Today was one of those days when I was just thinking about Noah, what God told him to do, the people who were left behind to face the rain, and all that. If you're familiar with that story, you know that God was watching Noah. The story is in Genesis 6-8:
Noah was a righteous man,
blameless among the people of his time,
and he walked with God.
God also was aware of how the people in that day were living their lives:
Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight
and was full of violence.
God saw how corrupt the earth had become,
for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
I don't know about you, but this is looking very similiar to what is going on now in our world! There seems to be more families being broken, more violence, more disrespect, and just plain corruption and disregard for morals. Schools aren't allowed to let prayers be said, and Christmas is being replaced with 'Happy Holidays' because there are people who don't want the name of Jesus to be said.
Let's continue with this story of Noah:
So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people,
for the earth is filled with violence because of them.
I am surely going to put an end to destroy both them and the earth.
So make yourself an ark.
I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life.
Everything on earth will perish.
But I will establish my covenant with you,
and you will enter the ark - you and your family."
The Lord then said to Noah,
"Go into the ark, you and your whole family,
because I have found you righteous in this generation."
God also told Noah to include the animals.
Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
Now, let's imagine how the people were responding to Noah building the ark. First of all, it had never rained before, so there hadn't been a need for a vessel that would float. They probably thought that Noah and his family were crazy. Maybe they laughed at them, poked fun of them, and gave them a hard time. Even if Noah tried to explain to them what God had told him, they may have not believed it. They wanted to continue on with the lives they were living, and thought nothing would change. They didn't try to stop Noah, and even when the rains started to fall, they still were blinded to what was going on.
Think about what Christians go through today. Some are being persecuted for their faith. Some are ignored and ridiculed. Media is starting to censor Christian articles. And it will continue with intensity. Obeying God these days is becoming more and more unpopular!
Now see what happens to Noah:
On that very day (the rains were falling),
Noah and his family entered the ark.
Noah and his family entered the ark.
The animals going in were male and female.
Then the Lord shut him in.
Did you see this? The Lord shut him in! Noah didn't shut the door of the ark. God did! Kind of reminds me that when an airplane door is shut before take off, there's no turning back! It stays shut until you reach your destination. I wonder if people started to bang on the door when they realized they were going to drown. Did they beg Noah to open it, to let them in, to save them?
Here, God was upset with the men in the world. He wasn't going to tolerate it any longer, and decided to show his wrath to destroy them. But He saved the righteous family of Noah and the animals for a new world. He told Noah what to do, he build that ark, God shut them in, the rains fell, and all the men and remaining life drowned in the flood. After the flood, the rains subsided, the ark settled, and Noah and everyone on the ark were able to start over in a newly refreshed earth.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 24:37: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Here, Jesus is talking about when He will return in the last days. No one knows when. But only His followers will know the time and the season, for the Bible gives us the signs. God gave Noah the signs too of what was about to happen. But the people didn't know, or care. After it started raining, it was then they knew, but it was too late. God had already shut the door. When the rapture comes, true believers in Jesus will rise up and be with Him, but unbelievers and evil doers in this world will be left behind. It will be too late. And as God showed His wrath on the evil doers in Noah's day, so will He also display His wrath on the evil doers of our day.
Friends, there is an ark being built right now! And this ark will rescue us from the wrath of God that is coming soon! Please take this seriously. Make sure you are ready, and have Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Believe in your heart that He died for your sins, and rose again, to give you a new life in Him. This is the real thing, not to be ridiculed, laughed at, or scorned. Because at the twinkling of an eye, as a thief in the night, when least expected, He will call His saints upward, and together we will be with Him forever! And He will create a new heaven and a new earth, to establish His throne. The signs are here! The King is coming soon! Make sure you are on that ark!
No comments:
Post a Comment