Noah’s Folly!

Before we consider Noah’s Folly and the penalty for sin, I would like to remind you of Fulton’s Folly.  Robert Fulton was born in Lancaster County, PA in 1765. He grew up to be an artist, designer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is famous for designing and building a 150 f00t steamboat in 1807, which would revolutionize maritime transportation.

Fulton’s attempt to build his steamboat was dubbed Fulton’s Folly because such boats were considered very dangerous and incapable of being reliable vessels. Undaunted by the criticism he completed construction in August of 1807 and travelled 150 miles up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany, in 30 hours.

Fulton’s efforts produced a significant return on investment (ROI) and he became extremely wealthy due to the success of his steamboat. His contribution to mankind is historic.

There was another boat builder about 4,700 years before Fulton. His name was Noah. He had a wife, three sons, and three daughters-in-law. His ship-building account is detailed for us in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

The Penalty of Sin

Unlike Robert Fulton, Noah was neither an entrepreneur nor a boat designer. In fact, it wasn’t even his idea to build a boat.  Genesis 6:5-8 gives us the Who, what, and why regarding Noah’s project: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’ “

The manner in which God would “blot out” mankind, land animals, and birds was with a global flood of epic proportions. The level of corruption and evil that permeated the planet was such that God would unleash His wrath upon His creation. Most people are familiar with this account of history, but so many ignore it or dismiss it as mythology.

The book of Genesis is divided into 50 chapters, of which the Flood account occupies six. For the sake of perspective, the creation account only occupies two chapters.  Noah is referenced 51 times in the Bible; 43 in the Old Testament, 8 in the New testament (including two times by the Lord Jesus). I don’t have the space in this blog to argue the validity of the Flood, except to say that it is a historical fact and not a myth. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books written by scholars and scientists supporting this global disaster. “Noah’s folly”, like Fulton’s Folly, is not folly; it’s a reality of nature.

Ignoring True Repentance

Educated guesses regarding the earth’s pre-flood population ranges anywhere from 300 million to 17 billion. Based on our current life span, 17 billion seems preposterous. However, we must remember that the life span of people before the Flood was in the hundreds. Noah was 600 years old when the boat (ark) was completed. Adam lived to 930 years and Noah’s grandfather, Methuselah, lived to 969 years.

The building time for the ark, Noah’s Folly, is calculated to be between 60 and 80 years. Its dimensions, in feet, are 450 x 75 x 45 or 1.5 million cubic feet. The Titanic measures over 5 million cubic feet. The ark was built to preserve a remnant of people; Noah, his wife, three sons, and their wives, and two of every kind of animal so that the earth could be repopulated. Why was Noah selected to head up the remnant? We learn this about him in Genesis 6:8&9: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.”

Faith, Hope, & Risk

The writer to the Hebrews had this to say concerning Noah: “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

So, how is the flood and Noah’s response relevant to us today? We already learned that this episode in Genesis is about the people of that day and how their sin was so egregious that it warranted the wrath of God.

Our world is also under significant warning from God, although the majority of the population is oblivious to the judgement to come. When the Lord Jesus warned the people of His day about the wrath to come, He stated: “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:26&27)

Assurance of Heaven

The only way for any human being to escape the wrath to come is by faith in the Lord Jesus as savior. For those that ignore this heavenly invitation all that is left is a quote from Romans 2:5: “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” This is the same attitude found in Noah’s day, even though he warned of the coming flood for about 60 years.  The Apostle Peter referred to Noah as a “Preacher of righteousness.” (2Peter 2:5)

Apostolic Teaching & Noah’s Folly

The ”days of the Son of Man” refers to the 2^nd coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth. It will be a time of tremendous judgement. The unsaved will be wiped out. The good news is that all people have available to them an “Ark” like unto Noah. In those days it was a literal boat, which saved Noah and his family from God’s wrath. Scripture tells us that God closed the door of the ark behind them (Genesis 7:16).

God did not force Noah and his family to enter the ark. This was their free-will choice, but it was God who secured their safety when they chose His way. “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.” This pitch sealed the ark from water leaks, which would have sunk the boat.

The ark is symbolic of salvation and the blood of the Lord Jesus is the seal of one’s salvation. It’s no coincidence that He proclaimed in John 10:9, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved.” Neither is it a coincidence what we read in Ephesians 1:13: “In him, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and in him, when you also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

The Gospel Message Linked to Noah’s Folly

The ark of Noah was sealed with bitumen, a tar-like waterproofing substance. The believer in Jesus is sealed with the Holy Spirit, protecting them from God’s impending wrath. The ark had only one door. The way of salvation too has only one door, the Lord Jesus (John 10:9). The moment the ark’s door was closed, it was too late for the people of Noah’s time. The door to salvation will also close one day and it will be too late for those that didn’t enter in through Jesus, BEFORE they die.

Like Robert Fulton, Noah’s preaching was not folly. Neither is Jesus’ warning about the judgment to come. Despite His gracious invitation for salvation, stubbornness in the heart of man still prevails on the earth: “For the word of the cross is foolishness [folly] to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Many people today think it was foolish for God to offer His Son as a sacrifice for all sinners. Many more do not embrace the reality of God becoming man and dying a criminal’s death to save mankind. Millions toss it aside as myth. Just like Noah’s Folly, the door to salvation will close abruptly and those that reject His salvation will likewise perish.

Enter while the door is still open!

 “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION.” (2Corinthians 6:2)

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