I have heard the story of Noah recounted hundreds of times. Maybe you have, too. If I am not careful, this repetition can cause me to forget how awesome and mighty and powerful my God is. I never want fatigue or apathy to overpower the special moments when I am sitting in the Word the Lord gave me. I never want the goodness of God’s character to slip through the cracks. Truly, each moment spent in the Word is an opportunity to sit in awe of the One who gives us life (Acts 17:28).
After reading Genesis 6, it is easy to focus on Noah’s response to God’s command to build an ark. This obedience is remarkable, and we will touch on that later. But something else sticks out to me. It is more about God than it is about Noah.
God wants us to love Him.
The Word says in Genesis 6 that the world was so evil and corrupt that humanity had betrayed God. As a result, God had to destroy the whole earth and every inhabitant in it. While God promised never to flood the earth again (Genesis 9:11), this part of the story shows us God’s ultimate power and justice. It also shows us how deeply He wants His creation to love Him and be in relationship with Him.
I can easily read this passage and think I am better than the inhabitants of the world at this point in time, but Scripture tells us all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Every single one of us has betrayed our good and loving God. But that is why the gospel is such good news. God’s love for us overpowers our sin. God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sin by dying in our place. When we place our faith in Him, we are covered in His righteousness. Praise God!
Here’s the truth. God deserves our praise, and He wants our devotion. We were created to worship and glorify Him, to honor the heart of God, to join Him in a mighty salvation work, and to enjoy His presence and with-ness forever.
The One Who Calls Us to Obey
Now that we have been reminded of the beauty of the gospel, we can touch on the inspiring act of obedience demonstrated by Noah. God ordered Noah with a task that seemed crazy to the world — a task that would have taken him many, many years to complete in a community and culture that was harshly turned away from God. Imagine the criticism he most likely faced every day. Despite all of this, Noah obeyed every word of God (Genesis 6:22).
The question is how? How could Noah be so bold to obey God in a culture that was running the other way? How can we choose to obey God like Noah did?
We have to know the One who calls us to obey.
Perhaps the most important thing preceding obedience is knowing the One who calls you. Take a moment to reflect on this: Do you know the character of your God?
Maybe you don’t. Maybe you do. Maybe you’ve forgotten. Let me remind you who God is. He is love defined. These are the beautiful words from 1 John 4:7-10:
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
You are not called to obey a god who is distant or detached. You are called to be saved by and walk step by step with the one, true God who deeply loves you and lavishes you in abundant grace. Obedience begins with gratitude for this grace — God’s rich, abundant, and undeserving grace.
One final note: Obedience not only honors the One who gave His life for us, but it allows us to be filled with every spiritual blessing in Christ because God is that good (Ephesians 1). Just like God had Noah’s best in mind and wanted to save his life and the lives of his family, God has best for us. When we obey His Word and follow the example of Christ, we get to live with peace, joy, and abundance — glorious and inexpressible (1 Peter 1:8). Praise God!
Do you know the One who calls you?
