“Noah, go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous,” were the words that the Lord spoke to me. The time has come when what God told me many years ago is coming to pass.
I have walked in close fellowship with God and over the years I witnessed society becoming more sinful. One day the Lord spoke to me that He has decided to destroy all living creatures for they have filled the earth with violence. He will wipe them all out along with the earth. He told me to build a large boat and He gave me the dimensions and instructions on how it was to be constructed. He said that my family and I will board this boat along with animals.
As I thought on these things I sat down with my family to share with them all that I had been instructed to do. My wife, my sons Shem, Ham and Japheth, and their wives all sat with me as I told them what the Lord instructed. At first they were incredulous and asked me if I was sure that this was what I was to do. I assured them that the instructions were very clear and as they knew of my fellowship with the Lord, they came to accept the task along with me. We sat and began talking of our process and how we might go about this arduous task.
That was many, many years ago now and we are nearing completion of our mighty task. As my sons and I have been building the boat, my wife and daughters-in-law have been preparing the food for the animals and for the family. The Lord has provided instructions and we are carrying out His will.
When we began, many of the villagers came to me to ask what I was doing and when I explained that the earth was going to be flooded, they laughed at me. For many years, the taunting continued, but we kept working. Eventually they grew tired of ridiculing us and just shook their heads as they passed by.
There were times when we became tired and weary, but we kept working and began to see the shape of the boat take place. The Lord instructed that the boat was to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There is an 18-inch opening below the roof, a door in the side, and three decks in the boat. We worked at times in the beating sun and at other times during rainstorms, but we did not stop. We came to know each inch of this boat and at times would walk along the levels that have been constructed. The enormity of the boat and the work that has been done leaves me standing in awe.
But now our work is done, and the Lord has said that it is time to go into the boat as in seven days the rain will begin. We all started to bring into the boat the food and remainder of our belongings.
It is now seven days after the Lord spoke, and I’m working on loading the last of the supplies when I hear some noises behind me and turn to look.
To my amazement, I see animals walking toward the boat! They are coming toward me in pairs of two, male and female as the Lord had told me. He also told me that He would bring the animals to me and as they walk toward me, my family is standing here as well, and we watch as they enter the boat. Some of these animals I have seen before, but there are many here that I have never seen and did not know existed! There are even birds flying toward us and into the boat. The animals are guided into the ark and onto the various levels that were built.
We watch in amazement for quite a while until we see the last of the animals come into the boat. We wait for just a while longer, but it seems that all the animals have arrived. My wife, sons, and daughters-in-law all head into the boat as well. I stop and take a last look around me and then turn and walk into the boat. After I walked through the door, it slowly starts to rise on its own and we stand in amazement as it closes and seals. The Lord’s hand has closed us safely inside.
As I walk through the levels of the boat I look at the animals that the Lord has brought to us. There is a calmness in the air, and I hear gentle sounds like murmurings coming from many of the animals. I make my way to the upper level to look out of the opening below the roof.
The skies have grown constantly darker over the last seven days and now the heavens open as the rain has begun……
Insight – The story of Noah and the building of the ark is found in Genesis 6 – 7:16. The boat was exactly six times longer than it was wide, and ten times longer than it was high. It is estimated that there could have been as many as 45,000 animals on the ark.
There were three other occasions when God directed animals to come to people: Exodus 16:13, Number 11:31 and 1 Kings 17:2-6.
Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him to do.
Prayer: Father, May I be as obedient as Noah when You ask me to do something. Remind me that there are times when a task may take a period for completion and that I need to trust You. May You give me strength when I need it and the wisdom to continue to follow the instructions that You give me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
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