NOAH – THE MAN WHO BUILT AN ARK
Scriptures: Gen 6, 7, 8; Heb 11 :7
INTRODUCTION: One of the best known men in all the Bible is Noah. (His name means “rest.”) He was the son of Lamech, a descendant of Seth. He was tenth from Adam, and lived to the amazing age of 950 years! Nothing is known of Noah’s early life, for he appears on the Bible stage when he was already 500 years old. Apparently his father was a godly man and not only gave Noah a fitting name, but from Gen 6:9 it is also safe to conclude that he brought up his son “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” One thing we can be certain about: Noah lived in a time when men were universally corrupt, so much so that God was moved to destroy the human race! But, praise God! in the midst of that age of moral and spiritual darkness, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He lived a righteous life and was in such close contact with God that God revealed to him His plan to destroy mankind. God gave him the strange and almost impossible task of building a seaworthy vessel large enough to shelter not just his family, but also a pair of all the birds and beasts living on the land at that time! Noah believed God and set about the tremendous task of constructing the ark. No doubt every day Noah had to endure the ridicule and scorn of his godless neighbors, but he was steadfast and faithful to the great task God had given him.
NOAH WALKED WITH GOD – Gen 6:8-12 Noah was a just and perfect (upright, sincere, mature, balanced) man in his generation. This is commendable in any age and culture, but Noah’s life is even more amazing in view of the abounding iniquity of his day. (See Gen 6:5-7. Teacher, you may want to review briefly from the lesson on Enoch what is required in walking with God.) Note the command given in Phil 2:15–this is certainly appropriate for Christians today in the USA! We have an opportunity much like Noah had.
NOAH WAS OBEDIENT – Gen 6:14-22 Noah’s task was extremely difficult, first, because of the huge dimensions of the ship (v 15). But, no doubt, an even greater problem was that Noah was a pioneer in the ship-building business! Remember, that before the flood the earth’s land mass had not yet been broken into continents and there was LITTLE, if any, NEED for shipping. Where would Noah go for the expertise required to build such a great maritime vessel?! But Noah obeyed without question and set out at once to carry out God’s command-see Gen. 6:22. It is safe to assume that God inspired Noah and his sons with the requisite building skills in much the same way as He gave the wisdom and understanding to Bezaleel and others to build the tabernacle and its furnishings (Ex 36:1-2). One thing is sure: when we obey God and make a sincere effort to carry out His work, He will provide the means of accomplishing it!
GOD REMEMBERED NOAH – Gen 8:1 Noah believed God and obeyed Him completely. Consequently, God was faithful and delivered Noah and all those in the Ark from death! God is always faithful (Lam 3:22-23) and will remember us when we obey Him fully. Examples: children of Israel at Passover in Egypt; three Hebrew children in Babylon; Naaman the leper.
NOAH “WORKED OUT” HIS SALVATION – Heb 11 :7 “Faith without works is dead.” (See also Phil 2:12.) Saving faith always produces works! The very fact that Noah believed God’s Word caused him to get to work. The Bible says that Noah was “moved with fear.” On the other hand, the fact that the multitudes to whom Noah preached God’s message of coming judgment did not get on the Ark proved that they did not believe his message. Noah believed that God was holy and infallible and, therefore, He would keep His Word. (If we believed God like we say we do, we would get to work, too!)
NOAH PREACHED JUDGMENT – 2 Peter 2:5 Noah not only built an ark, but he was faithful to warn the mass of humanity of the coming wrath and judgment of Almighty God! Compare Noah’s faithful witness with Ezekiel 33: 1-20, which teaches us of our responsibility to warn the unsaved all about us today.
NOAH BUILT THE FIRST ALTAR – Gen 8:20 Although Abel brought a blood sacrifice to God, we are not told that he built an altar. So Noah is the first person on record as having built an altar. The altar he built speaks of Noah’s gratefulness to and worship of God
NOAH WAS HONORED BY GOD WITH AN EVERLASTING COVENANT– Gen 9:12-17 Compare this with the wonderful truth that we are now partakers of a new Covenant – Heb 9:15-20.
LESSONS From NOAH’S LIFE:
God honors faith.
Obedience is often it’s own reward! (Think what would have happened to Noah had he not obeyed!)
From conditions in the world today, we must be near the Coming of the Lord!
Our great task is to warn the lost of coming judgment and point them to Christ!