Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Gen 7:1 onwards. Indeed, Noah obeyed not only by building the ark, but by making it, in every detail, as God had commanded him to do (Gen. 6:17-22). He now obeys to enter it when ordered to do so (v. 5). It is in obedience to God that our safety is. Noah, a pious man, will literally experience the Ps. 32.5-6. V. 16 reminds us that another door, that of grace, is still open today, but for how long? “And the door was closed,” Mat solemnly announces. 25.1-13. Reader, which side of this door will you be on? Inside, with Jesus and his own? Or outside with all those who will strike in vain and to whom the Lord will have to answer, “I know not you” (Luke13:23-30)? Let’s notice that it’s through the Lord himself that the door of the ark is closed on Noah, his own and all animals. Noah could no longer open it to anyone even if he had wanted to. Now that God has provided a means of salvation, sheltered His own, closed the door of the ark, He can open the windows of heaven. Prophetically, Noah and his family represent the remnant of Israel. After the rapture of the Church represented by that of Enoch, he will pass through the great final distress and be introduced into the new world of the millennium.
God’s long patience has come to an end. The waves of His judgment are pouring out upon the earth. Apart from the ark that was being built, nothing suggested it. Everything seemed to be going well. The worldcontinued its joyful train. We ate and drank, we got married and we gave in marriage. “They suspected nothing,” says the Lord, “until the flood came and swept them all away” (Matt. 24.32-39). A fate as terrible as suffered befell all those who had remained deaf to the calls of grace. And this account recorded in the Word of God constitutes from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, the most solemn of warnings to put oneself in order with God. Everyone today is invited to take their place in the ark, in other words to find refuge in Christ from God’s wrath. But if we possess in him this place of perfect security, let us never forget that he crossed in our place the terrible waters of divine judgment. “All your waves and blades have passed over me” (Ps. 42.6-12). In the midst of this cataclysm that never had its equal, Noah and his family enjoy perfect peace. Whether the waters strengthen or decrease, the ark will not sink… nor the believer who abides in Christ.
Noah is a type of the Lord Jesus. In one, Noah, his home was saved. He carried them above and through the waters of judgment. Noah is also a type of the Jewish remnant who will go through the great tribulation and judgments to come. The arch of waffle wood, tilted inside and out with pitch, is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ; Noah preparing the ark, the type of Christ, accomplishing salvation, having completed it. The flood is a type of Christ’s death. “All your waves and streams have submerged me” (Psalm 42:7). This was done when on the cross. He who did not know sin was made sin for us. Just as the earth was covered by the flood, so the judgment passed on Him in whom the end of all flesh came. “And Jehovah said to Noah, ‘Come, and your whole house, into the ark.’ Once the ark was finished, came the invitation to enter. The “come” invitation continues. “Come to me”: will it last forever?
They will reward the good ones. They will punish the wicked. They echo the voices of inspired truth. The waters of the mighty abyss draw their rhythm from God’s truth. The Spanish armada was defeated by the storm more than by the weapons of men. Providence is on the side of rectitude and truth. That God’s punitive judgments are a signal for the good to enter into the security provided to them: “On the same day, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.” It was not enough for Noah to build an ark for his safety during the coming flood; He must also enter it. And when the good man saw the rain fall on the earth, he felt that the threatened judgment was near, and that the final scenes had fallen on the degenerate multitude.
This was the signal of his definitive entry into the ark. And so, when the foretold end of the universe comes, and all things are about to be destroyed by fire, then the good will enter into the permanent enjoyment of heavenly rest and condition, and the wisdom of their conduct will be recognized. But on that day men will stand in their own individuality, they will not be saved, as were the sons and parents of Noah, because they belong to pious families.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped for your better understanding.
Embarkation:
- Specific instructions given to individuals
-Leave the old friendships Gen. 12:1 The Lord said to Abram, Go away from your country, from your country, and from your father’s house, into the land that I will show you.
-Go home Gen. 31:3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.
-Assume the commandment Ex 3:10 Now, go, I will send you to Pharaoh, and you will bring out of Egypt my people, the children of Israel.
-Moving forward Josha 1:2 Moses, my servant, is dead; now arise, pass this Jordan, you and all these people, to enter the land that I give to the children of Israel.
-Fight the war Jg 6:14 The Lord turned to him, and said, Go with this strength that thou has, and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; is it not I who send thee? 2 Sam. 5:19 David consulted the Lord, saying, Will I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands? And the Lord said to David, Come up, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.
-Find food 1 Kings 17:3, 4, 9 Go from here, go east, and hide near the torrent of Kerith, which is opposite the Jordan. 4 Thou shalt drink water from the torrent, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 9 Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widowed woman to feed thee.
