The Faith of Noah
Hebrews 11:7
1. Warning
2. Building
3. Worshiping
4. Saving
5. Condemning
6. Inheriting
7. Believing
Some of the most encouraging and helpful books on my bookshelves are those books that tell of the lives of Christians, who have done great things for God by faith - Christian biographies. I’ve brought with me some of my favorites.
Charles Spurgeon’s autobiography: "The Early Years". Spurgeon was a preacher in London during the 1800’s and was greatly blessed of the Lord. This book opens up his heart.
Adoniram Judson, “To the Golden Shore.” Judson was a man who left everything to give his life for the people of Burma (modern day Myanmar). It’s a riveting story of a man who endured great trials for the kingdom of God.
Richard Wurmbrand: "Tortured for Christ". Wurmbrand was a Romanian pastor in the mid 1900’s when communism was at its peak in eastern Europe. This book tells of the tortures that he endured as one who was seeking to glorify Christ.
"D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Early Years". Lloyd-Jones was a physician in England in the 1930’s. But, he gave up his medical career to be a preacher. He began his ministry in Aberaven, a small Welsh community. Eventually, he pastored at Westminster Chapel in London. This book tells of the early years of his ministry.
"The Triumph of John and Betty Stam". The Stams were missionaries to China. They were murdered by Communist Chinese soldiers in 1934 during the Chinese Civil War. It’s a great book of perseverance through hardship.
"Dr. Bob Hockman: A Surgeon of the Cross". Many of you know Ruthie Bells. This book tells the story of her father, Bob Hockman, who was trained as a physician, and gave his life as a medical missionary in Ethiopia. He was killed by a bomb, which he was trying to defuse.
"The Heavenly Man". The book tells the story of the persecution of Brother Yun. He was a pastor in China who came to Christ and has paid dearly for his life.
"Out of the Depths" (the autobiography of John Newton). This book is really an extended testimony of the former slave trader, who came to know the grace of God in his life.
These are but a few of the books that have helped me over the years. And I’m not alone. There are many people who have been helped by Christian biography. There is something very encouraging about reading the lives of those who have gone before us, that gives us the fortitude to press on in our lives as well. When reading of Christians in former times, who suffered greatly for the cause of Christ and yet persevered through all of it, it has a way of strengthening our own faith as well. If you haven’t read much Christian biography, I encourage you to do so.
Well, in our exposition of the book of Hebrews, we have come to Hebrews, chapter 11, which is basically Christian biography as well. This chapter contains a record of the faith of many who have gone before us, and have persevered through their faith. In many ways, these words serve the same role as Christian biography does in our lives. One of the reasons why this chapter exists in the book of Hebrews, is to help us press on in our own faith as well. Particularly, this chapter exists to encourage those Jews who had had expressed an interest in Jesus, but were wavering to believe in Him fully.
In Hebrews 10:36, the writer puts forth the need of the original readers. “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” In other words, God has given us a promise of an eternal inheritance, if we would but believe in Jesus, His Son, who died for our sins, and in whom we can rest. It is the way we obtain the promises is by faith. Verse 38 says , “My righteous one shall live by faith.” The writer to the Hebrews puts forth the great saints of old as if to say, “By faith, our fathers persevered. So, you, too, can persevere by faith.”
So far in Hebrews 11, we have seen the life of Abel (verse 4), who worshiped God by faith. We have also seen the life of Enoch (verse 5), who walked with God by faith. And today, we come to look at Noah, who witnessed to the coming judgment of God by faith (verse 7).
If there is anything that we ought to learn from these first three examples of faith, it is this: a life of faith will face different circumstances, none of which will be easy. Abel lived a life of faith and was killed for it. Enoch lived a life of faith and was taken to heaven by God. Noah lived a life of faith and witnessed the destruction of the world.
My message this morning is simply entitled, “The Faith of Noah.” Our text covers, but one verse again, verse 7. Next week, we'll speed up a bit; Abraham has several verses. Now, let’s read about Noah and his faith.
