Faith That Inspires: Noah

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence 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.—Hebrews 11:7 (NASB95)

Our Faith That Inspires series intersects with Father’s Day, and the study of Noah seems providential. His life’s lessons resonate deeply with modern parental dynamics, especially those of fatherhood. Fathers tend to be builders. They are often tinkering in the garage or under the hood of a car. They also try to build lives for their families. Much of that effort involves material things like homes and jobs, but the most meaningful work is of the heart.

Icebreaker – Describe a task, project, or assignment you took on, even though success seemed impossible. How did it turn out? What did you learn?

1. What do you know about Noah?
2. We meet Noah in Genesis 5 but learn more about him in Genesis chapters 6 through 9 – quite a lot considering the brevity with which some of the heroes of Hebrews 11 are mentioned. Read Genesis 6:11-13. The world’s condition just before the flood is described as “corrupt” – a word used in this passage three times. Corrupt means ‘morally debased,’ and it can also mean ‘altered from the original correct state of being’ like a corrupted software program. What does that imply about the world’s condition in Noah’s time compared to God’s original creation?
3. Read Matthew 24:36-39. Jesus described the end times as similar to Noah’s time. What did he mean? From God’s perspective, the world was corrupt, but to everyone but Noah, things were great! They had no reason to think the world would soon be destroyed. So for Noah, what’s coming is something he hadn’t seen before, but then God tells him to do something no one had ever done.
4. Read Genesis 6:14-16. The ark was (in our measurements today) roughly 450 ft long, 75 ft wide, and 45 ft high. It needed three decks within it and a door on the side, and a window on top. There was no rudder or way of steering it. It was meant to float, and its inhabitants had to trust that God cared for them. Describe a time when you felt like Noah when God placed you in a situation where the demands on you were very high and seemed to make no sense. What was the outcome?
5. Read Genesis 6:17-22 and Hebrews 11:7. The task of building the ark must have taken a very long time. What do you think people said to Noah during the years he was building? What was Noah’s attitude in Hebrews 11:7?
6. How does Noah’s example apply to you?