Ruminations and Ramifications

Noah

(Genesis 5)
28Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son.
29Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed."

Instantly, I see a foreshadowing and parallel between Christ and Noah. Noah sounds like the Hebrew for rest. Christ is our rest. The NASB and the ESV use the word "rest" while the NIV uses the word "comfort".

(Genesis 6)
5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."

-Every intent
-only evil
-continually

This paints such a bleak picture of the human nature left on its own. Even before the law, sin abounded. We do not need the law in order to sin. Our nature does that well enough on its own. But look at the degree to which sin existed: every intent; only evil; continually.

WOW! That does much to destroy the notion that we are inherently good, doesn't it? Especially when left to our own devices!

(Genesis 6)
8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

God's favor is only bestowed by His grace. Noah wasn't perfect, he was a sinful human. And once everyone got off the boat, sin commenced yet again, almost immediately. God decided that Noah and his family would be saved from the coming judgment.

(Hebrews 11)
7By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

No one has seen the judgment that is to come. Most are so caught up in saving the planet and global warming that they are AGAINST listening to any idea that the planet is doomed to begin with. It appears, also, that our faith condemns the unbelieveing. I don't know how that works, but there it is. If we were to tell the people that the Lord will destroy the earth by fire, I bet we'd all be met with the same disdain by others.

(Genesis 6)
17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you...22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

God directed it all, from who to how. Notice God did not ask Noah to build the ark, He commanded him to do so. He said, "Noah, I'm going to do this, and you're going to do that." There was no appeal to the flesh. No: "how would you like to be saved from the Deluge, hmmm?"

(Genesis 7)
1Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation... 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

From all that I've read in Genesis and Hebrews about Noah, I cannot see any indication that Noah was less wicked and less sinful than any of those who lived on the earth with him. The only thing Noah did was have faith and obey God's commandments despite what he saw going on around him. He walked by faight, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Furthermore, I don't think the idea of a world-wide flood was any less ludicrous then than it would be today. Noah is building a huge boat, yet the people are still marrying and giving in marriage (Matthew 24:38). Try telling the grocery clerk that the world will be destroyed by a flood tomorrow and see how far you make it to your car before then men in white coats emerge.

(Genesis 7)
16And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in... 22Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

God commands those who will be in Christ Jesus to enter Him. And the Lord Keeps them there. When the next Deluge of fire comes, only those who are saved are the ones who are found in Christ Jesus.

Labels: God's Word, practical theology, where I am right now

posted by Marcian @ 10:48 AM