Noah's Thanksoffering by Joseph Anton Koch (c. 1803)Noah builds an altar to the Lord after being delivered from the Flood;
God sends the rainbow as a sign of His covenant (Genesis 8-9)
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD,
and took of every clean animal
and of every clean bird,
and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma.
... Then God spoke to Noah
and to his sons with him, saying,
"...Thus I establish My covenant with you:
Never again shall all flesh be cut off
by the waters of the flood;
never again shall there be a flood
to destroy the earth."
And God said:
"This is the sign of the covenant
which I make between Me and you,
and every living creature that is with you,
for perpetual generations.
I set My rainbow in the cloud
and it shall be for the sign of the covenant
between Me and the earth.
It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth,
that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;
and I will remember My covenant
which is between Me and you
and every living creature of all flesh;
the waters shall never again
become a flood to destroy all flesh.
The rainbow shall be in the cloud,
and I will look on it
to remember the everlasting covenant
between God and every living creature of all flesh
that is on the earth."
And God said to Noah,
"This is the sign of the covenant
which I have establish between Me and all flesh
that is on the earth."
- Genesis 8:20 - 9:17
--0--
Now hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
who was given to us.
- Romans 5:5
Today my grandson Forerunner turned ten months old.
I praise God with all my heart for the speedy recovery that God has given to this little boy. Just two weeks ago he was in hospital, and now he is in the pink of health again, very active, and very "talkative."
Today I am asking God to fill this little boy's heart with hope.
Our world today does not seem to offer much to hope for. We live in an age of pessimism and a culture of death is what our young people are growing up in. When we hear stories of teenage suicides, we are no longer shocked. It is a global phenomenon: young people are fast losing their sense of idealism; instead they look at the future with a sense of despair and impending disaster.
I don't even need to look too far away. To be honest, right within my own family life, there are some circumstances and interpersonal relationships that are far from ideal.
I could, on any given day, easily give in to hopelessness, self-focus, and negative thinking.
But Jesus states it so clearly when He says that in this world we will have tribulation, but we can be of good cheer, He has overcome the world!
Jesus is our Hope, and He has overcome, He is our Joy, and He is our Anchor!
In the midst of the darkness, He is our Light!
As I go through this world, I need to hold on to my Anchor, which Hebrews 6:19 describes this way:
These past weeks God has given me a sense of hope, an expectation of good things happening.
Rainbows, waterfalls, and a beautiful sunrise... these are among my top favorite nature scenes.
In times of anxiety, disappointment, frustration or fear, I have had the privilege of looking up and seeing a beautiful rainbow..
A rainbow speaks to me of promise and hope.
Just after the great flood, Noah emerges out of the ark. And what greets his eyes?
A whole world wiped out.
Utter destruction, and devastation.
No trace of life apart from him, and his family, and the animals that were in the ark with him.
Forty days of rain was enough to wipe out an entire world that had become so displeasing in the sight of God.
As far as his eyes could see, beyond the receding waters, Noah only saw a barren landscape.
He was surrounded by a deathly silence...
Not a very hopeful picture, I should say.
But it is Noah's response that catches my attention. He took all the clean animals and birds that were with him in the ark, built an altar, and offered them as a sacrifice.
Seeing how narrowly he had escaped death, his initial response was that of worship.
Before him was an awesome opportunity, an invitation from God to start afresh.
He had been given, as it were, a new lease on life.
And his heart responds in worship.
Noah's act of obedience and humility so touched the heart of God.
Noah didn't have too many animals to go around at that point. But instead of holding on to them, in fear of lack, he opens up his hand and willingly puts all those clean animals on the altar.
There is much to say about this story. But for now I will focus on the unmistakable sense of hope woven in between the lines.
In the midst of utter devastation, hope begins to rise in Noah's heart. All is not lost, as far as Noah is concerned. His sacrifice says, " I choose to put all my trust in God."
And Noah was not to be disappointed.
God makes a covenant with him. Never again will a flood of that magnitude be sent to punish man for the evil in his heart.
