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00:00:01 Now, let us consider two questions: 00:00:06 What do we have in common with Noah? 00:00:09 And how does his example apply to us? 00:00:14 Well, like Noah, we fully trust 00:00:16 that Jehovah will fulfill his promise to end all wickedness 00:00:20 and that he will do so at exactly the right time. 00:00:25 Now, what helped Noah to build his trust in Jehovah’s promises? 00:00:30 One factor that must have helped him was his upbringing. 00:00:34 Now, to confirm that statement, 00:00:36 we will consider two of Noah’s relatives, 00:00:39 and no doubt they had a big influence on him. 00:00:44 First, Noah must have received 00:00:47 a godly upbringing from his father, Lamech. 00:00:50 The Insight book states with certainty: 00:00:53 “Lamech had faith in God.” 00:00:57 But how does the Bible indicate 00:00:59 that Lamech (and likely also his wife) had strong faith in Jehovah? 00:01:03 One indication is found in Genesis chapter 5. 00:01:07 So let’s consider that chapter for a moment. 00:01:10 Now, if you will take the time, perhaps later today, 00:01:14 to read verses 6-31 in chapter five, 00:01:19 you will see that these verses contain 00:01:21 a list of eight fathers and eight sons. 00:01:25 The list starts with the father Seth and his son, Enosh 00:01:29 and ends with the father Lamech and his son Noah. 00:01:33 Now, in this list, 00:01:35 Lamech stands out from all the other fathers. 00:01:39 Why so? 00:01:41 Of all eight fathers, only Lamech provides a reason 00:01:46 for why he named his son in the way that he did. 00:01:49 And we read that reason in verses 28 and 29. 00:01:54 There it says: “Lamech lived for 182 years 00:01:59 “and then became father to a son. 00:02:01 He named him Noah.” 00:02:03 Now, let’s pause here for a moment. 00:02:05 The footnote gives us the likely meaning of the name Noah 00:02:09 as “Rest” or “Consolation.” 00:02:12 But then comes the most significant part. 00:02:14 Lamech goes on to explain 00:02:16 why he gave his son the name Consolation. 00:02:20 In verse 29, Lamech adds: 00:02:23 “This one will bring us comfort [Or, as the footnote says, “relief.”] 00:02:27 “from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands 00:02:31 because of the ground that Jehovah has cursed.” 00:02:36 Now, note the expressions that Lamech used: 00:02:39 “painful toil,” 00:02:42 ‘the ground that Jehovah cursed.’ 00:02:45 So Lamech’s words show that he looked back 00:02:48 to what had happened in the Garden of Eden. 00:02:50 In fact, he used the very same words 00:02:53 —cursed, ground, pain— 00:02:56 that Jehovah had used when he told Adam after the rebellion: 00:03:01 “Cursed is the ground on your account. 00:03:04 In pain you will eat its produce.” 00:03:07 So by repeating Jehovah’s words, 00:03:09 Lamech indicated that he realized that the rebellion of Adam and Eve 00:03:13 had sentenced humans to pain 00:03:16 from which there seemed no relief or comfort. 00:03:20 Indeed, Lamech had meditated 00:03:24 on Jehovah’s words. 00:03:26 But Lamech looked back not only to a dark time 00:03:31 but also forward to a bright time. 00:03:34 In the first part of verse 29, he said about his son: 00:03:37 “This one will bring us comfort from our labor.” 00:03:41 So clearly, Lamech hoped that his son Noah 00:03:44 would be instrumental in bringing relief to man’s situation. 00:03:49 Now, Lamech’s words were much more 00:03:52 than a warm sentiment expressed by a father to his son. 00:03:57 What is the real significance of Lamech’s words about Noah? 00:04:02 The Insight book further states 00:04:04 that ‘Lamech’s words were an inspired revelation 00:04:07 of God’s purpose and will.’ 00:04:09 So Lamech’s words expressed 00:04:13 Jehovah’s thoughts and feelings about Noah. 00:04:17 Now, Noah’s father died five years before the Flood, 00:04:22 but his prophecy came true. 00:04:24 When did it happen? 00:04:26 The Watchtower of 2017 states: 00:04:29 ‘Jehovah inspired Lamech to utter a prophecy about Noah, 00:04:33 and that prophecy came true after the Flood.’ 00:04:37 When exactly did it come true? 00:04:40 We find the answer at Genesis 8:21. 00:04:43 Shortly after the Flood, when Noah offered burnt offerings to God: 00:04:47 “Jehovah said in his heart: 00:04:49 “‘Never again 00:04:51 will I curse the ground on man’s account.’” 00:04:56 Indeed, Noah had lived up to the meaning of the name 00:05:01 that he had received from his father. 00:05:03 Because of Noah’s faith in action, 00:05:06 Jehovah used him to bring relief. 