As we all know the world has been shaken with this COVID-19 pandemic. All throughout the world many have become sick and many have perished. Countless believers taken home early. However, even through this time we must remain faithful and continue to build in our walk. We must continue the work that God has placed in our hands. The building of our Faith is crucial for our spiritual lives. If we investigate the study of Noah and all he faced. We see a man that was truly Faithful, Obedient, and went through a trying time. It couldn’t have been easy but his Fear of the Lord, moved his Faith into action, leading him to Obedience. Noah displayed true reverence of the Lord by what was expected of him and did.
The bible tells us in Genesis 6:9, “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” This tells us that Noah was blameless, displayed integrity not easily moved by the surroundings. He had a sound mind, not wavering in his Faith. He was an eyewitness to the wickedness of the people, and this did not corrupt his way of thinking. His relationship with the Lord was solid. Noah walking with the Lord displays constant communion with God. In order for us to develop a solid relationship as Noah’s, we have to take notice that relationships are built on trust, intimacy, certainty, and love. Noah’s fear of the Lord moved him into action.
The bible tells us in Hebrews 11:7
7By 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
What is moving us? Is our Fear of the Lord directing us into action? Are we sound minded? Or are we looking at this pandemic and allowing fear to shake us, to overcome us, and keep us trapped in our fears of the pandemic. I’m sure we have all been shaken to our core, with the loved ones of others dying, sick and some alone. However, God still has a plan. He is still sovereign and is still Forever Present even now. He was with Noah at that time and He is still with us now.
The Lord was fed up with the humanity and speaks to Noah about His plan to send a flood. Now just as we have seen many sick and dying. Noah was a man that loved the Lord and he must have displayed love for humanity even in their wickedness. Although there was favor over Noah and his family, I’m sure this was not easy to understand. As individuals if we are not strong in our faith and trust in God, we can easily fall into anger with God and question God in His doings. We can easily fall and say, “God where are you in this Pandemic”? Someone asked me “Where do you think God is, in all this”? My response was, “He is still seated on the Throne, He alone has a plan”. Yes, its hurtful to see, yes, we are sad, but God still has a plan. For whatever reason God allowed this to happen we still must continue to build and be that light. Just as Noah was the light.
Let’s look at Noah.
God gives specific instructions for Noah. But I will focus on 3
- Make an ark-BUILD
- Go into the ark (family)
- Take food, gather
As I began to study, it brought to light all that we are facing at this present time. The quarantine interrupted all our lives. We are no longer able to come and go as we please. We are unable to see our loved ones. Our churches are closed, and some have lost jobs; children are now closed off in their homes. Total interruption!
See at times God will have to interrupt our lives, our plans to get our attention.
Noah, under the circumstances of knowing what God was going to do to the earth, He had to Build. He couldn’t waver in his thinking, as painful it might have been, that nobody will change. He continued to Build. It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. Continuously building not only the Ark, but in his Faith. He couldn’t afford to lose himself. His life depended on it. His Family needed saving. His Fear moved him into action, leading him into obedience. I’m certain Noah prayed for the humanity, I’m certain he wept for humanity, but he kept building, gathering what he needed to build.
What are you using to build?
Noah needed tools, wood amongst other things to keep things from falling apart as he built the Ark. The word of God is our foundation, that sustains us, it keeps us from falling apart. It keeps us on the task at hand. As we build, we are sharing the Gospel, we are preaching, we are speaking to the hearts to turn to Jesus. We are praying, we are crying with those that need us.
Part of being the Light of this world is by displaying that love. Do you think that Noah kept it to himself? Do you think that Noah, who loved the Lord, walked with God, as a just man kept it all to himself? I’m sure he preached, prayed and made supplications. So, despite what we see, despite what we all are facing, we must continue to preach, speak, pray and build. Reach the ones that we think can’t be reached. The bible tells us in Mathew 5:13-16,
13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”
What fascinates me about this is Noah’s obedience and faith through it all. He trusted God through it all. Noah built, He went into the Ark and gathered all he needed.
