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Feast of Tabernacles: Are We Living a Life of Faith as Noah did?
September 23, 2021

Today we will expand our study of faith by looking at the life of Noah, a man through whom all who are alive today can trace their lineage. We’ll begin the study today by considering a few verses from Hebrews. In order to please God we must have faith knowing that if we diligently seek God, God will reward us. Noah sought God diligently by taking God’s warning seriously. God had told Noah of an impending flood and while the earth was still dry, Noah acted, saving his family.

Hebrews 11:6-7
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Noah acted when to the observant person, there was no imminent threat of flood. Imagine how challenging it was for Noah to build a huge boat to save his family and animals, when there was no imminent threat of flood. Boats are not built overnight. Large boats can take years to complete. Noah likely faced ridicule from neighbors. Today if the average person living in a city had Noah as a neighbor, they would probably call city authorities to report a code violation. Noah could have buckled to all of the people he saw day in and day out. That would have been easy. Instead, Noah persisted and in faith continued without wavering and completed the ark.

The situation that Noah faced is given as a comparison to what the faithful will face at the end time. Noah only had a seven day advance warning of when the flood would come so he could get the remainder of the animals in the ark, and the rain did come as promised. The rest of the world, including those neighbors who would have called in code violations would not be focused on any warning of God, just like the world today does not focus on the warnings of God.

When we, the faithful, see climate change or a pandemic, we see the hand of God that provides a warning. Climate change and pandemics are warnings that the faithful recognize showing that the end time is approaching. The world we live in, much like the world Noah lived in, does not see the hand of God because they lack faith. Just like people in Noah’s time ignored God until it was too late, people in the end time will ignore God until it is too late for them. Matthew tells us that the faithful will be taken care of during this future time, much like Noah’s family was taken care of during the flood. If we have faith like Noah, we will spiritually prepare ourselves to be ready at any time for the return of Jesus, because this will lead to receiving a blessing from God.

Matthew 24:36-51
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Going back to the Book of Genesis, we know that Noah found favor with God. The original King James Version translated favor as grace. When we find grace, we find favor. Noah found this favor with God in a time of incredible evil. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we understood evil, and mankind became evil. Imagine if Adam and Eve had ate of the tree of life and never ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Our history would have been much different. Man’s evil was so great that it brought heartache to God who knew it would be best to wipe mankind and animals from the face of the earth, except for the few to be saved.

Genesis 6:1-8
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Today, we have been called, because somehow we have found favor with God. God chose to call us at this time, this time of incredible evil with warning signs of the impending end of time. We should have confidence that God will deliver us from the evil and darkness to come because we know God delivered Noah and his family from the flood.

We can take confidence from passages in Proverbs that tell us to not withhold good from whom it is due when we have the power to do good. God definitely has the power to do good for the faithful and will deliver us when needed according to His will. God will not make us wait because God is lazy or overworked. We know that God will bring curses to the house of the wicked according to God’s will. Just like in the time of Noah, when God first saw that mankind was evil, God did not immediately take action. God worked through Noah to build the ark so that Noah’s family and animals could be saved. Even though the time we live in today is evil, God will still act through people on earth, and if it appears that God is not immediately taking action, just like with Noah and his family, it is because God is providing time for something needed, like completion of the ark during Noah’s time. Those who mock God will be mocked by God, much like the many who lived a life of evil during Noah’s time, likely found themselves either calling out in despair or cursing God as they drowned in water.

Proverbs 3:27-35
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Noah found favor in the eyes of God, because he was not living a life of evil. Proverbs tells us to remember the law and commandments knowing these will add long life to us. Proverbs also tells us to have mercy and truth in our life. It is when we combine mercy and truth with the law and commandments that we yield to God in a most powerful way to maximize the impact of the Holy Spirit in our life.

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

If we are living a life of faith as Noah lived his life of faith, we will yield to God forseeing the result of the evil of the time in which we live. If we ignore the evil of the time in which we live, we will suffer the fate of everyone else. It is through humility and living in awe of God do we escape evil to have riches, and honor, and life.

Proverbs 22:1-4
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Sometimes we think of people having talents and abilities as being favored by God. What we see as talents and abilities are in many cases the result of dedicated and disciplined work. The rich and powerful all come to the end of their life as the average person does, and time and chance happen to all. If we are a person of faith as Noah was a person of faith, we will recognize that God can and will intervene on the time and chance spectrum when it benefits the plan he has for each of us. The sceptics who say it would be impossible for Noah to collect the animals in seven days overlook this concept. All of us are subject to variable circumstances over which we have little or no control.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

We need to remember in all things that God is not a respecter of persons. God has called us now as He leads us to repentance. The life that we live is a life of faith, faith with works. We can look at how we live our life and come to any number of conclusions about who we are before God the Father and Jesus Christ. We need to remember the incredible gift we have been given through Jesus Christ and the mercy of God the Father as we live our life. For instance, when we judge others we are offering an unspoken opinion of ourselves that is inflated. We need to realize that to the degree we judge others, we condemn ourselves because what we see in others we have within each of us to some degree. When we judge others knowing that to some degree we have the same within us, we do so knowing we will not escape judgment from God. Instead of judging others, as we live our life of faith we will have good works. We cannot have both good works and judge others.

