“By Faith Noah, being warned of God Concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear…” (Hebrews 11:7)
The expression “by faith” or its equivalent “through faith” or “in faith” is frequently used. A more particular focus on the subject of walking by faith will be seen through Noah ending by listing the meaning of “walking by faith.”
“By faith Noah,” these words introduced the man who built the ark (Gen. 5 through 10). Noah was in the tenth generation from Adam, descending from Seth through his father Lamech. His name means “rest.” The scriptures give a favorable account of his life being witness that he was just and upright, and that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God revealed to Noah his purpose of destroying mankind, except for a remnant, and gave detailed instructions for the building of the ark and the preservation of Noah and his family, along with specimens of lower order of life in the animal kingdom. The faith of Noah was truly great in his acceptance of God’s word “concerning things not seen as yet.” It was a new and utterly different thing that God would do in the flood, and no precedent for such a thing ever having been heard. Up to that time, no rain at all, much less a flood, had ever fallen upon the earth, all vegetable life being watered by a mist rising from the ground (Gen. 2:5,6).
“Moved with godly fear” indicates that part of Noah’s motivation was fear. It was called here “godly fear,” the validity of that type of response to God’s word is indicated. All human motivation classified, generally, under three of love, hope of reward, and fear. All three are summoned in the sacred scripture to urge and persuade men to obey the Lord.
Let us turn our attention to walking by faith. Since faith comes by hearing God’s word (Rom 10:17), it follows that walking by faith means walking as directed by God’s word. It means (1) that we should not walk by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), (2) that we should not be guided by our own fallible, human feeling and emotion (Rom. 8:4), (3) that we should not rely merely upon what seems right in our own eyes (Prov. 14:12), (4) that we should not be guided by human traditions (Mark 7:9), (5) that we ought not to be influenced in our religious convictions and practices by the opinions of human majorities (Matt. 7:14) (6) that we must not allow the views and customs of our ancestors to be determinative (1 Peter 1:18), and (7) that we have no business consulting merely our own desires and pleasures where sacred things are involved, “For Christ pleased not himself.” (Rom. 15:3)