Hebrews 11:7, commentary and pictures

By faith Noah trusted God's warning about a flood not yet seen and, moved with reverent fear, prepared the ark to save his household. The unseen things were rain and flood contrary to nature as then known, with unvarying seasons and skies that had never poured rain, so the message seemed an idle tale. His faith was completed and made visible by works, building the ark on dry land according to God's directions at great cost and self-denial, standing alone like a rock amid contempt and ridicule without wavering. By that obedient faith he condemned the unbelieving world, exposing its unbelief, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. As Noah warned the world, God's people now are to warn the world and prepare for Christ's coming as Noah prepared the ark, meeting the same resistance without failing.

Words of the Verse

Hebrews 11 is the chapter on faith, and the verse belongs to it as a call to turn the mind from discouraging things that are seen to things that are unseen. Faith in that chapter strengthens and blesses by trusting God, and it looks beyond present conditions toward the better country and the heavenly city God has prepared. By that faith Noah trusted God's warning about the Flood that had not yet been seen and, moved by reverent fear, prepared the ark to save his family and household. His obedience in building made his belief a continuing warning, and his preaching with the ark's construction exposed the world's unbelief.

The things not seen as yet were rain and flood contrary to nature as then known. Seasons followed in unvarying succession, blue skies had never poured out rain, and green fields were refreshed by mist and by night dews, so that water from above seemed impossible. The message of coming waters therefore seemed an idle tale, highly improbable and unworthy of notice. In great mercy judgment was not brought without first warning by a servant to give opportunity to turn from evil, and Noah believed the warning, preached repentance for a hundred and twenty years, and prepared the ark as shelter for all who would believe and for the saving of his house. His family remained seven days inside before rain began while the crowd mocked that the warning had failed, and the door was shut before the flood began, showing judgment came after warning and waiting.

Moved with fear means being alarmed at sin, crimes, and wickedness, awakening to guilt, and repenting so that pardon and salvation can be received. Noah believed just what God said and proved his sincerity by acting on it, investing all he possessed in building on dry ground according to direction. God sent him with the warning so that hearers would share that same alarm and repentance, though many resist because a sinful life cannot harmonize with the pure principles of God's moral government and reform seems too hard. By that obedient faith he condemned the unbelieving world, exposing its unbelief, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. His faithful works despite ridicule made the ark the means of saving his household, while his trust joined to action received the righteousness that comes by faith.

Faith here is the seeing of things not seen, and it is not merely seeing what will be realized in the future when mortal puts on immortality. It is seeing and realizing the unseen powers that move and govern lives now, which every born-again soul is to experience through the forces of the spiritual kingdom Christ sets up in the soul. It calls for examining whether one is a Christian and a citizen of heaven, cooperating with Jesus Christ, partaking of the divine nature, and overcoming the corruption in the world through lust. So held, it gives conscious title to the inheritance with the saints in light after resurrection and with the living saints after translation, with life bound up with the life of Christ.

Noah's Historical Setting

More than one hundred years before the Flood God sent an angel to faithful Noah to warn that He would no longer have mercy on the corrupt race, instructing him to preach warning of coming destruction so the inhabitants would be left without excuse and to prepare an ark as directed for the saving of himself and his family. He preached repentance and warning for 120 years, declaring that God's Spirit would not always strive with guilty men and that their probation would be 120 years, yet only he and his family, eight people, believed and entered the ark.

He was not alone in fearing and obeying God, for others believed his preaching and aided him in building the ark, though they died before the Flood came. Among them was Methuselah his grandfather, who lived until the very year of the Flood, and his sons and grandsons and Noah's family and others received his instruction and helped with the work.

He was the most pious and holy man upon the earth, one of the faithful witnesses with Enoch, Methuselah and many others who labored to keep alive the knowledge of the true God and to stay the tide of moral evil. He received instruction passed down from Adam through the generations, and faithfulness to that instruction set him apart in a corrupt generation that rejected God's warnings. His connection with God made him strong in the strength of infinite power, so power attended his words as the voice of God to man through His servant.

Noah and his family obeyed God and found refuge when the animals entered, remaining seven days inside the ark before rain began while the unbelieving crowd mocked that the warning had failed and reasoned a flood was impossible. God shut them in, and the Flood swept the world away after the warning and the period of waiting. His faith did not stop with building but held firm through the Flood itself, for though the waters rose fifteen cubits above the highest mountains and for five long months the ark was tossed as if at the mercy of wind and wave until those inside often felt they must perish, he did not waver because he was sure God's hand was upon the helm guiding the ark.

