Family Values

Genesis 7:1-16
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, August 06, 2000
Copyright © 2000, P. G. Mathew

The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month–on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights.

On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

Genesis 7:1-16

Family Values

What are family values? They are the things you value the most as a family. For example, some families value material things, and so the parents try to give their children lots of material things. Others value morality, and so parents work hard to instill their morality in their children through various ways and means.

What does your family value most? Sports? Music? Money? Whatever it is, you will want your children to have it and you will probably succeed in imparting it to them. But if you are a Christian, your family value will be the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is nothing more valuable than the gospel. If we truly value it, we will do everything necessary to pass it on to our children.

Paul spoke of imparting the gospel to children when he told Timothy, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5). And in 2 Timothy 3:15 he reminded Timothy “how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” So here we see the family value of Grandmother Lois being given to her daughter Eunice, who, in turn, gave the same value to her son Timothy-three generations of valuing the one thing needful.

Do you value the gospel above everything else? Have you realized that Jesus Christ is most precious possession we can have? He is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, now revealed to us, and for whom we must sell all. As he himself asked, “What does it profit if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?” Are you making every effort to impart the wealth of the gospel to your children?

Noah taught his family to value God and his word. So in Genesis 7:1 we read, “The Lord then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.” What was the benefit of valuing the gospel? Noah and his family were saved. When the great flood came, only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their three wives-only eight people out of the vast multitude of people on the earth-did not perish.

God Created Everything Good

When we consider the history of Noah, we must do so against the background of creation. Genesis 1 tells us that God created the universe and everything in it out of nothing. Then he made Adam and Eve and then placed them in a beautiful garden. At the end of each of the six days of creation, God declared everything was good. We find that word good repeated six times-in Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, and 25-and finally, we read this summary statement: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (v. 31).

Through Sin, Everything Became Corrupt

But soon everything became very bad. This is the mystery of iniquity. With God’s permission, sin entered that which was very good and corrupted it thoroughly. So Genesis 6 tells us, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (v. 5); “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways” (vv. 11-12). After the fall of Adam and Eve, all that God had created went from a condition described as being very good to a condition described as very bad. This was the result of sin.

What is the nature of sin? First, sin is universal. Genesis 6 told us that “all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.” Notice, not even one exception is made. Paul speaks about this universality of sin in Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and in Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men because all sinned. . .” When Adam sinned as our representative head, we all sinned in him.

Second, sin is internal. Sin describes not only external actions, but the fundamental condition of the human heart. In Genesis 6:5 we read, “every inclination of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil all the time.” Man’s heart-his mind, will, and emotions-is what matters. Man’s fundamental activity is one of thought. That is what differentiates man from animals. But even though Adam was created very good, after the fall of Adam, all of his descendants inherit his sinful nature and are now born very bad. That is why the writer says every thought and inclination of the heart of man is evil.

Sin affects man’s ability to think correctly, to will correctly, and to feel correctly. It is especially apparent in man’s attitude toward God. By nature man is against God all the time. This does not mean that sinful man cannot function in the world and do creative and wonderful things. He can. But a man under the influence of sin is always at enmity towards God because sin in its essence is hatred toward God.

Third, sin is pervasive. Notice, Genesis 6:5 said, “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart.” There is no aspect of man that is not affected by this corruption, twistedness, and enmity toward God.

When some people asked my daughter recently about her faith in Jesus Christ, she shared the gospel with them. What was the response of these nice people? They immediately began to express great hatred toward Christ. People seem to be nice until you speak to them about Jesus Christ. Only then do you see the truth that man is a sinner and that his sin is internal, pervasive, and affecting his entire nature. When the gospel is presented, “nice” people respond in accordance with their true nature, revealing that in their innermost being, they hate God

Fourth, sin is a continuous condition. In Genesis 6:5 we read, “every inclination of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually.” Sin affects our entire lives. We come from the womb as fallen, twisted beings (Psalm 58:3) and, in fact, are sinful from conception (Psalm 51:5). We continue in this sinful condition throughout our lives unless God intervenes redemptively. Our basic human nature is sinful. That is why Jeremiah declared, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, KJV) Jesus Christ himself told us, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean. . .'” (Matthew 15:19).

