Big Doors Swing on Small Hinges

But Noah

Genesis 6:1–13

The word but is a conjunction. At times it may be used as a preposition or as an adverb, but primarily it is a joining word. It can mean “except,” “however,” “nevertheless,” or “on the other hand.” It is used in conversation or in writing to contrast situations or statements. For instance, we might say, “It has been a beautiful day but now it is cold and rainy.”

In the Bible, this word is used on several occasions to indicate that the tide has turned in a situation or to compare people and events. This little word helps us make or see a contrast. Noticing the buts in Scripture can be helpful.

The first such hinge that we will see is found in Genesis. Stop for a moment and read Genesis 6:1–13. From these verses and others in Genesis, it’s easy to figure out what is going on.

• There is a population explosion (6:1).

• There is a lack of respect for God’s principles for marriage (6:1–4).

• There is a sense of utter corruption (6:5, 11–12).

• True believers are a minority.

• Violence has become widespread (6:11, 13).

• The arts and industry are expanding (4:16–22).

• Crime, including murder and homicide, is increasing (4:23–24).

The words corruption, wickedness, disobedience, and compromise sum up the situation. We are talking about the days of Noah, but the circumstances sound eerily similar to our own.

God saw all that was happening (6:5). He saw the utter depravity of man’s heart. The Lord felt pain (6:6) and was heavily grieved. He wished He had never made man. The Lord said He was going to blot out man from the face of the earth (6:7). God had been patient (6:3) but now it was time for man to be punished.

But Noah found favor in the Lord’s eyes (6:8).

How can we best describe Noah or how should we view him? I suggest four characteristics, and I hope they are true of you.

Noah Was a Believer

Noah experienced God’s grace. Noah is not a minor character in the story of redemption. He is mentioned some fifty times in nine Bible books. Genesis 6:9 says Noah was a righteous man, and Hebrews 11:7 tells us he lived by faith.

Noah’s righteousness did not come from his good works. His works were the byproduct of a heart made righteous. Noah’s righteousness, like Abraham’s, was God’s answer to his faith. He believed God and as a result was made right. In fact, being in the ark is a glorious illustration of our being in Christ.

The biblical word grace does not refer to some kind of charm or to a disposition. It refers to God’s unmerited favor. His grace reaches out to lost and ruined humanity, providing His love, kindness, and mercy. We receive something we don’t deserve. Noah Was a Worker

The Bible says that Noah built an ark. God told him why (6:13), how (6:14–16), and who (6:18–21), and this believer turned worker did all God said (6:22). The test of whether one has been born again is a changed life. It is true that we cannot do anything to be saved except trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, but it is equally true that we cannot be saved and do nothing. James said that kind of faith is worthless. When Saul of Tarsus met Christ on that Damascus road, he immediately asked, “What do you want me to do?” Likewise, when Noah was made right by his Lord, he too was given a job to do. Noah’s job was enormous, costly, time-consuming, and difficult. But it had eternal and global significance. God has a life’s work for each of us as well.

Noah Was a Preacher

We are told that Noah was a “preacher of righteousness.” Read these words of Peter.

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:4–5) Noah was building his ship by day and preaching his sermons by night. While he constructed the ark, he instructed people as to the judgment of God. For 120 years he worked doubly hard to proclaim God’s grace as he prepared the ark of safety. I have empathy for such a preacher.

Noah prayed, witnessed, shared, testified, and sought to persuade men. Perhaps he went from hut to hut, house to house, family to family, sharing with all who would listen that God was outraged by their sin and that judgment was on its way. His audiences were as cynical as many in our day.

Noah preached for a long time and finally for the last time. Not a single person outside of his family paid the slightest attention to what he said. Perhaps we preachers need to be reminded that we are not responsible for the results, only that we be faithful.

Noah Was a Leader

Noah preached for more than a century and gained only a handful of converts. I once commented that Noah probably didn’t lead his local church association in baptisms, but come to think of it, I guess he did! Noah led first and foremost where it really mattered: at home. He led his family to the Lord and to the ark, and these people were all brought safely through.

From his story, we can easily see that Noah was a believer, a worker, a preacher, and a leader. I hope we are the same.

As today’s big door swings closed, let me suggest three things:

(1.) As it was for those in Noah’s day, it is true for all of us that time as we know it will one day end. We don’t know when our days will be over, but the Bible says, “It has been appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). All that will matter is that we are in the ark of God’s salvation.

(2.) It is possible to make a difference in our world despite the bad times in which we live. Noah left his mark. A single man made a significant contribution.

(3.) We may not touch hundreds or thousands for our Lord, but we must make sure that we reach our own families.

Many a door seems massive and majestic, but never forget that it swings on small hinges.

But Noah.