In Noah’s time, the earth was filled with immorality and violence. Therefore, God decided to destroy humanity by sending a flood. Noah and his family were the only ones who believed in God and lived pure lives within their corrupt society. To spare them, God commanded Noah to build an ark. Before Noah built the ark, there had never been rain on the earth, and he had never seen rain or a flood. Nevertheless, Noah believed God’s word and spent 120 years building the ark. During that time, people must have asked Noah why he was building it. There must have been no shortage of people who mocked him. By building the ark, Noah informed the world of God’s wrath and impending judgment. Those who repented of their sins and boarded the ark were spared from destruction. However, during that time, no one turned back to God. The day of salvation ended when Noah finished building the ark, boarded it with his family, and took the animals on board. God closed the door of the ark. From that point on, no one could be saved, even if they repented for their sins. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 6, Paul wrote, “Now is the time of God’s favor, the day of salvation.” Since Jesus completed the atonement for humanity’s sins nearly two thousand years ago, the day of salvation has continued until now. However, just as God closed the door of the ark, the day of salvation through Christ will eventually end. For those who have not yet believed in Jesus, believe in Him now so that you will not miss out on salvation. Those who have been saved should live to fulfill God’s mission, following Noah’s example.
ノアの時代、地は暴虐で満ちており、神は洪水を起こす事で人類を滅ぼす事を決めた。腐敗した社会にあり、ノアと彼の家族だけは神を信じ、清い生活を送っていた。神は彼らを裁きから救うため、ノアに方舟を作るよう命じた。ノアが方舟を作る以前、地には雨が降らず、彼は雨も洪水もまだ見た事が無かった。それにも関わらず、彼は神の言葉を信じ、120年かけて方舟を作った。彼がそれを作っている期間、人々は彼に何故方舟を作るのか尋ねた事だろう。またノアを嘲笑う者達も少なく無かったに違いない。ノアは方舟を作ることで、神の怒りについて、そして裁きが下ることについて世に証しをした。それを聞いて、自らの罪を悔い改め、方 舟に乗る者は滅びを免れる事ができた。しかしながら、その時代、神に立ち返る者は一人もいなかった。ノアが方舟を完成させ、家族や動物達とそれに乗り込んだ時、救いの日は終わった。神が方舟の扉を閉じたのだった。それ以降は、もし人々が罪を悔いても救われる事は不可能であった。同様に、パウロは第二コリント6章で「今は恵みの時、救いの日である」と語った。今から約二千年前、イエスが人類の罪の贖いを完成させて以来、今日まで救いの日は続いている。しかしながら、神が方舟の扉を閉ざしたように、キリストによる救いの日にもいずれ終わりの時が来る。イエスをまだ信じていない者は、今彼を信じ、救いから漏れないようにしよう。またノアが神から与えられた使命に生きたよう、救われた者達は、神の使命に生きよう。
