Message topic: How much do we know about the man Noah?
Genesis 6
The word Noah is common to Bible believing people, but how much, and what do we know about the man called Noah in the bible?
We first read about Noah in Genesis 5, which begins with: “this is the book of the generation of Adam. This is a recurring phrase in Genesis, and chapter 5 details the godly line of Seth as opposed to the worldly line of Cain (Genesis 4:17-24)
Assuming no generational breaks, Noah represents the tenth generation from Adam. The genealogical account of Noah reads, when Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son whom he named Noah and said, he will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed (Genesis 5: 28-29)
Right from the start, we see that Noah is going to be special as he is the only member of this genealogy whose name is explained. His father Lamech, states that his son, Noah, will bring relief (“Noah,” sounds like the Hebrew word for rest or relief.
We learn quickly what Noah was to relieve them from in Genesis 6: 1-8, where we see the unfettered result of the fall as unrighteousness increases throughout the world. God indict mankind with these words
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.(Genesis 6; 5).
Then God determined to wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created and made with the animals, the bird and the creatures that move along the ground for I regret that I have made them. Genesis 6: 7.
But there was hope because Noah had found favor in the eyes of the Lord”
Despite the rampant wickedness that was increasing upon the earth, there is one man who stands out, a man whose life was characterized by the hand of God’s grace up on him. Noah found favor with the Lord God. God was about to send judgment upon the world for its wickedness, but He extends His saving grace to Noah and his family.
We learn that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and that he walked with God in obedience.
Let me ask you this question? Do you think Noah was a special man and got favors from God? The answer is no; Noah was born like all mankind with a sinful nature, he was of the tenth generation of Adam, but he was like all other men, a sinner.
With all that said, who was Noah in the bible? Practically speaking, Noah is an example of a life of faith. Hebrews 11:7 says of Noah, by faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.
By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Noah didn’t need to test God before going into action: God commanded, and he obeyed. This was typical of Noah’s life. Noah was part of the godly line of Seth, of whom it it was said, At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord.
Have you learned anything about Noah today which you had never known before? What about he was only ten generations from Adam, through the linage of Seth the son of Adam who offered a true sacrifice to God: or what about that he was just like all mankind, born in sin and sharpened in iniquity?
We can see that through Noah God has been revealing to even us today that he is as true and faithful as He has been and will always be the same loving, kind and for giving when we turn to Him in obedience.
Has God changed in His nature since the days of Noah to our days today? Is He still saying I am the Lord and I change not?
There is a common saying in many customs when someone would do something strange the reference would be made, this is in the family line: we have learned that Noah is from the linage of Seth the son of Adam who offered a true sacrifice to God: could we say that seeking to know who God was, was in his heart?
God has always spoken to mankind collectively and individually, so we have the opportunity to hear, so we can as we hear accept or reject on our own heart desire as God deals with mankind individually as well as collect tively.
Noah and his family had an experience that no other men or women had or will never have to go through, as God said, He will never again send a flood to destroys the people of the earth.
We do not know the time which passes between the flood and the restoration to it’s original condition when farming was once again common when Noah harvest from his vineyard and enjoyed it so much that he became drunk, and this displeased God.
This is to show that Noah was not a special man, but a man as all other men, but he chose to be obedient to listen to the voice of the Lord, as he was a man as all other men.
Can we be like Noah? Yes, but we need to learn to be obedient to God as Noah did.