The Flood (3) Series

Genesis 8-9 The Flood (3)

Some lessons from the flood

- Read Genesis 6:9, 8:1-9:29

For several weeks now, we have looked at the Flood, the deluge in the days of Noah. This morning I would like to wrap that up with a few items, a few lessons we can learn from Noah and his family’s encounter with God.

I. YOU CAN WALK WITH GOD REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WORLD DOES

You can walk with God regardless of what the world does.

- Genesis 6:9

. . . Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.

These are some sad days in our country and around the world. These can be some difficult days.

This past weekend, Christians holding worship services outdoors in Portland Oregon, were attacked by members of Antifa. Children and adults were pepper sprayed by the mask-wearing thugs, and the church’s sound equipment was thrown into the river.

Discouraging.

Pastors and church-planters in Afghanistan have received warning letters from the Taliban taking over the country as US troops withdraw, saying, “We know who you are and where you are.”

These can be difficult and trying days to be a Christian as we so often see the values that we have long treasured being mocked and attacked.

I imagine things were a bit tough in Noah’s day as well. The Lord says several times, in the count of the flood and the years of preparation leading up to it, that mankind’s thoughts were on evil all the time”. Yet, in spite of this, the Bible records that, “. . . Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.”

My friend, you can walk with God regardless of what the world does. Don’t you let them get you down. Don’t you let them discourage you, or get you to throw in the towel and quit.

And look, even when you come here, or if you attend other churches, Jesus warned that there will be wolves in sheep clothing and tares among the wheat.

Don’t let the world out there, nor imperfect, or pretend saints in here keep you from walking with the Lord and keep you from being who God has called you to be.

At a time when all the world had turned its back on God, the Bible records, “Noah was a righteous man and walked with God.”

The Bible doesn’t say that Noah’s wife was a righteous woman, though that would have made his walk and his life easier. It doesn’t record that his sons and his daughter-in-laws were righteous, though that would have been encouraging. It records, Noah was a righteous man and walked with God.

You see my friend, where you are in your walk with God is dependent on you and no one else.

You can walk with God regardless of what the world does.

Second, walking with God isn’t always pleasant.

II. WALKING WITH GOD ISN’T ALWAYS PLEASANT

- Read 7:11-13; 8:13-16

When we think of the Flood, and of the ark, we often remember that it rained 40 days and 40 nights. What we don’t often think of is that even though it rained for that long, Noah and his family were stuck on that boat for a year or more; from the 27th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 600th year, to the 27th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 601st year.

A year. That’s a long time to be stuck on a boat.

Gladys and I recently had that Covid stuff. Thank the Lord we weren’t too terribly sick, but we were locked down for a while.

Now the first 2 or 3 days we were sick enough we didn’t really feel like doing anything, but after that, I had to get out of the house. I couldn’t get around people, but I had to get out of the house. I came down here and worked some. I got on a few roofs, but I had to get out of the house. There is only so much sitting around a person can do.

Now, imagine that you’re stuck on a boat for a year. Any we’re not talking about the love boat. We’re not talking about a cruise ship with a casino and a buffet 3 times a day. We’re talking about a place where there are chores to do each day, where there are animals to feed, and poop to shovel.

Those of you who grew up on a farm, have you ever been in a barn the first thing in the morning when all of the animals have woken up and gone to the bathroom for the first time of the day? Kind of aromatic isn’t it?

These folks lived in the world’s biggest barn, doing chores everyday for a year. I imagine there were times when that could get old. I imagine there were times when the chores would get tiring, and the smell overwhelming. Can’t you imagine Noah walking through the boat and saying to himself, “This would be a good place for a stickup.”