Noah did everything just as God commanded him. – Genesis 6:22 NIV
I’m reading through the book of Genesis presently and it surprises me how every time I read it, different things catch my attention. Today’s verse caught my attention regarding Noah.
In Genesis, when we are first introduced to Noah, the Bible says, “…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” Genesis 6:1 (NIV).
I’ve often wondered how one man managed to stay uncorrupted by the fad and evil of his time! Noah must have been seen as weird by his neighbours for maintaining a righteous stance.
During his time, the Bible describes the earth as “corrupt and full of violence”. (How would this current world be described? I wonder!). However, Noah was able to stay righteous and had a great influence on his family.
The type of relationship Noah had with God was an intimate one. Even when he was instructed to build an ark, which at the time was the first of its kind on earth, Noah trusted God’s guidance and did as he was told.
It didn’t matter that what he was told to do hadn’t been done before. He didn’t allow the world around him to influence or dictate his actions, he did “everything God commanded him”. The Bible emphasizes this by telling us twice the extent of Noah’s obedience, first in Genesis 6:22 and then 7:5 – “And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him” (NIV).
Noah’s obedience led to the salvation and blessing of his family and that family includes you and me! – “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.’” Genesis 9:1 (NIV)
Noah was the only faithful one in his time and through God, he had a huge impact on the world. We are fortunate to have a huge congregation of believers all over the world where we can give and be encouraged in our Christian walk. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…” Hebrew 10:24-25 (NIV) In different ways, God is calling us all to a life of obedience.
Each and every one of us needs to strive to obey all that God is commanding us whether it’s comfortable or not. Abraham is a good example of this – “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham …and said, ‘I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.’” Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV)
We need to obey God’s commands, so that we can be a blessing, just like Noah and Abraham, not only to our family but to everyone we come across.
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 