Flood - The Path From Ruin to Renewal Pt. 2

Wednesday, November 4th

I want to pause for a moment and give you a different picture. Have you ever sat down and watched a movie, but you were coming into the movie either halfway through or towards the end?

That there were things going on that you didn’t understand because you didn’t see how the movie started.

For instance, the movie Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis, “I see dead people.” Now, I’m going to give you a spoiler, but the movie has been out since 1999, so if you haven’t seen it, that’s on you, not me. And if you don’t want to know skip the next paragraph.

But if you came in and watched Sixth Sense midway through, you would think Bruce Willis’ character was absolutely being ignored by everyone, most importantly his wife. She would walk right past him, not listen to him. Then at the end, you felt like there was twist, because you then realized he was dead the entire time and you missed that revelation at the beginning of the movie.

What God does at creation, the flood, Abraham, the sacrificial system is tells a greater story and points to a greater hope, inviting us into his presence and creative order. For a moment I want to put the pieces of the story together for you to see how God steps into humanity, into the ruin and the sacrificial system, to recreate order and his presence.

We are moving on from Noah’s sacrifice, skipping over Abraham for a moment, and into Moses and the rescue from slavery into the Promised Land. Notice how God wants to engage with his presence, while working with the sacrificial system.

Leviticus 1:1-4- The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. 3 “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord.

Notice the key words/phrases. God engaged with Moses, his presence was in the tent of meeting. That was the place to meet with God. But to be “acceptable” you had to sacrifice. Again, was that something they had to do to be accepted? Yes, but it was cultural, it was speaking the language of the day.

Numbers 7:1-5- When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. 3 They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle. 4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”

Notice we are shifting from the tent of meeting to the tabernacle, more ornate, set apart presence of God’s dwelling. God, again, in personal way, says accept the sacrifice, the gift to God.

If you want to have some extra fun, read 1 Kings 18 where we see an stand-off of sacrifices between the prophets of Baal (pagan god) and Elijah with the One True God. Which can get the attention of their god? At the stand-off we see God’s radical justice and incredible grace. Because God is on display by destroying the false gods and working through the prophet Elijah, God’s grace is that Elijah wasn’t perfect, but he was faithful.

John Walton and Tremper Longman share it this way in their book, “The Lost World of the Flood”. “God extends grace to humanity through the covenant, he brings order through the Torah within the covenant, and he continues to move toward the restoration of His presence on earth, lost at Eden and reestablished in the tabernacle.”

I’m going to pause the “movie” here. We see throughout the OT that there are sacrifices, there are elements that are created to experience God’s presence, the altar, tent of meeting, tabernacle, sacrifices to be accepted and approved by a Holy God. We may not be able to get our arms fully around this, but it shouldn’t hinder us from experience that larger story; God’s presence and the creative order.

Today, are there things that are getting in your way to experience God’s presence or creative order in your life? It could even be “good things” or things of faith, that are distorting your view. Take a moment and sit with God around what that may be.