A year ago today, there was a rainstorm right before Sunset, and I was able to take the following picture.
A beautiful picture of Immanuel. Every time I look at the picture with the rainbow above in the clouds, I can't help but think of the account of Noah exiting the ark in Genesis.
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
We Christians today also have an ark that keeps us safe in this world. It is not a boat, but the church. And, contrary to the picture I've taken, the church is not just the building, but rather it is the collection of believers gathered by God's Word and receiving the blessed Means of Grace distributed by the called minister of Christ. God's Word preached in its truth and purity and the Sacraments distributed according to their institution make the church exist. Within the ark of the church, we believers are carried safely through the trials and tribulations of this world with the ever sure and certain promise of eternal life and resurrection with Christ awaiting us.
And we, like Noah, have a sign of the covenant, or promise, made between us and God. It is not a rainbow, but rather the sacrament of holy baptism. In 1 Peter 3, St. Peter writes:
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him."Baptism is a flood - a lavish washing away of all sins. Our sinful nature is drowned and killed. In water and the word we are made God's own blessed children. Baptized in to Christ, we are in the ark of the church and have the promise of grace upon grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.