Romans 2:1-11
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.

Jesus provided his disciples parables about the attitude that faith should lead us to. He gave the example of a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee’s faith led him to see himself as righteous. The tax collector’s faith led him to see himself as a sinner. As we grow in faith we should be putting away sin in our life, and as we grow in faith and get closer to Jesus and God the Father, we should not be surprised as we uncover sin in our life that has always existed but we never recognized as sin. As we grow in the faith, we should develop deeper and more introspective views of ourselves that like this tax collector might lead us to the only conclusion that God needs to be merciful to us because we are sinners.

Luke 18:9-14
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was chosen by God because she was highly favored by God. Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and he told her that she would give birth to a son and call His name Jesus, explaining that He would be called the Son of the Highest ruling over an everlasting kingdom. Mary had two choices after that visit. She could have rebelled. Instead, Mary acted in faith.

Luke 1:26-33
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

As parents of a young Jesus, Mary and Joseph acted in faith even though they did not have a full understanding of what Jesus would say. For example, when Jesus was twelve years old, the parents went with Jesus to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. When they left to go home, Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus who stayed behind to engage the temple leaders in religious discussions. When they realized Jesus was not heading home, they turned back to Jerusalem and even though they were concerned for His welfare, they could not understand why Jesus stayed back at the temple. At age twelve, Jesus was already doing His Father’s business. Even though there was no sin involved with what Jesus did, it looks like when the parents expressed their concern to Jesus that He returned with them to Nazareth. Mary and Joseph acted in faith because even though they didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, they accepted it. There is no mention of the parents rejecting what He said, and from the passage we know that Mary remembered His words probably because she also remembered her initial visit with Gabriel.

Luke 2:41-52
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Living a life of faith should remind us that it is through God’s favor we have blessings in our life. That favor that we have been given should serve as a constant reminder that we are people of faith who must remain faithful.

Psalm 30:1-12
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

When we have faith in and have favor with God, we will lead a life reflecting that faith and favor. As we put our trust in God, as we have faith in God, we will rejoice and live lives of joy.

Psalm 5:1-12
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Living a life of faith means that in our darkest hours, we see the light. Our faith is not diminished when things go bad for us. We persevere, we continue in the faith never being afraid of evil that might be ever increasing around us.

Psalm 112:1-10
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Paul wrote about the favor we have with God, that we are not to take this favor, the hope of eternal life, lightly. We are not to abuse the gift we have been given knowing that now is the day of salvation. We may endure hardships in the life we have now, yet the favor and faith we have brings us to rejoicing.

2 Corinthians 6:1-10
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

It is through favor, through grace, that comes by faith that we transcend normal human thought and action. We understand that life as we know it is based on a mind that is naturally hostile towards God because what God expects from us through faith requires a transformation of our mind that can only come through the Holy Spirit. As we live a life of faith, we will live a life of humility recognizing that it is God’s mercy and favor that has brought us to where we are. Along the way we have responded to God’s mercy and favor and it is normal to focus on what we did. We cannot overlook what God has done for us through mercy and favor as we live our life of faith.

James 4:1-10
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Noah was a humble person who probably endured grief from his neighbors as he built the ark. That humility kept Noah’s faith in check and Noah did build an ark and save his family along with the animals that were onboard the ark. God waited for the ark to be completed before God took action to destroy the rest of mankind. Like Noah and his family were saved in the water by the mercy of God when the rest of humanity died, we are saved in the water today through baptism by the mercy of God who through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us the hope of eternal life.

1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Looking at the world around us today, we may wonder what the future may hold for us until the return of Jesus. We can look to the life of Noah knowing that God spared Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and his family when the rest of humanity was destroyed. We can also look to the stories of the Bible and see how God delivered Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah before those cities were destroyed. Because of the favor we have, because of the faith we have, we can take comfort that God will deliver us.

2 Peter 2:4-9
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Because of faith, we can take comfort knowing God will deliver the faithful from troubles that will ensnare the entire world. When we see evil around us, we know that we have found favor and mercy with God through faith. We will fear no evil. When we see climate change, through the faith we have, we see the hand of God allowing natural consequences of humanity’s actions knowing that as God allows this curse to descend on the earth, He will give us a way of escape.

That way of escape is one small part of the blessing that comes to each of us by living our life of faith. God will bless us through his mercy to bring us to peace. Notice the words that Aaron and his sons were to speak to the children of Israel.

Numbers 6:22-26
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Noah found his way of escape in an ark that he had to build. What he built in faith saved not only himself, but his family and the animals onboard. We may not be required to build an ark in faith, but we know faith without works is dead. If we have faith, we do something with that faith. With his faith, Noah built an ark, saved his family and many animals. What do we do with our faith?

All verses are from the King James Version.
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