| On returning home one evening, from a very | | | | believed the truth. |
| pleasant social occasion, with people who were in | | | | Verses 11 and 12 describe what the world was like. It |
| high positions in the land, I said to my wife, "This | | | | was corrupt in the sight of God - filled with violence - |
| would be such a lovely world if it were not for sin!" | | | | sacred things were trampled on - honesty and |
| One of the saddest sentences in the entire Bible is to | | | | morality had vanished. |
| be found in Genesis Chapter 6 and at verse 6. God is | | | | The society which God destroyed had already |
| sorry that He made man. That was one sad and | | | | destroyed itself. See that clearly. Check all this out |
| tragic situation, but it happened to be true! | | | | for yourself in the Bible. Do not take my word for it. |
| God's emotions have been touched and hurt. He | | | | God judges SIN in whatever form it manifests itself - |
| created man, and placed man in the world to enjoy it | | | | but - there is a way of escape - and it is God in His |
| and to be in control, but things have gone terribly | | | | Mercy and Love who offers the way of escape. |
| wrong. | | | | One day, He is going to put everything right. Why |
| When certain situations get out of hand, we tend to | | | | does He not put things right now? Because, in His |
| say - 'O boys will be boys' - or - 'let bygones be | | | | mercy He is giving men time to repent and put |
| bygones'. God does not act like that in the | | | | themselves right, but do people want to be put |
| circumstances we are reading of here, and there are | | | | right? |
| no half measures with GOD. | | | | We must ever thank Him for His patience. God has a |
| GOD is merciful and righteous and Hr deals with | | | | plan of salvation, and He has a place of refuge. He |
| situations as they really are - punishment for sin, and | | | | had an Ark of safety and security prepared for the |
| pardon for those who believe. | | | | time of the Coming Judgement. |
| There is one man resisting the pressures of society - | | | | Noah is told to build an Ark - box - chest. It is built |
| one man married to one wife. We read that Noah | | | | for floating - not for speed nor for travelling. The |
| enjoyed 'grace' or favour with GOD. The Lord has | | | | dimensions are perfect. The designer of the |
| favourites - in the sense of those upon whom His | | | | Canberra, John West, based his dimensions on those |
| favour rests. Be one of them. This is wonderful thing | | | | of the ARK - for safety and stability - and the QE2 |
| to see in the Word of God. | | | | liner is designed along these same dimensions, and |
| He is no respecter of persons. If someone comes | | | | modern oil tankers have followed similar dimensions. |
| along with their long list of things they have done - or | | | | Computers apparently had discovered that for |
| if they have come along boasting of who they are - | | | | stability and security, a ship is best when it is SIX |
| it is as if God is deaf and blind, but when HE sees a | | | | times longer than it is broad - these are the precise |
| man like Noah, His grace goes out. | | | | dimensions of the Ark. |
| This is the first time the word GRACE is used in the | | | | Wood is durable, and durable wood is preserved and |
| BIBLE. | | | | made watertight, and it is coated with a covering. |
| Wherever there is the judgement of God, grace and | | | | The ARK is unsinkable. |
| mercy are close. When man is at his worst, then God | | | | God tells Noah what to do. Can you imagine this |
| appears at His Best. God loved to look at Noah. Look | | | | preacher of righteousness being laughed at and |
| at that man. He is just - full of integrity - upright - | | | | mocked and ridiculed? There had never been a Flood. |
| sincere. | | | | As far as we can tell it had never even rained! |
| Noah was a man who walked with God - in step with | | | | Can you imagine what a cartoonist would have made |
| God - in the Will of God - enjoying communion with | | | | then of dear Noah? |
| God the Father. As he walked with God, he was | | | | When people laugh at those of us today who know |
| walking against all the moral pollution and corruption | | | | and believe in and seek to obey Jesus Christ - |
| of his day. | | | | remember - we are preparing for the future. How |
| We are told in Peter's second letter in the New | | | | are you preparations for the future progressing? Do |
| Testament, that Noah was a preacher - a preacher | | | | not leave it too late. |
| of righteousness. Noah was concerned about others, | | | | There is no point of deciding that you will leave til the |
| but hardly anybody listened. Seven did. Seven | | | | 11th hour if you only live til half past ten. |