HOPE

“You covered the earth with the deep as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke, they fled, at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. They went up over the mountains, they went down into the valleys to the place which You founded for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over. That they may not return to cover the earth.” Psalm 104:6-9

            This is the day the Lord has made! The day Noah, his family and all the many animals came out of the ark! I can just see it. Can’t you? The sun is shinning, if only briefly, since it is believed that the air was filled with volcanic ash and smoke for many years after the flood, which caused the ice age. But I’m sure on this great day the sun was peeking out of the clouds and shinning on the cleansed earth.

Over a year they had been in the dark, dank, stinking-like-livestock boat! Can you imagine? Five months the big ship drifted aimlessly over the waters that covered the whole earth. Exactly five long months after the flood had begun the huge ship ground to a halt, to a sudden stop on a high spot on the mountains of Ararat.

The receding had begun. God remembered Noah and all the animals with him in the boat and He sent a wind to blow across the earth. The oceans and valleys sank and more mountains rose and the waters gradually receded to the sea.

Even after the huge boat came to rest on the mountains they were imprisoned in it for another seven and a half months! I would have gone stark raving mad! Two and a half months later, Noah could see through his window more mountain peaks. I can imagine the family gathered around to get their first peek of land.

However, the waters left so very slowly. Forty days later, Noah released a raven from his window. The stubborn, tough raven did not come back to its prison but chose to fly back and forth until the waters were gone. So Noah released a dove, but the dove could not find a dry place, so it came back to land on Noah’s outstretched hand. A week later he released the dove again and this time it came back with an olive leaf in its beak. Hope at last! Trees were growing somewhere on bare ground. A week later he released the dove once more and it did not come back.

What news for the family! The dove has found a place to rest. But the saturated ground was not yet dry enough to go out of the ark.   Talk about a test in patience! Ten and a half months they had been in that boat.   Finally Noah took the cover off the boat. I’m not sure if it was a section of the roof somewhere or just the very center piece, but what a day! To smell fresh air instead of animal dung! I’m sure the family climbed to the roof of the great ship to feast their eyes on the vistas of a renewed earth.

But, oh the earth they looked upon was not the earth they had known. Gone were the lush trees, green growth and gently rolling hills. What they saw were jagged mountain tops, stark rocks and barren ridges. Far below they could see green valleys and not too far down the mountains were saplings just beginning their journey into the sky. There were patches of green here and there, but smoking volcanoes could be seen in the distance and the air was heavy and dark with ash and smoke. There were dark clouds and spattering rain and the earth still shook now and then. Rocks rolled down the mountains and once in a while the roar of a landslide could be heard as tremors shook the ground. The earth was pulling herself back together after the great upheaval of the flood.  However, two more months went by before the saturated ground was dry enough to go out.   One year they had been locked in that dark boat!

At last the door of the Redemption boat was opened! God told Noah to release all the animals and leave the boat. The day had to be gorgeous! The clouds parted and the sun shone through, perhaps the first time in over a year. What singing Noah’s family must have done! I would have been shouting Hallelujah! Praise to the King! And dancing all the way down the ramp.

The birds perched on the sides of the ark and flew in the air, singing in celebration. Animals, large and small, pair by pair scuttled, ran, walked and hopped down that ramp and on to a new earth. A cleansed and renewed earth. They flowed out and spread abroad looking for fresh food and nesting areas. I can just see a colt running with tail in the air and lambs dancing in circles.

Only the dogs stayed near as the family reverently walked down the ramp. Okay, maybe they ran and danced! When their feet touched dry earth maybe they knelt and kissed it. Then they danced in circles as the dogs yipped and leaped about. They raised their hands singing to their Lord and Savior! They were alive! They were saved! They were redeemed!

Then Noah built an altar and worshiped his God. A rainbow of many splendid colors appeared in the sky as Noah and his family knelt before their Creator and Savior. (from Genesis 8 NLT)

I know this message has been a bit harsh, but hell is harsh, very harsh. However there is hope! Not just hope as in hoping for, but hope as in knowing and waiting. Hope as in looking forward to something glorious. A blessed hope in Jesus!

There is redemption! As the earth was purged of sin and washed clean by the flood you can be washed by the Blood. The blood of Jesus purges us of sin and washes our black souls clean, like white snow.

God said to Noah, “I will never again destroy all living things or curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent towards evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.” (from Gen. 8:21 NLT)

You see He knows how bad we are. He sees all our sins and our bent for evil. He is a righteous God, who can not tolerate evil. He can not be near sin. And yet He loves each one of us. He gave us a way of redemption just as He gave Noah the ark.

He gave us Jesus.

He made a rainbow that day as the sun shone through the rain-soaked clouds. A splendid bow of colors arched across the stark mountains. A tiny taste of the spectacular land He has made for His children. His Home and His Kingdom.

He gave the rainbow as a sign that He will never destroy the earth with a flood again. He gives us the cross where His Son died and shed blood for our sins. Where that very bent for evil inside each one of us is forgiven. Where our debt of sin is paid. The penalty for sin is death, but Jesus paid that price. Jesus shed blood in our place. Jesus took the sins of each one of us on His shoulders and will burry them deep, if we but ask.

All you need to do is accept Him as your Savior and ask forgiveness for your sins. He washes them all away just like the flood cleansed the earth. God gave us the cross all we need do is lay our every burden at the feet of Jesus.

God gave Noah the rainbow as a hope for life on earth. He gives us the cross as a hope for eternal life in His Glory.

For you see, one day this earth will be destroyed, not by water but by fire.  Then there will be a new earth and all evil will be wiped away forever and ever. Heaven and Earth will be one and God will make His dwelling with mankind. And you and I who are His will be with Him in paradise where there is no pain, no tears, no death, for ever and ever.

“Now I saw a new Heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and earth had passed away. Then I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God. And a loud voice proclaimed, “The tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, no sorrow, no crying. There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away.” (Revelations 21:1-4)

Amen! And AMEN!