(Genesis) - Part 10 — Zac Poonen

Noah’s Faith Requires Reverence and Obedience

Let's turn now to Genesis and chapter six. We were looking at these closing verses of this chapter in our last study, considering how God commanded Noah to bring into the ark two of every kind of animal and bird and creeping thing, also to take food for themselves and for these animals.

And when we realized that they stayed inside the ark for more than one year, you can imagine what a fantastic amount of food that was for the people, those eight people and all the animals. And that God gave Noah a command which really involved a lot of hard work.

It wasn't just sitting back and taking it by faith. Noah's faith involved a lot of hard work. If he really believed what God had said, it involved his becoming diligent and hardworking. And that's always the result of faith in God.

It makes the person hardworking, frees him from laziness. Thus Noah did, it says in verse 22, according to all that God commanded him, so did he. And we can turn to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 7 and read something there.

It says, By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence, that is, in fear, in a fear of God, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

There are two things mentioned about Noah here. One is his reverence for God and the other is his faith. And it's only when people have faith and a reverence for God that they can build a church and do God's work.

Some people claim to have a lot of faith, but they don't have the fear of God. We see lots and lots of people today like that, particularly in charismatic circles. They talk a lot about faith, but there's no fear of God.

And the end result is it's some counterfeit faith. And then there are others who measure on the fear of God, and they concentrate on the fear of God in their life, and they really seek to be pure, they really seek to be holy, but when you look into their life, there's not much faith.

They can't trust God for anything. They really seek to live holy lives, but when there's a problem, they can't believe that God will deliver them out of it. But if we can have this balance between faith and reverence and have both, like Noah had, then we can do God's work as God intends us to do it.

There was reverence and there was faith. He believed what God had said, and he feared, and it brought salvation not only to himself but to his household. We see a beautiful example here in Noah of how we can build a church not only with faith and reverence, but also where we have experienced salvation in our house, in our home.

If we have not experienced salvation in our home, we can't try to go out and build the ark in the church. And it says here that when Noah built the prepared the ark, thereby he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

The righteousness which is according to faith is what the New Testament calls justification. It's referring to Jesus justifying us, declaring us righteous, even though we have sinned. But notice how it comes.

The first person who was justified by faith in the Bible is not about whom it's specifically written that he got righteousness through faith, was not Abraham. Abraham came many centuries later, but the first person about whom it says he became righteous through faith, he became an heir of the righteousness through faith, it's mentioned about Abel in verse 4, by he obtained the testimony by faith that he was righteous, and then about Noah.

And we see here a little more in Noah's case than in Abel's case. In Abel's case we know he brought a sacrifice, but in Noah's case we see something more, and that is that he gave all that he had for building the ark, and thus condemned the world.

Seeking First the Kingdom Rather Than the World

Now what do we learn from this for ourselves? That when Noah gave himself to building the ark, that was the proof that he didn't care for the world, that the world had nothing for him. Theoretically it's possible for lots of people to say that the world has no attraction for them, and that we don't belong to the world.

That's easy to say, lots of people to say that. But it's only when in our life there is a priority given to the things that will remain after the world is destroyed, in Noah's case the ark, in our case the church, it's only then that we prove that we have faith.

It's only then that we really condemn the world, and that's the meaning of seeking first the kingdom of God. It's something that takes absolute priority in our life over everything else. We do a lot of things in the world.

Noah also had to do things to get food. Food didn't drop for him from heaven like the manna. He had to go and get food and take care of his family and clothing for his family. He had to take care of all that, and there are these earthly necessities that we also have to take care of, which Noah also had to take care of.

But people saw that that was not a priority in his life. What were the days of Noah like? We read in Matthew chapter 24 that Jesus said, Matthew 24 and verse 38, 37 and 38,. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.

For as in those days which were before the flood, here is a description of the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking and were marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark.

And so we see here that Jesus did not speak about the violence and the sexual sin that we have seen in the days of Noah. That was there, and Jesus knew they were there, and Jesus didn't speak about it.

But he spoke about the ordinary things, the eating, the drinking, the marrying, giving in marriage. Ordinary earthly things, the cares of this life. In other words, they were so taken up with their eating and drinking.

Noah also got his sons married. Shem, Ham, and Japheth, he gave them in marriage, and the marriage, three marriages were conducted in Noah's home also, but he wasn't taken up with it. Eating and drinking took place in Noah's home also, but they were not taken up with it.

That's the thing we have to be careful about if we really want to condemn the world. That we use the world, but we don't get taken up with it. We eat and drink, but it's not the main thing in life. We marry and give in marriage, but it's not the main thing in life.

