"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."
Hebrews 4:14
- Noah had faith in God when everyone else, outside his immediate family, had no faith.
When we talk about faith, we have to understand that these people have no more proof than we have today. Actually God reveals more of Himself every day. The Holy Spirit guides us and shows us the way. Christ had not died yet and they had not experienced the Day of Pentecost (filling of the Holy Spirit). If you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, He will show and tell you the truth.
Sometimes, we read stories of faithful people in the Bible, and we think it's easy for them to have so much faith. It's not! They have to refrain from having attitudes and falling into sin, too. There were temptations all around them, but they learned to have faith and trust in God.
"But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord.
…Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God."
Genesis 6:8-9
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Noah had a reverent fear of God, which helped him obey.
"[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith)."
Hebrew 11:7
Reverent fear means to understand God's power and to do what He asks. He's gentle and kind, but He also disciplines His children in love. Noah did everything God asked, because he understood that God is the King of everything.
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Noah was faithful and did everything he was told.
"Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him."
Genesis 6:22
"And Noah did all that the Lord commanded."
Genesis 7:5
Everything God asked, Noah faithfully did. He was told to build an ark, so he did. He was told to put the animals on the boat along with his family and he did. If we did everything God told us to do, what would happen in our lives?
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Noah worshiped God by giving an acceptable sacrifice.
"And Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean [four-footed] animal and of every clean fowl or bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
Genesis 8:20
Noah didn't do anything half-hearted. He made sure that everything was clean and smelled pleasing to God. He touched God's heart. Although God destroyed the wicked people, He was glad He spared Noah and his family. This is how we want God to look at us. It's like a father looking at His son or daughter with pride. How can we touch God's heart, so God can look at us with this kind of love and pride?
When the Lord smelled the pleasing odor [a scent of satisfaction to His heart], the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination (the strong desire) of man's heart is evil and wicked from his youth; neither will I ever again smite and destroy every living thing, as I have done.
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Noah reaped the benefits of being faithful to God.
Genesis 7:23
"…Only Noah remained alive, and those who were with him in the ark."
Genesis 8:1
"And God [earnestly] remembered Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind blow over the land, and the waters sank down and abated."
Genesis 9:11-17
"I will establish My covenant or pledge with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood; neither shall there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth and make it corrupt.
And God said, This is the token of the covenant (solemn pledge) which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
I set my bow [rainbow] in the cloud, and it shall be a token or sign of a covenant or solemn pledge between Me and the earth.
And it shall be that when I bring clouds over the earth and the bow [rainbow] is seen in the clouds.
I will [earnestly] remember My covenant or solemn pledge which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy and make all flesh corrupt.
When the bow [rainbow] is in the clouds and I look upon it, I will [earnestly] remember the everlasting covenant or pledge between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
And God said to Noah, This [rainbow] is the token or sign of the covenant or solemn pledge which I have established between Me and all flesh upon the earth."
Due to everything God saw Noah do above, He blessed Noah abundantly. He rescued Noah from the flood and made a covenant with him. God told Noah, He would never flood the whole earth, again. This was due to the loving-kindness of God and the faithfulness of Noah.
Challenge for the Week:
"And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people]."
2 Peter 2:5
This week, we need to challenge ourselves to have faith like Noah. The type of faith that Noah has is protection to God's people. Those who are faithful are protected from harm. Faithfulness is a seed that can grow. God planted the seed in us when we believed in Him, but He expects us to grow and mature our faith.
Of course, the way to grow our faith is by reading God's Word and praying. Trusting in Him is also a way to develop our faith. Every time we trust God, even when things do not look like they are going right, we are able to use our faith more effectively. Every day, our faith can get stronger as we build our relationship with God.