KEY VERSE:
“By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told...” Hebrews 11:7 (The Message)
The story of Noah’s life involves not one, but two great and tragic floods. The world in Noah’s day was flooded with evil. The number of those who remembered the God of creation, perfection, and love had dwindled to one. Of God’s people, only Noah was left. God’s response to the severe situation was to commission Noah to embark upon a 120-year-long boat project…”And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch...And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.” Genesis 6:13-14, 19.
It took persistent, consistent and absolute faith in the person and promise(s) of God for Noah to act out the instructions laid out to him by the Lord as regards building the ark and gathering and getting the animals on board in anticipation of the flood…”Thus Noah did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.” Genesis 6:22.
In his book, “The Purpose-Driven Life”, Rick Warren writes that, “There were three problems that could have caused Noah to doubt (God). First, Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up (…”For the Lord had not caused it to rain on the earth...but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” Genesis 2:5b-6.) Second, Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. Even if he could learn to build a ship, how would he get it to water? Third, there was the problem of rounding up all the animals and then caring for them. But Noah didn’t complain or make excuses. He trusted and obeyed God completely and that made God smile.”
Rick Warren writes further that: “It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. I imagine he faced many discouraging days. With no sign of rain year after year, (Noah) was ruthlessly criticized as a “crazy man who thinks God speaks to him.” I imagine Noah’s children were embarrassed by the giant ship in their front yard. Yet Noah kept on trusting the Lord.”
God certainly didn’t choose Noah randomly. For He knows whom He can count on to get things done – and it’s not necessarily the one with the most skill, talent, or social standing. Rather, it’s the one who daily walks with Him, the one who hears His voice and follows His lead. Noah was such a man. Noah was the only follower of God left in his generation. That is, he was the only man of faith in word and in deed in his own time.
Without doubt Noah had his own weaknesses and frailties…”And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.” Genesis 9:20-21. But he walked with God in faith, and it was that close walk that made him righteous before the Lord…”Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9b. Noah’s righteousness qualified him to be used by God to help save the human race from annihilation, and in the bargain God kept him and his loved ones from certain death. God also promised Noah: ”Then God spoke to Noah and his sons with him, saying:…”Thus I establish my covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth…I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth…and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” Genesis 9:8,13&15.
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