After
about one hundred years when God commanded Noah to build the ark He now tells
Noah and his family to enter the ark. Throughout this time, Noah preached the
righteousness of God while building on the ark (1 Pt 3:18-20). I wonder the
kind and degree of mocking Noah had to endure when he spoke about a global
flood that would come. He was surely ridiculed and called names. Surely many
even at this time were asking, it’s been 50 years, 60 years, 70 years, etc that
you have been building this thing and we have not had any thing like flood. They
thought he was mad, I can imagine what stress he had to bear even from his
family, but he had faith in what God said. Today many people mock at Christians
the same way; “when will that your Jesus come? It has been thousands of years. He
will never come.” I remember I was ill-treated by one of my bosses in a
professional meeting about our Lord. He said “man is wicked, they killed Jesus
and now Jesus says the way these guys treated me I cannot come back to that
earth. Jesus will not came again!” You can imagine the meaning of this
statement, to which I did not react because I knew he was attacking me and my
faith. He was not inquiring and he was not sincere, so I found no reason to
enter into such discussions.
Scriptures
tell us the subterranean waters of the earth were unleashed upon the earth. The
water canopy above the firmament was brought down upon the earth in a
torrential rain. The Bible is not a geological book to talk of the details but
we’ll understand that with the heavy flood it will not just washout the earth
but also cause tectonic activities that will change the surface of the earth. The
water was 22 feets (6.8m) above the highest mountain. No wonder Peter says the
world that existed was overthrown by water (2 Pt 3:5, 6). Those who were not
found in the ark were destroyed.
Christ
is an ark, in whom alone we can be safe, when death and judgment approach. The word
says, “Come;” ministers say “come;” the spirit says, “come, come into the Ark.”
Noah was accounted righteous, not for his own righteousness, but as an heir of
the righteousness which is by faith (Heb 11:7).
God
gave Noah 7 days to fill the ark. One Sabbath was enough for harden hearts to
repent; but they could not. It is common today for people who lived careless
lives during their years of good health. They see death at a distance, but the
few days of their sickness when they see death approaching still means nothing
to them as they continue in harden hearts. They are deceived in sin.
The
wild creatures that entered the ark were made mild and manageable, but when
they came out of the ark, they were the same kind as before. The ark did not
change their nature. It is the same for those who come to the church as
hypocrites. They look like they belong but when they leave the fold they take
on their old nature. It is not about church but Christ who can transform you,
and make you new. The door of mercy will shortly be shut against people who
take it lightly just as God shut the ark behind Noah. Knock now, and it shall
be open (Lk 13:25). The flood that broke down everything lifted Noah’s ark. That
which to unbelievers betokens death unto death, to the faithful betokens life
unto life. Hallelujah!
From
the beginning of the flood to its end was one year and 10 days. Notice that change
in the Hebrew word for dry explains the degree of dryness as the water dried
off from the earth. Harevu (dry) in verse 13 of Genesis 8 to another, yavesah
(dry) in verse 14 emphasizes a more complete drying of the face of the earth. God
told Noah when the flood would come but He did not tell him when it will stop. The
knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark; but the
knowledge of the latter would serve only to gratify curiosity; and concealing
it from him would exercise his faith and patience. We noticed that, though
verse 13 and 14 says the earth was dry, Noah did not go out of the ark until God
told him to do so. Whether he was uncomfortable inside the ark, he waited for
God’s time. At times we fail to follow or seek God’s will and we want to force
doors open, but God’s time of showing mercy is the best time.
Noah
steps into a desolate world out of the ark. He does not get on complaining and
crying but he makes an altar for God to offer sacrifice. He begins well, that
begins with God. He surely sacrificed of the clean animals with him in the ark.
I can see why God asked him to take seven pairs in their kind of clean animals,
but a pair of the others. God said in His heart that He will not again curse
the ground because of man. Why? Because the problem is not man’s nature. God
did not make man evil, or cursed him with a sinful nature. The emphasis is on
what one chooses to do, not on the nature of the one who makes the choices.
After
the flood man was now given permission to eat meat as he ate of the plants of
the earth. Man was also given right of capital punishment in order to protect
society and to instill fear in the hearts of those who would take the life of
others. The drunkenness of Noah is recorded as a case and proof of human
weakness and imperfection even though it is the first time we hear of wine
mentioned in the Bible. So let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he
falls. Ham despised the father in his nakedness but Shem and Japheth showed
love on their father’s faults (1Pt 4:8) and brought a robe of reverence to be
thrown over the faults of their parent. The blessing of God attends on those
who honour their parents, and his curse lights especially on those who dishonor
them.
As
Jesus Christ prepares to start His ministry on earth, John the Baptist (immerse)
goes out as the forerunner, proclaiming the kingdom of heaven. John was not a
city preacher. He went to the desert of Judea, west of the Dead sea where he
preached and Baptized in the Jordan river. He wore camel’s hair and ate locust
and honey. This shows self-denial and sacrifice. God sent him to the wilderness
to preach in order to call those who were truly repentant out of their wealthy
cities (their comfort zone). Today most men of God will love to go to cities so
that they make more money or name, but John went to the wilderness, he did not
look for a city that is populated to have more impact. God wanted people who
truly repent not numbers. For one to leave the city and go to John in the
desert, they should be truly repentant. So some of our preachers today are like
the Pharisees of that time; legalistic, wealthy, lovers of money (Lk 16:14),
religiously zealous, and using religious control over the people. You can
understand why John called them children of snakes (vipers), with their venom
of legalistic hypocritical religion. They caused the Jews to reject the kingdom
reign of Jesus. How could they enter the ark? This will bring God’s judgment
upon them as God will also reject them. They forgot that a true Jew and son of
Abraham was such by faith (matt 8:11,12). John says the ministry of Jesus will
lead to a separation of chaff (the disobedient) from the wheat (the obedient
sons of Abraham by faith.) And the chaffs thrown in unquenchable fire as God’s
judgment.
Jesus
walks from Galilee to Jordan where John was preaching; about one hundred kilometers
from Nazareth. Jesus, though without sin (Hb 4:15) asked to be baptized by John
to fulfil all righteousness (fulfill or complete the commandments of God), because
John was commanded to Baptize by God. The Spirit of God descended upon him like
a dove, or as a dove. Notice the Spirit of God did not incarnate in the body of
a dove. This was signal to John that this was the lamb of God (Lk 3:22, Jn
1:32-34.) John made them know that they could only be accepted as people of
God, if their sins were washed in the fountain Christ was to open to them (Zech
13:1). The manifestation of the Trinity was seen after Christ’s baptism. The Spirit
descended upon him, the Father confirming the son to be mediator and the son
solemnly entering upon the work. Christ is the altar that sacrifices every gift
(1Pt 2:5). Out of Christ, God is a consuming fire, but in Christ, a reconciled
Father.
Prayer:
Merciful God, I thank you for your word that manifests your power to mankind. You
consume those who do not accept your son and reconcile those who accept him. Lord
Jesus, I thank you for your open hands that is waiting for us to enter the Ark
to your kingdom. Spirit of the Living God, help us not to be weary that we may
keep steadfast as we move through this year in your presence and leadership. Thank
you Father; for in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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