God Must Punish Sin

The holy and righteous God cannot tolerate sin, so he comes in his wrath to deal with it. In Romans 1:18 we read, “The wrath of God is being revealed against all the godlessness and wickedness of men.” In Adam man refused to obey God, choosing instead to transgress God’s commandment. But God must do all things for his own glory, which includes punishing sinners. So in Genesis 6:7 the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, from the face of the earth.” This is in stark contrast to the promise God gives later to righteous Noah: “But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you” (6:18). And God’s promise was fulfilled. In Genesis 7:23 we read, “Every living thing on the face of the earth perished,” or “was wiped out.” In the Hebrew the word used for “perished” or “wiped out” means to wipe out the writing on a tablet, to erase all traces. It is the same word God used in Isaiah 43:25: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” It describes a total wiping out, whether of our sins or of people who have sinned.

Have you ever heard people say, “God hates sin but loves the sinner”? That is not true according to the Bible. What such people are trying to say is, “Well, you know, God hates the sin, but he really loves the sinner.” But if God loved sinners in this way, he would not destroy them, and there would be no judgment and hell. Here in Genesis 7 the word is used, not to wipe out the sins of people, but to wipe out sinners themselves.

I hope we will get rid of any foolish ideas we have about God and his salvation. Genesis 7 tells us that, because of man’s sin, God would use a mighty flood of his wrath to wipe out almost everything that breathed.

God Shows Grace to Sinners

So all have sinned and deserve the wrath that God pours out against the wickedness of man. Yet there is hope: God also shows grace to sinners. That is what we find in the story of Noah and his family.

In Genesis 6:8 we read, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” We could also say, “Noah found grace.” What is grace? Some would say it is unmerited favor. But grace is more than that. Grace is God’s favor to those who merited utter destruction. As sinners, we merit only hell and the wrath of God, but God shows us mercy and saves us.

Just like every other human being, Noah was born a sinner. Everything the Bible says about sinful man was true about him. But God, in his sovereign will, chose sinful Noah to be saved; Noah found grace in God’s eyes. Noah merited destruction because of his sin, but he was given life. Noah merited hell, but he was given heaven. Noah merited banishment from God’s presence, but he was granted the ability to have fellowship with God.

Genesis 6:9 tells us Noah walked with God. How did sinful Noah reach the state of being able to walk with God? He was regenerated and justified, forgiven of all his sins and saved forever. Then he lived his life in conformity with his confession.

Many people make phony confessions of faith in Christ and declare that they are Christians. I recently heard a televangelist say that he had brought 140 million people to Jesus Christ. I must question the truthfulness of that statement, simply because I have never seen such vast numbers of people living under the lordship of Christ. But if a person is saved, then he will live as Noah did, and it will be evident to all.

Genesis 6:9 gives a description of Noah’s character. He was a righteous man. He was blameless among people, meaning he lived a holy and separate life. Noah did not blindly follow the crowd, especially into sin. Noah walked with God and treasured intimate fellowship with him, loving to talk to him and listen to him.

But not only was Noah righteous, blameless, and one who walked in communion with God, but he also obeyed the Lord in everything. In Genesis 6:22 we read, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him,” and in Genesis 7:5 we read, “And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”

If you and I claim to be saved, not only must we authenticate our claim by living in righteousness, blamelessness, and holy communion with God, but we must also do everything God tells us to do. I hope we will all honestly examine ourselves and the claims we make. If prayer is hard for us, if reading God’s word and enjoying it is difficult for us, if walking in obedience to God’s commands is burdensome to us, then our claim to be Christians may be false.

In Hebrews 11:7 the writer says this concerning Noah, “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” Noah’s obedience was sure evidence that he was saved.

Noah Preaches the Gospel

So Noah began the great undertaking of building the ark just as God commanded him. At the same time, he preached to the wicked people around him, telling them that soon God would destroy the whole world by a mighty flood and that only through the ark could they be saved. We find reference to his preaching in 2 Peter 2:5.

First Peter 3:20 tells us that while Noah was building the ark, God was waiting patiently for people to repent and enter the ark. I am sure Noah told the people, “Yes, I know there has not been any rain or flood in the history of this earth,” for up to that point, God had watered the earth in another way (Genesis 2:6). But then Noah would say, “But God is going to do something different now. He is going to bring a great flood upon the earth.” And when Noah said these things, I am sure people asked, “How do we know God will do these things?” Noah would respond, “The eternal, almighty, personal God said so. We need no other proof. That is why I am preaching and building this great ark. God told me that he is angry with all of us, and the only way of salvation is through repentance and trust in this gospel of salvation. Only those who enter this ark will be saved.”

