The story of Noah and the flood is very familiar to most of us. If you went to Sunday School you heard it many times. Probably even played with a toy ark and animals. If you had a baby you likely
received something that had the ark and some animals on it whether it be a blanket, a book, a wall hanging or picture frame. We even had a fairly recent movie about a contemporary Noah. It is a familiar story. But it is not clear cut. This text can bring up two radically different images of God.
One way, as I said, we think of this as a children’s story. We picture the animals walking up the plank into the ark. We see Noah with a white beard and a large crook standing on the ark smiling. There are fish in the sea next to the ark and birds flying overhead. We can even see the scene on the trim in the nursery. It is a beautiful picture for children. This is a story about God's love for animals, about remembering God's love each time we see a rainbow, even about the bright side of every storm.
The second way to look at this story is it is about a destructive wrathful God. A God of revenge and judgement. A God that drowns creation. Wiping out everything in a divine destructive rage. This is a story about a God of wrath who is ready and willing to strike down sinners.
But when we read the text without our preconceived notions, whatever they may be, we realize neither of these images is the whole story and in fact both images have very little to do with the text. The story of Noah and the flood is the story of a God who decides to have a relationship with us. It’s about a God who determines that violence is not the answer. A God who resolves to no longer be separate but to be bound with humanity in a new and different way. This is a story of God’s relationship with humanity - God’s relationship with us.
It is not important whether or not you believe that God flooded the entire earth or if you believe that Noah gathered up every animal in creation and put them on that ark. Notwithstanding those details, this is a story about a newly restored relationship between God and humanity. -specifically about how God is now bound to humanity.
In ancient times lightening was seen as destructive arrows being shot by God toward earth. God therefore had a bow. Like the gun today the bow was the weapon of ancient times. To hang up ones bow is to retire from battle. In this text God is hanging up the instrument of destruction - "When I bring clouds over the earth, the bow will be seen in the clouds; then I will remember my covenant that is between me and your descendants, between all living creatures, all flesh. The waters never again will flood, will corrupt all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it in order to remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature, all flesh, that is on earth." The relationship between God and humanity is changing and God is initiating the change. God is hanging up the bow and promising for all time never to destroy again. God is doing a new and different thing by binding God’s own self to all humanity.
With this promise God is no longer separate from us but has entered into a relationship with us. In actuality God is making a sacrifice because now God’s actions are limited. Think about it, God is willing to give up some freedom - because as upset as God may become with us - God now has promised never to destroy creation again. And it seems God does not want to forget this promise. To make sure that this promise is remembered there is a sign - a bow is set in the sky - what we think of today as a rainbow. But who is that rainbow for ? God said - When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it in order to remember. It seems God needs to be reminded never again to destroy the earth that God so lovingly made. It could be said that the rainbow is the string tied around God's finger! According to this story the bow is not to remind us of the promise. But to remind God.
As we enter into the season of Lenten we spend a lot of time contemplating and thinking about our relationship with God. We talk about what we are doing or not doing. Ponder what we should or should not do. Consider how we can strengthen our relationship with God. But the one thing we tend to forget is it is not a one way street. God is a part of this relationship. It is not only about us. Yes, Lent is a journey. But is a journey with God not by ourselves. It is a journey with a God who is committed to us through a promise. A promise that binds us together. A God who says to each one of us I am in a relationship with you.
As we journey though Lent, we may be challenged, to look at God differently, and that may make us a little uncomfortable. So I suggest each of us hang up our own bows and instead of fighting with new ideas, we struggle through them. Lent is sometimes a long journey - especially as we get to the passion and the cross but we know at the end of the journey is the resurrection.
God is waiting to journey with you. Today is a good day to start that journey.
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