Restoration

"Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.'" -Genesis 8.13-17

After more than a year on board the ark, the water is gone, land is dry again, and Noah, his family, and the animals, are led out of the ark. God gives the same command here that He gave to Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation, be fruitful and multiply on the earth. God has flooded the earth, washing away the abundant wickedness, and has given His creation a fresh start. They have been given a second chance. God has brought restoration.

God is a god of restoration. His creation had disobeyed Him and lived as far from Him as they could, only one man on earth is said to have been faithful and righteous. God destroys the wicked, washing their evil from the earth, and gives the righteous man a fresh start. The flood narrative shows elements of the original creation, and it points ahead to the final redemption of creation. God made the earth good, and man messed it up. God flooded the earth, destroying wickedness and starting with a righteous, but fallen man. Since that time, man has not improved the situation, wickedness and rebellion to God is abundant. God sent Jesus, who through the cross, provided the "ark" of salvation for all who will believe. The "flood" is coming, at which point evil will be eradicated forever, and God will bring about complete restoration of His creation.

God is a god of restoration. There is nothing that He cannot redeem. With Noah, man saw what the result of wickedness was, but he has not learned. Even greater destruction awaits, but so does an even greater restoration. All who board the "ark" of Christ, will be saved from destruction, and enjoy the perfect restoration of creation where evil will never taint it again. That is what God is going to do.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Peace be with you