A Lesson from Noah and his family

By Nick Bibile

Noah is the grandson of Methuselah. Noah was probably 50 years old when Adam died. The Bible tells us that Noah was a just man and he walked with God. And Noah lived among evil corrupt people. The multitudes from rich to poor openly fearlessly committed sins against God.

But Noah was a man of upright, sincere, godly, keeping the commandments of God. In the midst of the crooked generation Noah never compromised and never bowed down to their evil ways. The darker the night, the brighter the true Christians. Many will flow with the world, like dead fish, many will go with the stream; as they  do not have the power of the living fish to swim against the current. They go the way of the world but Noah was a righteous man in an unrighteous generation, he swam against the current of the water.

God told Noah to build an ark. The length of the ark was about 450 feet, with about 75 feet wide and height about 45 feet. The ark was taller than a three story building.  The Bible introduces Noah when he was 500 years old and when he entered the ark he was 600 years old. It would have taken him about 100 years to build the ark. Noah was in the ark for about 370 days.  Noah lived another 350 years after the flood.

Many see the faith of Noah but we often forget about Noah's family. Noah and wife had three sons who were married.  We often forget to see the obedience of his wife, his sons and daughters in laws. When God told Noah to build the ark, it seemed pretty absurd to build an ark as people never saw rain. Maybe the multitudes of people mocked Noah, made fun of him, and ridiculed him. I am sure there was tremendous pressure from the world. In the midst of the pressure Noah and his family did not walk according to their feelings but trusted in God’s word. Noah and family did not quarrel. The family stood together, they were obedient to Noah and his family loved and feared God.  

It was not only Noah who built the ark but we know his children were involved. They were obedient to their father. Here we see not only Noah’s obedience to God but the wife, his sons and his sons’ wives were all obedient and without any objections they believed God even though they never saw rain.   Noah was a preacher but no one listened to him, they all laughed at him but his family believed him. It was God who shut the door of the ark. Then it began to rain, but it was too late, probably they remembered Noah’s words but too late, God had already shut the door. Only Noah and his family were saved from the flood. God had shut the door, and no violence could force it open. It is the same with the believer as we are protected against every onslaught of the enemies.

Ro 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 Ro 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The wrath of God is coming again to all those who live in sin.  “The door is open! Come, ye great sinners! Enter the door before it’s too late Come now the door before the door shuts, come and be saved from the great wrath of God.

Go down to the lake of fire if you will deliberately choose to do so; but you heard the gospel of Christ and you were invited to come to him but you turned your backs upon him and on your way to eternal destruction, may God of heaven grant you true repentance.

Many are going down to hell dreaming that they are going to heaven! If your  heart has never been broken, break it now; if you have never been washed in the precious blood of Jesus, ask him to wash you now.  Jesus, the sinner's Savior, I come to you this moment; cast your arms around thy cross, he will not frown at you.  Look in mercy. Let the most trembling soul in this whole congregation cling to the cross, crying to him who hung upon it, —

“Nothing in my hand I bring;

Simply to thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to thee for dress;

Helpless, look to thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;

Wash me, Savior, or I die.”