SAVING THE HOME

SAVING THE HOME

HEBREWS 11:7

Noah was a remarkable man in his home as well as a celebrated figure in sacred history. Through faith in God, he preserved his family from destruction and the human race from extinction. His family was spared the judgment of God through the redemptive vision and action of Noah. We read: "Noah...prepared an ark to the saving of his house."

In his home Noah must of been a great parent. He preformed a vital role in his home. All of us who have children are looked to as examples, whether we know it or not. Noah I'm sure had a deep love and respect for the Lord. As a parent, loving God is probably the most important thing you do. Loving God is so important. It is the most important heritage we can pass on to our children. In Noah's case it saved his whole family.

A professor of Christian education conducted an experiment with his son's 7th grade class. The experiment was to learn how boys and girls from Christian homes "caught" their parents' faith. What he found was that most of the things parents did or did not do to pass on their faith made very little difference in their children's lives. The one thing that did make a difference is explained in Deut. 6:4-8 in words spoken by Moses millenniums ago..."Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:And you shall love the LORD God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."

Moses says that communicating faith begins with a parent's own love for God. A love "with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. When God's love has made you sensitive to His commandments and commands, He then becomes an integral part of your life, so much so that you "talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk together, when you lie down and when you get up. Then will the God who is real to you will be real to your children too.

Noah's children saw this love for God in their parent. The scriptures tell us that Noah was righteous in God's eyes. Noah was showed his love for God in his obedience...Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” (Genesis 6:22)

Noah led a life pleasing to the Lord...And the LORD said to Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1) Noah showed his love for God by worshiping Him.”...And Noah built an altar to the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8:20) Noah was a great example for his children; he is a great example for parents today.

What Noah did for his family was a heroic effort? It involved principles that are applicable in the world we live in today. To save the home in any generation is a work of faith. In Noah's time the environment was discouraging. The circumstances were baffling. He was the only one in the world that was obedient to the Lord. He was given a task that seemed illogical and ridiculous to the world. But he obeys God rather than man. Without dynamic faith, Noah would have stressed out with despair and worried about his fate. His faith defied difficulty, he accepted the challenge of the hour. As parents today we have a challenge that can only be met with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ...Noah showed this to his family without shame that he trusted God. The environment he lived in was just as hostile toward faith in God as it is today. But Noah as a parent and husband projected and lived the proper image. His children labored to build an ark because they had faith in the character and wisdom of their parent. They must have had a strong faith in the Lord too, to accomplish such a task. Noah was the spiritual leader of his home. Noah taught his sons and daughter-in-laws about real life faith. He didn't leave the teaching to others but taught by example of his love for God, his faith in the Lord and his boldness in the world.

Noah earned a place of honorable mention in Hebrews 11. He belongs among the heroes of faith. If ever there was a venture of faith, it was the construction of the ark. He believed in the sovereign God of the universe. Noah demonstrated remarkable boldness. He was a nonconformist, dedicated to principles and not to customs. While others were wicked, he performed his work of reverence.

A young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate a new car. Bill and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation they found the perfect car. Bill was sure that the car would be his on graduation night. Imagine his disappointment when, on the eve of his graduation. Bill's father handed him a gift-wrapped Bible! Bill was so angry that he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He and his father never saw each other again. It was the news of his father's death that brought Bill home again. As he sat one night going through his father's possessions that he was to inherit, he came across the Bible his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier's check, dated the day of his graduation...in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together. Bill's father attempted to give Bill God's Word, which is far more valuable in life than anything else. Bill found out too late that his father was giving him God's Word for his life as well as the desire of his heart. The Bible says that Noah prepared an ark to save his family. Parents who build family altars, bring their families to worship, and provide a Christian example are working for the salvation of their families. Just remember that if Noah had gone down...so would all of his family. Build your life and your home on the Word of God, which endures forever.