I’ve covered Scripture Related To Preparedness already, but I have decided to take a deeper look at some of them. Today I want take a deeper look at Noah. Starting in Genesis 6:8, we’re told that Noah found favor with God, that he was the only blameless person on earth. God would spare Noah and his family, but would destroy every other living creature except for those that would be on the Arc.
A reader once told me she believed that God was calling us Prepared Christians to be many Noah’s going out to the world; and I believe that to be truth. I know God called me to prepare, as I believe He has called many of you and many others who are unaware of this blog to prepare as well.
Build the Arc
In Genesis 6:14 God gave Noah a task:
(14)“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. (15) Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. (16) Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.”
So Noah has to find suitable lumber, fell it, mill it, haul it to the build site and then build this huge arc that was 1.5 football fields long. That’s about half as long as a modern day aircraft carrier!
Gather the Animals
Genesis 6:19 tells us:
“19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. (20) Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive”
At least he didn’t have to round them all up! Can you imagine lions, bears, snakes and all of the other dangerous animals you have lived your life fearing showing up? Can you imagine the noise and the smell? Do you think God tamed them so they were not predator nor prey while they waited for the Arc to be built and for the water to recede after the flood?
Gather the Food
Genesis 6:21 we’re told:
“And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”
Imagine that! Noah had to store enough food for a minimum of eight people; Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives (it doesn’t say if any of Noah’s sons had more than one wife so it could have been more than eight) and all of the animals, for an unknown amount of time! We’re told that it took ten and a half months for the flood waters to mostly dry but Noah didn’t know that. This food storage is all without a Costco, freeze drying, canning or any other modern method of food storage! They had to grow it, hunt it, gather it, and preserve it all by themselves! Oh, and they still had to build the arc and tend the animals.
Noah’s Shoes
Let’s not forget that Noah was also 600 years old! Have you ever thought about being in Noah’s shoes? I wonder what he did for a living. Knowing God’s sense of humor, Noah was probably a shepherd who had never ridden in a boat or built anything in his life. I wonder if Noah ever felt overwhelmed. I wonder if his family supported him. I wonder if there were days he felt like keeping his 600 year old back in bed.
All the while Noah knew God’s plan to wipe out the majority of the human race. Everyone Noah had ever laid eyes on, except for his family, would perish. Do you think that grieved him? Yes they brought it upon themselves, but to know their fate and to listen to their begging day after day as the rain rose had to take its toll on Noah.
What Can We Learn?
I don’t know about you, but when I break down each of the tasks given to Noah, it sounds near impossible. God has a history of asking unlikely people to do big things, and then working through them to complete the task.
With todays advanced technology, our modern tools, 24/7 stores and a large budget, the tasks set before Noah would still be near impossible. I can’t imagine how much harder they were when Noah built the Arc. The only explanation is God.
I mentioned above that I believed some of you reading this were called by God to prepare. Some of you have been doing so for many years and others have just started. Some have a support network in your families and some of you are the only one in your families, who may or may not be against you.
Some days you might feel overwhelmed with everything you have left to do, so much left to prepare for. God knows what you have left to do. He knows exactly what is coming and if He has called you to prepare, He may just work through you as well! To be clear, the story of Noah can be a life lesson as well. Whenever life has you feeling overwhelmed, just remember to share His yoke.
Mathew 19:26: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
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