Having lived in Washington County my entire life, the threat, as well as the certainty, of flooding is quite common to me, and most likely to most of you.
Such was not the case for the people in Noah's day. Can you imagine never having seen rain falling from the skies; standing spellbound as you watch the drenching waters fall steadily from the heavens and erupt in massive founts from beneath the earth? (Genesis 7:11-12)
The images of the antediluvian people seeking higher and higher ground as the global Flood swallowed all the earth is almost impossible to fathom. Imagine the thoughts running through their minds as they searched for safety, only to be swept away to a watery grave; into eternal damnation! Sadly, all of humanity was given ample opportunity to repent (Genesis 6:3) and turn from their wicked and violent ways (Genesis 6:5.11), but they refused.
Thousands of years later people still refuse and deny Jesus Christ! We are too busy going about our daily lives, being involved in selfish pursuits and ungodly endeavors. Such were the days of Noah! Such are our days- a fact borne out by Jesus' own words. "And as it was in the day of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26-27) Jesus has clearly presented a portrait of man's living conditions in the last days leading up to His Second Coming (Revelations 19:11-21) and His final judgment! We must heed His words since they address the authenticity of the Flood (Mathew 24:37-39) and serve as a climactic sign of the coming worldwide judgment (II Peter 3:6-7)!
Though Jesus' depiction of the last days sounds normal, we, like the antediluvian people, have corrupted this normalcy by allowing ourselves to be carried away by sinful pleasures and ungodly appetites. "Every imagination of the thoughts of his (man's) heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:1-6)
Technology is ever advancing (Genesis 4:20, 22), apostasy abounds (II Peter 3:3-4, I Timothy 4:1), worldwide violence is epidemic (Genesis 6:11, 13), social corruption is rampant (Genesis 6:12) and abnormal depravity abounds. (Genesis 5:6,12) All these conditions are integral parts of our present day. (Romans 1:21-32) We mirror the conditions of Noah's time.
Men and women go nonchalantly into and out of marriage and the lack of sexual morality thrives as perverted sexual behavior is readily accepted, and immorality quickly segues into amorality (Genesis 4:19; 6:2)! Addressing His Second Coming, Jesus also refers to the time of Lot and the wickedness of that day. ( Read Luke 17:28-30, Genesis 19) We parallel the days of both Noah and Lot! Look around! Evil is still filling the hearts of man!
As the rain began to fall, and the earth convulsed with gushing waters, the sudden actuality of God's foretold judgment (II Peter 2:5) caused people to frantically run to the Ark, bang against its sides, and demand that Noah open its door. Tragically, because they denied God, the 'door' to eternal salvation had permanently closed, and the torments of Hell awaited them. (Mark 9:43-48)
His Second Coming is nearing, consequently so is His final judgment for the lost! The Great White Throne Judgment awaits the unbeliever (Revelations 20:11-15)! Where will we be?inside or outside God's 'ark' of eternal salvation? Will we be standing with every other unsaved person from down through the ages, begging and pleading for mercy from the very God we ridiculed and denied? Will we, like the antediluvians, be too late as we attempt to 'knock on the Door of God's forgiveness' ? "I (Jesus) am the door?by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved?John 10:7-9) ? only to suffer forever in the searing flames and blackest darkness of the eternal Lake of Fire? "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelations 20:15)
We must NOT ignore His warnings or reject His Word! God's (II Peter 3:9) will finally end and sin will be banished forever! (Revelations 21:27)
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
Nancy Hamilton is an author of Christian books. Thoughts of Faith is a weekly column written by various ministers and lay people. Those interested in scheduling a date for writing a Thoughts of Faith column should contact Christy Hudson at 376-5446 or chudson@mariettatimes.com. Or, if a Thoughts of Faith column is written at the writer's convenience and sent to The Times, it will run the first available date.
