The Jesse Tree: Day 3
NOAH AND THE FLOOD
If you’ve ever worked on something others didn’t understand, a project, a dream, a step of faith, you have a small glimpse of Noah’s world. God gave him a command that must have sounded absurd: “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.” (Genesis 6:14) There had never been a flood like the one God described. And yet, for roughly a century, Noah worked, cut, built, and preached while the world around him continued in rebellion. Genesis 6:5 tells us:
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. - Genesis 6:5
It’s one of the darkest lines in the Bible. The world God had called “very good” was now filled with violence, corruption, and pride. Humanity, made to bear God’s image, was breaking His heart.
And then comes one bright sentence of grace:
And then comes one bright sentence of grace:
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. - Genesis 6:8
Noah wasn’t sinless, but he trusted God. When the Lord told him to build an ark, he didn’t argue or delay. Hebrews 11:7 says:
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark… - Hebrews 11:7
Noah’s obedience became a living sermon. Every plank nailed into place preached repentance. Every swing of the hammer declared that judgment was real and that salvation was possible. And when the day came, “the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.” (Genesis 7:11) Judgment covered the earth, but grace carried Noah and his family safely through.
But when Noah’s family disembarked and reentered the world, sin had not disappeared. Noah was a man of faith, but he wasn’t the promised Redeemer. The flood washed the world, but it couldn’t wash away sin. Humanity’s problem wasn’t just outside; it was inside.
So once again, humanity was left waiting for the one who would truly bring comfort from the curse, who would conquer the serpent, and remove sin.
That’s what Advent points us to: the true and better Noah– Jesus Christ.
Where Noah hammered wood to build salvation, Jesus was hammered to wood to become salvation. The ark carried Noah through the waters of judgment; the cross carries us through the judgment of sin.
The story of Noah isn’t just about water and wood; it’s about hope. It’s the story of a God who keeps His promises, who remembers His people, and who invites us home.
But when Noah’s family disembarked and reentered the world, sin had not disappeared. Noah was a man of faith, but he wasn’t the promised Redeemer. The flood washed the world, but it couldn’t wash away sin. Humanity’s problem wasn’t just outside; it was inside.
So once again, humanity was left waiting for the one who would truly bring comfort from the curse, who would conquer the serpent, and remove sin.
That’s what Advent points us to: the true and better Noah– Jesus Christ.
Where Noah hammered wood to build salvation, Jesus was hammered to wood to become salvation. The ark carried Noah through the waters of judgment; the cross carries us through the judgment of sin.
The story of Noah isn’t just about water and wood; it’s about hope. It’s the story of a God who keeps His promises, who remembers His people, and who invites us home.
Pause to reflect
When you think about a storm you’ve faced this year, how did Jesus carry you through it?
Where do you need to trust that God’s grace, even when judgment is deserved, still carries His people?
Knowing that Jesus is your ark, your shelter from judgment, and your rest in the storm, how can you trust Him more fully today?
What is one concrete way you can respond to God’s invitation to “come home” during this Advent season?
Where do you need to trust that God’s grace, even when judgment is deserved, still carries His people?
Knowing that Jesus is your ark, your shelter from judgment, and your rest in the storm, how can you trust Him more fully today?
What is one concrete way you can respond to God’s invitation to “come home” during this Advent season?
Lord, thank You for being our refuge when the waters rise. Like Noah, help us walk in faith even when the world doesn’t understand. Teach us to rest in Your promises, to find safety in Your presence, and to wait with hope for the day You make all things new. Amen.
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