BY FAITH NOAH
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
It’s interesting to see that this verse begins and ends with the words, by faith. For Noah was moved by faith after being spiritually warned of God of the upcoming world wide judgment. And having acted upon that revelation, he then became an heir of the righteousness which is only had by faith.
Abel is a look at the Worship of Faith. Enoch is a look at the Walk of Faith. And Noah is a look at the Work of Faith. In Abel we see the Lord Jesus dying, as the righteous sacrifice. In Enoch we see the Lord Jesus living, as well pleasing before his translation. And in Noah we see the Lord Jesus saving, as he prepares for the salvation of his family.
Faith and Fear
Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Fear and faith can occupy the same heart at the same time! Noah’s faith saw the invisible God and His warning was taken very seriously. Coupled with his faith was a reverential fear of that God, which brought a diligence about his task. For the faith that is without works is a dead faith! This is the same for every believer in every generation! The Apostle Paul writes of the awareness of God’s sovereign power and judgment as his motivation to diligence in 2 Corinthians 5:11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
This apostle also calls us to faithful service, with godly fear, that alone is acceptable in the kingdom of the Lord! Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire. Acceptable service to the glorious Majesty is never without godly fear and reverence!
The warning of God brought a knowledge of both the severity and the urgency of the hour. The knowledge of the approaching day of the coming of the Lord should do the same for us! Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. And the Apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
We must be careful that we do not allow the spirit of apathy that is blanketing our land, nor the over reacting to the charge of ‘date setting,’ to make us dull in looking for the return of our dear Lord! For the belief in his second coming should be just as strongly held to as his bearing our sin on the cross! For they are both contained in the one verse of Hebrews 9:28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (That is, when he appears the second time he shall have no more provision for sin, nor sinners! Salvation’s day will have ended! Rev. 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still:…).
We are frequently instructed by the Spirit of the Scriptures to be mindful of the return of our Lord. Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
In fact this doctrine causes us to seek to be more godly. Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The confusion in our day within Christendom concerning the second coming of the Lord has wrecked havoc in the purity in the souls of those claiming to be believers! Soul’s are purified by provided affliction. But religionists in our day believe that any affliction in their lives is of the Devil! They even have a false doctrine of some secret rapture to relieve themselves of any tribulation that shall occur on earth! But listen to these verses.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Corinthians 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. Notice that both of these last two verses say, “IN” all our tribulation; not “FROM” our tribulation! For the entrance into the kingdom is provided through “much tribulation!” Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
The Evidence of the Late Hour
Genesis 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. The days of Noah are one of the days of which the Lord stated that the days of his return would be like! (Matt. 24:37, Lk. 17:26). In those days there was a termination of all the people on the earth except those in the safety of the ark.
And those days are also stamped with the translation of Enoch. He pictures those mortals who shall put on immortality. (1 Cor. 15:53,54). These are those born again believers who are also alive physically upon the return of the Lord, for they, like Enoch, shall go into the presence of the Lord without dying. While those in the graves are referred to as the corruptible who must put on incorruption. So we too, face the day of all flesh being terminated in their natural live upon the earth! So what is the evidence of this late hour? Let’s just see the pattern of these days and not adopt the silly conjectures of the spirit of the Harlot!
First, men who walked with God made known their visions to their generation! Gen. 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. In both Genesis 5:24 and 6:9 it is recorded that Enoch and Noah walked with God! In this fellowship and communion they came to see the revelation of God’s purposes. For in Amos 3:3 we read, Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
And these men did not keep what they came to know by their walk with God from their fellowmen! For we have Enoch’s sermon listed out for us in Jude. Listen to his message!
Jude 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
He warns that the Lord is coming, bringing his saints with him! And he warns that all will have to give account of their deeds! He gave sound warning for them to flee from the wrath to come! – And he saw all the way into our age, here at the ends of the world! (1 Cor. 10:11 … upon whom the ends of the world are come.)
And of Noah we read in 2 Peter 2:5, And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; We can see by these verses that both the worlds of Noah and Enoch knew everything that these witnesses knew! But it was like the ministry of Jeremiah the prophet! The people would not heed their message! Jer. 7:13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
Secondly, it is a late hour when the Holy Spirit has exhausted His striving with men! Gen. 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. And once the Spirit of the Lord has been vexed, even the former intercessors cannot avail in pleading for the Lord’s mercy! Jeremiah 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Jer. 15:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
Ezek. 14:13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
There shall come a similar day upon this same planet of which our Lord spoke in his ministries’ end. Luke 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Rev. 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
“for that he also is flesh” – 1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Then all of Adam’s race is gathered into two distinct groups. – Those of the flesh, whom it is not possible to renew again. The other of the Spirit, prepared to enter into the joys of the Lord!
Pastor Gene Breed