00:05:10 Now, how does this account of Noah and his father apply to us? 00:05:14 Well, like Noah in the past, 00:05:17 many of us have had the privilege to be raised by godly parents. 00:05:21 And we know that by serving Jehovah wholeheartedly, 00:05:24 we bring great joy to the hearts of our parents. 00:05:27 They are happy that we serve at Assembly Halls, 00:05:29 at RTOs, at construction projects, at maintenance sites, 00:05:34 at Bethel, and in the local congregations. 00:05:38 And much like Lamech did in the past, 00:05:41 godly parents today pray to Jehovah 00:05:44 that the sacred service 00:05:46 that their children give at these locations 00:05:49 may indeed bring comfort and relief to many. 00:05:54 And for those of us whose godly parents have already fallen asleep in death 00:05:58 —well, we long for the time when they will come back to life in Paradise 00:06:02 and we can relate to them 00:06:04 that we used our life fully in Jehovah’s service. 00:06:08 How happy they will be when they hear 00:06:12 that the godly training that they gave us 00:06:14 helped us to build our faith in God’s promises 00:06:17 and to survive Armageddon! 00:06:20 And likewise, we can imagine that when Noah is raised to life in Paradise, 00:06:24 he will long for the moment when he can tell his father 00:06:28 how he endured till the end of that old system 00:06:30 and survived the Flood. 00:06:32 And just think how happy Lamech will be 00:06:35 when he hears that his son 00:06:37 did indeed bring comfort 00:06:40 and relief to many. 00:06:43 Now, besides Lamech, 00:06:45 who is the second relative who must have strengthened 00:06:48 Noah’s trust in Jehovah’s promises 00:06:50 and in his protection 00:06:52 and in his assurance to protect his servants? 00:06:56 Well here is a clue. 00:06:58 Both Noah and his second relative 00:07:01 are described in exactly the same way in the Bible. 00:07:06 In Genesis chapter 6, we read: 00:07:08 “Noah walked with the true God.” 00:07:12 In Genesis chapter 5, we read: 00:07:15 ‘Enoch walked with the true God.’ 00:07:18 Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather. 00:07:21 Now, since Jehovah moved the writer of Genesis 00:07:24 to describe these two men in exactly the same manner, 00:07:28 it indicates that Noah had much in common 00:07:31 with his great-grandfather. 00:07:33 Now, it’s true that Noah never met Enoch 00:07:37 because Enoch died before Noah was born. 00:07:40 But Noah’s father’s life 00:07:44 overlapped for more than 100 years with that of Enoch. 00:07:49 So we can imagine that Lamech 00:07:51 must have told stories to Noah about his grandfather: 00:07:55 how Enoch prophesied courageously 00:07:58 while surrounded by ungodly people, 00:08:00 how these people hated Enoch to the point that they wanted to kill him. 00:08:03 But despite being in danger, 00:08:05 as we read at Genesis 5:22: 00:08:08 “Enoch continued to walk with the true God.” 00:08:12 And Jehovah protected Enoch. 00:08:15 Well, as Noah listened to these stories 00:08:18 and reflected on Enoch’s faith and courage, 00:08:21 his desire to follow in Enoch’s footsteps 00:08:23 no doubt grew stronger and stronger. 00:08:26 In fact, Noah’s faith became so strong 00:08:30 that he continued to walk with God for 600 years 00:08:35 until the time of the Flood 00:08:37 —in spite of the ungodly and violent people around him. 00:08:41 Now, just as Noah must have been strengthened 00:08:44 by the faith of his forefathers, 00:08:47 some of us may be the third or the fourth generation 00:08:50 in our family who serve Jehovah. 00:08:53 If that’s the case with you, 00:08:55 your parents or grandparents likely told you stories 00:08:58 about your relatives who served Jehovah 00:09:00 —perhaps way back in the time of Brother Rutherford or even earlier. 00:09:04 And as you listened to these stories about your faithful relatives, 00:09:08 your desire to walk in their footsteps grew stronger and stronger. 00:09:14 What, though, if we are not part of a family 00:09:17 with a long line of Witnesses? 00:09:19 Well, we too are encouraged by the examples 00:09:23 of our brothers and sisters of previous generations 00:09:26 when we read their life stories as found in The Watchtower. 00:09:30 As we learn about their courage and endurance, 00:09:32 their stories strengthen our faith. 00:09:35 Indeed, the examples of God’s servants in the past 00:09:40 as recorded in the Bible, 00:09:42 in our family history, 00:09:45 or in the life stories found in The Watchtower 00:09:48 help us to trust fully in the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promises. 00:09:53 In turn, that trust strengthens us to do what? 00:09:58 To imitate Noah and walk with God 00:10:02 —not just now but forever.
