Lessons We Can Learn from the Story of Noah

Creation, destruction, and re-creation. The story of Genesis can be summarized in these words.

There is no doubt that every story in the Bible teaches us moral lessons that we should apply to our everyday lives. The story of Noah is thousands of years old yet is still told from one generation to the next. The reasons for this are the genuine truths and life lessons it can teach us.

One of the Old Testament’s most fascinating stories, Noah’s Ark, is well known even to non-Christians.  And because of the Ark that God directed Noah to build, Noah became an important Biblical figure.

It all began when God instructed Noah to construct the ark because He was so furious with mankind who were falling deeper and deeper into sin.

During the Great Flood, this ark would house Noah and his family as well as all the creatures of the Earth.

Once everything was finished, other animals including Noah’s family boarded the ship. For 40 days and 40 nights, the rain fell and there was a deluge (Genesis 7:24).

After the flood, God promised Noah that there would never be another catastrophe like this where He would destroy the earth with all the creatures in it:  “Never again will I curse the ground because of man….. And never again will I destroy all living creatures”.  Genesis 8:21

Five Life Lessons from the Noah’s Ark Story

Every story in the Bible teaches us about God and life lessons. Even now, these teachings are still relevant and fruitful.

So, what does the Noah’s Ark Story teach us about God and about how we should live our lives?

Lesson #1 – Obedience to God

Noah never asked God why He had to destroy the earth when He gave the order to build the ark. Furthermore, he obeyed God’s instructions without hesitation. He did it humbly and completely (Genesis 6:15-22).

That’s exactly what God wants us to do—to totally obey him. Following God’s instructions will undoubtedly lead to our salvation.

Additionally, we can exercise obedience wherever we are—at home, at work, in school, etc. We must obey our parents, elders, and superiors without grumbling.

Also be mindful of who you are being obedient to.

Noah’s neighbors ridiculed him for building the Ark. But Noah remained obedient to God and did not bow to social pressure.  He survived while his peers perished.

Lesson #2 – Trust God’s plan

This is another important lesson from this story. Noah placed his trust in God. He built the ark without worrying about his and his family’s future.

Every day, we encounter challenges and obstacles that hinder us to reach our goals. As a result, we become so upset and mad at ourselves.

When we are under tough circumstances and we fail, we lose our confidence and sometimes blame others for our misfortunes.

In the midst of our own crises, we cast doubts upon God as there are things we do not understand.  

It may seem challenging to submit ourselves entirely to God because we have our own wants, but we have to be like Noah. We should trust God’s plan and his will. We have to be reminded that God uses instruments to help us.

With God, everything is possible.

Lesson #3 – Righteousness in the midst of wickedness

Because Noah was a good man, God favored him (Genesis 6:9-10). He was righteous and walked with God despite the evil of men. Thus, he was chosen by God.

This means we must be a good example for our fellow men and choose what is right, if we are faced with difficulties – even if doing what is right doesn’t match what the majority does and may cause conflicts with social standards.

The world may turn sinful, but God gifted us free will to do what is right and what is pleasing to the Lord.

Correcting our neighbors’ mistakes and presenting ourselves as perfect are not the sole ways to be righteous. Let’s demonstrate it through our deeds, rather than words.

Sinful acts will distance us from God and hinder His plan for us. As a result, we are led astray and into disaster when we fall into sin.

God is merciful, but he is also the God of justice. Just like in the story of Noah, God punished the earth due to man’s magnitude of sin.

Thankfully, praying is the most effective technique to prevent committing sin. When we pray, we are in God’s light and will continue to do what is good because it will enable us to seek God’s will.

Lesson #4 – Hope in the middle of uncertainty

From the story of Noah, he himself did not lose hope. After 40 days, he sent out a raven to see if there was a part of the earth that was dry; however, it kept coming back. He was hopeful and he just waited.

The waters flooded the earth for 150 days (Genesis 7:24) but Noah never gave up hope.  He didn’t get tired of sending out birds until such time when a dove didn’t return anymore (Genesis 8:6-12). 

We frequently lose hope when we are unable to solve our problems. During the dark moments of our lives, we lose hope. Thus, we become vulnerable and frail; we eventually give up because we think the fight is over.

But Noah didn’t because he knew that at the end of it all, he would see the earth dried out and livable again. That’s why it was worth the wait as God gave him and his family everything (Genesis 9:3).

So, it is not really bad to believe that everything has an end. Well, specifically the ones that are painful and sad. But we must keep in mind that hope is one of the theological virtues. It is supernatural because we resolve in our hearts the will of God.

Hope brings happiness as our heart waits unwarily for what God has promised us – salvation.

God made a covenant with Noah and his family by giving them the earth and all its inhabitants. He used a rainbow to serve as a reminder of the covenant he made with his people and made a commitment to never destroy the earth again (Genesis 9:12-16).

Therefore, let’s try to live by the teachings of the Bible and from there, we will be delighted with God’s promises.

He is true to his promise and never will he forsake his people.

Lesson #5 – Listen to God’s call

Noah never thought God would choose and use him for giving humanity a second chance. But when God gave him the command to build the ark, he was prepared.

He listened carefully to what God was asking him to do and proceeded with constructing the ark.

The world nowadays is becoming noisier and noisier. There are a lot of things that divert our attention from God.

Examples of these include social media’s influence in our lives, websites where we can view movies and even listen to music, and other online platforms where we are excited to purchase the things we need and want.

These things are not bad as they are also beneficial to our mental health. When we are so stressed out with our own affairs, we turn to social media.

As long as we use them sparingly and we can still find quietness and peace amidst all these noises, we will be able to hear the voice of God.

Because if we want to listen to God’s call, we need to be quiet and in peace.