While the earth remaineth

Genesis 8:22

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

God has made a great pronouncement here concerning the courses of all things terrestrial. For He has told us that while the earth remaineth certain things will continue unimpeded and inexorably. Nothing will stop these natural cycles from taking place. It is absolutely invariant. Because the Lord has said so! Everything the Lord says will stand! We cannot stand against it. As the prophet Jeremiah says, “Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?” No one can bring anything to pass if the Lord doesn’t command it. And so is the inverse! We cannot speak against the Lord’s will! None can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? His commands are immutable and final. There is no device or counsel against it. It is firm until the end of time. What is this great pronouncement? That as long as the earth remains certain other things would thereby remain also—seed time and harvest! The farmer will continue to plow and reap! This will not change. Cold and heat! Some think the earth is just a giant ball heating up every day and that the seasons will disappear. This is by no means true! There may be changes in the degrees of temperatures, but there will always be cold and heat on the earth—as long as it remains! Summer and winter! There will always be seasons on the earth. No need to worry that this will ever cease from its current state of affairs. Day and night shall not cease! This means the earth will continue to rotate on its axis, and continue to make its annual journey around the sun. All these things will not cease, as long as the earth remaineth.

Now, there is an implicit truth here that we are in great peril of overlooking. The Lord here implies, that if these things will continue as long as the earth remains, there will come a time when the earth no longer remains. Then these things will cease! For this word signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. See Hebrews 12:26-27. There are things that cannot be shaken! There are things, as the terrestrial and celestial things visible to us, that can be shaken, and will be removed. Certain things will never be removed, for they are eternal, heavenly, unshakable. But those are the things of God, not the things of the earth. This earth will be burned up, as Peter, in the third chapter of his second epistle has so eloquently described. The earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up! And the elements shall melt with fervent heat! And the great apostle John, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, tells us plainly that the former things will be passed away. These are the things which can be shaken! And the others will remain. Therefore, we see that the earth shall not remain forever; and the times, seasons, days, and years that we have shall continue only as long as the earth remains.

Now, dear friend, be greatly encouraged by a two-fold reminder. First, be reminded that this earth is in His hands, and we have no reason to fear that the courses of the universe and the cycles of life will be disrupted. Be not concerned that God will forget the works that He hath created. Be not afraid that God will one day forget that your body is breathing, and your heart is pumping. And if all of this is in His hands, is it not a light thing for Him to care for your heart, and body, and soul? And be encouraged, secondly, with the great comfort that everything here is temporary. This is not forever! The earth only remains for a time! There is an earthly and there is a heavenly. One day, we shall put off the earthly that we may don the heavenly. One day, this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality! Sorrow, crying, pain, and death only continue as long as the courses of this earth continue. One day, all will be new! The earth will not remain forever! We have an eternal refuge and an everlasting hope in the heavenly places. We must praise God for this!

“Father, we do most certainly praise Thy holy name for the encouragement you have brought us today, once again, concerning the heavenly hope of Christ. We know that as long as we are here, and as long as the earth remains, all continues to be directed by Thy commands. It shall not cease until this earth is no more. Help us to trust in this great hand of God, and be strengthened by the promise of an unshakable world, in which we shall dwell forever. We thank you for these things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”