David Bahn – Reflections

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Reverent fear seems to be in short supply these days. Perhaps it has always been so. But today we are more likely to watch sports heroes strut and posture, more accustomed to hearing politicians express bravado, and more likely to hide our fears and never let others see us sweat. Reverent fear seems an antiquated cast off – a quaintly interesting relic of the past.

Too often Noah is thought of only as a child’s hero; and idealized only by means of cute animals and a gladly-decorated ark. But Noah is a hero – according to the writer to the Hebrews because of his reverent fear and his action that saved his family. He lived in evil days but chose to prepare for a day of dramatic upheaval and destruction instead of caving into the evil all around him. His fear was placed where it belongs, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

Whom do you fear? How do you show it? Better yet, whom do you wrongly fear? What holds you captive and keeps you from honoring God? Today is a good day for reverent fear and faith in God who bestows on us the righteousness of faith.

Prayer – Almighty and eternal God, according to Your strict judgment You condemned the unbelieving world through the flood, yet according to Your great mercy You preserved believing Noah and his family, eight souls in all. Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.

We pray that You would behold us all according to Your boundless mercy and bless us with true faith by the Holy Spirit, that through this saving flood all sin in us, which has been inherited from Adam and which we ourselves have committed since, would be drowned and die. Grant that we be kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving Your name at all times with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that, with all believers in Your promise, we would be declared worthy of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen. (The Flood Prayer; taken from the Vigil of Easter)