Study 2b: NOAH The Ark Builder - CHARACTER STUDY SERIES

Study 2(b): NOAH, The Ark Builder

Text: Genesis 6:13-22

"And God said to 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. MAKE THEE AN ARK OF GOPHER WOOD; rooms shall thou make in the ark and shall pitch it within and without with the pitch." - Genesis 6:13-14.

In our lesson last week, it was noted that before the flood, it never used to rain on earth and there had never been any flood. (Genesis 2:4-5). But when God informed Noah of His plan to destroy the earth with a flood, Noah believed God and preached God's message of warning and repentance to the people of his generation for 120years. It was the longsuffering of God that made God tell Noah to preach repentance from sin to the people. (1 Peter 3:9, Ezekiel 18:23)

Noah and his family found favor in the sight of God through righteous living in spite of many temptations they had to compromise with sin. Though God had planned to destroy all flesh because of sin, in His love He still desired to maintain the continuation of both the human race and animal life. So He commanded Noah to build an ark for that purpose.

In the same way, God has said in the Bible that He will destroy this present world with fire because of sin, but He is not willing that anyone should perish hence He sent his Son Jesus Christ to this world to preach repentance from sin and die for our redemption on the cross. As many as will repent, turn away from their sin and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, will also receive God's favor like the family of Noah and be saved from eternal damnation. (John 3:16)

At the end of the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that God committed to us (believers) the word and the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20). Talking about preparing a people for eternal redemption, Jesus described the process as building his church. The Bible says: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Matthew 16:18. Paul says we are laborers with God and referred to his converts as God's husbandry and God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9-10, 1 Peter 2:5, Acts 15:32, Ephesians 2:18-22). As Noah joined hands with his family in building the ark for the preservation of both the human race and animal life on earth, so Christians need to unite as members of God's family in working together help people know the way of salvation through Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20).

Carefully consider the manner in which God asked Noah to build the ark as we read Genesis 6:14-16.The description God gave Noah of the design and size of the ark was not like either a ship or a boat because there was no device by which to propel or control its movement. It was simply a very big water craft sealed inside and outside with bitumen to make it water-tight and stay afloat. It had a lot of space to contain a large quantity of goods. But the shape was such that made it stable and difficult to capsize. Comparing it with ships of conventional design, it contained one-third more storage space than any of them.

There are spiritual lessons from the building of the ark by Noah that we should learn for our edification:

• (a) If Noah was to judge God's command to him to build a water vessel of the above description going by the process of human reasoning, it wouldn't have made any sense, so he would have refused to obey.
• (b) If Noah had considered the commercial benefit of building the ark, he would have found it quite unreasonable and unprofitable, wouldn't have ventured the project.
• (c) The ark was of such enormous size that building it would have involved hard labor and a high cost which could not have yielded any material dividend. He could have been put off.
• (d) Noah could have thought that if God wanted to save him and his family for his righteousness, it should have been in a more honorable way better than crowding him with all kinds of jungle animals, in a box-like water vessel. He could have snubbed God because he wouldn't wanted to be messed up with "animals"

God is perfect in knowledge and wisdom. He understands human and animal situations more than anyone else. So, He is in the best position to advise and guide us in whatever we need to do at all times either in church or secular work. So Noah, in faith and obedience submitted to the WILL of God. As a result God preserved him with his family and blessed them.

In concluding, since we know that God's ways are perfect and better than ours, we should always be faithful in doing whatever He commands us to do. In doing this we shall be free from errors. Thank God his wisdom and good counsel prevailed in the case of Noah. Consequently he received the reward of the obedience of faith.

MEMORY VERSE: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." -1 Corinthians 15:58

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