-Leave retirement 1 Kings 18:1 Many days passed, and the word of the Lord was thus addressed to Elijah in the third year: Go, come before Ahab, and I will rain on the face of the ground.
-Anoint the chiefs 1 Kings 19:15 The Lord said to him, Go, resume your way through the wilderness to Damascus; and when you arrive, you will anoint Hazael as king of Syria.
-Pronounce judgments 1 Kings 21:18, 19 Arise, come down before Ahab, king of Israel in Samaria; here he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has descended to take possession of it. 19 Thou shalt say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Are you not a murderer and a thief? And thou shalt say unto him, Thus saith the Lord: In the very place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall also lick thy own blood. 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, the Thisshbite: Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to consult Baal Zebub, god of Ekron?
- Righteousness, examples
1 Kings 15:14 But the high places did not disappear, although Asa’s heart was entirely with the Lord throughout her life. John 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uts named Job. And this man was upright and upright; he feared God, and turned away from evil. Luke 1:6 Both were righteous before God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord in an irreproachable manner. Acts 24:16 That is why I strive to have a constant blameless conscience before God and before men.
- Total destruction predicted
Isaiah 34:2 For the wrath of the Lord will fall upon all nations, And his fury upon all their army: He condemns them to extermination, He delivers them to carnage. Jer 25:9 I will send for all the peoples of the north, says the Lord, and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, my servant; I will bring him against this land and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around it, that I may devote them by prohibition, and make them an object of desolation and mockery, eternal ruins. Lk 3:9 Already even the knock is put at the roots of the trees: any tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 2 Thess 1:9 Their punishment shall be eternal ruin, far from the face of the Lord and the glory of his strength.
- Providence sustains, preserves the faithful
Deuteronomy 6: 24 Jehovah commanded us to put all these laws into practice, and to fear Jehovah our God, so that we might always be happy, and that He might preserve our lives, as He does today. Psalm 31:24 Love the Lord, you who have godliness! The Lord keeps the faithful, and he severely punishes the proud. Psalm 37:28 For the Lord loves righteousness, and he does not forsake his faithful; They are still in his custody, but the seed of the wicked is cut off. 2 Tim 4:18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and He will save me into His celestial kingdom. To him be the glory of ever and ever! Amen!
From all of the above, we find that the same waters that were destructive to the wicked inhabitants of the ancient world, were in harmony with the disposition made by Noah, and thus improved his safety in those perilous times. And so it has sometimes happened that the punitive events of Providence, which have been harmful to sinners, have been a means of blessing to the good. The cloud can be a guide for the Israelites, while for the Egyptians it can only be great darkness or a wild flame. The rod of heaven can strike evil and good, but for the latter it flourishes and bears fruit. The men of Noah’s age were no more surprised when the locks of heaven opened to rain down on the earth – the men of Jerusalem were not stricken with greater consternation when the eagles of Rome rushed towards them, carrying on their wings the vengeance of a more powerful than Caesar, than will be the men of the last day. Signs and wonders will undoubtedly precede the coming of this day; But men then alive will not take note of these signs! But why is this so? Does Providence enjoy trapping the sinner? No; but he is blinded and infatuated with his own sin. No matter how clear the warnings of impending disaster may be, it passes with an eye that will not see! No matter how much it can light and thunder, it has no ear to hear; until finally he is caught and destroyed—receiving as he has sinned. A pious old man, who had served God for many years, once sat with several people, eating a meal on the shore near the mouth of a pit in the vicinity of Swansea. While he was eating, a dove, which seemed very tame, fluttered in his chest and pricked him slightly. She flew away, and he didn’t think much about it; until in five minutes he came back and did the same. The old man then said, “I will follow you, pretty messenger, and see where you come from.” He got up to follow the bird; and while he was doing so, the edges of the pit collapsed. On his return, he discovered that all his companions had been killed. Thus was Noah! The beasts, pure and unclean, carried into the ark, as well as the birds of the air, give us the clue that creation will share in the blessed effects of salvation. The subsequent prophetic word and Romans 8:19, tell us of a coming deliverance from the groaning creation. “And those who entered to Noah, entered male and female of all flesh, as God (Elohim) had commanded him, and the Lord (Jehovah) shut him up” (Genesis 7:16). In this verse we used Elohim and Jehovah. God, as Creator, had commanded Noah; Jehovah had announced judgment, and the ark that was being prepared represented the patient and merciful Jehovah. And now that the hour of mercy had passed, Jehovah closed the door. He who had given an open door closed it at last. Noah and his house in the ark were saved and safe. And we are also in Jesus Christ our Lord. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in truth to pray with me:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my personal Lord and Savior. I acknowledge that you died at the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and my faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom by walking according to your ways.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to be baptized by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power and glory, now and for ever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “The return to order.” (Gn 8)
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.