NOAH – COMMITTED TO OBEYING GOD
The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says that the word “commit” means “to obligate or pledge oneself.” A person who is committed has made a personal pledge to be faithful to a person, an organization, or an idea.
Commitment is surely lacking in our society today. Married couples forsake their marriage commitment, and husbands leave wives and wives leave husbands. Young people choose living together instead of getting married because they don’t want the responsibilities that marriage brings. Full service at a grocery store or gas station is almost unheard of these days, because CEOs have deemed that making money and staying cost effective is more important that being committed to the customer. And, of course, there are millions of people across our country today that call themselves Christians that never commit themselves to being faithful to church, reading their Bibles, or speaking to God through prayer.
As we go through this series, I pray that you are inspired to be committed in every area of your life. Over the next several weeks we are going to look at the stories of some of the people in the Bible that were committed. Some were committed to their family, some were committed to living for Christ, and some were committed to prayer, but all of them were committed to someone or something. Today we will look into the life of Noah, who was committed to obeying God.
Obedience is a funny thing. You might obey someone simply because you fear them. I don’t know about you, but there were plenty of times that I obeyed my parents when I was younger simply because I didn’t want an appointment with a belt or a switch. There are a lot of people that obey the laws because they are afraid that they will be caught and be thrown into jail or have to pay a fine.
Then there are those people that choose to obey someone in hopes of getting a reward for it. Maybe you had a teacher back in school that said something like this: “Now boys and girls, if everyone gets their work finished, we’ll spend an extra ten minutes outside at recess today.” If those students get all their work finished, was it because they were committed to do what was right to do, or because they thought that they would be rewarded if they obeyed?
Finally, there are some who obey simply because they love the person they are obeying. When I was a boy, I would do anything for my grandfather because I loved him so much. The reason I loved him so much is because it was very obvious that he loved me too. It’s very easy to obey someone that has your best interests at heart.
Of course, there may be times that we obey someone for a combination of some or all of these reasons. Sometimes we have multiple motivations to obey. Those students that got all of their work finished to get an extra ten minutes of recess may have also just loved their teacher, and had been taught by their parents that it was good to finish their work. One of the important things that you should do to examine yourself is to ask yourself what motivates you to obey others. You may be surprised at what you find.
Noah may have been motivated to obey for a combination of these reasons as well. The world was in a terrible state in Noah’s day. Listen to what the Bible has to say about it.
5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the LORD said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the LORD.
9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 10 Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!” (Genesis 6:5–13)
Wickedness and sin were everywhere. God said that everything that mankind thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Have you ever been around someone that had a dirty mind? No matter what you say around them, they can turn it around and make something nasty out of it. Profanity was prevalent. Lust was rampant. Men viewed women solely as property and sex objects. Parents did not care about the well being of their children. The elderly were forsaken and forgotten, left to fend for themselves. The scripture said that violence was everywhere. People murdered and raped just for the fun of it. Lawlessness was the order of the day, and no one thought about things like mercy, justice, love, and fairness.
But there was one man that found favor in the eyes of the Lord. His name was Noah. Verse nine says that “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” Could you imagine living in a world like Noah lived in? Could you imagine being the only righteous person in the entire world? I am sure that Noah was grieved at the sin and evil that surrounded him every day. Because Noah was committed to obeying God, he was salt and light to a generation corrupted by decay and darkness.
One of the words God used to describe the world in Noah’s day was corrupt. The Hebrew word translated “corrupt” refers to decay, like the decay that takes place on a dead body. In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus told his disciples
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
One of the uses of salt back in the days before refrigeration was that it was used as a preservative. Meat would be salted, and the salt would draw the moisture out of the meat, helping it to keep from spoiling as fast. One of the responsibilities that we have as Christians is to act as salt in a world of decay. Our presence in society may not stop evil and wickedness, but it should surely slow it down. When Christians pray and stand up for righteousness, Satan is hindered. Sadly, many churchgoers today are content to live like the world, and they never make a commitment to obey God.
