We could say that Noah was quite an eccentric to build an Ark. He was preparing for an imaginary disaster that had no early warning signs. Otherwise, everyone would evacuate, wouldn’t they?
It is always smart for us to prepare for an eventual disaster to come. It is better than being totally unprepared. But only God knows our future since He lives in eternity. And impending physical disaster is never certain.
Spiritual disaster is certain
However, spiritual disaster is sure. We don’t know (or we don’t want to admit) that there will be consequences of our actions, decisions, or words.
Like Salomon said, « When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong» (Ecclesiastes 8.11)
And Jesus Himself said :
37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
« They knew nothing (of what was going to happen) ». We at least know…
What was remarkable with Noah is that he didn’t know either of what was going to happen. But he had no doubt of the plan God had for his life. Build an Ark to save his family and all animals that breathed air. The Ark was so big that it took humanity until the 19th century to build one similar. (And even so, the Titanic sank …)
But Noah believed the Word and by faith he obeyed …
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this, he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.
Committing 120 years to a project simply because God said so is remarkable. And we are still talking about it thousands of years later…
Noah didn’t feel discouraged while facing this overwhelming task nor the mocking of his neighbors. And, most of all, he didn’t give up because he didn’t see the early warning signs of the disaster to come. He only felt it in his spirit.
Noah had heard God’s warning and also the solution that could have saved all those who would have believed enough to start their own boat project. Because the Bible says Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” to warn the ungodly of what was to come (2 Pierre 2:5)
When you read the story of Noah in Genesis 6.11 – 8.22 note the number of times you read the phrase « Noah did everything just as God commanded him ».
What can we learn from the story of Noah’s Ark?
God is not asking us to live in Montana and build a bunker to survive the end of the world. Because, unless we are protected by Jesus « our spiritual Ark », NO ONE WILL SURVIVE!
But all can believe Christ’s invitation to enter his ark when John the evangelist says,
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3.16-18)
The Ark of God’s rescue mission of Salvation
To save our families from the disaster to come, nothing is more urgent than to allow His Word to instruct us.
- Take the decision to obey His Word to enter the Ark of Salvation Jesus has provided.
- Accept that it is a life-long work to learn the extent of his grâce for us and teach it to our children and grandchildren.
- Walk by faith and obedience even if people who are not aware of what is coming mock us.
- Our work is to make the truth known so that no one can say he was excluded from God’s only solution. For we know God’s greatest desire is to save His creation.
- But like in a marriage, it is not validated if only one of the two parties give their consent.
God has said « Yes ». There is room for you! What is your answer?
Certain people may say that the story of Noah is a myth because it is not written elsewhere than in the Bible. If it is a story that comes from an oral tradition, it may have been deformed.
But all major civilizations have a flood story. The Babylonian one is the closest, but the Incas and the Chinese have a flood story too.
None, however, go into any detail about the spiritual causes. Also, the archeologists studying the « mounds » found throughout the Middle East have always found the “flood layer” (about 8 feet of silt which could only have been deposited by a great flood).
There are two other things that prove the truth of the Noah story.
1) Jesus talks about the Flood and the time of Noah which is an event that will happen in our time also. (if it is not true, He could be a liar for all the rest too)
2) Modern archeology shows that important events were registered by writing since the dawn of humanity.
An ancient Babylonian king wrote how much he enjoyed reading the writings from before the flood. And Assurbanipal, Founder of the great library Nineveh, mentions the writings of the period before the flood.
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(Day 10) Giving up is a luxury we can’t afford
(Day 12) Detailed plan or getting started
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