Sunday of the Flood (CL)

Genesis 9:8-17

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹ “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, ¹⁰ and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³ I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

After God flooded the earth, he makes a covenant with Noah.  Most of us know the covenant made with Abraham and the covenant made with Moses.  Moses was given the Law and the instructions for the Day of Atonement and Passover.  Abraham was given the promise to be made a great nation and a blessing to other nations.  But Noah gets the covenant promise God will not destroy the entire earth by water.

Note verse 15: I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.  And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  Water was used to destroy all flesh because of the wickedness of mankind.  God makes a promise not to destroy all flesh by water, but maybe we should really hear God will not destroy all flesh because of mankind again by water.

God instructed Moses to have the people make sacrifices for their sins.  These sacrifices of flesh would pay the blood price necessary for their sins.  Provided a large sacrifice of flesh by means of water through the Flood.  But in fulfilling Gods promise made to all flesh, he pays the blood price not with repetitive floods, but through the sacrifice of his Son upon the cross.  Jesus fulfills not only the covenant promise of Moses by Atonement and the Passover Lamb. He also becomes the blessing to nations fulfilling the covenant with Abraham.

Beyond that Jesus Christ died so that flesh of the earth would not have to be sacrificed anymore.  Christ died so animals would not have to die forthe sins of mankind.  Thus, instead of God drowning the entire world, he drowns each of his people in the waters of Baptism.  Thus, we die with Christ and come through the water to new life.