Escaping Judgment – The Noah Generation!
One of the signs Jesus gave us to look for in the world before His second coming was the sign of a Noah Generation: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).
We are either in those days now or fast heading toward them. Here are the parallels between Noah’s days and our days:
Perversion in Noah’s Days!
“…the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose” (Genesis 6:2).
There was perversion on the earth with the ‘sons of God’ mingling with humans, eating, drinking, and taking themselves wives from the citizens of the planet. It could mean one of the following three things:
1) There is a heavenly hierarchy that we do not have complete knowledge of inclusive of the fallen angels, and other heavenly beings referred to as ‘sons of Elohim’ that perverted God’s order and mingled unlawfully with the humans to produce giants on the earth. Job makes a reference to the ‘sons of God’ in Job 1:6: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them” (Job 1:6). Make no mistake, the supreme God, God in the Highest, Most High God (El Elyon) is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Psalm 82:1 refers to this heavenly hierarchy and irrefutably refers to God the Supreme Judge: “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods” (Psalm 82:1). This is the most important reason why God refers to Himself as the “Most High (Genesis 14:18-20)!” While there are other beings among the ’sons of God,’ most in obedience to God the Highest but some in rebellion as Lucifer and his fallen angels, Jesus, and only Jesus, is referred to as the “Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32)! Only through Jesus, as the Way, Truth, and the Life, we are received as the children of the Father, the Most High God of the Universe, (El Elyon – God Most High; El Shaddai – God Almighty)!
2) The fallen angels of Satan mingled with the humans.
3) The third explanation is this – People who had come into the awareness of and separation to God after Seth were a select sect of God with the knowledge of God. We read about them in Genesis 4:26: “And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). This was like the ‘church of that day.’ These people with the awareness and understanding of God began unlawfully engaging themselves in eating and drinking and unlawful mingling to pervert God’s design and will.
Jesus warns us that the perversion of God’s laws and His ways will be rampant in the last days as we are witnessing them today. I want to refer to Reason # 3 from above to draw a parallel to what is going on in religious communities today. God’s people, separated by the blood of Jesus, engage themselves to follow a perverted lifestyle. There is not a week that goes by without someone prominent in the church losing their place in the ministry due to sin and their congregants going through a tailspin. Pornography, immorality, and other violations are not uncommon even to some of the leaders in the church. It is increasing and not decreasing nowadays.
Wickedness in Noah’s Days!
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all day)” (Genesis 6:5).
The word “wickedness” comes from the root Hebrew word that gives us the meanings: “depravity, disagreeable, malignant, vicious in disposition, hurtful.” We hear more of unlawful violations of God’s laws, precepts, statutes, and testimonies today in our world than righteousness, holiness, integrity, and faithfulness to God. There is wickedness everywhere on television, in the sports world, in movies, in media, etc. A righteous family cannot bring up their children to watch television without them holding the remote control in their hands to control what the children are watching. Make no mistake, the rulers of this world want nothing in the name of ‘freedom’ but seducing young minds to corruption and immorality while the parents must fight hard to protect them to follow God and His ways.
Violence Filled the Earth in Noah’s Days!
“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11).
The word “corrupt” comes from the Hebrew word “shaw-khath” meaning “corrupt, absolutely depraved, spiritually and morally putrid, perverted, spoiled, and ruined.”
The word “violence” comes from the Hebrew “cha-mac” pronounced “Hamas” which means “desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, damage, injustice, cruelty, and lust for power.”
Today, Hamas may be a group of people in the Middle East, but the “spirit of Hamas” is alive and well everywhere, with demonstrators and supporters of Hamas all over the earth, just as in Noah’s days, “the earth was filled with violence (“Cha-mac”).” There is outrage everywhere. There is an infringement on people's freedom everywhere. There is injustice – people obeying the laws are punished more than the violators of the laws. Criminals have more rights and protection than innocent law-abiding citizens. The word “corrupt” describes our conduct of depravity, moral failure, and perversion across the globe.
Noah (Meaning ‘Rest’) Made the Difference!
The name “Noah” was chosen by his father Lamech (son of Methuselah) and he chose the name for him while the earth was cursed around them: “Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and had a son. And he called his name Noah (“Rest”), saying, ‘This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed’” (Genesis 5:28-29).
In contrast to the situation of his world, Noah drew God’s attention: “So, the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:7-8).
Why did Noah receive grace from God?
Noah was a just man: “Noah was a just man” (Genesis 6:9).
Noah was a perfect man: “(Noah was) perfect in his generations” (Genesis 6:9).
Noah walked with God: “Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).
The explanation of the complete verse (Genesis 6:9) is this: “Noah was righteous, blameless, having integrity, and in right standing with God. Noah walked (lived in habitual fellowship) with God.”
