“Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation.”
Genesis 7:1 NRS
Genesis six ends with Noah doing everything exactly as God had commanded him. THEN God said it was time to enter the ark, chapter seven, verse one.
Historians tell us it could have been as many as a hundred years between these two chapters. If we could talk to Noah and his sons, we would be shocked to hear the extreme difficulties they endured during those years. With painful sweat of their brows the four of them labored alone with primitive tools to construct an unimaginable boat. But louder than the sound of their hammers, were the mocking jeers from their evil, unbelieving neighbors. Many days, the feelings of exhaustion and discouragement must have tempted them to simply give up.
Nevertheless, God looked beyond fatigue and despair and saw a man who alone was righteous. Throughout each day of his misery, God had been watching, and Noah’s righteousness in the midst of difficulty pleased God’s heart. THEN God decided it was time for Noah’s family to enter the ark.
Sometimes our difficult years also seem to drag on, and we begin to question, “How long until THEN?” Be encouraged. As with Noah, God is watching, and He always has an ark ready to deliver His kids who remain righteous, even through the long wait between chapters.
