NOAH, THE FATHER

Text---Narrative of Genesis 6-9

Let's take a Noah's Ark quiz:

1. How many of each kind of animal were on the ark (7:2-3)

2. How long were Noah and family on the ark? 600th year, 2nd month, 17th day of Noah's life (7:11) until the 601st year, 2nd month, 27th day (8:14). By my calculations it was 1 year, 10 days.

3. Where did the ark come to rest? (8:4)

Well, the message today is really not about the number of animals that went onto the ark or how long they stayed on the ark or even where the ark came to rest after the flood. Today is Father's Day and I want to talk about Noah as a father. As I look at Noah's characteristics I must come to the conclusion that he was a good father. Let's turn together to God's word and explore Noah as a father.

I. PERSONAL TRAITS (6:8-9)

A. He found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord---in the midst of a world filled with evil.

B. He was just (righteous or upright).

C. He was "perfect in his generations"---blameless among the people of his time. Boy, do we ever need fathers who walk blameless among the people.

D. He walked with God. This is the foundation for all of the above. He had sweet communion with his Creator. This is a picture of what God intended from the beginning.

Then this upright, blameless man who walked with God became a father. The text today tells us that he begat three sons---Shem, Ham and Japheth. He wore the mantle of fatherhood well.

II. NOAH WAS A SPIRITUAL LEADER

He kept his family holy in the midst of a perverse generation. This should not be a surprise to us. It is true as a general rule that as the father walks so walks his family. Just look at the New Testament evidence of this.

Acts 16:31--- And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

1 Corinthians 7:14--- For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

John 4:53--- So the father knew that [it was] at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is referring to the nobleman whose son was sick unto death.

As the spiritual leader of his family Noah did the following two things:

A. He led the way (7:7). He was the first one to go into the ark. The ark is a picture of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Whoever comes to Christ shall be saved--- John 6:37: All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Because Noah had the faith to go onto the ark he led his whole family to salvation through faith.

B. He led his family in worship (8:20). Men, it is impossible to lead your family in worship if you are not involved in it yourself. When the church doors are open make sure you are there with your family, leading the way. Don't wait for your children or your wife to decide what they want to do when Sunday rolls around. Lead the way!

III. NOAH WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD (6:22, 7:5, 9 16)

These passages tell us that Noah did everything just as God had commanded. If he had failed to obey completely we would have never heard about Noah because we would not even be here.

Don't you know that Noah's sons watched their father's every move to see if he was willing to obey God completely. We should do no less because little eyes are always watching us:

A careful man I ought to be, A little fellow follows me.

I do not dare to go astray for fear he'll go the selfsame way.

Not once can I escape his eyes; What'er he sees me do he tries;

Like me he says he's going to be, That little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go, Through summer sun and winter snow,

I'm building for the years to be, That little chap who follows me.

Noah set the example for his family by his obedience to God.

IV. NOAH WAS PATIENT

You may be asking the question, "How do you know that?" Looking at God's pronouncement of judgment on the world in Genesis 6:3 we know that for 120 years Noah was a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5). For 120 years Noah kept preaching the same message as he worked on the ark. That is patience.

We also know that he spent one year and 17 days in the ark with a bunch of animals, women and children. Folks, that's patience.

And then we know that he raised three boys---THAT'S PATIENCE!

I refer you to that great passage of scripture found in Isaiah 40:31. Us fathers need to learn the godly art of patience and pass that on to our children. We live in an "I want it and I want it now" generation and we have no one to blame but ourselves for this.

V. NOAH WAS WISE

He had to be to be able to tackle the greatest engineering feat ever attempted. The ark was a flat-bottomed rectangular vessel 450 long, 75 wide, and 45 high, with a displacement of some 43,300 tons. Can you imagine that. It was as long as 1 ½ football fields! Noah was wise.

Then we see the picture of him sending out a raven and dove to see if the waters had receded (Genesis 8:7-11).

The word of God tells us "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Men, fatherhood is a hard job that requires a great amount of wisdom. We can not begin to succeed in the task of raising children without the wisdom that comes from God.

VI. NOAH PROVIDED FOR THE NEEDS OF HIS FAMILY

Certainly the ark was a need and Noah labored day and night for 120 years to provide it for his family.

He also provided the food they were going to need for their year and 17 days on the ark (Genesis 6:21).

The bible has these words for the man who does not provide for the needs of his family: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8).

V. NOAH WASN'T PERFECT (Genesis 9:20-21)

Neither are we. It is good to know that God fills in the gaps when we fail to be the fathers that He has called us to be. But may that never be an excuse to fail to exhibit the traits of a godly father every day of our lives--- to be righteous in this perverse generation, to be blameless, to walk with God, to be the spiritual lead of our family, to be obedient to God, to be men of patience and wisdom and to provide for the needs of our family.

The number one need that our family has is a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. This must be the highest priority for every man. As Noah led the way onto the ark and to safety we must lead the way to Jesus.