Let’s note at least three spiritual credentials (Gn 6:9) that gave this man credibility before God even though the world probably considered him to be insane. “Noah was a just (righteous) man, perfect (blameless) in his generations. Noah walked with God.” – (1) Noah was a just man (living by God’s standards of righteousness), (2) perfect (unlike the world), and (3) walked with God! The latter put Noah in the spiritual league of only one other man said to have walked with God, Mr. Enoch (Gn 5:24).
(1) Noah was just or righteous (Gn 6:9).
Since God-like righteousness was never optional before or after the flood, conformity to God’s standard of right living is expected or commanded (inferred here in Genesis); for we never read in Genesis, “You shall be righteous! Thus says the LORD!” It probably is intimated since we are created, indirectly, in the image of God and in His likeness (Gn 1:26), and therefore are expected to act like we are made in the image of God and in His likeness. But in the absence of written revelation, what constitutes being righteous? We must remember that general or natural revelation was in force during the antediluvian civilization as it is today, and all men are accountable to the revelation of God in creation (Rom 1:18-19, 20, note, “without excuse”). Also, Abel (Heb 11:4), Enoch (Heb 11:5), and Noah (Heb 11:7) are examples of faith before the Great Flood given by the writer of Hebrews under Inspiration.
According to the biblical record there was a definite and deliberate demarcation during the antediluvian civilization between no faith in God by the ungodly line of Cain and faith in God as seen in the godly line of Seth (Gn 5), “Then men began to call on the name of the LORD” (Gn 4:26). It’s no different today; there are only two spiritual classifications of people: regenerate (saved or born again) or unregenerate (unsaved or lost). Since Noah “became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb 11:7), we know that faith was the basis and principle of Noah’s righteousness, but also his way of life was the last godly example we have prior to the flood as a pattern of righteousness in the godly line of Seth and may suggest what it means that Noah was righteous, an example of obedience to God’s will surrounded by a world of unbelief (cf. Rom 15:4; 1 Cor 10:11). In a nutshell Noah pleased God by his faith (Heb 11:6-7). The transcendent principle of God first (just, a vertical relationship), and others second (blameless, a horizontal relationship), is first revealed in Noah. And what really reveals the spiritual quality of Noah’s faith is that with God, he walked.
How the standards of righteousness developed over the years were transmitted and referenced are unknown; more than likely faith values (oral traditions) were passed down from Adam to Noah. Obviously, the knowledge of God was limited to general revelation (creation) and personal interaction (fellowship, e.g., Enoch) during this time because the revelation of God as contained in Genesis through Revelation was only in the mind of God. But the level of knowledge given during the pre-flood period was sufficient to save a man or condemn a man for eternity. We who are under the light of full revelation (Genesis to Revelation) are under a greater responsibility than those of the pre-flood era. The repercussions of saving faith and unbelief were as real then as it is today. By the time of the flood, the godly line would be reduced to eight (Gn 7:1) and the ungodly line to zero (Gn 7:16, 23) with the closing of the door of grace….
“Righteous” (Heb, tsaddîq, Gn 6:9) means conforming to God’s standard. Apparently, Noah met with God’s approval in conforming to the divine standard because he is called “righteous.” Noah was righteous because he is said to have had faith – “By faith Noah” (Heb 11:7). This was not merely an abstract faith but an applied faith, an active faith – “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” (Gn 6:22). His faith mirrored the description of faith of Heb 11:1; “being divinely warned of things not yet seen” (Gn 6:13, he had an expected confidence in the evidence of the invisible (“the things not yet seen” – destruction by flood) based on the solid assurance of God’s word (“being divinely warned”) “moved with godly fear (faith in reverential response), prepared an ark…” (Heb 11:7; Gn 6:22).
We know Noah’s actions were pleasing to God because “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb 11:6), and he is used as an example of faith in action regardless of the personal cost in Hebrews 11. Through faith (Eph 2:8-9) produces by faith or another way of saying it, saving faith produces a working (fruitful) faith (cf. Jas 2:18). Faith appears 24 times in Hebrews chapter 11. It is active and comes with a price; “by faith” will cost us something (cf. 2 Tim 3:12). Though there is no historical detail of any persecution, the turbulent world in Noah’s day alone would argue that there was opposition. He was surrounded and isolated by a world of disobedience and unbelief. His only spiritual support was his family.
Preaching was one thing but building the largest boat known to man at that time was eye-catching and news. The ark was actually a large barge to serve as an escape pod. Based on a cubit being 18 inches, the ark was 450 feet in length, 75 feet in width, and 45 feet in height with three decks! It was presumably constructed on dry land, without a rudder, and masts. Shipbuilders of that day would have had a field day making Noah the laughingstock of the world because of his ship design. It is doubtful it had a bow or stern section since it lacked a rudder to navigate by. It was nothing more than a gigantic floatable box.
