HERO OF FAITH FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE

Meet Noah: A Righteous Man

The Bible Says Noah Was Blameless Among the People of His Time

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 Noah Building the Ark by Vittorio Bianchini. SuperStock / Getty Images

by Mary Fairchild

Updated April 13, 2017

In a world taken over by evil, violence, and corruption, Noah was a righteous man. However, Noah wasn't just a righteous man; he was the only follower of God left on the earth. The Bible says he was blameless among the people of his time. It also says he walked with God.

Living in a society saturated with sin and rebellion against God, Noah was the only man alive that pleased God. It's hard to imagine such unwavering faithfulness in the midst of total godlessness.

Over and over again, in the account of Noah, we read, "Noah did everything just as God commanded." His life of 950 years, exemplified obedience.

During Noah's generation, the wickedness of man had covered the earth like a flood. God decided to restart humanity with Noah and his family. Giving very specific instructions, the Lord told Noah to build an ark in preparation for a catastrophic flood that would destroy every living thing on earth.

You can read the full Bible story of Noah's Ark and the Flood here. The ark-building project took longer than the average lifespan today, yet Noah diligently accepted his call and never wavered from it. Appropriately mentioned in the book of Hebrews "Hall of Faith," Noah was truly a hero of the Christian faith.

Accomplishments of Noah in the Bible

When we meet Noah in the Bible, we learn that he is the only follower of God remaining in his generation. After the flood, he becomes the second father of the human race.

As an architectural engineer and shipbuilder, he put together an amazing structure, the likes of which had never before been built.

With the length of the project spanning 120 years, building the ark was quite a notable achievement. Noah's greatest accomplishment, however, was his faithful commitment to obeying and walking with God all the days of his life.

Noah's Strengths

Noah was a righteous man. He was blameless among the people of his time. This does not mean Noah was perfect or sinless, but he loved God with his whole heart and was fully committed to obedience. Noah's life revealed qualities of patience and persistence, and his faithfulness to God did not depend on anyone else. His faith was singular and unshakable in an entirely faithless society.

Noah's Weaknesses

Noah had a weakness for wine. In Genesis 9, the Bible tells of Noah's only recorded sin. He became drunk and passed out in his tent, making himself an embarrassment to his sons.

Life Lessons

We learn from Noah that it is possible to remain faithful and please God even in the midst of a corrupt and sinful generation. Surely it wasn't easy for Noah, but he found favor in God's eyes because of his remarkable obedience.

God blessed and saved Noah just as he will faithfully bless and protect those of us who follow and obey him today. Our call to obedience is not a short-term, one-time call. Like Noah, our obedience must be lived out over a lifetime of faithful commitment. Those who persevere will finish the race.

The story of Noah's drunken transgression reminds us that even the godliest people have weaknesses and can fall prey to temptation and sin.

Our sins not only affect us, but they have a negative influence on those around us, especially our family members.

Hometown

The Bible doesn't say how far from Eden Noah and his family had settled. It does say that after the flood, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, located in present-day Turkey.

References to Noah in the Bible

Genesis 5-10; 1 Chronicles 1:3-4; Isaiah 54:9; Ezekiel 14:14; Matthew 24:37-38; Luke 3:36 and 17:26; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5.

Occupation

Shipbuilder, farmer, and preacher.

Family Tree

Father - Lamech

Sons - Shem, Ham, and Japheth

Grandfather - Methuselah

Key Verses

Genesis 6:9

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. (NIV)

Genesis 6:22

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Source: ThoughtCo

Photo credit: amazingfacts.org