Our text today is from Genesis 6:1-22. As Romans 15:4 teaches, we can learn much from the Old Testament characters. Noah has many great lessons to teach us, but today we focus on his courageous love.
- God records in our reading that the wickedness of man was great and that his thoughts were continually evil. But, not Noah. When men love, they are not wicked. When men consciously try to obey God, they love.
- The earth was corrupt (v. 11), but Noah was just and upright (v. 9). He stood alone, without encouragement from anyone outside his family. When someone is obeying God, those who are not often feel “judged.” This is often because their conscience tells them that those obeying God have chosen the right course (cf. Hebrews 11:7). Nevertheless, to soothe that conscience the ungodly often attack the work and character of the godly. With courage, the godly continue to stand with God.
- When one loves God, they also love the men around them (1 John 4:20-21). When you love those around you, you cannot let them lose their soul with trying to warn them. Noah was the only preacher of God in his day. He stood alone trying to save his fellow man from both spiritual and physical. The record of his preaching is not found in the account we are studying, but in 2 Peter 2:5.
May the wounds that we cause to others always be those which can make them safe before God. The wounds from a friend are true.
Mike Glenn (e-bulletin 1-6)