There are lots of believers I've seen, when it comes to marriage, it is like a mania in their life. They're so taken up with it, just like people out in the world. And then you know they are gripped by that spirit that there was in the times of Noah.

We have to use all these things, and not get taken up with any of them. That it doesn't so fill our thinking, eating or drinking, or our job. It could be a job, doing a job. It could be anything legitimate and right, which Noah also did.

But it was not to take a priority in his life, and that is what qualified him to be an heir of the righteousness, which is by faith, and qualified him to enter the ark. And we want to read further here, something more of what this means.

In verse 39, they did not understand until the flood came, Matthew 24, 39, and took them all away. So shall the coming of the Son of In other words, the coming of the Son of Man is going to be sudden, just like when the rain came and Noah entered the ark.

Now there's a very beautiful picture. It says here, then, verse 40, there shall be two in the field, one will be taken, that is inside the ark, and the other will be left outside to face the rain, the judgment.

And two will be grinding at the mill, and one will be taken like Noah inside the ark, protected from the judgment, and the other will stay outside, and the judgment will fall. So we see that Noah entering the ark, Jesus said here, is a picture of the taking up of those who have walked like Noah here on this earth.

The church being taken up, so shall it, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. And we turn to Genesis chapter 6, and we can see there, before the Lord told Noah to enter the ark. The Lord told Noah to enter the ark in chapter 7, verse 1.

Just by the way, in the Old Testament, there are three arks mentioned. This is the first one, Noah's ark. The second one is the ark made for Moses when he was a baby, which is also covered with pitch to protect it from being drowned in the lake, and that was also to protect Moses from the judgment that Pharaoh had inflicted on all the Hebrew male children.

And the third ark is the ark which is in the most holy place of the tabernacle, where the blood was sprinkled, which is also symbolic of protecting Israel from judgment. So we see that all three arks were protecting people from spiritual death.

And the Lord says in verse 1 of chapter 7, the Lord said to Noah, enter the ark, or as the King James Version says, come into the ark. Now when you say, come into the ark, that means the person speaking is already inside the ark.

And that teaches us that God was inviting Noah to come in, to fellowship with him in the ark. And that's how the call for the rapture will be, come to me. And that's how the Lord will call his people, to himself, you and your household.

Think of that, my brothers and sisters, that when the time for the rapture comes, there were eight people in Noah's family, and all eight got raptured into the ark. And God grant that it'll be like that in our families too.

That when Jesus comes, it will not just be us, but our household taken up also. For you alone I have seen to be righteous before me in this time. And what preceded this? We read here that God entered into a covenant, verse 18 of chapter 6, I will establish my covenant with you.

Noah and God entered into an agreement. That's what prepared him for being raptured into the ark. And that covenant led, verse 22 of chapter 6, to Noah doing all that God commanded him. Noah didn't offer any suggestions.

He didn't say, Lord, why don't you modify it this way or that way? He did exactly, God gave the details of how to build the ark, Noah did exactly like that. You read later on in Exodus chapter 40 about Moses, when God gave him the pattern of the tabernacle, he did exactly as God commanded him.

And we see the same thing here. He did exactly as God commanded him. This is a mark of those with whom God has entered into a covenant. That when God gives them some specifications, whether it's to build an ark, or to build a tabernacle, or to build a church.

The ark is a picture of the church, the tabernacle is a picture of the church. And in both cases, we see one statement made. Noah did exactly as God commanded him. In Exodus 40, the whole chapter really, Moses did exactly as God commanded him.

And now in the church, those who have entered into a covenant relationship with God, if it can be said of us that we built the church exactly as God had said in his word, then we are ready. When the Lord comes and says, come, like in chapter 7 verse 1, come, then we are ready to go.

Because we have been faithful to that covenant. To keep God's word exactly as we have received it. Without modifying it, without changing it, without adapting it to suit our circumstances, without making excuses and saying, such things are not possible in these days.

No, we have an example in Noah to do exactly as God says, with fear and with faith. That's how to build a church, and that's how to build our home, and that's how to build our life. And the Lord said to Noah, enter the ark.

The Sudden Judgment of the Flood and the Coming of Christ

It's very important, my brothers and sisters, if we get taken up with all the things that are going on in the world, then we shall not be ready. It says they didn't know. That's what Jesus said. The flood came suddenly, they didn't know.

And we read here, you shall take with you all of every clean animal, seven pairs, a male and a female, and of the animals that are not clean too, a male and a female. Of course, the seven pairs of clean animals were later on to be used for sacrifice.

Also the birds of the sky, seven pairs, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth, for after seven more days. Now notice this. He told Noah to come inside the ark, verse one.

