Dear friends, in the last issue we saw how God has allowed large-scale destruction of human life whenever people become godless and get involved in all sorts of evil things. We saw in the Book of Genesis how He let the flood destroy godless people all over the world. Then we saw how time and again He used wars to punish godless people. We concluded that He is the one who sets the time for war and peace. Finally, we saw how the Bible points out the growing evil in the last days and the large-scale destruction of human life that will follow. It will be destruction caused not by a flood, as in Noah's time, but by fire. And looking at the extent of evil that has grown around us and also the imminent Third World War of nuclear kind, there is every possibility of such large-scale destruction happening in our times.
Now, as we read all this, we need to bear in mind that Our God is not a God who is pleased to destroy the very human beings that He Himself has created. We know this from what He spoke to the prophet Ezekiel… “Do you think I enjoy seeing evil people die? No, I would rather see them repent and live.” (Ezekiel 18:23). This line tells us that before allowing a disaster to strike, God gives every person a chance to repent. He sends His Word through His prophets so that the people may listen to it, repent, and be saved. At the time of Noah, God warned the people much before the flood could come. We are told that Noah preached – he preached righteousness. (2 Peter 2:5). But then, the people did not repent. Later, Jesus would point out that they went on with their godless way of living ‘up to the very day’ Noah went into the boat (Matthew 24:38). They were blinded by the world so much that they failed to understand the love that God had for them.
Next, we are told that God shut the door behind Noah. (Genesis 7:16). Surely, there was great and unimaginable sadness in His heart on that day. Except for the eight people, all the rest whom He had brought into existence were going to die. It was with great reluctance that He closed that door behind Noah. We see the same reluctance also in the sending of the flood over all the earth; because we are told that the flood came seven days later. (Genesis 7:10). In those seven days, if one more soul had to repent and come to the ark, surely God would have opened the door for him. But alas! No one turned up. Only Noah and his family survived – 8 people in all. (1 Peter 3:20).
Now, we see this same pattern repeating throughout the Bible – people turning godless, God sending His Word through His prophets to warn the people of the coming disaster if they do not repent, God waiting patiently for them to repent, the destruction finally coming, and only a few surviving. Consider the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them with fire, and made them an example of what will happen to the godless. He rescued Lot, a good man... (2 Peter 2:6-8). Lot’s godliness served as a means by which God gave the people of Sodom and Gomorrah a chance to repent. But they did not. He waited patiently even as Abraham interceded for them (Genesis 18:22-33). But repentance was not coming forth. Finally, the cities were destroyed. Only Lot and his two daughters survived.
When God was about to send disaster upon His people who had become godless, He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah. The LORD Almighty said to me, "Israel will be stripped clean like a vineyard from which every grape has been picked. So you must rescue everyone you can while there is still time." I answered, "Who would listen to me if I spoke to them and warned them? They are stubborn and refuse to listen to your message; they laugh at what you tell me to say. Your anger against them burns in me too, LORD, and I can't hold it in any longer." Then the LORD said to me, "Pour out my anger on the children in the streets and on the gatherings of the young people. Husbands and wives will be taken away, and even the very old will not be spared. (Jeremiah 6:9-11). Again, through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord said… I will let a few of them survive the war, the famine, and the diseases..." (Ezekiel 12:16).
To be continued in the next issue...