God says:
Life will continue. Noah is given dominion over the earth, and told to be fruitful and multiply.
God puts the rainbow in the sky as a sign of that promise.
The rainbow is a reminder to me that God is a promise keeper. He is not a covenant breaker.
Man uses contracts to enter into agreements with one another, where both parties are obligated to do their part, a "50-50" proposition which remains in force as long as both sides are faithful to the contract. If one side fails to live up to the terms of the contract, then the other party is off the hook.
Not so with God.
God enters into covenants with us. In a covenant, each side commits to keep his side of the agreement one hundred percent...until death.
God has entered into a covenant with us, saying, "I will be your God, and you will be My people."
A covenant is not like a contract with loopholes and escape clauses, or a collection of man-made promises that can be easily broken.
The word covenant in Hebrew literally means "a cut where blood flows." A blood covenant was truly sacred and binding, where the other party was required to die if ever he proved unfaithful to the provisions.
The rainbow points to our Lord Jesus Christ, who became the Substitute, so that mankind will not need to die for their evil deeds. Jesus died in our place.
He is the One who bore the penalty of our sins upon His own body. His shed blood on the cross was the full payment required for our eternal pardon.
Without the sacrifice of Jesus, the blood covenant would not have been possible, hope would never have risen upon this earth doomed by sin!
Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky, my heart is reminded that Christ is my hope of glory. Hope is still in operation in this seemingly hopeless world!
My dearest first grandson, Matthew,
Today as you turn ten months old I bless you with hope.
Hope that will be like a candle in this dark world, a light at the end of a dark tunnel.
I declare that you will never be in a desperate situation, except for a holy desperation for God that leads you closer to His heart.
All the days of your life your eyes will look at circumstances from the perspective of hope.
There will be no calamity so devastating that your spiritual eyes will not see the way out.
Your spirit will constantly be aware of God as your peace in the storms of life, your provision in a time of need, your healing in times of sickness, your life in the midst of death.
May God always show you a ray of hope whatever tight situation you may find yourself in.
There is no valley so dark that God's ray of hope cannot reach, my dear Forerunner.
I pray that you will not see this life as the enemy would want us to see it -- but as the Redeemer sees it: a world worth saving, a humanity worth dying for.
I pray that the dawning of each new day speak this message of hope to you:
I praise God with all my heart for the speedy recovery that God has given to this little boy. Just two weeks ago he was in hospital, and now he is in the pink of health again, very active, and very "talkative."
Today I am asking God to fill this little boy's heart with hope.
Our world today does not seem to offer much to hope for. We live in an age of pessimism and a culture of death is what our young people are growing up in. When we hear stories of teenage suicides, we are no longer shocked. It is a global phenomenon: young people are fast losing their sense of idealism; instead they look at the future with a sense of despair and impending disaster.
I don't even need to look too far away. To be honest, right within my own family life, there are some circumstances and interpersonal relationships that are far from ideal.
I could, on any given day, easily give in to hopelessness, self-focus, and negative thinking.
But Jesus states it so clearly when He says that in this world we will have tribulation, but we can be of good cheer, He has overcome the world!
Jesus is our Hope, and He has overcome, He is our Joy, and He is our Anchor!
In the midst of the darkness, He is our Light!
As I go through this world, I need to hold on to my Anchor, which Hebrews 6:19 describes this way:
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
These past weeks God has given me a sense of hope, an expectation of good things happening.
Rainbows, waterfalls, and a beautiful sunrise... these are among my top favorite nature scenes.
In times of anxiety, disappointment, frustration or fear, I have had the privilege of looking up and seeing a beautiful rainbow..
A rainbow speaks to me of promise and hope.
Just after the great flood, Noah emerges out of the ark. And what greets his eyes?
A whole world wiped out.
Utter destruction, and devastation.
No trace of life apart from him, and his family, and the animals that were in the ark with him.
Forty days of rain was enough to wipe out an entire world that had become so displeasing in the sight of God.
As far as his eyes could see, beyond the receding waters, Noah only saw a barren landscape.