What else do you think Noah told the people? “Look how big the ark is: four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet wide. There are three stories. There is plenty of room for you, if you want to come. There will be enough food and water, and you will be safe, because God himself designed it.” Then he would add, “Do you see this door? It is the only one on the ark. Only by going through it can you live.”

Noah preached such things for one hundred and twenty years, continually warning people of the coming destruction and urging them to be saved. But the people mocked Noah and his gospel. It is the same today. The gospel has been preached for hundreds of years now, yet people still mock it. “Nothing will ever change,” they say. “Everything will continue as it always has. There will be sunrise and sunset, winter and summer, spring and fall. There is no God, and there will be no judgment, no heaven, no hell.” Though God shows grace to sinners through the gospel, many refuse to believe.

The Great Invitation

Finally, God issued a great invitation to Noah: “Go into the ark, you and your whole family. . .” (Genesis 7:1). In the Hebrew the true meaning is, “Come into the ark, you and your whole family.” This is the first time the Bible uses the word “come.” Who was making the invitation? God himself. When I preach the gospel to you, it is really God inviting you to come to him through my preaching. Notice the phrase, “you and your whole family.” This idea of whole household salvation is repeated in Genesis 6:18; 7:1, 7, 13; 8:15, 18; and 9:1. God is interested not only in saving us, but our families as well.

In Genesis 7:4 God told Noah the flood was coming soon: “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth.” No longer was God speaking of weeks and months and years. One hundred and twenty years had passed; now there was just one week left. But after all that time, the vast majority of people still refused to believe Noah.

Only a Few Will Be Saved

One week after receiving God’s invitation, Noah entered the ark. Praise be to God, this blameless preacher of righteousness did not enter the ark alone! As he went in, Noah looked behind him, and there was his wife, who had believed the gospel he preached to her. Then Noah and his wife looked, and there were their three sons, who also believed. Then Noah, his wife, and their sons looked, and there were the sons’ wives, who believed as well. All of these entered the ark-but they were the only ones who did. Out of all the people on the face of the earth, only eight were saved.

The Bible clearly teaches that only a few are going to be saved. In Romans 9:27 Paul quotes Isaiah 10:22: “Though the number of Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.” Our Lord himself said this. In Matthew 7:14 he told his disciples, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” In Matthew 22:14 he said, “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” In Luke 13:23 someone asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” I am sure this man was familiar with Genesis 6-9 and knew that only eight people were saved during the Flood. “Make every effort,” Jesus replied, “to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”

Thus, when someone makes the claim, “I brought millions of people to the Lord,” you must conclude he is not telling the truth. Perhaps he is saying such things so that he could collect more money. But if you ask, “Can you show me all those people you brought to the Lord?” he would have to admit, “No, I just made it up.”

Whole Family Salvation

However, knowing that only a few will be saved should never discourage us from seeking the salvation of many. Noah sought to save his entire family, and they were. This is what we mean by imparting to your family what you value most. The most important responsibility Christian parents have is to give the gospel to their children.

Fathers and mothers, if your greatest family value is not the gospel, you will be giving them something else. But how terrible it will be to come to the end of your life and realize that your family is not saved! How awful to know that those who lived closest with you do not possess the one thing needful, concerning which Jesus Christ said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”! How unbearable to know that some in your family are outside of Christ, destined for outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Tragically, such a lack of whole family salvation usually comes from a failure on the part of the head of the family to share the gospel. We can illustrate this from the life of Lot. Out of Lot’s entire family, only Lot himself was saved. Lot failed to give his family the gospel value.

But compare Lot with Joshua, who said, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living” (Joshua 24:14). Joshua was challenging God’s people, telling them that they could serve idols, if they wanted. But Joshua would not worship or even tolerate idols in his home, for, as a loyal follower of the covenant Lord, he was duty-bound to keep his home pure and clean. So at the end of verse 15 he makes this profound statement: “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua was telling the people, in essence, “Go ahead, do what you want. Worship old gods or new ones. Be one with the pagan culture and its corruption. Give your life to sports, music, literature, culture and money. But, as the leader of my house, I will see to it that my house is free of idols, and my household, in its entirety, will serve the covenant Lord who redeemed us from Egypt.”

