If I Could Ask One Question of Noah, I Would Ask “Why Did You Not Ask Any Questions?”

“And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.” Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Genesis 6:13-22

The thought of building a boat is daunting for anyone — anyone — no matter how big or how small the boat. I think this is a safe statement to make. Add to that building a boat large enough to hold and house every animal species, two or seven of each, and include with that a space for all of your family members, and the thought of building this kind of boat is beyond my comprehension. Oh, and besides all of that, imagine being asked to build a boat is remote area — possibly in the desert. And Noah — well the Lord asks him to build a boat and he says nothing. If I had one question to ask Noah, it would be “Did you ask any questions of G-d, like why?”

The frustrating part of reading some of our greatest stories from the Bible is the fact that we cannot ask the questions that go unasked. I appreciate having an obedience of faith that allows you to just “Go and build an ark” — but he must have had questions. And I imagine that he had lots, and lots of questions, and I wish the Bible would have included some of those questions. Maybe you might ask Noah a question about how easy or difficult it was to gather all of the animals. Maybe you would ask if there were Unicorns. Maybe you would ask him how it felt to have all of those people begging him to get on the boat, but he had to ignore them. Or perhaps you would ask about the system they used to get rid of the waste on the boat.

In my mind, though, I would want to know why the Bible does not list any of his questions, or objections, or conversations while he was building the ark. Why are there no questions? And if he did not ask any questions, then why? Imagine you begin to hear a voice whom you believe is G-d who is asking you to leave your current job and become a missionary in India — don’t you think you might have some questions for G-d?

Granted, we can find ourselves asking so many questions we talk ourselves out of consideration of the tasks to which we have been called by G-d. But really Noah, no questions…..?

That is the question I would ask Noah. What question would you ask?

Pastor Dave

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30 

“Is God gracious or stern, loving or judgmental, eager for peace or prone to violence? We can certainly ask these questions… But there is value, I suspect, even in asking…to ponder these questions in silence (and giving…a moment or two to do so!). We might further ask whether the picture they carry – often constructed unconsciously – matches the picture of the God we know in Jesus or may have been shaped by other persons and events in their lives. This will be an easy exercise for some. But for others it may occasional difficult memories or surface uncomfortable emotions as we recognize that some of our pictures of God – and therefore of the world and even ourselves – are quite limiting and even damaging. For now, though, it may help to anchor this parable in its narrative context. Jesus tells this parable just days before he will give his life on the cross, not as a substitute or surrogate to be punished in our place, but rather as testimony to just how far God will go to communicate God’s love for us and all the world. Jesus has spent his life and ministry proclaiming God’s kingdom, feeding the hungry, healing and sick, offering forgiveness, and welcoming ALL who recognize their need into the loving embrace of God. And for that message he is crucified. That’s how much God wants us to know of God’s love. And just in case we miss or underestimate that message, God raises Jesus on the third day that we might know that life is stronger than death and love more powerful than hate. That’s the God we proclaim…” (…in the Meantime, David Lose, How Do You Imagine G-d?, November 10, 2014) 

“One of the curious facts about each one of us is not what we believe or don’t believe about God, but rather what we believe or don’t believe about ourselves. The most pervasive tendency of Christians today is to be reluctant servants. It is the belief that if God wants something done hopefully God will call on someone more able than me to do it. The patron saint of this attitude is that Old Testament character named Jonah. Most of us have been so fascinated with the thought of Jonah being swallowed by a whale that we have totally missed the real point of why someone even wrote the little story about Jonah. The real story is about Jonah as a reluctant servant. One day God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the Capital of Assyria and warn them to change from their wicked ways or God would destroy them. Jonah wanted no part of this mission so instead of going east to Nineveh he boarded a ship and headed west toward Spain. Because of this rebellion toward God there is a storm at sea and Jonah is thrown overboard and that is the part that deals with the great fish that swallows him. 

But that is not the point that needs to be made. The point is that God speaks to Jonah a second time telling Jonah to go to Nineveh. Reluctantly he goes and he preaches an eight-word sermon. “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown”. The people of Nineveh were Gentiles…non-Jews and it infuriated Jonah that God would show any favor toward them. Assyria had been an enemy of Israel forever…a constant source of Israel‘s problems. To the chagrin of Jonah, the people listened to his warning and repented. God decided not to destroy Nineveh, and Jonah gets very angry at God… so angry that he prays to God: “O Lord take my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live.” 

This is a tragic illustration of the thought that God exists for us…the notion that God exists to do for us what we want, rather than our existing to do what God wants. Do you know what Jonah did. He went out of the city to its edge and sat down and pouted. One of the curious facts about each one of us is not what we believe or don’t believe about God, but rather what we believe or don’t believe about ourselves!”  (Reluctant Servants, Rev. Bob Bohl, June 15, 1997)  

Are you a reluctant servant? Do you hear the calling of G-d and hope or believe or tell yourself that G-d will find someone else to answer the call? The reality of our life in Christ is that we exist to do what G-d calls us to do. G-d created us in G-d’s image so we might give back to G-d prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and loving deeds of mercy and Grace. G-d does not exist for us — We exist so G-d’s light can so shine through us that others will see our good works that glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  

Pastor Dave