Introduction. Alan Wilson commented that unlike other countries that have a pay-as-you use toll system on major roads, Switzerland expects drivers using its autoroute system to pay an annual fee of 40 Swiss francs. When you pay, you get a windshield sticker you display for the rest of the year.
Traditionally, traffic police give motorists the whole month of January to purchase the sticker. There’s no penalty for driving without it during that month — it’s a month of grace. But when the first days of February come, expect to see the traffic police on the autoroute exit ramps checking for cars without the sticker. No more excuses are accepted; no more time is given. The grace period has ended.
The one great prophecy of the New Testament is the second coming of Christ in judgment. Matthew 24 is one of the lengthiest passages in the New Testament on the subject of the Lord’s coming. Matthew 24:36-39 uses Noah and his family as an illustration of that event. And as we know more facts about the Lord’s coming, it helps us understand that we are in a season of grace.
The Hour of His Coming
Several passages teach that we can’t know the exact time of our Lord’s coming (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4; 2 Peter 3:10).
Jesus was the first to use the comparison of the thief (Matthew 24:42-43). How does the thief come? Does he give warning?
Of course not. There’s no signs or forewarning — the same with Jesus’ coming. Thus, a constant readiness is necessary (Matthew 24:44; 25:13).
In spite of this, many want to speculate about the time of the Lord’s coming.
Most of them teach that it’s imminent, that He’s coming soon.
Much of what they’re saying is from a false interpretation of this passage, particularly vv. 6-7. People apply these passages to today’s events:
We hear of wars and rumors of wars.
We have had earthquakes in recent times.
We have had famines in Africa and other places.
The two-fold question of Matthew 24:
“When will these things be?”
Jesus gave them several signs in vv. 4-31 and concluded in vv. 32-34.
The destruction of the temple did occur in 70 A.D. by the Romans.
“What will be the sign of the end of the age?”
In v. 36, Jesus said, “But of that day…” “That day” would be when heaven and earth will pass away.
Jesus said that the temple would be destroyed within that generation, but no one knows the circumstances regarding His coming at the end of the world — not even the Son knows (Mark 13:32).
Thus, there’s no way to know exactly when the Lord will come.
We can’t speculate, or say that His coming is imminent (Colossians 2:18).
Only the Father knows and there won’t be signs to indicate when it will be.
5 Characteristics of the Days of Noah
They were engaged in sinful activities.
Men were given over to wickedness — the thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually (Genesis 6:5-8).
God’s view of sin is clearly demonstrated in the destruction of those wicked people (2 Peter 2:4-10). If God didn’t spare those who sinned in the days of Noah, what makes us think He’ll spare us in our disobedience?
They were engaged in secular activities.
There was a lot of wickedness in Noah’s time, but the items the Lord mentioned are not wrong in and of themselves (v. 38).
They were so busy with the normal affairs of life that they forgot to prepare to meet God.
Many are like Martha and fail to choose the good part which will not be taken away (Luke 10:38-42).
Christians need to recognize this problem.
We can be busy with 1,001 different things — our jobs, families, household activities, education, recreation, and entertainment — lots of things that occupy our time and interest.
It’s easy to become so busy with these that our spiritual life becomes choked (Luke 8:14).
Let’s not be like the people in Noah’s day — so busy with life that we neglect God (2 Timothy 2:4).
They lacked knowledge of spiritual matters.
This is seen in the phrase, “And did not know …” in v. 39. The people didn’t know what was about to happen to them, but they should’ve.
The Scriptures show that Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). It took Noah over one hundred years to build the ark and he had the chance to preach during all of that time.
Do you see any similarities today?
Imagine how it was in Noah’s day. You see an enormous boat and ask him what’s going on, and he says, “God’s about to punish the wicked by destroying the world by a great flood.” How many listened?
Today, you can open your Bible and read a passage like 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9. Will people listen? They could know, but they choose not to listen. They “willfully forget” about the Lord’s coming (2 Peter 3:5).
They faced a day of doom.
Verse 39 says, “… and took them all away …” The word “all” is significant. In Genesis 7:17-24, not a single person escaped who wasn’t in the ark.
It was definitely a day of doom for the wicked back then. Remember, “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of man be.”
Only a few were saved (1 Peter 3:20), and only a few will be saved when the Lord comes. It won’t be the vast majority who’ll enjoy the blessings of heaven (Matthew 7:13-14).
In Romans 14:11, there will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. But it’ll be too late for many. Yes they’ll bow the knee, and yes they’ll confess, but they should’ve done it when they had the chance.
When it started to rain and the flood waters rose, those evil people realized their condition, and begged to get in the ark, but it was too late.
“The longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah” (1 Peter 3:20) and it’s still that way now (2 Peter 3:9).
God’s patience ran out in the days of Noah, and someday it’ll run out for us and the end will come. The season of grace will end.
They faced a day of salvation.
The same thing that brought destruction to the wicked, brought salvation to Noah and his family — the water (1 Peter 3:20).
If God had decided to destroy the earth with fire and brimstone, Noah would’ve perished with the rest. But, the ark could survive a flood, and it was ordained by God, and Noah prepared it by the will of God (Genesis 6:22; cp. Hebrews 11:7).
The same is true with Jesus’ return; it’ll bring destruction on the unprepared, but salvation to the prepared (2 Peter 3:5-7, 10-13).
In 2 Peter 3:12 it says, “looking for and hastening.” Let’s look forward to that time. Let’s anxiously await and eagerly desire Jesus’ return because it’s the day of our salvation.
Our attitude should be the same as John’s in Revelation 22:20. We heard the gospel and we have obeyed the Lord’s instructions and we are ready.
Conclusion. We haven’t looked at the things of Noah’s day and compared them to today to say that the time is near. We don’t know when the Lord will come and it’s wrong to speculate about it.
What we’re saying is that we need to be ready whenever that day might be. We can see the clear lessons from Noah’s day. The people were wicked, they were busy, they had no knowledge of spiritual things, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Noah and his family were saved because their faith caused them to listen and prepare in agreement with God’s will. By faith let’s heed God’s warnings and instructions that will save us from destruction and give us eternal life (2 Peter 3:7).
