Noah’s Good Choice for Faith

Choice for Faith

The fate of those who make good choices and those who don’t, are completely the opposite. In America, there was a death row inmate in a prison. He shed endless tears, holding a newspaper in his hand. In the newspaper was written, “Cleveland Inaugurated as the 22nd President of the United States.” As the jailer asked him why he was crying, he replied as follows:

“Cleveland and I were friends. We lived a dissolute life when we were young. One day, on our way to a gambling place, we happened to see a church. Cleveland suggested that we go to that church, probably out of guilt, but I refused. That was when our fates were separated.”

– See the Sisa Mirae Shinmun (Current Affairs Future Newspaper)

Both Cleveland and his friend were addicted to drinking and gambling. However, Cleveland chose a new life that day, and his friend chose debauchery. The fates of the two people, who chose different paths, became completely different. One person became a respected president, and the other became a death row inmate awaiting execution. (Refer to the Sisa Mirae Shinmun).

French philosopher Sartre said, “Life is C between B and D.” It means that we constantly make Choices from Birth until the moment of our Death.

According to National Geographic, we are faced with more than 150 choices, big and small, every day. It is no exaggeration to say that our life is a series of choices. No matter what choices we make, we cannot be free from regrets, remorse, and resentment. That’s why every moment of making a choice is very important.

It is the same with our life of faith. Our destiny depends on whether we believe God’s word or not.

Noah’s Good Choice

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

(Hebrews 11:7)

The book of Hebrews lists the names of the prophets who made good choices of faith (Heb 11:1–38). Some of them are Enoch, who ascended alive without experiencing death, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, and Moses. Noah is also one of them.

In the days of Noah, evil and corruption were prevalent. When people’s corruption and violence became extreme, God was grieved that he had made human beings on the earth. God declared the end of the wicked, and told Noah to build an ark (Genesis 6:5–6, 11–13).

So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. . . . I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.

(Genesis 6:14, 17)

At that time, Noah lived on dry land. Biblical scholars say that people in those days had neither seen nor heard of the word flood. It was difficult for Noah to understand God’s command to build an ark for the flood that would cover the entire earth.

The size of the ark that God commanded Noah to build was 135 meters long, 22.5 meters wide, and 13.5 meters high (Genesis 6:14–16). Some scholars say that it must have taken Noah 70 to 120 years to build the ark. Back then, shipbuilding technology was not developed at all like it is today, and there was no good heavy equipment. Moreover, Noah had never built a big ship, nor was he an expert in shipbuilding.

However, Noah revered God and obeyed His word. He believed God’s word even though it was something that he had never experienced before (Genesis 6:22).

End Result of Noah Who Believed the Word of God

Noah built the ark, warning about the judgment with the flood, which people of that time had neither seen nor heard of (2 Peter 2:5). Naturally, suffering and persecution followed him. According to Everyday Biblical Literacy, Noah must have completed the ark, enduring disapproving glances and ridicules from people around him.

Noah didn’t build the ark, seeing a storm or a rain cloud coming. From the perspective of unbelievers, Noah’s behavior was abnormal. However, Noah carried out God’s command for over a hundred years. The ridicule, objection, booing, and cold reaction of people around him must have continued for all those years.

Despite such a difficult situation, he did not give up. He believed God’s word to the end. The end result of Noah’s faith in the word of God was salvation.

[O]n that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. . . . The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth . . . Every living thing that moved on the earth perished . . . Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

(Genesis 7:10–23)

Those who believed God’s word and those who didn’t! The fates of the two groups are in sharp contrast. Noah, who believed, was saved from the dreadful disaster; but those who did not believe despite enough warning messages, were put to death. Just as Cleveland and the death row inmate chose different paths, the fates of Noah and his contemporaries were completely different. In later times, Noah was given the honorable titles of the “heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” and “a preacher of righteousness” (Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5).

What Choices Are We Making?

Today, we are faced with numerous choices. Every day, we choose what time to get up, what to eat, where to go, and what to do. On top of that, we must make choices that determine not only our physical life but also our eternal life. It is the choice for faith.

Then, what is faith? How did Noah come to be acknowledged as a man of faith? He was sure of what he did not see as if he saw it (Hebrews 11:1). Although he had never seen a flood, he immediately began to build the ark, believing that God would fulfill what He had spoken (Hebrews 11:7).

This is how we should have faith. There are still prophecies which have not been fulfilled yet.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

(Psalm 19:1–4)

What we must do is believe and follow the gospel of God. The gospel of God, that is, the new covenant, will be preached to the ends of the earth (Romans 10:18). Like Noah, those who are convinced of this prophecy are preaching the gospel, regarding the things that have not yet been fulfilled as things that have already been fulfilled. God will give great rewards to those who have made good choices in faith (Revelation 22:12).

[Reference]

• J. Stephen Lang, Everyday Biblical Literacy
• “Life Is BCD,” Gyeongnam Ilbo, Oct. 21, 2014
• “Life-Size Noah’s Ark, 155 Meters . . . Park Opens in Kentucky, U.S.,” JoongAng Ilbo, July 7, 2016