I've never seen the new Noah movie - probably never will. But I have read and listened to some reviews of this movies, and I think there are two important "take aways" from this movie:
1. The first one is pointed out by Pastor Trevor Hammack in his podcast: Noah: The Missing Point. Like all pastor Hammack's podcasts, this is a great one and I recommend it to you. But in a nutshell, what Pastor Hamnmack says (and I agree!) is "the missing point" in the new Noah movie is (a.) Even though this movie mocks God and the Biblical account of Noah, that in itself is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy (see 2 Peter 3:3). But even more important is the knowledge that God destroyed the world once before in a flood - and he WILL do it again! The Bible says:
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord
is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but
is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance. But
the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." - 2 Peter 3:8-13
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2. Just this morning I was listening to a sermon by Pastor John Reisinger titled The Holiness of God. In this great sermon, Pastor Reisinger challenges the myth that "God is Love" (and nothing else!). Blasphemer Bill Maher calls God a "psychotic mass murderer" who drowns babies. (Although I'm not recommending you watch it, if you choose to anyway, you can find the You Tube clip here!) But Bill Maher has a point. If "God is Love" (and nothing else!), then it would be hard to reconcile that with Noah's Flood, or Israel's conquest of ancient Canaan, or the future eternal punishment of sinners in hell.
Imagine you were one of the people Left Behind in the days of Noah. And as the water is coming up to your chin, you look up at this giant ark and there is a big sign on the back saying, "Smile, God Loves You!" I dare you to go to Oso, Washington right now and put up a billboard that says: God is Love!
God is love. The Bible says so in 2 verses (1 John 4:4 and 4:16). But he is also holy - as pastor Reisinger points out, the holiness of God is a central theme in the Bible from Genesis all the way to revelation. And it is only when we see that that we can understand Noah's flood (and more important, the coming wrath of God upon this world)
Recommended sermon:
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, by Jonathan Edwards (preached in 1741)
Recommended reading and listening:
"Noah" Movie Depicts Evolution, Black Magic
