GOD exercised His power in a most marked way when He sent the flood to destroy the whole world, and His, "I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth," should never be forgotten, when the old story of judgment upon an ungodly world is made light of. On different occasions, in the time of judgment, God has thought fit to work a new thing, that is, something contrary to the ascertained laws of nature-fire fell from heaven and burned up Sodom and Gomorrah, “the earth opened her mouth " and swallowed up the family of Korah. And God has said that the present earth and heavens are kept in store, reserved for the judgment of fire which shall destroy this earth at the time by Him appointed.
In no less a way of marked power did God save and keep in safety Noah and his house during the flood. His almighty arm shielded His servant, and neither wave nor wind could disturb the covenant which the Lord had established with him. The covenant was expressed in words, and on God's word Noah rested. By the word of God the flood covered the earth, “by the same word" this earth is reserved for the fire, and by the word of God the believer, like Noah, is secured from judgment. As we build upon the sure word of God, so are we eternally secure, and so also are our souls kept in peace. God's perfect love casts out our fear, and “herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment."
When the waters of the flood began to subside the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat, and, after many days spent patiently there, Noah opened the window of the ark.
The window seems to have faced towards heaven. It was well to look up first—not to see the terrible, though subsiding, flood. We cannot at any time rightly view a divine judgment unless we first look up to God in heaven.
Then Noah sent forth a raven, and that bird at once made the crags of the earth its home. " Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground ; but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot " in the desolation around, and she returned to Noah in the ark.
The bird, emblematic of love and gentleness, was most at home where Noah was; she rested with him, whose name signifies “rest." A happy picture of the believer finding his home with Christ, and his rest in Christ.
Then, a week later, the dove was sent forth once more, and in the evening she returned to the ark with an olive leaf in her mouth—the answer of peace for which Noah was waiting. He knew that the waters of death had abated from off the face of the earth, which was once more beginning to smile in the favor of God.
We are looking forward to a new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, to the time when God shall have put down evil, and brought in the rest He loves. Like the men of the time before the flood, men now do not believe that judgment from God is coming upon this earth. Many believe something is coming upon the earth, disquiet and uneasiness prevail when the future is regarded, but a judgment from God is not credited. Yet nothing is more clearly told us in the Scriptures than that judgment will fall upon the earth, and that God's people will be delivered from the wrath to come. He delivered Noah; He will deliver all who put their trust in Him. Happy are they whose confidence is built upon the sure word of God.