As In the Days of Noah

Matt. 24:37-39:"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."

Many have spoken about the last days, referring to this verse. I agree. What is not often said is that Noah BUILT the ark. Genesis 6:8 states, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." God's favor did not result in God building an ark for Noah's family to escape. God's favor was the warning to Noah that the flood was coming and the direction on how to build the boat. Noah's responsibility was to build what would protect him and his family. An ark did not magically appear. It was crafted slowly and diligently with excellence until the day it was completed.

Are we doing that? Are we preparing for the last days? Preparation may look differently in distinct geographic areas. Perhaps food shortage is a concern or a freshwater supply. However different it may look in our various locations, one thing is sure. One thing required is that we are praying the Lord of the Harvest to send for laborers and then a willingness to be the answer to our prayer (Matt. 9:37-38). We know that no matter the circumstances around us, wars, famine, or drought, two things are sure: one, it's not God's will that any should perish, but that all come to repentance, and two, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (2 Pt. 3:9, Rom. 8:38-39).

We live in an age where life is lived at warp speed. No one slows down; our busyness consumes us. But Noah was concerned with one thing: what God wanted. The Word states, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (Gen. 6:22). As we evaluate where we stand concerning God's timetable, can we confidently say we are doing all we're commanded? According to various scholars, it took Noah approximately fifty-five to seventy-five years to build the ark, and the church has had Christ's words for over two thousand.

Hebrews 11:7 states, "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." The term "reverence prepared" has the connotation that Noah, cautiously and in fear with awe, built, furnished, and equipped the ark. If God had planned to do it for him supernaturally, there would have been no need of a warning, and yet God has warned us time and again, yet we do nothing. Even when others scoffed, Noah passed judgment against the world by building the ark. In other words, his faith was a prophetic act that shouted Noah's belief that God's word is true. He was acting contrary to what the world was doing.

Do our actions today condemn the world's ungodliness and reaffirm our belief in the truth of God's word? Are we stepping out to build arks for our families, churches, and communities? Only God can provide the proper instructions for what will float during this time of upheaval but make no mistake; we have a responsibility to cooperate with what God is telling us and, in so doing, declare to the world Truth.