Halifax has been known as an ice-free harbor. This proved to be true until 1987 when ice from the Gulf of St. Lawrence moved down the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. It was a pack of ice chunks eight miles wide and many miles long.
Toward the end of March and the first week of April, wind and tide forced some of this ice into the harbor. There were some chunks large enough that passenger ferries could not safely cross the harbor, and service had to be stopped.
Some of these large chunks of ice grounded on the beach at low tide.
People went to see them and climb on them (like the girls in our picture). On some days the whole harbor was full of ice. Old-timers said they never had seen this happen before.
There was another time long ago when something happened for the very first time. We are told in Heb. 11:7, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark.”
After God created the earth and placed man and animals on it, the ground was not watered by rain as it is now. “For the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth.... But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.” Gen. 2:5,6.
God told Noah to build an ark, a large ship, because He was going to “bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.” Gen. 6:17. “And I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” Gen. 7:4.
Noah believed God, and he built the ark. It took a long, long time. Everybody was warned of the coming flood. They could have gone into the ark and been safe. There was room for all. It says that even the animals came to him.
Don’t you think those people were foolish not to go into the ark? Even if they did not trust Noah or believe him, they should have known it was true when the animals came to Noah and went into the ark by themselves.
If you had been there would you have gone in? People would not go in because they did not believe a flood was coming. It had never happened before!
God is warning us now that the world is going to be burned up. He tells us that the same word that warned about-the flood warns that the world will be destroyed by fire. “The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the-same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7.
If you answered our question by saying, “Yes, I would have gone into the ark,” have you trusted in the Lord Jesus? He is like the ark for us. He will protect us from the judgment that is coming on the unsaved. He is our Deliverer from the-coming wrath. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:10.
Jesus also said to those who believe on Him, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” John 10:28.
Things that have never happened before can happen for the first time. Ice in the Halifax harbor was only a problem fora short time. To refuse the Lord Jesus will be an eternal loss. Trust in Him today and you will be happier than you have ever been before.
ML-10/04/1987