Hebrews 11:7
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
The story of Noah is one of hope during a time of great corruption. The human race had become so wicked that God saw it best to put a stop to the wickedness before it amplified. In Genesis 6:8, we learn that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Among such wickedness, God saw that Noah was striving to live a righteous life. Think about Noah’s ancestors, which included Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Seth, and Adam. I would imagine that Noah was taught correct principles as a child, that he wanted to walk in the ways of the Lord to carry on this great legacy, and that he did his very best to be an example to his fellow men. And so we find out that “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).
God does warn Noah of what will take place and what he must do to survive the flood. As a child, I remember watching a cartoon story of Noah’s ark. It always stuck with me how Noah just kept building the ark despite all the taunting of the people that came to watch him and say mean things to him. Noah’s heart must have been bogged down with sorrow as he shared the message of what would happen to them if they did not repent, and these people did not believe him but instead laughed at him. In Matthew 24:38-39 it says that these people were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, and they literally “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.”
Noah trusted God. He had faith that the ark he was building for himself, his family, and the animals would keep them safe. Noah did not doubt. I love this next verse, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22). Noah did not pick and choose what commandments he wanted to keep. He did not alter anything as he was building the ark. Instead, he kept ALL of God’s commandments. If that is how Noah acted during that process, then I have a feeling he was the same way prior to the warning since he had found grace in the eyes of God.
The Lord invited Noah and his family into the ark in such a beautiful way: “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1). God knows your heart. He knows your efforts. He sees your righteousness as you strive to live your life in a manner that will please him. He invites you and me to keep his commandments. He has given us several warnings in His holy scriptures of what is to come before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Do not feel discouraged when you make a mistake, when others taunt you for your beliefs, or when your heart is heavy as you watch the ones you love walk a different path. We have a glorious promise that if we remain faithful, we too will achieve salvation. Look at Noah as an example of perseverance and of hope. The flood did come. The ark did keep him and his family safe. The flood did cease. They did set foot again on dry ground. They did give thanks unto the Lord once it was over through burnt offerings on the altar.
What have you found most meaningful as you have studied the story of Noah’s ark? How has this knowledge helped increase your faith? What can you take away from the way Noah lived his life? How can you apply this in your life?
We are nearing the end of Hebrews 11 Part 1. How are you doing with the study guide? (You can obtain the study guide by signing-up here). You can review the posts that go along with this series below: