Good News Today

Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every [kind] will come to you to keep [them] alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather [it] to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. Genesis 6:20-22

God told Noah that the birds, animals, and creeping things of the earth would all come to him to keep alive.  Getting the animals on to the ark was the easy part, God did all the work.

The harder part was getting the food together.  God told Noah that he was to gather the food to himself for himself and the animals.  That would be a considerable in-gathering, in other words, a lot of work.

This is perfectly consistent with God’s continuing reminder of our fallen condition.  Even as Noah and company were being saved through the flood, they were being reminded of the curse because of man’s sin.

God told Adam: “Cursed [is] the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat [of] it All the days of your life. Genesis 3:17b. Gathering food for the multitude would be quite a reminder of the reason for all that toil and sweat.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8.  The toil of gathering was a painful reminder that Noah was a sinner as deserving of death as any other.   The salvation came by God’s grace as Noah believed and obeyed God.  As we encounter the pain of life, let’s be reminded that we are fallen creatures deserving of God’s wrath.  It will make the blessings graciously bestowed by the Lord all the more precious.