“THE earth also was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence.” v. 11. The wickedness which sought only selfish pleasure in the gratifying of fleshly lusts, now produced its true fruit. The earth was not only corrupt, but filled with violence as well. Let man’s “self-expression” seem ever so noble, lofty and desirable, let his achievements become ever so great and marvelous, when God’s claims are ignored or deliberately pushed aside and man is set in his own way, the end result will always be corruption and violence. Then all the display of achievement will tumble in ruin as a castle built of sand when struck by the waves. We need only look on the world about us today to be assured of the reality of this. What wickedness is now on display! What lawlessness and what rebellion to moral restraint! As a result, utter chaos is overtaking every part of the globe. These conditions go hand in hand with man’s pride and rebellion against God.
“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me:... and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” v. 13. The distance of man from God and the corruption of his ways had reached such a state that God must pronounce His judgment. Is this not clearly a pattern of our day, too? In 2 Peter 3:6, 76Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:6‑7) we read: “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” We are now nearly 2000 years closer to that destruction than when these verses were written. God has said: “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”
Amidst all the evil, how God in have delighted in one who was walking close to Himself. Noah’s reward was great indeed, for he and his family would soon know God’s pre, serving care. But even with a dreadful sentence pronounced, the reluctance of God to execute it resulted in yet a period of grace to the ungodly. God said to Noah: “Make thee an ark Surely, as Noah undertook his task he became a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:55And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)). We can scarcely think that he, being forewarned of God, would fail to tell his fellow citizens of what was coming and invite them to join him in accepting the means of salvation. Yet apparently not one listened seriously. Probably those who saw him at his task considered him “a fanatic” and doubtless he was an object of ridicule.
Certainly this is just what many of God’s servants experience today. If faithful, they preach of judgment near at hand; they warn men everywhere to “flee from the wrath to come.” They too tell of a way of escape. But with what result? Few heed the words of warning, being too engrossed in pleasures, too fully deceived by Satan that judgment is “merely a myth,” too busy in selfish pursuits to see the storm clouds appearing on the horizon.
Dear friend, God’s long-suffering today is your opportunity of salvation; tomorrow may be too late. “If thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity.... Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:9, 119Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. (Ezekiel 33:9)
11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11).
ML-10/11/1964