Noah: One in a Million
Genesis 6
By Alan Walker

Noah, without so much as a college course in wood-working – was one in a million!

Gen 6:1-22 (NIV):

6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

5 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

What a guy that Noah was!

Whether people accept or reject the story of the great flood, almost everyone has heard about Noah. With some he’s the subject of ridicule and scorn. With others like you and me there is a deep appreciation for this man. He was one in a million who stood tall for God in his generation.

One in a million – well, actually, that may not be completely accurate as we read the first verse of chapter 6 of Genesis.

Some have come to conclude there may have been a few million at the time of Noah.

In 2002, Planet Earth hosted 6,503,625,417 and the estimates were that we would grow at a rate of 74,000,000 a year.

Let’s look at this man who stood tall for God - this one in a million who will be remembered as long as humanity remains on this earth. As we do I believe several things will happen:

bulletWe will gain a fuller appreciation for this man of God.
bulletWe will begin to become aware God that has a plan for our lives just as He did with Noah
bulletWe will realize that God is still looking for people like Noah.

In the Bible’s description of the worldwide moral failure and corruption of Noah’s day, God points us not to many who walked with God, but to this one – this man, this husband, this father.

As we look at Noah we discover that he wasn’t all that special as the world might gauge him.

As far as we know with the exception of being able to build a boat the size of a small air craft carrier – he isn’t noted for any great gifts or talents.

He held no degree in theology. He may or may not have been much of a "people" person. His preaching didn’t win any converts beyond his own family. Some today would probably label him as a failure.

Yet Noah, without so much as a college course in wood-working – was one in a million!

Consider a few thoughts with me along this line and maybe God will place a few challenges on your heart as we look at Noah.

1. Noah Was One in a Million When the World was Coming Apart at the Seams.

The bible says God was grieved! The world was no longer just wandering away from Him. It was sprinting away as fast as it could go.

People had set God aside. They were running to do their own thing. There was no room left in their hearts for God.

Wickedness was spinning out of control at an alarming rate.

All people could think of, all they could plan for was more and more wickedness. We might refer to it today as "partying".

God’s heart was filled with pain because of this. He decided to wipe out his creation, and begin again.

It was a grievous decision. God’s heart was filled with hurt, pain, and agony.

In a time that was in many ways like 2006 we are introduced to a man that brought a smile to God’s face. There was no one else like Noah. He was the only one.

His name is etched forever in the pages of God’s history – NOAH: One in a million.

bulletHe alone found favor in the eyes of God.
bulletHe alone put the light of hope in the eyes of God.

God grieves over us in 2006 – don’t you think?

As He looks at our world and sees men and women running faster and further away from Him don’t you suppose He is grieved?

Don’t you imagine He simply sees us running faster but getting nowhere quicker?

Do you suppose God has ever regretted His promise never to destroy mankind again by a flood?

As He looks at our nation, and sees the unbridled greed, the intense neglect of God and His Word, the offensive blasphemy directed at his Son and the incredible ignorance of even the simplest bible understanding, is He grieved?

Long ago there was no room for Him in the Inn. Today there is little if any room at all in the heart of man for God.

Such is the world. But what of us? We talk a great talk but are we walking a great walk?

God is looking for men and women like Noah - people who stand tall for God - people who not only have some room in their heart for Him, but who have given Him their heart.

I want to be that person for God – don’t you?

2. Noah Was One in a Million In His Journey with God.

There are some things said about Noah that help us understand why he was such an exceptional man. And not a single one of them is outside the reach of people living today.

You can be a person like Noah. Your journey with Jesus can be just as exceptional as his was. God has given you the means to live an exceptional life.

Noah was exceptional because he was a righteous man. His walk with God mattered. Even if no one else was going to do the right things, Noah was going to do the right. He knew the right thing was always the right thing!

Noah was exceptional because he was a blameless man. No one could point a finger at him and charge "hypocrite." No one who could bring an accusation against him of cheating, or stealing or using the name of God vainly. No one could say of Noah, "He’s got a thing for my wife." He was not only blameless with man, but with God as well!

Noah was exceptional because he walked in step with God. If he sinned, he repented. If he erred he asked forgiveness. If he was wrong, he got right. Why? God mattered to him. What God said was important to Him. He walked with God. He talked with God. He worshipped God. He did not get so busy in life that he forgot God

In our city, there is great need for Christians who mirror the qualities of Noah. Our town needs a conscience because the people who live here seem to have misplaced theirs.

