What comes to your mind when you think of Noah and the ark? Do you see colorful pictures of a huge boat with happy animals aboard? Is there a colorful rainbow hanging in the sky? Those old Sunday school wall decorations are the images that enter my mind at first. But then the rest of the story comes into view and it's not quite as cheery.
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (Genesis 6:-7)
Because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, God warned Noah of the coming judgment and commanded him to build an ark of wood. That ark would be the salvation of all who were in it. For 120 years Noah prepared the ark and preached righteousness. What was his message? “God is going to destroy the earth with a great flood. Repent and be on the ark!”
Can you imagine the ridicule and mocking Noah must have gone through? The wicked wouldn't give him the time of day I'm sure, but what about his friends, neighbors or even his family...
“Noah, stop! You're scaring the children.”
“A flood, huh? Where's the water coming from?”
“Why do we have to be on your ark? Why can't we build our own?”
“Noah, you need to be more tolerant of other people's beliefs.”
“Do you have a permit to build this ark?”
But at the time appointed, God told Noah to get his family and the animals on board. Seven days later, God shut them in and it began to rain.
And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. (Genesis 7:23)
The scriptures don't go into detail about what was going on outside of the ark as the water rose. The screaming, the begging, the pleading. Souls who used to mock and shake their heads at Noah now scratched and pounded their fists against the gopher wood sides of the only way of escape from complete destruction. The longsuffering of God waited for over a century, but man would not turn. Their end was swift and certain.
Many generations later, Jesus Christ preached of the last days to come comparing them to the days of Noah...
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:38-39)
The time of the return of Christ are upon is. The description of his second coming is wonderful and comforting to believers, yet horrifying to the ungodly and disobedient.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)
Hellfire and brimstone preaching seems to be lost to a bygone era. We don't call sin “sin” anymore because it might offend. But friend, God has not changed. Sin is still sin to him and carries this same rock solid guarantee:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Whoever was not in the ark when God shut the door was doomed. In like manner, those who are not in Christ, who have not made themselves ready, will not rise to meet the Savior in the air when he returns. They will be left behind to reap the wrath of God intended for the ungodly and disobedient. Let us not be counted among those!
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
(2 Peter 3:10-12)
Because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, God warned Noah of the coming judgment and commanded him to build an ark of wood. That ark would be the salvation of all who were in it. For 120 years Noah prepared the ark and preached righteousness. What was his message? “God is going to destroy the earth with a great flood. Repent and be on the ark!”
Can you imagine the ridicule and mocking Noah must have gone through? The wicked wouldn't give him the time of day I'm sure, but what about his friends, neighbors or even his family...
“Noah, stop! You're scaring the children.”
“A flood, huh? Where's the water coming from?”
“Why do we have to be on your ark? Why can't we build our own?”
“Noah, you need to be more tolerant of other people's beliefs.”
“Do you have a permit to build this ark?”
But at the time appointed, God told Noah to get his family and the animals on board. Seven days later, God shut them in and it began to rain.
And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. (Genesis 7:23)
The scriptures don't go into detail about what was going on outside of the ark as the water rose. The screaming, the begging, the pleading. Souls who used to mock and shake their heads at Noah now scratched and pounded their fists against the gopher wood sides of the only way of escape from complete destruction. The longsuffering of God waited for over a century, but man would not turn. Their end was swift and certain.
Many generations later, Jesus Christ preached of the last days to come comparing them to the days of Noah...
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:38-39)
The time of the return of Christ are upon is. The description of his second coming is wonderful and comforting to believers, yet horrifying to the ungodly and disobedient.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)
Hellfire and brimstone preaching seems to be lost to a bygone era. We don't call sin “sin” anymore because it might offend. But friend, God has not changed. Sin is still sin to him and carries this same rock solid guarantee:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Whoever was not in the ark when God shut the door was doomed. In like manner, those who are not in Christ, who have not made themselves ready, will not rise to meet the Savior in the air when he returns. They will be left behind to reap the wrath of God intended for the ungodly and disobedient. Let us not be counted among those!
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
(2 Peter 3:10-12)
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