Genesis 6:22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Obedience is the true expression of our love for God. “Obedience is a choice between our limited knowledge and God’s unlimited knowledge and power” – L Tom Perry. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). Love is a verb; an action word that is expressed in our obedience to the Lord. Obedience is fueled by love and will be rewarded by divine favour.
Noah’s obedience was outstanding as he obeyed without fully comprehending the cause or consequence. “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark” (Hebrews 11:7). Until a tsunami devastated the shores of the Indian Ocean in December 2004, many had not even heard of the word ‘tsunami’, as there was no historical precedent of a tsunami affecting large coastal populations. Likewise, until Covid-19 shocked the world, we were not aware of a worldwide pandemic or the concept of ‘lock-down’. Similarly, until the great floods, the people who lived a vile and wayward lifestyle were unaware of the impending danger and disaster ahead of them. This is where Noah’s obedience was incredible and impeccable. His unwavering obedience to God’s instructions and meticulous compliance to His commandments was remarkable. He not only built the ark but also gathered the provision for his family and the animals. He was pushed into becoming an untrained captain of the ship, a zookeeper and a prophet to the wicked world.
Noah preached God’s judgement to the unbelieving wicked generation by both verbal and non-verbal sermons as he built the ark for 120 years. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment (2 Peter 2:5). The generation that had never witnessed flood would have ridiculed him yet his message was loud and profound.
While implicit obedience makes indelible credits in the Book of Remembrance, imprudent disobedience leaves discredits.
Indelible Discredits:
1. Insult: Rejecting instructions, corrections and reproof insults the “Spirit of Grace”. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29). The Spirit of Grace that is freely given should not be treated cheaply or with contempt.
2. Ignore: Ignoring the nudging of the Holy Spirit will silence Him. Quench not the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Ignoring the instructions of the Holy Spirit will quench His voice.
3. Impel: Disobeying and finding excuses to live in disobedience will impel or push Him away from us. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). Willful disobedience grieves the Holy Spirit.
Obedience honours the Spirit of Grace. Rejecting His instructions insults the Holy Spirit, ignoring His voice quenches the Holy Spirit and disobedience impels Him.
1 Samuel 15:22 Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Prayer: Dearest Holy Spirit, help me to leave indelible credentials of obedience and not ugly footprints of willful disobedience and stubbornness to your still small voice. Amen.
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