Hebrews 11:7
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.
By way of outline this morning, I have seven words that you can
hang your thoughts on. They are simple words of observation through this single verse.
My first word is this:
1. Warning
We read this in verse 7, “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark.” This warning is recorded for us back in Genesis, chapter 6. So, turn in your Bibles back to Genesis 6. In Genesis 6, we read of Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, ...
Genesis 6:13-14
Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.
The warning here is of world-wide destruction! It is “the end of all flesh.” This warning is repeated again in verse 17, ...
Genesis 6:17-18
"Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
God told Noah of how he would “destroy all flesh.” He said that “everything that is on the earth shall perish,” save Noah, his family, and (according to verses 19 and following) a few animals as well. When you read this, you may well ask yourself: Why? Why would God destroy all flesh upon the earth? I mean, just 5 chapters earlier, we read that “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). And now, destroy it all? Why would God do such a thing? Well, the reason comes in the context of Genesis 6. Verse 1, ...
Genesis 6:1-4
Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Now, there is all sorts of discussion as to who exactly are these sons of God and daughters of men? Interpretations run the gamut from angelic creatures to dynastic rulers to various descendents of Cain and Seth. We aren’t going to get into a discussion about it this morning. But, regardless of who exactly they were, the point is clear. They were wicked beings, who propagated the wickedness of the earth in great measure. Verse 5 is a good summary of the moral condition of the earth at that time.
Gen 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
In this verse, you see the breadth of man’s sin; it was great on the earth. In this verse, you see the depth of man’s sin; every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Right down to the core of one’s heart, was wickedness. And God saw it all. He saw how broad the sin was and how deep the sin was.
And if you think that our society is bad, know that Noah experienced a great time of difficulty as well. The wickedness of man brought about the grief of God (in verse 6), ...
Genesis 6:6
The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
And so, God resolved (in verse 7), ...
Genesis 6:7
The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."
God said, “I will destroy them all.” And yet, for some reason, we read in verse 8, ...
Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Here again, we are confronted with the message of grace in the Bible. The wickedness of man was great on the earth. God was ready to destroy everyone, but God extends his favor to Noah. Why? I believe that Hebrews 11 would call us to conclude that it was because of Noah’s faith. So, what does God do? He warns Noah of the coming danger and gives him the way of escape through the storm. What grace!
In many ways, all of us stand where Noah stood. There is a coming destruction of the earth. We have been warned. We have been given the way of escape: through faith in Jesus Christ. See, judgment is coming upon this world. Oh, God has promised not to flood the world again (Gen. 9:11). But, there will be a day when the earth will go up in fire (2 Peter 3:10). And the only way of escape on that day will be through your faith in Jesus Christ to take you to Himself and protect you from the flames.
And so, I call you today to trust in Him! If your trust is in any other place, you have a misguided trust. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!” (Acts 16:31)
There’s the Warning. Let’s move on to my second word
this morning: The ...
2. Building
I’m talking about Noah actually building the ark. Hebrews 11:7 says, ...
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household.
That is, Noah, with his own hands (and surely the help of some hired men) built the ark and fashioned it according to God’s design. The instructions for the ark are given in Genesis 6. Beginning in verse 14 we read, ...
Gen 6:14-22
Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them."Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.
One of the constant questions that people raise is this: could all of the animals really have fit onto the ark? Yes they could have. Do you realize how large this boat is? It was huge! The measurements in the text are given in cubits. A cubit is about 18 inches. So, 300 cubits (the length of the boat) is a 450 feet! Let me help give you some bearing on this. 450 feet is approximately the length of the property that we own - from the side-street out here on the west to the fence on the east! That’s how long the ark was! It’s width was 50 cubits, that’s 75 feet. This auditorium is about 75 feet from front to back. So picture, with me, a long, skinny tub. Now, it’s height is 30 cubits, that’s 45 feet. That’s about twice as tall as the ceiling here in this room.
