We looked to the beginning, in anticipation of Jesus coming, to understand how the darkness got so dark and to try to grasp how the light was so glorious. As we move forward through time the anticipation of God’s people is informed by prophecy. Even in the garden of Eden as we learned of the curse of sin, we had this prophetic hope that there would one day be a son born of a woman. His heel would be bitten but he would crush the head of the serpent. God began to point to the coming of this savior in various ways. He gave pictures of the events, he told what to look for and what he would be like and what he would accomplish. As we marched through the corridor of time the picture became fuller and fuller.
We see the picture of Noah and the Ark. Gen 6:9-19 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. (10) And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (11) Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. (12) And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (13) And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (14) Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. (15) This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. (16) Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. (17) For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. (18) But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. (19) And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.
Here Noah points to one righteous and blameless man living amidst a corrupt generation. The wrath of God was revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of that generation. This mirrors the darkness of all creation. But God provided a way to escape his wrath and judgment. Through the faithfulness of Noah a way was made to deliver those within through the flood and into safety.
He did not come into the world to condemn the world. It was already condemned. He came that the world might be saved through him. It would require faith. It would require belief. In order to be saved a person would have to humble himself and come into the way of deliverance that God had provided.
The story is repeated again and again. Rahab and her family were delivered in the destruction of Jericho as they came into the home protected and marked by a scarlet cord hanging from the window.
The people of Israel escaped the angel of death visited upon Egypt and set free from slavery as they came under into the home which was covered by the blood of the Passover lamb. This was an annual tradition… it pointed again and again to the one who would come, shed his own blood and rescue all those who looked to him by faith.