God speaks of such whole household salvation in Genesis 18:19, saying in reference to Abraham, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.” Fathers and mothers, do you understand what God demands of you? If you say that you love God and his kingdom, and that you value Jesus Christ, then this word is for you. You are choosing to direct your children and entire household to walk in the way of the Lord. You must strive to fulfill that obligation with everything that you have.

On the day of Pentecost Peter told the crowd, “The promise is for you,” meaning the promise of the Holy Spirit and eternal salvation, “and your children” (Acts 2:39). God made a covenant with Abraham and his children, and here Peter says it is also for us who have come long after Abraham.

Parents, let me ask you again: Do you believe that God is not only interested in you, but in your household? If you don’t believe it, you will not keep your house free of idols. But if you do, you will oppose idolatry at every turn and say with Joshua, “We in this house will worship the Lord Jesus Christ alone, with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.” You will do so from the very beginning of your family life and will continue to do so as long as you live.

The Lord’s Interest in Saving Our Families

In Isaiah 65:23 we find a wonderful promise of God to his people: “They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.” Here again we see that God is interested not only in saving individuals, but also their families.

This promise is not only for Israel, but also for all Gentiles who call upon the name of the Lord. So in Acts 10-11 we read about a pagan, Cornelius, who, along with his family, was devout and God-fearing (Acts 10:2). God wanted to draw Cornelius to himself so in Acts 11:14 we read that God himself had told Cornelius, “He [Peter] will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.” That is exactly what happened. Notice, the phrase “entire house” includes not only children but servants, relatives, and others living with a family.

In Acts 16 we find a woman of Thyatira, Lydia, who lived in the European colony of Philippi. Lydia was a seller of purple, which means she was rich. In Acts 16:15 we read something about Lydia as a result of Paul’s ministry: “When she and the members of her household were baptized. . .” Notice, then, not only did Lydia become a Christian, but the members of her household became Christians as well.

Acts 16 also speaks of a Roman jailer in Philippi who did not know anything about the living God. But in the middle of the night, he called out, “What must I do to be saved?” and Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. . . .” But Paul did not stop there. He added, “and your household.” This is like the invitation that God gave Noah: “Come, you and your entire family, into the security of salvation in the ark.”

In Acts 18:8 we read, “Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord,” and in 1 Corinthians 1:16 Paul says, “Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas.” So God is interested in saving not only individuals but their entire households. Fathers and mothers and children, I encourage you to believe this promise of God. It is for Gentiles as well as for Jews, “for you and to your children and all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Parental Responsibility

So we are to command our families to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. This is especially the responsibility of the parents, and particularly that of fathers. Let us then examine the responsibility of Christian parents.

First, we are to model godly lives that are worthy of imitation by our children. Deuteronomy 4:9 tells us, “Only be careful and watch yourselves closely.” Don’t try to conform to the world its corrupt culture. (PGM) Live carefully as a holy, separated people. Having been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, we belong to the Lord. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and we should live as such.

“Watch yourselves closely.” We must watch our lives and be careful how we live in the world. Be ever loyal to the Lord who redeemed us. Commune with him and walk with him. Be righteous and blameless. Oppose the corruption of the world. Do not be conformed to evil, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Say no to ungodliness with a passion, and love Christ, not only in word but in deed.

Deuteronomy 4:9 continues, “Watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart so long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” When we watch our own lives, then we can teach our children and watch their lives as well.

Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us to the same thing: “Impress them,” meaning God’s commandments, “on your children.” And before that, in Deuteronomy 6:6 we read, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” If you want your household to be saved, you yourself must love the word of God, the kingdom of God, and God himself. You must oppose the corruption of this world and be different. Only when you yourself love the Lord will you be qualified to teach your children. And when you do love God, then your children will follow you in service to him. Deuteronomy 6:7 also tells us, “Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” And in verses 9-10 we read, “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Proverbs 22:6 also speaks about training our children to live in God’s ways: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” We must watch ourselves, teach divine truths to our children, and train our children to love God. I know that godliness is hard work, but that is God’s charge to us. My children were trained in the correct way and continue to walk in it, so I speak to you from experience.