When you do the calculations, you find out that it could hold as much as nearly 600 modern railroad stock cars. If you have had the wonderful experience of being stopped by a train, they often attach 100-150 railroad cars to a train (I know, because I have counted them). So, imagine four full-length trains going by. That’s how much room the ark had on it to store the animals and their feed.
Inside the ark, it was perfectly arranged for animals to stay. God told Noah to build it with “lower, second and third decks” (Gen. 6:16). That makes three decks on the inside, each about 15 feet tall. Some animals, like giraffes and elephants may have needed the entire space. But, for the smaller animals, like rabbits and squirrels and mice and birds, they may have easily stacked their cages to maximize the space they needed.
Now, regarding the number of animals that Noah needed to bring on the ark, there was no need to bring any of the aquatic animals on board, only those that lived on the land. It has been estimated that they needed to bring only several thousand animals on board the ark to keep every species of animal alive. Some have estimated up to 35,000 animals. So, let’s suppose that you brought 50,000 animals on board. Some are larger than others. But, many of them could have been young, so, not quite as large a full-grown adult. But, let’s be conservative and guess big. Let’s assume that the average size of each animal was like a sheep. Even if you brought 50,000 animals on board, the average size of which was like a sheep, the ark would be a third fill. The other two-thirds of the space could be used for supplies and waste management. If any of us would see how big this thing is, there would be no doubts as to whether or not all of the animals were able to fit in this thing. [1]
In fact, there is a replica in Holland, which was built by a Dutch contractor named, Johan Huibers. He built a version of the ark so that people could see how massive the ark was, thereby hoping to bring a renewed interest in Christianity to the Netherlands. His ark is half the length and a third of the width, so that it can travel to other locations to be seen. Nevertheless, those who have seen it are still overwhelmed by how large it is, and how easily so many animals could have fit into the ark. Any of you interested in taking a road trip and going to Holland to see this thing? [2]
Well, the good news is this. Our friends at the Creation Museum, in Kentucky, near Cincinnati are in the process of building a full-scale model of the ark, about 45 minutes from the current Creation Museum. The overall project is going to cost about $125 million dollars, $25 million coming from donations. They have already raised about a million and hope to open the park in a few years. It’s only an 8 hour drive away. I greatly look forward to visiting and bringing my family. [3]
Potentially, such images of the real ark will put away the silly pictures of Noah and his animals on a tiny little boat, which helps children to think of Noah as a fairy tale, and not reality. Listen, dear friends, this is no fairy tale. This is real. Noah really built a boat this big! God really did flood the world!
Let’s think now about Noah actually building the ark. We were talking about this at dinner last night. One of my daughters was saying how different things were back then - how Noah would have had lots of time to build this ark. No, he lived like we live today. He had all of the worries of the world to care for: wife, kids. He had to supply the food and clothing and shelter for his family. And, to build a project like this, he had to raise the money needed. It was no small task. From the best that we can tell, this was a project that lasted him 120 years (if we interpret Genesis 6:3 correctly).
And, they didn’t have electric saws back then. Everything was by hand. They felled the trees by hand. They dragged them by hand (or by oxen). They cut their boards by hand. They put it together by hand. It was a huge project. You think about these things and come away amazed!
How did Noah do it? That’s my third point. I’m calling
it ...
3. Worshiping
Hebrews 11:7
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.]”
I’m picking out the word, “reverence.” On the one hand, this word addresses the obedience of Noah. He did as God had commanded Him. Genesis 6:22 says, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” Yet, on the other hand, this word speaks about the spirit with which Noah built the ark. It was in no way flippant or doubting. Rather, it was with a deeply reverential spirit. He heard God speak, and he obeyed Him by building the ark in reverence to Him. Putting these things together, I come up with the word, “Worship.”
Building this ark was not easy. First of all, the size of the thing made it an enormous project. But second, and even more to the point of our verse in Hebrews, it certainly appeared to many to be a very foolish thing. Such a large boat must have been built on dry land, with no way to get it to the nearest body of water. Even we, with all of our technology today and large machines, would have a difficult time getting such a large boat into the water. Today when they build the ocean liners, they build them in dry docks, which they flood with water in order to move them. But, from everything that we know of Noah’s boat, it was built on dry land.
