Storms of the Scriptures #1:
May 19, 2001
COMFORT THROUGH THE FLOOD
(Gen. 5-9)
INTRODUCTION:
(1) It was a sad October day in 1871 when Horatio Spafford stood by and watched most of his fortune burn in the great Chicago fire. However, it was only the beginning of a life of heartache and sorrow for him. Not only a life of physical pain and torture lay ahead, but also a life of spiritual blessing and the peace of God which passeth all understanding. A friend who had been observing Horatio Spafford throughout his trials and hardship said, "If he can feel like this after suffering what he suffered, I will cease my complaints."
Two years later on November 22, 1873, Spafford once again had to cling to God for His strength. His wife and children had been aboard the steamer, Villa de Harve, when it went down at sea. He waited for rescue reports, and finally the word came. A telegram from his wife stated, "SAVED ALONE." As he wept from the loss of his children, he picked up his pen and on the back of the telegram wrote: "When peace, like a river, my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, It is well with my soul."
The book of Psalms expresses the heart felt experiences of many of God’s people and gives comfort to those who go through floods of trials. The word "comfort" is found often in Ps 119. "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promises renew my life...I find comfort in them ... May your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant (vv. 50, 51, 76 NIV; cf vv. 81, 114, 143). (15) 51.50
(2) Noah’s name means rest or quiet. When he was born, his father gave this prophecy about his significance: he "shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD had cursed" (Gen. 5:29).
(3) One thing that survived the flood is the comfort that Noah was instrumental in providing. Sin had flooded the world before it was ever deluged with water. Think of the suffocating effect it had on any sense of righteousness. Yet Noah escaped by believing God and acting on His word. To Noah God made a promise that every person today benefits from. Never again will the earth be destroyed by flood - liquid that fills the world and chases every breathing thing to death by suffocation under water.
PROPOSITION: GOD PROVIDES PEOPLE OF COMFORT TO LEAD THROUGH LIFE’S FLOODS.
four thoughts on people of comfort
I. PEOPLE CAN BE A COMFORT WHEN THEY WALK WITH THE LORD.
A. Noah walked with the Lord (Gen. 6:8-9). He found grace with Him. Comfort is a product of being at peace with God. As God looked at Noah, He saw a righteous man (Gen. 7:1). To walk with the Lord a man must be at peace with Him and that in turn requires that we be righteous in His eyes.
B. God called Noah a righteous man (Ez 14:14,20). Interestingly enough, the patriarch is compared by Ezekiel with two other great men from the Old Testament, Daniel and Job. Ezekiel includes Noah in a list twice when he talks about outstanding examples of righteousness. What is startling about this mention is that Daniel is out of the normal chronological order. One would expect the order to be Noah, Job, and then Daniel. Since the order is not chronological, and since the list is mentioned twice, and since list order is often important in the Bible, there must be some other reason for the deviation. Since Ezekiel’s context is the lack of righteous in Israel which will eventually lead to the departing of the glory of God, the order must list from greatest to least examples of righteousness with which the readers would identify. Each man had to survive a test of his righteousness during the day in which lived. Job’s test was great but the environment he was in was not as taxing on righteousness as was Daniel’s. Daniel was taken at an early age and put into a secular, political, enemy environment which covered the rest of his life. In comparison, Job’s test lasted a very short time. However Noah faced testing in a day and age so bad that God chose to destroy it (Gen 6:5-7). It covered a span of time lasting almost half again as long as Daniel’s whole life.
C. Peter mentions that God was patient in Noah’s day while Noah fulfilled his calling as a preacher of righteousness (I Pe 3:20; II Pe 2:5). Because Noah walked with the Lord, it was relatively easy to predict where he was going. We need people who are going with the Lord. They are not always easy to follow, but it is fairly easy to tell where they are going. Noah followed God. Jesus said, "Follow me," while Paul said, "Imitate me inasmuch as I follow Christ" (Mt 16:24; I Cor 11:1). When you walk with the Lord , you will be a comfort because people will know where you are going .
D. Someone has said, Happy is the one who walks so close to God that he leaves no room for the devil. --(29) 132.85 Perhaps here it would not hurt to make our prayer the words of that old Negro spiritual Just A Closer Walk With Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee;
Grant it Jesus, if you please.
Daily walking close with Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, Let it be.
I am weak but Thou art strong.
Jesus keeps me from all wrong.
I’ll be satisfied as long,
As I walk, let me walk, close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares,
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Hymn 398, PRAISE!
