Genesis 1.
Good. Very Good. Who gives generously. Tells us we're made in his image. Even to the point of giving his own life.
---
Is this your worldview? Are these themes central to the story we’re in?
Is the flood/judgement foreign or central?
---
2 Peter 3
- Clearly taking up the themes of the Noah story and works them together into the Jesus story.
- Those counting on no return, no judgement
- Cosmic language
- Hope of new heaven, new earth – back to the Garden type scenario
- Patience, salvation
---
If you haven’t become a follower of Jesus…the invite is open.
Repent. Re-think your strategy for living.
Come and follow Jesus.
Trust in his righteousness.
The one for the many.
That he can save you.
That he endured a type of flood, a type of cosmic collapse for you.