The deeper you think about what Noah went through, the more you gain an appreciation for his faith. God appeared to Him. Noah believed Him, and he went about for the next 120 years to build this ark. By faith, He believed in what God had said, even though he had no category for what was to take place.
Think about it. A flood of this proportion hadn’t happened before. Some even doubt that it ever rained upon the earth before this time. Noah had no reason to know that it would flood, but that God said it would. If Noah had studied this thing scientifically, there would have been no way that he would have come to the conclusion that it was going to flood. The flood was an unexpected miracle. God said it. And Noah believed it.
In this way, Noah puts faith on display. Because, he believed in the “things not seen.” Isn’t that what faith is? Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen.” Noah’s faith was demonstrated in the way that he believed God, even of those things he couldn’t see and even of those things he couldn’t fully understand. We would do well to learn from Noah’s example. Whether or not we have all of the scientific data on a matter, if God says it, let’s believe it. Even if we face the scorn and ridicule of others.
Surely, it raised questions from those who knew Noah and saw this big thing that he was building in his back yard. Can you imagine the questions? “Noah, What are you doing? What is this thing that you are building? What do you say? You say that there’s going to be a flood? Are you kidding me? God spoke to you? And you are spending how much money to build this thing? I think that it’s an eyesore. Noah, I think that it’s a monument to your stupidity!” I suspect that this is the way that many in Noah’s day looked at him.
I suspect that Noah had a fair number of preaching opportunities that came as a result of his ark. Knowing what he knew, that the world was soon to be destroyed, he told others about it and exhorted them to turn from their wicked ways. Peter called Noah, “A preacher of righteousness” in 2 Peter 2:5. And, from what we know, he wasn’t too successful in bringing people to faith.
When Jesus described what it was like in Noah’s day, this is what He said.
Luke 17:26-27
And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
The feeling that you get from Jesus’ words is that the generation who lived in Noah’s day had no clue of the danger that was surrounding them. Though Noah was warning them, nobody was heeding the warning. In fact, there were only eight of them who were saved. Mr. and Mrs. Noah. Their three sons and their three wives. That’s it. Eight people!
This leads nicely into my 4th word, ... We have seen the Warning,
the Building, the Worshiping. And now, the ...
4.
Saving
Hebrews 11:7,
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.”
What an incredible thing it is that God destroyed the world and saved only eight people. We often think of the picture of heaven, in which there is a multitude which no one can count, “from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues,” who will be worshiping the Lord before His throne (Rev. 7:9). We see the multitudes and think that God will save the vast majority of those on the earth.
Oh, church family, never assume that the majority will be in heaven. The message of Jesus is this,
Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, there will be in heaven a multitude. But, that doesn’t mean, “the majority of people from our day.” It may be only a few from our day. Jesus Himself said, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). And here, in Genesis 7, we see the few who are saved. We see God willing to destroy the masses for the sake of a few.
Look at the historical account in Genesis, chapter 7, ...
Genesis 7:1-5
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made."Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.
The rest of the chapter tells the story of the destruction that came as a result of the flood. We’ll get to that in our next point. But, now I want for you to see how the ark became the means of their salvation. It was in the ark that Noah and his family was safe and secure. It was through the ark that the promise of the seed (in Genesis 3:15) would survive.
And the ark is a picture of our salvation in Christ. In Peter’s first epistle, he parallels the salvation in Noah’s day to salvation in our day. Listen closely to what he wrote, ...
1 Peter 3:20-21
... the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
In other words, just as the eight were saved aboard the ark in Noah’s day, corresponding to that, baptism saves you. It is not the actual washing of the immersion in water, but, the appeal to God, the cry to God for help. We are saved through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Oh, church family, let’s believe in Christ. Let Him bring us to safety, through the power of His resurrection! So, get into the ark and be saved! Let’s be saved from this wicked generation.
