In this blog we are going to be taking a look at Noah, a very well known biblical figure. Noah is one of my favourite biblical heroes and is an amazing symbol of obedience and trust. Let’s take a look at what we can learn from his life.
We meet Noah in Genesis:
Genesis 6:9-22 NIV
“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
The first point that I want to make about Noah is that when the scripture says, he was “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time”, that this doesn’t mean he was sinless. When we read on, we find out one of Noah’s sins in Genesis 9:20 as he gets drunk on wine and lies naked in his tent. This part of the scripture is actually referring to the fact that Noah wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God. Despite his flaws, he stood apart from the other people of the world because of his intense desire to love and serve God.
The second thing I want to draw out from this section of scripture detailing Noah’s life is that he followed Gods instructions exactly. Noah was given specific, accurate instructions from God, explaining how to build the ark, from what materials and at what time. Because of his closeness with God, Noah was able to align himself with God’s will. God can still speak to us in this way now, but the question I am asking of myself and you is; Are you close enough to God to hear His specific instructions?
I like to challenge myself with this question on a regular basis. We can often get caught up in everything else and neglect our individual relationship with God. When we align ourselves with His will, through spending time with Him, we can open up ourselves to receive specific instructions. The closer we are to God, the more we can work out His will.
Noah is also a great example of trust and adaptability. He allows God to use him for different things in different seasons of his life. He is a farmer, ship builder, preacher, zoologist and father. Noah’s obedience to God, allows God to use him in ways that he would never of though he could of been used. This is the same for us, we don’t always know how God will use us, where he we will use us or when he will use us. But, if we remain close to him and obedient to him then we remain open to God using us in a variety of ways.
This is not to say that our lives will be easy. God doesn’t always protect us from trouble, but cares for us in spite of it.
To summarise:
Noah was a man of patience, consistency and obedience
Noah built a strong and close relationship with God through persistence and trust
Noah was ready to be used in a multitude of ways, times and environments
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