And the rain didn't come immediately. I want you to notice this. He said, you come inside the ark, and then seven more days, and the judgment will fall. And I'll send rain on the earth, forty days and forty nights.

And I'll blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I've made. And again, that same statement, that wonderful statement that's repeated many times about Moses. Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.

Sometime when you get time, read Exodus chapter thirty-nine and chapter forty, and you'll see that same statement many times concerning Moses, as the Lord commanded him, as the Lord commanded him, as the Lord commanded him.

And it's a very significant thing that is said about Noah building the ark, which is given according to a heavenly pattern, and Moses building the tabernacle, which is given according to a heavenly pattern.

It's an example for us who are to build a church, there is a heavenly pattern for the church as well. We can't build it according to the way a lot of these denominations build it, saying, yeah, it doesn't make much of a difference.

It makes a lot of difference. Noah couldn't extend the ark by one foot and say, I did it according to the Lord's design. No. He couldn't shorten it by a few feet, saying, I couldn't get enough wood. It had to be exactly as God had said.

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. He had been preaching for a hundred and twenty years. He was a preacher of righteousness. We read that in second Peter two, verse five, that he was a preacher of righteousness.

But not only was a preacher of righteousness, we read that he was a righteous man. Not only he had righteousness by faith, notice God's testimony about Noah in Ezekiel chapter fourteen. Ezekiel fourteen, we read God giving a testimony about Noah.

Ezekiel chapter fourteen, the word of the Lord, verse twelve, Ezekiel fourteen, verse twelve, came to me saying, this is the chapter where we read in verse three about people who set up their idols in their heart.

Idols in the heart. That's verse three. Verse thirteen, son of man, if a country sins against me by committing unfaithfulness and I stretch out my hand against it to destroy its supply of bread and famine and cut off both man and beast, even though these three men, and there are three men that God picks out of the Old Testament who are righteous, Noah, Daniel, and Joe, were in the midst by their own righteousness, they could only deliver themselves.

Verse sixteen, though these three men were in its midst as I live, they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered. In Noah's day, because he was righteous, he could save his sons and his daughters-in-law.

But that was the time God's word had not been given as it has been given now in Old Testament times. He says, now things have changed. I've given my word. And a father's righteousness will not save his family.

Noah can save himself. That's how it is today. Your father's righteousness won't save you. But think that God could pick out three men from the Old Testament, Noah, Daniel, and Joe, said there were three righteous men who lived in righteousness on the earth.

Noah in the midst of an evil world, and Daniel in the midst of Babylon, a righteous man. Job also in the midst of an evil world, alone, righteous. One significant thing about these three men were that they were alone in their day.

They were not part of a great flock of righteous people. They were alone. There are going to be very few righteous people in the last days. Very few. Totally righteous. So there we see that there was a man who not only preached righteousness, he lived a righteous life that God himself could testify to, like he could testify about and of Daniel.

And that's an example for all preachers of righteousness, that they have to have a life that God can testify to is righteous. That qualifies them to be preachers of righteousness. Now we read further in Genesis chapter seven, verse seven, that Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him entered the ark because of the birds and everything that preached in the ground, they went in.

Now notice, it doesn't say that Noah went and caught the lions and caught the tigers and pushed them inside the ark. That would have been impossible, humanly speaking, for him to go and try and catch every type of bird there is.

He would never have been able to finish. Have you ever thought how all these giraffes and elephants and hippopotamuses and all the birds, how they all came? Noah didn't go kept catching them. It says, there went into the ark to Noah, two by two.

It's an amazing thing. As I understand it, God told Noah to enter the ark first, verse one, and there went into the ark to Noah. That means where was Noah? He was inside the ark and these animals came in.

And just think of this, just think of the unbelieving world watching this amazing thing happening. A lion and a lioness going in, a male and a female elephant going in. One would have thought that at least then they would have believed that this is the work of God.

How in the world can it happen? And they still did not believe. They were so hardened in their sin. Yeah, they went in, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. It's an amazing thing that the animals obeyed God.

It says there, as God had commanded Noah, the animals went in. That means they obeyed God. Noah obeyed God first, and the animals obeyed God after them, teaching the rest of the unbelieving world that in God's eyes they were worse than those animals.

They were living at a level lower than those animals, because those animals got into the ark and were saved. But lot of so-called human beings made in the image of God were lost. And it's the same condition today.

Man's level is lower than the animals. There are three categories there, you see. Noah, the righteous man, his family, the animals, the second, and the third category, the rest of the human beings, who were worse than the animals.

