Noah was righteous, blameless and walked with God. These are the descriptors used for Job as
well. Noah was clearly an extraordinary
man, willing to do whatever God commanded him, no matter how strange it might
have seemed to him and we are not told that there was conversation with God
about this plan at all. Noah was told
what to do and he did it. Violence in
particular seems to have been that which most displeased God about the
situation and brought on His wrath against mankind which had corrupted its way
on the earth. Noah is instructed
concerning the animals and the food that is provided for him and for the
animals on the ark. The instructions
include all life, including the creeping things. All creation was to be preserved for a fresh
start at some point in the future. Noah
seems to have walked in a great deal of faith if the Lord didn’t give him more
details concerning what was in the immediate future, how long this would last
or what would happen next. Often, we are
called simply to move out on the barest details and our response should be like
Noah’s on such occasions.
The first two vignettes John gives us have to do with the law. The miracle at the wedding dealt with the old
customs of washing and purity in turning the water used for these ablutions
into wine, it could no longer be used for washing, there was no need for such
when Jesus makes pure. Next, He comes to
Jerusalem and His first act is to go to the temple and drive out those who sold
sacrificial animals and who has set up currency exchanges so that the temple
tax could be paid in the currency required.
Those who traveled to Jerusalem for the feasts would frequently not
bring their own animals for sacrifice and instead purchased their sacrifices
from those who could “certify” that the priest would find the animals
acceptable for sacrifice. Those who
lived outside Jerusalem could also do foreign exchange transactions to pay the
tax. These vendors were set up in the
outer courts of the temple, the place where Gentiles could gather for prayer
and could hear the teaching from within and the vendors would have made it
impossible for the temple to be a house of prayer for “all nations.” This act of driving them out would have been
on behalf of the Gentiles but more for zeal for a house of prayer rather than
commerce. Jesus was certainly not interested
in pleasing men.
The writer links two things as necessary to enter the rest
that God promises, faith and obedience.
The two are inseparable rather than being distinct. Noah believed God and entered the promise
because he obeyed the command to build the ark.
It seems strange to implore us to “strive” to enter the rest of God but
that is exactly what we must do, not passively wait for it to come. We were not put here, given one life, to wait
passively but to actively obey the commands of God to love Him and one another
and to work for the kingdom of God. The
word of God is living and active, not dead and passive and that should call us
to life and action. We rest in our
action based in obedience. Eternity
isn’t inaction either, but our labors in the new creation will produce
abundance because the new creation will fully cooperate with our efforts. Let us hear and respond to the Word today
that we might enjoy His working with us to accomplish His will.
O friends, in gladness
let us sing,
Supernal anthems echoing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One.
Supernal anthems echoing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
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