Christians, we really ought to be living righteous lives. We ought to be striving to be blameless in the eyes of the citizens of this city. We ought to be people who are walking with God.

God doesn’t need an ark built but He does want to use us as a church and as individuals strategically located to do exceptional and extraordinary things for him.

Where do we start? We start with ourselves. We become like Noah. We walk with God.

When we honestly walk with God, honoring Him with our whole hearts, there will be those who begin to walk in step with us, closer to God.

3. Noah was One in a Million Who Was Willing to Let God Lead.

Are we confident that we are where God wants us to be at this point in our lives?

Are we significantly involved or simply along for the ride?

Often we’re so busy we don’t even have time to consider with God what it is He wants us to do or where He wants us to serve or in what capacity He wants to use our talents and gifts. God calls us but He only gets a busy signal. I’m not convinced that He is as impressed with our busyness as we are.

God told Noah to build an ark because the world was evil and He was going to destroy it. So Noah built and ark. He was available. He wasn’t too busy.

We need to be people with the Noah mindset – that regardless of what God has for us we will allow Him to lead.

The world we live in many ways is becoming like the time of Noah. That’s discouraging. But hear me on this: A wicked world provides an incredible opportunity for men and women like Noah. Our world has a tremendous need for such people.

In our day God has not sent a flood into an evil world. He has sent His Son. And He sends us as ambassadors of His Son.

He calls us to leave the shelter of our homes, the comfort of our recliners, and the comfort zones we love to go out there to the hurting, the sick, the homeless, the drug addict, the alcoholic and share the good news of His Son Jesus Christ.

God calls us to go to the child who is hurting, the teen who feels rejected, the body-pierced and tattooed young adult who is attempting to make a statement but who has forgotten what that statement it is.

The Lord calls us to go to the perfect families who love their children, who love their work, who are good and vital members of our community, but who are unprepared for eternity.

I have seen a young boy with cigarette burns on his back. I have talked with women weeping who, when they were young their father, uncle or someone else sexually abused them. I have held a young rape victim in my arms and let her sob. I have talked to the battered wife whose husband liked to bounce her off the refrigerator. I’ve talked to the Viet Nam vet who came home horrified by what he had done. I have officiated at the funeral of a baby. I’ve held the hands of some who were ready to end their life. I’ve talked to the shoplifter, the drug dealer, the young meth head, and the young man out of prison on parole. I’ve been behind those bars.

Ours is a wicked world. So many bad things happen. But a wicked world holds opportunities that we cannot afford to miss.

The path of Jesus is transforming. He takes the wicked and makes them worthy.

bulletHe takes the sinful and gives them a sense of wonder and hope.
bulletHe takes those overwhelmed with evil and gives them everything that is good and honorable.
bulletHe takes those to whom no one will give even a second thought and gives them a second chance.

Christians, we need to be prepared for God to lead us into these opportunities! We need to be alert to His leading, aware of His nudging, sensitive to His Spirit.

Wrapping It Up

Noah was one in a million! God needed a man like a Noah.

And God needs people like Noah today. He needs people who care about their relationship with Him above and beyond anything else in this world.

Too much to ask you say? Some will probably think so. But I don’t imagine God wants it any other way. He needs a person who will stand tall for Him in our time.

Hard to do? Yes, it is, but again, God won’t have it any other way.

When you take that next step, that step of faith like Noah to become God’s person – God will both thrill and terrify your soul with what He has in store for you to do for him.

bulletThere could be missionaries in this room.
bulletThere could be preachers here today.
bulletWe may have a minister here to the plaza.
bulletWe may have someone who has been hurt who can help the hurting.
bulletWe may have Deacons in this room today.
bulletWe may have tomorrow’s elders sitting here.
bulletWe may have the next Christian president of the Chamber or Lion’s or Kiwanis.
bulletWe may have right here in this room the next Christian volunteer at Mad River Hospital
bulletWe may have here today the future mayor of our city.

Where are they, you ask? They are here waiting for the next step – the step of faith like Noah’s.

Copyright © 2006. Alan Walker is minister of the Arcata Church of Christ in Arcata, California. Used by permission. Permission is granted by the author and by The Preacher's Study to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or any place beyond the local congregation is prohibited.