I Promise You
I promise you my love for you will never die.
I’d give my life so you could live here by my side.
If you will only trust in me, my vision for your life you’d see.
My love for you will last through all eternity,
I promise you.
Genesis 6-9: The Flood
The fall of mankind into sin had far-reaching consequences, and after a time, human nature had become so depraved that God declared judgment upon them. Yet, in the midst of all the moral degeneration, God found one man and his family who had not succumbed to the evil desires of those around him. This man was Noah. God called on Noah to build an ark of salvation whereby he and his family, as well as members of each kind of living creature, could be saved from the judgment of the flood and could then repopulate the earth. God was starting over. God caused a flood to sweep over the entire earth, cleansing it from the mud and slime of corruption and giving it a fresh start.
I can only imagine the grief that Noah got from his neighbors when he began building a giant ship in the middle of a large land mass. After all, to date, it had probably never rained. The earth prior to the flood may have been surrounded by a vaporous covering that allowed plants to grow and provided water to drink. But Noah was not dissuaded from his task. It also appears that Noah tried to persuade others to turn from evil and find salvation on the ark.
“And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.”
2 Peter 2:5
Sadly, they didn’t listen, and they taunted him for his foolish belief.
Then the day came when it was too late. Noah and his family, along with the animals, entered the ark, and God shut the massive door. I can imagine the large numbers of people who would have gathered to see the ridiculous monstrosity that Noah had built – all laughing and jeering at his foolishness. Then, the rain began. Water poured from the heavens and burst forth from the earth. Genesis 7:11 tells us that the “fountains of the deep” erupted, which would have included volcanic and other seismic activity. Imagine the terror that set in as those who had mocked Noah now realized he was right. Sadly, it was too late. God had shut the door, and shut it would stay.
Although God promised to never again flood the whole earth, he also promised that he would judge the earth again and that this judgment would come as suddenly as the flood of Noah’s day. In Matthew, Jesus tells us this.
“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”
Matthew 24:37-39
But God has not left us without an ark of salvation. This ark is Jesus Christ. Those who accept his gift of grace and place their trust in him will be saved from the flood of judgment that is to come.
What choice would you have made back in Noah’s day? Would you have heeded God’s warning through Noah, changed your life and gotten on board? Would you have pleaded with your family and friends to trust God and get on the boat? Or would you have joined the crowd and mocked the ridiculous man building the monstrosity in the middle of nowhere? You are facing that same choice today. Will you come on to the Ark of Salvation built by Jesus, or will you turn your back and perish? I plead with you today to choose life. None of us are strong enough swimmers to risk the alternative.
Related Devotional
Resources
The question many ask is if Noah’s ark was a real thing. Below are some of the major obstacles to belief that people have, as well as links to articles that can answer them for you.
- Was there really a world-wide flood? Fossils of sea life found over a mile above sea level and sediment found where it shouldn’t be are just a couple of things that give evidence to a flood of a worldwide nature. Worldwide Flood, Worldwide Evidence
- How could Noah fit all of those animals on the ark? Based on the dimensions of the ark provided in Genesis, students at Leicester University determined the ark could have supported 70,000 animals plus food and water. Plus, it would have made sense for Noah to bring young animals for repopulation efforts. Students Surprised to Find Noah’s Ark Feasible
- Do any other cultures know about this flood? The answer is yes. There are over 270 stories similar to the Biblical story that have been handed down through generations. Flood Legends
- How did Noah care for the animals? We need to remember that Noah was not alone on the ark, but he also brought his wife, 3 sons and his sons’ wives. Studies have shown that 8 people could have met the needs of what was probably only about 16,000 creatures at most. Caring for the Animals on the Ark
- Is there any other evidence that the flood story was real? In short, yes. If you believe that God was being honest with us, then you can believe his eyewitness account of the flood. But in addition to that, here are a few additional articles.
Was There Really a Noah’s Ark & Flood?
The Noah Controversy: Could that Flood have happened?
Prosecution—Extent of the Flood
To learn about how you can be saved from the flood of judgment to come, please see the message of salvation under the “Child of God” heading.
Next Article Unfathomable: God Calls Abraham
Music and lyrics by LuAnne Barnet. Copyright (c) 2004 LuAnne Barnet. All Rights Reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Royalty-free images from Videoblocks.com
Information on the Creation Museum can be found at https://answersingenesis.org/