(71:21-27)(54-10)(23:27-30)(11:38-39)
The Last Warning
Noah was given a very long life. He spent his entire time teaching people that there is only one creator of the universe; complete safety and security exist for those who obey His laws. Dawn to dusk, he went from place to place, preaching the equality of human beings. The existing social system found these ideas utterly unacceptable. The rich and powerful folks were not ready to believe that they and a lowly laborer, with torn clothes and an empty stomach, were made of the same clay. This idea was a direct hit on their egos, vanity, and social system.
The leaders of the opposition were very rich and powerful persons. The intoxication of power and wealth made them unable to understand Noah’s point of view. According to them, the criterion for judging the truth of a principle was the wealth, progeny, and power of the person who was presenting it, not the intrinsic value of the principle. Noah was not a rich man; therefore, what he preached was wrong. Consequently, his opponents’ beliefs were right because they were rich and powerful. This attitude made them so rude that they would turn Noah out from the crowd if they found him preaching.
The common people were enamored with the pomp and show of the leaders. The majority of the people followed them and took no heed of Noah’s teachings; moreover, they liked the glamorous lifestyle of powerful elites. In this manner the whole nation was corrupted; rich and poor both disliked a disciplined and honest way of living and took great pleasure in their transgressions.
Noah consistently preached for a very long time without producing any positive results. One leader of the nation was particularly against Noah. He first devised a plan to punish him and then publicly declared it. He said, “Noah, you have threatened us with an imaginary doom for a very long time; we are a powerful nation and no other nation is capable of damaging us. You are fighting a lost battle based on a stupid lie, and causing unnecessary confusion in the society by concocting an imaginary doom. If you are truthful in your claim, then bring the doom and show it to us.”
“I have told you before that it is not in my power to bring it,” was the reply. “You are asking for destruction; the law of retribution will definitely bring it for you at its proper time. Even my advice will be of no use to you at that moment, but rest assured neither your lofty claims of power nor anything else can stop it from coming.”
“Stop inventing false sensational stories, and do not say things which you cannot prove,” was the contemptuous reply.
God directed Noah to openly proclaim, “If I am inventing lies about God, the punishment will seize me; otherwise, you will face the dire consequences of your crime.”
Noah was completely devastated by the incident. He requested that God should destroy the nation because they had become a hindrance to the development of future generations. Their power, wealth, pomp and show would mislead the coming generations. Even their children’s upbringing would lead them to follow the footprints of their ancestors and make them an obstacle to the growth of humanity.
God told Noah that the interval for reflection was over. The time to face the consequences of their actions had arrived. The whole nation was going to be drowned. God further added, “No one is going to believe in the truth you are advocating except the people who have already shown their willingness to accept it. Do not feel sorry for a criminal nation, nor try to talk to Me on their behalf. Make an ark under My directions and supervision for your safety.”
“What about the believers who have been obeying your laws?” asked Noah.
“I will save you and your ahel,” was the reply.
Five or six thousand years ago, the people did not know how to build a boat, so God had to give special instructions for it. Noah diligently started his work to build an ark.
No comments:
Post a Comment