Noah Stayed But Everyone Left - 21
You might say he drifted some, but it was out of his control.
Noah did not forsake his people. He kept living with them and preaching to them, even though God was about to bring wrath down upon them. Noah stayed in his community while he built God’s Ark. A good estimate was that it took him 55 to 75 years to construct it.1 That is a long stay.
And while he was with them he preached to them. The Apostle Peter refers to Noah as “a herald of righteousness.”2 Noah’s message was mankind’s only hope, but they refused to listen to him because they loved to behave wickedly. Genesis 6:5, describes the heart of a man as so terrible that, “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”3
Noah did not write them off. He did not self-righteously stomp off with his wife and kids. He stayed and tried. He invested in the things God gave him to do. He built and he taught about God and His righteousness. His audience was comprises of terrible sinners. And certainly some were relatives and neighbors.
Noah’s first concern, of course, was faithful obedience to God and to properly steward the household for which he was responsible.
The Book of Hebrews gives this account of Noah’s faith.
“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”4
Reverent fear means holy respect for God. It was Noah’s way. It was not the way of his kinsmen, nor any other men on earth at the time. Reverent fear is shown by someone with a humble spirit, someone who knows he is a sinner, someone who has learned to be tender toward God.
Such a person will not be pompous. He will not come across as a “know-it-all.” Such a person knows what it is like to be tempted and to sin. He knows guilt and shame. Such a person knows that God’s love and grace and patience and mercy are all imperative to his wellbeing.5 He is not self-righteous. He realizes he wears a cloak of righteousness given to him by Christ. Therefore, such a person will not look down his nose at other sinners.
This kind of person requires years and years of time with God to become such a person.
This is why the Apostle Paul, while listing required characteristics for the office of elder, warns, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”6
And so the part of the Hebrews 11:7 verse that says, “By this he condemned the world…,” it is not referring to an attitude of condescension. Don’t picture Noah shaking a righteous fist at people. Neither should we envision Noah as a peevish “teacher’s pet” turning up his nose at the rest of the class.
The thing that Noah did that condemned the world was that he simply obeyed God, while the world had no intention to obey. Noah’s love and dutifulness shown for God was a stench in their nostrils. His desire to do the work of God was a symbol to the world of God’s displeasure of them.
So Noah, as well as Abraham, kept their first duty squarely in front of them. Life is about loving God with all one’s heart, mind, soul and strength. The Lord Jesus clarified this for his disciples when he said, “If you love Me you will keep My Commands.” Finally, the outworking of such a love is that you will then love others, even things, appropriately (in their place).
Answers in Genesis provides a short article in regard to the time it took Noah to build the Ark and fill it with animals. It is built around time indicators based on his son’s ages. It is convincing. You can find it here: https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/how-long-did-it-take-for-noah-to-build-the-ark/
2 Peter 2:5
Genesis 6:5-8 This passage also contrasts mankind’s overall wickedness with Noah, who was a man with a heart for God.
Hebrews 11:7
As Robert Krueger, my fellow elder, is fond of saying, “Christians are not better, but because of God’s grace, we are better off.”
1 Timothy 3:6