Then the LORD shut him in. — Genesis 7:16
Was Noah able to close the door on the ark he built? I don’t doubt he knew how to close the door. But the LORD shut him in. The writer didn’t need to add this little phrase, but he did, because God wanted to underline an important thought.
In this violent world, where righteous men had been murdered, God was preparing two plans: the flood and the ark, devastation and shelter, wrath and mercy. Noah was not just in the ark of his own making. God shut him in. God assured his salvation.
And God has an answer for the little voices that try to pull us out of the ark, the little voices that seek make us inherit the wrath of God. God is the One who shuts us in. God is the one who teaches us who we are, how we found grace in the eyes of the Lord, how we were found righteous in our generation, how the gift of eternal life came to be ours. God is pulling us out of the flood of shame and fear, into the ark of His favor. God is the One who shuts the door.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
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Visit DwightClough.com for more information. Dwight and his wife Kim are active members of Lake City Church in Madison.