Heroes of Faith Part 3 - Noah

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In a world overrun by ignominious evil, indifferent violence and soul-destroying corruption, Noah stood out like a tall poppy. Unlike the rest of the world, it seemed there would only be one man whom God deemed righteous. His name was Noah.

But here’s the damning evidence – Noah wasn’t just righteous but as God feared, he was also the only follower left on Earth who would walk faithfully with Him. The world had become so corrupted that to begin again, it must first end. The Bible calls Noah a man blameless amongst the people of his time.

Living in a society damned and ravaged by sin and rebellion against God, only Noah pleased Him. Despite all the evil around, it is unimaginable amongst us in today’s time to find even one who is this faithfulness. For Noah to remain righteous before God amidst such godlessness, he must be incredibly faithful and spiritually unwavering. Take note that over and again, Noah’s life was described as a person who “did everything just as God commanded.”

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In the 950 years he lived, Noah was a shining example of obedience. This alone gave God the opportunity to put His plan into action for despite how wickedness had seemingly devoured the world, He could now start anew with Noah and his family leading His covenant. And so God gave Noah instructions to build an ark that would prepare them for a cataclysmic Flood that would wipe the earth of its sin and corruption (Genesis 6:1-9:17).

Amidst the people’s ridicule, Noah and his family diligently worked at building the ark for 120 years, accepting his calling from God and remained unwavered from his unstinting obedience. He never once doubted God about building the ark in a place that was not only arid but so far from the nearest seas. And in the end, Noah exemplified unerring faith against the most towering odds for he set His sights on God and not on man.

Achievements

In a generation of complete debauchery, Noah was the one and only follower of God, going on to become the “second father” of the human race. He was also the world’s first naval architect, engineer and shipbuilder, putting together a megalithic structure the likes of which the world had not seen before. He led his family to endure the project for 120 years but his greatest achievement was his faithfulness in obeying and walking with God all the days of his life.

Lessons in Life

Despite the surrounding sin and corruption, Noah teaches us that it is possible to remain righteous and faithful to God and because of his obedience, he found favour in God. As a result, God blessed and saved Noah and his family. Just as it took Noah 120 years to finish building the ark, our faith and obedience is also long and not short-term in the sense that if we persevere, we will finish the race. At the same time, we learn that even a godly person has weaknesses, which can be a bad influence on others.

Personal Strengths

Righteousness and blameless among his people, Noah loved God with all his heart and was committed to obedience. He may not be perfect or sinless but he showed qualities of patience, persistence and planning. He did not depend on others to be faithful to God. His faith was singular and unshakable against all odds.

Personal Weaknesses

Because of his weakness for wine, Genesis 9 tells of Noah’s drunkenness and how he passed out in his tent, causing embarrassment to his sons.

Occupation

Naval architect, engineer, shipbuilder, farmer, preacher

Hometown

We do not know how far from Eden, Noah had settled but in postdiluvian times, his family had settled on the slope of the mountains of Ararat, which is in present-day Ararat.

Family Tree

Lamech (father), Shem (son), Ham (son), Japheth (son), Methuselah (grandfather), Enoch (great-grandfather)

Biblical References

Genesis 5:10; 1 Chronicles 1:3-4; Isaiah 54:9; Ezekiel 14:14; Matthew 24:37-38; Luke 3:36, 17:26; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5

Key Verses

Genesis 6:22 > “Noah did everything just as God commanded him”

Hebrews 11:7 > “By faith Noah when warned about things yet not seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

Next Up 

Heroes of Faith Part 4 - Abraham; November 14 2014