By Your FAITH #7 - Noah
This post is the seventh part in a series called: "By Your Faith". In this series we are going through Hebrews chapter 11; studying the faith of many prophets and other important Old Testament people. Today is the third of those prophets: Noah.
Our topic today is: Noah (verse 7 in Hebrews Chapter 11)
During the "TREE" series on this blog, we did a detailed study on Noah building the ark and on what happened during and after the flood. Please read each part below:
Now onto Noah's faith and the Scripture in Hebrews (see verse below):
God told Noah to build the ark and Noah obeyed. Bible scholars believe that it took about 100 years to build the ark!! (The scholars base this belief on the fact that in Genesis it states that Noah was 500 years old when his sons were born and then he was 600 years old when the flood began).
That is quite an amazing faith that endured a century. In "holy fear' (respect & honor) he built the ark. Noah did not understand while he was building this boat that one day it would save his life, as well as the lives of his family.
The line in Hebrews 11:7 that talks about Noah condemning the world is clarified in the book of Jasher. (see passage below)
"And the sons of men assembled together, about seven hundred thousand men and women, and they came unto Noah to the ark.And they called to Noah, saying, Open for us that we may come to thee in the ark--and wherefore shall we die?
And Noah, with a loud voice, answered them from the ark, saying, Have you not all rebelled against the Lord, and said that he does not exist? and therefore the Lord brought upon you this evil, to destroy and cut you off from the face of the earth.
Is not this the thing that I spoke to you of one hundred and twenty years back, and you would not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and now do you desire to live upon earth?
And they said to Noah, We are ready to return to the Lord; only open for us that we may live and not die.
And Noah answered them, saying, Behold now that you see the trouble of your souls, you wish to return to the Lord; why did you not return during these hundred and twenty years, which the Lord granted you as the determined period?
But now you come and tell me this on account of the troubles of your souls, now also the Lord will not listen to you, neither will he give ear to you on this day, so that you will not now succeed in your wishes.
And the sons of men approached in order to break into the ark, to come in on account of the rain, for they could not bear the rain upon them.
And the Lord sent all the beasts and animals that stood round the ark. And the beasts overpowered them and drove them from that place, and every man went his way and they again scattered themselves upon the face of the earth."
Jasher 6:17-25
In the Book of Jasher, we also learn details about what it was like on the ark during the flood. (see passage below):
"And great anxiety seized all the living creatures that were in the ark, and the ark was like to be broken.And all the living creatures that were in the ark were terrified, and the lions roared, and the oxen lowed, and the wolves howled, and every living creature in the ark spoke and lamented in its own language, so that their voices reached to a great distance, and Noah and his sons cried and wept in their troubles; they were greatly afraid that they had reached the gates of death.
And Noah prayed unto the Lord, and cried unto him on account of this, and he said, O Lord help us, for we have no strength to bear this evil that has encompassed us, for the waves of the waters have surrounded us, mischievous torrents have terrified us, the snares of death have come before us; answer us, O Lord, answer us, light up thy countenance toward us and be gracious to us, redeem us and deliver us.
And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Noah, and the Lord remembered him.
And a wind passed over the earth, and the waters were still and the ark rested.
And the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained."
Jasher 6:29-34
Let's strive to have a strong faith that will last a lifetime; just like Noah. A faith that endures even through what might seem like an impossible situation (but with God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26)
By Your FAITH (Previous posts in this series)
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