Mountain Movers

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

We can all relate to Noah. Literally. If you were able to trace your family tree back enough, you would see that Noah would be part of it. In fact, every person in the world is a direct descendant of Noah. Most likely, Noah had no idea, before he built the ark, that he would have such an influence on the world. Let's take a closer look at how Noah's faith had such an impact.

God did not randomly pick Noah to build an ark. It says in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that "the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." Unfortunately, at the time of Noah, the entire world (except for Noah's family) was wicked. There "was only evil all the time." It got to the point where God's heart was filled with pain. God knew the hearts of every single person on the planet. And there was one man who stood out. Genesis 6:9 says: "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." Noah demonstrated his faith clearly before he built the ark. His day-to-day lifestyle was totally different from everyone else. He could have easily "blended in." But he didn't. He didn't give into the peer pressure around him. It wasn't a major concern of his to be relatable to those around him.

Why wasn't he sucked into the wicked environment that surrounded him? Because he walked with God. He had already partaken in the spiritual training necessary to be called by God. Genesis 6:11 states that the earth was corrupt and full of violence. Moreover, in Hebrews 11:7, by faith, Noah condemned the world when he built the ark. Not only does it take a lot of faith to build an ark when you've never seen a body of water, but it takes an incredible amount of courage. Noah condemned a world full of violent people. How do violent people react when they see someone is condemning them? Chances are, it enrages them even more.

When Noah began to build the ark, he had many obstacles facing him. He was building the ark in an unsafe environment. Considering that there was pervasive wickedness, people may have tried to attack him and his family, vandalize the ark, insult him and threaten him. Surely there were times where he felt afraid. Clearly, courage is not the lack of fear, it's taking action in the midst of a fearful situation. Yet, Noah was more fearful of what would happen to him if he disobeyed God. And that, in combination with his love for God and his family, motivated him to build an ark.

God gave Noah specific instructions and Noah did "all that the Lord commanded him." Because of his faith, Noah gave a 100% effort in obeying God. He worked hard and persevered, not paying attention to those opposing him and doing something that I'm sure seemed illogical to many around him. Once the ark was finished, the destruction of all living things outside the ark was inevitable. Noah, along with seven other people and a bunch of animals, weathered the storm surrounding them and stayed inside the ark for many months. When they finally came out of the ark "only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark."

Noah's faith did not only affect his life-- it made an impact on his family and on all future generations. Where would you be if Noah had decided to be like everyone else and remain unfaithful to God? Yet what happened when Noah finally sailed off in an ark? In Genesis 8:20, it says that he "built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it." Noah was joyful and grateful. Certainly he must have been totally exhausted after being cooped up in the ark for such a long time. However, the first thing on his mind was pleasing God.

Those who are faithful have a constant awareness and desire to please God. Because of their faith and reliance on God, they are unstoppable. They are willing to devote all of their time, energy, efforts and resources to doing their best for God. God took note of Noah's faith and made a covenant with him. Never again would God destroy all life on earth by floodwaters. This is a covenant that has lasted thousands of years, all because of the faith of one man. In fact, in Isaiah 54:9, God says to His people, "to me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again." As we can see from this example, the faith of Noah affected the way God treated people thousands of years after Noah died.

Because Noah had faith, it says in 1 Peter 3:20 that "God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built." As well, in 2 Peter 2:5, God "protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others." God was willing to wait for Noah and, although he lived in a world of violence, his life was never really in danger because he was under the protection of God. Isn't it inspiring how one of the early roots of your family tree provided such an incredible example of faith?

In the next chapter, let's look at Abraham, an example of faith who is held in high esteem by those in the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religions. He is the epitome of faith and hope working together.