Noah: Preacher of Righteousness or Survivalist/Doomsday Prepper

A recent post on From the Lighthouse talks of a new movie Noah:
“A new Hollywood epic on the life of Noah has stirred controversy among Christians, Jews and others who have pre-screened the film, as they state that the movie largely leaves out one important foundation: the Bible.

“Noah is the brainchild of producer Darren Aronofsky, who says that he has wanted to make a film about Noah and the ark since his childhood. With a $125 million budget, the film is said to be more of an edgy action epic that depicts a man who fights off his enemies as he prepares for a coming apocalypse, rather than a story of a “preacher of righteousness” who calls the world to repentance from sin.

“Russell Crowe, known for his roles in Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and Robin Hood stars as Noah in the film, and Anthony Hopkins, known for his roles in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and The Legends of the Fall appears as grandfather Methuselah, who provides advice to Noah.

“Man corrupted this world and filled it with violence, so he must be destroyed,” Methuselah explains to Noah, who has a dream of “death by water.”

The remainder of the article is available on the Christian News Network website.

Okay, so here’s the thing: I’ve looked at the trailer and frankly it’s appealing to me as movies go. But then I like apocalyptic movies. I sorta think they’re glimpses of possible realities.

The movie critic complains the movie producer Darren Aronofsky didn’t use the Bible in the story. Well, Mr. Aronofsky used the idea of a man named Noah and a flood that destroys wicked people. Hummmmmmmm! So a movie is made as a fictional account of a Biblical person and a Biblical event and that account isn’t what the author of the article seems to think it should be. That’s the problem with the movie; it doesn’t fit the idea the critic has of Noah. As I understand it, the author says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. This seems to me to mean that the critic wants Noah to stand around preaching the Gospel of Righteousness to a people who were only doing evil because they were uninformed of the truth. The critic seems to think there is something inherently wrong with preparing for the flood. Wait. Am I missing something here. Wasn’t Noah instructed to build an ark? What part of building an ark to house his family is Noah doing that isn’t preparing for a coming disaster of epic proportions?

In the trailer, we see Noah facing angry hordes that want nothing more than to take the boat, even if they swamp it trying. After all, the hordes don’t just stand around and say, “Oh, we’ve been bad. We deserve to drown.” Why is that so controversial? Oh, sure, the Bible didn’t go into great specifics about the flash mob at Noah’s boat as the rain came pouring down. Here the foundation for the epic flood, from the Bible:

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Genesis chapter six

The idea that Noah was a preacher of righteousness comes from the Apostle Peter when he wrote: “. . .”if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. . .” 2Peter 2:5.

The movie critic spoke of people critical of the movie wanting it to be more scriptural, and the movie has been assailed as not being a Christian movie. Okay. Was Sound of Music a Christian movie? Look, just because a movie gives a fictional account Noah, why does it have to have the approval of Christians? And even if some producer said he wanted Christian input and approval, to whom would he go? There is no single Christian church on Earth at this time. Had Mr. Aronofsky said he was making a scriptural account of Noah, perhaps he’d ask for assistance from a major Christian denomination in America. Perhaps it would be the same denomination that approves of marriage between two men or marriage between two women, or practicing homosexuals as church leaders.

I think the controversy comes from our “feel good” world of the Twenty-First Century. We are led to belief that G-d wants nothing more than for us to feel good about ourselves. As such, we must see G-d in our “feel good” image. G-d is put into a box, contained. We perceive of Him as a peacenik without the flowers in His hair. In this case, I think the movie critics wants Noah to preach Peace and Love and throw flowers to that poor, misunderstood mass of humanity.

Other critics of the movie say it’s just another environmental-disaster movie that is part of a whole agenda that wants the mass of humanity to be scared of the way the Earth has been treated, and that the Earth is somehow trying to overthrow its caretaker, namely humans. In this light, Hollywood is supporting the propaganda of the “Green Movement.” This theme isn’t brought out in the trailer, that I can see.

