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In verse 16 of Genesis chapter 7, it states, "The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in." In those last six words, God saved Noah and his family, a total of seven in number. Why? For the why we must journey back to Genesis 6:5-9, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So, the Lord said, I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created-and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground-for I regret that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God." According to the online definition of righteous, it is "acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin, morally right or justifiable." My definition is simple; faithfulness equals trust in God. Noah walking faithfully with God means to me that he trusted God above all else. It does not mean he lived a life free from sin. We all sin, but it does mean that he chose where he would lay the framework of his life, in God.
In the same way, Christ came to ensure that our salvation was secure, as seen in John 14: 6, "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." I would dare to say that when God closed the door to the ark with Noah and his family, this was a foreshadowing of what was to come. There is something special about when love shuts the door; you know for a fact that you are safe. Love does not have a hidden agenda which is evident in verse 5, which states, "male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark as God had commanded Noah." I encourage you to read all of Genesis chapter 7. Reread the entire book of Genesis from beginning to end. You may see it with a fresh pair of eyes. Be on the lookout for the heart of God in each story, and you may find it. I encountered this love when I was facing some very trying times in my life, and God shut the door on relationships, job opportunities, apartments, and a host of other things that I thought I could not live without. Instead, the closer I got to him, out of hurt, pain in some instances sheer desperation, the Holy Spirit was able to offer me comfort, healing, and a new perspective. I experienced the heart of God in my life. When God shuts the doors on what may appear to be an amazing opportunity or relationship, it is God's way of protecting us from the floods of the world.
Remember God Loves You and so, do I.