Purposed Parent/Comnected Child Podcast Episode 013 - As in the Days of Noah
Welcome to the Purposed Parent/Connected Child Podcast
Episode #013 – As in the Days of Noah
Are you yearning for greater connection with your child? Would you like to parent beyond the moment with eternal perspective? Let’s grow together now with practical tips, scripture, and stories geared to draw your heart to Jesus and guide your child into His arms.
This summer I am doing regular podcasts mixed with scripture readings. This episode is a blend of the two.
On the last “Purposed Parent/Connected Child” podcast episode we discussed values in a world of immorality and how we must stand firmly on God’s truths in order to build and maintain godly values.
James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Scripture promises that God offers wisdom to any who seek it from Him, yet our Heavenly Father desires that we receive His wisdom and use it for His glory, as well as the good of others.
But what happens when we do notseek the wisdom of God? What happens when generations do not abide by or teach God’s truths and morals to those behind them?
The immorality, chaos, and disorder we see in our culture stems from the absence of God’s morals within the hearts and minds of society.
What kind of future do you want to leave your children?
The heart of man has been exposed from the earliest of creation. Beginning with Adam and Eve, we saw deception infiltrate mankind and seize control. Think back to the days of Noah, which were filled with great evil and moral corruptness. In fact, Genesis 6:5 states, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
This line of Scripture offers a clear and precise description of human depravity in the days of Noah. There is no way anyone could misunderstand what the times were like – every heart was continually evil.
Do you notice the days we are living in? Do you ever feel that destruction is upon us? Are you comfortable with the state of the world and what it will be like when your children and grandchildren are adults?
I recently learned an interesting fact. Did you know that there is not a biblical Hebrew word for “heart?” When the Bible speaks of matters of the heart, the word represents the emotions, will, and mind. I believe the absence of a specific or assigned word is very appropriate, and I know it was purposeful for the Bible to speak of heart as it does. As believers, we understand that the heart is the center or the driving force of our actions. When society chooses to contribute to evil and destruction, it exposes the condition of our heart. A heart that does not know and follow Jesus will be taken over with chaos, confusion, and lies.
Let’s examine all of this book in Genesis more closely to see the lessons we can learn and teach to our children as they watch us navigate life with faith.
Genesis 6:1-22 says, “When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that He had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
At the beginning of this passage of verses, we read about the “sons of God” and “daughters of men,” which in the most common explanation of this passage most likely means that fallen angels came in the form of human men and then married human women. Because this is not a union in accordance with God’s holy order of reproduction according to one’s kind, this was an egregious offense to God.
Next, we read that God’s spirit “shall not strive with man forever.” This area of scripture is the second time the Spirit is mentioned outright in the Bible. This time, the Spirit is linked to destruction of man. I’m unsure whether this meant that the Spirit will not strive with man foreverand that his days shall be 120 years, meaning either God is referring to an actual age of man, showing he will not live forever, or that God is saying the flood will arrive with destruction in 120 years. Regardless, when we do not walk with the Spirit, we know that God will stop convicting us; we may not hear or receive the discerning, guiding prods or whispers that our Heavenly Father sometimes uses to attract our attention to Him.
As we touched on earlier in this episode, the days of Noah were filled with evil continually. For the Bible to use such exactwords shows us the infiltration of depravity at the time and the sorrow weighing on God’s heart. Was this wickedness a surprise to God? Certainly not! Yet, our holy Father grieved with heavy pain for what his earthly children caused.
That sin issue is still present and prevalent today. Only through the sacrifice of Christ can any of us be removed from the stain of sin and begin to live as God intended as we allow the Holy Spirit to move and cleanse us from within. It is imperative that we read, study, and know God’s words and commands so that we can teach them and model obedience to them for our children.
This passage of scripture, although it exposes the depravity of man through God’s eyes, also allows us to see that God was greatly grieved in his heart by the immorality of man.
