The Day before and after the Flood

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” Gen. 1:27, 28

Man was to be in control of the earth as God’s representative, but his tenure was conditional upon his obedience and his loyalty. Should he choose sin, he would thereby forfeit his position as a ruler and eventually, even life itself. This issue was clear and well understood, if man was to have perpetual dominion, then he must be obedient. If man was to have immortality, he must be obedient, but if he proved unfaithful, he would forfeit his right to tenure and at length, forfeit his right to live. “He had a choice.”

Man made his choice; forfeited his right as a citizen of God’s kingdom. He forfeited his home in Eden and chose sin. Never again could man enter the gates of paradise as long as sin continued to contaminate his life. He became a wanderer in a world that reeled under the weight of God’s disappointed displeasure. People multiplied upon the earth, and the sad result of sin became evident in jealousy and strife. Sin not only unfits the sinner for eternal life but also for his temporal life. It robs him of his manhood and weakens both his spiritual and physical power. It removes the image of God from the soul and renders man little better than the beast of the field. His innocence is destroyed along with his purity and God-likeness. It replaces the love that God planted in the human spirit with suspicion, hatred, sorrow, misery, want, woe, heartache, and bitterness of tears.

The world before the flood demonstrated this. Evil dominated the imaginations of men and as a result violence filled the earth, and men chose to follow their own sinful desires. Crime and wretchedness were on the increase. Neither marriage relationships nor the rights of property were respected. Whoever coveted the spouse of his neighbour took her by force and men were proud of their violent deeds. Within a period under two thousand years, Satan had turned God’s beautiful world into something like hell. And the Lord looked down from heaven and said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” Gen. 6:3

God told Noah of the coming destruction because Noah was still faithful. “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall thou make in the ark and shalt pitch it within and without… The length of the ark shall be 300 cubits; the breadth of it 50 cubits and the height of it 30 cubits.” Gen. 6:14. 15 Doom was approaching, Noah obeyed and made preparation. Each morning and evening his voice could be heard. He was preaching righteousness but the world mocked him. Philosophers turned up to listen to him in order to prove him wrong. “Your message is an amusing impossibility,” they laughed.

“This world has never seen rain since it began and will never see rain. Destruction on the scale you predict simply couldn’t happen, but since you are so determined, go ahead and build your ark anyway and we’ll prove you wrong a thousand times.” The scoffers had their fun at Noah’s expense. “Hey Noah, when are the rains coming? Day in and day out, you have been talking about the rains but they’ve never come. Give us a break, go home and give your voice a rest.” The lazyminded people came to listen to him preaching. They amused him and said, “Your ideas are weird.” Even if it did rain, we would simply climb to the highest mountain peaks. And for your ark, it will be covered with water like everything else. You are wasting your energy. It can’t happen. But since you’re so set on it, work on, build your ark, and when the rains come, we will watch you swim in it.” The half-decided people came to Noah. “Tell us more about this rain, it all sounds highly unlikely, but there may be something in what you say. If God really talked to you, it might be true. God took Enoch from us to prove He can do anything. We’ll take a chance. We’ll back you. And that was the end of these people. They never fully surrendered their lives to God. With the passing of time, they joined the scoffers.

Young people came by and said, “hey, old man, you have been talking about rain for over 100 years now, so why haven’t the rains come? You’re a joker! But the jokes are getting tired! Those who first heard you are all dead and you will die before the rains come and so will we!” For 120 years Noah did his best to warn the people. Everyone had the opportunity to listen to him preach. Everyone had a chance to visit his workshop and there were some who helped him. And everyone had the opportunity to choose either life or death. Sadly all chose death – and went beyond God’s boundary of forebearance.

