Carpenters Before The Flood
Building The Ark
In consequence of Adam’s transgression, sin was introduced into the fair world that God had created, and men and women became more and still more bold in disobeying His law. The Lord looked down upon the impenitent world, and decided that He must give transgressors an exhibition of His power. He caused Noah to know His purpose, and instructed him to warn the people while building an ark in which the obedient could find shelter until God’s indignation was overpast. For one hundred and twenty years Noah proclaimed the message of warning to the antediluvian world; but only a few repented. Some of the carpenters he employed in building the ark, believed the message, but died before the flood; others of Noah’s converts backslid. The righteous on the earth were but few, and only eight lived to enter the ark. These were Noah and his family.
The rebellious race was swept away by the flood. Death was their portion. By the fulfillment of the prophetic warning that all who would not keep the commandments of heaven should drink the waters of the flood, the truth of God’s word was exemplified.
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Noah Had Genuine Faith—We Can Too, February 18
And the Lord said
unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen
righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 7:1.
Noah was commanded to build an ark for the saving of himself and his house. It is stated, “Noah ... have I found righteous before me in this generation.” And it is also stated that “Noah walked with God.” Noah did not stop to question, “What will the inhabitants of the old world think of me if I begin to build this boat upon dry land?” He believed just what God had told him, and he commenced to work upon the light and plan that God had given him. He had to employ many carpenters to help him in this great work of building, and there were many of these who were believers at that time. But the largest part of the Noachic world were unbelievers, and they made a great deal of sport of Noah. They ridiculed the idea of building a great boat on dry land.
The surface of the earth was very much as it was when God created it, although some changes had taken place. They looked at the lofty trees and the wonderful things that God had made in nature and said, “It is impossible that God shall destroy these things.” The sight of their eyes and their senses made a greater impression upon the inhabitants of the Noachic world than the message from heaven, and Noah stood there in his faithful integrity as a witness to that generation.
Abel, Enoch, and Noah were representative men in that age to the inhabitants of the old world. Everyone had had their test upon the law of God. Would they obey God, would they do just as He told them to do, or would they disobey and realize the results? If Noah had been like many in our day who say, “Believe, believe; all you have to do is believe,” then he would not have condemned the world. But Noah had that genuine faith, that faith that works. He testified by his faith and works to the inhabitants of the Noachic world that he believed God. Had he stood back and said, “I cannot build this ark; why, I will be considered crazy if I build this ark on dry land,” then he would have had no influence for good upon them. But he believed just what God had said, and carried it out by his works.
They considered him insane; they laughed at him and mocked him, but still he kept at work building the ark according to God’s directions. When the last message of Noah was given to that degenerate age, as he stood before the people giving his warning, they turned from him to ridicule him. They had listened to the prayers of Noah that had ascended day after day in their behalf, and with his heart drawn out for them he delivered his very last message to them.—Manuscript 86, 1886.
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