NO doubt all my readers have read, or at least heard, about Noah and the ark. In our picture this week we have him represented as having come out of the ark and offering up a sacrifice to God.
What a solemn thing it is that God has shown His displeasure for sin in this way, that He had to bring a flood over the whole earth and drown all the people. The people were then just as they are now, for the word of God tells us in Luke 17:2727They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:27). “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” You may say, Surely there was nothing wrong in those things. That is true, but it was the way they were going on doing all these things and leaving God out God had looked down upon their wickedness and He said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.” Gen. 6:33And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:3). So He told Noah to build an ark so that people could be saved if they wanted to, for He was going to bring a flood on the whole earth. Noah did so; he built it according to the directions He had given him and at the same time preached to the people. No doubt he warned them of the coming judgment and as a proof that he really believed what he was preaching he was building that big ark. But the people did not believe him, so they continued with all the things they were doing just as if there was no God and they would not be punished for their sin.
The day came that God told Noah to come into the ark with his wife and their sons and their wives but all the rest of the people did not go in; and no doubt they thought it was very foolish of Noah to build such an ark and to go inside of it. But when they saw Noah shut in, then they saw the rain coming down and the great fountains of the deep pouring forth water, and soon the surface of the earth was covered, and the high hills, till there was no place for them and death was their portion. It was too late for them then to cry for mercy. God had ceased to strive with man, by His Spirit, through Noah, so they had to bear the awful results. God’s longsuffering with them came to an end.
So it will be again; for God has provided a Saviour, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, for sinners. He has been through death—the judgment of God—just as that ark had gone through the judgment and received all the billows that would have fallen upon Noah and his family and no matter how much water was poured forth, the ark was able to rise above it all, and Noah rose in it. So, Jesus was the only One that was able to go into death and rise again, and the Scripture says, “HE THAT BELIEVETH ON THE SON HATH EVERLASTING LIFE: AND HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE; BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM.” John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36). The only way for us to escape the wrath of God, is to believe in Jesus as the One who has borne that wrath for us. If we refuse Jesus as our Saviour, it will be the same for us as it was for those who refused to go into the ark; they had to bear their punishment, and so will the rejecters of Christ. Which is it with you, my reader? If you have not believed in Him, as the One that has died for you, may you do so now, while He is still saying, “Come unto Me,” but if you do not, remember, ‘The wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” Col. 3:66For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (Colossians 3:6).
ML 03/11/1906