Faith Proved by Works

Noah's faith was completed and made visible by works, for genuine faith works and does not merely say believe, but acts at once on the light and plan given and builds the ark on dry land exactly according to directions without stopping to question what others will think or fearing to be thought crazy and insane. Moved with reverent fear he believed just what was told him and proved sincerity by doing it, investing all he possessed in preparing the ark for the saving of himself and his house. That building was at great cost and was a heavy cross requiring self-denial and exposing him to ridicule through the long wait before judgment came. He did not choose only the commands suiting comfort or convenience, but followed the will made known even when obedience brought loss of friends, property, reputation, or life.

His holy integrity and unwavering adherence to the commands without questioning doubt made him stand alone as singular, like a rock amid the tempest of popular contempt and ridicule. That obedience in contrast to prevailing unbelief and universal disregard of law made him an object of contempt and derision, yet he did not waver under trial. His connection with God made him strong in infinite strength, so that power attended his words as the voice of God through His servant, and for one hundred and twenty years his solemn voice warned of events which by human wisdom seemed impossible.

His building preached with him while he preached the warning message, drawing multitudes to see the strange sight of the immense vessel on dry ground and to hear his earnest words. Every blow struck upon the ark witnessed to the people and showed that he believed what he preached, warning the world of coming doom and leaving it without excuse. He was the most pious and holy man on earth, whose life was preserved to build and warn, and for more than one hundred years he persevered in directing, preaching, and working to turn men to repentance. Others believed his preaching and aided the work, including Methuselah his grandfather who lived until the very year of the Flood, with helpers receiving instruction, but they died before the Flood came and the rest did not believe, mocked the warnings, ridiculed the building as fanaticism, and were not reformed.

His faith joined with action made him a preacher of righteousness whose warning and example, prayers day after day for the people to the very last message, patient meek response to insults and mockery, and consistent course in all things condemned the unbelieving world. Even without speaking, his holy character among the corrupt would have testified against them, and had he preached without working in harmony with his message he would not have been justified by his works. So every teacher must live every lesson taught, making instruction forcible by a holy life, for the influence and conduct of those who hold truth stands as a witness against rejecters. Though he and his household were helpless before the world's power, they trusted the word given and stood against the people of their time, showing that trust in God can withstand human strength and opposition. His persevering righteousness and faith made him a representative man, saved in the ark because he did what was right and obeyed God, preserving the law transgressed by the world and teaching the ten commandments to his descendants.

Warning That Condemned World

As God's servant Noah gave God's warning voice of mercy about things not yet seen, that divine judgments for transgression would visit the earth in punishment. It was a solemn call to sinners to true repentance and renunciation of sin, preaching to a lawbreaking generation to turn from transgression to obedience. Those who obeyed the divine law would have recognized God's voice in that warning, yet only his own family received the message and was saved.

God in great mercy does not bring judgment without first warning by His servants to give the world opportunity to turn from evil ways. Noah was told of the coming flood of waters 120 years beforehand, believed the warning, preached repentance, and prepared the ark as shelter to the saving of his house for all who would believe. Its light was given so people could believe, and all who had heeded it would have been saved, while rejection of it brought ruin. In the same way the message brings life to acceptors and condemnation to rejecters.

The long time before the Flood tested the faith of all who heard it. Many at first appeared to receive the warning but, unwilling to renounce their sins, failed to endure the trial and, overcome by prevailing unbelief, joined their former associates in rejecting it. Some were deeply convicted and would have heeded, but by partaking of the jesting and ridiculing spirit around them they resisted the invitations of mercy and the convicting Spirit and became among the boldest and most defiant scoffers. None go so far in recklessness and sin as those who have once had light and then resist it.

That generation rejected the preaching because sin become general seemed less sinful. Professed worshipers of God who used idols as representations of Deity were foremost in rejecting it, for representing God by material objects blinded their minds to His majesty and power, His holy character, and the sacred unchanging nature of His requirements. They declared the divine law no longer in force, said it was contrary to God's character to punish transgression, denied coming judgments, and, blinded by rejection of light, really believed the message to be a delusion.

The unseen things were rain and flood contrary to nature as men knew it, the unvarying succession of seasons, blue skies that had never poured out rain, and green fields refreshed by mist and night dews, so the message seemed an idle, highly improbable tale unworthy of notice. One solitary man stood against all the great men and the wisdom of thousands, and the world answered with unbelief passing into scorn, contempt, ridicule and mocking. They called the preacher of righteousness a wild enthusiast, a fanatic and alarmist, made light of his entreaties, and accused him of presumption for saying what all the world did not see and for building the immense vessel on dry land. Even his own carpenters said destruction of the world by water was simply impossible, and many on probation persisted in corruption and failed the test.

