A seemingly ridiculous way to start, isn’t it, with a question that virtually every human being on this Earth can answer and has more than likely experienced. The natural man in even the most fundamental way could respond “It’s water that falls from the sky”, or perhaps even “It’s condensation that collects in the air, then creates clouds and falls to the Earth.” Perhaps a spiritual man would say that it’s a blessing from God for our crops, and the rainbow a sure sign from our Heavenly Father that He will never cover the entire planet again with water. But there was not always rain.
For several hundred years there was a “mist that went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” (Gen. 2:6) Rain was not something at that time that anyone had ever experienced, water simply did not fall from the sky, so for a man named Noah to believe and trust in the God who spoke to him saying, “The end of all flesh is come before Me… (Gen.6:13) was an incredible faith to say the least. Read Gen. 6:8–7:24 and recall the account of this man, a man whose faith in our Lord, whose desire to know the truth of his Creator was unmatched in his day.
For God chose him to do more than just build an ark, to care for and tend not only the seven other souls that were entrusted to him along with perhaps several thousand animals, but to witness, to speak a warning of truth to possibly hundreds of thousands of people over a 120 year long time span, to build, work and witness in complete faith in the Word of God that was spoken to him.
Have you ever given any lengthy thought to the possible words of Noah that are not recorded; “Repent, for God is preparing to judge” he might have said, “Water will fall from the sky and cover the face of the whole world.” Think of the mockery, the scoffing, the cruelty that this man and his family must have endured even from the first day that he began the enormous task that was set before him, perhaps even from many that he may have personally known, much less over more than a century of faith while the ark was being built. Perhaps over a few decades the worst of the rebukes waned a little, for it would have been very clear to them that this man was not going to be diverted, was not going to quit, would not step off of the path that Almighty God had set before him.
Think of the tears that were shed by this family over all those that would not listen, the begging and pleading that they poured upon the souls that would soon perish, that ended with screams of anguish and sorrow as the door was shut in the ark by the Mighty Hand of God, those screams lessoning as the rain beat harder and louder upon the roof of the giant raft of life. The deep anguish in their heart slowly being replaced with the peace that only God can give.
The return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is imminent my friends.
He will call us and in the clouds we will meet Him, “…and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1st Thess. 4:17) But for those left behind, for those who will not listen, who have continuously denied Him, seven years of the great day of the Lord, days of incomprehensible suffering.
There have actually been those in my life, and perhaps yours also, that have not quoted exactly the words of 2nd Peter 3:4, but they were quite adamant in their beliefs, which someday it is sad to say, without the Lord in their lives, will show itself as disbelief, and the cost will be O so high. Are you warning them, have you told them how short the time is? Even if you are speaking to a twenty-year old person, and God in his mercy grants them long life, their time compared to eternity is so very short. As the bridesmaids with their lamps, (Matt. 25:1-13) we are to be ready at every moment of every day, but we do not have the opportunity that Noah did, for when the ark was finished, the door was shut. We do not know when this age will close, but we do know it will, for His promises are true and He is faithful.
This age of grace is coming to an end, no man knows the hour. (Matt. 24:36) Have you told your neighbor, your friends, those that you love that this “rain” is coming, have you warned them, have you invited them into the ark, to the loving hands of a saving Lord who forever will keep them safe and secure.
Are you shouting a warning of love and protection from the storm that is coming.
