Genesis 6:17-22 – Obedience pleases God

The condition during Noah’s day went beyond what God could endure. His patience with them had worn thin. The condition was so deplorable that God was determined to fix it. He swore that He would do something to bring it to a swift end, so that He could start anew. So He said to Noah, “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.” After all is said, we must bear in mind that the very thing God wants to eradicate is disobedience, the cause of the fall of humanity. We can see that God prices obedience highly. Disobedience was what caused mankind to overstep God’s allowable boundary. Never take God’s goodness for granted. He is not mocked, what a man sows, he shall also reap. Remember, we have the freedom to choose what we want to do, but we do not have the freedom to choose the consequence.  We must always choose to obey God.

Verses 18-21 briefly detail the covenant God made with Noah. Though not many words were said, Noah knew what God meant. The corrupt world would be brought to an end and he was to be more than a survivor. He was to be God’s promised bearer to a new era. God had told him what he must do. But as important as the detail on how the ark was to be structured, it would mean nothing if it was not met with obedience. Everything said thus far would come to naught if not for verse 22. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” Noah obeyed and did as God had instructed.

Noah is an example of what obedience means. Just think of the monumental task God had asked him to do. Imagine the number of trees he had to cut to build that ark. Then think of the effort required to ferry the trees to the specific location to build it. And to think that all these were done without the luxury of modern gadgets, such as chain saws, trucks etc. Try calculating the duration it would require to build that colossal ark. What God asked him to do was not a small task. It was one epic, titanic proportion. We can conclude that maybe, his sons were involved in the project. Even then, the workforce was truly meagre. But Noah did it. Verse 22 said, explicitly, he did all as God had commanded him.   

Today, as in Noah’s day God is still looking at obedience. Our task of bearing the promises of God to a fallen world today is but a smidgeon in comparison to Noah’s phenomenal task. If he could meet his mammoth task with obedience, it will be a crying shame if we can’t obey God in our comparably small task. God expect the same level of obedience as Noah had given. Obedience is the key to great fulfillment. Notice the middle three letters in the word “obedience” form the word “die.” And the middle letter of “die” is “I.” To be truly obedient to God, the “I” in the center must die.

Hear again the word of our Lord and Master in Luke 9:23 - “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” And He also said in John 15:14, “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” Will we make up our mind to be obedient? Let’s do all to obey Him!