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Entering In

Words of Faith Final

Entering In
Words of Faith 2-14-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 7
    [13] On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, [14] they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds. [15] So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. [16] And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him.

       It is a very small group of humans that will enter the ark. A tiny family will be the beginning of the new human family. A minimal crew will manage the ship and the many animals. What we are witnessing in chapter 7 is a miraculous miracle leading to re-creation.
      Chapter 7 has some repetition. There is purpose in the repetition. The primary focus is on the details regarding the occupants of the ark. Who will the survivors be? How is God starting a new beginning? The many details seem intended to hold our attention during these last days and moments before the destruction comes.
        Perhaps most important of all is the repetitive reference to the command of God. Four different times we hear that this is central to the plan of God. The critical response among the animals and humans is simply obedience. We really do not want to miss that.
        We hear about how thorough God is in planning this new beginning. No bit of information is too insignificant. We see a vivid picture of the salvation of Noah as it is designed and carried out. Only at the very end of chapter 7 will we hear about those who did not seek refuge in the ark. Only Noah will survive with his family.
       For us, it is essential that we realize the power of being "in God." There is no other place where salvation is found. This is why many churches have been built with an interior architecture that looks like an arc. We see the timbers and the wood. We understand that when we come into God and into the presence of his spirit we are being brought through the waters of destruction. The world around us very much wants to see us annihilated. But God provides a way through the waters.
       It is a similar image to the Passover story in Exodus that is yet to come. All of those inside a home marked with the lamb's blood would be spared on that terrible night of death. In the same way, all those marked with the blood of Jesus are covered by his sacrificial death. We come into Jesus and find life. He carries us through the waters of destruction around us.
        2 Corinthians 5:17 proclaims this truth so clearly: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
        But this place of safety requires this one thing: obedience. We cannot make it our "own way." We cannot do it "our way." We must come into him. We must enter in on His terms.

        Father God, I desire to be in Christ. I desire to be within the ark of salvation even as the waters of destruction range around us. I receive the offer of grace that is found in your Gospel. Put the old world of destruction behind me. Bring me into the New Creation. In Jesus’ Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.