The command came down from above: God spoke with Noah and told him to build something new, something unique in the world. God informed Noah of the why; a big flood coming to wash away the sins of the world. Noah paused, and probably asked intelligent questions like, "What's an ark?" A couple of years later, Noah has the framework up, and the people around the area send a nosey news reporter to ask intelligent questions, such as, "Why are you building a giant wooden skeleton?" Noah could only stare in wonder at the reporter, knowing full well that to answer would only make the situation worse. Rain, flood, ark, no one would believe such things.
Years later, the area now looks like the suburbs, with the exception of a nearly completed ark rising above the rooftops. Noah gets up on a Friday and prepares his tools, but one is missing. Probably that Ham, the kid is always pulling practical jokes on his Dad and Mum. Noah points to the missing space at the morning construction meeting; his three sons all point at each other. Noah sighs, and opens the meeting to his sons to report on their progress. Shem reports that some animals have shown up and he doesn't know what they eat, or how to dispose of the inevitable result of their eating. Japheth reports that the gopher wood he cut and stacked on the wagon last week is missing. Everyone stares at Ham. Ham looks up and reports that every item on the town council meeting tonight is about their project. Too much shade over homes along 5th Street, view of the sunset blocked to the houses in that new subdivision. Strange animals wandering through yards in pairs. And, the town council must hear a complaint about a general shortage of gopher wood throughout the region.
Noah sighed once more. He figured the ark at about 90% complete, but he just didn't know if he would have the strength to complete the final tithe of construction. And wouldn't you know it, the so-called International Liars Club, had already gathered for their morning coffee on the main deck of his ark. Noah tried to work out of range of their voices, but with the ark nearly complete, there was no place to go now that their mocking and scoffing didn't rain down on him from dawn to dusk or whenever they got together, which was often enough. Some days he thought to his shame that he would not miss the club when God washed them away. Trouble was, the men didn't seem that bad. Sure words could hurt and sting, but 'thwunk', Noah mashed his thumb for the first time in years as he tried to finish the sill on the cabin window.
"Ha, ha, ha, here let me mash the other one for you!" one of the club shouted out. Another got up and dumped Noah's bucket of nails out over the side, Noah heard his precious nails striking the ground 30 cubits below. After years of painstaking construction, he didn't climb down and up those 30 cubits so easily any more. Noah thought about getting drunk tonight. After all, it was a Friday.
Then a drop of water struck him on top of the head, right where hair once grew some hundred years ago. Nothing in the sky, no birds flying nearby, just that one innocent drop. The ILC had departed in mirth. Noah went down to get his nails, thumb throbbing, and fully expecting any moment to be scared half to his grave when Ham dropped the missing tool on the ramp beside him.
I like to write about Noah having a bad day, not because I hate Noah, but because I identify with what the Bible often doesn't say. We get a high-level view of the construction project Noah and his family lived every day for perhaps 120 years. What does our story say? "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did." (Gen 6:22) I'm sure that within that construction project, summed up so succinctly in the Bible text, were many days like you and me live through. Those tough days when our faith is tested to the max while things don't go very well at all. Noah had 'em, and so did Paul, Peter, Mary, David, Samson, Esther, Ruth, and all of our other Bible heroes. Did our Lord Jesus suffer days when all the world seemed against Him? I'm sure He did, and He knows our suffering very well. Just like Noah, we say on those days, "It's you and me, Lord! Grant me the strength to endure, please."
Bucky
No comments:
Post a Comment