God's Justice and Love Embedded in Noah's Flood
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August 03, 2014 |
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Dr. Jaerock Lee, Senior Pastor of Manmin Central Church
"Then the LORD said to Noah, 'Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time'" (Genesis 7:1).
Recently, a Korean ferry named 'Sewol' sank and hundreds of people died. When I heard this news, I thought about the Noah's ark. Noah's ark was safe even in the wild sea waves and the heavy windstorms. It was because it was built according to the ratio that God Himself explained.
The size of Noah's ark was approximately 150 meters long, 25 meters wide, and 15 meters high. The length of the ark (150 meters) was 6 times to its breadth, and 10 times to its height. Modern marine engineers discovered that this ratio is exact for the safest ratios of a large vessel.
'The ark' spiritually refers to the 'Word of God.' We can stay safe no matter what kind of difficulties we may face if we dwell in the Word of God like Noah and his family.
1. Enter the ark, you and all your household…
Now, the Great Flood begins in Genesis 7. In Genesis 7:1 God told Noah to enter the ark with all his household before He sent rain. He clearly explained the reason why He would save Noah and all his household.
That is, in his days it was Noah alone that God acknowledged as righteous before Him. Those who are righteous, not in their own sight, but in God's sight, can receive great blessings like Noah. Noah was able to receive the blessing of his entire family being saved and not just he himself. In addition, Noah was used by God as a precious instrument to accomplish the great providence of God.
There is another blessing that Noah received when God acknowledged him to be righteous. When the Great Flood began, the original light of creation that surrounded the earth was completely withdrawn. However, Noah was able to still live in a space surrounded by that light. During the Flood, God surrounded the ark of Noah with the original light. That is how all the people and animals inside the ark could enjoy God's special protection.
In Genesis 7:2-3, God told Noah what animals he should take into the ark and how many of them. He said, "You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth."
God actually said in Genesis 6:19-20 that, of every living thing of all flesh he should bring two of every kind into the ark, and it was to preserve their species. In other words, in order to keep their species, Noah should bring two of every kind into the ark, male and female. Those animals that God chose to keep alive were drawn through the original voice by instinct and brought into the ark.
However, in Genesis 7:2-3, God told Noah to take with him of certain animals by sevens, a male and his female, or by two, a male and his female.
We should pay attention to the fact that God let Noah choose clean and unclean animals that he should take with him. It reveals the will of God who would start human cultivation anew through Noah. Moreover, He shows that if one becomes a true child of God like Noah, he can rule over everything.
2. 'Seven more days' symbolizes God's love perfecting His justice
In Genesis 7:4, God said to Noah, "For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made." It means the judgment of flood would take place in 7 days. Inversely, it can also mean there were still 7 days left until the moment of judgment.
Before the judgment of flood, Father God gave many chances of repentance. However, people didn't turn back from their sins and evil, and eventually they faced the judgment of the flood. They had pushed the boundaries too far for God to rescind His judgment.
Yet still, God didn't judge the world right away. Once again He gave another '7 days'. Since 7 is a number representing perfection, He added 7 more days. The precise justice of God is contained here. Why is this God's justice?
These 7 days were like the last suspension period for someone only if he had a desire to turn back and hop into the ark of salvation. If the people would not grasp this chance that God was giving, no one could blame God.
The period of '7 days' shows how many conditions God examined in order not to violate the law of justice before He executed the judgment of the flood. He checked everything ever so delicately, and He strictly inspected all things.
Now, Genesis 7:5 says, "Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him." It means Noah did everything without any errors so that nothing was short in preparation for the judgment of the flood.
Ezekiel 18:23 says, "'Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,' declares the Lord GOD, 'rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?'" This is the heart of God. That's why He searched to save just one more soul and gave people chances of repentance until the last moment even though people's sin and evil piled up and He had no alternative but to judge them.
When He judged Sodom and Gomorrah, He Himself sent archangels to examine those cities. And, even in such an urgent situation, He delayed the judgment to save Lot and his family. It was the same when He was about to judge the city of Nineveh. The city of Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. Assyria was a hostile country to Israel. Since their wicked ways came up before God, God had to destroy the city.
