The Hall of Faith | Noah’s Faith of Future Things – Hebrews 11:7
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.
Growing up, the story of Noah and the Ark always intrigued me, thinking that Noah built the ark in roughly a week and then sailed off with the animals having boarded the boat. Then, one day the realization came that Noah worked on the boat for somewhere between 50-75 years (given contextual clues) to the exact specifications that God had provided. He endured the times when the rain came but no flood. Mostly likely he questioned whether he heard from God correctly as he endured the wickedness of the world around him. Then, one day, God spoke to him again as the animals came and boarded the ark. The door sealed and those inside had been rescued from the judgment of the Lord.
We see in verse 8 that “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8, ESV) Likely, this was for much of the same reasons as the others before him, the faith in the coming Messiah and Savior. While the actions of Noah could not justify salvation, nor would sin be blotted out after the great flood (in fact, it does not take long for Noah to fall into sin and bring his sons with him) God extended grace to mankind, despite the sin. Furthermore, we see the grace of God to redeem a sinful people from the grips of death throughout the biblical metanarrative. Noah’s faith is one to be emulated as we know that Jesus Christ came to save sinners from a condemned world, providing grace for those in faith. Furthermore, we know that a day of judgment is coming that will far exceed the scope of the flood, one final judgments. Those whose faith rest in Jesus Christ will be heirs of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Faith In The Face of Opposition
During Noah’s time, the works grew exceedingly wicked in the eyes of the Lord. Likely the world saw nothing wrong and approved of the wickedness, but the Lord, seeing the moral decay of mankind knew that the just punishment drew closer as man would be handed over to their desires. It was my grace that God chose you save Noah and his family, offering salvation and rescue from the impact of coming judgment. Noah, heading the word of God, stood in the face of culture to follow the commands of God for decades without seeing the fruit. At the core of faith is the idea of trusting God when we do not have all the evidence. Yet, as Noah walked in faith, he stood as a testament to the wickedness of mankind who mocked him as he faithfully pursued God. It was not until the door closed, the rain came, and the floods rose that the people understood they stood condemned before a righteous and Holy God.
Standing on the truth and wisdom of Jesus Christ in the face of cultural opposition takes faith that comes from God for His glory. We will be mocked, reviled, and hated our “vain and silly pursuits.” In those moments, our life will speak against the call of culture and should demonstrate our faith by showing what and more importantly who we pursue. Following Christ will always involve walking against the grain of culture. A life redeemed by Jesus Christ, in faith, will always look different than those without faith. Sin will lose its taste compared to the glory found in Jesus Christ and while we may not always understand what is being asked, in faith, we become obedient knowing that God’s plan for our life will far surpass our own. Furthermore, we will not always see the immediate impact of our faith. At times, as we battle our flesh, we will question whether continued obedience is worth it. In faith, though, we turn to God, and now before him knowing that, in faith, God will save us from the coming wrath. While we live for Christ in pursuit of greater things, we proclaim the Gospel with our faith based actions, condemning the ways of the world in pursuit of the glory of God.
Faith and The Coming Judgment
The trajectory of Noah’s life changed because of his faith. God had spoken to him what would happen due to the world’s descent into wickedness and then for decades, Noah would only have his faith to continually push him through to build the ark. Then, while on the ark, it was only by faith that he understood that he would make it through the trial. God sought to judge the sinfulness of mankind and their willingness to abandon fully their faith in the one true God and the coming of the Messiah. For many, as days passed, they doubted the presence of God and perhaps their ability to ever return to the presence of God until one day, they lived for the desires of their flesh contrary to the will of God. The flood represented the judgment of God for the wickedness of man in order to wash away the sins. Yet, Noah along with his sons, although having favor in the eyes of the Lord, were far from innocent and righteous, choosing to get drunk and pass out while being dishonored by Noah’s son, did not eradicate sin. The grace of God extended to those whose faith had been placed in the Lord.
The whole counsel of scripture points to the coming day of eternal judgment when Jesus will come for His people once more. The events of the Great Flood provide only a mere foreshadow of the coming judgment upon all mankind for all ages. Now, as people whose faith is in Jesus Christ, must conduct our lives with the understanding that the judgment of God is coming one day. In faith, we live according to the calling we have been given as a testament to God’s sovereign reign over all creation. We trust that He will come and save people by grace, calling all His people to Himself. Those who do not have faith in Jesus Christ will see the eternal judgment with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Although the world may be as wicked or worse than those during the time of Noah, we must continue to build our lives on the foundation of our faith to live in view of eternity that we will join God forever by grace through faith. However difficult the persecution or the descent into wickedness may be, in faith, we trust in God knowing that we will become heirs of righteousness. Righteousness cannot be earned by a sinful people, only given by a perfect Savior. We receive that righteousness in faith, escaping the eternal judgment, and displaying the grace of God to everyone we come into contact with.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
