God Shut the Door
While teaching Sunday School yesterday, my lesson plan called for the story of Noah and the ark. The two five-year-olds in my class were happily working on their coloring pages as I began to read from the Bible story book.
It was a dark time on Earth, and people did not follow God. Only Noah and his family were righteous in His eyes. God spoke to Noah and instructed him to build a large boat, because the Father had decided to destroy all living things. Noah tried to warn the people of God's judgment. They laughed at Noah's project, due to the fact that they didn't live near an ocean and it had never rained, in the history of the world.
When the ark was complete, Noah and his family went inside, along with two of each land animal. Once they were all safely inside, God shut the door and the rains began.
God shut the door.
It hit me between the eyes. I never really saw that phrase before. The door was massive and there was no way humans could close it. As I thought about this concept, I realized:
1. Only God had the power to shut the door.
2. God protected His own from judgment.
3. The door remained open until the rains began.
We know that the ark is a symbol for salvation and the rain equals judgment. Since we couldn't save ourselves, God had to provide a way. There was only one door, and we had to go through it. In John 10, Jesus calls Himself "the Door."
One of my favorite things is finding the deeper, eternal meanings in simple Bible stories. So perfect--His love.
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Notable Quote:
"Is it not wonderful news to believe that salvation lies outside ourselves?"--Martin Luther
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