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God made a lot of promises to Noah– and to the world through Noah. First, God promised safety to Noah, his family, and all the animals on board. God told him that the only way that he would survive the coming flood would be if he would build a boat, gather the animals and store the food.
Noah was special. As Job, he was an upright man and his righteousness was contagiously spread to his family. His children and his children’s wives were blessed through Him.
Why was Noah so special? Because he listened to God. He builds the Ark to the exact specifications. He got the food exactly as God had requested. He didn’t go into the Ark until God told him to.
What a strange seven days it must have been between the finishing of the work on the Ark and the time when God shut the door and the rain started coming. I can imagine the scene:
- People on the outside are mocking.
- Animals get used to their new homes.
- Organization getting in place before the water hit.
- Last calls to come aboard.
They had seen the animals come—wouldn’t that be enough to know that it was serious?
And then, as the rain started, I can imagine how sad it must have been. To see the terror in people’s eyes. To hear their screams. To hear them beat on the side of the Ark, and their last gasps of breath.
Maybe God was merciful and moved the Ark out of range so Noah could not hear. Noah’s emotions must have been mixed– grateful for justice and yet, at the same time, mourning the deaths of all of those people that were not in the boat.
And yet, God brought him through it and promised him a blessing– that the world would continue to be inhabited by the sons of Noah.
The fourth step to being prepared: Make sure that your kids understand why you are doing what you are doing, and that they know God.
Noah’s sons could have rebelled and said “No way, Dad.” And yet, they were blessed for their obedience, but it was Noah’s righteousness that got them there. This is not to say that all your sons and daughters will turn out perfectly– for even Noah’s son looked at his father’s nakedness and laughed. However, the righteousness of the parents is a big umbrella over children.
Noah was blessed also in that he lived 350 more years after the flood. Life spans start to decrease after him. He was the last of the 950-year-old men.
And lastly, God made a promise to start his work over again with Noah. He makes a covenant (Gen 9:9) with Noah and all of his seed. It’s rare that God offers to make someone the father of all people:
- Adam was the first man.
- Noah became the primary man.
- Abraham was chosen and given one son.
- Moses got offered a redo with him being the cornerstone of Israel.
- Christ will be the next Adam
Noah was a special guy because he was a guy that lived a life that was upright before God in ordinary times– and God used Him in extraordinary times.
- Preparation for the Storm
- Noah, Special From Birth
- Noah, a Man of Detail
- Noah, a Man of Covenant