The reality of Noah is far different. Noah found favor with G-d when G-d saw only a fallen humankind. As such, G-d decided to give humanity another chance, wiping the slate clean. In wiping the slate, a whole bunch of wicked people went down kicking and screaming in a flood of water. If only CNN had been around to document the Flood, we’d see if the wicked hordes attacked the ark or not.

Mr. Aronofsky’s account of Noah is as good as anyone’s account. It’s a story. We live in a secular world with lots of stories. So as long as Mr. Aronofsky doesn’t say it is the Word of the Lord, then it’s just another secular movie depicting a lot of blood shed centered on the theme of survival.

That said, there is one movie that is either out or coming out that I do think is over the edge. It is a movie about Abraham storming an army that surrounds his nephew Lot, and rescuing him. Now that one got it all wrong. And that might have crossed the line from just secular movie-making to deception. There are lines. I don’t see the story of Noah crossing over that line to deception. Then again, I’ve only seen the trailer. Maybe the actual movie does so. Most likely I’ll see it when it’s shown on television, then I’ll know.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Preparing for an Emergency—Six

I’ve touched on preparedness from the point of view of surviving a disaster of limited scope for a local calamity such as a storm, and briefly mentioned survivalists/preppers who provision for extended you’re-on-you’re-own survival. On Wednesday I reposted an Urgent Message that speaks of wide-spread disaster of undetermined length of time. It’s up to you if you want to accept Pastor David Wilkerson’s Urgent Message. Or if you want to try to put aside a few meals and some drinking water “Just In Case” of a storm or some other disruption of normal grocery shipments, then get started.

On my heart at the moment is to take a look at some reasons, beyond our own survival, for preparedness. Paul wrote to Timothy something of his heart on why he continued doing the things he did, despite opposition, physical discomfort, and illness.

This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

2 Timothy 2:10

In his “Urgent Message,” Pastor Wilkerson mentioned two possible approaches to the coming time of which he spoke. One is to flee, the other to prepare and stay. He had chosen the later, to stay. He knew not all could, or would, leave New York City, so he felt it best to stay with them. He would stay and minister as long as possible, which would depend upon the Lord’s desires in his life. Pastor Wilkerson didn’t argue for a pre-tribulation return of Messiah in which the Believers are called to meet him in the air. He also didn’t mention a mid- or post-tribulation return. Without speculating as to how long he must endure, he was prepared emotionally and spiritually to endure until the end, his end or Messiah’s return. Just like Noah, Pastor Wilkerson was not preparing for only himself, but for the work of G-d through him.

Now for Noah, preparing was fairly clearcut: build a boat, equip it, gather a bunch of animals, round up his family, and close the door. It occurs to me that Noah would have had to not only prepare for feeding both human and animal during the forty-day cruise, but he’d also have to have enough on board to handle things until crops would grow again. Noah begins to look a lot like a modern-day prepper, who would even have stocked seed on board with supplies for over a year. So for Noah, the mandate was clearly him, his family, and a selection of animals.

For Pastor Wilkerson, as with all those who realize the need to prepare for coming hardships, it’s not so easy. There’s a difference of opinion of how much a family might need to have on hand, and it has to do with what type and duration of disaster a person believes he or she will face. Pastor Wilkerson stated: “lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials.” What comes after the thirty-day supply is exhausted? I believe Pastor Wilkerson’s faith was enough that he wasn’t going to be worried. His faith was in G-d Who is able to rescue His own. G-d rescued Lot before consuming fire destroyed his city. G-d cared for Elijah, feeding him by way of a bird. G-d kept hidden His chosen during the evil reign of King Ahab, during Elijah’s time. Furthermore, our Lord said:

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Matthew 6:25

Take no thought. According to Barnes Notes on the Bible, “The word “anxiety” would now exactly express the sense, and is precisely the thing against which the Saviour would guard us. See Luke 8:14; Luke 21:34; Philippians 4:6. “Thought” about the future is right; “anxiety, solicitude, trouble” is wrong. There is a degree of “thinking” about the things of this life which is proper. See 1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Romans 12:11. But it should not be our supreme concern; it should not lead to anxiety; it should not take time that ought to be devoted to religion. For your life – For what will “support” your life.”

