Ask anyone that remotely knows anything about building a house and they will tell you that your foundation matters. If you don’t have a strong foundation then you’ll have trouble with your building.
The Word of God talks about foundations and building a spiritual house. I would like to look at a verse in Revelation to consider something.
Revelation 13:8 KJV And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
What is the foundation of the world? People have different opinions as to what this may be. Though it could mean the earth I think it may have a deeper meaning.
We read in 1 John 2:15-17 KJV 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Here the world is in reference to the worldly desires and sins. With this view of “world” from this verse we can see a possible different meaning. It could be that the foundation of the world is the original sin of Adam and Eve. They laid the foundation for sin. This was the foundation of self, of worldly desires, of disobedience, of sin. We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23 KJV). This is what we were destined for, death. But God made a way, because the same verse says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God immediately made a plan to restore us to Him. How great is God’s grace and mercy that as soon as Adam and Eve sinned He made a way for us. Yes they suffered loss for their actions, but God in His amazing grace put into plan Jesus dying for our sins.
God laid the foundation of grace. Lets look a little further along from Adam and Eve to Noah. We find grace first mentioned in Genesis 6:8 KJV But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Noah walked with God and found grace. Then Noah was commissioned to build an ark. Now this may have seemed far fetched, but understand that Noah was already building. He was building a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5 KJV) , a life with God when nobody else seemed to be. He was already doing what was abnormal. So when God tells him to do something else abnormal, it was normal for Noah.
So with Noah in mind and knowing that he was already building his spiritual house and that he built the ark that housed his family and the animals that survived, let’s look at the parable of the builders.
Matthew 7:24-27 KJV 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Yes this parable can be applied to all of us, but Jesus may have been referencing Noah. Noah was a wise man that built his house upon a rock. The rock of grace and faith. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Hebrews 11:7 KJV). Then the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And all those that did not listen to Noah because they didn’t have faith, but trusted in the shifting sands of life. They were those that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. For God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly (2 Peter 2:5 KJV).
There is a similarity between Noah and the others, they both went through the storm. The storms of life will come at all of us. This is why we must build our house on the foundation of faith in Jesus not on the shifting sands of life. Make sure that he is our firm foundation. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV).
1 Peter 2:5-6 KJV 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
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