Genesis 7
Noah’s grandfather was named Methuselah. Methuselah’s father was Enoch, who preached the solemn sermon: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment” (Jude 14-1514And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 14‑15)). The name Methuselah means, “When he is dead it shall be.” Enoch gave his son this strange name, so that he might be a sign to all that the judgment was coming. As long as Methuselah lived the judgment would not come: but, when Methuselah died, then all the world should know that judgment was near. Methuselah lived to be the oldest man this world has ever known. Why? Because God was not willing that any should perish, and He waited, and waited, and waited, for men to repent. He waited for men and women and children to come into the ark to be saved. God had warned them that when Methuselah died the judgment must come: so in His loving patience, He waited till Methuselah was the oldest man who ever lived, to give opportunity for the people to be saved.
At last Methuselah died. Noah and his family entered the ark. The Lord shut the door. The judgment was coming. It was then too late! Alas! people still did not know that they were lost. They did not know this was the beginning of the flood. Why did they not know? Because they did not believe God’s Word. So they all perished. They perished, though there was a way of salvation, free for nothing, at their hand.
Today there is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ but the world is nearing its terrible end. Are you like Noah’s neighbors?
If someone said to Noah, “I believe your words”, but did not enter the ark, what good was that? Millions of people say they believe in Jesus, that He was born and died. Some even believe that He is the only Saviour. But this kind of faith will not save anyone. The faith needed is the same as Noah’s faith, by which his whole family of eight persons went into the ark and was saved: Trust only to Christ: not only believe that Jesus is a Saviour, but also take Him for yourself as your Saviour. Say, “Jesus is my Saviour.” How kind God is! He did not wish any to be downed. He held the water back for seven days after Noah entered the ark before He shut the door. He waits for you. Why not come now? Then at last the rain did come; it rained heavily for 40 days; the water grew higher; it flooded the earth. Then the people knew that the terrible day had come. I think that Noah’s neighbors ran to the ark, and shouted. “Open the door. Let us in! We do believe you now! Let us be saved!” But Noah could only say: “It is too late! Your chance is past. The Lord Himself has closed the door!” Some likely climbed to the tops of the hills but the water rose and covered all. My friends, Heaven’s door will soon close. The Lord says: “Now is the accepted time: now is the day of salvation.” Some say: “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” But God says: “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” (2 Peter 3:4-74And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby 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 3:4‑7)).
The World in Noah’s Day
The busy world was pressing on its way
Intent to plant and build, to sell and buy:
And neither knew nor cared that every day
The Lord Himself came from His Home on high
To walk with man.
And thus the course of time its way fast rolled,
Till soon three hundred years were fully gone.
While Enoch, prophet of the Lord, foretold
The Lord with thousands of His saints will come,
Will come to judge.
Alas, the busy world still sped its way,
Nor thought, nor cared, for God’s most solemn cry.
Then, strangely, Enoch was not found one day,
For God had taken him to dwell on high,
To dwell with Him.
But Enoch’s son still spread the message grave:
“When I shall die the judgment sure must fall.”
And Noah built an ark their souls to save:
He, too, while building, preached the solemn call:
The Judge is near.
The world sped on without a thought of God.
No time had they to hear what He might say
Nor did they know until had come the flood
And took them all, yea, every one, away:
The Judge had come.
And still the busy world runs its own way,
Intent to plant and build, to sell and buy:
And heeds not, just as `twas in Noah’s day,
That God still sends abroad that solemn cry:
The Judge is near.
Before shall swiftly fall that judgment dire,
Like Enoch once, our God shall claim His Own.
The world, and all its works, are burnt with fire;
But His shall walk with Him in white, at Home:
At Home, with Him!