Chronological Thematic Bible Reading - Noah and the Flood

 


"For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."  Matthew 24:37-39

I tried to write on Cain, Able and Seth, but I have more questions than I do answers.  I also ended up doing a study on the biblical theological idea of "carpology," the study of seeds.  Genesis (and the whole Bible) is full of references of seeds.  Very interesting study.  A main thing I gathered regarding Cain is that he was a "bad seed."  He did not have the seed of righteousness in him as Able and as Seth...yeah!  Quite the rabbit hole to go down.  So moving on to Noah after deep thought of beginnings.  

I read this a few nights ago and it was such a blessing to me and helped my mind focus on the bigger picture of Jesus and His ways against the darkness of this world.  The Earth, I imagine, was as disgusting then in Noah's day as it is now to the point that God had enough!  Genesis says "the earth is full of violence and corrupt." (6:11)  The only righteous man to be found was Noah and God let him keep his family too.  God said, "Make an ark of wood." (6:14)  The word "wood" jumped out at me.  Wood is of a tree - a tree began the curse, a test of obedience.  A tree would save the righteous man, Noah, from God's wrath...Noah obeyed God's commandment.  A tree was Jesus nailed to saving all of humanity from God's wrath.  Jesus obeyed his Father in Heaven.

This is an overarching theme/command in scripture, obey God, stay our hearts on God, cast down our idols.  The prophet Ezekiel (chapter 14) referenced three righteous men who couldn't save a wicked nation even if they wanted to, among them was Noah.  That's what we see in the flood.  It wasn't for Noah to invite people into the ark, only God.  We all must live by our own righteousness in obeying God.  God said in Ez. 14:5-7, "they are estranged from me through their idols.  Therefore I the LORD say, Repent and turn from your idols that you take into your heart separating yourself from me."  God doesn't desire to destroy people and nations, we destroy ourselves by being wrapped up in the things we idolize and loving it with our whole hearts and not God.

One of Jesus' disciples, Matthew (24:37-39) wrote that Jesus will come just as unexpectantly as the flood.  Going about life and then suddenly swept away.  God doesn't hold his judgement or wrath back just because we are enjoying life.

The promise is this: God will spare those who belong to Him.  Another of Jesus' disciples Peter writes in his second letter "the Lord knows how to rescue to godly from trials." (v.9) God has given us His Son, Jesus who keeps us hidden in Him.  He has given us Heaven when our bodies give out to keep us with Him until He sets up and reigns in His Kingdom on Earth.  God alone glorifies His people in the face of the ungodly.

Let this song be our prayer:



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