Genesis 6:8-22
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.
God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.
So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.
Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.
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.
But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.
You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Hebrews 11:7
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 is in keeping with faith.
Genesis 7:5
And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
Genesis 2:5-6
Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground,
but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
2 Peter 2:5
if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
Matthew 14:17-21
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
“Bring them here to me,” he said.
And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Genesis 7:15-16
Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.
The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.
Genesis 7:1-4
The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,
and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.
Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”
Genesis 8:4
and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
Genesis 8:15-20
Then God said to Noah,
“Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”
So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
Genesis 8:21
The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 9:1
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
Genesis 3:6-7
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 9:20-21
Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.
When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 24:37-39
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Revelation 21:1
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
What does a faith look like that holds firm, even when the task seems too big? How do we follow God when we don’t know what’s ahead or how it will all work out? A faith that turns into action is built on trust in God and a close relationship with Him. Birte Slot-Henriksen teaches here about having a faith that gives courage to follow God’s call, endure along the way, and give Him the glory when the task is completed.
Here are the key thoughts:
– Faith begins with a close relationship with God.
– Reverence for God means deep respect, not fear of Him.
– Trust in God is shown through obedience and action.
– A big task doesn’t require us to see everything from the start.
– God can teach us what we need along the way.
– We must hold on, even when others don’t understand our choices.
– We are responsible for doing our part, but we can’t control everything.
– When God brings us through, the thanks and glory should go to Him.
– Human mistakes show we still need God’s grace.
– God’s salvation calls us to listen and take His words seriously.
The story of the ark is much more than a cozy tale with animals peeking over the railing. It contains violence, evil, judgment, and rescue. In a world where people had turned away from God, there lived a man who walked with Him. The close relationship with God is crucial. Faith wasn’t just an opinion or something said with the mouth. It shaped his life and made him willing to act on what God said.
Being righteous and living a decent life doesn’t mean you can never fall or do something wrong. It’s about belonging to God and wanting to live according to His will. When we fail, we must turn back and seek forgiveness. We can’t build our relationship with God on appearing perfect. But we can live honestly before Him and let our faith shape how we treat others.
There’s a difference between obeying out of fear and obeying in trust. If we only do the right thing to avoid God getting angry, the relationship is marked by insecurity. Reverence for God is something else. It’s deep respect for who God is and a desire to live close to Him. Faith is the foundation, and obedience follows. We take His words seriously because we trust Him, not because we’re trying to keep Him at a distance.
Building the ark was a massive task. It required wood, creating spaces, gathering food, and building according to the measurements God gave. It wasn’t something that could be done with a quick attempt. The task required work and perseverance. We don’t know all the details about the construction, but it’s clear that faith had practical consequences. Trust in God didn’t mean sitting down and waiting for the ark to build itself. It meant getting started.
We can quickly find reasons why God should choose someone else. We may feel too old, too weak, or too inexperienced. We think we lack knowledge, strength, or overview. But when God calls, we don’t need to know everything in advance. He can teach us what we lack and help us grow with the task. That doesn’t exempt us from learning and working. It gives us the courage to begin without having all the answers.
Faith is also tested when what God says can’t yet be seen. It’s easier to act when the outcome already seems certain. It’s harder to keep building while those around don’t understand why. We can imagine the questions and skeptical comments about such a large construction. The story doesn’t tell all the conversations, but it shows an obedience that wasn’t dependent on others’ support. Who gets to determine our direction: God or people’s judgment?
The task wasn’t just about a ship. There was also preaching about God and righteousness. Faith became visible through both the work and the message. It reminds us that our lives can speak alongside our words. We can tell about God while doing what He has placed before us. But we can’t control how others react. Our responsibility is to be faithful, not to ensure everyone understands or accepts.
When the time came, the family entered the ark, and the animals came to them. God closed the door behind them. Here, the difference between human responsibility and God’s responsibility becomes clear. The construction and preparations had to be done, but the rescue couldn’t be carried by human strength alone. There comes a point where we must let go of the desire to control everything. We do what God has asked us to do and leave what we can’t control in His hands.
Being inside the ark wasn’t necessarily easy either. There was waiting, water outside, and a future that couldn’t yet be seen. We must be careful not to turn imagined details into something the Bible says directly. But the situation itself shows that faith isn’t only necessary when we begin. We also need trust while we wait. God hadn’t forgotten them. He brought them through the flood and gave instructions when it was time to go out.
On the other side of the waiting, an altar was built, and sacrifices were made to God. The first thing was not to highlight one’s abilities but to turn towards Him. It’s an important attitude when a task succeeds. We may have worked hard and learned much, but we must still remember who called, helped, and carried us through. Gratitude keeps us from making ourselves the center and helps us see God’s faithfulness.
The new beginning didn’t remove the possibility for humans to fall. Later, the story of wine and drunkenness shows that even a person with great faith can still act wrongly. At the same time, the rescue through the ark points forward to the bigger question of salvation. Jesus doesn’t just offer a new beginning after a catastrophe but salvation through His sacrifice. His words about the days before the flood remind us to listen while there’s time. Will we follow God, even when we can’t see the whole way?
Quote from the teaching: We must walk in trust when God calls.
Relevant keywords: a faith like Noah – Noah’s ark – faith in God – trust in God – obedience to God – reverence for God – awe of God – God’s call – walk with God – Christian faith – perseverance – God’s faithfulness – gratitude – salvation – Jesus – the flood – new beginning – discipleship
