Environment Sunday The story of Noah
Much of today’s material comes from the A Rocha resource pack for Environment Sunday which you are welcome to borrow from me. The focus this year is on Noah – a familiar figure to all and sundry – perhaps one of the most familiar Biblical characters. What lessons can we learn today from the story of Noah? I had just read this list during the week when someone read it out from another church’s magazine at M.U.:
All I need to know I learned from Noah
· Don’t miss the boat
· Remember we are all in the same boat
· Plan ahead, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark
· Stay fit, when you are 600 years old you may be asked to do something really big
· Don’t listen to critics, just get on with the job
· Build your future on high ground
· Speed is not always an advantage, snails and Cheetahs boarded together
· When you are stressed float awhile
· Remember the ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic by professionals
· No matter what the storm, if you are with God there is always a rainbow at the end
So are these the lessons we need to learn? To truly understand the significance of Noah for us today we need to see the bigger picture. This very specific, colourful, imagination-grabbing story is et in the context of a much bigger story, that of God and His dealings with the world He has made. A story that has its beginning before the mists of time and which will come to a glorious conclusion with the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, when the whole of creation will be renewed. Set in this context, what does the story of Noah teach us?
We are so used to thinking in purely human terms about sin and evil that we easily forget the effect our wrongdoing has on other creatures and all aspects of the wonderful world which God has made. In the days of Noah animals and birds were dying because of human corruption. I was particularly struck by the mention of violence in Gen.6:11 – Noah lived in a violent world, where corruption was the order of the day. The same is true today. Our world is full of violence, not only the inter-human violence of warfare and murder, but a violent, wanton destruction of the world around us. (Hos.4:1-3)
Who goes into the ark? 8 people and representatives of all living creatures. Why? Because they are of value to God. Gen7:3 shows how God wanted all creatures to be preserved. I wonder how our destruction of habitat and the rising extinction of species tallies with this.
The rainbow covenant includes land and creatures as well as people
Beyond sin and judgement lies the promise of future restoration. This promise is far-reaching and involves all living creatures and the earth itself Gen.9:13. Let me ask you a question, what is God’s vision for the world he has made? As far as we can determine the mind of God His purpose is not that this earth should be wantonly destroyed but that it should be cared for and cherished. That all who dwell on earth should do so harmoniously, human and non-human alike. We are called to fill the earth and steward it – how are we doing.
Admit our part in spoiling God’s world
Respond practically
Know our place – as part of creation