Theme: A Fresh Look at Noah and Faith
“By faith, Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)
Thought:
After attending Stanislaus State University in Turlock, California, for three years, I decided to get out of town and attend my last two years of college elsewhere. Applying to California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, I headed four hours away to begin a new adventure.
I had been involved in the Navigators in Turlock and knew they had an even larger group at Cal Poly. I was looking forward to growing in my Christian faith, so I was praying for opportunities to meet new people and be used by the Lord. My very first class, on a Monday morning at 8 or 9 am, was Spanish. I sat down in a class with 30 other strangers and quietly opened my small pocket New Testament to read a few verses before the teacher arrived. The classroom was fairly quiet as no one seemed to know each other, and then, to break the calm, peaceful atmosphere, from across the room, someone said (rather loudly, I thought), “Is that a Bible? Are you reading the Bible?”
That morning, I met Steve. We developed a lifelong friendship, and since then, he has been an example to me in speaking up for my faith. It’s one thing to quietly follow the Lord, but God never intended us to hide our faith and follow Him in the shadows.
I have always enjoyed the story of Noah in Genesis 6, and pictures of Noah’s ark with a wide variety of animals are captivating. But the story of Noah’s ark is about more than caring for all the animals while taking the family on a little boat ride. It’s about Noah obeying the Lord regarding a huge assignment, very publicly showing the world around him his faith in God, and, finally, Noah is said to be an “heir of righteousness”, not because of him but because of God and Noah’s faith.
Our next example of faith in Hebrews 11 is the story of Noah and the Ark found in Genesis 6. Noah’s story begins with faith: he believed God existed and that what God said was true. If God said something was going to happen, it would happen. Even if Noah had never seen it before, he believed God.
God warned Noah that a flood was coming to judge the wickedness of man. What do we learn about Noah in Genesis 6?
· “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (verse 8)
· “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time.” (verse 9)
· “Noah walked with God.” (verse 9)
· “Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” (verse 10)
And from Genesis 6:11, we learn that the earth (other men and women) was corrupt in the sight of God and was filled with violence. God’s warning in verse 13, “The end of all flesh has come before
me,” leads to God’s verdict, “Behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.” (all of creation was affected by man’s sin)
God’s instructions begin in verse 14: “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood.” We see Noah’s response in verse 22: “Thus Noah did: according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.”
From Hebrews 11:7, we learn that Noah’s acting by faith in building this ark accomplished three things:
1. Noah’s act of faith was instrumental in the salvation of his household. Noah was involved in providing an escape to help his family trust in God. As we walk with God and respond to Him in faith, fulfilling the ministries He’s given us, we will reinforce our need for a savior and point others to Christ as their savior.
Our greatest ministry is always to our family. God has placed us in homes with our spouses and children and, eventually, grandchildren and an extended family. My daily prayer is for each of them to grow in love with the Lord and hunger to know Him more. Even as Paul exhorts Timothy to be an example of faith to other believers, we can be examples to those in our families, though we are often imperfect. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (I Timothy 4:12)
2. Noah’s acting in faith was a visible lesson for those around him that God condemned the world. By building a large boat, over a lengthy period of time, Noah showed he listened to and believed a God who saw the wickedness of man and would judge mankind. His building project was a warning the people couldn’t miss. Our ministries and our walking with God will be a beacon, showing others their need to look to God for salvation.
The long period of time that it took to build the ark also reminds me of God’s patience in saving the lost. The best estimate puts it at around 75 years. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
3. Noah’s acting in faith showed that he became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. This was a reminder that we cannot save ourselves. God, in His understanding, grace, and mercy, provided a way for us to become heirs with Noah through trusting in His Son as our savior.
The greatest act of saving in the story of Noah was more than the physical saving from the flood; it was Noah’s salvation through faith in God. Though Noah didn’t know the details at the time, his salvation was accomplished through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross, who took Noah’s place and paid for his sin. John 3:16 is a truth as true for Noah as for you and me today. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
One other lesson we learn from Noah and faith: Noah was asked to undertake a long-term project whose results he would not see for a long time. Often, we are in the middle of doing something for the Lord, the results of which we haven’t seen yet, like raising a family or a ministry in our church or community. We may even wonder if what we’re doing will accomplish any good. Our lives of faith and growth in our faith involve perseverance in following the Lord in our ministries. Our perseverance is an act of faith that God will accomplish all His purposes in His time.
Reflection:
How might Noah’s example help you persevere in your daily walk with God? As you reflect on the OT story of Noah, what area of your life do you need patience? How can Noah’s boat-building encourage patience and perseverance in your daily walk and in serving God? How are your life and service a visible arrow pointing others to God and salvation through His Son?
Prayer:
Father, help me walk with You today. Help me enjoy resting in you to accomplish your will in my life as I build into others who will develop fruit in the future. Help me persevere in serving you and fix my eyes on you as you are perfecting your work in me. (7/1/2026)
Stan Johnson 7/1/2026
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