06.18. "Warned of God"

"Warned of God"

We have seen, in the cases of Abel and Enoch, that, according to Rom 10:17, God must have spoken to them, though the fact of His making known His will to them, is not actually recorded. But in the case of Noah, the fact is distinctly stated: and the word employed to inform us of this is somewhat unusual.

It is χρηματίξω (chrēmatizō) to be Divinely instructed.[48] Its meaning may best be gathered from its usage. It is first used of the wise men being "warned of God" to return another way (Mat 2:12); then, of Joseph being warned to turn aside to Galilee (Mat 2:22); of the revelation to Simeon that he should not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah (Luk 2:26); of Cornelius being instructed to send for Peter (Acts 10:22); of Moses’ Divine instruction as to the making of the Tabernacle (Heb 8:5). It is used also of those who refused to hear Christ’s Divine instruction when on earth. (Heb 12:25).

[48] Here, in the Passive Mood.

Twice it is used Intransitively of the giving of a name or an appellation; and the implication is (from all the other cases) that the name so given was given by Divine instruction: the one is the name "adultress" of her who marries again while her husband liveth (Rom 7:3); the other is the name "Christians" given to the believers at Antioch (Acts 11:26).[49] [49] This disposes of the supposition that the name was given by their enemies, by way of derision.

We thus learn how the "report," which Noah believed, was heard.

Noah’s faith came by "hearing" this report; and the report came to him "by the Word of God." For, he was Divinely instructed.

There was no other way by which he could have heard of the coming judgment of the Flood. There was no other way by which he could have known he was to be delivered out of it; or how he was to be saved through it.

There was nothing in what he saw to give him any indication of what was coming. If he had reckoned from the outward "appearance" he could never have concluded what would be the end of the "things that were seen." But he was Divinely instructed concerning them, and these he reckoned according to the fundamental definition of faith as laid down in Heb 11:3.

He "heard" the Divine instruction. He believed it. Hence, he knew what others did not know: for what he knew was "not seen as yet."

If he looked on things as they appeared, he would have seen building, and planting, and marriage and giving in marriage going on, on all hands. He would have seen outward progress and advancement. Others thought the progress was upward, and the advancement was onward, but Noah knew that it was downward to destruction and onward to judgment. "As it was in the days of Noah... SO shall the coming of the Son of man be" (Mat 24:39; Luk 17:27).

Men look around today and see progress in the spheres of invention, science and civilization; they see the advancement in outward things; they discuss "social problems;" but they judge by the outward "appearance." Those who are Divinely instructed by the Divine Word, do not thus judge all these "things that are seen." They know what is to be the end of it all. They are Divinely instructed that it will end in a Flood—not of Water, but of Fire.

They too believe God and have a blessed hope.

Those who believe what God has promised concerning translation or the "calling on high" (Php 3:14) will be caught up, as Enoch was, without dying. But those who refuse to believe God[50] respecting this, and believe that, like Noah, they will be saved through that judgment flood, must not be surprised if God deals with them according to their faith; and saves them "so as by fire."

[50] Like those in Heb 12:25.

Oh! what a privilege to be Divinely instructed concerning the "things not seen as yet." How blessed to believe God and thus be "well-pleasing unto Him."

If, like Enoch, we "walk with God," we "walk by faith, and not by sight" (2Co 5:7), we shall not judge the course of events as they appear outwardly, in the eyes of the natural man; we shall not be deceived by things that man calls "progress." We shall not be misled into fellowship with man in what he miss-calls "good works," for we know that only those are "good works which God hath before prepared for us to walk in (Eph 2:10, marg.).

God’s Divine instruction is specially with regard to "things not seen as yet;" and, if we believe what He teaches us concerning them, we shall be "moved with godly fear" (Heb 11:7 R.V.), as Noah was, and shall obey Him as Noah did.

Noah’s faith led to obedience. Hence, true obedience is "the obedience of faith:" he prepared an ark to the saving of his house: through which "he condemned the world."