“These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9 ESV
This morning I read Genesis 6 and was intrigued by the description of Noah: a man who found favor with the Lord, a righteous man, a man blameless in his generation, and a man who walked with God. I'd like to use this post to share my thoughts on these descriptions.
First of all, this is a tremendous status for anyone to strive for, but especially men. I would love nothing more than for similar things to be said about me and I'd like to think most honest men would say the same. Unfortunately, I think we skip over the fact that these weren't passive attributes of Noah. Noah didn't gain these qualities on accident, he actually embodied them daily. If he didn't do this, the qualities wouldn't have been listed in scripture. I think it's a good idea to ask this question, then: how is it that Noah became this type of man?
It's easy for my mind to go places and ask questions that may seem unnecessary, but I think these are questions worth exploring. The text says that Noah was a righteous man, but I'd like to know how he knew to do this. In other words, righteous by what standard? Presumably, Noah was blameless in his generation due to a stark difference in the way he lived compared to his peers. But how did he even know to live differently? At this time, remember, there was no such thing as the Law or the scriptures. So, did Noah just innately know this, supernaturally? Well, the answer to that kind of question lies far beyond the scope of this short post.
But why do we think Noah did not participate in the wicked actions of his generation? Again, this is especially puzzling to me given that he did not have a righteous standard to compare it to. Here's one possibility: maybe Noah took stock of his surroundings and how people lived. Maybe he even considered these ways of living for himself a time or two, only to conclude that this kind of lifestyle would leave him empty. In other words, before he even knew what a worldview was, Noah noticed a prevailing worldview in his culture that produced unsatisfactory results. For some reason, Noah was able to understand right from wrong without needing to have it all spelled out for him. Knowing the worldview of his peers wasn't working, he had to try something else. But what would that be? Perhaps he found his answer only in a distant memory of his ancestors: Noah decided to call upon the name of the Lord and walk with God.
Of course, this doesn't mean that when God did plainly write down laws for His people and command that they follow them He was somehow wasting His time. But even without having the Law itself as a guide, Noah seems to have understood the idea of loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It was for this reason that He was able to walk with God and be called a righteous man. God eventually blessed Noah and his family because of this obedience.
As I return to my reason for writing this post, I'm convicted. I want to be like Noah in many ways, but I can't allow myself to think that this will happen overnight. Remember, Noah didn't earn these attributes by chance, he actually embodied them with a lifetime of faithfulness and work. This is not a time for a discussion of the theological nuances between works and grace. I am aware that I'm only saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But it cannot be denied that becoming a righteous man blameless in my generation and walking with God does require a certain amount of work, and working at something like that certainly does honor God. Since He saved me, honoring Him in this way is the least I can do. So, to get there, I have to do the things Noah did.
Have you noticed that Noah didn't become a righteous man by building the arc? He only built the arc after we read about these attributes. Perhaps we could even say that He was only chosen to build the arc because he was a righteous man who walked with God, and maybe there's a lot to unpack there, too. My pastor always reminds us of this truth: "You can have as much of God as you want."
So think about it this way. I can grant the fact that I have an astronomically higher number of distractions than Noah did, but I also have a lot more knowledge of and access to the Lord than Noah did. What excuses do I have? If he was able to live this way without knowing what I know, why can't I? It's something worth considering.
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. One goal of my writing project is to improve the way we think, so let me know what you think my providing some feedback! Comment below or submit a letter to The Editor by emailing me anytime.
Yes. We are equally capable of the feats of righteousness accomplished by the heroes of old; much more, in fact, given that we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
That’s a good word, Broxton! I’m studying James and it’s clear that faith should produce fruit/works (James 2:17). I certainly want to live a life of faith which requires obedience which requires faith, so forth and so on. Much like Noah who built an ark with no threat of storm and likely much to the ridicule of his culture!