He was surrounded by a deathly silence...
Not a very hopeful picture, I should say.
But it is Noah's response that catches my attention. He took all the clean animals and birds that were with him in the ark, built an altar, and offered them as a sacrifice.
Seeing how narrowly he had escaped death, his initial response was that of worship.
Before him was an awesome opportunity, an invitation from God to start afresh.
He had been given, as it were, a new lease on life.
And his heart responds in worship.
Noah's act of obedience and humility so touched the heart of God.
Noah didn't have too many animals to go around at that point. But instead of holding on to them, in fear of lack, he opens up his hand and willingly puts all those clean animals on the altar.
There is much to say about this story. But for now I will focus on the unmistakable sense of hope woven in between the lines.
In the midst of utter devastation, hope begins to rise in Noah's heart. All is not lost, as far as Noah is concerned. His sacrifice says, " I choose to put all my trust in God."
And Noah was not to be disappointed.
God makes a covenant with him. Never again will a flood of that magnitude be sent to punish man for the evil in his heart.
God says:
While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
and day and night shall not cease.
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
and day and night shall not cease.
- Genesis 8:22
Life will continue. Noah is given dominion over the earth, and told to be fruitful and multiply.
God puts the rainbow in the sky as a sign of that promise.
The rainbow is a reminder to me that God is a promise keeper. He is not a covenant breaker.
Man uses contracts to enter into agreements with one another, where both parties are obligated to do their part, a "50-50" proposition which remains in force as long as both sides are faithful to the contract. If one side fails to live up to the terms of the contract, then the other party is off the hook.
Not so with God.
God enters into covenants with us. In a covenant, each side commits to keep his side of the agreement one hundred percent...until death.
God has entered into a covenant with us, saying, "I will be your God, and you will be My people."
A covenant is not like a contract with loopholes and escape clauses, or a collection of man-made promises that can be easily broken.
The word covenant in Hebrew literally means "a cut where blood flows." A blood covenant was truly sacred and binding, where the other party was required to die if ever he proved unfaithful to the provisions.
The rainbow points to our Lord Jesus Christ, who became the Substitute, so that mankind will not need to die for their evil deeds. Jesus died in our place.
He is the One who bore the penalty of our sins upon His own body. His shed blood on the cross was the full payment required for our eternal pardon.
Without the sacrifice of Jesus, the blood covenant would not have been possible, hope would never have risen upon this earth doomed by sin!
Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky, my heart is reminded that Christ is my hope of glory. Hope is still in operation in this seemingly hopeless world!
My dearest first grandson, Matthew,
Today as you turn ten months old I bless you with hope.
Hope that will be like a candle in this dark world, a light at the end of a dark tunnel.
I declare that you will never be in a desperate situation, except for a holy desperation for God that leads you closer to His heart.
All the days of your life your eyes will look at circumstances from the perspective of hope.
There will be no calamity so devastating that your spiritual eyes will not see the way out.
Your spirit will constantly be aware of God as your peace in the storms of life, your provision in a time of need, your healing in times of sickness, your life in the midst of death.
May God always show you a ray of hope whatever tight situation you may find yourself in.
There is no valley so dark that God's ray of hope cannot reach, my dear Forerunner.
I pray that you will not see this life as the enemy would want us to see it -- but as the Redeemer sees it: a world worth saving, a humanity worth dying for.
I pray that the dawning of each new day speak this message of hope to you:
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
- Lamentations 3:22-24
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
- Lamentations 3:22-24
May you someday be a Forerunner of God's hope in this world, a messenger of grace.
Together with the psalmist David, may you be able to continually say to God:
This is my special song for you today. It was one of my favorites during my high school days... and its words and melody still ring in my heart.
May you pass on God's love and God's hope to everyone around you... it only takes a spark to keep the fire going!
Love always,
Lola
Together with the psalmist David, may you be able to continually say to God:
You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
- Psalm 18:36
Indeed, dear grandson, may you always have a sense of being in a broad place, and may your hope in God's protection, provision, and strength never die!