Building the ark was a major undertaking. At last it was finished and every necessary preparation was completed. Sufficient food was to be stored. Noah heard a familiar voice, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, male and a female, and a pair of the animals which are not clean, male and female, and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of the earth. For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth 40 days and 40 nights, and every living thing that I have made, I will blot out from the face of the ground.” Gen. 7:1-4. Noah was glad that the work was finished, but his heart was heavy. He looked around at the beautiful hills, the huge trees, the heart-expanding landscape. His heart was full of sorrow as he looked at the people, his own people. He had laboured for these people for 120 years, and they had rejected God’s plan of salvation. With one final appeal, he pleaded with them. With tears in his voice, he begged them to come with him into the ark. But they would not come.

God forces no one to do His will. Animals in an orderly fashion walked into the ark while people watched them with awe. Some of them came close to making a decision to join Noah, but they were afraid of the derision of the multitude, so people passed up their opportunity to join with Noah. He went with only seven members of his family into the ark, and that means only eight people out of the vast population! Think of it!! If you were living in the old world before the flood, would you have been among the eight?

The animals and eight humans were in the ark waiting. The first day went past peacefully with only feeding the animals for occupation. The people outside were afraid for a time, but since nothing happened, all their fears also disappeared. They looked up and saw no sign of rain. The world seemed as secure as it had always been. The skies looked bright as ever. The ground looked firm and secure. Everything around them seemed as if it was built to last, and so the whole idea of a vast flood destroying all this vegetation was unthinkable. The birds were still singing their songs. The flowers were perfuming the air. There was nothing to worry about!

On the second day life went on its unvarying round, it was business as usual (buying, selling, and drinking) and some people had forgotten about Noah completely. Then the third, fourth, and fifth day still there was no change. On the seventh day the people were confirmed in their belief in Noah’s “madness.” One insult after another fell on the ears of Noah and his family. It was a severe test for Noah and those with him. Their faith had been tried to the utmost. God could have destroyed the world immediately after Noah entered the ark.

He chose not to do so because Noah had to prove to the universe that he believed and trusted every word that came from the mouth of God. Do you believe and trust the words of God?

The people outside had great fun; they were celebrating Noah’s silence. Little did they know that their doom was forever fixed. They were living through their last days on earth; they were using their time to mock and to deride. And it came to pass after seven days, the clouds gathered, with thunder roaring like the wrath of God, fear struck all. Lightning struck in angry stabs, then the flight began. All over the land, everybody began to surge towards the higher ground, a place of refuge—the ark, requesting and pleading with Noah to open the door for them, but it was too late. This was the Bible account stated in Gen. 7:11. In the terrific storm, as waters broke through the crust of the earth and gushed upwards, they met the waters in the down-pouring from the sky. The result was a mighty flood that swept the wicked from the face of the earth. Remember, all ridicule of the warnings of God’s servant was forgotten. Doomed sinners longed for the opportunities which they had slighted, but the sweet mercy spoke to them no more. All in all, everything died upon the earth except Noah’s family and that which were with him in the ark; and the water prevailed upon the earth 150 days. The last day for the antediluvians was one for which they were not prepared. Every effort was made to prepare them, but because of their unbelief, they died as people who did not know what was coming, despite 120 years of warning.

If today were your last day on earth, would you die like the antediluvians with no hope of eternal life? As it was in the days of Noah, said, Jesus, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, drink, 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. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed! Luke 17: 26, 27, 30. This is surely an accurate description of our present generation, marriage and divorce, juvenile delinquency, crime, alcoholism, diseases of various kinds, violence, hatred, and hard words. There is no time for God and for the last warning for the people.

