September 9
“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.
In the Book of Genesis, it is reported, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them,’” Genesis 6:5-7.
Then Moses reports, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord . . . Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God,” Genesis 6:8-9. When we read this story of Noah, we note that the same thing is written about Noah which was written about Enoch. Like Enoch, it is reported, “Noah walked with God.” Noah, like Enoch, was God-fearing and lived his faith.
Then Noah was “divinely warned of things not yet seen.” God, through a means not revealed to us in Scripture, said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth,” Genesis 6:13. Noah was informed that the earth and all its life-breathing inhabitants would be destroyed by a great flood. He was given specific instructions for the building of an ark on which he and his wife, and his three sons and their wives, would be spared, together with, “Seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth,” Genesis 7:2-3.
The Hebrews’ author writes, “Moved with godly fear, (Noah) prepared an ark for the saving of his household.” The apostle Peter wrote, “(God) did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly,” 2 Peter 2:5.
Noah was involved in building the ark for 120 years (Genesis 6:3). What a venture of faith! We can well imagine how the unbelievers laughed and scoffed at Noah building that huge ark on dry land, “by which he condemned the world!” Peter wrote that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. He confessed his faith in what God told him, and he warned his unbelieving hearers of God’s coming judgment.
The righteousness which Noah inherited was his by faith in the promise of God to send the Messiah, the Savior, into the world. He and his family were saved by God’s grace – God’s undeserved love – which would be revealed in the coming of Jesus Christ, God’s Son and the Savior for all sinners.
So it also is for us, who are living in this present wicked world of violence and corruption. To escape the coming judgment of God, we put our trust and hope in Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. He suffered and died on the cross to take away our sins. Humbly and penitently we come into God’s presence, trusting that Jesus has redeemed us from sin, death, and the devil. God has declared us forgiven, and we stand before God robed in Jesus’ righteousness, which is ours by faith in Him.
“O Jesus, who my debt didst pay,
And for my sin wast smitten,
Within the Book of Life, oh, may,
My name be also written!
I will not doubt; I trust in Thee,
From Satan Thou hast made me free,
And from all condemnation.” Amen.