10.24.25 ~ Who Was He?

Good morning!

Have you ever asked the question: "What did Noah accomplish? Obviously, Mr. Obvious, He saved all mankind (Heb. 11:7). Without him, humanity would have become extinct soon after it began. Single-handedly he ensured the continuity of life on earth. He is the man who builds an ark, rescues all living organisms, and ensures our world would survive. Now that's a man's man!

An achievement indeed, if there was ever one.

Was he really a bag of chips and a whole lot more? Who was this righteous man who became a man of the earth and planted a vineyard (Gen. 9:20)?

We don't know a whole lot about him. The only two stories we have are about him building an ark and planting a vineyard. One story he is a rejected hero and the other a man who experiences a drunken tragedy within his family.

Was he a once righteous man who became a man filled with flaws, doubts, and struggles? We do like to judge a book by its cover, don't we?

In a society dripping with greed and temptation, Noah held to his morals, walked with God, and swam against the tide, saving the planet from destruction. Civilization survived not because of a towering, titanic figure; but because of a simple man who had the courage to live morally when everyone around him behaved despicably.

The message of Noah is life-changing. You don’t need to be Abraham or Moses or the Apostle Paul to transform the world. What if Noah's drunkenness was just a slip up (more tonight)? Ironically, and tragically, we remember failures more than success. What if I took on Noah's mindset prior to the flood? Became a preacher of righteousness, obeyed God, built an ark...Could you imagine: with your own courage not to identify with the line of corruption (Psa. 1:1-2), fakeness, and falsehood (2 Tim. 3:1-5), with a little gentleness, friendliness, compassion, kindness, and goodness you can save lives, ignite sparks, and create an "ark" of sanity amidst a raging flood (Rev. 12:15).

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. (Rev. 12:15)

Happy Preparation day and Shabbat shalom!