“Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations.” “Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” Noah is a type of Christ. He doesn’t compromise with the world’s culture. He walks with God. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” [2]
The Lord told Noah that He saw the violence and corruption of the people. His plan was to destroy them, but His covenant with Noah was to save him, his sons, and their wives, as well as some birds and animals of every existing kind. [3]
After the Lord cleansed the earth, “Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma...” [4]
“God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’” In regards to violence and destruction of human life, the Lord told Noah, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.” God wanted people. He wanted them to fill the world that He had made for them. Noah’s three sons and their three wives produced abundantly, and eventually the whole earth was populated. [5]
One of Noah’s descendants, a man named Nimrod, began to be a mighty one on the earth. He built nine cities including the city of Babel. In Babel, the people said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Nimrod helped the people to rebel against God. He rallied people to form a coalition with the intent of rebelling against God’s Word. At this point, the Lord confused their languages and “scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” [6]
What did God call Abraham to do? The Lord called Abraham to follow Him. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” [7]
Jesus said of the devil, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” [8] The devil wants people to build empires that unseat God from His rightful place in their lives. All such empires will perish. Those who join with the devil, his beastly leaders and his false prophets will perish with them. [9]
The good news is that God’s Word says that as many as received Him [Jesus – God’s Savior from sin], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” In Christ, God forgives all your sins. In Christ, you receive God’s Holy Spirit. In Christ, there is eternal life. God is creating a new heaven and a new earth where there is only righteousness, and Christ will give you a place with Him there, as you trust and follow Him. [10]
[1] Genesis 6:1-8
[2] Genesis 6:9, 22; Hebrews 11:7
[3] Genesis 6:11-21
[4] Genesis 8:20-21
[5] Genesis 9:1, 6-7, 18-19
[6] Genesis 10:8-12; 11:3-9
[7] Genesis 12:1-3; Hebrews 11:8-10
[8] John 10:10
[9] Revelation 20:10-15
[10] John 1:11-13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 3:13
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