Genesis 7:16
The Lord shut him in.
Noah was shut safely inside from the shenanigans outside. In Christ within, he was shielded from the chaos without. When God shuts us in, He shuts out the danger. In one motion, He closes the door on the danger and secures the saints. He interrupts the reign of the riot and inaugurates the realm of rest.
“Outside the ark was all ruin, but inside all was rest.” — Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
God gave the ark to Noah. He provided the plans and the time to prepare. He declared His will and provided the wood. Noah had to throw his back into it, but he didn't have to make the trees. He had to swing the hammer, but he didn't have to keep his heart beating. He had to labor, but He didn't have to look for the blueprints. God delivers what He demands. Safety and security were given by grace to Noah in the warning, the work, and the welcome.
Noah built the ark that God provided and once inside, God shut him in.
Matthew 25:10
The bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
The same door that safely shut in the wise virgins surely shut out the foolish ones. The same opportunity that energized the wise virgins' work guaranteed the foolish virgins' eviction. When God closes a door, He protects and punishes in one fell swoop. As C.S. Lewis observed, "A heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for humans can be accommodated by one place."
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