What does this training include? It includes correction: “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24). It includes management and control: “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect” (1 Timothy 3:4). More than that, it involves teaching our children the gospel and how to live as Christians. Titus 1:6 tells us children should be believers and not “open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.” Here again we find the idea of whole family salvation.

Finally, Ephesians 5:1 tells us, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” Haven’t you ever seen a little girl wanting to put on her mother’s shoes, or a little fellow who wants to shave like his father? Children naturally imitate their parents. That is why parents must search their own hearts to see if they are living godly lives worthy of imitation. If the answer is “Yes,” then we will hear this word from God: “Come, you and your entire family, and be saved.”

The End of Grace

Our God is a longsuffering God, and his grace is great, wide, high and deep. But don’t ever think his grace will continue forever. In Genesis 7 we read that after one hundred and twenty years Noah and his family entered the ark, and in verse 16 we read, “Then the Lord shut him in.” That was the end of grace period for the people of Noah’s time.

Remember, up until this time there had never been a flood, or even rain. There was another way of watering the earth, as we read in Genesis 2:6. So the people of the world had mocked Noah as he was building the ark: “Noah, you are out of your mind. You are a fool to build such a big ship on the dry land.” They could not believe that a flood would come and destroy them.

This attitude of incredulity and unbelief toward God and his promises is still true. The gospel is a scandal and foolishness to wise, wealthy, powerful people. They cannot believe that God will punish sin and that only by believing in a man who died on the cross can we be saved from God’s wrath. In fact, they take great offense at the whole idea.

What about you? Maybe this is your last opportunity to receive God’s grace; there is no guarantee you can do so tomorrow. There are certain moments in our lives when the Holy Spirit works in us, but we can never presume that it will happen again. Additionally, we are all subject to death at any time, and we will surely perish if we have not received God’s grace before we die.

The end of grace came for the people of Noah’s time after one hundred and twenty years. God told Noah, “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth” (Genesis 7:4). On the seventh day Noah entered the ark along with his wife, their three sons and their three daughters-in-law. After the whole family entered, God shut the door, and the flood began.

The Lord Shut the Door

What did it mean for those who were still outside when God shut the door? It certified that now they were doomed to destruction. Genesis 7:11 says, “The springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” For all those outside, there was no possibility for self-salvation. I am sure some people tried to climb to the tops of their houses or into the tallest trees. But as the water rose, it eventually covered them. I am sure some were able to run to some nearby hills. Those who were really mighty and powerful may have been able to get to the tops of the highest mountains they could. But even they were not saved. The Bible says the water rose more than twenty feet above the highest mountains, an all who were outside of the ark perished.

The Floodwaters of God’s Wrath

Have you ever thought about what a vast multitude of people perished in the flood? Genesis 6:1 tells us, “Then men began to increase in number on the earth.” There were many people on the earth during Noah’s time, but only eight entered the ark.

Imagine the scene when the floodwaters came. Old men drowned. Old women drowned. It was as if God by his mighty hand held them down in the water of his wrath until they were dead. Oh, what a different picture this is of God! We like to think that God is always nice. In fact, we say: “My business is to sin; his business is to forgive.” Such ideas are just a creation of our own minds. They do not reflect the truth of God.

Not only did old men and old women drown, but sick people drowned. Additionally, pregnant women and their babies were drowned by God himself in the mighty waters of his own wrath. Going beyond that, helpless infants drowned. I am sure many parents climbed to housetops, treetops, hilltops and mountaintops and held their children above their heads, making every effort possible to save them. But it was all of no use. All those outside the ark drowned.

Finally, all the people on the face of the earth, except Noah and his family, were dead. Why did they die? Because they refused to believe in the gospel proclaimed by Noah. God had provided a way of escape, but the vast majority of people rejected it and perished forever.

The Certainty of God’s Judgment

Jesus Christ refers to these terrible days in Luke 17:26-28: “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.” In Matthew 24:39, he adds, “and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” Noah preached for one hundred and twenty years, but the people of the earth paid no attention. Because of their disbelief and neglect of the gospel, they were caught by surprise and destroyed in the flood of God’s judgment.

Jesus continued, “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.” Here again Jesus Christ affirms that God wiped out all sorts of people. Then in verse 30 Jesus applies this to his second coming: “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” Oh, how serious are these words of the Lord Jesus Christ! Modern man thinks the second coming of Christ is a joke. But it is no joke. It is as certain as the flood of Noah’s time was.

