The Days of Noah

Mark Dunagan
03/24/13 - Sunday Evening

The Days of Noah

When commenting upon God’s future judgments, Jesus said, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37).  Just what are the similarities between the present age and Noah’s generation, and what are the lessons we can learn to better prepare to meet our Savoir?

The Warning is Abundant

Recently I heard someone on the radio say that probably 99 percent of the people alive during the flood had no warning. Not true: 

• Noah had not been the first preacher of righteousness.  Before Noah a man by the name of Enoch had preached and warned of a coming judgment upon the wicked (Jude 14).
• Noah’s preaching and the preparation of the ark went together (1 Peter 3:20).  The ark thus became a huge visual aid to draw people to consider Noah’s message and to return to their own people to spread the news.
• God gave mankind 120 years to repent (Genesis 6:3), and it would make sense that Noah preached during much of that time (2 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 3:20).  Therefore, I believe it would be wrong to assume that only about 1 percent of the population heard Noah.

People are naturally curious and are drawn to current events.  For example, the dock from Japan that washed up on the Oregon Coast drew all sorts of people.  How much more the biggest boat that had ever been built up to that point in human history. It would be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.  In fact, it would not be until the 1800’s A.D. that mankind built a ship that exceeded the capacity of Noah’s Ark. 

• When all the animals showed up that had to have created quite the stir (Genesis 7:2)!  It had to have been a virtual zoo around the ark leading up the days right before the flood.

In like manner God has given abundant warning today as well:

• Every person on the planet when he witnesses the incredible creation around him, sees the same undeniable evidence for God’s existence and power: Romans 1:20
• The Bible is abundant and very accessible.
• The Internet contains many good sites that can help warn and turn sinners toward God.
• The idea of the Final Judgment is well known in our culture.
• There are faithful churches teaching the truth and reaching out to people all over this world.

Dead Serious

“By faith Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household” (Hebrews 11:7).

Everyone could see that Noah was practicing what he preached.  The sheer size of the ark, the size of the beams, the engineering involved,  the large collection of various animals and birds, maybe from around 16,000 to 32,000, and the volume of provisions (Genesis 6:21), told anyone who passed by that Noah was dead serious.  Again, Noah did not bring a few baskets of food in the ark, rather, the provisions must have been measured in tons.

In like manner, people can see that we are dead serious about serving God today:

• We are faithful in our worship habits.
• We are students of the Bible and know it from beginning to end.
• We abstain from every form of evil: 1 Thessalonians 5:21
• We don’t even dabble on the fringes of sin: Ephesians 5:3
• The person today who stays married, does not use profanity, abstains from alcohol, reserves sexual intimacy for marriage and refuses to frequent any immoral websites, is just as outstanding or amazing as the Noah was during the construction of the ark.

A Convincing Mode of Salvation

Someone noted that the dimensions of the Ark are in themselves convincing:

• The proportions are like that of a modern cargo ship.
• Such dimensions are about as large as a wooden ship can be constructed.
• In 1992 a world-class research center began a Korean study of the dimensions given for Noah’s ark.  They looked at such things as how the ark would behave at sea, how comfortable it would be, and its hull strength and stability.  They found that the ark could handle waves as high as 98 feet, and that the proportions of the biblical Ark are near optimal.
• Anyone looking at the Ark, at its strength, beams, and engineering during construction as well as its water-proofing (Genesis 6:14), interior rooms for people and animals (6:14), could not doubt that it was well designed and built, and that it could deliver.  The only doubt at the time was whether or not the prophesied judgment would arrive. 

In like manner, people can see that Jesus is indeed one who can save us.

• Much of His life was foretold in the Old Testament centuries before He was born.
• His entrance into this world was itself amazing.
• He worked miracles that even His enemies could not deny: Acts 2:22
• He arose from the dead—and there were many witnesses to this event: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Mockers—The Persistent Problem

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming…” (2 Peter 3:3-4).  Peter links this mocking that we see today with the flood (3:5-6).  Seeing that Noah built the ark during a time of extreme wickedness (Genesis 6:5) and rebellion (1 Peter 3:18-20), there must have been those who ridiculed Noah’s project.  I would not be surprised if some then, said the same sort of things that I hear people saying today:

• “God would never do something like that, He is a God of love and never punishes”.
• “Instead of doing what Noah is doing, judging people, let’s just all learn to coexist”.
• “There is no such thing as a personal God who intervenes in the affairs of men”.
• “No God is going to save us—we save ourselves with our technology”.
• “The concept of a God who created us and cares how we live is just a myth”.
• “There isn’t enough water to flood the earth so that there is no dry land left”.
• “If a flood is coming it is only a local flood—so we can always just cross over that range of hills over there and avoid it”.
• “If Noah turns out to be right—I will probably get another chance”.
• “My popularity and position in the community would be threatened if I admitted that I believed that Noah is right”.
• “My parents, friends, teachers, and community leaders are telling me not to worry—nothing is going to happen”.

It is Easy to Get Distracted

“For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38).

It had to be hard to not think about that 450 foot long boat and that guy who was always preaching!  Yet Noah's contemporaries got busy, found other things to distract them, lead busy lives, had a full schedule, and had things going on the day that the rains came.  In like manner, the Second Coming will be just like any other day (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).   For 120 years nothing seemed to happen—then it did.  It might have looked like the world was winning the marketing war—yet it simply took one day to erase all the arguments against Noah and the ark. Let's learn the lessons taught us through the life of Noah's generation and determine to live every day in holiness, with an attitude of "Lord, come quickly!"

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.com
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net