I've entitled this message, The
First Prophecy. The First Prophecy. A prophetic statement always
has, thus saith the Lord. A prophetic statement is a statement
inspired by God that foretells the future with 100% accuracy. 100%. Recently I read where a man made
a prophecy, he said, concerning who was going to win the election.
He was wrong. and he proved himself a phony
and a fraud for making a statement like that. As far as that goes,
the Bible is closed. There are no new revelations
from God. The Bible, the revelation of
God is closed. When somebody starts making prophetic
statements, they're frauds and phonies. Now, there are predictions,
You know, I predict that the sun will rise tomorrow, but you
know, that's a prediction. Now it's a good prediction. It's
happened every day thus far, but one of these days it's not
going to happen. The earth is going to be burned up. The sun's
going to be burned up. The sun's not going to rise.
Now you can make good predictions. That's a good prediction. If
the Lord doesn't come back, the sun will probably rise tomorrow.
That's a good shot at that. That's a good prediction, but
it's not a prophecy. A prophecy always comes to pass. Now, I have preached on Noah's
Ark on numerous occasions, and I'm looking forward to getting
into it in the next few weeks, all the types of the gospel that
are found in Genesis 6, 7, 8, and 9. And we'll probably spend
some time there, but I've never brought a message on Noah being
a type of Christ. And what a glorious type he is,
as we'll see in this passage of scripture. The gospel set
forth so clearly in this type that he provides for us. Now,
there had already been two, I guess you'd call them prophetic statements
made by God. In the day you eat thereof, you
shall surely die. That's a prophetic statement.
100% gonna happen. And then the prophetic statement
regarding the seed of woman that shall crush the serpent's head. It happened. God never speaks
in vain. Whatever he says comes to pass.
But this is the first time we read of a prophetic statement
made by a man. Now look in verse 28 and Lamech. lived 182 years and begat a son. Now it's interesting if you look
in Genesis chapter five, every time a begetting is mentioned,
look in verse six, Seth lived 105 years and begat Enos. Verse
nine, Enos lived 90 years and begat Canaan. Look in verse 12,
Canaan lived 70 years and begat Mehillahel. Verse 15, Mehillahel
lived 60 and five years and beget Jared on and on. They speak of
the name of the one they begat. But look how this is different
in verse 28. And Langley lived 180 and two
years and begat his son. Now I thought, why is that different?
Well, that is a reference to the only begotten Son of God. As we shall see, it's a picture
of the only begotten Son of God. Now remember this, with regard
to the only begotten Son, there's only one only begotten Son. Only one. He's utterly unique. There's none like him. And we're
gonna see that as we look at this passage of scripture. And
Lamech lived 182 years and begat a son, and he called his name
Noah. Now, my marginal reading says
rest or comfort. That's what Noah means rest or
comfort. And it's the same comfort that
is used by Isaiah in Isaiah 40 verse one, when he says, comfort
ye, comfort ye my people. The same, here's the prophecy,
the same shall comfort us. concerning our work and toil
of our hands." Now, is he referring to farming? How difficult it was? I don't
think so, although that is included because the ground was cursed.
You're going to have sorrow in raising whatever it is you're
raising. There's going to be weeds and thorns and so on. But
it means more than that. It's not just talking about the
difficulties of agriculture because of the curse. It's talking about
the works of these hands under the curse of God, the trouble
that comes because of who we are. He says, the same shall
comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands because
of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. And Lamech lived
after he begat Noah 590 and five years and begat sons and daughters.
And all the days of Lamech was 770 and seven years. And he died, and Noah was 500
years old, and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now, Lamech's
father was Methuselah. And you probably know him as
the oldest man to ever live. He lived 969 years. And if you look at these genealogies
that the Bible so faithfully records, somebody says, how did
they live that long back then? I have no idea, but they did.
And when Methuselah was 171 years old, that's the day Adam died.