Their unbelief and refusal to hear and receive God's saving word through Noah brought ruin and destruction upon the rejecters of His mercy. Yet their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event nor prevent God's word from being fulfilled, for God bore long with wickedness to give ample opportunity for repentance, then at the appointed time visited His judgments in destruction. The Flood's destruction warns later generations that God will punish those who disregard His law, which Noah was given because men continually transgressed it and which he faithfully preserved and taught.

Pattern for Believers Today

Noah stands among the heroes of faith whose fidelity to God stood out across the ages and made them visible examples for the Christian church. He is one of the great cloud of witnesses compassing believers, who breasted evils and difficulties and braced successfully against opposing forces of evil in the Lord's name, sustained and strengthened with the Lord holding him by the hand. Their faithfulness is brought conspicuously before the world so that their light shines forth to reach people in darkness. That light shining through them can lead others to glorify God.

His record gives instruction in faith, for the faith that sustained God's servants of old can work in believers now. It calls believers to go forward doing their best while watching, working, and praying, trusting that God hears and answers. Through trials they can trust God and follow the path He marks out, since God works through faithful hearts as channels of His power.

As Noah warned the world, God's people now are to warn the world, and by faith shown in works condemn transgressors. He proved faith by works in building the ark on dry land while God's 120-year warning of coming destruction sounded, even though many first startled forgot peril and laughed at him, and by believing and building he condemned the world. The same work belongs to God's people now, to meet the same wicked resistance Noah met without failing or becoming discouraged. Their faithfulness means presenting heaven's truth and the last message calling people into harmony with every precept of God's law, even when scoffers oppose, knowing unbelief does not prevent judgment from coming.

Preparation for Christ's coming works the same way as Noah's preparation of the ark, for he prepared because he was warned and knew enough to act. The exact day and hour are not known, but the approach is known by the signs of the times and by understanding Daniel, and that knowledge is given to induce preparation as Noah prepared. The same fearful preparation belongs to those who wait and look for Christ's appearing and get ready for it, taking warnings seriously. While they do so the public press, the haunts of sin, and the schools of science hold one sentiment of scorn, curling the lip and answering warnings with jest and ridicule and publishing witty paragraphs at believers' expense, yet this mockery of the fearful and prepared is as old as sin and as false as the father of lies.

Noah's time prefigures the days before Christ appears, when people who heed God's warnings and show repentance will be kept safe while the many who reject will face destruction. He preached 120 years before the Flood, but only he and his family — eight people — accepted the warning and entered the ark, and their rejection of light given so they could believe brought ruin upon the rest. The warning gave opportunity to believe and turn to God, yet the world resisted the Spirit's pleadings and continued ordinary pursuits. In the same way God's message brings life to acceptors and condemnation to rejecters, and Noah and his family represent the few who will be saved when the Son of man is revealed. His steadfast obedience amid a scoffing, unbelieving world made faith evident through works and set him apart, though his integrity made him an object of contempt under which he did not waver.

The verse means walking out by faith in response to warning in God's sacred work, calling every worker in any line, including physicians, to cultivate unselfish faith which works by love and purifies the soul. Faith heeds warning of things not yet seen and acts with reverent fear, as Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. He condemned the world by a consistent course of action in all things, showing faith by works as a consistent believer in the warning he gave, for had he preached without working in harmony with his message he would not have been justified by works. Therefore every teacher and preacher must live every lesson taught, making Bible instruction forcible by a holy life. Believers today should expect to be instructed by God just as verily as Noah was, refusing to walk by worldly wisdom or let outward influence affect judgment or course, stepping out by faith to let the world see belief of the truth. One with a family to save is to do all in power to separate children from every wrong and worldly influence that would mold them, and place them where they receive line upon line and precept upon precept, an all-round Christian training far above worldly colleges that fits them to be members of the royal family, answers aright what must be done to inherit eternal life, needs constant improvement in knowledge of present truth, will not have to be laid aside but can be taken into the future life and the heavenly city whose builder and maker is God. That lesson in home training in truth and reverence, received as instruction passed down from Adam through generations that set Noah among the just who feared God apart from a world rejecting warnings, is reflected in the four youths whose early education at home preserved them from corruption.