I bless you today with a heart that stands on the promises of God.
No one whose hope is on God will ever be put to shame!
So my feet did not slip.
- Psalm 18:36
Indeed, dear grandson, may you always have a sense of being in a broad place, and may your hope in God's protection, provision, and strength never die!
I bless you today with a heart that stands on the promises of God.
No one whose hope is on God will ever be put to shame!
May you pass on God's love and God's hope to everyone around you... it only takes a spark to keep the fire going!
Love always,
Lola
21 comments:
Dear Lidj,
Thanks for the blessing to Matthew, which I choose to pass on to Serina. Thanks also for the beautiful song.
I want to keep it in my heart. Felt little tired just now, a bit under the weather.
Found that you just had been on the air. I'll cherish that song , going to sleep tonight.
God bless you.
From Felisol
God Bless Matthew, and may your every prayer for him be fulfilled.
I loved when you spoke of not seeing the world as the enemy want us to see it, but to view it through the Eyes of our Redeemer. Beautiful.
All the best to you and yours,
Eileen
Joining you in continued prayers for this precious little one and praising GOD for HIS healing touch.
Thank you for your prayers for our family. Your encouragement, prayers, and love have truly been a blessings in the last few weeks and months.
Blessings, andrea
Oh I loved every word of this post because when I read anything about Noah - it is God's reminder to me of His covenant promises to me for my life [ahead]!
I loved this part your wrote:
"Before him was an awesome opportunity, an invitation from God to start afresh.
He had been given, as it were, a new lease on life.
And his heart responds in worship."
-----------------
His heart responds in WORSHIP!!! That should always be our reaction to God's invitation to start fresh - to get that do-over that we never deserve - but He gives us anyway!!!
God is soooo good and sooo faithful! Praise Him!
And many blessings to Matthew!
Choosing JOY, Stephanie
[JESUS - the One I DELIGHT In]
The rainbow is a symbol of God 's faithfulness and mercy. It it always over shadow Matthew.He is a precious child.
Tell me do you put spinach in your chicken binakol? I found an easy Singapore chicken recipe and they put spinach in the soup.
Thank you for praying for Namrita
"God is faithful."
This simply profound statement caused my heart to overflow with gratitude and my eyes to overflow with tears while listening to an actor portraying Daniel.
God is faithful and His faithfulness gives hope!
With Much Love...
Beautiful Grace
Lidj,
This was a beautiful post. I come in agreement in prayer with you over Matthew. May all of our children come to know Jesus as the Hope that anchors our soul, firm and secure. He most definitely never disappoints.
Christy
Dear Lidj,
My heart is so full this weekend because my 16-yr-old first-born, "gift of God", is publicly professing his desire to follow hard after God in the waters of baptism on Sunday. Your prayer, your blessing is just what I needed for him. Thank you.
Would you pray for him as he testifies that hearts would be moved, but more importantly that he would be anointed with power from on high?
And thank God for answered prayer for your grandson. Wow, what awesome truth you are weaving into the fabric of his life.
Blessings,
Sita
Lidj,
What a beautiful look back at the fresh start this world received when God provided his everlasting covenant with Noah, to never destroy the world again by flood. To me, each and every rainbow that I find, is that simple sign, that shows me that God cares. He cares enough to let us know each and every day, if we just look for Him.
He is truly that loving of a God. Sometimes, like you said, it's in the sound of a beautifully soothing waterfall, or a pristine sunset or sunrise that is beyond our wildest imaginations to see such wonder displayed on the canvas of the sky for all of us to see. These are the little details God gives us everyday to show how much He loves us. He made all these beautiful and amazing things for us to enjoy.
I am so thankful that prayers were answered regarding Matthew and may I too, join with you, in your prayers for his future.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
Lidj,
I'm glad that your beautiful grandson is better.
What a tremendous prayer that you prayed over him.
Your prayer reminds me of Jacob blessing his sons.
I keep a journal for my granddaughter, and your prayer has inspired me.
