Noah As An Illustration of Faith: Hebrews 11:7
“7) By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7
Noah is used as an example of faith. He displayed some profound faith characteristics. First, he obeyed God. When God spoke to him about building the ark, he started building and continued until the project was complete. Keep in mind, it had never rained on the earth in those days. What he was doing was contrary to human experience and reason. Many mocked and called him crazy. But Noah obeyed God despite the ridicule and mocking from the world.
Second, Noah tackled a monumental task. The size of the ark was immense. I can imagine his reaction when God put the blue print in his mind. The ark was huge and his work crew was small. It was Noah and his family. But they worked day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year until the task was complete. We can conclude that faith in God and obedience to His Word adds focus to our lives. It brings consistency! Faith results in perseverance.
Third, he lived and preached a counter cultural life. The whole world was given to gross sin and immorality in his days. Genesis 6:9 says that “… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.” Faith in God manifests itself in godly living. He did not pull anchor and give way to the immoral values of the world. Noah’s walk with God set him on a path that was 100% contrary to the world, but 100% pleasing to God. He called people to repentance and they mocked him. The proof of faith showed up in his life.
Finally, the result of his faith was salvation. He and his family passed safely through the judgement of God on the world. Why? Because they were “in” the ark. The ark endured the judgement of the flood for them. 1 Peter 3:18-22 uses Noah as an illustration of the gospel. In the same way as faith put Noah “in” the ark, our faith places us “in” Christ. On the cross Jesus endured the judgement of sin for us.
We learn from Noah that saving faith is more than a belief system, it is a way of life. Faith results in a life set apart for God. Faith produces a life of obedience to God and His Word. Faith is the doorway into a walk with God. Faith is a life long adventure.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
