It is just fascinating to revisit the story of Noah and the great ark he built. Allow me to share a few thoughts.
The building of the ark all the way down to its minute details is an engineering wonder and one of the most audacious undertakings ever done by humans.
The intricate planning to build a "floating zoo," the logistical, manpower, and engineering challenges involved are way beyond our grasp.
And once the ark is completed, sanitation, health concerns, and daily food provision for over a year for the animals and humans aboard must have been carefully pre-planned.
To many of the people in Noah's day it is the craziest project ever conceived and flies in the face of reason and logic.
Yet day after day, week after week, month after month…as the years go by (60-70 years by some estimate) Noah acts on his faith and completes the ark in the midst of relentless mockeries and insults.
Twice the Genesis narrative describes Noah as one who “did according to all that the LORD commanded him” (Genesis 6:22, 7:5).
Noah’s faith is not a reckless kind of faith but one that is anchored on the Word of God. It is this kind of faith that earned him a place in God’s heroes of faith, “ By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
And by way of explicating the reality and importance of faith amidst an array of the great heroes of the faith, the writer to the book of Hebrews declared in no uncertain terms, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). EC.