“LORD, Shut Us In, In Christ Jesus!”

“LORD, Shut Us In, In Christ Jesus!”(Gen.7:1-16).
“The LORD then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.’…And Noah and his sons and his wife and his son’s wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood…Then the LORD shut him in.”
The story of the flood and Noah and his family being the only humans who were saved is a familiar Sunday School story. “The Earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence, and Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time”(Gen.6:9ff).
God decided to rid the world of corruption and violence through a flood and only Noah and his family were saved. Unfortunately the world is still full of corruption and violence. The rampant and indiscriminate killings by both the military and Amba boys, and the lukewarmness of Senators, Parliamentarians and Fons of the crisis regions is a reflection of the aggravating corruption and violence as in the days of Noah!
God commanded Noah to build an ark according to specification. We can imagine the mockery and derision Noah received from relatives, friends and foes alike during the period that it took him to build the ark! Some surely said he was crazy or that he was hallucinating.
The people just went on with their corruption and violence while Noah went on with the construction of the ark. He knew what he knew. God had told him, “Everything on Earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark – you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.”
The survival of those who were in the ark during the flood is a precursor to the water of baptism that purifies those who come to God through Christ Jesus.
Noah may have been a righteous man in his time, but soon after the flood he too made his own mistakes. Besides, after the flood “God said in his heart: ‘…never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done’…”(Gen.8:21).
Yes, God decided that only grace is able to do for humankind what humankind cannot do for self.
This is the reason for which Jesus came and died so that those who believe in him and are baptised are saved in the same way that Noah was saved by surviving the flood.
Baptism and belief in Christ is like entering the ark and the LORD shutting you in as he did when Noah entered the ark.
Prayer of the week: LORD, shut us in, in Christ Jesus in the same way that you shut Noah in when he entered the ark. Amen!
Welcome back to a new working day and week! Have a blessed day and week! Peace be with you!
Prayer point: Pray that corruption and violence should reduce in the land.
Rev Babila Fochang.