So Methuselah no doubt had heard all about what took place in
the garden, handed down from Adam. And he told him about the
Cain and Abel. He told him about the curse.
He told him about everything that took place. So Methuselah
was very familiar with this. And you can be sure that he told
Lamech about this. Now, he told him about the curse
too, because look what it said in verse 29. He, the same shall
comfort us concerning our work and the toll of our hands because
of the ground which the Lord God hath cursed. You can be sure
that Methuselah had let Lamech know about the curse and all
that was involved in that. Now, Lamech's name means powerful. I think that he's a type of God
the Father in the sense that he's 777 years old, 777. Perfection, perfection, perfection.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. I mean,
there's something to the numbers. And he's given that age, and
he's the one who made this prophecy with regard to his son. Now,
in all these other begettings, like I've already pointed out,
they pointed out the name of the person. But with regard to
Lamech's son, it begins this way. He begat a son. Now, as the five times Christ
is called in the New Testament, the only begotten son. I feel like I'm in waters that
are way too deep for me, but you would feel the same way,
too, to think of the only begotten Son, the single of its kind. This is the one I know that Nebuchadnezzar
spoke of when he looked in the fiery furnace and he said to
his buddies, did we not Throw three men bound into the furnace. Lo, I see four loose and walking,
and one is made like unto the Son of God. This is the Son of whom it said,
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. That son is the eternal son of
God. In John chapter one, verse 14,
and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the father full of grace and truth. He was and is the only and sole representative of the
being and character of God. The only begotten is the unoriginated
eternal relationship between the father and the son. I think
of that scripture in Psalm 110, verse three, thou art my son. This is what the father says
to the son, thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. Now that's not a reference to
a calendar day. This is the eternal begetting
of the Son of God. Every day at all times, this
day, it just happened. It just happened before the foundation
of the world. It just happened in eternity.
This day, oh, the power of the blood of Christ, the power of
the resurrection of Christ, this day have I begotten thee. Now, the Christ did not become
the Son, but he necessarily and eternally is the only begotten
Son of God. He, a person, possesses every
attribute of pure Godhead. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. He's not like God. He is God. God, the Son. In John 118, He's called the
only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, expressing
His eternal union and the love and the intimacy between the
Father and the Son. Who can express that as it ought
to be expressed? In John 316, we read that God
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. This expresses the greatness
of the giver and the greatness of the gift. He gave, He gave
His only begotten Son. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene to think of the Father giving Him, Him
giving Himself, the only begotten of the Father. In John chapter
3 verse 18 we read, He that believeth on him is not condemned, but
he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. The reason
unbelief is so evil is because of who it is we're not believing.
the name of the only begotten Son of God. 1 John 4, 9 says,
and this was manifested, the love of God toward us, because
God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might
live through Him. Herein is love, not that we love
God. but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation
for our sins. Lamech begat a son. God has only one begotten son. I love that hymn. All hail the
power of Jesus name. Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem
and crown him Lord of all, the only begotten Son of God. Now, Lamech gave this son a name. Verse 29, he called his name
Noah. And his name means rest, rest. The Lord said, The only begotten
son said, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Rest. You know, when you rest,
you're not working. You're resting. To him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. There
remaineth a rest for the people of God, for he that's entered
into his rest hath ceased from his own works, as God did from
his. Have you ever done that? Have
you ever ceased from your own works and looked to Christ only
and rested in him? Now that's what faith is. It's
resting in him. It's not working. It's resting. Noah's name means rest. And look what he said regarding
Noah. This same, verse 29, this Noah
rest, comfort, this same shall. Not he might, this is his prophetic
statement. He shall comfort us concerning
our work. and the toil, the labor, the
troublesome evil of our hands because of the ground which the
Lord God hath cursed." Now he knew something about the curse,
didn't he? He mentions it. And I have no
doubt, as I already said, his dad was 171 years old when Adam
died. So Adam told his dad all about
the curse and the results of the curse and everything that
would take place. But he makes this prophetic statement
concerning his son. He's going to comfort us concerning
the works, the toil, the trouble of our hands because of the ground
that the Lord God hath cursed. Now, cursed, that's a hard, that's
a difficult word even. It doesn't sound good, does it?
Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. Everything that we do,
all of our works are cursed. You believe that? Everything
we do, everything we think, all of our works are under the curse
of God. Look in this next chapter, verse
five, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil nonstop. Now that is the curse. Isaiah put it this way, our righteousnesses
are filthy rags. I wonder if you and I really
believe that. that even our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags under the curse of God. Well, I know one
who believed it, Lamech believed it. Lamech believed it. He had understood that curse,
but he said this one, Noah, he's gonna comfort us. Now, did he
know about Noah's Ark? I don't think so, but Noah is
a type of Christ. He is God's salvation. This one shall comfort us concerning
Our works, which God hath cursed. Now, how is that? Would you turn
with me for a moment to Galatians chapter three? I want you to
look at this with me. Galatians chapter three. Verse 10. For as many as are of the works
of the law. Now, works is anything mere you
do that we think would contribute or help in our salvation. That's what the works of the
law represent. If there's anything you need
to do to make what God did or what Christ did work for you,
if anything is dependent upon mere you, What's it say? As many as are of the works of
the law are under the curse. The curse of God. And what a curse that is. For
it is written, curse it, is everyone that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them. Now, here's
what God requires, perfect obedience to his law. And if I don't have
that, I'm cursed. I'm under the curse of God, the
just curse of God, the righteous curse of God. Verse 11, but that
no man is justified by the law on the side of God. It's evident,
it's so clear. For the just shall live by faith.
It's always been that way. And the law is not a faith, but
the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law. Now look at this next statement.
being made a curse for us. I wish I knew how to talk about
that, but Christ Jesus the Lord was made a curse. He was made sin and he was made
a curse. God demonstrates the There's only one who's utterly
without respect of persons. Me and you aren't. We're always
gonna try to impress people and treat people differently depending
upon how we think we can benefit from them. Everybody's like that.
It's wrong, it's evil, but it's me and you. It's every human
being. There's only one person who's never been without respect
of persons. That's the God of glory. When
sin is in his son, what does he do? He brings His Son under
His curse. He was made of curse. When my
sin, when the sins of the elect became His, and He became guilty
of the commission of those sins, He came under the curse. And what all that means, I surely
don't know. But I think that maybe the best
glimpse we get of it in Psalm 22 is when Christ himself is
speaking from the cross. Remember, it begins, my God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? He says in verse six, the
Son of God, the only begotten Son of God, the darling of the
Father says, I am a worm, a maggot, not even fit to be called a man. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter
40. The same shall comfort us regarding
the vicious works of our hands, which we can't in any way say they're anything but under
the curse. Chapter 40, verse 1, comfort ye. Comfort ye my people. saith your God. Now, every message, listen real
carefully. This is very important. Every
message is to be a comforting message. Every gospel message,
without exception. You know, somebody, a lot of
people, they think they really hurt if they feel real bad and
real, you know, boy, you really stepped on my toes. You really
confronted me. Boy, I'm going out. That's not
really gospel preaching. It's just not. In true gospel
preaching, there is always comfort to the people of God. Now, notice
he says, comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Well, who are his
people? Same people spoken of in Matthew
121, thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save, who?
His people from their sins. Well, who are his people? I can
answer that so easily, the elect. The elect, those the father chose
before time began. Who are his people? Those people
that Jesus Christ died for and put away their sins. When he
said it is finished, all their sins were gone. Who are His people? The people that God has given
a new heart to. Speak to the heart of my people.
Speak ye to her heart. Speak ye comfortably means speak
to the heart. They're people who have been
given a new heart. How in the world can I know if
I'm one of the elect? I haven't seen the Lamb's book
of life. How can I know if Christ died for me? I can't look at
anything and know that Jesus Christ paid for my sins. How
can I know if I have this new heart? Faith is the evidence. Bible says that. Do you believe
that Jesus Christ is the eternal son of God? Come on, you can
answer that with yes or no. Do you believe he's God the Son?
