“Are you bringing the rain, or building the ark?”

Genesis Chapter 7 Verse 1

• One thing we’ll see in our study through this chapter is that the ark is a type of Jesus Christ. A pointer, a picture, a symbol, a parallel. While the entire world perishes, those that are in the ark are safe. While sure and shocking destruction comes upon the face of the whole earth, those that are sealed in the ark are secure and sustained. The same is true today; and will be true at the last day of those that are found in Christ.
• What does it take? What is the only single solitary simple specific requirement that each one of us must meet in order to be found in Jesus? The same as the call upon Noah for the ark. God simply says, and all we must simply do, is come…come to Him. Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 11 verse 28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” That word rest in the Greek literally means, “Recovery and collection of strength,” “to bring calm.”

• In the midst of what all the talking heads in all of the corners of religion will tell you, our only requirement is to walk in the wisdom of Noah and simply answer the call of God to come. But, interesting, the word used here in Genesis 7:1 when God calls Noah to, “Come into the ark,” is literally the Hebrew word, “bow.”

• One other quick point here and we will move off of verse 1. I love what is written here. God says to Noah, “I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” Literally in the Hebrew, it is written, “I have seen righteousness,” and the point I’d like to make is this. Our righteousness is like unto filthy rags in the sight of God…on our own we can do nothing that is pure or of the standard of righteousness in the eyes of God…all that is righteous about us is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit through the acceptance and bow to the cross of Christ in our heart of hearts…

• But…if you are saved, if you do have a new heart, a right spirit with God...wouldn’t it be logical to expect that that would be outwardly observable? God has seen the righteousness of Noah, has He seen mine? Am I like Him? If not then how can I say that I am filled with Him? Gut check, right? Yes our righteousness is in Christ, that’s the truth of truth, man…but looking at my life, can God see it?

• Ok, maybe one more point…it’s this righteousness that saves Noah and his entire family from destruction! Noah has been building…he’s been building upon the word and command of God…and that building is going to lead to life while everyone else, like literally the entire world, perishes because they have turned from God! So important…, “Man, I’m saved by grace! Not of works lest any man should brag! So don’t lay this trip on me that I can’t just live however I want…” You can! But you’ll drown…

Genesis Chapter 7 Verses 2 – 6

• I just love that! You’re never too old to do all that the Lord has commanded you. In my opinion, you’re never too young either. Could we have a 12 or 15 or 18 year old ministry leader at church? Leading the people in the heart and truth of God? Of course! We do, actually!! A 12 year old can teach…Jesus proved that when He taught in the temple…Noah was 600 years old! I just like that…there’s no racial or generational recipe for a man or woman that can change their world around them other than to give themselves to the Lord! Start building, quit raining…

Genesis Chapter 7 Verses 7 – 10

• What confounds me a bit in these verses is that we read of no one…no other man, woman or child ever coming to Noah, hearing him out, and getting saved…If 1 or 100 people had come to him, there is no doubt that righteous Noah would have made room for them…but none came…and so all were lost…

Genesis Chapter 7 Verses 11 – 12

• So the flood was more than just rain, the Bible also tells us that the fountains of the deep were broken up and so this is a massive event of water coming down, as the water canopy around the globe collapses upon the earth and a massive event of global upheaval as God brings water up from within the earth…

Genesis Chapter 7 Verses 13 – 16

• I LOVE LOVE LOVE that statement! The Lord shut him in…sealed! You see we are sealed by the Holy Spirit when we give our lives to God! Ephesians Chapter 1 Verses 13 and 14 say, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory!”

• I also love this because the first time I read this I read this as, “And the Lord shut him up!” HA! And I blessed God right then and we had a good laugh because in truth, man, God can shut me up anytime and I want Him too because my motor mouth doesn’t have a choke or a cut off valve! Ya feel me! HA! But man the wisdom of God through His Word is my heart’s desire for my life and so God, shut me up when my flesh is trying to take over! HA! I just love that!

Genesis Chapter 7 Verses 17 – 20

• The highest mountain peak on earth is Mount Everest at a height of 29,029 feet…and so the waters were so vast that they were 15 cubits above the highest peak or 23 feet above the apex of Mount Everest…just to give you an idea…there was great tectonic change upon the earth after the flood so it may not have at that time been the highest peak but at any rate, that gives you an idea of how/why the flood would have the power to destroy all life on the planet.

Genesis Chapter 7 Verses 21 – 24

• In the midst of great devastation, those that were in the ark remained. The ark is a picture of Jesus Himself but it is also a picture of the kingdom of God. Filled with all kinds of different animals…we’ll call them…denominations. HA! Room for everyone! But only one door.
• Jesus said in John 10, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Our part in all this? Simply to come…to bow…to fold into Him and allow Him to seal us into the ark…
• And tonight, Christian if you say that’s you, can God see righteousness? Are you building the ark for those around you? Or are you bringing the rain…let’s be like Jesus…those of us that claim to be filled with His Holy Spirit.