Does this sound familiar? God not only interrupted the life of a man, he quarantined him. Here we are in quarantine we had to be closed off, we had to now deal with being home. What Now? The building didn’t stop when God shut the door of the Ark. Noah had to continue in his faith. As the waters rise, God spared him. We weren’t there but all humanity was being wiped out, can you imagine the cries, the screaming, the people wailing. Maybe some banged on the Ark to let them in. Noah under the circumstances had to continue to remain faithful. This story is not to implement fear but to open our eyes, that we are seeing many things just as Noah, but we must continue to do what God told us to do. We were chosen for a purpose. That purpose is to continue this walk as the heirs of the kingdom of God, royal priesthood and proclaim the name of the Lord.
In 1 Peter 2:5-10 says it best. “9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Some of us are going crazy in the quarantine but take it as a sign for you to become more intimate with the Lord. Take is as a sign that we are not deserving of his grace and mercy, yet he chose us for a purpose. Stop, listen to what God is telling us as the body of Christ. We must continue to build in our Faith and trust in the Lord, not forgetting his commandments. Noah’s building had to continue. In closed quarters we can easily lose our faith, seeing all that is happening. Temptations and spiritual death can take over in this time, depression can overtake us. That is why its so important to continue in our faith, build up in the word that continues to build us.
What struck my mind in this study, not God wiping out humanity, but that God wanted to do something in the life of Noah. In this story we see God’s omnificence, omnipotence, omniscience and His omnipresence. Noah during this had come to see who His God truly was. There was a time of separation that needed to take place in the life of Noah. The life of Noah at that very moment in time opened a part of him like never before.
God Remembers Noah! What are you doing to be remembered?
What is this Quarantine going to do in your life? What will you do in the waiting?
Noah patiently waited on the Lord, for instructions.
Psalm 27:14
14Wait[e] on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Some of us are ready to step out of this quarantine to get back to what we think is the normality but are we waiting patiently. Are we waiting on God to direct us in our steps? Or are we desiring to step out of this quarantine with our own selfish desires, not learning a thing. Life will not be the same after the quarantine, just as it wasn’t for Noah. It was changed completely for Noah. However, his fear of the Lord, birthed out a renewed faith. Every step we take and decision we make coming out of this is just as important as the separation, (quarantine).
When it all was dry on the earth. God spoke. He instructs Noah to step out of the Ark with his family, and all the animals. The interesting part of this is that Noah built an Altar to the Lord. His life was forever changed.
Genesis 8:20-21
20Then 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. 21And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination[a] of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
Noah performed his role of Priesthood and offered up burnt offerings. God is who declares if a burnt offering is accepted. The soothing aroma that the Lord smelled shows us that He was pleased with Noah. Noah was obedient in every step of the way. The bible tells us in various occasion that “Noah did according to all that God commanded him, so he did”. God was pleased how he handled the circumstance, the devastation the separation thus delivering him. He blessed Noah and his family, Giving promises to him and the descendants after him.
What can we learn from this?
Everything that we do now in this time is crucial and important. Our lives depend on it. Our Lord reminds us we must continue to build in our walk.
Our lives must change, for God to be pleased with our offerings. We must not waver in our faith and take this time of separation to build in our relationship with the Lord, reach out to others, spread the Gospel. Our lives will be the sacrifice, so when the sweet fragrance reaches the Heavens, God can be pleased. In the beginning we saw that although Noah was a just man, blameless, he still had to go through this process of separation. Separation births out Renewed Faith, and strength
If we have taken the Lord for granted, If we have turned our back on the Lord for whatever reason, If we took His mercy for granted, If we have fallen short and sinned against our God.
Now is the time to ask for repentance, Now is the time to turn back to the Lord.
Now is the time to set our selfish desires to the pit of hell where they belong and let God Direct our every steps.
Jesus is coming soon, and we have to be able to hear from Heaven. Every decision and step in our spiritual lives is important and part of it is walking in His light and sharing that Light.
Hebrews 10: 19-25
19Therefore, brethren, having boldness[f] to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching
1 Peter 5:10
10But [f]may the God of all grace, who called [g]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, [h]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen