Friday

Psalm 31:9-16

Isaiah 54:9-10

Hebrews 2:10-18

At our house decorating for Christmas also brings on a parade of Noah’s ark ornaments. My wife collects them and next year we may actually require a separate smaller tree just for the arks. We even have a Noah’s ark Advent calendar.

What does Noah have to do with Christmas? The story of Noah recalls God’s covenantal promise to never to flood the earth again and exemplifies the type of covenantal promise God makes with the people throughout the Old Testament. Advent sets apart a time for anticipating the eternal covenant God makes through God’s only son, Jesus Christ. A new covenant rooted in God’s prior covenants yet superceding all previous covenants.

Today’s reading follows directly after the portion of Isaiah known as the “Suffering Servant.” The prophecies in chapter 53 appear to point directly to the suffering Jesus must in endure as he takes on the iniquity of all humanity. Out of this suffering Isaiah foresees God’s covenant of eternal peace with the people of Israel.

A quick search of the NRSV Bible text reveals that the word steadfast occurs 190 times throughout the bible. God’s love made manifest in signs like Noah’s rainbow or in Jesus, the Word made flesh, come with an enduring promise . Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God sanctifies an eternal covenant of peace with us and swears to never again rebuke us in anger. With permanence that exceeds the tallest mountain God promises steadfast love and compassion that nothing in this world can remove. Perhaps this year we should leave the Noah’s ark tree up year round as a permanent reminder of the compassionate and steadfast that God has surrounded us with all the day of our lives.