From My Perspective - - -

It would be an ideal experience if one could accept everything at face value. However, our culture and world have become something other than trustworthy. It’s becoming almost a daily occurrence to either read about or hear about someone being demeaned or someone else being defrauded. One is left with the helpless and hopeless sense in regard to who can be trusted; who is reliable; and with whom can one share anything in confidence.

If any one of us had the ability to try to alter an event in history, where would we begin and to whom would we appeal? Would we be able to employ rhetoric and action to avert a major event from occurring? It’s easy to think of the cynicism that surrounded the account of Noah building an Ark in a day and time when it hadn’t rained and there hadn’t been a flood. The people in his day thought he was crazy and they mocked and ridiculed him as he labored. If you fast forward to the 19th and 20th centuries, the cynics were still alive and well. Rather than merely attempting to discredit the account of Noah, they took the first eleven chapters and became advocates for the demythologizing of Scripture. What this amounts to “…eliminating all mythical elements from a piece of writing, especially the Bible, so as to arrive at an essential meaning.” One of the most noted contributor and champions for the concept of demythologizing was Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) who had a long and illustrious career as an Evangelical Protestant exegete, theologian, and minister… He participated in the teaching that would introduce the concept of form-criticism of the New Testament… In 1941 his essay on The New Testament and Mythology was published, in which he called for the demythologizing of the New Testament.”

When Jesus was challenged by the Scribes and Pharisees for a sign, He spoke of Jonah – Matthew 12:38-40 – “…He answered them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The Scribes and Pharisees were already a bit cynical regarding Jesus and His teaching so his reference to Jonah would only serve to feed that cynicism and negative reaction. However, Jesus would also go on in His teaching to reference Noah and the Flood in Matthew 24:37-39, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” This would only serve to add to their cynicism and ridicule of Him.

It all comes down to whose word will you accept as being true – (a) the cynics who spread their error and confusion, or (b) Jesus Christ Who declared in His reference to Jonah, the reality of His resurrection; and in reference to Noah, the suddenness and reality of the flood that served as God’s judgment upon a sinful culture? This past week, the Bulletin Supplement at Church was: Noah’s Ark – Everything I Need To Know, I Learned From Noah’s Ark. The 10 Things are: (1) Don’t miss the Boat; (2) Remember that we are all in the same boat together; (3) Plan Ahead – it wasn’t raining when Noah Began Building the Boat; (4) Stay Fit – when you’re 60 years old, you may be asked to do something big; (5) Don’t listen to critics and cynics who wish to confuse – just get on with the job that needs to be done; (6) Build your future on High Ground; (7) For safety’s sake, travel in pairs; (8) Speed isn’t always an advantage – the Snails were on board with the Cheetahs; (9) Remember that the Ark was Built by Amateurs – the Titanic was build by Professionals; (10) No matter how great the storm, when you’re travelling with God, there’s always a Rainbow waiting! Reject what the Cynics teach and those who spread Confusion! You can always have confidence in Jesus and with the Words He has spoken! Believe what Jesus believed! Trust Him only! Go with Him always! Consider these things with me!