No doubt Noah and his family were the brunt of endless jokes and news of his ostentatious and off-the-scale project reached around the globe. The ark was like a YouTube video going viral drawing the world’s attention, and it became the platform and pulpit for Noah’s preaching against sin and judgment to come – repent or be destroyed! I believe that God brought people to see the ark and hear Noah’s message of judgment, just like He brought the animals to Noah to board the ark. Noah had to have drawn fire for his insensitivity and inflammatory words! Any project for God will draw the ire of an unbelieving world. Noah and his family were ridiculed, mocked, harassed, sabotaged, and possibly threatened. Noah lived in a world where wickedness was rampant and thoughts of God were non-existent (Gn 6:5), and it was anything but a peaceful world (Gn 6:11). Sounds like a place you would want to raise a family, huh?
(2) Noah was perfect or blameless (Gn 6:9).
He was “perfect” (Heb, tamîm, blameless, ESV). “Whole” is a good and picturesque word as an English equivalent of the Hebrew word translated as perfect or blameless. Noah wasn’t perfect in the sense that he was sinless or morally perfect, but he was not guilty of the unethical and immoral activities of his day. He was whole, but the rest of his contemporaries were fractured by sinful living. His life was absent of the violence (cf. Jas 1:20), cruelty, corruption, sexual promiscuity, tension, confusion, frustration, and emptiness characterized by the other inhabitants of the antediluvian world (Gn 6:11). Noah could not be justly accused by the world of any improprieties. His actions towards others were exemplary and godly. “Generations” would include 480 years and counting. He was 600 when the flood came (Gn 7:11).
(3) Noah walked with God (Gn 6:9).
In Hebrew, the emphasis of the clause “Noah walked with God” is on God – with God walked Noah; this was the true source of Noah’s godliness – love for God. What a contrast to the world around him where there was no love for God, “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gn 6:5b). Unlike so many today who claim to be saved but never live for God, Noah’s conversion wasn’t limited to an initial point of contact with God at salvation. This verb expresses an intimate behavior, a daily contact with God that characterizes communion and fellowship (cf. Gn 5:24). “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)
Noah’s world was really the pits having to live in a world enveloped in spiritual darkness and being the only source of light. It was the continuous communion with God (walked) that got him through those trying and difficult 120 years prior to the flood. His world was soon to be destroyed and changed forever. The building of the ark was a huge and somber enterprise and experiencing the flak that came along with preaching repentance and the impending flood judgment of those coming to see this spectacle in the making. Little did the world of men know; the ark was the symbol of their demise, forever!
Everyone was probably thinking, “Here is a religious fanatic, building a monstrosity of a boat on dry land that will never set to sea. And even if it were possible, this boat has no rudder, no helm to navigate by, and no masts for sails to power it! Noah is claiming that there is coming a flood on the earth that will kill every living thing because of sin. And unless we repent of our sins we will all die in a flood! And God has instructed him, no less, to put all kinds of creatures on this boat, too! How preposterous!
Since the time of Adam, there has never been a
flood to cover the earth! Noah must be insane!” The truth is Noah was very sane
and rational. His spiritual credentials were impeccable. Ever heard the saying that
if you think everybody else is crazy but you, you are the one that is crazy? In
this case, however, the whole world was crazy, and Noah and his family were
the only sane ones on the earth!
This is what is referred to as normalcy or normality bias. Since we know that the flood actually occurred, it reveals just how influential and far-reaching its paralyzing effect can have on people. People have quoted Mark Twain in this regard, and it is appropriate, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
There was no evasive action on anybody’s part worldwide to repent. I should note that there is spiritual blindness due to unbelief going on here that exacerbated the normalcy bias of the natural man (cf. 2 Cor 4:4). This is where false teachers come in to make things even worst for those trying to sort out the facts from fiction. The rationale was that since such a disaster had never occurred before, it won’t happen. Noah is just a doom-and-gloom person, self-righteous and judgmental.
This is what is referred to as normalcy or normality bias. Since we know that the flood actually occurred, it reveals just how influential and far-reaching its paralyzing effect can have on people. People have quoted Mark Twain in this regard, and it is appropriate, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
There was no evasive action on anybody’s part worldwide to repent. I should note that there is spiritual blindness due to unbelief going on here that exacerbated the normalcy bias of the natural man (cf. 2 Cor 4:4). This is where false teachers come in to make things even worst for those trying to sort out the facts from fiction. The rationale was that since such a disaster had never occurred before, it won’t happen. Noah is just a doom-and-gloom person, self-righteous and judgmental.
Besides, the Creator God won’t allow that to happen; it’s unthinkable.
