Noah was referred to as a preacher of righteousness ...and it didn't seem like there was much of that in those days.

Eight human being were saved on the ark from the Flood.

Lot was also described as righteous ...and being over thirteen hundred years after the Flood, it was Lot's turn to be saved, from the destruction of the city he lived in.

Yet, Abraham didn't know that his nephew & family were going to be spared.  He asked God if He would also spare and not destroy the city if 50 righteous were found there? ...how about five less than 50, for 45? ...40? ...30? ...20? ...10???

I then thought of how Uzzah was helping to transport the Ark of the Covenant ...and when he saw that the oxen shook it, he seemingly impulsively reached out to help steady it.  Upon touches it, he died.  King David obviously didn't understand, as he likely thought Uzzah's intentions were good.  And honestly, I could see myself doing the same thing as Uzzah under those circumstances.

Then not that long afterwards, Bathsheba was to have her first child by King David ...and Nathan came to tell a story of a man, that likely reminded David of his youth with tending to the lambs.  Kind David said the man Nathan spoke of should surely die ...to which nathan told King David he was the man.

That first son born to David & Bathsheba ...died shortly after birth.

The reason given for the death of the baby was that the circumstances of the birth of the baby would bring occasion for the enemies of God to blaspheme ...even though David acknowledged the sin, confessed it, and repented.

It would seem that there would also be occasion for many people to want to touch the Ark of the Covenant if Uzzah had lived ...yet he died.  I personally think Uzzah could have been a good and righteous man ...and I'm also thinking that perhaps he will be in Heaven.

I'm also wondering if there are people who died in the Flood, who had found no occasion to boldly preach righteousness ...and had furthermore fallen too far into compromise and its resulting irreconcilable standards.  

Perhaps we spend too much time thinking about these things, instead of the present living that we should be focusing on.  And judgment is not at all our business in reference to others ...we are only to judge right behaviors for the purpose of deciding how we should act, or aspire to act.  We are only to rightly divide the Word of truth ...as we read it, in the Bible.

We best serve in pointing out the pathway ...the path which is provided by Jesus.  If we lose our focus, and begin wondering how many are going to take the path, or stay on the course of it ...we are not helping ourselves tell of it, if we try to also do the work of leading which the Holy Spirit it prepared to do.

But, as I do read ...yes, I began to wonder what it meant, that which I was reading, at this particular time in the Epistles of Peter.  And it seems that in both of the Books, that he was closely following a certain line of thought.  I have barely touched on it here ...but, I did get down some of my beginning thoughts as a sort of a reference to future thinking.

And maybe it will bring some thoughts to you also ...or compel you to read again those few short Chapters which hold such deep thoughts and insight.