“..without faith it’s impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
Noah, according to its Hebrew meaning, signifies ‘rest or comfort’. He was the first son of Lamech and Betenos, daughter of Baraki’il. Thus, his lineage consists of a long line of notable patriarchs, ten generations back to Adam. Noah, however, was the last of them.
He resided in Mesopotamia, the land situated between and around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known today as Iraq. He was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time (Genesis 6:9). His faith recognised the holiness and justice of God. Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV) tells us, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear…”. Faith was his first principle. He believed in and feared God in his ordinary life. He stood against the culture of sin and evil.
When Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 5:32). His mission was to lead his family away from the depravity and sin that had plagued the world at that time. He did that successfully, leading to his entire household and those of his children being saved from total destruction.
Friends, we can only inherit that righteousness by being united with Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2). We can only survive this world by being obedient to the Word of God, as Noah did. You are the patriarch of your family, my brother; lead them well.
Noah and his family were saved because of his righteousness (Genesis 8:15-18). God made a covenant with Noah and his family (Genesis 9:8-17). It was a fresh start for him along with his family (Genesis 9:1-7). Today, we can make that fresh start by giving our hearts to the Lord and begin living righteously. As in the day of Noah, this is a warning for us.
Read: Luke 17:26-27; 2 Peter 3:3-6
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 74:1-9; Acts 9:32-43; Acts 10:1-23; 2 Samuel 23:8-39; 2 Samuel 24
Amen. We are studying this lesson on Wednesday evenings at Church. Thank you. I pray we’ll be obedient to God even when it seems impossible to man.
God Bless you!