However, God gave the people of Nineveh a chance to repent once more. God sent Jonah the Prophet to cry out to them, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." Along with the proclamation of judgment, God gave them a suspension period of '40 days.' That is, God gave them time to turn back from their wicked ways; the last chance to escape from destruction and survive.
So no one is able to say, "I didn't get a chance to repent. I didn't have time to turn back from sin and evil." Nobody can complain against God. Fortunately, the people of Nineveh held on to the last chance that God had given them. Along with the king, all nobles and people fasted and repented. The king issued a decree that no herds or flocks should eat or drink. Then, God changed His mind about the judgment, and didn't bring the calamity upon them.
In His perfect justice and love God judges and withdraws a judgment He once declared. The 7 days of suspension period that God gave before the judgment of Noah's flood was His love to perfect His justice. It was from the mercy of God who would save even one soul only if he desired to come to the ark of salvation.
3. As it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man
There is one important fact, here. That is, seven days before the flood God had Noah and his family and all the selected animals go into the ark. And He closed the door. For the seven days Noah could not preach to the world that the judgment of flood would soon take place.
Why didn't God allow Noah to warn the people of the world about the judgment and yet give them the seven days of suspension period? Why did God make Noah close the door of the ark instead of leaving the door open till the last moment?
The judgment of Noah's flood is a microcosm that implies the providence of human cultivation. In Luke 17:26-27, Jesus said, "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." After knowing that there would be the judgment of flood, Noah diligently warned people. But the people didn't listen to Noah; instead, they mocked and criticized him.
In the 'days of the Son of Man,' that is, when the Lord comes back, the same thing will happen. Through His servants and workers, God diligently tells people that the time is near. Those who listen to Him, accept the Lord, and repent of their sin can receive salvation.
So many people, however, are so soaked in the sin of the world that they won't even try to hear the gospel; they rather show enmity toward it. It is because the force of anti-christ is getting stronger in the end time. When the time comes, the Lord will come back in the air, and those believers will be raptured and enter the Seven-year Wedding Banquet. Meanwhile, the Seven-Year Tribulation will take place on this earth. Those who are left on the earth are those who didn't believe in the Lord at all, or who have not had faith worthy of salvation.
Even among such people, some may wake up as they witness the Rapture. They finally realize the Bible is true and understand Heaven and Hell exist. For them to be saved and to go to Heaven, they have to keep their faith in Jesus Christ no matter what kind of torture or threat they may encounter. Since the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, they have to keep their faith all by themselves.
Since God knows some will receive salvation even through this way, God allows the period of Seven-year Tribulation. It is to give the last chance to those who could not receive salvation under the justice.
The seven days of suspension period before the judgment of flood had the same meaning as this 'Seven-year Tribulation.' Seven days before the judgment of flood, Noah and his family entered the ark, and it is the same as the saved children enter the Seven-year Wedding Banquet. At the same time, just as there is 'Gleaning salvation' during the Seven-year Tribulation, even after the door of the ark was closed, it could open to whoever would knock on the door until the Flood.
However, among such countless people, there was not one person who repented and came into the ark. It will be the same in the Seven-year Tribulation. Initially, many people will repent. As those believers face terrible persecution, however, most of them will renege and renounce their commitment and deny Christ. It will be rare to find those who can keep faith and reach salvation. The judgment of Noah's flood is very similar to the end time of human cultivation.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Hebrews 11:7 says, "By 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." Noah's family listened to Noah and stayed together with him; all these were the acts of faith. And this faith eventually allowed for Noah and his family to gain salvation.
If someone who didn't belong to Noah's family had heard Noah, believed him, and tried to enter the ark, would God have stopped him and said 'No' to him? Our God didn't set some specific people to be saved. Noah diligently preached, but people loved the world, didn't listen to Noah, and even ignored his words. And the result of their disbelief was the judgment and destruction.
The same applies today. Many people preach the gospel, but few people believe it and follow it. Some may go to church, but many of them are after the world in their hearts. They say with their lips that they believe, but they still love the world and take in the world; they are not different from those who didn't come into the ark. Having true faith worthy of salvation, we would come into the ark completely, that is, live by the Word and show the deeds of staying away from the world.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will get into the safety of the ark of salvation and completely enter the eternal kingdom of heaven.
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