II. PEOPLE ARE A COMFORT WHO DO WHAT THE LORD SAYS.
A. Noah did what God said (Gen 6:22). This included going obediently into the ark (Gen 7:6).
B. Hebrews records that Noah was moved with faith (Heb 11:6-7). Faith accepts God at His word and acts on that acceptance. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Noah’s faith was not dead (James 2:14-26). It lived, as is seen in actions like his response to God’s warning, his being moved with fear, his preparing of the ark, and his efforts to save his household from the world’s condemnation. Note that Noah inherited his righteousness by FAITH.
C. During NATO maneuvers in September 1988, a Dutch soldier, guarding a bridge, was left behind by his unit. He stayed at his post for five days, refusing to leave his post until ordered to do so. Sympathetic local villagers brought food and drink to the nineteen- year-old soldier, Johann Romers. They were impressed with his commitment to duty. He did what his superiors said (p. 30, 100.15). Noah prepared the ark for 120 years and stood against the ridicule. He did what his superior said. Today our righteousness is tested with the MTV (i.e., moral trash and vernacular) mentality. Rap lyrics encourage immorality and Hollywood continues to degenerate. We need the comfort of people who do what God says, people who stay at their post like Noah.
III. EVEN COMFORTING PEOPLE HAVE BLEMISHES (Noah got drunk, Gen 9:24).
A. Josephus comments on the glaring impropriety that makes us question the idea that Noah would be considered more righteous than Daniel.
Noah, when, after the deluge, the earth was resettled in its former
condition, set about its cultivation; and when he had planted it with
vines, and when the fruit was ripe , and he had gathered the grapes,
in their season, and the wine was ready for use, he offered sacrifice,
and feasted, and, being drunk, he fell asleep, and lay naked in an
unseemly manner. When his youngest son saw this, he came laughing,
and shewed him to his brethren; but they covered their father’s naked-
ness. ANTIQUITIES , chap VI, sec 3 (p. 31, #6-8)
B. Though Noah’s drunkenness cannot be excused, it must be observed that this is really the only discernible vice we find in the patriarch. It is very possible that Noah discovered the process of fermentation and only got drunk by accident. Perhaps it was a new revelation of the influences of the fall. Unger points out that beyond the records of this birth the scriptures tell us nothing of Noah till he was five hundred years old (p. 797, 220.3/Un). Though everything was not recorded about him and he likely had more faults, we must never forget God’s estimation of him. Noah was a man made righteous by faith. No one else in the whole world of his day was of equal character. It is just like imperfect man to desire perfection from every hero when the common knowledge is that this is impossible. Noah was wrong in getting drunk but he was still a comfort.
IV. THE COMFORTING PERSON’S INFLUENCE CAN OUTLAST HIS LIFE
A. God blessed Noah (Gen 9:1). This blessing passed on to Noah’s family. The name of Noah’s father, Lamech, was the same as the arrogant descendant of Cain. There are more than a few similarities between the names of the two family lines. There was quite a bit of interaction between them and the influence was not for the better. Destruction came because of the degradation introduced into the human race. Through Noah though there was a new start. All alive today are his descendants. The blessing of Noah survives today.
B. Noah was given a token of promise which we call the rainbow (Gen. 9:17). When we see the rainbow God looks at it also and remembers His commitment to Noah. Floods are scary killers. Think of what it must have been like to be chased by rising waters from which there is no escape. It will never again be like that over all the world because God made a promise to comforting predecessor of ours. God even reiterates this promise and compares it to His commitment to the nation of Israel (Is54:9).
C. James Hudson Taylor made a decision to serve God in the 18th century and his great-grandson, James Hudson Taylor III, detailed for Moody Monthly the Lord’s faithfulness to at least eight Hudson generations because of that one decision: "You belong to Him. You were bought with a price. Let Him be Lord in your in your life. And be prepared to trust Him when He says, ’If you will take care of the things that are dear to me, I will take care of those who are dear to you.’" -- (53) 129.9
CONCLUSION:
(1) The ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat on the 17th day of Nisan. The 14th day would later be remembered as the day of Passover. Three days past that would be the day on which the tomb of Christ would be discovered empty. The day Noah’s ark came to rest was the day of resurrection.
(2) In Matthew 16:25,26, Jesus clearly teaches that anyone who spends his life gaining material things to the neglect of possessing eternal life, is the greatest of losers. Jesus is the greatest of comforters who brings us through the flood of sin.
(3) Noah was a comfort but people had to get in his boat.
We can be a comfort but we have to bear the burdens of others.
Christ is a comfort but you have trust Him with your spiritual weight.