And there we see animals were better than the unrighteous people. And it's the same today. It's just the same today. And it came about after the seven days that the water of the flood came upon the earth in the 600th year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the 17th day of the month.

On the same day, all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. Now, it's quite likely that rain had never fallen upon the earth up until this time, and that was another reason why people couldn't believe Noah, because it says we considered that in Genesis chapter 2, verse 6, that a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground, and that, verse 5, it says, the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, but a mist.

Probably some type of dew would fall on the ground every morning, and that's how there was no rain. And then Noah was preaching, there's going to be rain, there's going to be rain, there's going to be rain, and nobody believed it.

And the Bible says, in the last days, there'll be people who are scoffers, who say, you people, you say that judgment is going to come, the Lord's going to come. It hasn't come. It's been going, people have been preaching this for 2 ,000 years.

Second Peter chapter 3 says that, that people will say that, in the last days, they scoff. Turn for a moment to second Peter, and chapter 3, verse 3, know this, first of all, that in the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lust, saying, where is the promise of His coming?

Verse 4, you people who say that Jesus is coming again. For ever since the Father saw His feet, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. And when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that the Word of God, the heavens, existed.

The earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. And the present heavens are reserved not for water, but for fire, verse 7.

But don't let this one fact escape your notice, verse 8, that one day through the Lord is a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day, and the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

For the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away. So we see here, the Lord waited in the days of Noah. The patience of God, we read in 1 Peter 3, waited in the days of Noah.

And that patience came to an after 120 years. The patience of God has been waiting over the earth, over the world now, for a long time, and one day it will come to an end. Meanwhile, God has kept the church here, just like Noah, to preach righteousness, and to come into the earth, to be saved, which people don't believe.

The Shut Door and Readiness for the Rapture

And the rain fell on the earth, Genesis 7, verse 12. The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights, on the very same day, Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, the sons of Noah, Genesis 7, verse 13. And Noah's wife and three wives of his sons with them entered the ark.

And every beast after its kind, all the cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird, and all sorts of birds. So they went into the ark to Noah. Again, it says that they went to Noah, who was already inside, two by two, of all flesh and which is the breath of life, Genesis 7, verse 16.

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him. Again, the repetition of that phrase, again and again and again, as God had commanded. And the Lord closed the door.

It's the Lord who shuts the door. After all these people, and the animals that come in, and the birds, God shut that door. It wasn't Noah who closed the door of the ark. God shut that door. And when the last person whose name is written in the book of life from the foundation of the world has been converted, God got a list long before He made Adam.

He made a list of all those who would be saved through faith in Christ, all those who would be disciples of Christ. He got their names in that book long before Adam was created. My name was in the book of life long before Adam was created.

I hope you have faith for that. And there are some names in that book who have not yet been converted. That's why God's waiting. Otherwise Jesus would have come. There are some names in that book not yet being converted.

I wonder if there's someone listening to this message like that. There's names in that book, but you haven't been converted yet. You haven't yielded completely to Jesus to be a disciple. God's waiting.

Of course, we don't know whether your name's in that book. It may not be. But there are some names in the book who are not yet converted. And when that last name is ticked off, is given himself to the Lord, the Lord will shut the door.

Just like when that last animal or the last bird came in, God shut the door. He said, that's it. It's finished. And we read of a time in Matthew chapter 25 where we read about the wise virgins and the foolish virgins.

And it says here that suddenly there was a cry, behold the bridegroom, come out to meet him. Matthew 25 verse 6. And there was just a little bit of time to get ready. All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish discovered that their lamps were going out.

They didn't have a hidden life. They suddenly realized the Lord's come and I've just taken it easy. My brothers and sisters, those who heard the word of God about the importance of a hidden life and have postponed it, postponed it.

Yeah, I will get victory one of these days. I confess my oath. I confess my oath. And I don't take it seriously. One of these days the cry will come, behold the bridegroom comes. And all our arguments and all our self -justification will be of no use in that day.

He will come and in that day if I don't have a hidden life of oil in my vessel, I will not be ready to go. That's it. If I have just lived before the face of men, I try to trim my lamp in that day and it doesn't get, doesn't get light.

And we read here, they went and tried to get some. And by the time they came back, it says here the same thing. Verse 10. While they were going away, the bridegroom came. Jesus came. And those who were ready, like Noah went into the ark, they went into the wedding feast.

And the door was shut. Who shut it? God shut it. Just like in Noah's day. He shut the door. And then the others came, banged and said, oh Lord, open to us I don't know you. Just like the people came and banged at Noah's ark when the rain started falling.

