THE DAYS OF NOAH
I PETER 3:20
INTRODUCTION
The lesson of the hour is about the days of Noah. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. I would observe that the righteousness of Noah was in the message he presented, which was from God. Only what God says is righteous. Mans devisement of what is righteous does not make it righteous.
Isa. 64:6 All our righteousness is as filthy rags.
Things we devise as righteous are not righteous, only what God devises
is righteous. The idea of filthy rags was from the
lepers of that day. The lepers would wrap themselves with rags.
The rags of the lepers were filled with the rot of the
flesh. Pieces of the flesh was wrapped by rags when the rags
were filled with the corruption and waste, they were discarded.
This is how my righteousness compares with the righteousness of God.
What I determine, or make up in my mind is not righteous, unless it is in following God's righteous will.
Prov. 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right to a man but the end therof is ways of death.
A great statement made concerning Noah is this:
Gen. 6:22 And all that God commanded, so did Noah.
This thought is an imperative for us today. What God commands is what we need to do.
Religious division is not over what God says, but rather what God has not said. That is where all the division comes in.
If we did things as God commanded and says, then there would be
no division. We would be of one mind, one spirit, and
mind the same things.
I Cor. 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, through
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you;
but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
SOME FACTS ABOUT NOAH
Noah lived to be 950 years of age. Noah's father was Lamech who lived 777 years old. If Lamech had lived to be 666 years old, then a lot of people would run scared, and be frightened of Lamech.
One fellow asked a while back, "Preacher, do you know what the 666 of Revelation means"? I said, "I think I do, but mister what you need to be concerned with is that we live in a sick, sick, sick, generation". That is what people need to be concerned about today.
A man said, "I bought a car tag one time and it had two sixes on it, and I would not even accept the tag. I took it back. The tag just had two sixes but I didn't want to even be close to three sixes". Well that is really something how people get all disturbed by these type of things.
The book of Revelation was signified in language.
Rev. 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave him to show unto his servants,
even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified
it by
his angel unto his servant John;
People get caught up in things not revealed and worry about these things instead of the soul.
Deut. 29:29 The secret things belong to God but the things revealed belong to us.
The way I know the Bible is authentic and inspired of God, is because
it says so! Not only that, but no man can understand
every bit of it. I can take a book by man and understand it.
Give me an algebra book and a year, and I can work every problem in it. I'll work every problem in an algebra book backwards and forward. I'm good at working problems backward according to one of my math teachers.
The books written by a man can be understood. The Bible was authored
by God and his plan can be understood though every detail might not be
clearly understood.
Eph. 5:17 Be ye not unwise but understand the will
of God.
The more I understand about the Bible, the more I see that I don't know. That is a fact! It humbles me to pick up the Bible and read the beautiful and marvelous words of redemption.
The whole Bible from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 is about the plan of redemption for mortal man. God's concerned about our redemption. That iss what the Bible is all about.
The genealogies are given are so we can see the pure bloodline of Christ.
The lineage is just as God promised through
Abraham, Jacob, Judah, David all the way unto Jeconiah.
The father of Noah was Lamech, his grandfather was Methuselah,
who lived to be 969 years old. When God sums up Methuselah there
is not much said. The main thing we know about Methuselah is that
he lived a long time!
Jesus lived 33 years, and from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, we read what he had to do with man and his redemption.
Quantity is not as important as the quality of life we live.
Not how long we live, but how good we live.
Death is no respecter of persons. Whether a babe who cannot form a word, or a man in the prime of life, or an aging octegenarian tottering on a cane or staff. Death is no respecter of person.
The name of Noah means rest. Noah's father, Lamech was 182 when he was born, he called Noah rest.
All the names in the beginning had a meaning. His father may have
named him this because he was going to turn things
over to Noah, and rest late in his life.
A city born man said, "farmers have it made". Farming will never
be easy, because we are fighting the weeds, elements, and
other things that man can't control.
Noah would be a help to his father. Noah rose up as an adult and had three sons.
The sons of Noah are unique in their allegiance to God and their father.
They had respect for their father and by their faith saved their wives from the flood.
I have a deep respect for these sons of Noah.
The sons did not doubt their father and his faith. They followed after the teaching Noah received from God.
Noah was able to save his wife, sons, and daughter-in-laws. This
man was a great success in his family life.
THE FAITH OF NOAH
Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Gen. 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
God repented that he had made man. Not repented of as if he sinned, but had a change of heart or mind toward his creation.
One fellow said, " why did God say that when he knew what they would do?
God can see anything in the future he wants to but I am not sure God always chooses to look.
