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Noah, September 2
And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the
ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 7:1
.
In the days of Noah, the wickedness of the world became so great that
God could no longer bear with it; and He said, “I will destroy man whom I
have created from the face of the earth” (
Genesis 6:7
). But He pitied the race,
and in His love provided a refuge for all who would accept it. He gave the
message to Noah to be given to the people: “My spirit shall not always strive
with man” (
verse 3
).
Noah was directed to build an ark, and at the same time to preach that
God would bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy the wicked.
Those who would believe the message, and would prepare for that event by
repentance and reformation, should find pardon and be saved; but a continued
resistance of the entreaties and warnings from God through His servant Noah
would separate them from God, and as a result infinite mercy and love would
cease its pleadings.
The Spirit of God continued to strive with rebellious man until the time
specified had nearly expired, when Noah and his family entered the ark, and
the hand of God closed its door. Mercy had stepped from the golden throne,
no longer to intercede for the guilty sinner.
All the men of that generation were not in the fullest sense of the term
heathen idolaters. Many had a knowledge of God and His law; but they not
only rejected the message of the faithful preacher of righteousness themselves,
but used all their influence to prevent others from being obedient to God. To
everyone comes a day of trial and of trust. That generation had their day of
opportunity and privilege while Noah was sounding the note of warning of
the coming destruction; but they yielded their minds to the control of Satan
rather than of God, and he deceived them, as he did our first parents. He set
before them darkness and falsehood in the place of light and truth; and they
accepted his sophistry and lies, because they were acceptable to them, and in
harmony with their corrupt lives, while truth that would have saved them was
rejected as a delusion.—
The Signs of the Times, April 1, 1886
.
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