While Noah waited…
We have all heard it, the story of Noah and the ark. A boat overflowing with animals and a rainbow beaming in the background are pictures recognized by anyone even a bit familiar with God’s Word. It’s a reference the mind makes to God sending the flood and a promise never to do it again. But what about everything that happened in between those high points our minds recall?
I too, had read the story of Noah a gazillion times; mostly out of children’s books that seem to give the impression this was a fun adventure! Don’t get me wrong, I love the innocent images our children’s authors paint with familiar stories, but I learned there is more to this story than butterflies and rainbows. There were emotions, despair, and perseverance. These are intentionally intertwined in God’s story to us for relatability. Let us not skip over considering these aspects of the story that offer a deeper perspective…
It was just recently that my mind registered with a new perspective for this bedtime story….one that will forever change my outlook on Noah and the ark.
Before I cut the chase, let’s revisit the setting of this familiar story for a moment. Mankind was sinning more than ever. Picture the worst of the worst environment with no acknowledgement of God. Gosh, you might just envision today’s world. Genesis 6 gets straight to the point with, “The Lord saw that humanity had become thoroughly evil on the earth and that every idea their minds thought up was always completely evil.” Mankind had taken on that ‘Yolo’ mindset and God was pressing a reset button for mankind. A flood was coming to wipe everything off the earth, except ones He chose to save. And there, in the midst of all of the selfish ambitions and havoc was one He chose, Noah. Faithful, God fearing Noah. He was chosen to build an ark, to not only escape the flood, but become part of a story that would teach active faith, patience and full reliance on God. Originally, my fingers would turn to the next page and carry on with my reading as I knew how the story ended, but this time my eye caught something new. There nestled among the tiny black words was a number I had never noticed, 150.
Genesis 7 tells us God clearly told Noah that it would rain 40 days and 40 nights, and so it did...
But in verse 24 it says, “and the water surged on the earth 150 days.” Wait, I thought it was just 40. What does 150 have to do with anything? After research I learned that Noah and his family drifted along for approximately five months after they endured what felt like never ending rainfall. We grumble if it rains seven days straight, and that’s with cars, homes and rain jackets available to us! So now consider five months of being hulled up after 40 days of rain with every animal known to mankind…then remind yourself this isn’t a cruise to Mexico. People, this is hard core destruction to mankind without knowing what the future holds. We get ruffled if we don’t know what’s for supper, much less the unknown direction of this giant ark. God was specific on a lot of things with Noah, but the destination of his arrival was not one. And remember God revealed to Noah how long it would rain, but He didn’t mention this waiting period after his obedience took place...
Put yourself in Noah’s sandals. The reality of this scene needs to sketch into your mind. The mixture of emotions Noah must have felt; sorrow and gratitude interchanging as he floated along. Noah realizing how grateful he was that God spared him, yet knowing so many others had drowned. Joy and fear tossing back and forth like the waves beneath him. Joy in knowing he and his family had survived, but fear of the unknown as he peered up from the dark, dreary boat wondering when God would speak again. Noah had been obedient to everything God had commanded of him, putting his hope in God when no one else would, but now he sat waiting for the next step. 150 days of waiting for the next step, the next encounter with that outside world. He may have thought, “did I do this right, is God still with us?” or maybe “I want to trust, but I’m scared, God are you there?”
Have you ever been in Noah’s position? Maybe God called you to take a courageous step and you followed through, but now feel some of Noah’s emotions? As Noah waited, he must have fought against his doubt and despair and fought to hold onto hope. The hope his heart knew was the anchor and the perseverance needed to survive.
We do not like to wait, especially in today’s world of instant gain. But we are smart people, and we know the reliance on God in the waiting is what strengthens us. But waiting on God to reveal the next step takes full reliance on Him and self denial. Self denial-laying our timeline and desires down at His feet-that’s tough stuff! Yet, waiting on God produces a renewed sense of trust in who He is every time..always consistent and always faithful.
Fast forward to God breaking the silence for Noah. Genesis 8 says, “But God remembered Noah,” and commanded them to “come out of the ark.” God remembering in this moment is not that He forgot; God never forgets. But it is God directly taking action to fulfill the promise to His people. God remembers all His promises to us even when we are caught in a sea of doubt.
Are you caught in a season of waiting and feel uncertain? Have you been obedient to following Him, but wondering about your next step? Remember Noah’s situation during the in between moments of this story. Those in between moments teach us patience and reliance. These are attributes of Noah worth pointing out to our children and ourselves. This life, that sometimes feels like a wild boat ride with a zoo, has a parallel and contrast to Noah’s story. As followers of Jesus Christ, we may be called by God to take action with our faith. It may require patience as we fight a storm of emotions. But the difference from Noah’s story is God already gave us the final destination and the next step: the promise of Heaven through Jesus Christ.
Stand firm in the storm as you wait. Allow God’s promises of faithfulness to shine bright in your heart as you persevere into God’s plan and never stop reading His Word. God will always remind us of His faithfulness through it.
