Bible - conflicted
Personally - disturbed - my inability to reconcile - loving Jesus - brutal book
Question it - disrespect
Lost
Blindly accepting & doing - never right.
“I could be wrong.” - Open/closed hand
Forgiveness Mercy Self Sacrificial love
Why did people find it important to tell this story? What was it that moved them to record these words? What was happening in the world at that time? What does this passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God is at that time? What’s the story that’s unfolding here and why did these people think it was the story worth telling?
Discredit us Responded poorly
Mankind - wicked Wipe mankind from face of earth 1 righteous - Noah Ark - him & family Bring some of all animals on earth - 1 pair some, 7 for others Rain 40 days/nights Every living thing - killed Water receeded - ark - mountains of Ararat - 8 more months Finally, got out of boat Built altar - worshipped - burnt offering - clean animals “Never do this again.” Rainbow Naked
Sumerians Mesopotamians Babylonians
Water - power to destory everything - common
Devine judgement - Wickedness - Angry - Starting Over
Boats
Flood in Genesis - 2500BC / 1400BC - not unusual Angry - Wrath
But then - does something strange - ends w/ promise - never going to happen again.
Not how other stories ended - Gods satisfied.
But this God - different
Living w/us Life is preserved/respected.
Imagine - no pictures - earth.
Hut - never traveled Terryifying
Causes: God’s mad. That’s the BG
Twist:
Promise Compassion Rainbows Covenants
Not how people talked - Pissed.
But this story - relate. & save.
This is a story about a new view of God.
Relationship.
Need today
It’s primitive - progressive.
Never talked like this before
“I can’t believe people still believe this stuff!”
We respond:
Yes the boat was big enough Of course God has a plan for the elephant poop
Try: take seriously - Result: miss point
Story: major step - understanding God
Now: Cross - They didn’t - WHEEL
Few points about story:
For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. (Isaiah 54:9)
For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you. (Isaiah 54:10)
Isaiah: God never angry w/us
Preachers: warning - sin/unpunished
Hunger Games - Capital / Poor districts
Destroy b/c wickedness / Peace, not dependent
Like Jonah/whale - focus ark - miss rainbow.
Very old story. Obvious: both sides of literalism
Don’t get stuck: history, miss:
Kinder, better God Intention is not violence but love.
Classic story - violent/wrathful God
Look correctly - opposite:
Kind Loving Compassionate Looks like Jesus
