"And God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.'" (Genesis 6:13)
It was only Noah and his family who emerged from the ark unscathed by God's global judgment on humanity. They had become utterly hedonistic, humanistic, self-centered. Perhaps Genesis 4:16 best describes the condition of humanity in those days, "Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden." The name, "Nod," means "wandering," taken from a word which means "vagrancy, aimless fugitive." What a perfect, albeit, sad commentary on the human race without, "the presence of the LORD...."
Genesis 6:8 tells us that, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD"; hence, he was the one chosen to be the literal human root of the new humanity. His name means "rest," and "rest" is exactly what God intended for His Creation, "In the beginning." Temptation came, however, and sin/rebellion followed, and all who came from Adam and Eve were destroyed in the flood, except, "Noah," who, "found grace." It was Noah who was literally to be at the heart of humanity's "second chance." Yet history reveals just how miserably again man failed.
It was only Noah and his family who emerged from the ark unscathed by God's global judgment on humanity. They had become utterly hedonistic, humanistic, self-centered. Perhaps Genesis 4:16 best describes the condition of humanity in those days, "Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden." The name, "Nod," means "wandering," taken from a word which means "vagrancy, aimless fugitive." What a perfect, albeit, sad commentary on the human race without, "the presence of the LORD...."
Genesis 6:8 tells us that, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD"; hence, he was the one chosen to be the literal human root of the new humanity. His name means "rest," and "rest" is exactly what God intended for His Creation, "In the beginning." Temptation came, however, and sin/rebellion followed, and all who came from Adam and Eve were destroyed in the flood, except, "Noah," who, "found grace." It was Noah who was literally to be at the heart of humanity's "second chance." Yet history reveals just how miserably again man failed.
But the mercy of the Living Triune God, "is from everlasting to everlasting," and, "when the fulness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Now, those who are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ are Father's sons, a part of His Family, His Church, His Kingdom, forever forgiven of sin and delivered from the fires of Hell.
Noah ("Rest)" is a type, a foreshadow of Jesus Christ Who invited all humanity, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you ad learn from Me...and you will find rest for your souls." Now, in Jesus Christ, humanity can leave that, "land of Nod," the land of vagrant, fugitive wandering, and no longer be, "out from the presence of the LORD," but rather, be a part of those, "who have believed...enter that rest...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for Jesus Christ, my Rest. I pray for my rest in You to be an example and inspiration for others. Amen.
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Unreached Peoples: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
