And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.” — Genesis 8 – 9

The roller coaster was great while we were sitting there getting buckled in.

The long initial ascent up to the top was fine, too.

What was the problem?

Said simply, “What goes up must come down.”

Before I knew what was happening, I was being jerked side to side banging into the seat.

I was twisted and turned in every imaginable direction.

When it mercifully came to an end, I stumbled out of my coaster car bruised, battered and horribly motion sick.

Never again.

That was and will be the last time I ever ride a wooden roller coaster.

Noah witnessed both the righteous judgement of God and the extravagant mercy of God.

The wickedness of the world had so stained the moral fabric of God’s world that only a global cleansing was sufficient to meet it.

Noah, however, was considered by God to be a righteous man.

He was blameless and walked in close fellowship with God.

He obeyed God.

He built an ark.

He rode out the flood.

He then received on all of humanity’s behalf the promise to never again flood the earth.

God’s righteous retribution for humanity’s wickedness and sin is a consistent theme in the Bible.

Equally present is God’s compassion, mercy and grace towards that very same humanity.

Evil must be and will be dealt with decisively and finally.

God’s holiness and justice demand it.

However, in sending Jesus to die for our sins to satisfy his righteous judgement, God has made it possible, for any who would believe in Jesus, the opportunity to be forgiven and to be made right with him.

In Christ, mercy triumphs over judgement.