Chosen for Mercy

Today I continued my journey in 1 Peter to chapter three. It talks about wives submitting and respecting, beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, how husbands are to treat their wives, living in harmony with one another, being without fear, always being able to give an answer, and something else interesting that I'd never caught before...

"...He {Christ} was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism..." (vs.18b-21a)

The note in my Bible on this verse says that some think, "between his death and resurrection, Jesus descended into Hades and offered to those who lived before Noah a second chance at salvation. But this doctrine is without scriptural support. Others say that it was simply an announcement of His victory over sin to those in Hades without offering a second chance. Most likely, this is a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ's preaching through Noah to those who, because they rejected that message, are now in prison."

One thing we can definitely learn from this verse is something about God's character--"...God waited patiently..."  

It's hard to think of God waiting, since He's ruler of all time. And maybe Peter is using somewhat figurative language (I'd have to look at the Greek), for sometimes, things need to be put into Man's words for us to understand. So, God may not have had to wait in the exact same way that we do, but we know that He was patient, and IS patient, for we also know that God does not change.

Now of course, God being patient does not negate the fact that God is also just, and the people in the days of Noah did end up getting what they deserved. And yet (see yesterday's post), Noah and his family were chosen by God for this time, showing the abundance of God's mercy and compassion!

One of my favorite lines from "Les Miserables" is when Jean Valjean has just saved Javert (the man who has been hunting Valjean down to send him to prison for life), and Valjean says, "The highest justice allows for mercy."

So what's the application point for today? Forgive as you have been forgiven. Show mercy as you have been shown mercy.

In Christ,
Ellie

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