City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Genesis 6:18-22 (ESV)

… but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)

Reflection

In the first chapter of Genesis, we are met with a chaotic universe of waters. God begins by separating waters above from waters below, leaving the sky in the middle. Then, God forms dry land which rests above the waters below. Birds then are made for the sky, fish fill the waters, and land creatures are formed for the land. Finally, God creates Adam (and Eve), humanity. They live in Eden, a sacred garden-temple where they commune with God. The garden is full of provision for them, but they don’t have to tend it – instead being appointed the naturalists over the birds and the land animals in the garden.

Now several tragic generations later, God establishes an image of the original garden in the form of an ark. It will be full of animals and birds and will be stocked with plenty of provisions for the residents. The ark will float above the flood of chaos waters falling from the “waters above” onto and over the land. God is establishing a kind of floating temple, an image of Eden, preserving Noah and his family as a chosen remnant of Humanity.

Application

The apostle Paul teaches that the followers of Jesus are also an image of the Eden garden/temple. We, collectively and individually, are a dwelling place of God. Just as Noah entered the ark/temple by faith in God’s Word, we too are sustained by our faith in Him and are delivered through the chaos of the world into a righteous new creation and blessing in Christ.

Prayer

Father, 
Thank you for Your temple, the Church. May each of us, who make up the structure of it, know You intimately, and be transformed in heart, mind, soul, and body by your presence with us.
For the sake of Jesus,
Amen