1 Peter 3:20 – God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
2 Peter 2:5 – [God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.
The story of Noah is an amazing one. From the sin of Adam to the days of Noah, God patiently waited around 1600 years watching constant rebellion. God then told Noah to preach repentance and build a boat. Why? In 120 years, God would judge sin and flood the earth. Noah and his family built an ark that was 1,400,000 cubic feet, shaped like a modern-day battleship, and big enough to house some 522 modern day railroad box cars. Noah did this in the desert, and many commentators believed that it had not yet ever rained on the earth.
Everyone thought Noah was crazy, and no one responded to his preaching. Imagine telling people what God told you to say, for 120 years, and have no converts other than your own family? The patience of God and persistence of Noah are incredible.
The people in Noah’s day did not believe that a judgment of water was coming. In the same way, the people in our day do not believe that a judgment of fire is coming. Then and now, everyone seems to assume that God has not done anything to stop sinners for so long that they have nothing to fear.
The only people saved in Noah’s day were his wife and the members of their family. Noah trusted God by faith, even when it made no sense. The difference between Noah’s family that lived, and all the other families that died, was that their father received grace from God and led his family through a storm.
Today, we know that judgment is coming, and that God is simply being patient in His timing. Today, we know that our ark is Jesus Christ who will carry us through our storms and into a new life on the other side of judgment. And, now more than ever, the story of Noah teaches us that we need loving and godly husbands and fathers to lead their families through storms and judgement by receiving grace from God and leading with faith in God.
What storm are you going through? How has God been patient with you? How can Noah’s patient faith encourage you today?
To download the free e-book ODD LIFE: Good God which is a study in 1 Peter for individuals, groups, and families from Pastor Mark click HERE. To listen to Pastor Mark’s 9 sermons on 1 Peter preached in the summer of 2020, click HERE. These and other resources are made possible by our ministry partners who support Real Faith as a Bible teaching ministry of Mark Driscoll Ministries to whom we say THANK YOU!