Noah's Obedience

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:6

Genesis chapter 6 describes a population explosion in the earth, producing an excess of beautiful women. In verse 2, the “sons of God” refers to angels. Fallen angels, actually, who watched and lusted after the beautiful human women and began to choose among them for the purpose of copulation (Jude 6). Jesus made it clear in Matthew 22:30 that procreation between the angelic and human species is no longer possible, but in those early centuries the demons were capable of it, and took full advantage. The result: a race of super-humans in the earth.

Genesis 6:4, “giants:” nephalim. Not just large in stature. More than human. This posed many problems, chief among which was the eventual corruption of the whole human race. The human race had to remain truly human, in order for the promised savior to be born truly human. The second Adam, who was to die for the sin of the world must be the same species as the first Adam, who originated the sin of the world.

This angelic infiltration was a Satanic attack on the human race. He began with Eve in the garden and continues throughout human history, trying to sabotage God’s plan by corrupting humanity. If he could have prevented Jesus from being born truly human, there could have been no perfect atonement.

Wickedness abounded and multiplied through the influence of these demonic half-humans, to the point that God changed His policy (repented) toward mankind. He decided to blot out all living creatures and start over. This seems very harsh to modern mankind, but we must realize that the demon infiltration had corrupted not only the human race, but also the animal population. If you know anything at all about occult practices, you can think this through. I will not dwell on it here. Suffice it to say the earth had to be purged.

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:8-9

“blameless” means Noah was a man of integrity. And there’s that phrase again: he “walked with God.” That is a great testimony about a man living in the chaotic environment of his time. In spite of his evil surroundings, Noah kept in fellowship with God.

In order to preserve and continue the true human race, God told Noah to prepare an ark for his family and breeding stock of all the animals. It was going to rain, though it hadn’t before (Genesis 2:5-6), and flood the whole earth. Their survival and that of the air-breathing animals depended on that ark. God gave specifications for the ark. It was not a boat that could be steered, but a rectangular box that would float, until the waters subsided.

The ark was a type of Christ. In the ark, God’s people were kept safe and carried through the great calamity that destroyed everything else. As Enoch's disappearance was a type of rapture, Noah's ark experience seems to be a type of restored Israel's survival through the coming great tribulation. The Hebrew word for “pitch” means atonement. Atonement keeps out judgment.

Noah knew God had the power and authority to do exactly what He said He would do. Noah believed God would protect those who honored Him. Noah paid attention to the instructions God gave him, and obeyed. His obedience proved his faith. He had lots of history with God and His people. He hadn’t seen rain or a flood, but God said it was coming, so Noah prepared. It took 120 years (verse 3). For all those years, Noah and his sons built the ark and witnessed to their neighbors that the flood was coming. The people ignored the warnings and accelerated their wickedness.

The wicked earth-dwellers were condemned by their unbelief. Noah’s witness to them offered God’s grace, but they rejected. When God gave the command, Noah and his family entered the ark, along with all the animals God summoned to enter, and “the LORD shut him in.” Noah just built the ark, and stocked it with food. God called in the animals, and God shut the door. That was not a decision Noah had to make.

The great flood came and destroyed all the corrupted beings on the earth, and a truly human family began to replenish the race. God always allows a period of grace before judgment. Noah’s story clearly demonstrates this principle.

Noah’s was righteous because of his faith. The line of Christ was preserved through this true human with real integrity, who believed God and obeyed.