Noah did commit to obeying God. And even though he was surrounded by evil, God allowed mankind to live for another hundred years simply because Noah was righteous. I have heard some people ask why our nation is still enjoying the blessings of God even after we have rejected Him in our society. I believe that it is because there are still righteous people in our country, and God is blessing all of us because of the few that have committed to obey Him.
I heard a story once about a sixteen-year-old boy that approached his father and said, “Dad, I’m sixteen now. When I get my license, can I drive the family car?” His dad looked at him and said, “Son, driving the car takes maturity, and first, you must prove you are responsible enough. And one way you must do that is to bring up your grades. They are not acceptable. Second you must read the Bible every day. And finally, I want you to get that hair cut; it looks outrageous.” The son began the task of fulfilling his father’s requirements, knowing that the last might be impossible.
When his grades came out he came to his dad with a big smile. “Look, Dad, all A’s and B’s on my report card. Now can I drive the family car?” “Very good, son. You are one-third of the way there, but have you been reading the Bible?” the father replied. “Yes, Dad, every day,” said the son. “Very good, son. You are two-thirds of the way there. Now when are you going to get that hair cut?” The son, thinking he could outsmart his dad, responded, “Well, I don’t see why I should get my hair cut to drive the car. Jesus had long hair, didn’t he?” The father looked at his boy and said, ‘That’s right son, and Jesus walked everywhere he went.” (1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, Michael Hodgin)
Just like that boy, some of us try to do the least amount that we can to still be considered obedient. We look for loopholes. Sure, we’ll obey God in some things. We won’t kill anyone, but we’ll gossip about them behind their back. We may not commit adultery, but we’ll allow ourselves to be carried away with lustful thoughts. We’ll love others, but only if they love us first. But here’s the thing. Obedience like that is no different than the world’s obedience. It is motivated by fear or the hopes of getting a reward. God doesn’t want us to obey part way…He wants complete obedience. Complete obedience is one way that we let our lights shine in a world of darkness. If Christians never act any different than the lost, then what makes us any different to the lost in their eyes?
What about you? Are you committed to obeying God? Is the way that you obey Him a witness to the world around you? Or are you simply doing what little bit you can in order to feel good about yourself and to call yourself “obedient?”
Secondly, it wasn’t easy, but Noah was committed to obeying God. Look at what God told Noah to do back in Genesis 6:
14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Leave an 18-inch opening* below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.
17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”
22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
Could you imagine God telling you to do this? What went though Noah’s mind as God told him what to do? Did he think, “Where am I going to get the money to buy all this lumber?” Did he worry about what his neighbors would think? How strange would it be for your next door neighbor to build a huge boat out in the middle of the desert? Don’t forget that Noah didn’t have any power tools to help him complete his project. And, to top it off, God had told him to gather two of every kind of animal and to put them in the ark with enough food and provisions to sustain them for over a year! How many of us would have given up even before we started?
But Noah was committed to obeying God. Sure it would be difficult. Sure he would be mocked and made fun of. Sure it would mean making sacrifices. It would literally take decades of hard work. But Noah obeyed. And his obedience proved that he loved God and believed what he said. The last verse of Genesis 6 says that “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” (v. 22)
1 John 2:3–6 says:
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Our obedience proves that we love God and that we believe what He says. Obedience is faith and love in action. Noah could have told God, “Ok God, I believe that the world will be destroyed by a great flood,” yet chosen to do nothing about it. It’s easy to say that you believe, but it is another thing to prove it by the way you act. John had some strong words about this. He says that if a person claims to know God but is not obedient to Him, then that person is a liar. Our obedience proves how much we love Him.
What about you? Are you one of those people that claim to know God, but your life is devoid of any evidence that proves it? Do you stand in church and sing, “Oh, How I Love Jesus,” but never do anything that He says? Do you know who you are fooling? Yourself. God knows what is in your heart, and anyone who truly knows you isn’t fooled either.
