SATURDAY 13th
Hebrews 11:7. Genesis 6:1-22
Noah – Faith in isolation
By the time we get to Genesis 6 it is easy to think that it’s not many years after creation, as it is only a few chapters on, but the reality is that by the time we get to Noah it is already one thousand six hundred and sixty years since creation and the whole world, that is all of humanity was deemed corrupt except for one man called Noah.
One of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Church is concerning the utter depravity of human nature, and the need for repentance and the eternal punishment of those who do not believe. The utter depravity of human nature is summed up by Paul in Romans 3:22-23 ‘For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ and in Romans chapter 1:18-32, this means that mankind in the 21st century is still in the same boat, utterly depraved. God has a standard and not one of us stand up to it. Isaiah 64:6 ‘We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.’
And we see this depravity all around us and yet as we see things as being as bad as they are today, and they are, utter depravity was absolutely manifested everywhere when Paul wrote what he wrote in his letter and was also most certainly applicable to Noah’s day. Gen 6:5. In fact, as we saw concerning Cain and Abel mankind was depraved immediately after their parents had sinned. Beside the words ‘utter depravity’ we use the words ‘the inherent nature of sin’ which means that we are all born sinners, they are both correct, but on its own the phrase ‘the inherent nature of sin’ does not describe how utterly depraved the sin nature is. We need to talk of both the inherent nature of sin, and the utter depravity of human nature because of sin. We are born in sin, and shapen in iniquity and live as vile hopeless sinners outside of the grace of God. Psalm 51:5 ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.’ Romans 3:9-11 ‘What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.’
Noah was also born in sin, but something must have taken place in his life that changed him, that made him different from everybody else for God to declare what he said about him. Sometime in his life, Noah must have had a personal encounter with God, which to use NT terminology, made him into a ‘new creation’ for v9 says ‘Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God!
The statement in Genesis 6:5 says ‘The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,’ whatever the population of the world was at that time, Noah was the only one of whom it is said, ‘found favour’ in the eyes of God! (v8) It was Noah’s great, grandfather, Enoch, we considered in our last two devotions and of him it was also said ‘He walked with God.’ I wonder what happened to the two generation in between them.
And because of who Noah was, or more because of what he had become in comparison to the rest of his generation God singled him out to be the key participant in what he was about to do. (6:13-22)
And we know the story of Noah and the ark, we could ask, what about Noah’s wife, his three sons and their wives regarding their relationship with God? I suggest that even if the same could not have been said about them beforehand, that after God had called Noah, he out of his love and compassion for his wife and family would have pleaded with them to also come to a place of faith and while the world watched on and mocked his family would join with Noah in preparation for the flood and in anticipation of deliverance from it.
What can we learn from Noah?
Faith allowed him to believe in the unbelievable
Faith led to Salvation
Faith moved him into action
He learned the lesson of Hebrews 11:6 ‘And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him’.
But something else we see should also encourage us, thus my heading for today’s devotion – FAITH IN ISOLATION. Of all the population just Noah, but God saw him, knew about him and came to him in salvation.
PERHAPS you are the ONLY ONE with a personal faith in God in your family, your school, college, university, workplace, your local community, the street where you live. As a result, it may be tough, difficult, it may mean you get mocked, maybe even persecuted, but remember the ones who are going to receive eternal reward are only those who have trusted God, put their faith in Him and see things through.
Can you picture the scene as Noah began to collect the colossal amount of material he needed to build the ark and then to start and build it, the mocking, ridicule, persecution. And then as the day’s past into weeks, months and years till the ark was ready – still the mocking, still the ridiculing and persecution, not a cloud in the sky, brilliant sunshine, but then he begins to load the ark with food, animal, and essentials, still the mocking, the ridicule and the persecution.
But the moment arrives, Noah and his family then enter the ark, GOD himself shuts the door and on that very day, the sunshine disappears as the thick black clouds appear and then the rain arrived, the floods came and those who laughed, mocked and persecuted were blotted from off the face of the earth. God always fulfils his word!
What mixed emotions Noah must have had, although many had mocked him, he would have seen friends and family, fellow companions being washed into a lost eternity.
In Noah’s day the world was drenched in spiritual darkness and yet in the darkness there was a single flicker of light as Noah shone as a lone light in the darkness. And we have been called to shine as light in the darkness. Matthews: 14-16 ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house, in the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’
The building of the ark took 120 years, it was well planned and well built. The 120 years speaks of the patience of God, allowing time for the mockers, scoffers and persecutors to repent and the persevering faith of Noah, imagine the sweat, toil, blisters etc. while all the time being ridiculed and mocked.
What a picture of the day of grace, God is waiting patiently for men and
women to be saved. We toil, faithful in service knowing that one day our redemption will be complete, but it also speaks of opportunity, for we have the opportunity and privilege of telling others about Jesus.
2 Peter 2: ‘He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, A HERALD of righteousness.’
Noah built an Ark and it was only within the ark that salvation could be found. He had trusted, his faith was demonstrated in works (building the ark) and he was saved- those who disbelieved him must HAVE HAD SECOND thoughts when the rains came – and they would have WORKED HARD battling against the flood water to be saved from drowning- but too late, works could not save them – ONLY FAITH in God, but they had rejected Him.
Jesus became our NOAH, the only one who was truly righteous before God.
For Noah, the timber made an ark. For us, the timber made a cross and the righteous one went and hung on it for us so that as we believe, his righteousness is imputed to us and we are saved. And because we have come to the cross and found refuge in it, when God pours out his wrath and judgment on this utterly depraved, sinful world we will be saved.
Earlier in the devotion I mentioned that we are all born in sin, but thank God there was one who was born sinless, died sinless and took our sin upon himself, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When the rain came and the floods began to rise, Noah was hidden in the ark, and we who have fled into Jesus are hiding in him, he is our Saviour, he is our protection, he will bring us not to Mount Ararat, but he will land us safely in the place which he has prepared for all who love him.
O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly.
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be;
Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, Hiding in Thee,
Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.
In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its power,
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.
How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe.
How often when trials like sea billows roll
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
W O Cushing CCLI788682