Noah Trusted God’s Words And Acted In Faith
“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7 (Read Genesis 6-9)
When the number of people grew upon the earth, so also did the wickedness and rebellion against the Lord God. The believers (sons of God) intermarried with unbelievers (daughters of men) and the result was more and more people who did not walk in the ways of the Lord but followed after the imaginations of their own hearts — after their own evil thoughts and desires.
Genesis 6 says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them’” (v. 5-7).
The account continues, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord … Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (v. 8, 9).
God told Noah, in days when the earth was yet watered by a mist (Genesis 2:6), that He would send rains and a flood upon the earth to destroy man and beast. And God commanded Noah to build an ark to save himself, his family and two of every kind of animal from the coming flood (Genesis 6:14ff.).
Even though a flood like that of which God warned was unheard of in Noah’s day, Noah believed the Lord and prepared an ark, warning others around him to repent of their wickedness and turn back to the Lord (cf. 2 Peter 2:5). By so doing, Noah forsook the present world and became an heir of the righteousness of God which is by faith.
Similarly, God calls upon all mankind today to repent and return to Him, warning that “the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7). God will once again judge this world and all mankind. As He was, at the time of the flood, forced to destroy those who would not repent and turn to Him for mercy, so He will soon condemn all who reject Him and the salvation He offers in the cross of Jesus. This present world and all of man’s evil works will be burned up on that day when Jesus Christ returns.
Those who heed God’s warning and repent, trusting in Christ Jesus and His shed blood for forgiveness and life, forsake this present world and look forward to another in which there will be everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness. They are forgiven and accounted righteous through faith in Jesus and walk in fellowship with the Almighty God by that faith and confidence in Jesus and His sacrifice for the sins of the world.
And God’s judgment is coming. But He is being patient with us, not desiring that any perish, “but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He calls us to turn from our evil ways, looking to Jesus and His cross in faith for forgiveness and life everlasting!
O dearest Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us, forgive us and grant us a place in your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is
according to faith.”
Hebrews 11:7