Do you believe he's God's Christ? God's prophet, God's priest,
God's king? Do you believe? Then you are
one of the elect. Somebody for whom Christ died.
Somebody that God the Holy Spirit has given life to. That is the evidence. Now, he
says in verse two, speak ye comfortably, And my marginal reading says
to the heart, to the heart. Now, remember this, the gospel
is addressed to the heart and more than anything else, that's
talking about the new heart that he's given. You know, nobody
else can hear the gospel. It doesn't mean anything to them.
You know, they may have some doctrines they understand and
so on, but the only people who really respond to and hear the
gospel as gospel are those people who have been given a new heart. A new heart will I give you,
God says. That's the heart David was speaking
of when he said, create in me a clean heart. Oh God, renew
a right spirit within me. This new heart, the heart that
he gives, that's the heart that hears. You know, everything,
listen to me, everything God requires, he gives. He gives
the new heart that hears the gospel. And he says, speak ye
comfortably to Jerusalem. That's his people. Well, what
do I say to her? Cry unto her so that she hears
that her warfare is accomplished. that her iniquity is pardoned,
for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her
sins. Now, tell her her warfare is
accomplished. And what kind of warfare is he
talking about? Well, turn with me for a moment to Romans chapter
seven. And if this is not real to you,
the warfare accomplished will not be real to you. Verse 14, for we know, you know,
I love that. We know somebody says, I don't
know. Well, I do. I do. And this is
every believer is included in this, we know. They may not,
but we do. We know this. Every believer
knows this by experience. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, fleshly, sold under sin, sold as a slave to
sin. For that which I do, I allow
not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. Now that's a conflict, isn't
it? That's a conflict. It's what Paul was speaking of
in Galatians chapter five, verse 17, when he said, the flesh lusts
against the spirit, the spirit lusts against the flesh. These
are contrary one to the other. You cannot do the things that
you would. If then, verse 16, I do that
which I would not, I consent to the law that's good. Now there
is no more I that do it, but the sin that dwelleth in me.
For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good
thing. For to will is present with me.
I would never sin again. But how to perform that which
is good? What are the next three words? I find not. For the good that I would, I
do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. If I do that
which I would not, it's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is
present with me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward
man, but I see another law in my members. What's that next
word? Warring. warring. Do you know anything
about this war? You know, only a believer, only
someone with two natures, with a new heart, knows anything about
this war. Someone that has never been regenerated,
born of the Spirit, they know nothing of this war. Now, that
doesn't mean they don't know anything about the terrible consequences
of sin, addictions, and so on that bring on so many troubles
and ruin their lives and ruin the lives of others. Sure, they
know things about that, but I'm talking about an inner war with
sin that Paul is talking about. Only the believer knows anything
about this war. I see another law, verse 23,
and my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that I am, not
that I was. that I am who shall deliver me
from the body of this death, this living death that is my
body. I thank God through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. Now you tell her that this warfare
she has is over, is accomplished. It's taken care of. It's not
in doubt. You see, when the Lord said,
and this is the comfort of the gospel, when the Lord said, it
is finished, there's something he accomplished. That warfare
has already All the problems of it have already been taken
care of. You're experiencing this warfare.
Listen to me. You stand perfect before God
because of the blood of Christ. All that sin you're dealing with
has already been put away. It's gone. It's been expunged
from the universe by the blood of Christ. Hebrews 1.3 says,
when he had by himself, oh, I love those words, when he had by himself
purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. He
sat down, you know why? The work was completed and finished. Hebrews 10, 14 says, by one offering
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified Tell her
that her warfare is accomplished. Her iniquity is pardoned. Next,
look what it says in verse, back to Isaiah 40. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity
is pardoned. Completely pardoned, and that
word means more than simply forgiven. That word actually means well-pleasing
and acceptable, right now. Right now, every believer is
well-pleasing and acceptable to God. She hath received, her
warfare is accomplished, her iniquity is pardoned. For she
hath received, it's something they've received of the Lord's
hand. It's not something some man has
pronounced. This is God's Word. She hath
received of the Lord's hand, double for all her sins, The
word means literally fold over. If you take a piece of cloth
and fold it exactly in half, you know what? All you see is
that one covering. That's all you see. You don't
see two pieces, but one perfect righteousness, not only condemned,
but justified, not only forgiven, but made holy. She has received
of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Hold your finger in Genesis,
but I want to look at two verses of scripture in 1 and 2 Peter.
Look in 2 Peter 2 with regard to this man, Noah. Verse 5, he spared not the old
world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness. Now that's what Noah was, a preacher
of righteousness. That doesn't mean he said you
all need to straighten up and live righteously or God's gonna destroy
this place. No, that's not what he was preaching. He was a preacher and he preached
that salvation was only in the ark, the righteous God is gonna
righteously destroy the earth and he's gonna righteously save
everyone in that ark. through the righteousness of
Jesus Christ. He was a preacher of righteousness. Look in 1 Peter
chapter 3, 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 21, well verse 20, which
sometimes were disobedient when once the long time of God waited
in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing were in few.
that his eight souls were saved by water, the like figure whereunto
even baptism doth also now save us. Not the putting away of the
filth of the flesh, not the actual act of water baptism, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Now what is it that satisfies
my conscience? Only one thing. Somebody says, I strive to have
a good conscience. Well, I shouldn't even use this
term, good luck. If that's what you're trying
to do, you know, I'm trying to keep my conscience clear. There's
only one thing that satisfies a conscience, the resurrection
of Christ from the dead. God is completely satisfied with
him. Now let's close up, turn back
to Genesis chapter five. And he called his name Noah,
verse 29, saying, this same shall comfort us, the comfort of the
gospel. What we've just seen in Isaiah
40, this same shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil,
the trouble of our hands because of the ground which the Lord
hath cursed. And Lamech lived after he beget
Noah 590 and five years and beget sons and daughters in all the
days of Lamech. were 777 years. Seven, the number of perfection. Times three, God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And Noah was 500 years
old, verse 32, and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And we're
going to see things about these men in the coming weeks, his
sons, but their names mean something. Shem means name. Ham means warmth. Japheth means wide open and spacious. Now there is one name that brings
me into the Father. That name that's above every
other name. That name which at the name of
Jesus, every knee is gonna bow. And every tongue is gonna confess.
Now the name that's gonna give me entrance into the Father is
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation for his namesake. This is the name wherewith she
shall be called the Lord our righteousness. Talking about
the church. And then there is ham, warmth. When you touch a
cold body, why? There's no life. There's no life. When you touch a living body,
what is there? There's warmth. This is the life
of Jesus Christ, being my life before God. I have his name,
I have his life, I am the way, the truth, and the life. His
life is my life. Oh, the warmth of his life. And
the name Japheth means wide open and spacious. It's talking about
liberty. Now, if my name is Christ and
my life is his life, you know what I have? Liberty and freedom. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free. All debts have been paid. And
I get to do what I want to do, follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
What liberty there is in him. So Noah provides us as a beautiful
illustration and type. of the gospel. May the Lord give
every one of us the grace to rest in our great Noah and to
be found in the ark. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the
Lord Jesus Christ. How we thank you for our ark.
How we thank you for our comfort and rest that we have in his
person. Lord, deliver every one of us
by your grace from looking to our works in any way and teach
us what it means to rest in thy son, to enter into his rest,
to cease from our works and look only to his. Lord, make that
powerful by your spirit. It's just words unless you're
pleased to bless it. We ask in Christ's name that
you would bless these words. In Christ's name we pray, amen.