You can imagine the people running to the ark and saying, please open, we believe you now. It's too late. There is a time when it becomes too late to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Now is the time to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

There is a time when it will be too late. That's very important, brothers and sisters. Take it seriously. Don't take it lightly that you have had the opportunity to hear such a glorious gospel for so many years.

So many years before Jesus came, you had the opportunity to hear. And we have to think, what have we done with it? What have we done with it? How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? Not if we reject it.

Rejecting is another thing. Hebrews 2 .3 is not written to the unbelievers who reject it. It says, how shall we escape if we neglect, not reject. We have accepted it, but we neglect it. Do you know the difference between rejecting a child and neglecting a child?

Rejecting is pushing it out of the house. Neglecting is keeping it in the house, but not caring for it. To neglect the salvation means to receive the message, believe it, accept it, and then just don't bother about it.

That's neglect. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? Just think of that seriously. Yeah, and the Lord closed it behind him. The Lord shut the door. One of these days, He'll shut the door, and the rapture would have taken place just a few days.

And then the judgment of God will fall on the earth at the time of the battle of Armageddon. So we ought to be ready. Jesus said that. Two will be in the field, two will be in a bed. One will be taken, the other will be left.

Families will not go. If there is a Noah, like we read in Ezekiel 14, he will save only himself by his righteousness. He won't be able to save his wife. He won't be able to save his son. He won't be able to save his daughter.

If there's a lady like Noah, she'll be able to save only herself by her righteousness. She won't be able to save her husband. She won't be able to save her children or anyone. And that's why it's important that we really understand that these things are serious, that we really seek to live before our families as those who condemn the world and who show to this unbelieving and adulterous generation that this world is not our home, that our kingdom is not of this world.

We don't fight for earthly things. We are only interested in building the church. That's all. We always need to ask ourselves, how does this relate to building the church? All of my ambition and aim in life must be to build a church.

And then we do our secular jobs so that we can earn our living and don't end up as beggars. But our main priority and thinking in our life is, how can I do my part to build the church? That needs to revolve in our thinking.

How can I build a church? And then we read Genesis chapter 7 and verse 17. And the flood came upon the earth for forty days. The water increased, lifted up the ark, so it rose upon the earth. The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.

This is judgment. Finally it came. And the water prevailed more and more on the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere and the heavens were covered. The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were which means Mount Everest too, was covered more than twenty or thirty feet above that mountain.

And all flesh that moved on the earth perished. They didn't believe it. They didn't believe this one man. They thought he was crazy. They thought he had gone off his head. They thought he was a fanatic.

They thought he was a heretic. They thought he was extreme. They thought he was too narrow-minded, as if God was going to judge people and just wipe out millions, just like that. People ask that question.

Do you mean to say God's going to wipe out all these millions who haven't heard about Christ, or who have rejected Him? Well, God did it once, and then why won't He do it again? All these crazy ideas.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Don't lean upon our own reason. When God has said something, it's going to be true. He who believes not in Christ will be damned. That's clear. And all flesh perished.

And only when the judgment came, they started believing. And then it was too late. Birds, cattle, beasts, every swarming thing in all mankind, of all that was in the dry land, all in whose nostrils the breath of the Spirit of life was, died.

And Noah couldn't do anything, because the door was locked by God. If Noah had shut that door, he may have felt sorry for some people and opened it when they banged at the door, but God shut it. And even if Noah wanted, he couldn't have opened it, even when they banged on that door.

Thus, God blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals. People can't believe that a loving God will blot out human beings like that. Here it is. He did it once, and that's proof that He'll do it again.

When people don't fear, when people live in sin, when people don't put God as a priority in their life, when people play the humbug and play the hypocrite, God will one day blot them out, and they'll only have themselves to blame, particularly if they have heard the word of truth in the church.

And they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. I mean, water prevailed upon the earth 150 days. Just think of that, my brothers and sisters.

Life in the Ark as a Picture of the Church

Noah and those that were with him in the ark. That was the picture of the church. Just think how it must have been inside the ark. It must have been pretty crowded, with all those animals, and pretty smelly.

Inconvenient, but safe. There are a lot of inconveniences in being in the church, but in the day of judgment, it'll be safe. I'll tell you that. And that's how it was inside the ark. There they lived together, and you know how it is when you have to live in the same house day in, day out.

It's almost like a prison. They stayed there for more than one year. And I've thought of that, you know, when you're living on a ship. I've never lived on a ship for one year, continuously without seeing anybody else.

But think how it must have been. When you live like that, there are so many lusts in the flesh that get provoked. You see that, for example, when you live together in a home, and never get a chance to see anybody else except each other.