July 1, 2002
LifeWay Family Bible Series for July 14
Horton and Noah; Two peas in the pod of faith
___Genesis 6:5-9, 12-14, 22; 7:1-3, 5; 8:1; Hebrews 11:7
___By Barbara Kent
___University Baptist Church, Fort Worth
___I think the Lord would like Horton in Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hatches the Egg."
___Horton, you will remember, is the elephant who is left with an egg to mind when the mother bird leaves the nest. Horton endures many different kinds of hardships in his efforts to save the egg and, thus, the baby bird.
___He does all this because he is faithful. After all, as Dr. Seuss says, "An elephant is faithful, 100 percent." Because he is faithful, Horton saves the egg and, ultimately, the baby bird inside. Unfortunately, faithfulness is an underrated quality in our day.
___Noah, the focus of our study this week, was faithful. Because of his faithfulness, he found favor in the eyes of God, so God spared him and his family and, through him, the human race.
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___Faithful in a sinful world
___God looked at the humans he had and found them wanting. In fact, he found that every inclination of their thoughts and of their hearts was only evil all the time (v. 5). Verse 5 is the strongest statement about human depravity in the Old Testament. God's heart was grieved by what he saw, and his heart was filled with pain (v. 6). His grief and pain were such that he intended to "wipe from the face of the earth the human race" and with them all creation (v. 7). Then God noticed Noah and found him to be righteous, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God (vv. 8-9).
___God spoke to Noah and told him his plans for erasing from the earth all flesh. He then gave Noah detailed instructions for building the ark (vv. 14-16). He told Noah about the flood he would send to destroy all living things (v. 17).
___Imagine yourself in Noah's place when God said to him, "But I will establish my covenant with you" (v. 18). What do you think Noah thought at that point?
___The Lord continued his instructions to Noah about bringing into the ark his family and two of all living creatures (vv. 18-20). God left nothing to chance. He even gave instructions for provisions Noah would need while on the ark (v. 21).
___Noah's response was one of faithfulness. He "did everything just as God commanded him" (v. 22). God, whose heart was grieved and hurting because of the sinfulness of his creation, must have rejoiced in Noah's response.
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___Commended by the Lord
___Once again the Lord commended Noah for his righteousness (7:1). He again gave instructions for loading the ark. He told Noah that seven days from that conversation, the rain would begin and last 40 days and 40 nights, thus wiping from the earth every living creature which he had made (v. 4).
___And, once again, Scripture notes simply, "Noah did all that the Lord commanded him" (v. 5). Noah's faithfulness could not have been easy or simple in the circumstances in which he lived, but he lived in such a way as to find favor not only with his neighbors (6:9) but with the Lord (6:8; 7:1).
___Remembered by the Lord
___The story of the flood is familiar. It has been depicted in paintings, told to children and preached from pulpits through the ages. Its familiarity does not keep it from being a powerful story. If you have not read it recently, take time now to read the details. It must have been a terrifying time for Noah and his family. It cannot have been otherwise, except for the fact that God had given his promise to Noah.
___For Noah, who had been faithful to the Lord all his life, trusting the Lord in those days was a very predictable response. God was watching over him even then. And God remembered Noah (8:1). When it looked as though everything had been destroyed and they would be left to flounder in the flood waters, God intervened. He extended his mercy and saved Noah as promised.
___Faithfulness rewarded
___Chapter 11 of Hebrews has been referred to as "the roll call of the faithful." How appropriate, then, it is to find Noah named in that list.
___Noah's faith led him to follow God's instructions for building the ark, boarding the ark, and following God's instructions totally. His faith stood as condemnation to the world around him who had not been faithful to the Lord. God rewarded Noah by making him "heir of the righteousness that comes by faith" (v. 7).
___Being faithful in our day
___God wants his people to be faithful. He wants us to trust him daily. Each time we demonstrate faith in God, he strengthens our faith and enables us to continue in faithfulness to him. Faithfulness must be practiced every day, in the big issues and in the small ones. The circumstances of our lives may change, but the Lord does not change. We can be faithful to him because of that.
___Questions for discussion
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