And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died (Genesis 7:21:22)
The flood, dear reader, must have been quite surprising. Could the ancients swim? I imagine they could, and a little more naturally than most of us. I learned how to swim in a massive pool, and almost drowned twice, despite being "instructed". My older sister saved me both times, praise be to God. Where, pray tell, were the paid swimming instructors while I sputtered in the water after being forced to jump into the deep end off the very high diving board? Okay enough about me, I am safe on solid currently non-wet ground - let's return to the ancients.
The urge to enter water is natural, and learning how to swim instinctive, especially when introduced gradually. When you can walk in, feeling the gentleness or intensity of waves, and choose your wading pace, becoming accustomed and acquainted with the ebb and flow will teach the senses how to respond. Arms are employed to keep us afloat when we are in neck deep, and a wave threatens to wash over us. Comparing learning in a pool to learning in the ocean helps us see how drastic the one is over the other: babies play at the sandy edges of the salty ocean, while adults have the confidence to go further away from terra firma into the deep. What a metaphor this brings us to, dear reader. The purity and delight of little children, completely unaware of the dangers of the deep, juxtaposed with adults choosing to swim out far and away from solid ground toward their own destruction, with spring waters raising them up, and rainy water driving them down, until they could doggy paddle no more, and died in a watery grave.
The heavens opened and store houses of rain poured forth. The springs of the earth spilled from their encasements and boarders: if you were in a boat, dear reader, it wouldn't have to have holes in it to sink, if the water from above filled up your vessel, and the waters from below, wave after relentless wave, entered into the space you occupied.
Did people get alarmed by the rain, something they had never seen before? In panic, did they head for the hills, since their towns and homes were suddenly and rapidly filling with streams of water? How about trees? Did they think to themselves, run, let us run to the nearby forest, and climb as fast as we can to wait this out? As the water rose and rain dropped and deluged simultaneously, covering the earth and first killing the low to the ground creeping things, and next all of the animals, followed by resourceful humans, were there screams of terror amidst gasps for air as their lungs filled with liquid? Did anyone take charge? and say, This way, follow me, I have a solution!
Dear reader, we have waded neck deep into sticky coat the world red blood. The things I have heard recently give me sleepless nights. I awake desperately praying, alarmed, panicked, and wondering if there is an escape for the masses that have committed heinous sins that I cringe at the thought of ... sins that God sees! My goodness, I cannot un-see much to my chagrin, and God sees every single one! If we truly are living as in the days of Noah, we are heading for purification by fire. God will burn the dross, and refine the gold, the godly, those that love him and want his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Flood, fire ... drowning, burning. Are these far fetched ways of dying? I told you I almost drown twice, but my sister, always protective of me, saved me. I knew several people that had survived being burned, and perhaps you know someone too? The kind of flooding, the kind of firing I am on about, are universal, impacting the whole world and all its creatures. Just like water, fire can be destructive: when it rages and flames lick up and incinerate everything and everyone in its path, it does not consider who or what, it just plain old burns to ashes all before it.
Noah and his wife, their three sons and three wives, were a human remnant. Imagine that, one man and his family:
This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot : Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 6:9-10)
Compare, or juxtapose what The Bible states about Noah in God's sight, to this:
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thought of the heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. 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 6:5-8)
O my, this is in Genesis, the first book of The Bible. God wiped out whole populations because he couldn't stand what he saw and clearly, was disgusted by the despicableness. I ask you, do you feel similarly? Are you repulsed by what you are seeing and hearing? Have you ever wanted the wicked to shut their mouths and keep their dirty filthy hands off of the innocent?
God created all of everything and we choose how we treat one another and what he has generously provided for us. Whether we kid-glove handle things and people with care and concern, or manhandle to the point of mishandling and strangling, is clearly up to us: while God sees ALL. God decides how much is enough, while giving us plenty of time to repent. And, AND, dear reader, we are forewarned, that a time is coming when Justice will not be ignorable or escapable, Revelation 19:11-16:
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He has a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS
Only Christians look forward to the arrival of this day. Only God's saints are thrilled at the prospect of all wickedness, debauchery, and blood shed, coming to a final end. I shared a snippet of what the end of humanity on earth looks like, and you can do what many before have done: ask God to give you wisdom and understanding. Pick up a Bible, a King James or New King James Bible, and Matthew Henry's Commentary On The Whole Bible, and learn first hand what has been, what will be, what to expect and anticipate. It isn't up to mere murky smirky minded men to determine your now and future, it is up to you to educate yourself and choose rightly, for the sake of your own soul and the souls of the next generation.
One way or another, you and I will die. I know where I am going after my spirit departs from the shell I currently reside in. Do you know your eternal destination?
No comments:
Post a Comment