Hello everybody. Here is part two of our study
on Noah. Obey all the way. Hope you have worked on Gen. 18:19.
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Noah was expected to follow the plan
precisely. When God gives a plan, he wants it followed to the
letter (Heb. 8:5). Jesus said that man was to live by every word
proceeding from the mouth of God. He considered the scribes and
Pharisees hypocrites because they did not follow every word (Mt.
23:23). Obedience is following all the plan. As humans, we have
such a tendency to forge ahead our own way without thoroughly
reading the instructions. I have known entire classes who have
spent the time to take a test wherein the instructions said to
simply write your name and hand the test in blank. Think how
many things have been “assembled” with parts left over because
the instructions were not read completely. To our own
destruction, we often fail to obey the laws of God because we
have not taken the time to understand them all. God commands
unity in one church (Eph. 4:4;1 Cor. 1:10). We divide into
denominations. He commands baptism (Mt. 28:19-20). We make it
optional. He says “keep my commandments (Jn. 14:15). We ask how
many must we keep. Because of Noah’s obedience, God’s grace kept
the ark afloat. When we obey, God’s grace will save us as well
(Heb. 5:8-9).
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God kept his promise to punish the
disobedient. God is love (1 Jn. 4:8). God is merciful (Tit.
3:5). But God punishes the disobedient. Punishment provides the
teeth to His demands for obedience. To coin a phrase, our God
walks softly, but carries a mighty big stick called Hell. Listen
to scripture in this matter: God spared not the angels that
sinned, but cast them down to hell…spared not the old word, but
saved Noah…turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into
ashes…knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment
to be punished (2 Pet. 2:4-9). When God says the disobedient are
going to hell, you can count on it.
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The ark is a type of the church. A study of
types and anti-types is fascinating. Think of the similarities
between the ark and the church (1 Pet. 3:20).
Both designed by God.
Both have a pattern.
Both designed to save the faithful from
destruction.
Both physically built by men under instruction
from God.
All of the saved were in the ark in Noah’s
day. All of the saved are in the church in our day.
There was one door to the ark. There is one
door to the church (Jn. 10:9).
God controlled/controls the door on both.
Both were supplied by a light.
Both use/used water as an agent for salvation.
The flood for Noah. Baptism for us.
Salvation in both is/was through the grace of
God.
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Noah was saved by water. God has often used
water as a dividing line between the faithful and unfaithful,
between salvation and loss. Here are just some.
The flood (Gen. 6)
The Red Sea (Ex. 14)
The water of Marah (Ex. 15:22-26)
The water of Meribah (Ex. 17:6-7; Num. 20:24; Ps. 81:7)
Moses lost entrance into Canaan
The choice of Gideon’s army (Judges 7:4)
Leaving the wilderness into the promised land
(Josh. 3:14-17)
Worshipping in the tabernacle (Ex. 30:20)
Naaman’s healing (2 Kings 5)
Baptism does now save us (1 Pet. 3:21
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Noah was saved by the obedience motivated by
his faith (Heb. 11:7).
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Noah was saved by God (Heb. 9:15; Heb.
11:13-16, 39-40.