Part II: The Flood and Christ for You

Part II.

The Flood, and Christ for You.

Picking up from where we left off (see Part I) since the beginning of the pandemic I have contended often that we have approached the pestilence of the corona virus incorrectly.  Too many of our churches, I have argued, capitulated and allowed the government to dictate how we confess Christ and how we practice the faith.  To justify such a position, the ones who have submitted to the government flocked to the second table of the Law.  But herein lies the problem, this most well intentioned plan, while seeming all well and good, is still false because it cannot be concocted to the exclusion of the first table of the Law, in fact one cannot even truly know and fulfill the second table of the Law without knowing and living in the first table.

Certainly many have seen how such a surrendering of their inalienable rights is not good and I give thanks for those pastors and churches who are now seeking to right the ship and reverse course.  While we seek to right the ship we must understand why it was so wrong in the first place and here is where the Flood will help us greatly, especially the reason for why the flood took place.

            First we need to recall and hold before our faces the two tables of the Law, and with that come back to the greatest concern, how could we give up the Church and the gathering here?  Let us go to Scripture.   We read in Matthew 22:35-40, “But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’

            Did you notice which table of the Law comes first? The first table consists of commandments one through three which speak to how we love God.  These are: 1. You shall have no other Gods.  2. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.  3. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  The second table of the Law teaches you how to love your neighbor. 

So first, what does it mean to have no other Gods?  It is to fear, love, and trust in him above all things.  While the meaning is deep it is also quite simple as any little child can answer: what is the most important part of your life and how is that lived?  And every little God fearing child knows Jesus is the most important and the child want to go to church to learn about Jesus. 

The second commandment teaches us not only how to speak his holy name but how to use it rightly as well. The World has turned the Holy use of God’s name from right and reverent ways into a profane and irreverent use of the most precious name, as we are taught to carelessly use it: OMG, jeez, for gosh sakes, damn you, and so many other blasphemed words that come flowing out of our mouths without a second thought.  This is compounded by us fathers and mothers permitting false teaching to exist in our homes and churches amongst family and friends.  They excuse false teaching by saying “If I know what the Bible teaches, I will not be concerned with what others believe.”  This pious excuse is even used by Pastors who refuse to chastise other congregations because “it is a waste of time” or “none of their concern”.  Full churches fall into complete abomination (don’t believe me?  Look at the website www.exposingtheecla.com) while God fearing churches stick their heads in the sand in the hopes that their congregation and family will not see such wickedness.  All this succeeds in doing is leading our children (and adults) away from the faith.

The Third commandment teaches us where we receive God’s gifts.  So many churches have turned the holy Divine Service into a mockery of entertainment and have lost the profound mystery of the deliverance of the forgiveness of sins from our holy and righteous God to sinful and unworthy people.  Nor let us be ignorant that the simple percentage of people who claim membership in the church (let alone the godless community) and attend the Divine Service regularly (here read more three or more times a month) continues to quickly decline in lower and lower numbers.  (See this article for the disturbing reality!)

            So many have lost sight of the most important things.  My desire is that worship for you dear reader is still important.  Why is the Divine Service so important?  To worship is to show honor and reverence to someone or something and there is a lot of worshiping.  Our communities have definitely made sure that we have not forgotten the need to worship, but rather then worship him who created all things, our society has decided to worship that which is created: shopping, service organizations, sports, entertainment, nature, pets, health, science, race, even children.  These things have become the gods of the 21^st century. 

Having lost the clarity of what the first table teaches us we then have no understanding of the rest of the commandments.  In this flip-flopping of what is to be worshiped we then will justify all our behavior as being acceptable in the sight of the second table of the Law to the detriment of the first.    In light of the corona virus what has become the worshiped things?

In Genesis 6, we see the consequences of the fall of man coming to a head.  Luther, in volume 2 of his Genesis lectures explains how the second table is cast aside.  The Sons of God have lost sight of the most important things:

“It may seem odd that among the sins Moses appears to be counting the begetting of daughters, even though he had praised the fathers for it earlier and even though it is a blessing of God also in the ungodly. Why, then, does he count it among the sins? My answer is: He does not condemn the begetting of children in itself; he condemns its abuse, which stems from original sin. Royal rank, wisdom, riches, and physical strength are good things; having them is also something good, for they are bestowed upon men by God.

