Methuselah was the oldest man in the Bible living to the grand old age of nine hundred and sixty nine. He didn't start his family until he was one hundred and eighty seven years old, when along came baby Lamech. Longevity seemed to run in the family because Lamech was over one hundred and eighty before he had his first child, whom he called Noah and then he lived for almost six hundred more years, but didn't quite make his dad's total. Noah was even less interested in starting a family and waited until he had reached five hundred before three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth were born in seemingly quick succession. As regards those first five hundred years, we know absolutely nothing about Noah, how he spent his time, what he did for a job, when he got married, who his friends were but he must have been doing something right because God had noticed him and clearly he believed strongly in the God of his ancestors even when everyone around had completely lost all faith in a higher power or Creator. I guess that's why the sixth chapter of Genesis states that 'Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.' And he had three qualities that anyone would love to have said about them. First he was righteous. My dictionary tells me that means to be morally right, virtuous and law-abiding. But he was also 'blameless among the people of his time.' That's suggests to me that he was innocent of any wrong doing and everybody knew exactly what sort of an upright person he was. But he also 'walked with God' just like his great grandfather Enoch. Yet God never called him to do anything until he was well over five hundred years old! I guess he needed all that time to be prepared for the mammoth task ahead.So here's the deal, Noah. Build a boat longer than a football pitch, half its width and almost the height of a penalty box if you set it up on its end. Oh and by the way, stick a roof on it but leave a gap between the walls and the roof of about the length of the average DVD player, all the way around. Oh yes and you need to have three storeys on board and bring your joinery tools and make a whole pile of different rooms on all three levels. Then get out the tar brush and paint the whole thing inside and out. And don't forget you're going to need a big door in the side. Why? Because it's going to be your home for a while. Why so many rooms? Because you won't be all alone. Yes the wife and the daughters in law and Shem, Ham and Japheth will all be there too. What do you mean you don't so many rooms? Didn't I mention the animals? Yes, there'll be a few animals on board as well. How many? Oh, only two of every sort, a male and a female please. How will you get them all? Oh they'll just arrive at the right time. Food? Yes you'll need a lot of that, for yourselves and all the animals. For how long? Oh, about eight months, give or take a few days. I know that's a lot of food and water and maybe a lot of animal droppings to sort out but you'll get by OK. Why am I doing this? Because man has become so evil, I have decided to destroy my greatest creation, except for the few inside the boat. How will I do it? What do you think the boat's for? Yes I know you're miles away from the sea but there'll be enough rain to create a flood big enough to cover Mount Ararat and drown everything else. Why have I chosen to save you? Well I have had five hundred years of watching you.
Well those words aren't exactly God's conversation with Noah but I reckon you get the drift of what was said. Anyway it's Noah's response that's more important and this time it's a direct quote from verse 22 of chapter 6, 'Noah did everything just as God commanded him.' No indication of questioning God or doubting what he says or just picking the bits that suited. Noah just got on with doing exactly as God intended. After the Flood Noah lived to the ripe old age of nine hundred and fifty, only nineteen years less than his grandfather but nobody in the future would ever outlive them. God had already decided that one hundred and twenty years would be the absolute maximum and for most, a whole lot less. But even after living a life so close to God, Noah was still only human and one of his last recorded incidents was not exactly one to be proud of, as he lay drunk and unclothed outside his tent. Yet, despite that and because of Noah's faithfulness, God did send the rainbow as a sign that he would never destroy the world in the same way again.
Do we question God or do we faithfully respond to His words? I have learned from Noah that no believer is beyond falling but no Christian is beyond calling. But have things really changed that much. Jesus says, 'As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.' It's not enough to see the rainbow. Like Noah, you need to discover its Maker.
