BY JACK WARD
Luke 17:26-30: “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”
Matthew 24:37-39: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Life has rhythm and purpose. Life goes around and around, they say. God made us that way. To work, to accomplish things, to build, to plant, to engage in economic endeavors, and even to enjoy the fruits of our labor. He made us to have relationships that lead to families and communities.
Even in heaven there will be a tree for the healing of the nations that has fruit every month. So, if there is fruit every month, we must have days, hours and minutes. So even in heaven we will have a purpose, a rhythm of life that gives us joy, purpose and meaning.
It appears people will continue with the rhythm of life even through the seven-year tribulation, and maybe even until the end of it. The Beast will have a system of buying and selling, and with that goes building, planting, marrying and giving in marriage. But in the last half of the tribulation (three and a half years), he will require worship of his image and the taking of a mark to buy and sell. Things will quickly fall apart and lead to desperation.
During the days of Noah, people bought, sold, built, planted and had families right up to the day Noah entered the ark. They ignored the signs and the warnings. Only eight people were spared on the whole planet. Later on, Sodom and Gomorrah went about their evil actions and conducted city business and the rhythm of life, even after ignoring warnings to flee the cities from Lot to his neighbors and even his sons-in-law. Only Lot grieved over the sin of his city. His two daughters escaped, but his wife looked back and turned to a pillar of salt, showing she left reluctantly. Only Nineveh repented at the warnings from the reluctant evangelist Jonah. And as the Ninevites repented and rejoiced, Jonah was the unhappy one; he hated those wicked Ninevites so. Wow. It shows us the power of God’s word when used.
According to Jesus, it will happen again in these last days. We see people today are again ignoring the warnings and the signs. Israel is the billboard of God that Jesus is coming soon to rule and reign over His people and to judge the earth this time with fire. People claim to know God but deny His power. People claim to have faith but live like everyone else.
But as is their nature, people keep going along buying, selling, building, planting, harvesting, marrying, and having children as they should. The rhythm of life that God has put into our hearts is a very strong impulse. But He also put in our hearts a yearning for more. That more is a relationship with Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins and an eternal rich, rewarding, satisfying, joyous and holy life. But sadly, people seek the things in this life: success, money, pleasure, power, making their own solutions and going their own way instead of the way of true life and the joy of the Lord.
Matthew 24:44: “Be ye ready for in such an hour ye think not the Son of Man cometh.”
Jack Ward is the pastor at Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church.