There are many people who hear God’s last appeals and they are persuaded that they should accept them, but like in the time of Noah, people try to laugh it off, put off their decision to another day. They find it difficult to commit their lives wholly to God. Some think it would hurt their reputation if they surrendered their will to God, some fear they would lose their jobs, lose family relationships and friends, while some see no sense at all in being a Christian and a child of God. 2 Pet. 3:, 6, 10 says, “through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousands years… the Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief and
then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements will be dissolved with fire and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.” Where will you be? And what will you be found doing? No matter what we say, come when it may, the end will catch the ungodly unawares. On one business day, a usual day – everyone absorbed in their pleasures, in traffic, in money-making – a voice will be heard from the sky. As the midnight steals from the unguarded dwelling, so shall sudden destruction come upon the careless, the stubborn, the ungodly, and all shall not escape. We will suddenly hear the voice that shakes the heavens and that shudders the planet. (Rev. 16:18) Time has come that people have begun to run faster than in Noah’s time with all these things which are happening in the world today. For example, hailstorms doing its work of destruction, big cities laid down, great palaces on which men have lavished their wealth will crumble before their eyes, and fire enveloping the earth. AIDS, which is sweeping our beloved ones, this only shows the end of time and because of our stubbornness, there will be no hiding place from the Lord who is and will be returning through the vaulted heavens. Remember, when He is coming, it will be the most awesome event since creation. Psalm 50: 3 says, “Our Lord comes, He does not keep silence, before Him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest.

He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He will judge His people.” On that day, the world will be turned upside down. The power that holds its foundation in place will be loosened.

Where will you and me stand on that day, or if Jesus was to appear at this moment, would we be able to meet Him in peace?
Are you already making preparations for His coming? If Jesus was to come tonight, would you be among the redeemed? At His coming, He will deal with only two groups of people; those on His side and those on the enemy’s side. Decide now because on that day it will be too late, and thank God that it is not too late now! We can still have our sins forgiven if we confess them. We can still have them blotted out if we go to Calvary. It is now that we must take the chance, either for God to blot out our sins from the book of record or for our names to be blotted out of the book of life. No more, no less! The time in which we live demands total decision and action. There is no room for neutrality. It is either God or the world; no room for both. It is like the time of Elijah when he called fire on Mount Carmel. It was either God or Baal. It is the time for immediate decision and action.

God’s spirit is pleading with all inhabitants on this earth. He wants us to make a decision before the seven last plagues are poured out; for then it will be too late to repent and find shelter. Tears of sorrow will be falling too late. This is the right time, the atoning blood of Christ is ready to wash your sins away and only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life shall be delivered. When the time of trouble comes, every case will be decided either for life or for death! The most fearful warnings of all time are being proclaimed to the inhabitants of this earth.

The angels of God are soon to let loose the winds of strife. Every prophecy pointing to the second coming has been fulfilled in every detail. He will soon be back. He is a man of His word. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3. these words alone are enough for me. “He that shall come will come and will not tarry.”

The doors of the heavenly place are being prepared for each one of us, and God’s angels will welcome us to our new home. Absolutely no doubt about it. Now is the time to make the final preparation for entering the promised land! The golden opportunity is now or never! You do not have to be among those who will run to the rocks of the mountains and call upon them to hide them from the face of Jesus when He will come. My friend, it is time to make Jesus your refuge, to be with those who sacrificed all for Him because He sacrificed all for them. On that day all our troubles will be forever past – all our diseases will be healed, all our financial problems will be gone, all our family problems will be ended, the whole load of sin will be forever past. We shall also see our loved ones and friends!

Is it your joy to go to heaven and to get out of this horrible world of suffering and sin – to drink the water of life? Is it your joy to see God the Father, the Holy Spirit and God the Son? There is no reason why you or I should remain here. Heaven is “empty” without us. Heaven is a glorious place! Remember, Jesus cherished our friendship with Him more than all the golden streets, more than all the songs of praise from heavenly choirs. He left all this so that He could be with us. He suffered torture and the death of a common criminal to put us right with God. Now He wants us to come and be with Him. And this is the reason why Jesus is right with God. Now He wants us to come and be with Him.

And this is the reason why Jesus is coming again; to take us home, to put an end to sin, suffering, and death. How much God wants you and me to be among the saved, to be among the great multitude standing before the throne of God. Brethren, it should be our desire to be with Jesus where He is; our desire to walk with Him in this life and in the life to come, but how? By committing our whole life into His hands and determining in our heart to live a life
that is directed towards heaven. And let this be our prayer to meet someday before the throne of God, holding hands together and looking into the face of Jesus, the One who died for our sins and has redeemed us into His perfect grace.
AMEN.

Willkister Ankinyi Outah, Kenya