Mrs. Noah, an Unsung Hero

             After the unfortunate outcome of Eve’s encounter with the snake, the next woman that we find in Scripture is unnamed, yet I don’t think that diminishes her role in the next chapter of mankind’s story.  I will call her “Mrs. Noah”. 

            Mrs. Noah lived at a time when Satan’s foothold had grown stronger and stronger. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)  Genesis 6 tells us that man’s wickedness had grown so evil that God decided to destroy mankind.  However, there was one man, Noah, who “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6: 8 NIV84). 

            As Noah’s story unfolds, we find that God chose to save only Noah, his wife, and their three sons and their wives.  We know that Noah was a righteous man who walked with God (Genesis 6: 9).  I think it’s likely that Mrs. Noah was like-minded, and as Noah walked with God, she was probably right there beside him.

            As Noah began to build the ark according to God’s instructions, he was likely the laughingstock of the community.  After all, it had never rained before so anyone not in tune with God had to wonder why he was building such a big boat.  Where was Mrs. Noah during that ridicule and humiliation?  I think she was standing by her man, encouraging him, and helping to keep him focused on the task that God had given him.  Perhaps Mrs. Noah was his biggest fan!

            Once they settled down inside the ark, someone had to take charge of the clean-up detail for all those animals, not to mention maintaining the food supply for everyone on board.  That’s the ideal job for a take-charge type of woman, which probably described Mrs. Noah well.

            Mrs. Noah must have also been a diplomat.  This extended family was in the ark for over a year.  Can you imagine the cabin fever that they must have experienced?  Can you imagine 4 women in a kitchen for over a year?  Someone had to maintain order, and I think Mrs. Noah was up to the task.

            Finally, Mrs. Noah was given the awesome responsibility of being the second mother of mankind.  Knowing what had happened the first time, would you want to be the woman chosen to lead mankind’s second chance?  What a burden that responsibility must have been.  Surely, she must have spent countless hours on her knees seeking God’s guidance.

            We don’t know much about Mrs. Noah.  She is not even named in Scripture, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have value.  God used her, an ordinary woman, to support His chosen leader, to encourage, to assume ordinary tasks, to lead when necessary, and to look to God for her family’s future. 

            That’s the beauty of Mrs. Noah’s story.  God uses ordinary people to help carry out His plans.  We may never be famous but there are people in leadership positions in our homes and our churches, who need our support and encouragement.  There are ordinary tasks and some not-so-ordinary tasks within His Kingdom that we are more than capable of handling.  There may even be those times when we need to step up and take the lead.  More than anything else, we need to be women of prayer, seeking God’s guidance and striving to follow His lead even when the task or the future seems overwhelming.  Who knows, He might just ask someone to build another big boat.  If He does, what will your role be?

Genesis 6: 1 – 9: 17