Flood

A Quick Look: Genesis 6: 7 – 8

Really Read It: Genesis 6: 5 – 9: 17

Memorize: Hebrews 11: 6 –7 Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

The nice, cute, little story of Noah in the ark is one of the most popular events from the Bible. Over 90 % of American churches show that smiley giraffe popping his head out of that little Noah’s ark somewhere in the nursery.* Noah with his boat and his animals have appeared on the top ten list for baby room themes for 94 years in a row.** I do NOT want you to repaint your baby brother’s room, but I do have some problems with those cartoon animals smiling at so many babies.

The animals DID fit inside the boat. God told Noah exactly how to build the ark. We know that it was big. We don’t know exactly how much room Mr. and Mrs. Elephant had and if they were if fact right next door to Mr. and Mrs. Giraffe, but it is clear that they got to ride inside the boat. They did not have to stick their necks through holes in the roof. It is not a cute story. Sure animals are neat; some of them are even cute when they are babies as long as you can see them without smelling them. But, at the time, it would have been hard to focus on that cuddly, little panda bear peaking his head out the window.

A lot of other things would get a lot more of your focus. Water falling from the sky causing all the animals and people on the earth to panic. Water bursting forth from inside the earth causing all the animals and people on the earth to panic. Mud slides destroying crops, flowers, trees, walking trails, bakeries, and houses. Rising flood waters destroying (killing) every plant, animal, and person on the face of the earth.

This story could be better at scaring small children than comforting them. It’s not cute, but it is good. It’s great. Not cute. Maybe not even happy. But good.

God sent the flood to save people. He wasn’t just saving Noah’s family; he was saving people. The human race. Without this event, people would be lost. Gone from the earth. The flood stopped the great growth of sin on the earth. It stopped the selfishness, self worship, greed, and pride that were growing like a cancer. It took away the people with no concern for God. Had God not taken them away, the earth would soon become a place where zero people spoke God’s name with honor.

Through the flood, God got a family, he got a people for himself. He found a family to be His and He took away the wickedness that was trying to stomp out God’s honor.

You need that same kind of Savior. God will have a people. He will a group that gives Him honor, that gives Him glory, that give Him their lives. We know for sure that God will have His group; we don’t know if you will be in the group. We don’t know if you are in that group.

The test is not if you go to church. It’s not if you take communion or if you’ve been baptized. You can’t know your in God’s group if you said that special prayer to Him once or twice or two hundred times.

The test is do you care about God. Do you care about God’s honor and God’s glory? Do you want to do God stuff? Would you rather see you get honor of God get honor? Most people want it for themselves, but God has a group, God has a people that love to fight for the honor of God.

*fake statistic

**another fake statistic

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Nathan is amazed to see God move in power every week at his church. You can see what is happening: http://www.worldrevivalchurch.com

You can find more of Nathan’s writing on lulu and helium.