The Pitch That Stopped Judgment
After commanding Noah to build the ark, God told him to cover it with pitch inside and out. The pitch served to keep water from seeping through the cracks in the wood.
A similar story appears in Exodus. When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, Pharaoh ordered that all male Hebrew babies be thrown into the Nile River after birth. Moses’ parents could not bear to throw their son away, so they made a basket of bulrushes, coated it with tar and pitch, placed the baby inside, and set it among the reeds along the riverbank. The tar prevented water from seeping into the basket—if the water had entered, Moses would have surely died.
For the same purpose, God commanded Noah to cover the ark with pitch both inside and out. This kept the floodwaters from entering the ark, so those inside could safely escape the judgment of the waters. Just as the pitch separated the people inside the ark from the judgment of God, the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross separates us from destruction.
Because Jesus bore all the punishment for our sins, when judgment and curse come upon the world, the blood of Jesus Christ shields us from them. Even if the whole world is judged, those who are within this blood (like those within the pitch-covered ark) have nothing to do with God’s judgment. The pitch symbolizes this—it represents the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus was on earth, He was different from the religious leaders. He often met with adulterous women, Samaritan women, sinners, and tax collectors. Jesus did not associate with them to fall into sin as they had, but to save them from their sins. When people saw this, they criticized Him, saying He was “a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” But the crucial fact is that, although Jesus lived among sinners and drew close to them, He never participated in their sins nor was defiled by them.
In His heart, there was a clear wall separating Him from sin. Though His body was among sinners and He lived near them, sin could not penetrate His heart.
What about the scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests of that time? Since they had no wall in their hearts to protect themselves from sin—no “pitch” within—they easily became defiled whenever they approached sinners. Therefore, in order to preserve their self-righteousness, they felt compelled to stay away from sinners: they would not eat with them nor sit with them.
Even so, their hearts were still corrupted by sin. Jesus called them “whitewashed tombs”—clean on the outside, but full of decaying corpses and filth within. The Pharisees and scribes tried to prove their holiness by distancing themselves from those trapped in sin, yet their hearts were already stained with evil, for when sin entered their hearts, they had no wall to keep it out.
No matter how well-built the ark was, without pitch, the water would seep through the cracks, filling the ark and eventually sinking it—killing everyone inside. Likewise, if our hearts are not covered with the blood of Jesus Christ to block out sin, it will eventually seep in through the cracks of our soul, filling our hearts with filth and corruption.
Although Jesus lived among sinners, sin could not enter His heart or defile Him, for He had a firm wall against sin. In the same way, those who dwell under the covering of Jesus’ blood will stand before God’s throne of judgment without fear, for judgment cannot touch them.
During the flood in Noah’s time, the rain of judgment fell for forty days and nights, covering the earth and destroying all living things. But the ark, coated with pitch inside and out, remained safe from judgment and was not overcome by the waters. Likewise, when the whole world falls into destruction, those under the blood of Jesus will be protected, for His blood shields them from judgment.
Jesus said,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He will not be judged but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)
The blood of Jesus Christ not only forgives all our sins, but also separates us from judgment.
In the cold of winter, no matter how freezing it is outside, once we enter a warm room and shut the door, the cold cannot reach us. When we wear a warm coat, it blocks the chill from our bodies. In the same way, even if the whole world faces judgment, those covered by the blood of Jesus will not be touched by it.
God told Noah to cover the ark with pitch both inside and outside. The pitch on the outside kept the water from entering, assuring God that those within were safe. The pitch on the inside comforted Noah and his family so that they would not fear, saying, “What if the water comes in?” The outer pitch was for God to see—that those inside were completely protected; the inner pitch was for Noah and his family to believe—that they were safe.
In the same way, both God and we look to the blood of Jesus Christ. God looks upon the blood of Jesus and says,
“You are without sin, washed as white as snow. I will remember your sins no more. You are righteous.”
When we look upon the blood of Jesus, we say in our hearts,
“My judgment is finished. The blood that was shed is the sign that my sins have already been judged. Now I am complete, clean, and sanctified.”
Through this faith, our hearts are freed from sin and filled with peace, rest, and liberty.
Do you believe in the precious blood of Jesus Christ? Do you believe that this blood has ended all the judgment you deserved and forgiven all your sins? Do you believe that this blood has become a wall that blocks judgment so that it will never again come upon you?
God has given us this priceless grace—He allowed Jesus to die on the cross and bear all the judgment we deserved so that we might be perfectly protected from God’s punishment.
Are you still afraid of sin, still tormented by the thought of judgment? The judgment already ended on the cross. Jesus has taken it all upon Himself. Let us praise our Lord, who has accomplished eternal and complete salvation so that judgment will never come upon us again. May you all, by faith, come boldly before God.