It may be difficult to obey God, but it is worth it. You may have to sacrifice. You may have to skip your favorite TV program, or miss a ballgame. You may have to carve out some time during the week to go to church or to read your Bible and pray. You may have to give up something you really like to do. But your willingness to do these things proves your love for God. Noah was committed to obeying God because he loved Him and really believed what God said.
By the way, notice that Noah did EVERYTHING that God said. God told him that he wanted three decks on the ark, so Noah built three decks. God told him the exact dimensions that the ark should be, and that is what Noah built. God told Noah when to enter the ark, and that is exactly when Noah entered.
God commands us in his Word to be faithful in our church attendance, to pray without ceasing, to tell others about Him, to love God and to love others, to be honest in our dealings with one another, and the list goes on and on. I hear people say things like, “I don’t think that you really have to go to church and read your Bible to be a Christian.” If you say things like this you are calling God a liar! Sure, doing all those things doesn’t have anything to do with your salvation, but God still expects you to do them! He COMMANDS you to do them! What if Noah would have chosen to do only some of what God said? Would we even be here today?
Finally, because Noah was committed to obeying God, he and his family were saved. Genesis 7:1–10 says:
When everything was ready, the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. 3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. 4 Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.”
5 So Noah did everything as the LORD commanded him.
6 Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth. 7 He went on board the boat to escape the flood—he and his wife and his sons and their wives. 8 With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. 9 They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. 10 After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth.
The world was against him…literally. He had been mocked and persecuted for over a century. It had been decades of difficult, grueling work. But verse 5 says, “Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.” Not only was Noah able to gather all the animals into the ark, but he gathered his family as well. Notice that the Bible doesn’t say anything about the righteousness of his family. Noah is identified as the only righteous person on the planet. But because of his righteousness, God allowed Noah’s family to have a seat on the ark.
People come to me every now and then and ask me to pray for their lost loved ones. They say things like, “I just don’t know what is holding them back. I invite them to church and tell them that they ought to go, but they just won’t listen.” But many of those people don’t realize that they have not committed themselves to obey God. They invite people to church, but don’t go themselves. They tell their loved ones that they will pray for them, but because they are out of fellowship with God, their prayers are not answered. I am not saying that if we are committed to obeying God our families and loved ones are guaranteed to seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but I am saying that if you are committed to obeying God yourself, those closest to you will know that you really love God and that you believe what He says. If they see that you faithfully attend church, they’ll be convinced that it is important to you. If they see you pray and read your Bible, then they will know that you are serious about your relationship with God.
What about you? Are you giving your lost loved ones a reason not to take your Christianity seriously? Do you expect them to obey God in ways that you are unwilling to obey yourself? Your lack of commitment to obey God could be an obstacle in the path of your family becoming believers.
In a world corrupted by sin, Noah committed himself to obeying God. God expects you as a believer to commit yourself to obeying Him in all areas of your life. The dark and decaying world around you needs you to be light and salt in order that they may recognize their sin and turn from it. Your obedience to Him proves that you love Him and that you believe what he says. Your commitment to obedience may be the deciding factor in your loved ones choosing Christ as their Lord and Savior. Jesus said to His disciples, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21) Have you made the commitment to obey God?
I would like to close by reading the first eight verses of Psalm 119. If you have never read this psalm, or if it has been a while since you have read it, take some time today to read it. It is the longest “chapter” of the Bible – 176 verses. Do you know what it is about? Almost every verse is about the importance of hearing and obeying God’s Word. I think that it is significant that the longest chapter in the Bible is about obeying. What does that tell us about what God expects from us?
1 Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the LORD.
2 Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.
4 You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
5 Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!
6 Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with your commands.
7 As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
8 I will obey your decrees.
Please don’t give up on me!
(Song)
