+ The Holy Prophet Noah +
29 November, Old Testament
The world had become extremely corrupt, so God instructed
Noah, the son of Lamech (
Genesis 5:30) to build an ark to provide security for his family and selected living creatures from the waters of a devastating flood that God warned was coming (
Genesis 6). Noah built the ark, and the flood came soon after its completion (
Genesis 7). The entire earth was flooded, blotting out "every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. (
7:23)"
After the flood subsided, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. When Noah determined it was safe, and God confirmed it, he and his family and all the animals disembarked (
Genesis 8). Then Noah built an altar and offered a sacrifice to God for having saved his family from destruction. God declared a rainbow to be sign of His promise that never again would a similar flood destroy the entire earth (
8:20).
We remember and honor Noah for his faithful obedience, as he believed that God would do what He said He would. Jesus (
Matthew 24:36-39;
Luke 17:22-27), Saint Peter (
1 Peter 3:18-22;
2 Peter 2:4-10), and the author of Hebrews (
11:7) all used Noah and the Flood as illustrations. These include God's judgment on sin, unwavering faith, a picture of Holy Baptism, and a prefiguring of Christ's suffering, death,
descent into hell, and resurrection. Luke also listed Noah in Jesus' genealogy (
3:36).
LectionPsalm 29Genesis 7:1-5, 11-12, 17-231 Peter 3:18-22 or Hebrews 11:1-3, 7; 12:1-2Matthew 24:36-44CollectLord God, heavenly Father, You kept Noah righteous in the midst of a sinful world and, through him, delivered life from the Flood's destruction, continuing also the human line of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and foreshadowing the destruction of sin in Baptism and the preservation of new and eternal life in the Ark of the Holy Christian Church. Grant that we, the heirs of Noah by birth would likewise be heirs in faith of all Your promises, for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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