阻止审判的松香
神让挪亚造方舟后，让他在里外抹上松香。松香起到的是防止水从木头缝隙中渗进来的作用。
在《出埃及记》中也有类似的话语。以色列百姓在埃及为奴时，法老命令希伯来妇人生下儿子后，全部扔到尼罗河中。摩西的父母不忍心把他扔到河里，就做了一个蒲草箱，抹上石漆和石油，然后把摩西放到箱子里，将箱子搁在了河边的芦荻中。抹上石漆是为了防止水渗进箱子里，因为水渗进箱子里，摩西就必死无疑。
带着同样的目的，神让挪亚造方舟后，让他在里外抹上松香。这样可以防止水渗进方舟里来，使方舟里的人可以平安地躲过水的审判。就像松香将方舟里的人与神审判的水隔开了一样，耶稣被钉死在十字架上流淌的宝血，将我们与灭亡隔绝了开来。
因为耶稣已经承受了我们该受的所有罪的刑罚，所以当对罪的审判与咒诅临到这地上的时候，耶稣基督的血会将我们与神的审判和咒诅隔绝开。就算全世界都受到审判，这血（方舟的松香）里的人，也与神的审判无关。发挥这种作用的，就是松香，就是耶稣基督的宝血。
耶稣在世时，与宗教人不同。他经常与行淫中被拿的女人、撒玛利亚妇人、罪人、税吏等见面。耶稣经常与罪人和税吏等见面，不是为了像他们一样掉到罪里，而是为了把他们从罪中拯救出来。那时代的人见耶稣这样，就诽谤他是税吏和罪人的朋友。但重要的事实是，耶稣虽然与罪人和税吏相处，与他们亲近，却没有参与他们的罪行，没有沾染他们的罪。在耶稣心里，有分明的与罪恶分离开来的墙，耶稣的身体虽然深入到罪人当中，与他们一起生活，但罪的诱惑无法渗入到耶稣心里。
耶稣时代的文士、法利赛人、祭司长之类的宗教人是怎样的呢？因为他们没有将自己从罪恶中保护起来的心里的墙，也就是没有心里的松香，所以他们接近罪人，很容易被罪恶玷污。因此，为了持守自己的义，他们必须远离罪人生活，不能与罪人一起吃饭，也不能跟罪人坐在一起。
即使如此，他们的心还是被罪玷污了，以至于耶稣看着文士和法利赛人时，说他们是粉饰的坟墓。就像坟墓一样，外表看起来干净，里面却装着腐烂、散发着臭味的人的尸体。带有这种想法的法利赛人和文士，想通过远离陷进罪恶中的人们来彰显他们的义和圣洁，但他们的内心已经被罪恶玷污了。因为当罪恶进到他们心里时，他们没有能从罪恶中保守自己心的那堵墙。
不管方舟造得有多好，如果没有抹上松香，水就能从木头缝隙中渗进来。当方舟里渗满水时，方舟就会沉没，方舟里的人都只能死掉。我们的心也是这样，如果不涂抹耶稣基督的宝血，阻止罪恶进入，那么不知何时，罪恶就会从心灵的缝隙中进入，导致我们的心陷入到罪恶中，被肮脏、丑恶的东西所充满。
虽然耶稣生活在罪人中，但罪恶不能进到耶稣心里，玷污他的心。因为耶稣心里有分明的阻挡罪恶的墙。就像耶稣住在罪人中，与罪人亲近，罪恶也不能玷污耶稣一样，将来，居住在耶稣宝血中的人，站在神的审判台前时，审判也不能临到他们。
挪亚洪水时，降了四十天审判的大雨，淹没了整个世界，杀死了所有生灵，但方舟内外都抹上了可以躲避审判的松香，挡住了大水。同样，当全世界都进到灭亡中时，处在耶稣宝血下的人们，因为宝血阻挡了审判，审判绝不会临到他们。耶稣说：“我实实在在地告诉你们：那听我话、又信差我来者的，就有永生，不至于定罪，是已经出死入生了。”（约5：24）耶稣基督的宝血不仅赦免了我们一切的罪，还将我们与审判隔绝开来。
寒冷的冬天，外面再寒冷，进到温暖的房间，关上门，寒冷就再不能冻着我们了。穿上温暖的外套，外套可以阻挡寒冷。就像这一样，就算全世界都遭到审判，耶稣宝血下的人们也不会临到审判。
神让挪亚把方舟里外都抹上松香。抹在外面的松香能够阻止水进到方舟里。神看着这个，可以确认方舟里面的人是安全的。在里面抹松香，是为了让挪亚和他的家人不必惧怕：“万一水渗进来可怎么办啊？”抹在外面的松香是为了让神看到，确认里面的人可以完全地躲避，抹在里面的松香是为了让挪亚一家相信：“我们是安全的。”
就像这一样，神和我们都在看耶稣基督的宝血。神看着耶稣基督的宝血，对我们说：“你们没有罪了，洗得像雪一样白了。我不再记念罪恶了。你们成义了。”我们看着耶稣基督的宝血，心想：“我的审判结束了。所流的血就是我的罪已经被审判的标记。现在我完全了、洁净了、成圣了。”这样凭着信心，我们的心就能从罪中得到释放，得到自由、安息与平安。
各位相信耶稣基督的宝血吗？各位相信这宝血已经终结了各位应当承受的所有审判，赦免了各位所有的罪，相信这宝血成了拦阻审判，使审判再也不会临到各位的墙吗？神施给了我们宝贵的恩典，让耶稣钉死在十字架上，承受了我们应该承受的所有审判，使我们从审判与神的刑罚中，得到了完全的保守。
各位是否仍旧为罪惧怕，为审判痛苦呢？审判已经在十字架上结束了。耶稣已经担当了审判。赞美成就了永远、完全的救恩，便审判再也不会临到我们的主。希望大家都能凭着信心，大胆地走到神面前。
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