Let’s move on to our 5th point, ...
5. Condemning
Hebrews 11:7
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.”
We read right here that Noah condemned the world. Now, I don’t believe that Noah was a particularly negative person. You can’t continue to labor on in such a massive project if you are a pessimist. Nor, do I believe that Noah was an angry preacher, condemning everyone to whom he spoke, “You are going to be destroyed.” My guess is that he called them to repent with tears in his eyes. But, his life of building the ark was a life of condemnation upon the entire world. And as he and his family were being saved from the flood, the rest of those outside were experiencing their just condemnation. Let’s read about it.
Genesis 7:13-24
On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds. So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him.Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.
The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.
And thus, the world was condemned to death. Oh, they had an opportunity to repent, but refused. They mocked Noah, rather than believing in Him. They weren’t unlike many of our day, who mock our message. Peter tells of this mocking in his 2nd epistle.
2 Peter 3:3-7
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:3-7).
Did you catch what Peter was saying? People mock us and our faith. They say, “Where is the coming of Jesus that you tell us about? It’s been 2,000 years and He still hasn’t come. Are you sure that He’s coming? He’s not coming. Since the creation of the world, all has been the same. We have slowly evolved. Jesus isn’t coming.”
But, the flood in Noah’s day is proof that the fire is coming in a later day! Indeed, all hasn’t been the same since the beginning of time. No, there was a time when the world was covered with water, when God destroyed all flesh upon the earth. Just as the earth changed then, it will change in the future.
Now, do you know that there are people who deny the flood! Although, there is evidence all around us. In some measure, I believe that some of them do so, so as to deny the coming destruction as well. If there was no flood, then, there will be no fire! But, the reality of the word of God is this: there was a flood. There will be fire. And if you don’t believe in Jesus, you will be condemned to face eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46).
Listen to the words of Jesus:“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18). Let this sink in. "... Whoever does not believe stands condemned already." There is reason for you to believe today, so that you escape condemnation. So, believe in the Son, Escape the condemnation. That’s how Noah condemned the world. He put out his message. But, many didn’t believe. They stood condemned in their unbelief. Noah, on the other hand, “became an heir.”
So, let’s move on to our 6th point, ...
6. Inheriting
Hebrews 11:7
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.”
My focus at this point is upon that phrase, “Noah ... became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” This word, “heir” means that he has become an owner, one who possesses. And what has Noah possessed? He has possessed righteousness.
Here in Genesis, we see Noah being identified as a “righteous man.” Genesis 6:9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” Genesis 7:1 continues, “Then the LORD said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.” Now, you can read a lot into those verses. Or, you can read a little into it.
You can read it like this: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time, so God found no reason to be able to condemn him to death. So God saved Noah.” Or, you can read it like this: “Noah was a man of faith, who loved God and walked with God. So Noah sought to live righteously, not for his own lusts. God gave him the grace to live a blameless life.”
So, which is right? Obviously, I believe that latter is correct. The righteousness of Noah came by faith. Such a view goes with the flow of the entire Bible. Such a view goes with the theology of Paul. We obtain our righteous standing before God by faith alone in Christ alone. And that’s where Noah found his righteousness - by faith.
And most importantly for us this morning, such a view goes with the writer to the Hebrews, “became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Now, certainly, that’s not to deny the outward righteousness of Noah. As William Barclay said in his commentary, “When other men broke God’s commandments, Noah kept. Them; When other men were deaf to God’s warnings, Noah listened to them. When other men laughed at God, Noah reverenced him” [4]
But, we do see the source of Noah’s righteousness. It was his
faith. And so, we come to our last point this morning, ...
7. Believing
This is how the verse begins. This is how the verse ends. It begins and ends with faith.
Hebrews 11:7
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.”
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on
January 30, 2011 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.
[1]
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-c013.html
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n2/caring-for-the-animals
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/was-noah-ark-big-enough-to-hold-all-animals.html
[2]
http://www.arkvannoach.com/
http://www.pbase.com/paulthedane/noahs_ark