The Day the Door was Shut

 




Little Things, Part 4

 

Introduction

I’m sure this has happened to you before. You’re running late and you’re driving to a business; you know is closing soon. It’s one of those, “It can’t wait until tomorrow” situations. As you get closer, time seems to speed up and then, when you arrive, the business had just closed.

Imagine a similar scenario back in the time of Noah when he was preparing the ark for the 40-Day flood. In this article, we notice a “little thing” that some might simply take for granted.

 

Build Me an Ark

Everyone should know the story of Noah when he was commanded to build the ark. The reason is given in Genesis 6:5-7, Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." In the next verse, it states that Noah found favor in the eyes of God.

Noah and his family set about to build the ark. During this time, he preached the coming judgment by God to his neighbors and all of those roundabout (2 Peter 2:5). The only people he convinced was his own family (1 Peter 3:20). When the ark was completed, they entered within; including the animals selected and the door was shut.

 

Who Shut the Door?

Our “little thing” can be found in Genesis 7:16, where it is written, So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. Notice that it was God that shut the door, not Noah.

The significance of this, I believe, is that had this been left in the hands of Noah to shut the door, he may have delayed an extra day or so; expecting another individual to come running over the hill, from the other side of town, and race up to the ark to be saved. You can hear Noah say, “Hold on a moment, I think my neighbor was going to join us. He seemed really interested in what I had to say.”

But, during this event, we were on God’s Time not Man’s. The Father had a schedule he wanted to keep and so, making sure that all went according to His plan, He was the one who shut the door. Like the business, there is a limitation to being open. Exceptions aren’t made for one person or another.

 

LET US IN!

It reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins in Mt. 25:1-13. Only five of them were ready; the others had to go out and buy more oil. Let’s pick up the story in verse 10, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

 

Conclusion

When The Lord returns, to collect everyone, it will be at a day and hour that no one expects. Some people out there think they can predict the day of the Second Coming. But as we’ve stated earlier, this event is happening on God’s time not ours. We should always be ready!

If you’re not a Christian, then you are not ready. You’ll end up “on the outside looking in”. But you don’t have to be left out! Change your life today, become a Christian and be ready for His return.

 



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