The following segment does not necessarily express the views of The Plain Truth. We are sharing others’ opinions and will sometimes offer a commentary on anything we may disagree with.
The recent movie Noah presents a horribly distorted view of one of the Bible’s great heroes of faith. What’s the true story that you may have never heard or considered? Let’s look at seven little-known facts about Noah that can change our lives for good!
article by Mario Seiglie
Years ago, Paul Harvey, a famous U.S. radio commentator, ended his talks with the words, “And now you know the rest of the story.” He had just given a side of the news or a personality or historical event that was not well known.
Recently the movie Noah has been in the news. The film has a big-name director, popular leading actors and lots of drama to draw viewers into the theaters. Studios invested millions in hopes that the movie would become a big Hollywood hit.
Reviews have been highly negative in terms of biblical accuracy. Moreover, the biblical story has been grossly distorted with Gnostic and other arcane elements and made into a huge Hollywood melodrama.
Many fictional parts have been added, especially the many scenes with mythical rock creatures (supposedly fallen angels) who actually build the ark (with wood from a miraculously grown instant forest) and save Noah from a small army that tries to capture the ark. Further distorting the story, Noah is portrayed as an angry, tormented and murderous man, in complete contradiction of the Bible’s description of him as a righteous and godly person.
Perhaps the only redeeming value of the movie would be if people are motivated to read the Bible for themselves, recognize actual parallels between Noah’s and today’s age, wake up from their spiritual lethargy and turn to God.
As the latest fad, the movie Noah will come and go. But more important is this question: What does the story of the real Noah have to do with us? Surprisingly, it can teach us a great deal. Let’s look at seven little-known facts about Noah that can change our lives for good!
1. Noah “walked with God.”
What does the Bible mean when it says that Noah “walked with God” (Genesis 6:19)? In fact, we find several righteous men mentioned in the Bible who “walked with God.” The first one listed was Enoch (Genesis 5:22). Later, Abraham and Isaac are described the same way (Genesis 48:15).
Later still, David is described as having walked with God, and we’re given additional information about what this actually means. The Bible records David’s son Solomon saying to God, “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You” (1 Kings 3:6, emphasis added throughout).
Lastly, we have the parents of John the Baptist, Zacharias and Elizabeth, who “were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6).
So “walking with God” means having a daily, lifelong relationship with God, obeying His commandments and following His way of life.
Regrettably, the movie Noah doesn’t mention at all that Noah had an intimate and lifelong relationship with God. In the movie he only has vague clues about what the Creator wants. Yet this is one of the key points of the story about Noah and why God spared him and his family from the Flood.
So the first lesson we can learn is this: Are we walking with God? His commandments are still there to be kept, and they can establish, along with His grace that Noah received (Genesis 6:8), a lifelong relationship with God that will bring many blessings for several generations to those who love Him (Exodus 20:6).
2. Noah preached God’s way of life.
Another fact about Noah that many don’t realize is that he was a preacher of righteousness.
The Bible tells us that God “did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:4).
What is the biblical definition of righteousness? It is given in Psalms 119:172, the psalmist here praying to God, “For all Your commandments are righteousness.”