I believe we can see in the account of Noah’s life in Genesis 6-9 a picture of the exercises of a parent in regards to his household. “Egypt is ruined.” Exodus 10:7, JND Trans. And surely this world is in a moral ruin. And with all moral and spiritual darkness in this world on the increase, surely every godly parent feels the need of a practical salvation for his household. We can thank God He has not left us without light and wisdom from His precious Word for such times as these. In Noah we find some of these principles for our encouragement as parents.
“By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world”. Hebrews.11:7. Without the Lord laying the burden of these things upon us as parents we might never arise to build. Noah’s exercises began with God speaking to him about providing shelter for his family. The Lord has spoken to the Christian parent too, and has said, “The children ought not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children.” II Corinthians 12:14
If we were to compare Genesis. 5:32 and 7:6 with Genesis. 6:3, we would see that Noah began to prepare twenty years before his children were born. And certainly there is no better time for us to prepare than before the children com. God laid the work and responsibility upon Noah, and Noah prepared “by faith” being “moved with fear”. It also say, by the which He condemned the world” Hebrews.ll:7 and if our families are going to be saved from the evil of this world, they must see in us as parents that we have thoroughly condemned the world ourselves. May we be exercised! We cannot expect our children to be separated from this world when we are not ourselves.
“And this is the fashion of it which thou shalt make it.” Genesis. 6:14 Noah was given directions by God Himself in order that he and his family might be preserved. And God has graciously done the same for us in giving us principles in the Word of God. In preparing, how important it is to build with right materials and according to God’s plan. The “gopher wood” which speaks of the perfect humanity of Christ, was to be used throughout, and surely the life of Christ should ever be the pattern for the manner of life for our household. The gopher wood had to be cut down, a reference, no doubt, to the death of Christ. The pitch (means atonement) was to be applied, which speaks of the blood of Christ shed. Firstly, it was to be applied within, that is, the work of Christ is to be known by all inside. How important it is to bring the blessed work of Christ in redemption before our family that they might lay hold of it for themselves. And then it was to be applied without, that is, our houses should have the testimony before the world without, that we are a redeemed people.
Among other things, Noah was to prepare a “window” in the ark, which speaks to us of an outlook, for himself and his family, that was to be “above” Noah’s family was not to be occupied with the corrupt world around them under judgment. Scripture says “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians;. 3:1 & 2. Noah was responsible to prepare this outlook. If we as parents are not occupied with heavenly things surely we will not provide the right direction for our children. “Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint”. Proverbs. 29:18, JND Trans. The casting off of restraint is the way of young people today, but it need not be so in the Christian household. To set Christ before them as their vision would be providing the right direction they need. The window is also the means by which divine light may come in. The children of Israel in Egypt had light in their dwellings. Exodus. 10:23. Noah and his family did too.
Now it is true our homes are to be ordered on heavenly lines, but God said the animals were to be in the ark too, That is, the things of nature and natural life are not to be withheld from our families. It is not God’s intention to take away the natural joys of life. We are to be dead to this world indeed, but not to nature.
“Take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.” Genesis 6:21. Noah was also to provide food for them all. He was together it to himself first, then for them with him. What an important order this is! Surely we will not have anything to give to our children in a spiritual way if we have not spent time gathering it ourselves. To gather takes time and diligence. Noah was to gather before the floods came and we should too. David, in his life, laid up great store for his son Solomon that followed. I Chronicles. 22:14. “The father to the children shall make known thy truth.” Isaiah. 38:19. See also Psalm. 78:3-8.
“Thus did Noah according to all that God command him.” Genesis. 6:22. Of course, obedience on the part of the parents is vital. It says, “thus did Noah”. Sometimes you hear in children’s versions of the flood, of Noah’s workmen who perhaps helped him build, but neglected to enter in themselves. This spoils the picture for us because we can never accept help or advice from those of this world in spite of how sincere they may be.
Then, in chapter 7, we see the Lord in the ark. If we have built according to God’s principles and mind we can count on the Lord being with us in a practical way. The Lord said, “Come thou and all thy household. And Noah went in and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.” Vs.l,7. I think we have a hint here as to how our children are brought into God’s things. Noah went in and all his house followed him. It’s not enough just to build according to the Word, we need to enter in to the truth practically ourselves and be in the good of this practical salvation by example if our children are going to follow. Abraham commanded his family “after him”; He went before as their example and gave them something to follow. May we be given grace from God to walk in the truth.
“And it came to pass that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.” Genesis. 7:10. The time of trial and testing came for Noah and his household and the “forty days and forty nights” of testing are coming for every household. “The enemy shall come in like a flood.” Isaiah. 59:19. The enemy will come with all his might but our house, like Noah’s , can be secure from every element without. “Arise, cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches, pour out thine heart like water before the face of the lord, life up they hands towards Him for the life of the young children.” Lamentations. 2:19. Let us begin now “in the beginning of watches” to pray for our children and not wait until the dark night is upon us. “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.” Psalm 32:6
“The floods of ungodly men have made me afraid.” Ps. 18:4. In the midst of these times of testing when the world seems to be especially pressing in, many parents in fear of losing their children to the world resort to the psychologists of today and human support. But it is not for us to turn to this sort of thing, so called Christian or not, but to do as the psalmist in the following verses of this psalm and turn to the Lord. “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry cam e before Him, even unto His ears.” Psalm.18:6.