00:00:01 Now, let us consider two questions: 00:00:06 What do we have in common with Noah? 00:00:09 And how does his example apply to us? 00:00:14 Well, like Noah, we fully trust 00:00:16 that Jehovah will fulfill his promise to end all wickedness 00:00:20 and that he will do so at exactly the right time. 00:00:25 Now, what helped Noah to build his trust in Jehovah’s promises? 00:00:30 One factor that must have helped him was his upbringing. 00:00:34 Now, to confirm that statement, 00:00:36 we will consider two of Noah’s relatives, 00:00:39 and no doubt they had a big influence on him. 00:00:44 First, Noah must have received 00:00:47 a godly upbringing from his father, Lamech. 00:00:50 The Insight book states with certainty: 00:00:53 “Lamech had faith in God.” 00:00:57 But how does the Bible indicate 00:00:59 that Lamech (and likely also his wife) had strong faith in Jehovah? 00:01:03 One indication is found in Genesis chapter 5. 00:01:07 So let’s consider that chapter for a moment. 00:01:10 Now, if you will take the time, perhaps later today, 00:01:14 to read verses 6-31 in chapter five, 00:01:19 you will see that these verses contain 00:01:21 a list of eight fathers and eight sons. 00:01:25 The list starts with the father Seth and his son, Enosh 00:01:29 and ends with the father Lamech and his son Noah. 00:01:33 Now, in this list, 00:01:35 Lamech stands out from all the other fathers. 00:01:39 Why so? 00:01:41 Of all eight fathers, only Lamech provides a reason 00:01:46 for why he named his son in the way that he did. 00:01:49 And we read that reason in verses 28 and 29. 00:01:54 There it says: “Lamech lived for 182 years 00:01:59 “and then became father to a son. 00:02:01 He named him Noah.” 00:02:03 Now, let’s pause here for a moment. 00:02:05 The footnote gives us the likely meaning of the name Noah 00:02:09 as “Rest” or “Consolation.” 00:02:12 But then comes the most significant part. 00:02:14 Lamech goes on to explain 00:02:16 why he gave his son the name Consolation. 00:02:20 In verse 29, Lamech adds: 00:02:23 “This one will bring us comfort [Or, as the footnote says, “relief.”] 00:02:27 “from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands 00:02:31 because of the ground that Jehovah has cursed.” 00:02:36 Now, note the expressions that Lamech used: 00:02:39 “painful toil,” 00:02:42 ‘the ground that Jehovah cursed.’ 00:02:45 So Lamech’s words show that he looked back 00:02:48 to what had happened in the Garden of Eden. 00:02:50 In fact, he used the very same words 00:02:53 —cursed, ground, pain— 00:02:56 that Jehovah had used when he told Adam after the rebellion: 00:03:01 “Cursed is the ground on your account. 00:03:04 In pain you will eat its produce.” 00:03:07 So by repeating Jehovah’s words, 00:03:09 Lamech indicated that he realized that the rebellion of Adam and Eve 00:03:13 had sentenced humans to pain 00:03:16 from which there seemed no relief or comfort. 00:03:20 Indeed, Lamech had meditated 00:03:24 on Jehovah’s words. 00:03:26 But Lamech looked back not only to a dark time 00:03:31 but also forward to a bright time. 00:03:34 In the first part of verse 29, he said about his son: 00:03:37 “This one will bring us comfort from our labor.” 00:03:41 So clearly, Lamech hoped that his son Noah 00:03:44 would be instrumental in bringing relief to man’s situation. 00:03:49 Now, Lamech’s words were much more 00:03:52 than a warm sentiment expressed by a father to his son. 00:03:57 What is the real significance of Lamech’s words about Noah? 00:04:02 The Insight book further states 00:04:04 that ‘Lamech’s words were an inspired revelation 00:04:07 of God’s purpose and will.’ 00:04:09 So Lamech’s words expressed 00:04:13 Jehovah’s thoughts and feelings about Noah. 00:04:17 Now, Noah’s father died five years before the Flood, 00:04:22 but his prophecy came true. 00:04:24 When did it happen? 00:04:26 The Watchtower of 2017 states: 00:04:29 ‘Jehovah inspired Lamech to utter a prophecy about Noah, 00:04:33 and that prophecy came true after the Flood.’ 00:04:37 When exactly did it come true? 00:04:40 We find the answer at Genesis 8:21. 00:04:43 Shortly after the Flood, when Noah offered burnt offerings to God: 00:04:47 “Jehovah said in his heart: 00:04:49 “‘Never again 00:04:51 will I curse the ground on man’s account.’” 00:04:56 Indeed, Noah had lived up to the meaning of the name 00:05:01 that he had received from his father. 00:05:03 Because of Noah’s faith in action, 00:05:06 Jehovah used him to bring relief. 00:05:10 Now, how does this account of Noah and his father apply to us? 00:05:14 Well, like Noah in the past, 00:05:17 many of us have had the privilege to be raised by godly parents. 