The First and Last

 

God created the first man. Then, He decided Adam needed a sidekick, so God fashioned the first woman. God administered the first anesthetic and performed the first surgery. And there she was.

Adam looked at his new wife and said, “Wow! You’re my bony.”  Of course, he meant she was a bone from his side.  On the other hand, women these days want to be bony, so if a hubby makes this statement to a wife, she might take it as a compliment.

However, if a man says, “Wifey, you are a bone in my flesh.” Oops! That’s a different intonation. And that would probably be the last thing he said to her.

But I digress.

Eve ate first, and it was the last innocent bite she took. She gave the forbidden food to her hubby, Adam. He chomped down, and together, they committed the first sin. God had forbidden that fruit. But it looked so good!

Adam and Eve discovered their naked condition, and they didn’t like it. They initiated their first mutual project by sewing foliage, but Fig Leaves didn’t do the trick. Therefore, God fashioned clothes for them. God sacrificed the first animals to make coverings for the couple.

Later, Adam and Eve had their first children: Cain and Abel. I guess they were happy about that. Until that is, Cain killed his brother, Abel. Uh oh! Cain committed the first murder.

Consequently, Abel was the first human to enter heaven.

God watched His first human race grow into a sinful civilization. Mankind multiplied, and sin did as well. God was displeased and decided to destroy most of His creation. But one guy, Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was the first to find this grace.

God liked Noah so much, He said to him, “Get to work and build a boat. I’m going to send rain and destroy the Earth, but you and your family will be spared.”

Noah said, “What is rain?”

God said, “Until now, I’ve watered the Earth from the ground up, but this will be a first. Water will fall from the sky. I’m calling it rain. Get your family and two of a kind of each animal to board the Ark you are building, and don’t forget the creepy, crawlies. I want two of each of those also.”

So Old Noah was the first to be obedient, and he believed everything God said. That, my friends, is why he found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Time passed, and Noah finished his task. God is a Keeper of His Word. As soon as God shut the gigantic door to the Ark, God’s new invention, rain, flooded the Earth with water. All animals and mankind who weren’t on the boat drowned in the deluge.

This was the first judgment of mankind.

After the flood was over, God promised the earthlings, “That is the last time I’ll destroy the Earth with water. I'll give you the first rainbow as my pledge.”

Now let’s review.

Adam and Eve…first humans.

Adam and Eve…first sinners.

Cain…first murderer.

Abel…first human to be a Heaven resident.

The Flood…first judgment of God on His creation.

The Flood…last time God will destroy by water.

Rainbow...first one ever.

Scripture tells us God will judge humanity the last time by fire.

If a person chooses to ignore God’s Son, Jesus, he will live in a lake of fire.

Yikes!

Those people mocking old Noah could have changed their minds, become believers, got on board the Ark, and missed drowning. The same is true today. Believe and escape the promised fire to come.

When will this last judgment take place? No one knows, but I suspect it will be shortly after the last believer on Earth enters Heaven. Jesus gave us the task of witnessing to all nations. After the last person hears, and the last someone decides to become a believer, Jesus will return.

God knows knows who the last believer will be. He gives us all the opportunity to respond, but judgment comes to those who do not accept His plan of the ages.

And God promised a last judgment.

In the scheme of events, will you be last?

God is the Alpha and Omega. He’s First and Last. What He says goes.

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