Sep
20
Written by:
Richard Wamsley
9/20/2011 8:14 AM
Whenever someone talks about the account of the great flood recorded in Genesis 6-9, questions arise as to whether it was a global or localized flood. It would seem that the text clearly answers that question (see Genesis 6:13, 17, ; 7:4, 19-23; 8:21; 9:11, 15). I mean what is there in the text about "Everything on earth will perish." (Genesis 6:17), "Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out..." (Genesis 7:23), and "...never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth" that is didifficult to understand? Yet there are still naysayers to the notion that there could be a flood that covered the entire earth.
I would propose some questions whose answers deal with a more significant issue. Here are the questions: What did God promise Noah before the flood (Genesis 6:9-13)? Did God keep his promise (Genesis 7:19-23)? How long did it take to build the ark (Genesis 6:3)? Assuming it would take the same amount of time, what year would the ark be finished if you were to start building it today? Would you give up waiting for God to keep his promise after 60 years of building? 90 years? Even after 110 years? What would have happened if Noah had given up?
Now here are some questions to ponder for today: What has God promised Christians today that is yet to be fulfilled (See Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Peter 3:3-14)? Does God always keep his promises (See Isaiah 38:7; 2 Corinthians 1:20)? What are you doing to prepare for his promises to be fulfilled? Will you persevere in spite of the naysayers who ridicule you for believing such a promise?
See you Sunday as we consider how Noah's ark can be a rendition of "Hope Floats."