Lessons from Noah

Introduction. The account of Noah and the Great Flood is a very popular children's Bible story. You can even buy cute little toy arks with a variety of animal pairs young kids can play with. But there are many serious lessons that adults should learn as well.

This article is based on the Bible account being historically factual and accurate. If you believe the account is a myth or an exaggeration (e.g., from the Black Sea Deluge hypothesis), please see the note at the end.

Character of the Ancient World, Noah, and God. In the beginning of the Bible, God declared His creation to be "very good" (Gen. 1:31). Based on the genealogies in early Genesis, roughly 1500 to 2200 years later, the Bible records the sad fact that:

"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. … The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." (Gen. 6:5, 11-12)

But in the middle of humanity's total corruption was Noah, the single notable exception on the entire planet: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. … Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. … Then the LORD said to Noah, “… I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” (Gen. 6:8-9; 7:1) His character was exceptional despite that of his parents/family, friends, neighbors, culture, etc. He stood for what was right as we should regardless of what everyone around us does.

But we also are given insights into the character of God. Simply speaking, He knows what goes on, including people’s thoughts (Gen. 6:5). More importantly, He experiences emotion, sorrow, and grief over humanity's sin (Gen. 6:6). And thankfully He is long suffering and patient (1 Pet. 3:20):

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3:9)

Nature of God's Instructions. When instructing Noah, God provided Noah with both general and specific instructions about preparing for the flood. For example:

“Make (how?) yourself an ark of gopherwood (not pine); make rooms in the ark (how many?), and cover it inside and outside with pitch (not raw). … The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits (not more/less). You shall make a window (only one?) for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above (not more/less); and set the door of the ark (only one?) in its side (not in front/back). You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks (not more/less)." (Gen. 6:14-16)

Many of the instructions are sufficiently specific that people today have built life-sized replicas (e.g., the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY) that are vastly different from what is typically (and incorrectly) portrayed in children's Bible stories. Since the Bible is silent about propulsion, sails, or steering, there would be no need for the added complexity of a pointed bow or stern. Most likely, the overall shape resembled what we would call a "barge" with box-like ends.

Noah was commended for obeying God's instructions appropriately without adding to, taking from, or substituting his own man-made changes (Gen. 6:22). Those who claim to follow Christ today would do well to do the same thing in all things religious (e.g., the plan of salvation, worship, the organization and work of the local church).

Nature of Man's Faith and God's Grace. Considerable religious controversy exists today on the subject of faith and works. From Noah, we learn that faith (belief, trust, confidence) must be associated with godly fear (reverence) and action to be effective:

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark … by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." (Heb 11:7)

From Noah, we also learn this faithful obedience must also be persistent (~120 years if Gen. 6:3 refers to the time Noah needed to prepare) in the face of likely ridicule and opposition (2 Pet. 2:5).

At the same time, God extends His grace (favor, good will, merciful kindness) for things man can't do for himself. In Noah's case, we see this in the divine warning and instructions (Heb. 11:7), God bringing the animals "to Noah" (Gen. 7:9), God shutting the ark's side door (Gen. 7:16). In our case, we can see God's grace in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Rom. 5) and Holy Spirit-inspired instructions revealed in the New Testament (Titus 2:11-12).

Type of Salvation. In the example of Noah, we see God's grace, man's faith, and man's obedience all combined to save Noah and his family from the sinful world they lived in. Peter uses this account as a type/antitype for the necessity of water baptism (immersion) in order for us to be saved today:

"… in the days of Noah … eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:20-21)

Or as Paul says: "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6:4)

Type of Final Judgment. While we have seen God is patient and long-suffering, God is also just and ultimately holds mankind accountable for their actions. In Noah's case, this involve destroying the entire world with a global flood:

"And all flesh died that moved on the earth: … every man. All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground … . Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive." (Gen 7:21-23)

Both Jesus and Peter use this account as a type/antitype for the future Second Coming of Jesus, the destruction of the earth, and Judgment Day:

“Heaven and earth will pass away … But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matt. 24:37-39)
"For if God did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; … then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment" (2 Pet. 2:4-9)
"… by the word of God … the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Pet. 3:5-7)

Conclusion. For those who accept the Biblical account of Noah and the Great Flood, we can learn many powerful lessons about the nature of God, His sorrow over sin, and His long suffering grace. But more importantly, we see how Jesus and the New Testament writers used what happened to Noah as a warning to us about our own future and how we too need to faithfully obey God's instructions to be saved.

Note: As mentioned in the introduction, many today view Noah's Flood as just another creation myth or perhaps a distorted recollection of the local flooding of the Black Sea allegedly around 5600 B.C. For more about the reliability of the Biblical account, see articles under the "Topics > F" for "Flood" menu item.