Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. There are many momentous
events which transpired in the Old Testament. None is any more
startling and notable than the Lord's deliverance of Noah and
his family from the flood which destroyed the inhabitants of
the earth. Yet there is probably no single event recorded in the
historical record found in the Bible which is any more doubted
and ridiculed than this. Yet if one disregards this event
as not being true, then one must doubt the redemptive work of
Christ which is illustrated in that flood. The long-suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like
figure wherein to even baptism doth also now save us, not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of
a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The Lord would surely teach us
of His hatred of sin, as He poured out rain from the heavens and
water from the fountains of the deep, to completely cover the
earth, and in His judgment destroy all living creatures which dwelt
upon the land. Yet He would demonstrate the
wonders of His grace in this same cataclysm, as He shut no
one, His family and that animal creation which He would preserve,
in the Ark, which was Christ. The earth was changed by this
deluge, and what men see as destruction, God meant for good to those who
are the called according to His purpose. The Lord would demonstrate
throughout the pages of the Bible His determined purpose to make
a differentiation between that which He would make acceptable
to Himself and that which He would cast away. All of this
is according to His sovereign will and purpose, and all of
creation is at His mercy. But oh, how great that mercy
is, as we see him subject the whole creation unto vanity, that
he might show the wonders of his grace and mercy to those
who are vessels of mercy, which deserve obliteration as much
as those vessels which he has appointed unto destruction. Who
is sufficient for such things? The psalmist speaks of changes
in the earth wrought by that flood, which he describes, thou
cover'st it with deep as with a garment. The waters stood above
the mountains. Just as surely as these waters
arose according to his command, they did quickly subside according
to the same. At thy rebuke they fled, at the
voice of thy thunder they hasted away. Yet he would reveal that
he had a merciful use for even those floodwaters which he brought
upon the creation. Thou hast set abound that they
may not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the earth.
He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field. The wild asses
quench their thirst. He gave Noah a promise that he
would not again destroy the earth and its inhabitants with water.
Yet to remind men that the flood belongs unto him, he appointed
a place for these waters to abide, setting their bounds that they
cannot pass over. We hear much from the wise men
of the world that rising sea levels are going to ruin the
earth as we know it. I don't know exactly where the
bounds of this water are that he has set, but I am sure that
this water can go no farther than he has appointed, and I
am equally sure that nothing that men shall do can prevent
it from occupying those bounds which he has ordained. These
waters which the Lord brought forth from the deeps and the
clouds have now been repurposed for the benefit of the beasts
of the field, including even the wild asses. We learn in the
gospel that it pleases the Lord to reveal his truth to babes
while hiding it from the wise and prudent. He upbraided the
Pharisees as they strutted about in their supposed righteousness
by pointing out that the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom
before them. How could beasts and wild asses
find water if it was not that the Lord caused it to flow down
from the mountains into the valleys below? So too it is true that
men by nature cannot find out the place of his dwelling, nor
enter therein by their own power and thought. He watereth the
hills from his chambers, the earth is satisfied with the fruit
of thy works. In like fashion he has sent his
word into the earth, and prepared a people to hear and rejoice
in that word according to his purpose. None who hear it shall
go lacking. These wait all upon thee that
thou mayest give them their meat in due season, that no flesh
should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. Is your thirst quenched by this
living water?