Noah's Faithfulness

by L.A. Hickling | Category: General | Oct 1990

Throughout history there have been men who have been outstanding in some way. They have wielded an influence in the world for good or ill and we are often interested in reading the story of their lives. In learning of their problems and their triumphs we may sometimes find help for our own lives.

The Bible gives us a faithful record of the lives of many such men. One of them was Noah. He lived in a world that had lost its way as far as God was

concerned. There were mighty men living in the world in those days, described in the Bible as "men of renown", but they were selfish, going their own way with little regard for God. The population was increasing, but the people gave no pleasure to God because He saw:

that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5).

Such a contemplation filled God's heart with pain and His justice compelled Him to bring judgement upon them.

Many years have passed since then: but the nature of man has not changed in spite of all the environmental benefits we have today, benefits of education and culture. God must still see the greatness of man's wickedness:

violence, greed, immorality, the inhumanity of man to man and the disregard of God. All these things must still grieve Him. In justice He must punish, but He is a longsuffering God and great in mercy, then and now.

Of Noah it is written that he was "a righteous man" and that he "walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). The psalmist says:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scor?4ul. But his delight is in the law of the LORD (Ps. 1:1,2).

Noah was a man like that. He walked with God, he held God in reverence, and he listened to God. In so doing he was preserved from being caught up in the counsel and ways of the ungodly men around him. No doubt he was despised by them because he was different, but that did not matter to him - he walked with God and that was compensation enough.

"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him" (Ps. 25:14); so God told His secret to Noah. He told him of things not yet seen, of the judgement to come. The people round about him were so taken up with the things that were seen that they had not much interest in the things that were not seen. They paid little attention to Noah, and they did not realize how foolish they were; neither do men in these days, when they spend their lives and their energy in getting the things that are seen and have no time for eternal things.

The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Noah responded when God spoke to him of impending judgement. He was moved with godly fear and did what God told him to do - he built an ark. That was God's plan to save him from the judgement that was to overtake sinful men. In that way he was to be saved from death - God's way. So today; God's judgement on the sinner is death, but in His love and mercy He has provided a way of salvation. That way is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is found in no one else, "for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

L.A. Hickling | Oct 1990
General