Characters and events in the Bible carry supernatural messages for people from every century – every decade – every culture. The God Story is our story, and each account – each character teaches us about Who God is and where we fit in His transcendent plan. The Ark Encounter in Williamstown Kentucky makes for an incredible destination stop. It is built to scale and makes you realize why it took decades to build the ark – and then to have it be equipped and pass the test of weathering the incredible one-of-a-kind storm. Let’s look at part of the thread. It is intense.
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”
√ Mankind was on the precipice of losing our existence (being blotted out = wiped out).
√ The One who could see our intentions weighed us and found us to fall short
√ This grieved His heart – our distortion of His image gave Him heart pain
√ Man’s choices were going to cost every living creature our existence
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:5-8
“These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9
What did it mean that Noah was righteous and blameless? The word appears to mean complete. Sound. His heart accessed God’s heart and prolonged the human journey in a major way.
So no matter how crazy things get around us – remember it was bad enough in Noah’s time for God to contemplate destroying everyone and every thing. EVERYONE. But Noah – like all who believe in His Son – found favor and deliverance in God.
We can take comfort in the fact that there is truly “nothing new under the sun” and that God will allows keep for Himself at least one Noah.
What do you think – was Jesus a Noah? Are you?
By the way – it had never rained before. A layer of the atmosphere appears to have collapsed – so this was much more that a bad storm (Genesis 7:11; 8:2).
Noah, like us, was able to find favor through our slow to anger, abounding in loving- kindness Creator. In what ways have you connected with the One Who made you?
“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.” Hebrews 11:7
Thank God for His true rainbow promise!
Dave and Burnadette