The book of 2 Peter speaks about the certainty of the second coming of Christ. In 2 Peter 3:1 Peter writes, “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” Notice, Peter is appealing to the minds of his readers. God wants us to use our minds when we think about spiritual things.

Peter continues, “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days, scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised?'” That is the type of thing the people of Noah’s time said also: “Where is the flood that this man is promising?”

Peter goes on, “Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” In other words, these people were saying that everything would always be the same and there would be no second coming of Christ, no end to the world, no judgment of God. “Oh,” they would say, “when the winter comes, can spring be far behind? There is evening and morning and all these other things. We believe in a cyclical view of history. There is not going to be an end.”

But the Bible teaches that there will be an end. So in verses 5-6 Peter says, “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.” And in verse 9 Peter explains more about God’s period of grace to us: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” That is why God is “delaying” his coming: He is giving us the opportunity to receive grace. But we can be certain that, in time, he will come again and bring an end to the day of his grace.

During the days of Noah and the days of Lot, people were marrying and giving in marriage, eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and harvesting. There is nothing wrong with any of these activities, and Jesus was not saying that there is. But the point he was making is that these people were totally engrossed in materialism. They had no interest in learning about God, about salvation, about their own sin, and about repentance. They simply refused to believe there was going to be a judgment.

Safety Only in Christ

Why did Noah and his family have to enter the ark? Because there was no other way of salvation. As we said before, people tried to climb to the top of the highest mountains, but when the flood came, they drowned. There was safety only in the ark, which is a type of Jesus Christ.

In Genesis 6:14 we read, that the ark was coated with pitch outside and inside. The word for “pitch” and “to cover with pitch” or “to seal” is kí´pher. It is related to the word “to cover” and also to the word for “atonement.” We can be kept safe from God’s wrath only because Christ has shed his blood in atonement for our sins. The ark points to Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross made grace possible for us to receive. This ark is sealed outside and inside by the blood of Christ that saves us. In Revelation 12:11 we read that the people of God overcame the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

There is total safety for everyone who enters the ark. If you ask, “What must I do to be saved?” the answer is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your whole house.”

How safe was the ark? In Genesis 8:18-19 we read that Noah, his wife, his sons, their wives, and all the animals came safely out of the ark when the flood ceased. They had been preserved from the destroying waters of the great flood. In the same way, we have perfect security in our Lord Jesus Christ. In Colossians 3:3 Paul writes, “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Christ is the ark in whom our life is hid. Though there is total danger outside of Christ, there is total safety in him. Jesus Christ said no one can snatch us out of his hand, and no one can snatch us out of his Father’s hand.

In 1 Peter 1:3-5 we read,

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Inside the ark there is security, righteousness, peace, joy, and eternal life; outside there was only destruction, misery, gnashing of teeth, and eternal death. I hope that you will listen to the call of the Savior who invites you to come. This invitation appeared first in Genesis 7:1, but it continues throughout the entire Bible. “Come to me,” Jesus said, “and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Paul said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” In Romans 8:1 Paul writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” In Christ! That is what it means to be inside the ark. That is why we glory in Jesus Christ. That is why we proclaim Jesus Christ. That is why we glory in the cross of Jesus Christ, because there is no safety elsewhere. Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

In Revelation 22:17 we find this invitation from God: “The Spirit,” meaning the Holy Spirit, “and the bride,” meaning the church, “say, ‘Come!” And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” I pray you will look at the cross, for it alone is the source of grace. Have you ever wondered how can God forgive our sins and justify us? The answer is found in Isaiah 53: “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement that brought our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (v. 5, KJV). Christ was punished in our place; therefore, if we believe in him, we are saved. That is how God can be just in justifying us who are sinners. So Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Are you and your family in God’s ark? Or are you resisting God’s invitation, refusing to believe in the coming judgment? God’s grace is great and his ark is big. But it will end one day, just as it ended for the people of Noah’s time.

If you have not yet received God’s grace, I pray that you will do so today. The door is not shut for you yet. The Bible says he will never reject anyone who comes to him in repentance and faith. May God help us to seek after the one thing that is needful, trust in Jesus Christ, and be saved forever. Amen.