This comment is exactly the balance I believe is necessary when we consider preparedness. We shall do best to allow our Lord to build our faith, that we are not anxious about any future, yet able to prayerfully consider, to think about, the need the Lord will have for us today, tomorrow, and in at any future time. Now in our prayerful considerations, we may wish to consider that the Lord may have us assist others in need, whether making through a storm or a major disaster with seemingly no end. It might be that a three-day emergency bag of food, water, and personal gear is inadequate to meet the needs of a group of people to which the Lord might bring our way. There may be people G-d desires to reach with the Gospel message, and you and me might be the ones G-d allows to represent Him. Presenting the Gospel to a hungry family is certainly more effective once the stomach is satisfied.

Consider these things. Give prayerful consideration to preparedness.

Until Monday, Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you and through you.

Preparing for an Emergency—Five

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Matthew 24:21,22

Pastor David Wilkerson, in 2009, wrote the following on his blog:

AN URGENT MESSAGE
I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE – EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).

God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12).

In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment—just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.

As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).

I will say to my soul: No need to run…no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take—trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.

Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you,

In Christ,

DAVID WILKERSON

See You Friday, Lord Willing. Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Preparing for an Emergency—Four

Noah was preparing for one particular disaster—a flood. Not just any flood, either, but a very big one, one that, as revealed to him, would eliminate all inhabitants of the Earth except those in Noah’s Ark. If we choose preparedness, for what types of disasters shall we prepare?

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Matthew 24:7

Y’shuaJesus said those words around two thousand years ago. Since then, nations have risen, fallen, and fought one another. There have been famines and pestilences, disease outbreaks, and a whole variety of natural calamities. The United State Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggests at its website Ready.gov, the following in its introduction to PLANNING:

“Emergency preparedness is not the sole concern of Californians for earthquakes, those who live in “Tornado Alley”; or Gulf Coast residents because of hurricanes. Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime. Americans also travel more than ever before; to areas impacted by hazards they may not be at risk of near their homes. Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

“Some of the basic protective actions are similar for multiple hazards. For example, safety is necessary when experiencing all hazards, whether this means sheltering or evacuating depends on the specific emergency. Developing a family communications plan or making an emergency supply kit are the same for accidental emergencies, natural disasters and also terrorism. However, there are important differences among potential emergencies that should impact the decisions you make and the actions you take.”

Storms seem the most frequent and severe disasters we, in the US, face each year. Even in fair-weather places, like Georgia, storms disrupt services. During the winter of 2010-11, a nice storm pretty much shut down northern Georgia, including the metropolitan Atlanta area, which is home to about five million people. The worst of it lasted only three days, but driving even five days following the storm was difficult in many areas. Schools were closed. Deliveries were disrupted. Most still had electricity, so didn’t need to evacuate. In other winter storms throughout the United States, power is often lost. Without power, most will have not heat. And when it’s freezing outside, it soon freezes inside. Not pleasant. With no power, evacuating is often the only solution. And to where? Why, to a friendly government-established and -staffed facility.

But there is still the revelation of Y’shuaJesus that more severe things will occur. On Wednesday, I have scheduled an repost of an urgent warning from an American pastor.

Until then, May the Lord continue to Bless, Keep, and Shine upon y’all. . .

Preparing for an Emergency—Three

How much should a pantry have in it? Here’s what’s written about Noah:

And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Genesis 6:21-21

Not exactly clear how much Noah stocked in his boat. Perhaps Noah knew it would take forty-days supply. If we were to consider a cache, how much would we store?

