Waiting Coming to an End

Waiting Coming to an End

Genesis 8: Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. ² The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. ³ And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. ⁴ Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. ⁵ And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

 

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Noah and his family were probably terrified on the first day of the rain. It had never rained before and the first time it did, floodwaters came and rose the ark up high. Waves crashed and the ark was thrown around. “Where is GOD?” they probably wondered. Sleep was minimal for a while, but they may have gotten used to the waves and the rain.

 

But one day the rain stopped. “Is it over?” they may have rejoiced. They did not know another one hundred and fifty days would pass before the waters receded enough for the ark to rest. They thought they were forgotten.

 

My Observations:

• GOD did not forget Noah and his family, but Noah thought GOD had forgotten him.
• Noah was very used to walking with the LORD, so any number of days away from HIS conversations felt like being abandoned.
• Activity that Noah could see, felt like GOD had returned, BUT GOD never left.

 

All knowing and all seeing are qualities of GOD that says HE cannot forget or lose track of us. But sometimes it seems like GOD has forgotten HIS plan or promises for us. The waves of life toss us around, just like the ark. Meanwhile, the ark was kept whole. Humans, animals and insects were kept safe. Life was sustained. Noah finally saw some activity that he wanted to see. GOD made it rain and HE made it stop raining. HE saved mankind as promised.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the timing of events?
• Have you ever received a promise from GOD that seems to be taking longer than you thought?
• Can you remain faithful to GOD even though HIS plan for you is still in progress?

Continental Divide

Continental Divide

Genesis 7: ⁷ So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. ⁸ Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, ⁹ two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰ And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. ¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. ¹² And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

 

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On the second- and third-day GOD created water capable of rain and fountains capable of tearing apart the large land mass known as dry land or earth. GOD, in HIS week of creation, already knew what HE was going to do to save mankind from itself. All of life depended on something flimsy, dysfunctional and unattractive as an ark.

 

My Observations:

• GOD used water to break up the earth and flood the land.
• GOD knew HE would need to save humanity from the bad choices caused by Satan’s temptation.
• GOD kept HIS promise of what HE said HE was going to do.

 

Every human, animal and bug would be drowned if they were not on the ark. GOD had completed HIS inspection of the ark and told Noah and his family to “come inside.” HE then left the ark and caused it to rain. HE broke up the land mass into the seven continents of today. The water that gently gave life to the plants was now destructive and a force that could not be overcome.

 

After Noah finished his ark, they all went inside. Not knowing what would really happen they got settled in. The miraculous movement and obedience of the animals gave the family some comfort that the thing Noah had been talking about for decades was really going to happen.  On a very specific day, the first raindrop fell.

 

Challenge

• Why was GOD so specific to Moses about the date it started raining?
• Have you ever been amazed at GOD keeping HIS promise to you?
• Has GOD planned out salvation for you in ways that are different than what you thought?

Passed Inspection

Passed Inspection

Genesis 7: Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. ² You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; ³ also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. ⁴ For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” ⁵ And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him. ⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.

 

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Patience was given to Noah from GOD. It seems that GOD did not rush Noah in completing the ark, rather HE waited for him to complete the ark before giving him final instructions. The LORD must have entered the ark and saw that it was complete. “Come into the ark” let’s me know the LORD was inside.

 

My Observations:

• GOD waited for Noah to complete the ark versus giving him a deadline.
• GOD inspected the ark, not for HIS sake, but to let Noah know it was ready.
• GOD gave Noah the final instructions which may have caused Noah to act differently.

 

Assurance was probably needed after expending this great amount of effort. Noah had probably become comfortable with the building process, but now it was time to execute GOD’s plan. Noah may have been nervous about his work, so the LORD calmed him down. Noah no longer had time to try to convince his siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and neighbors that GOD was about to wipe out everything.

 

“It’s going to work” was the implied feeling because GOD told Noah that prey and predators were supposed to be gathered together in the quantities HE commanded. GOD had changed the animals during the curse. HE then explained something that was strange. “I will cause it to rain.” It had never rained before. There was no need because plants grew themselves, even after the Garden of Eden. GOD was confident that the plan would work.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about this conversation with Noah?
• Has GOD ever told you to do something and you did it, but was unsure that what HE told you to do would actually work?
• Are you willing to trust in the LORD will all your heart and not lean on your own understanding today?