In the “hall of faith” of Hebrews 11, several
individuals are commended for their faith. While it seems like Noah’s great
accomplishment of building an ark to save living things from destruction would
be the action that demonstrates his faith, God also honors this man’s reasons
for doing what he did.
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)
Noah exercised his faith in his desire to save his own
family. This commonplace life of a family, was just as much a place of worship
and the center of service to God as a temple or a church. For Noah, building a
refuge for his wife and children was an act of faith, commended by God in the
same breath as He commended Abraham for going to a new land by faith to receive
an inheritance and Sarah for being able to conceive when she was far too old to
have a child, trusting God who promised her a son.
As I read through the other commendations for faith in
Hebrews 11, I note that almost all of them involve family activities and
concerns. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. God asked that same son to
bless his sons. He asked one of them to bless his grandchildren and one of them
to worship Him and to direct his family out of bondage in Egypt.
God also commended the parents of Moses for hiding
him, and Moses for refusing to be called a stepchild of the Egyptian family who
raised him, but instead identifying with the family that those Egyptians were
persecuting.
Faith is always about family, even family first. If I ever
have doubts that praying for my family is selfish or too me-centered to be
commended by God, I need to remember that the giants of faith, no matter what
else they did because of faith, first exercised their faith in God because of and
for their families.But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)
God honors this ordinary sphere for the exercise of
faith. Noah’s purpose for building the ark may seem a small thing compared to
that huge undertaking, but in the mind of God, family is the most consecrated
place to begin trusting and serving Him. He wants His people to make their
house His house because of our faith.
Lord, thank You for Your word to me this morning. Prayers
for my family and serving them is high on Your priority list and so it should
be on mine. What would the ark matter if Noah’s family were not on it? What
would the faith of Abraham or Isaac mean if their family remained in bondage? What
importance would the faith of Moses be if he decided to abandon his true family
and serve the Pharaohs who enslaved them? When facing other options, may I always
put family first.
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