God’s Charge to Noah to Build an Ark!
“And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and outside with pitch” (Genesis 6:13-14).
Notice God said, “Make yourself an ark.” He did not say, “Make for the world, Make for your neighbors and friends.”
What does this mean? God wanted to protect just Noah from His destruction. This tells me that even Noah’s family, only by their choice to join Noah, will be protected, along with those in the world who would choose to join Noah to escape God’s judgment. Noah’s life with his building of the ark for over 100 years was a testimony to the wicked and perverted generation filled with violence. The lives and the actions of Noah’s family would serve as God’s living message to the unbelieving world.
Friends, we have come into the time where Jesus with His words is warning us to remember Noah and by which He commands us to protect all that God has given in our hands primarily. While I still believe in revival and a great awakening, I am charged with the responsibility of living for God as God’s example (like Noah did) with my family representing God and not being too discouraged by a lack of response to God’s messages I am sending out around the world.
We are in the times of the five wise virgins keeping their oils to themselves and not sharing them with the foolish ones.
We are in the time of the wise and talented servants who multiplied their talents and are not dividing them with those who buried theirs.
We are in the time of LIVING as an example of God’s Word rather than preaching it.
We are in a time where our lives with our actions will speak volumes more than the words we share.
Our lives alone must draw those who are looking for God so that our circles can grow larger to be protected and preserved from the upcoming judgment of God.
Noah Did All God Asked Him to Do!
“’ I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall go 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 after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself, and it shall be food for you and for them.’ Thus, Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:18-22).
Noah obeyed and did everything God asked him to do. The writer of Hebrews describes the faith of Noah: “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
“Noah moved with godly fear and reverence.”
“Noah prepared an ark for the saving of his household.”
Noah by his obedience condemned the world!
Noah’s righteousness was a result of his obedience to what God asked him to do!
As Noah, we must move with godly fear and with obedience and faithfulness to do what God has commanded us to do, and without delay. We must be an example to our own families and influence them to fear God and submit to Him as we have done so ourselves. Noah’s life was an example to his family first before it was to his entire world. Our lives must be examples within our own homes before challenging others to follow God.
God Alone Shut Noah into the Ark!
Jesus reminds us that the world of Noah did not know “until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away.”
No one knew the time of judgment. Noah and his family stood as an example of God building the ark and living as a living testimony before them. When the time came, it was God who shut Noah in: “So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in” (Genesis 7:16).
We are in a time when God’s messengers are facing opposition from social media to the point of being canceled or shut down from sharing the truth. I do not want to imagine a time when God’s servants go eerily silent because God has shut them down. Still, I encourage you and even implore you to take advantage of the time available now to hear the word from the dedicated servants of God and grow so much in the Lord by separating yourself to God.
Noah Worshipped God for His Preservation!
God released Noah and his family after the flood subsided. Noah worshipped God by building an altar: “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma” (Genesis 8:20-21).
How thankful are we to God who has protected us from Covid-19 and all kinds of plagues running around us? Let us dedicate ourselves with our families to worshipping God and honoring Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls. Let us be aware of the times we are living in and not take things for granted but walk in fear and submission to God.
God’s Mercies Are Ever-Present!
Genesis 8 closes with these ordinances of God: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).
While we have no control over cold, heat, winter, summer, day, and night, we do reap what we sow by the merciful ordinance of God. This means, we, out of our free will, can sow in righteousness and reap plenty in righteousness. We are still in the time of God’s mercies and grace. Let us take the message from God, get close to Him, protect what God has placed in our hands, and keep sowing goodness and mercy in the lives of all those around us until God closes the door. That time is fast approaching!
Noah’s world was wicked, godless, corrupt, perverted, and violent!
Noah was just, righteous, and God-fearing!
Noah walked with God in habitual fellowship!
Noah found grace because he was different in right standing from all his peers!
God wanted to protect him for his testimony!
Noah and his family were examples of God for as long as they lived and built the ark to protect themselves!
Noah did all that God had commanded him to do!
God shut Noah in at the time of His judgment!
Noah worshipped God when released from the judgment of God!
Noah’s story is in the Hall of Fame of Faith!
Jesus is the Ark God has Sent to Protect and Preserve Everyone who comes in and abides in Jesus!
Let us Sow in Righteousness and Reap in Joy!
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, I love You and adore You and bow down before You. Lord, I thank You for saving me and keeping me in the Ark (Jesus) to preserve me and protect me. Help me, Lord, to move with godly fear and obedience to keeping all that You have committed into my hands by Your grace. I pray that my life will be powerful as Your servant to all who observe me and be drawn to You, Lord. Preserve me and my family to do Your will all the days of my life. In the Most Precious and Wonderful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen! Amen!!”
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John Jeyaseelan
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