OLD TESTAMENT ARTICLE
A MAN LIKE NOAH...
Is one who has faith. We learned this week Noah was told to build an ark for an event heretoforehe had never witnessed nor heard of Yet, "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household." (Heb. 11:7) What caused Noah to believe the God he served had that kind of power? Had he witnessed any miracles? The text doesn't say. Possibly the last miracle recorded or performed by God was the creation. If so, his faith is even more remarkable and much like our own. Having never witnessed a miracle he didn't doubt the power of God to perform one. Noah had never seen it rain, in fact it had never rained much less flooded but Noah didn't doubt, he "moved with fear."
Is one who is persistent. We learn from 1 Peter 3:20 the ark took some time to build. In fact some suggest 120 years, Genesis 6:3. Can you imagine the ridicule Noah must have received during that time? No doubt Noah was considered the "town character." Even so, none of this seemed to faze Noah for not only did he continue building but even tried to make converts. 2 Peter 2:5 tells us he was a "preacher of righteousness."
Is one who is righteous. Noah lived during a time when violence, corruption, and wickedness were the norms. Men were evil to the core. (Genesis 6:5, 11-12) "Everybody's doing it." "Go with the flow." Not Noah!! He "was a righteous man, blameless in his time" for he ''walked with God." (Genesis 6:9) If there was ever a time when living righteously would have been impossible surely this was it. Yet, in an unrighteous world, Noah was righteous...in an evil world, Noah was blameless...in a wicked world, Noah walked with God. You'll find no help from Noah when claiming righteousness cannot be maintained in this wicked world.
Are you a man like Noah in faith, persistence, and righteousness?
NEW TESTAMENT ARTICLE
PEACE ON EARTH
To have been a shepherd that night and heard a choir of angels singing "Glory to God in the highestand on earth peace, good will toward men." (KJV) would truly have been a "once in a lifetime experience." This was an event with eternal significance. It was an event which was first prophesied in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) and continued through the history of Israel (Isaiah 7:14). It fulfilled the final aspect of the promise made to Abraham (Genesis 12:3). It is the very "hub of theBible." The Old Testament pointed forward to it while the New Testament points backward to it. For God this was the culmination of years of working behind the scenes to prepare a time for this event. So who should be told first? It seems somewhat significant who was told and who was not. Why not tell the religious leaders? High priest? Pharisees? Surely they would appreciate the significance of this event with the knowledge of God's law they possessed. Yet God chose to deliver this message first to shepherds. Shepherds? Seems a strange choice doesn't it? But God already knew what we find out later; the religious leaders were not going to accept this Savior God had sent. They were so arrogant, prideful, and sure of themselves God knew they would not listen to Him. Especially since God's revelation was nothing like what they were expecting. So God chose to reveal it to people whose hearts were still tender, whose minds were not arrogant and whose will could be bent to the divine.
A good lesson there for you and me. Let us never become so sure of ourselves and our religion that we ignore God when He speaks to us through His Word. Remember it was the common people who heard Jesus gladly (Mark 12:37, KJV) and it was children Jesus said would inherit the kingdom (Matt. 18:3). "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:3)