Well, that’s a matter of opinion. Some survivalists/preppers stock several years of dried food, extra clothing, farming equipment, medical supplies, and various sorts of hunting and self-defense/protection gear. At that point, it’s not a pantry, but an entire room or more that is filled. That’s definitely prepared. At the opposite side is the man I mentioned with absolutely nothing in his pantry, as he lived from one day to the next buying what the family needed daily. Going upward from there is people who follow the government recommendations. I remember the 1950s when we were preparing for what we thought would be an eminent nuclear war. We had AM band radios marked with a radiation symbol to let us know where to tune in the event of an emergency. We had a list of things we were suppose to store, that included two-weeks supply of food that could be eaten without cooking, lots of water, candles, matches, and personal items. There were shelters fully stocked in the various public buildings. That was forgotten for a while as the threat of the Cold War died out. With it died the emergency broadcast system. The shelters were quickly forgotten, too. One day, in one town I lived in, one of the shelters was cleared out. There were a lot of leaking bottles of chemicals that had to be disposed.

With “9-11” emergency preparedness took on new life, and the government is once again in the recommending a plan and a kit. There’s an interesting campaign launched by CDC providing posters to state and local health departments. These posters use the Zombie Apocalypse as an eye-catcher. The idea is to get people to think and plan in the event of a local, regional, or national disaster. Depending upon the government agency, the recommended supply of emergency food and gear is now a three-day pack that can be quickly carried out of the house. Occasionally there are recommendations that include the three-day kit and a “long-term” supply for between two and three weeks. There is no provision for defense measures, either.

Where to go? In America, today, tt is expected that we, the people, in the case of disaster and evacuation, will move to a nice shelter somewhere out of danger. I suspect this is why the three-day pack is recommended, it is definitely more portable than the ultimate prepper’s larder. Were a disaster to strike, we will follow along with countless others shambling into a stadium or other suitable venue, where we will be fed and cared for until the disaster is mitigated. From what I’ve heard, that scenario didn’t work out too well during the Katrina Hurricane disaster in New Orleans. Those that took to the road to avoid Katrina, found themselves in gridlock going north with many just running out of gas on the highway. Some others that stayed out of desire to, or didn’t have a way to evacuate, went to the stadium, where they found another form of disaster. That three-day supply would have been a great idea in either case, and a two-week kit even better—if someone didn’t “requisition” it from the bearer.

More thoughts on Monday.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: Lower 9th... — New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: Lower 9th Ward. House thrown off foundation, partially atop an upside-down Ford-150 Photo by Infrogmation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Preparing for an Emergency—Two

Now it’s a good thing Noah didn’t live in America today. I read recently of a man facing charges from city government for not completing his boat in the time frame in which he was originally granted. The city was going to move the boat, completed or not, away from the guys home because the boat had been an eyesore too long. In my neighborhood, I agreed to something called CC&Rs, which restricts me to lots of things beyond what the county ordinances disallow. No way could I build a boat on my acre of land; I’m not allowed to have a ham radio antenna.

And as it was in the days 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

We are an increasingly urban society in America. This means lots of people crammed together coexisting, or at least trying to do so. In the area in which I now reside, which was rural not too long ago when I moved here, growth has brought us to a point nearly suburban, which means we still have some open land left to pillage, and no high-rise buildings in clusters. Things are a bit less concentrated, but we have industrial and office complexes appearing next to neighborhoods. Roads running by the neighborhoods are snarled with automobiles when employees head to work or to home, and often during the day. Schools are crowded, while new ones are built and filled quickly to overflowing. And there seems to be no end in sight. It also means that we are within a mile of a grocery store in a large shopping plaza. Each plaza seems to have a salon, a shop to do ladies’ nails, dry cleaners, and a restaurant or two, and several fast-food places.

Urbanites don’t keep food on the shelf, it seems. One of my neighbors admitted he had absolutely nothing in his cupboard, that his family either ate out or picked something up to bring home each day. I’m not from that lifestyle. To use a line from a song, “I’m a little more country than that.”

I grew up in rural areas, lived most of my adult life in rural areas. During season, we ate a lot of fresh produce from farm stands. My mother shopped sales and stocked the pantry with as much as we could afford. They also travelled about a hundred miles to an Air Force base to shop at the commissary—saving a lot of money doing so. The only things they needed to buy more frequently were perishables that wouldn’t freeze. They didn’t call it “Prepping”; it was just a way of life.

