Lesson Notes on Noah
4-3-2005
MNF
Order of Events:
Game Time – Dodgeball or kickball
Snack and Fellowship
Noah Pop Quiz
Prayer Time
Lesson
Go home!
Noah Pop Quiz
How many people were in the ark?
How long was Moses in the ark?
How many of each type of animals were supposed to be kept in the ark?
What was the sign God gave to Noah as a promise?
T/F Noah was a vegetarian.
Review:
We've embarked upon a new study of the Old Testament saints found in Hebrews 11. We've seen the faith of Abel and the faith of Enoch. Today we look at the faith of Noah.
Key Verse (to memorize): Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Passages: Hebrews 11:7, Genesis 6-9, Ezekiel 14:14
Reading Hebrews 11:7
What do we find about Noah from this verse?
Noah had faith
He built an ark
He saved his family
He obeyed God
He condemned the rest of the world
He was made right in God's sight (righteous)
Let's review your pop quiz.
Eight people according to 1 Peter 3:20
Probably no longer than a couple of hours
Two of the regular types, seven of the clean animals
A rainbow
Yo. God permits the eating of meat after the flood.
Let's go back to the original story.
Genesis 6 tells us it's a bad time to be alive. Everyone's minds are fixed on doing evil all the time. It's so bad that the creator is sorry he created them and prepares to destroy them. BUT...Noah found favor with God. Read verse 6:9 and then tell me why Noah found favor with God.
Noah found favor with God because God had favor upon him. God has favor on who he wants to have favor upon. Although Noah was a very righteous man, especially during such a unrighteous time, he was still a sinner. God chose to have favor upon him. No one deserves God's favor.
Is God fair? Yo.
Did Noah deserved to be saved? No. Did Noah's sons and daughter-in-law's deserved to be saved? No.
So God comes to Noah and tells him of his plan, well actually part of his plan. He tells Noah that he's going to destroy all living creatures. Any animal rights activists out there? I mean what did the friendly Koala bear do anyway? What about Bambi or Eor? Is God fair?
Then he tells Noah to build a boat; not just any boat, a big boat! (Show picture of Carnival Cruise Liner and Ark.) This ark is roughly the size of the administration building at Bryan College. It's big, so big in fact, that if there had been boats before, none of them had been this big. (Show map of Noah's possible locations.) Then he's supposed to gather two of each animal and put them in the ark. This would be the time for Noah to check his hearing aid. I mean he is 500 years old. He better make sure he's not going crazy and just hearing things. What will Mrs. Noah think? What will his sons think? What will the neighbors think? Maybe he can tell them he's building a zoo. Yeah that will work.
Then God tells him that he is going to send a flood to destroy the whole earth. Every living thing will die (except fish and things) except Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark. Read verse 6:22. Noah did what God commanded him...exactly. It seems here than Noah, though he may not have understood everything, purposed to do what the Lord said despite the criticism he would receive from his family, friends, and others.
Getting real.
Noah is 500 years old when God approaches him about the ark. Noah spends the next 100 years building the ark. 100 years. That's a long, long time. Most of us won't live 100 years, let alone build a boat in the middle of nowhere for a hundred years. A lot can happen in 100 years. Then God comes to Noah and tells him he has one more week until the flood comes. Then it's 40 days and nights of rain; so much so that mounts Everest and K-2 are covered maybe even Dayton mountain. Then after another 150 days in the boat it finally rests in the mountains of Ararat (or mount). Then after another 40 days, Noah finally rolls down the window (unless he had power windows). Then he sends out a raven. Then another week a dove. It came back. Then another week and Noah sends out another dove and this one doesn't come back. Finally after 10.5 months, Noah opens the cover. Then two months later, when Noah is 601 years old, God tells Noah and his crew to disembark. That's over a year trapped in a boat! This was no luxury cruise. What do you do for a year on an ark? You feed the animals and clean up after them. That's right. By the time you finish cleaning up the mess of the monkeys on the first deck, and make your way up to the giraffes on the third deck, you have to come back and clean up the monkeys mess again. Yikes!
So how does Noah demonstrate faith?
He builds an ark just like God said. He believed God, and his belief led him to action. Obedience.
How does Noah relate to God?
Noah listens to God and obeys even when it's difficult. He also praised God and made sacrifices for him and his family for God's deliverance.
How does God relate to Noah?
He finds favor with Noah. He rewards Noah's consistent and blameless life. He even saves his family from destruction. He makes a covenant with Noah. He sends a rainbow as a continual sign.
How do the characters relate to each other?
We don't know.
Application:
If we say we believe, our faith should result in obedience. What does God ask of us? Not necessarily to build a boat, but to be blameless before him, and to obey even when it's difficult. Demonstrate faith by being obedient to what God asks you to do.
God is faithful. We do not deserve his favor, but we have received it. He has approached us and revealed his plan of destruction for the world. Jesus Christ, like Noah, prepares a way of salvation for his family so that we may escape judgment. What is the ark of Jesus? The cross. Give praise to the Lord for his kindness towards us.
Give praise to the Lord for the promise of the beautiful rainbow!
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