Maybe he can choose not to look.
There are some things impossible for God to do
God cannot Lie.
Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who
cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
Heb. 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which
it is impossible for God to lie, we may
have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the
hope
set before us:
God can't save a man that won't believe in him.
II Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some count slackness;
but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
God cannot look upon sin.
Hab. 1:13 Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold
evil, and that canst not look
on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously,
and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more
righteous than he;
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Gen. 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
Every thought and imagination of man was evil and wicked. This
sounds like what we read in the newspapers today.
Man has grown evil and sinful. Our day and age is filled with
the devisement of evil and sin.
Television is filled with filth and ungodliness. People have
to rate movies.
Somebody says, "G" means good.
"PG" pretty good.
"R" is rotten.
"X" is estra rotten.
Used to be the only thing the cowboy kissed in a movie, was his horse. Now because of our sinfulness the cowboy kisses women all over, and even kisses other men.
Noah was able to find grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Gen. 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
God did not take out his anger and wrath on all people. He punished the disobedient and wicked.
One man said about his wife, "when she is mad takes out
her anger on everybody". He said, "when she walks in a room
she sprays everybody with her anger."
God says I will destroy all flesh. He was going to bring a great flood on the earth.
Likely it may have never rained because the earth may have still been watered by the mist over the earth.
Gen. 2:6 but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
Noah believed God, even though he had never seen a great flood before:
Heb. 11:7 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath
of the king: for he endured,
as seeing him who is invisible.
I don't know how much rain Noah had seen before, but there had never been a flood like this on the earth.
Gen. 7:12 God caused it to rain 40 days and
40 nights.
Noah was commanded to built an ark. The ark was 450 feet, a football field and a half long. 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 1,508,795 cubit feet.
Scientist have discovered that taking the longest and largest animal there was, and two of the unclean animals that all the creratures could easily fit on the ark.
Two rats could have stayed in a woman's shoe, although the woman wouldn't have stayed in the shoe.
There was plenty of room on the ark for all that God spared. The boat was built from gopher wood. All that God commanded Noah did.
Gen. 6:22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Noah did not substitute anything, he did all that God said!
No where in the new Testament does God say, "thou shalt not play a piano or an instrument in worship", but he does say sing.
Matt. 26:30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives.
Mark 14:26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives.
Acts 16:25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns unto God,
and the prisoners were listening to them;
Rom. 15:9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God
for his mercy; as it is written,
Therefore will I give praise unto thee among the Gentiles, And sing
unto thy name.
I Cor. 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the
spirit, and I will pray with
the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing
with the understanding also.
Eph. 5:19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts unto God.
Heb. 2:12 saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren, In the midst of
the congregation will I sing thy praise.
Jam. 5:13 Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Rev. 5:9 And they sing a new song, saying,
Every time he mentions worship in the church and our praise of God, the word singing is used not playing!
I have never come in contact with a person but what admitted that it would be alright to do what God says and that alone!
When God tells us to do something, we need to obey his commands. God means what he says.
Noah did that which God commanded him to do.
The ark was constructed just as God said, right down to the type of wood and the pitch that was used.
While Noah is building the ark, he is preaching the message God has given him. A great flood will come and only those on the ark will be saved.
We need to preach what God has given us through the Bible.
People like to ask what I think about something. If they ask me something concerning religion I tell them what the Bible says and that is all. I tell them to read and see what God has said not man.
Now if they ask me about a strawberry pie, or an automobile, or anything
like that, I tell them what I think about it. I want people
to know what God and the Bible says. I believe just as it is written.
Everything that has anything to do with our salvation we can understand.
Eph. 3:3-5 how that by revelation was made known
unto me the mystery, as I
wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive
my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other generation
was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed
unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
God has not given us anything to do to go to heaven that we can't understand.
The secret things that belong to him has nothing to do worth my soul salvation.
Isa. 34:6 Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read.
Noah preached just what God wanted him to preach, but did not have a lot of evangelistic success, if you measure in numbers.
Man had 120 years before his destruction. Noah preached but the
people refused to hear the message!
Noah was able to save his wife, sons, and daughter-in-laws. I
hope we can live and convert our families to the will of God.
I hope on the day of judgement our families will be saved as was the
family of Noah.
CONCLUSION
Noah did all that God commanded. Have you obeyed the Lord's commands?
To be prepared for the coming of the Lord we must obey his word.
Believe Jesus Christ as God's son, John 8:24
Repent and turn from sin, Luke 13:3-5
Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
Be Baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10
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