Part 22 (1/2)

B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING.

1. The time Noah began to preach 87.

2. Why the world took occasion to despise Noah's preaching 88.

* Jerome's reckoning of the 120 years 89.

3. Why Noah married after living so long single, when the world was to be destroyed 90.

4. How and why Noah was the prophet of prophets and his the greatest of prophecies 91.

5. His preaching disregarded not only by the Cainites but by the sons of G.o.d 92.

* To what end G.o.d's complaint of the first world should serve us 93.

* When was the judgment of G.o.d announced 94.

* The generation of the Cainites.

a. Whether it still existed in the days of Noah 95.

b. Why Moses does not record the generations of the Cainites and of their patriarchs 95.

c. How the holy patriarchs warned their children against the Cainites 96.

d. How the Cainites tormented the holy patriarchs 96.

6. Why G.o.d raised up Noah 97.

7. Noah's faith exceptionally strong 97-98.

8. What impelled Noah to continue his work, and not to turn to the world 99.

9. How Noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its wickedness all alone 100.

* Who of the patriarchs were still living in Noah's time 100.

10. What trials Noah had to experience 101.

B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING.

87. But this pa.s.sage shows that Noah began preaching about the impending punishment of the deluge before his marriage, having hitherto led the life of a celibate.

88. Consider, therefore, what pastime he offered to a wicked world in its fancied security. He predicts destruction to the whole world through the flood, nevertheless, he himself marries. Why? Was it not sufficient for him to perish alone, that he must join to himself a companion for the disaster? Oh, foolish old man! Surely if he believed the world was to perish by a deluge, he would rather perish alone than marry and take the trouble to beget children. But if he himself will be saved, why, so shall also we.

In this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the flood with the greater a.s.surance because of the marriage of Noah, ignorant of the counsel of G.o.d, who moves in a manner altogether unintelligible to the world. How absurd to promise Abraham posterity through Isaac, and yet to command Isaac to be sacrificed!

89. The divine Jerome argues against the view that G.o.d had fixed the time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years, but saw himself compelled, later, when wickedness had waxed strong, to shorten the time.

90. But we shall not make G.o.d a liar; we rather give it as our conviction that Noah had hitherto preached, while in a state of celibacy, that the world was to be destroyed through the flood, and later, by a divine command, had taken a maid as a little branch, so to speak, from the race of women, and begotten three sons. Below it is written that he had found grace with the Lord; otherwise he who had refrained from marriage so long, might have continued to do so still longer. But G.o.d, in order to restrain his wrath, wants to leave a nursery for the human race; therefore, he commands marriage. This the wicked believe to be a sign that the world shall not perish; they live accordingly in security and despise the preacher, Noah. But the counsel of G.o.d is different--to destroy the whole world and to leave through this righteous Noah a nursery for the future world.

91. Noah was, therefore, the greatest prophet; his equal the world has not had. First he teaches the longest time; then he gives instruction concerning a universal punishment coming upon the world, and even fixes the year of its advent. Likewise Christ prophesies concerning the last judgment, when all flesh shall perish. ”But of that day,” he says in Mark 13, 32, ”or that hour knoweth no one, ... but the father.”