What’s the point of all of this if He just plans on destroying us? It doesn’t
make any sense! There is no need to change our lifestyle when nothing like this
is going to happen anyway. It’s unthinkable, irrational, and irresponsible, and
a whole lot of fuss over nothing at all! Noah is nothing more than a
troublemaker!
So a false sense of security settles in based on the denial of any possible impending danger. On the 119th year of construction, they would continue to say, “Ah, we’ve been hearing this outlandish threat of a great flood for years, and it hasn’t happened yet; Noah is a loon!” So life continued on as usual: corruption, wickedness, and violence continued across the world in reckless abandon (Gn 6:5), “for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gn 6:12b). And the dire warning given to Noah and resonating by his words as a preacher of righteousness and with each blow of the hammer in building an ark of safety went not unnoticed, but unheeded (Gn 6:13; Mt 24:38). General revelation and Noah’s preaching, and the ark as a visual aid of judgment to come sealed the doom of a lost world. That last passage cited indicates that life went on as usual until the very day Noah entered the ark according to Jesus….
We are told that the normalcy bias or normality bias often results in situations where people fail to prepare for a likely and impending disaster. Such a bias lends to a false sense of security leading people in believing that such an event will never happen in the future because it has never happened in the past, and preparation is avoided. This is not normal; therefore, no action is required.
If you truly believe that a God of love would never allow for this to happen, think again; the death toll was staggering – “eventually only eight souls were saved in the flood” (JBP, 1 Pet 3:20)! A normalcy bias will take Genesis chapters 1-11 as allegorical rather than literal because it is inconceivable and too outrageous to be true. Jesus believed Mt 24:28 to be literal; what good is the warning if it’s make-believe? He was there when He closed the door of the ark. In fact, think about God’s eternal attribute of immutability, His unchangeableness (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8) for a moment. The God who so loved the world in Jn 3:16 is also the same God who destroyed the world in Noah’s day (Gn 6:13; 7:23). It makes the rainbow a more appreciated view (Gn 9:13, 15). Look at the normalcy bias going on in Peter’s day,
2Pe 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." [normalcy bias]
2Pe 3:5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
2Pe 3:6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. [Like Jesus, Peter believed that the Genesis flood was global!]
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. [Judgment is coming!]
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish [emphasis mine] but that all should come to repentance. [cf. Gn 6:3 with 1 Pet 3:20]
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come [emphasis mine] as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [how about like Noah, Gn 6:9!]
2Pe 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? [once by water, now fire]
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2Pe 3:14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; [again, how about like Noah!].
There is a lot of talk today about normalcy bias particularly surrounding the monetizing of the debt or printing up currency to cover our spending! Such practice (devaluing the dollar) and uncontrolled spending will ultimately bring our nation to economic ruin, causing other nations to seek a new standard of currency, the death knell to our economy. So why do we continue to do this? Is this a normalcy bias? You might think that God wouldn’t allow America to fall because this great nation was founded (note past tense) on Judeo/Christian principles! Or that we lead the charge in sending out missionaries to the world! Or we are a Christian nation!
The United States is not under judgment (normalcy bias)! The Jews thought the same way during the days of Jeremiah. He warned them of judgment if they do not repent. They were so sure that Jerusalem would never fall because God’s temple was located there [normalcy bias]. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed the temple in roughly 587-586 B.C. Read the book of Jeremiah and Lamentations (uplifting title) of the tragedy and horror that befell Jerusalem. Jeremiah, God’s spokesperson, had a rough go of it! It was a tough and grueling ministry similar to Noah's.
America wants a fix without a change of sinful behavior; hmm, sounds eerily similar to the antediluvian civilization; and we as Christians are no better than the lost for we are spiritually lethargic and numb to the things of God, too! We are fast becoming, if not there already, as influential as Lot was in Sodom. We’ve opted to slop in the trough with the world for so long that seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is undesirable. We don’t have time to look up from the trough of our consumption to see our nation on the brink of something really bad, to understand that Christianity in America is in deep trouble with the Lord. Oh, “If My people …” (2 Chron 7:14), God’s people, not the lost.
