Go forth of the ark!

Gen.8:15-16, ‘Then God spoke to Noah, saying, ¹⁶ “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.’

 God has made us understand the importance of freedom by taking away the same during these days. Though a child of God is always free in Christ, the usual movements of life is important for any human being to be well balanced physically and mentally. There came a time in Noah’s life when God asked him to go forth out of the ark in which he and his family and all that were with him dwelt for days and months together. When we look back from this point of Noah’s life, we note certain aspects of his life which qualified him for every milestone of his life. As we all wait upon our Lord, let’s learn from him. Let’s note that the Lord who asked Noah to step into the ark also asked him to step out of the ark. Similarly, the Lord who has asked us to be within four walls these days will one day say to His body i.e. the church, to step out and to be fruitful in order to fill this earth with redeemed souls. Let’s note how Noah was qualified for every subsequent milestone into the ark and then out of the ark.

Gen.6:9, ‘This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, ^[f]perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.’  In a world full of wickedness, God saw one man, only one man who was just and perfect. It’s easier to be righteous when the world around is same. But being righteous all alone is not an easy task. This qualified Noah for the great assignment of God, which was to build an ark.

It had never rained on this earth till then and there was no way Noah could understand it in the way we might understand it today. Yet, he built the ark of God without questioning or doubting. Gen.6:22, ‘Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.’  His faith was proved through complete obedience due to which he was considered righteous before God. Without faith, none can please God. Noah believed something which was completely new to his mindset and faithfully built the ark as per the exact measurements laid down by heaven. This enabled him to be considered for the next step i.e. the divine call to enter into the ark of His protection and provision. Gen.7:1, ‘Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.’

 The forty days of flood was followed by 150 days of flood waters prevailing over the earth. All these days, the Lord was silent. Surely Noah went through yet another trial of his faith life. Being the only family alive on the entire globe did not make him fearful and doubtful. He patiently waited upon the Lord. Gen.7:19, ‘And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.’ The ark floating on the flood waters which covered the entire world, with not even a single mountain peak visible all around could allow fear easily into the hearts of the eight lives inside the ark. But the covenant which the Lord had made with Noah in Gen.6:18, ‘But I will establish My covenant with you;.’ was deeply embedded in his heart. Hence he waited without growing weary. Waiting wearies any life, but when we wait upon the Lord, it’s different. The Spirit of the Lord renews our heart and His unchanging word empowers us to wait without growing weary. On the other hand, waiting on our own strength sooner or later gives way to negative thoughts with each passing day, thus weakening us and making us losers. In fact, the fruit of waiting helps us to identify whether it was on the Lord or whether it was on our own strength. Noah was asked to make only one window in the entire ark (Gen.6:16). And he opened this window for the first time after 230 days (40days of rain (Gen.7:17) plus 150 days of waters prevailing on the earth (Gen.7:24) plus 40 days of receding waters (Gen. 8: 6). This portrays an amazing long suffering Noah. His heart rested in the presence of the Lord so perfectly. This fruit of the Spirit of God being manifested in Noah clearly shows the nature of his waiting inside the ark.  Noah’s patient waiting upon the Lord qualified him to be remembered by God in His time (Gen.8:1).

 Soon after this, the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heaven stopped. The flood waters receded fast and the earth was dry like before. This sight of the dry earth could have prompted any human being to step out of the ark, but Noah did not step out of the ark till God asked him to do so. He proved his complete submission before the Lord.

Gen.8:20, ‘Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹ And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma.’ The first thing Noah did after coming out of the ark was to build an altar and worship the Lord, which pleased the Lord.  The flood waters, the long stay in the ark and the silence of the Lord during those days had not snatched the longingness to worship the Lord from Noah. His first priority to serve the Lord remained the same, which qualified him to receive the next blessing from the Lord i.e. the fulfilment of the covenant to be fruitful and to replenish the earth (Gen.9:1). Are the trials shuffling up the priorities of our lives?

A God’s child is predestined to grow closer and closer to God with every passing day and with every test and trial. As the flood waters of the present crisis continues to grow exceedingly , surpassing and drowning every hill and mountain of human hope, may our hope in Christ stand strong and steadfast. Let us resist every wave of weariness by continuously feeding our inner man with His unchanging Word. Surely He will remember His righteous ones, who are continuously pleading and interceding for this world. He is a merciful God. He is a righteous God. He is a just God. He has set a boundary for every sea, and so has He for this too. If He has judged this world, He will soon show mercy and restore this world. May we manifest the fruit of the Spirit much more by dwelling in Him more and more. This will qualify us for the next milestone and we will step out of the four walls to be fruitful and to replenish the earth with redeemed souls. Gen.9:1, ‘So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’ The Lord who closed us up in His ark will definitely ask us soon to step out of the ark.

God bless us all (http://thebrokenbread.wordpress.com/)