I'm going to begin entering some of my prayers for her in the journal.
Praying for you.
Sweet dreams.
Oh I love the prayer for your grandson, Lidj! How wonderful. And I had never thought that Noah's sacrifice was an act of faith on his part. You're such a blessing to me. Keep the faith in your own life. God is good all the time. And he always keeps His word. Much love, Jennifer
Lidj,
I prayed for you this very morning asking God to equip you. May we, you and I....find our comfort and cling to our HOPE. Love to you! Yolanda
Lidj , I am behind on my reading .
How beautiful your prayer of blessing for your grandson. How wonderful it is to see a grandmother praying blessings over her grandson. Again I say
How wonderful it is for a grandmother to pray blessings over her grandson...
We all need to heed this notice for I believe it is instruction from the throne of our heavenly father.
What we speak we give life to .
this is one blessed boy..
May God bless you grandmother today.
Elsie <><
What a beautiful prayer for your grandson...he is so blessed to have you pouring that kind of prayer into his life!
There was a wonderful line in this post that really resonated with me:
"In the midst of utter devastation, hope begins to rise "
Oh that is something that only God can do...and He has done it so many times in my own life
May you bless many with your writing!
Lidj my sweet sister,
I am so touched by your comments and offers of prayer for our loss. There are no words to express my deep gratitude. You are gift.
Love,
Cory
Lidj, i like your last comment on my blog... We meet in cyberspace and passed on to each others comment form.
we passed on to leave to good words as the Master does us.
I have a busy few days ahead. My welcome home Party for my neighbor has been changed to Friday so I can sing in the choir Wednesday for a memorial service and help the with the family meal at our church for one of our own who now is at home with the Father.
Remember the wife and 2 sons in your prayers.please
Bless you today in each step you take.
Elsie <><
Elsie <><
Dear Lidj,
I have been thinking of you and praying for you lately.
Hope you too will see the sun shining through the dark sky and form God's wonderful sign to all of us; the rainbow.
I saw it yesterday, towards the background of an almost black sky.
I felt so blessed by thinking of millions of Jews and Christians, young and old, being reminded of God's covenant every time they see the mighty rainbow.
God bless you this very day in abundance and grant you and yours your daily manna.
From Felisol
dear crown of beauty i have been thinking of you today and have finally taken the time to come and see you...it has been really hard catching up but i have thought of you.
this is such a heart wrenching post and yet so lovely!
when i read how that man wept as he was speaking, i could only think of the lord jesus when he heard of lazarus death, the "he wept"
how well the lord understands and feels your pain crown of beauty and so do we your friends feel your pain although i don't understand it....
i hope you have a good trip and may the lord bless you in every way dear friend.....love terry
Aw, I don't the world is without hope. There are acts of kindness that are being done on a daily basis all over the world. They just don't excite reporters the way bad news does. I do hope you find your hope.
I discovered your beautiful website and blog when I was searching for "Barbara Osbron." I jad just heard of her death, and I was looking to see if the time of her service was posted yet.
I have known Barb (and Jerry) for decades, myself, but from a different perspective from yours. I live in Minnesota, and they were good friends through the years.
I have been holding the tears back tonight, as the impact of her death is hitting me. I just want to tell you that your music is ministering to me so deeply. You have chosen songs for your website that would be my choices, too. Thank you for putting this together.
I last saw Barb about a month ago when I picked her up for our prayer group. We started praying together as a small group of women in 1979, and when Barb was home, she would join us. Of course, in her retirement, she was with us nearly every time we met.
I haven't met you, but I know I would love you in the Lord. Again, I thank you for sharing. Your website is absolutely beautiful. I know I will now visit it often.
Liana Nordell, Roseville, MN
Dear Joyfulli,
Thank you for leaving a comment. Just knowing that you were able to spend time with Barb during her retirement years, and during the times that they would go home to Bethel while on furlough gives my heart a sense of strong connection with you.
I hope you will visit my blog again, and we will get to connect to each other. It would be such a blessing to be able to write you.
Love
Lidj
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