Thursday, May 7, 2009

Will they get into the ark?

I was doing a little bible study/craft with the kids on the life of Noah and like usual I got a bit carried away--or maybe it was the Spirit who took over. Most of the time when I share from God's word I teach at a level far beyond my children's comprehension--no watering it down! As I pondered the life of Noah I began to desire to look deeper.....his kids got on the ark. I want my kids on the 'ark', too.

What was different about Noah? He was righteous--he was right with the Lord. He found favor in the eyes of the Lord and he did all that the Lord commanded him to do. This is what I desire, too. Becoming nothing but a God pleaser. Our kids will be the first ones to see if we are hypocrites--acting righteous on the outside but behaving wickedly behind closed doors. We should be so in love with Jesus, the righteous One, that our kids will want Him too.

Just like us, Noah lived in the midst of a wicked and a perverse generation. I can not help but believe that Noah must have been mocked and ridiculed for following after God. We have a promise from our Lord, "for to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God...." 1 Timothy 4:10. On a side note, we have often been told by well meaning Christians that because of our suffering on the mission field we should go back home. This is absolutely contrary to scripture, "sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood all over the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory through Jesus Christ, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish and strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory." 1 Peter 5. Our children have been able to witness that following Jesus includes suffering but that He is sufficient to perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us in the midst of it. Maybe Noah's sons experienced this, too?

“Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time….Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him (7:1 & 5).”

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. “ Hebrews 11:7


"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." Luke 17:21


Today we have the choice. Will we succumb to the lies of the world or will we follow after God? Will we pattern our lives/homes after the world or will we "prepare an ark for the saving of our household?" God made it very clear to Noah just how the ark was to be built. We, too, today have the "full counsel" of God's word that lays out, detail by detail, just how we are to build our lives. We have a choice and our children's lives and souls are at stake.


My prayer and hearts longing is that like Noah, all of my children will follow us onto the ark, saved from the destruction of sin and lawlessness.


“Then God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.” (8:15-16).


“Then Noah built and altar to the Lord and offered a burnt sacrifice (8:20)."

“And God blessed Noah and his sons (9:1).”

Why were Noah and his sons blessed? Because they headed the voice of the Lord and were saved. They did it God's way. I love the picture we get as we see Noah make a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, 1 Peter 2:5 says that our "lives should be a living sacrifice."

“Now behold, I Myself do establish a covenant with you, and with your seed after you…God said, “this is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.” 9:8


Jesus is our promise. And all of our hope, and the hope of our children, lie therein. Just as Noah and his son's found hope through the 'ark.'


So, what are we going to do to make sure that they get into the ark?


P.S. I have read a great book by the Pearls called 'Jumping Ship.' It is about keeping our kids from jumping ship (i.e. leaving the Christian faith). I highly recommend it.

4 comments:

Shonni said...

This is really wonderful. I never "baby" down the Bible for my children either.
...the part about being told that because of the suffering you should go home...I'm glad you wrote the truth in answer to that...we have missionary friends who have also dealt with that. We have also been told some painful things as many do not accept that what we are doing as a family is our mission...

Shauna said...

Very cool - I was in Matthew 24 this morning and reading about this very thing!

I love that, through your trials, you dove into God's wisdom for direction in your situation. His way is truth!

Unknown said...

I have thought of Noah many times and thought "people must have thought he was completely BONKERS to be building that ark." What faith huh? I wonder if I would do the same. I suppose if I got the clear word from God I would. Thanks for this post!

Emily said...

Beautiful post! I am so glad you posted a comment on my blog, I accidently deleted my blog roll and I couldn't find yours! I am happy to be catching up!

Emily