As the Bible teaches, when a house is built on sand , it is a reckless, unwise and irresponsible decision. It would certainly qualify as a worst case scenario. Because, and as the Word of God offers the most graphic of pictorials, we can envision the calm just prior to nature being literally unhinged! The Word of God, Jesus Christ himself, makes a clear distinction between the wise and the foolish. From the previous truth, we could also conclude that the former was ruled by a sinless heart, and the later was ruled by a heart riddled with sin. What could not be seen was the hidden threat to the foundation that was ever present, and even prior to the annihilation of that house: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27).
Genesis, or the book of beginnings, reminds us in the 6th Chapter that the condition of the heart of sinful humankind inclined toward a willful and ongoing disobedience. Tragically, the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Paradise) triggered an avalanche of cyclic sickness called sin: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings, Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 1 John 3:4).
And as we all know, the Scripture is saturated with stories and examples of sin and salvation. Inclusive is sins cost of the realization of one being separated from God. In addition, the Scripture also teaches the way of salvation and the price paid to by back (redemption) souls who fall prey to sins consequences. The answer to sin was already in motion by God, the Father and the ONLY cure for sin was His Son and the captain of our salvation. The first reference or prophesy relative to Jesus Christ and His defeat of Satan appears in the Book of Genesis: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Genesis 3:15, Hebrews 2:3-4).
In keeping with the theme of this message, and it simply cannot be overemphasized, sin is a disease and the process of its progression is no different from a dreaded affliction caused by a disease circulating in human populations. But almighty God would wash the world of its filth and contamination by ordering a great and cataclysmic flood for the extermination of His creation. With the expression of a most human emotion, God was grieved in His heart as He gazed upon His world gone wrong and consumed by immorality, corruption and an unrestrained and voracious appetite for lust, corruption and violence: "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." (Genesis 6:6). God was not necessarily sorry that He created man, but expressed sorrow for the sin that His crowning achievement perpetrated.
"Sin" was running rampant. God offers us a glimpse into the Law of the Kingdom which would ultimately be fulfilled in the coming King, Jesus Christ: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5: 27-28).
God is literally heartbroken when His crowning achievement, humankind, embarks upon the practice of outright rebellion against a God who created us for His purpose and desire. During this unthinkable assault on His great goodness, we read that the “sons of God” hooked up (so to speak) with the “daughters of men”. You might be wondering at this point, and looking for clarity concerning the foregoing expressions: “sons of God” and “daughters of men”. Based on my study of the scripture, along with the most widely accepted interpretations of the related passages found in the Book of Genesis, Chapters 4 and 5 both address and give us clarity on these expressions.
In Genesis 4, we read about the ungodly descendants of Cain, or the “daughters of men”. If you recall, Cain gained notoriety by his commission of the first murder in the Bible: he murdered his brother Abel. His name would forever go down in infamy for such an egregious act: “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass”, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:8-9). Cain would migrate to the land of Nod, or “wandering”. His descendants would perpetrate acts of vengeance and murder. Is there any wonder?
And Genesis 5 showcases the godly descendants of Seth, or the “sons of God”. Sometime after the murder of Abel, Adam and Eve bore another son and named him Seth: “And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 5:25-26).
Noah was a descendant of the lineage of Seth, and called by God to preserve the righteous few prior to the great flood: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). What a remarkable calling! God extended His great grace to Noah, and because of Noah’s choosing to “walk with God”. In other words, Noah was morally perfect and lived his life in accordance with a character and conduct in conformity with God’s standard. And unlike his counterparts, who would eventually perish in the flood waters ordered by God. Amidst this dawn of destruction, God charged Noah with building the massive ark that served as a vehicle for the deliverance of a faithful few, and by whom the entire earth would be repopulated.
Let’s focus momentarily on the passage above concerning Noah’s finding grace in God’s eyes. If you recall, I posed a question in the first paragraph of today’s sermon: why were we created? Well, when God examined Noah’s heart, what do you think he saw? The answer is in the previous paragraph. What God saw, and exclusive of anything else, was a heart that was perfect towards him: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
In my humble opinion, Noah, and because of the fact that the heart he possessed was hopelessly devoted to serving and worshipping his God, is a reflection of the following pertinent and glorious passage found in the Scripture: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 14:11).
And as I conclude this message, Noah’s heart truly warranted salvation or emancipation as opposed to extermination or destruction. We must remember, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised;)” (Hebrews 10:22-23). God used Noah as His instrument for a NEW BEGINNING.
留言