It is natural to question adversity, suffering and other overwhelming experiences. But maybe it is not so natural to question their sacredness. Is it?
If we truly are created in God’s image, then it makes sense to question God about our trials and tribulations as we go through life. People have been asking God such questions since the beginning of time.
What has Been Covered Thus Far
Part 1 discussed The Challenger disaster, which forever changed the lives and dreams of so many on that fateful day in January 1986. Part 2, the Story of Cain and Abel revealed a glimpse of God’s very nature. Part 3, we grappled with sacredness and how it fits into tragic events.
Today, we will peek at the story of Noah and continue to explore some of the questions we ask ourselves when tragedy strikes.
“Where was God?” and “Why did this have to happen?”
The Story of Noah
Most of us are familiar with Noah and The Flood. For those who aren’t, God instructed Noah to build a large boat (the Ark) and bring animals and his family into it when it was time. The rains came and flooded the land. The villagers and city dwellers alike perished, as did all other living things.
God had created the heavens, the earth, and everything in between, including the human race. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells us that God was pleased with all of it. Note that the story of creation is detailed in Genesis Chapter 1.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Genesis 1:31
And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
IT. WAS. VERY. GOOD. Or was it?
Then, in Genesis Chapter 4, we read story of Cain and Abel. Two chapters later, there is the story of Noah. So, we see the progression in the first few chapters. It is a downward spiral, if you will, that hit rock bottom with The Flood.
God was beginning to doubt what had been done. The Bible puts it more strongly, telling us: “the Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:6). You can imagine the pain and suffering God experienced witnessing the intended GOOD that was slowly unraveling. Which revealed the EVIL that was ruining what he had created.
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Genesis 6:5, 8
—But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Simply put, God wanted to wipe out the human race because the hearts of the humans became hardened and fell out of community with their Creator. Except for Noah, who was the one righteous man who acknowledged God’s sovereignty, ie: God’s wisdom, power, and authority over all creation. Noah remained true to God and was obedient to him. His building of the Ark, and its subsequent settling on Mount Ararat, saved humanity from the floodwaters of death.
A Rainbow
The story ended with a promise—a rainbow. God’s covenant promised never to destroy the entire planet again.
In Part 5, we will continue to search for the sacredness in tragedy by reflecting more on the Story of Noah.
#Noah #Flood #Sacredness #WhereWasGod #Tragedy #LifeQuestions
I and Thou Reflections 