Why did Noah stand out to God during this rebellious, wicked time? Just as each of us are able to receive the unmerited grace of God, God viewed Noah’s heart and saw that he was what God considered “just.” Was Noah perfect? Most definitely not. Each of us is so far from the holiness of God that we will always fall far short of where He desires us to be. Yet God granted Noah grace and found a man who would be obedient to His call. God saved Noah and his family and worked through their obedienceto assemble and act on His next plan.
During the course of history, God’s eyes have roamed the earth seeking those who will love, honor, follow, and obey Him. In Noah, God saw the person who would humble himself before the Lord and follow His instructions without question. Despite the devastating immorality infiltrating his day, Noah heeded the voice of God.
Are you teaching your children to cherish God and His commands so much that they honor and obey God? My desire is for my children to love the Lord so much and have a growing relationship with Jesus so that they will be aware of His expectations and hear His calls and act promptly in loving obedience.
Can you imagine the ridicule Noah would have received from peers? From scripture, we estimate that it took Noah approximately 100 years to complete the ark. Noah had no idea why God had commanded him to build this ark, but still, he stepped out with faith that he must act exactly as God had commanded, enabling God to credit him as righteous.
People often choose to pick which command they want to obey. Some never hear the quiet voice of God directing them in various ways. Noah, however, chose to hear and act on exactly what God revealed for him to do, even though he did not know God’s ultimate plan. Noah was attuned to His Heavenly Father and ready to obey. Through obedience to God, Noah’s family and future generations were protected and saved.
Imagine the world we would live in if those who confess to follow Christ would study scripture and follow the voice of God in humble obedience. As our children see us walk with God, joyful in obeying His commands and calls, they will learn to desire and do the same.
The immorality, chaos, and disorder we see in our culture would no longer exist if individuals and families adhere to the standards of God and lovingly teach our children to do the same. When we see others who do not have families and step in to show them the way to Jesus and help them to know Him, the schemes of Satan can be thwarted as chaos and confusion are diminished and erased.
Our world is growing closer to the days of Noah. Without the steady hand of our Father guiding us with His love, grace, mercy, and discernment, our children do not have hope for the future that could await them. What can you do today to change the course of history for your child and the generations to come?
Dear Heavenly Father, great is Your name. Thank you for your constant love and care, even when we do not recognize or deserve it. You have given us so much that we take for granted and we live in desperate times where some take what they desire without thought. Days are becoming more like the days of Noah and the only way to cleanse the wicked hearts is through the saving mercy and grace of Jesus. Help us, Father to seek You, to follow You, and to show You to others. May our children be a greater faith generation than we are. Cause us to respect Your authority with joy so that our children do the same. Help us to respond with anticipation when You call us to obedience. May our children listen to You and live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm because they are walking in step with You. May their hearts be wise in Your eyes and their hearts full of the light of Christ as they navigate this world. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you would like to hear more about the condition of our heart, the root of all issues, please listen to the Live With Eternal Perspective podcast episode 001, Heart Conditions or episode 046, Maturing Character Like Christ.
If you pray for your child, please look for my free ebook, “Prayers for My Child,” available on the website under the “Resources” page and is designed to guide the heart of your child to the feet of Jesus through scripturally-based prayer.
The Purposed Parent/Connected Child podcast is now available at terrihitt.com, where you can access the episodes housed in one convenient location, receive access to blog posts, read transcripts, and find additional resources designed to mature your walk with Christ and equip you to raiseor influence connected children through Him.
God knows that we are not capable of successful parenting on our own. As we rely on Him, releasing doubts and expectations, and humbly bow to His guidance and experience, we find greater clarity in parenting and a wondrous walk with our Creator that will extend to our children and those around us for generations.
I pray this podcast helps you parent with purposeand deepen your connection to Jesus and your children as you intentionally place Christ above culture or self. Allow Him to work through you for true connection that will draw your children to Him and build a maturing relationship with Christ and your child that lasts for eternity.