Read Genesis 8.
The flood waters had receded. The judgment of a wicked world was completed, and the earth had been washed clean of its wickedness by the flood. Or had it?
When Noah came from the ark with his family, there was still an issue. Noah had “found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” (Gen.6:8). That grace was extended to his family (and the representative animals) as he responded in faith. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith,” (Heb.11:7). In other words, Noah was saved the only way anyone is ever saved—faith in Christ that responds to God’s grace communicated through the Word of God. The only difference is that Noah’s faith looked forward to a Savior to come while ours looks back on One who has come.
Since man first rebelled against God, the same problem has infected the entire race. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. That was unchanged by the flood. It was why Noah built an altar and offered some of those rare animals as a sacrifice (Gen.8:20). Doubtless, it was an act of worship—gratitude for what God had done in providing salvation in the ark, but more—it was an expression of grace for what God would need to do in providing ultimate salvation in our Ark of Refuge, Jesus Christ.
Sin was still the issue. God said, “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen.8:21). As sure as the seasons change (Gen.8:22), so long as earth endures, there will be the problem of sin, God’s solution in Christ, and our need to respond in faith. If you doubt that read Genesis 9.
This has tremendous implications for what parents must do in raising children. If our children are grown, or we don’t have any, there are still essential lessons for how our church needs to reach the younger generation. That is what we will explore this week.
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