… if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
Summary: God provides both judgment and salvation. Our challenge is to trust God during the process.
What happens to false teachers? The Spirit of God, speaking through Peter, is telling us what happens. There are serious consequences for messing with God’s people.
Today’s example is from Genesis, chapters 6-9.
The Bible tells us that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” (Genesis 6:9b) Outside of Noah’s sons and their wives, everyone else on the planet had turned to evil. The Bible calls them “corrupt.” God explains:
“I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” (Genesis 6: 13b)
This is what happens to people who mess with God’s creation.
Do you see what Peter is showing us here? In his first example, spiritual beings called angels are held accountable for their actions. In today’s example, the physical creation is also held accountable. This is an important distinction.
As created beings, we live in both worlds. We are part spiritual beings and part physical bodies. The spiritual part of our being is eternal. The physical body is expendable. Both are held accountable.
The second thing Peter is showing us has to do with his protection for the righteous.
Before we continue, I need to insert a comment about righteousness. The Bible tells us that “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). The righteousness that Paul refers to is defined by the Law God gave through Moses. Prior to the giving of the Law, God used a different standard. In Noah’s case, “he walked faithfully with God,” (Genesis 6:9) and “did everything just as God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22).
The standard Noah lived under was not a lot different than the standard the modern Christian lives under. Like Abraham after him, Noah lived by faith, just as Christians do today.
There are other similarities between the people who lived in Noah’s day and the people who live today. Sometimes it seems like the earth is corrupt and full of violence. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we are the last man standing. Satan, of course, wants us to feel isolated. But we are not.
God not only protected Noah but seven others as well. It is important to remember that. God protects the righteous and those they love. It is also helpful to remember how God protected Noah. Noah had to build his own ark. Then he had to fill it with food. After God had the animals enter, he closed it up (Genesis 7:16). Then Noah and his family invented the game of Cribbage and spent a year learning how to play it. (Okay, I made that last part up.)
A year.
In an ark.
Full of animals.
That is the equivalent of being told to go live in the barn for a year and not come out until God says it is okay. God’s protection sometimes comes in strange packages.
God brought judgment on the evil in Noah’s day. He also provided the means for Noah and his family to survive until the earth was restored.
Judgment is coming for those who are false teachers. For those who are faithful, God provides the means of salvation through Christ Jesus.
Application: Trust God. He has everything well in hand. Even if things seem dark, smelly, and are not moving as fast as you would like, trust God.
Food for Thought: Why did God use the ark and the flood instead of just snapping his fingers and making all of the bad people go away?
Interesting question. I am sure there are many potential avenues to answer this question.
I think one reason was that the ark was a “type” of Christ. That is, the ark foreshadowed Jesus. If you were on the ark you were saved from God’s wrath. If you are in Jesus you are saved from God’s wrath. In this way the ark foreshadowed salvation in Christ. The ark was the only way out of God’s wrath – so is Jesus. Maybe God used the ark to prepare us for salvation in Christ.
Thank you, Rich!
I love the imagery of God of the ark. The ark is where God’s word was kept in the desert and later in Jerusalem. The ark was the vessel God preserved the seed of mankind in. And yes, Christ is the ultimate ark.
Good point Jeff. I was actually thinking of Noah’s ark. But the ark of the covenant works too. Blessings to you today brother.
Because God wanted to. He does what He wants. I’m glad that God loves us.
Praying for our brother Ron.
Mr. T
You make me laugh! That is an AWESOME answer! In a way, that answer trumps everything else: He does what He wants. Amen!
Thank you for your prayers for brother Ron!
Why did God use the ark and the flood instead of just snapping his fingers and making all of the bad people go away?
Genesis 6: 5-8 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”
What a concept to wrap your head around, that God regretted creating us, yet didn’t just start over. God still felt that His creation was worth redeeming. To just “reboot” would mean that God destroyed sin and along with it our free will. Also, God demonstrated that if you choose to follow Him, He will save you.
Interesting thought too: God wiped out the sin of the word with water. Jesus came as the Living water and did the same. You still have to choose though.
Chris,
Redemption is a powerful theme. Washing of sins is also very powerful. Throughout the Bible God / Jesus communicates in very graphic ways. In OT times, through flood, famine, and plague among others. In Jesus day through miracles and parables. Today we see the restoration of Israel and the Holy Spirit moving in amazing ways.
