Noah’s Example

Introduction:

We have followed the writer’s themes:

Faith serves as the substance of things anticipated (hoped for).

It is the proof of things not being seen.

After the initial claims, the writer has shifted to providing examples (witnesses) of people who exemplified the necessary attitudes and behaviors.

Abel: sacrificed according to God’s specifications while Cain did not.

He died for doing what is right.

Enoch: pleased God and hence was “transformed.”

These two examples led to the writer of Hebrews making two point of emphasis:

Abel still speaks (serves as an example).

Those who approach God necessarily believe He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Noah’s example reinforces all these points.

Noah Framed:

Two participles govern the initial framing of thoughts.

They may also have greater relevance for thinking about Noah building the ark.

The writer of Hebrews doesn’t just want to focus on the connection between Noah’s faith and his construction of the ark.

He wants to highlight the conditions under which Noah’s faith moved him to construct the ark.

χρηματισθεὶς = participle #1.

to make known a divine revelation—‘to make known God’s message, to reveal a message from God.

Noah’s preparation of an ark happened because he trusted God’s revelation.

What was revealed was something future but not yet seen, ie. a global catastrophe.

Genesis 6:9ff.

εὐλαβηθεὶς = participle #2.

to show reverent regard for—‘to reverence, reverent regard for, reverence.’

Noah had respect or reverence for God above everything else, and this caused him to construct an ark.

He valued the Word of God above the views of his contemporaries.

He might have faced social stigma for building an ark, nonetheless, he obeyed God.

Noah’s Three Actions

Noah’s faith resulted in three things around Noah, either that he did or that are true about him.

He prepared an ark for the salvation of his family.

Noah didn’t just act to save himself. That is not the lesson here.

He obeyed God is the lesson, but in doing so, he also saved his family from the coming flood.

He condemned the world.

It appears the entire circumstance just described is in view here, not just “through faith.”

We must take a careful reading of the text and of the event.

Divine judgment was coming upon the world, but the right thing to do was to build an ark.

Noah was distinguished as someone who differed from the rest of his generation. He believed God, therefore, he built/prepared an ark.

He came to be an heir of the righteousness defined by faith.

This is the positive of the previous statement.

The writer of Hebrews isn’t pointing toward Noah building an ark to become an inheritor.

Instead, it reveals who he was already (that’s consistent with Gen. 6) and points toward his reputation/witness.

We continue to think of him as righteous because he did all of this.