DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Genesis 7:1-5 (3/25) 1st
The
Flood & Baptism-II ~ Embracing Mercy: Genesis 7:1-5, especially vs. 1: “Enter
thou and all thy family into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me
in this generation.”
Ever since the Apostle Peter associated the events of the Flood with
Holy Baptism (1 Pet. 3:18-22), the Church has celebrated Noah as a type of the
Christian Mystery, seeing in his deliverance a prophetic foreshadowing of the
gifts of grace, mercy, submission, and salvation - the whole of the life in
Christ imparted through Baptism, Chrismation, and Holy Communion. Yesterday, we considered the Baptismal
Mystery as God’s lovingkindness and grace extended to each of us. This present passage reveals the
importance of applying the incalculable love of God in our life.
First of all, understand that God’s gracious actions, whether
directed to Noah or to us in the Holy Mysteries, are loving, concerned
invitations from the Lord. They are
neither harsh commands nor empty rituals.
Although the words, “Enter thou and all thy family into the
ark” have the “form” of a command, yet God fully reveals His
purposes (Gen. 7:1,4), prompting and inviting rather than brusquely
ordering. In fact, all of
God’s commandments have this character, being given out of love and
compassion for our highest good and welfare.
Compare the tone of God’s directives in this passage with the
prayers offered for catechumens: “I lay my hand upon Thy servant, who
hath been found worthy to flee unto Thy Holy Name, and to take refuge under the
shelter of Thy wings. Inscribe him
in Thy Book of Life, and unite him to the flock of Thine inheritance. And may Thy Holy Name be glorified in
him.”[1] Let us embrace and apply God’s
mercy, because to do so is natural, healthy, and life-giving.
God prompted Noah to come into the ark with his family primarily for
their safety and survival, that they might have life (vs. 4). Similarly, the invitation of Holy
Baptism is a bidding to enter into the safety and life that God offers in His
Church. St. Nikolai of Zica has
this very security in mind when he begs us to listen to the wise Chrysostom:
“If you are within, the wolf cannot enter, but if you stray outside, the
wild beasts will get you...Do not wander from the Church; there is nothing more
impregnable than the Church. She is
your hope and salvation.”[2]
As we consider the entrance of Noah and his family into the ark, let us
recall our own entry into the Mystery of the Church. God’s mercy received in Baptism
brings us into the Church, into the spaces where the Church gathers for
Liturgy, its assembly halls that are called “nave,” originally
meaning “ship” - havens of salvation from the floods of evil all
around us.
Notice, finally: the Lord gives very precise instructions regarding the
animals to be brought on board the ark.
He tells Noah, “And of the clean cattle take in to thee sevens,
male and female, and of the unclean cattle pairs, males and female. And of the clean flying creatures of the
sky, sevens...” (vss. 2,3).
Thus, Noah and his family would have sufficient clean animals and birds
after the flood for burnt offerings in thanksgiving to God as well as for
replenishing the earth.
Likewise, God in His grace prearranges resources for us, both for our
physical and spiritual needs, setting us on a planet rich in resources and
abundant with life-giving goods. Especially notice that in the grace of the
Baptismal Mystery, the Lord provides the blessings of the new Life in the
Spirit through the washing and the anointing. In addition, He arranges for our
on-going nurture, for living in Christ on a day-to-day, year-in-and-year-out
basis. He provides the Holy Gifts
of the Lord’s most Blessed Body and Blood. As the Elder Joseph says, “Just
know that everything - the beginning and the end of every good thing - is
Christ.”[3]
The Lord is my Light and my saviour: whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid? (Ps. 26:1).