To introduce a different thought (not to contradict but rather to add another reason), to show His power.
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:11-12
Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained Genesis 8:2
Remember God created it all. And that He has been sustaining it all. I find the wording of these passages so intriguing. First, the bursting implies pressure like the water is always trying to get out and cover the earth.
Second, the restraining would ‘second’ that thought and imply that every moment of the waters not encroaching on us is God’s protection. His sustaining everything includes preventing flooding all the time. It also shows that He’s a God of order not chaos. There’s a logic, a plan, a series of steps to follow even if He is the only one who will be using the ‘instructions’. The water came from somewhere and must return there and both of those took time.
Third, if someone asked me “what are the floodgates of the sky?” I’d probably answer rain, but in both sections of scripture God refers to both floodgates of the sky and rain from the sky, implying that they are two different things. God’s got more sources of water than we’re even aware of! Slight tangent, because just like in our question today He could just ‘snap’ more water into existence.
Fourth, how many ancient cultures have record of the flood? Seriously, a great flood undeniably happened, both because it’s recorded a bunch of different ways and because of the scientific evidence. Even today it seems like that moment of God’s power defines core beliefs. Do you believe an all powerful being flooded the earth or was there an ice age that melted for some reason and never refroze?
God saves His followers from His judgement (as Rich calls a type of Christ), His judgement is logical and ordered both here and His already in place plan for the cross and Revelation, He still gives us choice (that is a good point Chris), and His power leaves a mark for the rest of time to see and to choose Him.
A –
Thank you for your comments today. I guess it would be safe to say that you have “flooded” us with information! 🙂
Much appreciated!
10-27-2021, 2 Peter 2:5, Why did God use the ark and the flood instead of just snapping his fingers and making all of the bad people go away?
In the flood we see God’s power and judgement against sin and the unrighteousness majority, as well as His redemption and provision for the faithful few. God required Noah and his family demonstrate their faith by acting in obedience to God for 80 to 120 years while every thought and imagination of those around him was evil.
It had never rained and Noah was building a huge ship to survive a coming flood. We can only imagine the test of Noah’s faith as he lived in obedience to our unseen God while the evil ones around him took him as being a fool. God saved His faithful, 2ea. of all animals as He sealed them in the ark, proof of their faithful obedience, and He washed the world clean of all evil.
What a beautiful example of God, His provision for His faithful, the acts of saving faith of Noah and his family, the worlds indifference, and God’s judgement on evil.
Ron,
As I read your description of Noah’s faith and God’s judgment on evil I am struck by the beauty and love that shines through. I am also comparing it in my mind to the alternate scenario we have been pondering. What if God just snapped his fingers?
The story and symbolism of Noah and the flood are important messages for us. If God had just ‘snapped his fingers’ Noah and his family would have been standing there in a newly vacant world confronted by a God of unlimited power who does not confine himself to any predictable rules.
Psychologically, the alternate scenario would be very disturbing. Instead of conveying love, it conveys terror. Instead of encouraging righteousness, it encourages fear.
God communicates with us on multiple levels.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1)
Even the sky proclaims God’s presence and love for us. How much more this story of judgment and salvation? Everything God does is done in the light of the message it sends to all of us.
I wonder if God would have snapped His finger,..the world would probably have been shaken so violently that is would have lost it’s place in the universe and could have just burnt up and became dust before it is time to return to dust,..but this is God’s creation and so are we,..made from the dust,..so we would have been just dust in the wind,..
I have often wondered how Moses wrote all of this before he even was on scene,..but then I am reminded that this has been written for teaching and rebuking, I got to wonder how high the water rose above the highest mountain on God’s great creation called Earth,..could there have been a remnant of people in another area of this huge Earth that repented and was left just wading in the water on top of a mountain? Maybe Moses didn’t get the smoke signals of life on the other side of the Earth,..see my mind tends to wonder a bit,..
Just as I have often wondered how John wrote the letter of Revelation since his eyes were gouged out and isolated on an island,..I may never know the answers to my wondering other than it is what it is and that’s the way it’s going to be because God said so,..kinda like what Mr. T said,..
Thanks for another great discussion,..
Like all the rest here,..praying for Brother Ron,..
John,
You did it again! With a simple phrase you put all this into perspective. If God snapped his fingers…
Yes, it would have shaken things up a bit.
Thank you!
😳