Origins: The Beginning (Genesis 1–11)Sample

By Danny Saavedra

“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.’” Genesis 7:1 (NLT)

I recently read an article titled “Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Noah’s Ark.” Here are some highlights the author learned: 

1. Don’t miss the boat. 
2. Plan ahead: It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
3. Stay fit, because God doesn’t believe in retirement, and when you’re 600 years old, He may ask you to do something really big. 
4. Remember: the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.

Over the last week, we’ve identified a lot about Noah, chiefly that he was a man of faith. He was a man who walked with God and enjoyed close fellowship with Him. Today, though, I want to touch on how Noah’s faith was made evident: through his obedience. Noah was a man of obedience! 

In Genesis 7:1 it tells us that at just the right time, God 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.” He told Noah to build the ark; and he did, even before it started to rain. God told him to enter the ark, and he did that, too! Noah trusted the Lord would care for him and his family, that He would keep His promises and bring them through this storm. 

I have to imagine Noah must have put up with a lot of ridicule, people laughing at him! People would probably come for miles to see what the crazy old man was doing. But Noah never wavered or got discouraged, he never doubted. He just obeyed God, because He knew that His great God had a great plan. 

But guess what? Noah isn’t the most important aspect or figure in this story. Can you guess who the most important figure of the story is, besides God? It’s the ark!

God told Noah to go into the ark, for this would be the vessel of His salvation, a vessel that: 1) contained only one door, one way to salvation, and 2) did not contain a steering wheel! He called them into the ark because it was a place of refuge. The word refuge means something that provides safety, shelter, and security. 

The ark was God’s instrument of salvation for Noah and his family. The ark kept Noah and his family safe from the waters of God’s wrath. For us, we have a greater instrument of salvation: One who offers ultimate salvation, in whom we find eternal security, Jesus Christ! 

DIG: What set Noah apart from everyone else?

DISCOVER: What’s the difference between your timing and God’s?

DO: Thank the Lord today for the ark of salvation we have in Christ.