This Safe Place

Genesis 8:13 KJV

And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

After Noah and his family got into the Ark, the Bible says that God closed the door. Only God has the authority to shut anyone out of salvation. It was not Noah or any of his sons who, that last instant prevented another soul from entering into salvation. They had faithfully kept the way open as long as it was possible.

God closed the door.

By closing the door it was God who protected Noah and his family. They could not have saved themselves. It s true they did what they could:

·       They constructed the ark after God's description

·       They preached righteousness for 120 years

·       They stepped inside when God instructed them to do so

But it was God who shut them in against the judgment that came

Here, however, the Bible says Noah removed the cover. Whether it was the very door a God had closed I cannot say. I do know Noah removed this cover to watch as God restored the earth to an inhabitable state. Noah looked on as God's grace moved once again upon the face of the earth. Noah stayed where God had placed him inside the ark, but watched outside while

·       the waters abated

·       the earth dried up and

·       the plant life began once again to grow.

Does this not speak to the Christian of our current estate? God placed us in Christ and safely protected us from the judgment of this world. From this safe place we rest as judgment abides upon the lost and from this safe place we observe the grace of God, obeying His instructions day by day until that time, appointed by the Father, that He will call us out to living eternally in the new earth and new heavens.