A STUDY IN GENESIS
So often I hear the question of, “How will I know if God is calling me to do BLANK?” Most people attribute this question to specific times in their life, but that would be to their detriment. We should always be seeking to know what God is telling us personally. How do we do this? By walking with the Lord, Noah is a prime example of this. Genesis 6:9b “Noah walked with God.” Ironically, many people (myself included) like to talk about Enoch walking with the Lord, Genesis 5:21a “Enoch walked with God” but Noah did this as well. Both walked with the Lord in the same time when the world was desperately wicked. For the world, evil was constantly on their mind. However, Enoch and Noah walked with God. Now we know that Enoch was raptured, Genesis 5:24 “And Enoch walked with God and He was not, for God took him.” Noah however, was given a command.
Have you ever had God give you a specific command? I am not talking to the deniers nor the doubters, but those who earnestly know what I am talking about. His voice to His sheep is clear and precise. Jesus makes this evidently clear in John 10:3-4 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 “When He puts forth all His own, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” Noah knew this even in his day. The most important verse in chapter six of Genesis is the final verse, Genesis 6:22, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” Without this verse, without Noah walking with the Lord and doing what he was told to do, we die! We have no salvation, we have nothing but eternal damnation. Noah’s obedience allowed for Noah to save his family and all his children’s children. Noah’s obedience allowed for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be born, for the tribes to be established, and later for salvation to be born of a virgin, the Son of God to be our only hope. Imagine if he said, “Not today, Lord” or “I need personal time?”
Now with that in mind, let’s read Genesis 6:11-22 “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14 “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 “This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 “You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 “Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 “As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.”
I want to highlight three things for you today.
First: When God talks, shut up. Peter was reminded of this at the mount of transfiguration, Luke 9:35 “Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”
Second: When God is specific, do it! Imagine if Noah did not do the dimensions of the ship according to what God, the designer of all things told him?
Third: Even if you do not understand why you are doing it, rest assured on God’s Word. Noah must have been the laughingstock to many people, until the flood came. We will talk more about that in a future post.
Our relationship with God is precious, it is not just personal salvation but more! It is God having a relationship with us and the ability for God to use us for great things. These great things are not because you and I are great, but rather the Person who called us to action is great. None of the disciples were great men, but rather they are to this day great because they answered the call. Noah in his day answered the call; examine the book of Hebrews where it is written about Noah, Hebrews 11:7, “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.” This can only happen if you are walking with God. Too many Christians today are using God as an app, as a quick two minute study time instead of walking with the Lord. There is no set daily time to this relationship, but rather action of being in relationship with Him. Consider your ways and ask the Lord to answer and see just how quickly He does.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL