Noah Builds An Ark

 

Hello everyone. We are in a new month and on Sunday we began the Joshua Generation characteristic of Obedience. Most of the Joshua generation characteristics are equally important. But, beyond a shadow of doubt, obedience and the attitude of obedience is the most important. Since the beginning of time, God has always demanded obedience from mankind. Christians begin their walk with God upon an act of obedience (Rom. 6:17-18; Heb. 5:8-9). Obedience is forever a part of the great commission as we are to repent, confess, be baptized and continue to observe “all things” Christ has commanded (Mt. 28:18-20). We are His friends if “ye do whatsoever I have commanded you” (John 15:14).

 

The slogan for this month (and hopefully for our entire lives) is “Obey all the way.” This week’s memory verse is Gen. 18:19 prophesying Abraham’s continued obedience.

 

Our study today is found in Gen. 6:9-22. You may immediately know that this is the record of God’s instructions to Noah about building the ark. You will remember that it was to be 300 by 30 by 50 cubits. It was to be made of gopher wood. The ark was to have three stories and a door leading into it. It was to be covered with pitch inside and out. It was also to have an opening (window in the KJV) for light and probably air. The original language uses the word for light where the KJV says window. The exact structure or extent of this “window” is not known.  Although not specified in our Biblical record, Noah included a covering, perhaps like shutters or lattice work (Gen. 8:6).

 

In this entire narrative it took only one verse to give Noah’s response to the detailed instruction. Verse 22 says, “Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Over the years, I have seen many epitaphs on headstones in cemeteries. There are two epitaphs that every many should want used with his name. Both mean the same thing. The above statement is one of them. “Enoch walked with God,” is another. Neither Enoch or Noah were perfect in action, but they were true in heart. They obeyed God “from the heart” (Rom.6:17).

 

There are so many lessons to be drawn from this text that we will divide it into two days study. I will list 11 of the lessons with brief comments. Well, maybe not all that brief. After all, I am a preacher.

 

  1. It is possible for virtually all people to be lost. Noah’s entire world was lost. We live in a world where most everyone wants to recognize any and all religious efforts as being acceptable to God. “Christian” religion (including Catholicism) is claimed by about 65 % of the world’s population. Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion. Islam and other eastern religions are spreading. If you were to listen to many religious leaders, God will somehow accept us all, despite the wide differences in the way we serve God. Supposedly,  we are all trying to make the world a better place to live. But God does not agree with that assessment. There is salvation in no other but Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). It is impossible to approach the Father of heaven without going through Christ (Jn. 14:6). Most people in the world will be lost (Mt. 7:13-14). Many believers in Christ, who believe they are Christians, will find out they are not because their faith did not lead them to obedience to the Lord’s plan (Mt. 7:21-23). Everyone not in the Lord’s church (Mt. 16:18) which is cleansed by his blood through baptism (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25-27) will be lost. Since the world began, the faithful have always been a remnant. Some today say this is arrogant teaching. Tell that to the Lord who gave us the above passages. Tell it to the Lord who died so we could be saved. Tell it to the Lord who died for us and has the sovereign and sacrificial right to say, ‘Follow my plan.’ This is not arrogant preaching. It is driven preaching (2 Cor. 5:11-21).
  2. God’s patience has limits. Our God is patient because he does not want anyone to be lost (2 Pet. 3:9). Our God also knows that everyone does not improve with time. He “gave up” almost the entire Gentile world because he knew time would better them (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). Christ gave up on most of the Jewish world because they chose to remain in a desolate state of disobedience (Mt. 23:37-39; Rom. 10:1-3).
  3. God’s love for his creation does not prevent his punishment of the wicked. Our God who is perfect in love is also perfect in justice. He who is merciful is the “rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6) and the comforter of the troubled (2 Thess. 1:7) is also just in his vengeance toward the disobedient (2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rom. 12:19)
  4. Noah alone, in his time, was faithful to God. His sons were not yet born when he was commanded to build the ark. It is possible for one to stand. It is possible for one to influence his family to God. Noah was between 480 and 500 years old when he was given the command to build the ark. Scholars indicate that his first son was born when he was 502 years old. Think of the ridicule he (and later, his sons) must have received as he built on the ark. He was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5) during the time he built the ark, but he did not have a single convert beyond his family. However, God and one always make a majority (Rom. 8:31). In the words of the song, “When you walk with God, you never walk alone.”
  5. God had a plan. I have long encouraged men to be planners because God was a planner. Although we are not given all the plans that Noah must have been given for the ark, it is obvious that God knew what he wanted. Consider that he planned for the salvation of man before the creation of man (Eph. 1:4, 3:2-9).

God has never left man to his own devices about how to serve Him or do his will. From the very beginning,

God has given men plans. He told Adam and Eve exactly what was expected of them. Cain’s sacrifice was

rejected. Abel’s was accepted because he followed the plan. Rom. 10:17 say that faith comes by hearing the

word of God. Abel’s sacrifice was by faith (Heb. 11:4), that is, according to the plan. God gave Gideon a

plan to conquer the Midianites with only 300 men. God has given us a plan for salvation and for Christian

living. We must obey the plan.