But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord....Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Genesis 6:8-9
This morning I align myself with the study chosen by my fellow men in my Friday morning Bible study group - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook (for purchase). Day one of this study focuses on Noah and the overarching theme of how God provides hope and how those of us given this gift of hope must use this hope to provide hope for others.
The scripture reading this morning starts with God's disappointment and regret for what He had made with the human race:
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” Genesis 6:5-7
But the story quickly pivots to Noah and how one man living a righteous life stands to provide a basis for power and hope for all of humanity. Late in scripture, we see how Jesus becomes this hope for all of humanity for all of eternity.
Scripture also tells us how Noah was righteous and how he found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Three times in Genesis 6-7 it says Noah "did everything just as God commanded him" (Genesis 6:22, 7:5, 7:9). I am going to refer to this as "hopeful obedience". Hebrews 11 - often referred to as the "Hall of Faith" as it emphasizes great Biblical figures who lived by faith but did not "receive what was promised" under the First Covenant (Hebrews 11:39-40). In Hebrews 11 it says this about Noah:
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet 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 is in keeping with faith. Hebrews 11:7
It took one year and ten days (see Genesis 7:11, 8:14) for the flood to completely recede and for God to call Noah and his family to come out of the ark. Noah then builds an altar to the Lord (Genesis 8:20), and offers sacrifices to God. God finds this pleasing and promises (to Himself):
Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:21-22
God then blesses Noah and his family, and then makes a covenant with them (Genesis 9:1-17). Unfortunately, we end Noah's story with his drunkenness - not a particularly hopeful way to end his story but we still can clearly see how Noah was both faithful and hopeful.
Faith and hope go hand in hand - we cannot have one without the other.
For me, the first key to Noah's story is how believers can remain hopeful because we find joy in obedience to God.
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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who gives me hope - an abundance of hope in this life and hope in the eternal rewards that await those in Heaven as God has saved a room for all of us. Hope indeed! Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of this hope by a long shot! I have grave sin in my life, from murder (actual and in my heart) to worry and a host of other sins! Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins to You Jesus! Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
