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Noah worked on the Ark for 100 years with only help from his family. The family still had to earn a living in some way. He and his family still needed food, shelter, and clothing. There would have been many chances to complain that others weren't doing their share of the work. What about the community leaders, the governors and neighbors? Was it fair that Noah and his family had to do it all?
And there was this issue of how particular the Lord was. Place yourself in the position of Noah's sons. "Does the boat have to be exactly those dimensions? Why use gopher wood? Other wood is more abundant and closer. Covering with pitch on the inside and outside is just overkill! What is Noah building, an Ark or a battleship? How do we know Noah hasn't gone crazy? He doesn't have anything in writing, does he?" There were plenty of opportunities for complaints, doubt, and apathy.
For 100 years, not one drop of rain fell, no sign of the impending judgment, and yet they labored. As the structure of the Ark grew, there would be no way to hide the effort. Obviously, no one else supported the effort, only Noah and his family were saved. Through ridicule, fatigue, and disillusionment, Noah and his family worked for 100 years.
But as the first drops of rain fell, there was relief. As the Lord unleashed His fury upon the earth, there was thankfulness for every minute of labor put into their salvation. The Bible says that the fountains of the deep were opened and the rains fell. To cover a mountain the size of Mt Everest, the water would have risen at a rate of 31 ft/hr. In the first five minutes, people knew something terrible was underway.
Geological evidence suggests that the flood produced violent upheaval in the earth, including volcanic activity, shifting of entire continents, and death on a massive scale. Such judgment has not been known by mankind before or since the flood.
We tire at times of job, school, church, family, and community commitments. Sometimes it seems overwhelming. But our salvation is something that we can't stop working on. Time must be made for building our Ark. In the end, there will be nothing to compare with the relief and joy that comes from salvation.
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