Articles
What Noah Built
Our society has a fascination for Noah and the ark he built. Little Noah figurines and little arks with animals going in two by two are often seen in stores. Noah’s building of the ark was surely a great feat even by today’s engineering standards. Imagine a vessel in that day and time 150 yards long, 25 yards wide and 15 yards high. What an ark!! But Noah built something even more impressive than that. Noah built a faithful family in a tremendously wicked world.
Perhaps we sometimes look at the wickedness of our world and wonder if we can really bring up a godly family. How will we ever get our children past the vulgarities, lewdness, sexual immorality, drunkenness, drugs and the allurements of material things. Can it be done? Yes! Noah did it and did it in a world where there were hardly enough adjectives to describe how bad it was. Look at God’s description. “Then 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” (Gen. 6:5). Imagine Noah, the preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5), teaching his family God’s ways and steering them over the tides of wickedness. It could be done then. It can be done now. Noah knew it began with him (Gen. 6:9). A father cannot lead his family into something he is not.
Noah’s family thought little details mattered when it came to God. They didn’t try as some do today to distinguish between what really matters in God’s word and what doesn’t. All God’s commands have His breath on them (2 Tim. 3:16-17). They knew they all mattered. They sought to do everything just as God had told them. From the measurements of the ark to the gathering of the right number of animals, they did it just as God said (Gen. 6:22). God’s patterns mattered to them. They should matter to us.
Here too was a family that waited for the new world. Can’t you imagine it had to be easy to get restless on the ark. How many stops do we make on a vacation trip to just get out, stretch our legs and do something different for a while. They were on this ark for one year and ten days with a huge company of animals. Whew!! Maybe they wondered, “When will this ever be over?” But they waited on God’s promise of a new world to come. God’s people still have to do that. We must imitate families like Noah’s who “through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:12)
Noah’s family was worshipful. After the flood was over, their first act was to worship God. Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices unto God (Gen 8:20-21). How sweet it smelled to God. The old world of corruption was gone and things are beginning anew with a single solitary family worshipping Him. Never let us underestimate what is being built into the hearts of our children as we lead them to each period of worship. Let us wake them with a “Time to wake up children. We get to worship God today.” It’s our privilege, not a burdensome ritual.
Noah’s family paved the way for comfort and rest. Noah’s father, Lamech, had hoped his son could make a difference. He hoped Noah could bring comfort to all our toil (Gen. 5:29). Maybe he had other ideas in mind but Noah surely played a part in bringing us comfort. Thousands of years later, a child was born. Jesus was His name. Who can’t help but smile as we read of his bloodline genealogy through Mary. It ends saying, “the son of Shem, the son of Noah” (Lk. 3:36). What comfort Jesus brings. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mt. 11:28-30).
Building the ark may have been the easier task for Noah. Building a faithful family just might be the hardest job on the planet. Maybe that’s why so many “throw in the towel.” They just give up on it. Don’t ever give up. Trust in God. Be faithful to Him. We too can be godly in perilous times.
