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Noah was a man of unique characteristics. For those of his day, he was odd yet strangely impressive. To the people of his day, Noah was rich, yet poor when it came to worldly details. For Noah was a man of God, living in a world that had gone mad. That world was committed to one thing, and that was doing what was right in their own eyes.

Genesis 7:1-9

1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

In dealing with this scripture, I want to take a look at the following points:

1. The Man: Noah

2. The Mandate of God

3. The Move of Noah's Household

4. The Make-up of the House

5. The Mind of God

The name Noah originated or was derived from the word "nacham" and means to comfort. In particular, the Hebrew word for Noah is "noach" which means, "rest". What a splendid name to give a boy, for in the midst of depravity you actually grant your child comfort and rest. As we meet up with Noah, we find that he has fulfilled the meaning and destiny of his own name. Noah has found comfort in God; he has found rest in God. Not only that, but as we deal with the whole account, we note that Noah's household was also unique. They must have had the heart and mind of their father Noah, for they did just as they were told. God trusted Noah, and in essence God was able to begin the world anew with Noah and his family.

I want to stop here and point out that God believes in family. God could have done away with man altogether, but no, he believed too much in family to let them go. In the midst of a selfish and confusing world, a world comfortable in sin, and a world freely expressing itself in immorality, God could look down and find Himself a faithful man.

I like that, because it tells me that no matter how bad this world may get, God will always zoom in and look for a house, a family, an organization, or a church that honours and obeys His Word. God will indeed save the family that lives according to His Holy Word. Blessings Abound!

v. Dr. Maria Seaman serves as the pastor of Shekinah Worship Centre, worshipping at the Victor Scott Primary School, Glebe Road, Pembroke.

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