Noah Accepted God’s Plan
The Covenant Was Established
God said to Noah, “I will establish my covenant with you. Make an ark according to my instructions. Take your family and the animals into it as I have said’ and you will be safe from the flood waters which will drown all other life.”
God used the word covenant for a definite reason. Since a covenant is something like a contract, it has the effect of binding two or more parties together in a pledge or promise. All who enter into a covenant or contract have a solemn responsibility, and all have hope of benefit.
Noah understood what God told him
He realized that the covenant was God’s way of bringing man to Himself. It was God’s purpose from the beginning that God and man should be in harmony. Noah knew that he could please God by acting in complete obedience. And he knew also that obedience to God would bring salvation and life for himself. God does not go back on His word. Noah’s salvation was guaranteed. He did not doubt his safety, for God does not plot against the righteous. He does not deceive those who follow Him. Like a good contract, the covenant of God would bring benefits to everyone.
Noah did not hesitate
We read in the account of his life these plain words: Noah did everything just as God commanded him. By his obedience he pleased God and received deliverance for himself and his family. Noah understood the words of God. He accepted and believed all that God said. He was faced with a decision. He could have decided not to accept God’s plan of salvation; however, he made on his own freedom of choice the personal decision to act according to God’s instructions. When we think about the situation we can be sure that Noah behaved with great faith and courage.
All about him, as we have noted, the people were interested only in pleasure and selfish living. They had never heard of a flood; had never seen water pouring from the sky. They had heard Noah talk about God and try to convince them to change their ways. Probably they laughed at him and thought he was a strange one. Now suddenly they hear him saying, “A flood is coming.” They hear his warning voice as he speaks to his sons and tells them of the need to enter the ark he is building.
Noah, following God’s specifications, produced a masterpiece of construction. This in itself should have been a witness of the importance of his words. The faithful, patient work and the warning message went on for years. The people who laughed or ignored Noah were making decisions, too. Just as Noah proved by his actions that he had chosen to believe and obey God, so the others proved by their actions that they chose to reject God.
For You To Do
Answer the following questions, using your own ideas. Each can be answered in a few words.
- What is the purpose of a covenant?
- Why did God make a covenant with Noah?
- Who has responsibility when a covenant is made?
- What is man’s responsibility when a covenant is made between God and man?