Noah is another illustration of the principle stated in Hebrews 10:38. "The just shall live by faith." There are more verses which speak about Noah than there are verses which speak of both Abel and Enoch.
Noah was the great grandson of Enoch and the grandson of Methuselah, who was the oldest man who ever lived. Noah is mentioned in Genesis 5:28-9:17; Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 3:36; Luke 17:26-27; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5, as well as in our text.
Genesis 5:28-9:17: 28And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a
son: 29And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning
our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
30And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat
sons and daughters: 31And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and
seven years: and he died. 32And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat
Shem, Ham, and Japheth….1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the
face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2That the sons of God saw the
daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh:
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4There were giants in the earth in
those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men,
and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of
renown. 5And GOD 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. 6And it repented
the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the
LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both
man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that
I have made them. 8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9These are the
generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah
walked with God. 10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11The earth
also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked
upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth. 13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth
is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch
it within and without with pitch. 15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of:
The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the
height of it thirty cubits. 16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt
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thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower,
second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of
waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under
heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
Ezekiel 14:14, 20: 14Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they
should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord
GOD….20Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they
shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their
righteousness.
Matthew 24:36-39: 36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only. 37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming
of the Son of man be.
Luke 3:36: Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was
the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
Luke 17:26, 27: 26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the
Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
1 Peter 3:20: Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight
souls were saved by water.
2 Peter 2:5: And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher
of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
The account in Genesis does not mention Noah's faith, but it does declare the result of his faith. Genesis 6:9
says, "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." In order to walk with God, a person must have peace with God. This peace with God comes through faith in God because of the acceptable blood sacrifice. Romans 5:1: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ." Noah heard God's Word, believed it, and acted in obedience to it. Thus, Noah walked with God.
THE CONDITIONS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
A time of great wickedness.
Genesis 6:1-12: 1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the
earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2That the sons of God saw the daughters of
men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3And the
LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his
days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4There were giants in the earth in those days;
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and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they
bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5And GOD 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. 6And it repented the
LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the
LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both
man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that
I have made them. 8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9These are the
generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah
walked with God. 10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11The earth
also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked
upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth.
There was great wickedness (Genesis 6:5a). There was great evil in the thoughts of the hearts of men (Genesis 6:5b, 11, 12). So great was the wickedness that it grieved God (Genesis 6:6).
It was a time which called for great judgment (Genesis 6:7). It was a time which prefigured the conditions of the earth when Jesus comes again.
Matthew 24:36-39, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be."
Luke 17:26-27, "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the
Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."
THE CHARACTER OF NOAH
He was a just man (Genesis 6:9). He was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:7). He was a man who walked with God (Genesis 6:9). He was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:4, 5).
2 Peter 2:4, 5: 4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5And spared
not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness,
bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
THE COMMISSION GIVEN TO NOAH
Genesis 6:13-7:24: 13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before
me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy
them with the earth. 14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make
in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15And this is the
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fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred
cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16A window
shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door
of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories
shalt thou make it. 17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the
earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and
every thing that is in the earth shall die. 18But with thee will I establish my
covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and
thy sons' wives with thee. 19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every
sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male
and female. 20Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every
creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee,
to keep them alive. 21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou
shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22Thus did
Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he….1And the LORD
said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen
righteous before me in this generation. 2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to
thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two,
the male and his female. 3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the
female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. 4For yet seven days, and
I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living
substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. 5And
Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. 6And Noah was
six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. 7And Noah
went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark,
because of the waters of the flood. 8Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not
clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 9There went
in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had
commanded Noah. 10And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the
flood were upon the earth. 11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the
second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the
fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13In the selfsame
day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and
Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; 14They, and
every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind,
every bird of every sort. 15And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two
of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16And they that went in, went in male
and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and
bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 18And the waters prevailed,
and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the
waters. 19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high
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hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 20Fifteen cubits upward
did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 21And all flesh died that
moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22All in whose
nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23And every
living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man,
and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were
destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with
him in the ark. 24And the water prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty
days.
He was commissioned to build the ark (Genesis 6:13-22). To get a limited number of animals on the ark (Genesis 7:1-5). He was commissioned to take his family aboard (Genesis 7:13; Hebrews 11:7).
THE COMPLIANCE OF NOAH
Hebrews 11:7: By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,
moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he
condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
He believed God's Warning of judgment. He had not seen such an ark before. He had not seen a flood before. In spite of this, he did as he was instructed. He built the ark according to God's instructions.
Genesis 6:22: "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did
he."
Genesis 7:5: "And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him."
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LIFE OF NOAH
The human race was preserved. Animal life was preserved. The genealogy of Jesus Christ was preserved. The faith of Noah was demonstrated. The world was condemned.
Hebrews 11:7: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,
moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he
condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."
Romans 1:17, 18: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the
truth in unrighteousness."
Enoch prophesied.
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Jude 14-15, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, To execute
judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their
ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches
which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Noah proclaimed.
2 Peter 2:4-5, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down
to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eight person, a preacher of
righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;"
The covenant with Noah.
Genesis 6:17, 18: 16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt
thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof;
with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17And, behold, I, even I,
do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the
breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
Genesis 9:8-17: 8Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were
abated from off the face of the ground; 9But the dove found no rest for the sole
of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the
face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her
in unto him into the ark. 10And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent
forth the dove out of the ark; 11And the dove came in to him in the evening; and,
lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were
abated from off the earth. 12And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth
the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. 13And it came to pass in
the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the
waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the
ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14And in the second
month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. 15And
God spake unto Noah, saying, 16Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy
sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. 17Bring forth with thee every living thing
that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth,
and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Conclusion
Noah is an illustration of a person who lives by faith. Noah was saved by faith in God. Genesis 6:8: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Although the world was so wicked that God pronounced judgment upon it, Noah still believed and trusted God. Noah witnessed for God both in word and work.
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Do you have the assurance that you will go to heaven when this life is over? Does your life prove that you know God as your Saviour and Lord?
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