Tag Archives: Noah

Be Prepared!

Posted on by under Christian Living

Matthew 24     Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”  We know that whatever we are doing, things generally go better if we are prepared.  Imagine needing brain surgery, and the person who is to perform the operation has been awake for the last 48 hours and has just graduated from high school.  They are not prepared for what is about to occur, and we should have great hesitation in submitting to their surgery.

     It is vitally important that we are prepared for what is to come when this life is over.  Jesus says much regarding our need for preparation in Matthew 24-25. First, He tells His disciples of the signs that will accompany the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Mat. 24:4-35).  They will need to heed the signs and get out before the Roman army seals them in to destroy the city. Second, He tells them of the dangers of making no preparation for His second coming (Mat. 24:36-44).  People will be going about their daily lives as they had before the flood. “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mat. 24:37).

     Third, He tells of the danger of delaying their preparation (Mat. 24:45-51).  Like the evil servant who is doing wrong, thinking he has plenty of time before his master returns, they will be caught unaware because they have delayed their preparation for His return. Fourth, He tells of the danger of partial preparation (Mat. 25:1-13).  Here the five foolish virgins did not bring any oil with them to keep their lamps from going out.  They were not fully prepared, and they were locked out of the wedding as a result. Fifth, He shows both proper and improper preparation in the parable of the talents (Mat. 25:14-30). Lastly, Jesus shows what the results of our preparation will be (Mat. 25:31-46).

     Jesus has much to say about the subject of preparation in these two chapters.  There is an eternal consequence to our preparation for that world to come.  We need to be prepared.  We cannot delay, because we do not know when He is returning (Mat. 24:36, 42, 44).  Our preparation needs to be complete and proper.  Only then can we have that reward with Him in heaven.

Why Can’t I Use Any Wood?

Posted on by under Article

Gopherwood     In today’s modern culture there is an emphasis on self sufficiency. That is, man believes that he is to be the ultimate judge and determiner of his own destiny. He does not need to rely on any one else. In such a spirit, we can imagine a modern day Noah asking the title question when God instructed him to make an ark.

     In the story of Noah, we see that God specified that Noah was to use a particular type of wood for the ark. God said, “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch” (Genesis 6:14 NKJV). While we do not know today just exactly what gopherwood was, it is clear that this is the wood that God specified that Noah was to use. It would not do for Noah to use any type of wood. When God specifically told him to use one kind of wood, He expressly eliminated all other types of wood. We see Noah’s righteousness in that he did just what God had commanded him to do (Genesis 6:22). Noah would not have been blessed had he not obeyed what God told him to do and used another type of wood.

     God did not need to provide Noah with a list of all the types of wood that were forbidden. He only needed to specify which wood was acceptable for the task. Today, many want to take the pages of Scripture and say that they are allowed to do whatever God has not specifically condemned. However, this is a misapplication of God’s Holy Word. For instance, God did not command us to make music, but instead told us to sing (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). Had He told us to simply make music, we could do whatever we wished. Instead, He commands us to sing. That command to sing eliminates all other forms of music. He does not need to list all that is forbidden, since He has specified what is acceptable. It is the same as a sign on the restroom that specifies “Men.” That sign does not need to list who is not allowed, since it only authorizes men to enter.

     There are many other examples that can be used to show the same line of reasoning.  The fire that Nadab and Abihu used would be another indication that God specified what He wanted, and it eliminated all other types of fire (Lev. 10:1-3).  Just as Noah could not use any wood that he saw fit to use, we cannot be of the opinion that we can wander from what God has specified with regards to our worship to Him in our singing.  Let us not be guilty of going beyond what God has commanded!