Tuesday, November 29

GOD'S FLOOD: THE FIRST RESPONDER

Genesis 6-9

Recently, in the wake of Katrina and Rita, much was made of the slowness of the response, but at the same time, the first responders were praised. When it comes to the Great Flood, God is not only the first responder, but the one who initiated it. In the days of Noah, God saw the wickedness of man and that it was great on the earth, and that the thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually. The Lord was even sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He said, "I will destroy both man and beast, whom I have created." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, for He was just and walked with God.

Praise God, He had a plan! God said to Noah, "The earth is filled with man's violence, so I will destroy them. Make thee an ark of gopher wood—it will be three stories and have rooms, and a window—it is to be lined with pitch, both on the outside and on the inside, as well. I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, and everything on the earth will die. But with you, I will establish my covenant: and you shall come into the ark with your wife, your sons, and their wives. Every living thing of all flesh—two of every animal, and fowls will join you. And don't forget to take all the food on board with you, too." And then the Bible says a very amazing thing—"Thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded him." Not only was the Lord the first responder to the abundant sin by punishing the world and rescuing Noah's household, but they were the first and only responders to God's plan. And they responded with perfect obedience. Then the Lord said unto Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark, for I have seen righteousness before me." Noah had done all that the Lord had told him, so all eight people entered the ark. God then brought in the animals, and He alone shut the door. And so He will for us, too, if our response to Him is total surrender and the obedience that follows—shutting us within the center of His heart, and barring the world and its ways!

After seven days, the waters of the flood were upon the earth—the windows of heaven opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. The waters prevailed upon the earth 140 days. Oh, yes, they prevailed—they accomplished what God sent them forth to do, namely, to destroy the old world. But Praise God—He also intended a fresh start. After 150 days, the waters were abated, and the ark rested on a mountain in Ararat, some 500 miles from where they started. The waters decreased until the tops of the mountains could be seen. Noah opened the window of the ark and sent forth a raven, which never returned, for it probably landed on some floating carcass. Then he sent forth a dove, and it came back, not finding any clean place to rest. After another seven days, he sent the dove out again, and it came back in the evening with an olive leaf in its beak. The next time, it did not return at all, for it had found a new home. This whole thing was not Noah's idea—it was God's. He has an order, and that order has a promise for those who will respond to Him with love, respect, and obedience. What a glorious rainbow that makes!

~ C. June Johnson