Awakened by the blazing orange glow of the morning sun peeking up over the horizon, Noah was reminded that a new day was upon him. With tools in hand, the quincentenarian would resume the laborious task that was given to him by God.
Each contemptuous sneer delivered by the locals surely impacted the resilient builder, even if for nothing more than to thicken his skin. Ark building was unheard of up to this point, so the commands that God gave Noah must have seemed unusual to say the least. Nevertheless, faith and love for the Lord were the fuel Noah needed to remain obedient throughout this monumental undertaking.
Many of us have heard the story of Noah’s Ark many times throughout our lives. Children’s rooms have been adorned with whimsical paintings of smiling animals on a clean ark, depicting a joyous event for all involved. But this is far from the truth of the Biblical account. Though screams of terror and bodies strewn throughout the raging water doesn’t make for a good mural in a nursery, it is far more accurate than what many have come to accept. Be that as it may, some of the richest teachings from this account are found before the first drop of rain ever fell from the sky.
If you were told to build a gigantic structure because something that you have never seen or heard of was going to happen, how would you respond? Noah was given information that likely left him scratching his head in confusion. God provided insight to the object that was to be built, the meteorological event that would require the object, and the reason for this phenomenon. It is here where we find perhaps the most remarkable of all lessons from this account. Noah’s response to the instructions of God were astonishing, taking no time to begin ark preparations. Many of us can relate to taking on a big task, especially one that we are certain will bring glory to our Lord. Still, there is something more that compels me about Noah, something rare and captivating. Nowhere in Scripture are we given any evidence that Noah received even an ounce of encouragement from anyone. In fact, we should conclude that quite the opposite was true. The very reason that Noah was directed to build the ark was due to the widespread wickedness that was consuming the land. Evil was being celebrated and God was being rejected (Gen. 6:5). Having seen enough, God executed His plan to bring about worldwide judgment upon the wicked (Gen. 6:7). Finding favor in the righteousness of Noah, God chose the aging patriarch to do the unthinkable.
One can only imagine the ridicule Noah must have received from those who were not privy to the impending plan of God. Year after year of chopping down gopherwood trees, making lumber, fashioning it to the massive structure, brought with it a fair share of remarks from the doubting onlookers. We are not even aware if Noah’s wife was supportive, though we certainly like to think she was.
In a recent Bible study with a dear friend, I was drawn to this wonderful revelation of Noah’s remarkable endurance, in the light of little to no earthly support. In a generation that was almost entirely rebellious toward God, no one was spurring Noah on as he did the work of the Lord. Without question the days were long and the work was difficult. Blood, sweat and tears were likely common accompaniments. I pondered the question I am certain all of us have asked at one point, “How would I have done through this ark building process?” Personally, I have always favored the physically challenging. Without making light of the enormity of the physical achievement of Noah, perhaps the area of greatest difficulty for me would be the lack of encouragement and support. I have been blessed with so many encouragers in my life, who have been instrumental through the arduous seasons of life. I thank God for these people, for they are a gift from Him. But then my mind wanders back to Noah. Who did Noah have? He had God, and God, as He is today, is sufficient. He is all that Noah needed; He is all that we need. 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that His grace is sufficient, He has provided us with all that we need to live lives that are holy and pleasing to Him (2 Peter 1:3), supplying for us abundantly (Philippians 4:19) and never departing from us (Hebrews 13:5).
This is the realization that I have come to, and I hope you find value in it as well. We must firmly understand and believe that God is in fact all that we need. Therefore, no matter what the task is, if it is God led and God glorifying, He will provide for our every need to accomplish it. In doing so, we do not require any further encouragement and support. Doing what is right in the sight of the Lord is reason enough to be obedient, regardless of if we are the only one walking that path. However, in an extension of His grace, He places people in our lives that comfort, support, uphold, and love us through our journey. Let us never take these people for granted, for they are a blessing from God. I am thankful for the steadfast faith and perseverance of Noah, even in the absence of earthly support. At the same time, I am beyond grateful for the amazing people that God has surrounded me with. To Him be the praise in all things.
By His Grace And For His Glory,
Pastor Sam
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