Noah

Finding Grace

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Genesis 6:8

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

The story of the flood is a story of judgment and redemption. Mankind had turned its back to God. Moses is careful to describe the condition of the world at that time,

Genesis 6:5

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

People were living in open defiance against God. The line between the godly and the ungodly had become so blurred that the sons of God were marrying the daughters of men. The men of renown, the leaders of the ancient world, wanted nothing to do with the things of God. There was open demonic activity taking place among men and Jesus described a spiritual apathy that even when Noah preached of coming judgment the people continues on with their lives as though they would never have to give an account to the God who created them. After of 100 years of warning the sky suddenly became dark, the rain began to fall and the earth began to rumble and split open. The judgment of God broke forth on the very people He had created to fellowship with. In the midst of this we read,

Genesis 6:8

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

As much as this is a story of God judging sin it is also a story of God redeeming man. Noah was the recipient of the grace of God that rescued him from wrath. Nothing has changed. God is still Holy and will forever judge sin, but He is also gracious providing a way for sin to be forgiven and and men to be delivered. We receive the grace of God when we choose to accept the pardon for sin that He has provided through the death of Christ upon the cross. When we receive Christ all our sins are washed and we are rescued from wrath.

We see in Noah a picture of how this grace affects a man. We read that Noah “walked with God.” Walking with God is a common idiom found throughout the Bible and used to illustrate a person who is living a life that is well pleasing to the Lord. We read of three distinct things about Noah’s walk. First he obeyed the Lord. Four times we read that “Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him” Not all that was commanded seemed to make sense, instead of arguing, rationalizing, complaining or disobeying Noah did as the Lord commanded. Secondly we read that Noah’s faith impacted his family. Unlike Lot, Noah lived out his walk with God for others to see and won his family members to the Lord. Too often our best Christianity happens at church and we fail to live for Christ within the home. Finally we read that upon exiting the ark Noah offered sacrifice to the Lord. He realized that salvation was not based upon his good work and he accepted the pardon that God provided.

Jesus told us that the times leading up to His return would be like the days of Noah. With evil increasing we must walk with the Lord all the more.

Jim

  

pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Genesis 6:8
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

The story of the flood is a story of judgment and redemption. Mankind had turned its back on God. Moses is careful to describe the condition of the world at that time;

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5

People were living in open defiance of God. The line between the godly and the ungodly had become so blurred that the sons of God were marrying the daughters of men. The men of renown, the leaders of the ancient world, wanted nothing to do with the things of God. There was open demonic activity taking place among men. Jesus described a scene of such spiritual apathy that even Noah’s preaching of coming judgment, did…

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Dark Times

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Genesis 8:1
“Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2015/01/img_1293.jpgThe last time Noah heard the voice of God he was instructed to enter the ark and shut the doors. Since that time, forty-seven days have passed. These were days of difficulty, unrest, fear and anxiety, as Noah and his family stepped out into the unknown. In a time when Noah needed the voice of God more than ever, it seemed that heaven had gone silent. What a blessing it is to read “God remembered Noah…”

Perhaps it would be of value to consider what it means that “God remembered Noah.” First, it does not mean God had forgotten him. Often, in the midst of our darkest trials, we get the feeling God has forgotten us. We have ventured out in faith only to look around, and it seems, He has left us all alone. We must keep in mind, God had His eyes upon Noah every moment. The Psalmist wrote,

Psalms 121:4
“Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

And Jesus declared,

Luke 12:7
“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

As we read Noah’s story, it is also quite clear, that while God seemed to go silent, He remained in complete control of the circumstances. It was God who caused the rain, stopped the rain, and caused the waters to reside.

In the midst of our darkest days, we are no more alone than Noah was. God is carefully watching our every step, as well as controlling the circumstances around us. In those times of darkness, it is critical, that like Noah, we keep clinging to the promises of God as we await His deliverance.

Pastor Jim

 

Obedience

pjimgallagher3 Comments

Genesis 7:5
“And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.”

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Obedience is critical to any relationship with the Lord. If we are going to grow in Christ, experience the promises of God, and effectively witness to others about relationship with Jesus, we must learn obedience. Samuel told Saul that to obey is better than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22), and Jesus declared, if we love Him we will do what He says (John 14:15). Noah is a great example of what an obedient life looks like. There are three things that stand out to me about his obedience.

First, Noah did what he was asked to do. When the divine command was uttered, Noah got busy. We do not read of him questioning God about the meaning of rain, or a flood, nor does he argue with God about the difficulty of the task. Instead, Noah got busy and built a boat.

Second, Noah did what he was asked to do, and much more. He was instructed to build an ark, fill it with his family members, and all the beasts of the earth. Noah did as he was told, but did not stop there. Peter informs us, Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2Peter 2:5). As he prepared the ark, he also preached to the people. He warned them of the coming judgment, and of the way of escape. True obedience will never cause us to do the minimum. Instead, a heart that wants to please the Lord, will do all things heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) .

Finally, Noah relied upon the Spirit of God. God’s commands were impossible for Noah to accomplish in his own strength. Gathering together all of the animals, including the birds of the air, was a task way too big for any man. If you do not think so, take a quick break, run outside and try to catch a bird. The only way he could obey, was to rely upon the Lord. Instead of looking at the impossible, he understood there is nothing to hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17). Too often, we only see the impossibility of a task and fail to see the power of God. It is no more difficult for God to help you quit smoking, overcome addiction, share Christ with a relative, or serve in a Sunday school class, than it was for Him to get the animals to line up and march. In fact, it seems the animals always do what God asks, and it is only man who is often too foolish to obey.

Don’t get caught up with why you can’t, get caught up in Him who can.

Pastor Jim