“The waters increased and bore up the ark and it was lifted above the earth.” Vs.217.JND Trans. Sometimes this world’s rejection may be used to push our children away from it into what God has purposed for them above it. The higher the waters grew, the nearer it brought them to God.
“And the waters prevailed…and all flesh died.” Genesis. 7:19-21. A solemn statement of fact. Surely the tide of evil in this world is on the rise, and we know it will continue (II Timothy. 3:13) until it has risen above and prevailed over everything that has not taken shelter within the divine principles God has given. If we have not prepared for our children this world will overtake them for sure.
In chapter 8 it says, “And God remembered Noah.” Let us be assured that God will not forget us in our exercises before Him concerning our families when we are passing through the storm. “Be ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” II Chronicles.15:7. “And the ark rested.” Genesis. 8:4. The Lord will bring our houses to rest in due time upon redemption’s “holy ground”., of which Ararat means, in nearness to God. In this chapter we have life beyond death, that sphere of things we want to bring our children to, called “that world and the resurrection.” Luke.20:35. That whole new order of heavenly things the death and resurrection of Christ opens up to the believer. Noah wanted his house for another world and it was so.
”The tops of the mountains were seen.”Genesis.8:4. It is from this place we can enjoy heavenly things together as a redeemed family. As the waters asswaged, the more they could see of that new order of things that His love had provided for them in that sphere beyond death. Things slowly came into view for them an surely we cannot expect our children to see everything at once. Isaiah. 28: 8-9.
In Noah sending forth the two birds, Genesis. 8:6-12, we have the lesson of the two natures of the believer. How important the truth of the two natures be taught our children at home. We are responsible to teach these things as parents, just as Noah conducted this lesson before his family in the ark. In Proverbs. 7:6-7 we have a young man under the teaching of his parents beholding the ways of the flesh in the world through the casement or lattice (the protection of separation) of his house. Noah showed his family that without leaving the ark it was possible to learn all that was needed concerning God’s judgment upon man in the flesh. We don’t want the sad experience of having our children go out into the world to learn the lesson the two birds teach, and perhaps bear the marks of it for life. The raven, a figure of the fallen nature, turned loose will only feast on the corruption around. Although one raven was turned-loose there was still another raven on board, for there was two of every kind in the ark, which would remind us that we still have the fallen nature within us, that will respond to that which is without if it is loosed. The dove, the new life, will find nothing in this world to sustain its existence. If at school, we hope the marks of this dove will be theirs, and may it be that they will find no rest for the soles of their feet until they return home to us at the end of the day. “Being let go they went to their own company.” Acts 4:13. The dove bringing the olive leaf a reference to the Spirit of God, would show us that the new life seeks only those things which are of the Spirit, we should look diligently, as Noah did for any sign of their seeking those things and encourage them in it.
Then came that time when ”Noah removed the covering from off the ark.” Genesis.8:13. There comes that time when the parental covering is removed and our children “go forth” with their husbands and wives to begin their own households. They will leave the household from which they have grown up, but we trust not the principles.
As soon as Noah saw his sons go forth with their wives as new households for God, he “builded an altar unto the Lord.” Genesis 8”20. And surely we can thank the Lord too for all His marvelous ways of preservation fro our families.
“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said, ‘be fruitful and multiply’.” Genesis.9:1 The house of Noah was blessed of God and fruitful. Truly, this is the desire of every godly parent, to have their children preserved and blessed of God.
“Behold I establish a covenant with you and your seed after you.” Genesis. 9:9 Our great desire is that they will not only be preserved from the evil but that they might carry on a relationship with the Lord intelligently, and to walk with Him.
“I do set my bow in the cloud.” Genesis. 9:13. The rainbow with all its prismatic colors, would bring before us Christ, as risen and seated in the heavenlies in all His varied beauties and glories. “The bow shall be seen in the cloud…and I will look upon it.” Genesis 9:14,16. This is something very precious for us. God told Noah and his family that His bow could be seen if they looked above, and as they looked up, He would look down upon it, and their eyes would met on the bow. Oh, how God desires to have fellowship with us concerning the blessedness of His Son. An this is the place to which God would desire to bring every member of our family—to have their hearts and minds set on Christ above, enjoying God’s thoughts of His Son.
In Noah’s failure, Ch. 9:20-29, we have a grave lesson that many a parent would do well to heed. In his drunkenness he allowed his sons to see the nakedness of his flesh, and it was the cause of his son’s son being cursed. Many parents in their lightness unawares expose themselves before their children by talking about their failures. This could be very damaging and may mean the cause of stumbling them. It is a true statement that the parents form the character of the family. Noah could only blame himself for the curse upon Canaan. May we be as the other two sons when we hear of our parent’s shortcomings and failures, and turn our faces from it in self-judgment, and seek to spread a garment over it, rather than to feed on it.
May we take courage and be warned in the lessons we learn from Noah and his family. There was blessing for Noah’s house and there can be blessing for our households too, by the grace of God.
S.B.A.