Don’t allow the Word of God to fall on deaf ears. God means what He says and says what He means. He will judge sin, and there is always Divine controlled collateral damage; ask Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, or even Jeremiah! Judgment begins with the house of God, always has, always will. Recall the words of Peter,
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Pet 4:17
Perhaps we should have an “abnormalcy bias” as believers! This is a belief that nothing enters our lives, good or bad unless God approves or orchestrates it. And like Noah, Jeremiah, or Daniel and company, our spiritual credibility remains intact regardless of how bad things look or get. God is at the helm despite what the soothsayers are saying. Being righteous, blameless, and walking with God should be the normal thing to do in normal or abnormal times because God is in control (Rom 8:28)! Hey, I'm going to tell you ahead of time; I told you so! <><
So a false sense of security settles in based on the denial of any possible impending danger. On the 119th year of construction, they would continue to say, “Ah, we’ve been hearing this outlandish threat of a great flood for years, and it hasn’t happened yet; Noah is a loon!” So life continued on as usual: corruption, wickedness, and violence continued across the world in reckless abandon (Gn 6:5), “for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gn 6:12b). And the dire warning given to Noah and resonating by his words as a preacher of righteousness and with each blow of the hammer in building an ark of safety went not unnoticed, but unheeded (Gn 6:13; Mt 24:38). General revelation and Noah’s preaching, and the ark as a visual aid of judgment to come sealed the doom of a lost world. That last passage cited indicates that life went on as usual until the very day Noah entered the ark according to Jesus….
We are told that the normalcy bias or normality bias often results in situations where people fail to prepare for a likely and impending disaster. Such a bias lends to a false sense of security leading people in believing that such an event will never happen in the future because it has never happened in the past, and preparation is avoided. This is not normal; therefore, no action is required.
If you truly believe that a God of love would never allow for this to happen, think again; the death toll was staggering – “eventually only eight souls were saved in the flood” (JBP, 1 Pet 3:20)! A normalcy bias will take Genesis chapters 1-11 as allegorical rather than literal because it is inconceivable and too outrageous to be true. Jesus believed Mt 24:28 to be literal; what good is the warning if it’s make-believe? He was there when He closed the door of the ark. In fact, think about God’s eternal attribute of immutability, His unchangeableness (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8) for a moment. The God who so loved the world in Jn 3:16 is also the same God who destroyed the world in Noah’s day (Gn 6:13; 7:23). It makes the rainbow a more appreciated view (Gn 9:13, 15). Look at the normalcy bias going on in Peter’s day,
2Pe 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." [normalcy bias]
2Pe 3:5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
2Pe 3:6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. [Like Jesus, Peter believed that the Genesis flood was global!]
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. [Judgment is coming!]
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish [emphasis mine] but that all should come to repentance. [cf. Gn 6:3 with 1 Pet 3:20]
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come [emphasis mine] as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [how about like Noah, Gn 6:9!]
2Pe 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? [once by water, now fire]
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2Pe 3:14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; [again, how about like Noah!].
There is a lot of talk today about normalcy bias particularly surrounding the monetizing of the debt or printing up currency to cover our spending! Such practice (devaluing the dollar) and uncontrolled spending will ultimately bring our nation to economic ruin, causing other nations to seek a new standard of currency, the death knell to our economy. So why do we continue to do this? Is this a normalcy bias? You might think that God wouldn’t allow America to fall because this great nation was founded (note past tense) on Judeo/Christian principles! Or that we lead the charge in sending out missionaries to the world! Or we are a Christian nation!
The United States is not under judgment (normalcy bias)! The Jews thought the same way during the days of Jeremiah. He warned them of judgment if they do not repent. They were so sure that Jerusalem would never fall because God’s temple was located there [normalcy bias]. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed the temple in roughly 587-586 B.C. Read the book of Jeremiah and Lamentations (uplifting title) of the tragedy and horror that befell Jerusalem. Jeremiah, God’s spokesperson, had a rough go of it! It was a tough and grueling ministry similar to Noah's.
America wants a fix without a change of sinful behavior; hmm, sounds eerily similar to the antediluvian civilization; and we as Christians are no better than the lost for we are spiritually lethargic and numb to the things of God, too! We are fast becoming, if not there already, as influential as Lot was in Sodom. We’ve opted to slop in the trough with the world for so long that seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is undesirable. We don’t have time to look up from the trough of our consumption to see our nation on the brink of something really bad, to understand that Christianity in America is in deep trouble with the Lord. Oh, “If My people …” (2 Chron 7:14), God’s people, not the lost.
Don’t allow the Word of God to fall on deaf ears. God means what He says and says what He means. He will judge sin, and there is always Divine controlled collateral damage; ask Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, or even Jeremiah! Judgment begins with the house of God, always has, always will. Recall the words of Peter,
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Pet 4:17
Perhaps we should have an “abnormalcy bias” as believers! This is a belief that nothing enters our lives, good or bad unless God approves or orchestrates it. And like Noah, Jeremiah, or Daniel and company, our spiritual credibility remains intact regardless of how bad things look or get. God is at the helm despite what the soothsayers are saying. Being righteous, blameless, and walking with God should be the normal thing to do in normal or abnormal times because God is in control (Rom 8:28)! Hey, I'm going to tell you ahead of time; I told you so! <><
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