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)

Noah, An Obedient Faith

Imagine living in a world that is so repugnant to God that the only solution is to destroy everything with the breath of life that walks upon the face of the earth. There have been times of great evil that have darkened the world, but nothing to the level of the days of Noah. Longevity of life is a remarkable accomplishment, but not when you live for five hundred years in the depths of wickedness experienced by Noah and his family. How difficult would it be to find a righteous woman to take as a wife? Would it be wise to bring children into a world such as that? What kind of chance is there to find wives for your three sons? The hurdles Noah and his wife overcame are incredible.

Noah was a righteous man before the Lord came to him. He lived separate from the wickedness of his world. Noah found a woman who was also righteous and married her. The marriage of Noah and his wife faced five hundred years of trial and persecution from a perverted world. God blessed the marriage with three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. The Lord came to Noah and told him the end of all flesh has come, for the earth was filled with violence and corruption. God told the man of faith His plan to kill all of humanity on the face of the planet. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was told what to do to be saved. Thus, Noah did, according to all that God commanded him.

The destruction of every human being on the face of the earth must have seemed an impossibility for Noah to grasp. He had been divinely warned by grace of what was to come. Noah did not react with fear but with godly fear. With all his heart, he believed God had the power to do what He said He would do. Noah accepted the fate of the world and the deaths of all the people, including many of his friends and family, as the just cause of a righteous God. The Lord told him to build an ark of gopherwood, and Noah moved with godly fear to provide a place of safety for his family.

Faith without obedience is dead. Noah could have believed in the word of God and refused to build the ark. He would have died in the flood. He could have pleaded with God to find another way. He would have died in the flood. Noah believed that God meant what He planned and that the only way to be saved was in the ark of safety. He did exactly what God told him to do without question. One hundred years after the birth of his sons, Noah, and his family stepped into the ark as God closed the door. As the darkness plunged the family of eight inside the ark, their hearts rejoiced in the grace of God and wept because of what the wrath of God was about to do.

Noah’s obedient faith saved him, and through his leadership, he saved his wife, three sons, and three daughters-in-law. Noah knew many people outside the door. They were lost. The family of his daughters-in-law was outside the door, and they were lost. Neighbors of Noah drowned in the flood. Everyone died. The righteous faith of Noah’s family condemned the world for their unrighteousness. Noah preached the message of salvation to a world that refused to listen. They would not heed the warnings and the voice of grace given by the Lord. Only eight people would be saved out of all those in the world. How terrible, sad, and tragic.

Noah put his trust and faith in the word of God. He knew the promises of God were true. The reality of global destruction was possible because the Lord created the world and could bring a global flood. Noah also believed in the grace of God, and that building the ark would be the obedience required to save himself and his family. Obedient faith leads to an obedient life. Faith alone cannot and never will save. Faith without works is dead. Noah heard the word of God and moved with godly fear to show his faith in obedience to the promises of God. By faith, Noah.