Genesis 7:1-5 – We can be God’s instrument today

Noah was marked out by his obedience. The common refrain about him was that he did according to all that the Lord had commanded him. This is an indication that he obeyed God consistently in everything. People may obey in one area but not in another. It was not so with Noah. He consistently and constantly obeyed God in all that he was told to do. In this passage we see that God, wanting to preserve the animals, gave specific instructions to him. He was told to bring into the ark seven pairs each of the clean animals and one pair each of the unclean animals. And Noah obeyed. So in verse 5, we read “Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.” He had a high OQ – obedience quotient. We must emulate him and have a high OQ toward God as well. There’s no telling what God can do through one obedient person. Noah’s life stands as a testament to that. 

It is easy to follow what everyone else is doing, especially when we live in a world where every other person seems to be doing it. Every one of us, without exception, is susceptible to influence. This was the condition in Noah’s day. But he stood out differently. Here is what God said of him, “…you alone I have seen to be righteous before me in this time.” How would we like God to say this of each of us?

The world rules by general consensus. But God operates in a different equation. Bear in mind that general consensus is not always right. Majority, they say, always win. But how is majority defined? In God’s equation, even if we are the lone voice agreeing with Him, together with Him, we become the majority. Noah’s life illustrates this. He stood with God and together, the two became the majority. We should never be afraid of what the world will think about us. How God evaluates us is more important. The world may think we are out of sync with them but their opinions of us do not matter. Won’t we rather be like Noah and be told, “You alone have I seen to be righteous in this time?” Having God’s approval and acceptance in life is everything.

God’s intended mission through Noah was to eradicate evil, anything that contradict His plan, anything that was not in agreement with His will. Noah was the only one righteous person God saw whom He could use for this campaign. His life of obedience highlights what can be accomplished with just one person who agrees with God totally. He became God’s catalyst for a righteous reformation. The mission of God in the world through the church today also needs obedient people like Noah. God is seeking that in us. Will we stand with God? Will we think and act differently from the norm of the crowd that are heading in the opposite direction? Let us be the people that will stand absolutely one with God in the mission to establish His godly community! With God we are the majority even with the many dissenting voices from the world. Just imagine what can be accomplished if what God had said to Noah, He can say to us, “You, have I seen to be righteous before me in this time.”