Walking in Faith Series - Noah - Faith that Saved the World
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Hebrews 11 describes a hall of fame for people throughout the Bible that had extraordinary faith in God.
This is the 3rd devotional of a series I've entitled "Walking in Faith" that will take a deep dive look into each of the people who earned a place in the hall of fame described in Hebrews 11. We'll look at the lives of each of these people, what earned them a spot in the Hebrews 11 hall of fame, and what that means for us thousands of years later. (Listen to Last Week's Devotional Here) - Walking in Faith Series - Enoch - A Man Who Walked With God – SimplyHealthyHome (shopsimplyhealthyhome.com)
This week's account is about a man named Noah, a man whose faith led him to obey God and build an ark that saved the world from complete extinction during the flood.
Who Was Noah?
During a time when giants (children of angels and human women) roamed, and violence and corruption filled the earth, a man named Noah heard the voice of God. Noah was a just man, who lived a life free from the corruption that characterized his generation. And, because of his righteousness, Noah was given grace from God and allowed a chance to survive the flood that God would send to cleanse the earth of its corruption.
Below are a few additional quick facts about Noah -
- Noah had 3 sons - Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
- God told Noah to build an ark because He was going to send a flood that would destroy all the living creatures that walked the earth (man and animal).
- Noah obeyed God and built an ark, according to the specific instructions provided by God, which are detailed in Genesis 6.
- Noah was 600 years old when the flood occurred.
- After the flood, Noah lived life as a farmer for an additional 350 years, and then died at the age of 950.
What Earned Noah a Spot in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame?
Below is the description of Noah's faith found in Hebrews 11 -
"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV)
- Because of his faith in God, Noah lived a life that was set apart from the violence and corruption of his generation.
- Because of his faith in God, Noah was moved with godly fear and built an ark. He trusted God would do what He said He would do.
- Because of his faith in God, Noah accepted the will of God. He didn't try to fight or change the inevitably of God's plan.
What Does This Mean for Us?
Below are a few key takeaways that struck me when reading through the account of Noah.
1. Before building the ark, Noah heard God's voice.
- Without hearing God's voice and instructions, Noah would have never been able to build the ark that saved the world. And Noah heard God's voice because he listened for it, and to it.
- Noah had a relationship with God and walked with God (Genesis 6:9). And just like Noah, when we have a relationship with God, we open ourselves up to hear God's will and plan for our life.
2. Noah never tried to fight or change God's plan.
- When Noah heard God's plan and instructions, he accepted it as truth. He didn't doubt the validity or possibility of what God had told him. He didn't try to fight or change any of the details of God's plan or instructions. Because of this, Noah was able to realize the perfect outcome of what God has intended, which was the survival of him, his family, and all living creatures within the ark.
- When we listen to God's plan, without fighting or trying to change it, we set ourselves up to receive the perfect outcome(s) that God has planned for us.
3. God used Noah's faith to bless the entire world.
- God used Noah's faith to save the world. God never explained that He would do this to Noah. God never told Noah what would happen after the flood, but Noah listened to God anyway. And because of His goodness, God established a covenant with Noah and his sons that would protect the world for every generation to come.
- Just like God used Noah's faith to bless the earth for an eternity, He can also use our faith to bless others.
