Noah Believed God

“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’s faith is a great contrast to the unbelief prevalent in society before the flood. Godlessness had increased to such an extent, that we read that God regretted having created humanity. He resolved to give the people a grace period of 120 years. In Genesis 6:7, God says, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth…for I am sorry that I have made them.” But then, in verse 8, we see that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” It is astonishing that, among all the many people on Earth back then, there was only a single one who pleased God. 

And it was to this one man, Noah, that God explained His plan of sending a flood to kill everything on Earth. To enable Noah and his family to escape, God commanded him to build an ark, including precise instructions for its construction and organization.

This must have come as a big surprise to Noah since there was absolutely no warning sign of that kind of natural disaster. The entire course of nature and human experience seemed to weigh against the possibility of such a great flood. If he were to build such a big ark, Noah would surely be mocked by everyone around him, by the whole world at the time. We can be certain that the devil pointed all this out to Noah to encourage him to disobey God. 

But Noah knew that God had spoken. He knew that God would do what He had said. And that is why he began building the ark exactly the way God instructed. He was open with the people around him about why he was doing this, and he made sure they knew that God would follow through on His threat.

Regardless of the laughter and mockery, Noah stuck to God’s word and did not let himself be swayed by what people said. He was determined to obey God.

In faith, he began building the ark on dry ground. And in faith, he continued working as planned, regardless of what the unbelievers said or did. Noah believed God’s word, and that is why he warned unbelievers and preached repentance. He told them what a horrible reckoning they faced, intending to shock them out of their complacency and to get them to repent and turn their lives around. Although it all seemed in vain, he continued to warn, preach, and build. 

Through faith, Noah saw the flood coming long before the waters rose. He believed what God had said. He did not look to the moon or the clouds or seek any other indication of a major flood approaching. God’s word was enough for him, and he believed that it would happen. And then the great flood came.

Looking back, it is wonderful to know that after Noah had done everything God told him, God Himself sealed the door after him so that he would be safe during the flood. Nobody could harm him, and the rising water could not enter the ark. 

Even today, we have nothing to fear if we obey God in all things. He will ensure our safety Himself. 

Through faith, we can see what unbelievers cannot. Undoubtedly, people called Noah a fool when he built the ark on dry ground. Unbelievers still shake their heads today when children of God dare to build on God’s promises.

Noah proved his faith by acting on it. He showed that he truly believed God not only in word, by faithfully warning the unbelievers, but also in deed, by tirelessly building the ark. Doubt and unbelief would have slowed his progress and can similarly hinder us today.

Sisters and brothers, have faith in God! Do not let yourselves be influenced by what people say. Let us believe God and do what He asks!

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