Imagine waking up from a really ‘long nap’...more along the lines of waking up from a week-long coma, or maybe returning from a camping trip where you were ‘off grid’ all week and heard no news...only to discover that many of your neighbors were busy preparing their homes.

When I say ‘preparing, I mean they are boarding up windows, bringing in loose furniture and toys from the yard, sealing up or caulking around doors and rooflines. You see some stacking up firewood perhaps; others...coming back from Costco runs with ample supplies of fresh water and canned goods and yes...even rolls of toilet paper. I’m guessing you might start wondering...’what do they know that you are oblivious to’? And a simple use of basic ‘context-clues’ might lead you to conclude that apparently some kind of ‘storm’ or ‘bad weather’ is about to blow in.

Another question you might be curious to know is: “Why isn’t everyone on the block preparing?” That would probably be the confusing observation, for me at least. Which leads me to the story of Noah, as relayed in Genesis 6. A quick read through that chapter fills us in: God had enough of the increasing wickedness that had spread throughout His creation, to the point He was sorry He had even made man on the earth, as it grieved His heart (Gen. 6:5-6). So He decided to end it all with a destructive flood (7,13,17).

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” {8}

Another insightful passage to read would be Ezekiel 6:8-10 where we learn once again, how God’s ‘heart was crushed by His people’s adulterous hearts which had departed from Him...”, and once again we see there how judgment was coming, but there would be a ‘remnant’ who would escape.

You might also turn to Luke 19:41-44 and read where Jesus drew near to the city of Jerusalem and wept over it. We have His words recorded there as to what He uttered, which I’ll paraphrase here and you can read for yourself...”IF only... you had known...what brings you true peace! But now it is hidden from you and the days are coming when your enemies will build embankments around you and close you off on every side. Total destruction is coming that will affect you and yes, even your children. This will all happen (judgment)...”because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Friends...can I just tell you that when God brings such severe judgment, it is usually a ‘last resort, and even then...He does so with the hopes that it might humble us and drive us to Him since He has always...wanted to protect and heal and comfort us. Do you recall another statement we read in this same probable scene, as recorded in Matt. 23::37- “O Jerusalem...how often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...but you were not willing.” Do you know when a mother hen usually does that...with her chicks? When a storm...or danger is approaching.

So why did Jesus say: “but you were not willing...”? (Please jot down John 5:39-40 as well)

A couple of passages that might offer clues to that question would be Matt. 22:1-5, Luke 14:18-20)

Now the reason I brought the story of Noah into this lesson is because Jesus mentioned Noah when asked by His disciples what things would be like on the earth leading up to His return (Matt. 24:3). After warning them to ‘take heed’ against widespread deception (4-5), and increasing division among the nations (7)...and how the love of most will wax cold due to increasing sin/lawlessness...(12)...Jesus paints a rather sobering picture in vs. 37-39.

“As it was in the days of Noah...so also will the coming of the Son of Man be”. He then goes on to describe the mindset of many who ‘before the flood (storm/judgment)...were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage...” (Think of those neighbors I mentioned at the start here who were not doing anything to prepare their homes)

In Luke’s account of this same discourse, Jesus also cited what was happening in the days of Lot before judgment fell on Sodom. “Likewise...they ate and drank and bought and sold, they planted and they built” (Luke 17:28).

In other words...it was ‘business as usual’ for the majority of the people. Why is it that whenever we read through the Bible, where God warns of judgment coming, and then offers plenty of advance notice to ‘whoever has ears to hear’...that it is always a ‘minority’ of people who respond? How did Jesus describe the numbers of people who would choose to walk the path that leads to life, in comparison to those who took the wide road that leads to destruction in Matt. 7:13-14?

And let me be clear here, once again: It is not the will or desire of God for ‘any...to perish, but for ALL...to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:1-9). Paul reminds us that God “desires ALL men/people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4). And God made provision for this to happen for the whole world, as we all know from reading John 3:16-18. But if you are curious yourself, as to why the majority of people seem to be ‘unwilling’, as Jesus pointed out... in coming to Him, you might continue reading there in vs. 19-21. They may ‘say...they love God’, but clearly, there seems to be something else they love more (Matt. 15:8-9; John 12:43).

Do you remember my mentioning Isaiah 30 yesterday and the response God’s people had to His chilling rebukes...how they wanted to hear ‘smooth things’? Look what God told them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me (repentance) and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it” (15). You might finish up reading Luke 13:1-5 and then meet me back here tomorrow, Lord willing...of course.