Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
This passage of scripture describes the condition of the world as it will be when God will finally bring all things to an end. In the days of Noah life was going on in its unvarying round, with the multitudes then living, having no thought or regard for the warnings sent from God, that the earth would be destroyed by a flood. The days of Lot also describe the secular frame of mind that had permeated society. People back then were obsessed with commercial enterprises, buying and selling, planting and building, all without reference to the fact that life does not go on forever.
In both instances, the people of Noah's day and Lot's day were taken unawares by sudden calamity which closed their earthly history unexpectedly, hence the reason why God saw fit to remind us in our generation, that life as we know it will not continue forever. In our day the focus seems to be on survival and making our daily bread, while things of eternal interest sit on the back burner with hardly a thought or consideration for the future immortal life.
The Bible teaches us that there is much more to life than just working to pay bills and making enough money to retire, only to die and leave it all behind. If this is all life is about then life is not worth living, for the majority of our life is spent battling with problems, obstacles, health issues, bills, heartache and disappointments. That's why the Lord asks us a question that urgently needs to be answered within the domain of every heart. Let's read:
Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
In other words, what Christ is saying is that it makes no sense for a person to spend their entire life consumed with acquiring earthly possessions, fame and fortune, only to die eternally and leave it all behind. Steve Jobs made tremendous contributions to advancements and innovations in the digital world and millions are indeed still being benefited by his uncanny genius. Yet if this is all he has to show on his record, if God was not a part of his equation, then his existence will amount to nothing when Jesus comes to bestow the gift of immortality on all those who made the wise decision to serve and follow Him.
It was this truth about the real purpose of life that caused the richest man who ever lived to seriously reflect on the purpose and benefits of all his earthly achievements. Let's read:
Ecclesiastes 1:1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 2:3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
It's important for us to note that Solomon's frustration and utter despair did not arise because of hard labor or even the wealth that he accumulated. The problem is that he tried to find lasting happiness and joy in the material things of life, which can only bring temporary satisfaction. After acquiring vast amounts of wealth and possessions, Solomon found out that he could only eat one meal at a time, sleep in one bed at a time and wear on pair of shoes at a time, and then finally after all of his efforts and riches, he would be laid to rest in one grave, in one coffin in one cemetery on one piece of land next to a poor man who had no such earthly advantages.
That's why the Bible calls our attention to the real purpose for living. In all of our pursuits and achievements, God cautions us not to be so overwhelmed with the things of earth that we neglect our own salvation, and so that day of final accounts should catch us off-guard. In our modern society God and heavenly interests seem to be far removed from our thoughts and we plan and execute as if this world will continue forever as it is.
There are many in our day who scoff at the idea of a cataclysmic end to this world as we know it, and there are many others who like the antediluvians mock at the sacred truths of Christ's second coming in the clouds of heaven and of the resurrection. God in mercy is appealing to all of earth's inhabitants to seriously consider the sacred truth that He is going to come and put an end to this present world, and therefore we all should make the necessary preparation of character building by the grace of God, that we may be ready when He comes. Let's read:
1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
It behooves us then to avail ourselves of God's grace and mercy while probation lingers, by giving our lives to Christ so that the work of salvation may be completed in our hearts. We therefore end with a text that should serve as a reminder to all that Christ's coming is soon and that we need to live in readiness every day. Let's read:
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
"Good night" and God bless!