[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during May 2026]
Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.
Psalm 107 v23-24 [ESVUK]
Perhaps it seemed like a really cool idea, the reward for a lifetime of work and saving for a great adventure. What better than a cruise to the south Atlantic, to see the marvels of creation in their purest forms? However, the God who generated glaciers and propagated penguins was also responsible for rats.
Were there rats on board Noah’s ark? The Biblical account suggests that a pair of them survived the flood by embarking with him.[1] Even in Old Testament times rats were known to be carriers of disease and were considered unclean.[2] Why did God instruct Noah to include them?
The book of 1 Samuel records an event involving rats. The Philistines were at war with Israel and they had captured the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence with his people.
The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumours, both in Ashdod and its territory.
1 Samuel 5 v6 [ESVUK]
Are we equally protective of our relationship with God? Are we at risk of incurring God’s displeasure if we take his presence for granted?
The remedy adopted by the Philistines was to return the Ark and along with it they made reparations.
Make models of the tumours and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god.
1 Samuel 6 v5 [NIVUK]
We all have face “rats” of our own; external afflictions, personal shortcomings, sub-optimal decisions. We can attempt to live with them in our own strength or we can offer them to God as opportunities for his glory. Are we willing to learn from our experiences?
For the 150 or so passengers and crew from two-dozen nationalities on board the MV Hondius the dream cruise turned into a nightmare. Somewhere, someone had been just a bit too close to where some descendents of those original rats had been leaving evidence of their presence. The resulting infection proved fatal for several passengers and has given rise to an an incident with international implications.
O Trinity of love and power, our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them wheresoe’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee glad hymns of praise from land and sea
William Whiting (1860)
By contrast, in his recent ‘Yours’ article[3] Michael recalled the pleasure of a boat ride in the Solent; many of us can identify with similar experiences. If a cruise to the south Atlantic sounds a little risky then perhaps a voyage in the relative calm of the eastern Mediterranean would be a better choice. However, the apostle Paul would disagree. The book of Acts records the way in which the ship on which he was sailing ran aground on Malta. A verse from our opening psalm describes the outcome:
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Psalm 107 v28 [ESVUK]
It is an example that we would do well to follow.
References:
[1] Genesis 6:19
[2] Leviticus 11:29
[3] “Let’s Go For A Boat Ride”
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys