Many Christians have heard about Noah and the Ark. We color pictures in Sunday school while we learn about a big flood filling the earth and Noah and the animals are saved. We often hear it so much when we are growing up that we never actually read the Bible for ourselves to see what happened in Genesis chapter six. Today we are going to look at the cause for the flood, the warning God gave, and the provision He made for Noah and his family and all of the animals.
The Cause
We know that God always wanted His people to marry within their culture. He was very clear in Deuteronomy 7:1-4 "When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following Me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly." We read in the first few verses of this chapter that they were intermingling with other nations, marrying and giving in marriage to pagan nations. It was causing them to do things that God was not pleased with. Genesis 6:5-6 "And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD (the LORD was sorry) that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart." The cause of the flood was men's wickedness. It grieved God's heart that He ever made men and put them on the earth. From the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, it was chaos, confusion, and violence everywhere God looked. He had His hand upon the people and they kept rejecting Him and disobeying Him. Violence filled the earth and wickedness reigned supreme. It made God so sorry He made mankind that He decided to destroy His own creation. I cannot imagine how wicked things were to make God say that. I know He is long-suffering with our generation and how far removed society is from God and His ways now. It must have been difficult for Noah and his family to live in that kind of environment.
The Warning
God made a decision that He would destroy humanity. Genesis 6:7 "And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them." The Bible goes on to say that Noah was found blameless in his generations and walked with God. Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. God looked at the earth filled with violence and corruption and it grieved Him. Genesis 6:13 "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." God has warned Noah because He loves Noah. Noah was found to be an upright man, doing good, and following after God. God is a loving and merciful Father and He does not desire for Noah and his family to die, so He makes provision for them.
The Provision
God gave Noah specific measurements and directions about how to build an ark of gopher wood. He even explained what He was going to do to destroy everything in the earth. He gave Noah a promise in Genesis 6:18 "But with thee will I establish My covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee." God and Noah were in covenant agreement now. They were partners in saving Noah and his wife, their sons and their wives and the animals God told Noah to bring with him. God told Noah what animals to bring and how many. He told him to bring food for himself, his family, and the animals. And in the last verse of this chapter we read what Noah did with God's instructions. Genesis 6:22 "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."
What about you? What about me? Are we doing things according to all that God has commanded of us? Do we live life on our own terms and base decisions on what we think is best instead of trusting God to know what is best? Noah found grace in God's sight because he was willing to listen and obey God when He told him what to do. Are we getting alone with God to listen to what He is telling us? Are we reading the Bible daily so we know what to do and what not to do?
People on the earth in that day were doing whatever was popular. They followed each other instead of God. They served idols and false gods. They had no desire to live a disciplined life to please God, but Noah was different. He was a leader, not a follower, except when it came to following hard after God. We must be like Noah. We must not allow the culture we live in to dictate what we do. We must not let the fashion industry, the news, or social media tell us what to do and how to live. Instead, open up the pages of God's Word and let Him show you His will for your life. Things always turn out so much better when I yield to the Will of God. instead of trying to figure things out on my own.
This weekend as we head into a potential icy, winter storm situation again, here in southern Indiana, I am going to meditate on God's Word. I want to remember the cause for the Flood and the warning God had given, and the provision He made for Noah and his family and the animals. When God gives us specific instructions, trust and believe He will also make a way for you and me to do everything He told us to do. It seems so hard to wrap my mind around how Noah gathered all those animals into the Ark, but God helped Noah and gave him wisdom on how to get the animals to trust him and to follow him. God made the gopher wood available in the quantity Noah needed. The more we put our hand to the plow and keep working the row in front of us, God will continue to bless our efforts and provide everything we need.
I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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