00:05:21 And we know that by serving Jehovah wholeheartedly, 00:05:24 we bring great joy to the hearts of our parents. 00:05:27 They are happy that we serve at Assembly Halls, 00:05:29 at RTOs, at construction projects, at maintenance sites, 00:05:34 at Bethel, and in the local congregations. 00:05:38 And much like Lamech did in the past, 00:05:41 godly parents today pray to Jehovah 00:05:44 that the sacred service 00:05:46 that their children give at these locations 00:05:49 may indeed bring comfort and relief to many. 00:05:54 And for those of us whose godly parents have already fallen asleep in death 00:05:58 —well, we long for the time when they will come back to life in Paradise 00:06:02 and we can relate to them 00:06:04 that we used our life fully in Jehovah’s service. 00:06:08 How happy they will be when they hear 00:06:12 that the godly training that they gave us 00:06:14 helped us to build our faith in God’s promises 00:06:17 and to survive Armageddon! 00:06:20 And likewise, we can imagine that when Noah is raised to life in Paradise, 00:06:24 he will long for the moment when he can tell his father 00:06:28 how he endured till the end of that old system 00:06:30 and survived the Flood. 00:06:32 And just think how happy Lamech will be 00:06:35 when he hears that his son 00:06:37 did indeed bring comfort 00:06:40 and relief to many. 00:06:43 Now, besides Lamech, 00:06:45 who is the second relative who must have strengthened 00:06:48 Noah’s trust in Jehovah’s promises 00:06:50 and in his protection 00:06:52 and in his assurance to protect his servants? 00:06:56 Well here is a clue. 00:06:58 Both Noah and his second relative 00:07:01 are described in exactly the same way in the Bible. 00:07:06 In Genesis chapter 6, we read: 00:07:08 “Noah walked with the true God.” 00:07:12 In Genesis chapter 5, we read: 00:07:15 ‘Enoch walked with the true God.’ 00:07:18 Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather. 00:07:21 Now, since Jehovah moved the writer of Genesis 00:07:24 to describe these two men in exactly the same manner, 00:07:28 it indicates that Noah had much in common 00:07:31 with his great-grandfather. 00:07:33 Now, it’s true that Noah never met Enoch 00:07:37 because Enoch died before Noah was born. 00:07:40 But Noah’s father’s life 00:07:44 overlapped for more than 100 years with that of Enoch. 00:07:49 So we can imagine that Lamech 00:07:51 must have told stories to Noah about his grandfather: 00:07:55 how Enoch prophesied courageously 00:07:58 while surrounded by ungodly people, 00:08:00 how these people hated Enoch to the point that they wanted to kill him. 00:08:03 But despite being in danger, 00:08:05 as we read at Genesis 5:22: 00:08:08 “Enoch continued to walk with the true God.” 00:08:12 And Jehovah protected Enoch. 00:08:15 Well, as Noah listened to these stories 00:08:18 and reflected on Enoch’s faith and courage, 00:08:21 his desire to follow in Enoch’s footsteps 00:08:23 no doubt grew stronger and stronger. 00:08:26 In fact, Noah’s faith became so strong 00:08:30 that he continued to walk with God for 600 years 00:08:35 until the time of the Flood 00:08:37 —in spite of the ungodly and violent people around him. 00:08:41 Now, just as Noah must have been strengthened 00:08:44 by the faith of his forefathers, 00:08:47 some of us may be the third or the fourth generation 00:08:50 in our family who serve Jehovah. 00:08:53 If that’s the case with you, 00:08:55 your parents or grandparents likely told you stories 00:08:58 about your relatives who served Jehovah 00:09:00 —perhaps way back in the time of Brother Rutherford or even earlier. 00:09:04 And as you listened to these stories about your faithful relatives, 00:09:08 your desire to walk in their footsteps grew stronger and stronger. 00:09:14 What, though, if we are not part of a family 00:09:17 with a long line of Witnesses? 00:09:19 Well, we too are encouraged by the examples 00:09:23 of our brothers and sisters of previous generations 00:09:26 when we read their life stories as found in The Watchtower. 00:09:30 As we learn about their courage and endurance, 00:09:32 their stories strengthen our faith. 00:09:35 Indeed, the examples of God’s servants in the past 00:09:40 as recorded in the Bible, 00:09:42 in our family history, 00:09:45 or in the life stories found in The Watchtower 00:09:48 help us to trust fully in the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promises. 00:09:53 In turn, that trust strengthens us to do what? 00:09:58 To imitate Noah and walk with God 00:10:02 —not just now but forever.