But when men who have these gifts break away from the First Table and, equipped with these gifts, contend against the First Table and then offend more flagrantly against the Second Table also—that is damnable wickedness. For this reason Moses makes use of unusual expressions here. He says: “The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose,” namely, without any regard for God or for natural and positive law.”

Thus, after the First Table has been cast aside, the Second Table, too, is cast aside, and lust takes over the first or principal position. Lust becomes utterly bestial and looks down upon the procreation of children, but God has established marriage as an aid for our weak nature and especially as a means for begetting children. When lust becomes supreme in this way, the preceding and the following Commandments are undermined and lose their power. Respect for parents is violated, murder is committed, the property of others is seized, false testimony is given, and so forth.

The word, “they saw,” denotes not simply “to look at” but “to observe with satisfaction and pleasure.” In the psalms the expression often occurs: “My eye has looked upon my enemies,” that is, “with satisfaction have I seen the punishment of my enemies.”

In this passage, therefore, it means that after they had turned their eyes away from God and His Word, they turned them lustfully toward the daughters of men. There follows the unfailing result: from the infraction of the First Table men go on to violate the Second. When they despised God, they also despised the laws of nature and, according to their pleasure, took to wife whomever they chose. (Luther’s Works, AE, vol. 2, pp 8-9)

 

            An honest appraisal of Luther’s commentary on Genesis 6, shows that we are undergoing what Luther addresses.  This is true as we come to verse four, in Luther’s discussion of the Nephilim, the mighty men of old.  To understand the Nephilim we must understand who the world sees as most important.  The important ones are those who “stood in high repute and enjoyed the extraordinary admiration of the whole world.”  (vol. 2, pg. 38)  Who holds our admiration today?  It is those who control medicine and technology.  It is sports figures, actors, singers, and other celebrities, media, and even the government.  Yet why?  It is because the world has been diligently teaching us who to worship.  We are taught to worship ourselves; we value our lives above God. 

What is the solution?  Let us hear Noah’s preaching!  Let us return to the Church.  Where do I find comfort in the midst of trial and tribulation? It is not in the things of this world.  It is not in me and my reason.  It is not in making more money.  It is definitely not in the fear of a disease.  It is in hearing the truth found within God’s Word.  Our hope is in Christ alone and the gifts he distributes to you through his holy bride the Church.

What will the Church do?  Will she stand ready to give the gifts given to her by the bridegroom the Church?  It is time for the Church to be steadfast in her confession to give direction to a world lost in sin and to her children who are in dire need of comfort.  Moreover, will the people be ready to enter into the eternal feast? Will the holy people of God be the wise virgins prepared to enter in, or will they be foolish virgins who refused to be ready? (Matthew 25:1-13)  Let us be bold in our confession and hold fast to Christ’s precious gift of forgiveness given to us under the cross.

What the Church offers is invaluable.  For here alone is life and salvation: the forgiveness of sins.  God does not tell you to figure out how to save yourself, he provides the very means: Word and Sacrament.  The preached word overcomes every fear.  In John 11 We learn Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus was ill, Lazarus’ sisters said, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”  But when Jesus hear it he said, “This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  And what did Jesus do upon learning of his friends illness?  He stayed two days longer.  And we think, “well I guess he didn’t love him so much.” But Martha knew the Word of God, better than anyone there. 

Martha confessed that she knew Jesus could do all things, even raise her brother from the dead.  Martha professed, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”  She was grieved but she at least had hope.  And to this Jesus responds, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” 

Now you know the end of the account, Lazarus was raised from the dead.  But that is not the point.  Lazarus died in faith and Mary and Martha, while grieved, did not flee from him in terror of the illness, but rather they believed.  Jesus did not flee from disease and death, but rather the Word made flesh came to be with his people. 

Dear people, we need not fear disease and death.  Even one that takes millions of people we need not fear.  But what has this to do with Noah and the flood?  The people lost the right fear, the fear of the Lord.  Their concern was about the one who could kill flesh and blood and they did not fear the one who could kill the soul.  Their desire was for evil continually.  Let us not be like the unbeliever, but rather let us turn to where there is sure and certain hope.  The bridegroom is coming at a time and hour we do not know.  It is time, right now, to live not indulging in the things of the world but in the forgiveness of sins, in Word and Sacrament.  Let us stand watch and live in the light of Christ, receive the Word and Sacrament and be comforted by the means he has given to us for the assurance of faith as we await Christ’s return.