There are other reasons to have a large pantry. One example is one community in which I lived, up in northern California. Winter storms rolled through at least once each year that closed the main interstate that runs between California to Washington. It could stay closed for several days. After the first day of the storm, the store shelves were bare, and no shipments arrived until the interstate reopened. We either had a minimally stocked pantry, or went without.

It’s time for you to look in a cupboard, or closet, or where ever you store food, to see what’s on hand. Let me know what you find. How long can you exist, not thrive, but just exist on what you have on hand? Until Friday, then.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Preparing for an Emergency—One

Back in the day, it was Survivalist; today it is a Prepper. The word isn’t yet in the dictionary, but that doesn’t stop about 7,490,000 results (in 0.34 seconds) in a search on Google. While once a fringe in society, like, ah yes, environmentalists, preppers are popping up all over, like Georgia wildflowers after a gentle rain. Now the popular media, television, has a show called Doomsday Preppers. Whether one is a Survivalist or a Prepper, or just hoping to survive a local natural calamity, like a hurricane, the idea of preparedness isn’t new; it goes way, way, way back—to at least Noah.

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Genesis 6:11-22

Did you watch the movie 2012? There were three arks depicted. It took a lot of engineers to develop a system in which those arks would survive what was to come in the movie. So here’s Noah, perhaps a farmer and hunter who may never have seen a boat in his life (I don’t know, but just guessing). Perhaps the most water he may have seen was a river swollen after a sudden desert rain. So G-d, Who is an excellent Engineer, gives Noah detailed plans. Noah follows along, just like build-by-the-numbers- construction sets, and gives birth to a pretty cool boat. Well, maybe it was a ship. It was big.

Noah is often shown as being laughed at by those around him. Hum, a lot like the Survivalists of the late 70s, the Preppers of today. I can’t recall where it came from, perhaps from some Sunday school lesson a long time ago, but somehow I got the notion of Noah not really having a clue to what he was doing. It’s like he might say, “Hey, I don’t know what it’s for, I’m just following orders.” This can’t be a true representation of Noah, which is why I find suspect some of the way kids are taught the Bible. Even if Noah didn’t totally know what was going on at first, one can’t think ill of him if it were, for at least he followed orders. (And it was nice of him to do so, as it sounded like G-d didn’t have a lot of good folks to choose from back then, and he’d already “repented” of his creation, giving up on the whole “Let’s create man in our image” thing.)

Matthew Henry commented that “Noah [was] distinguished from the rest of the world, and a peculiar mark of honor put upon him. When God was displeased with the rest of the world, he favored Noah. Being a good man, He found him out, and smiled upon him. He was made a vessel of God’s mercy. God makes Noah the man of His counsel, communicating to him His purpose to destroy this wicked world by water, as afterwards, He told Abraham His resolution concerning Sodom (Genesis 18:17). The secret o f the Lord was with His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7) by a spirit of revelation, informing them particularly of His purpose.”

Noah had to have seen the corruptness in the world that he knew. He had to have been removed from that evil, too. Maybe he wasn’t perfect, just like us, but at least he caught G-d’s attention. He also must have seen some natural signs that made all the work and harassment he received from people around him, worth continuing until the ark was complete. Once it was done, how long did Noah have to wait until G-d decided it was time? Could have been a while. And once it was time to start loading, how long did that take? That could have taken a while, too. It’s hard enough sometimes to get my daughter’s dog to return to the house when she’s licking her lips at the scent of rabbit; she just wants to sit still, like a hunter in a stand, waiting for dinner to appear on four legs. I can’t imagine gathering up a whole bunch of animals, trying to care for the first few while gathering more. I’m sure the whole process has been expounded upon by a witty preacher trying to make a point about something or other.

The series continues Wednesday, in the meantime take a look at Genesis and think about parallels between the days of Noah and these days.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .