Noah's Wife: Obedient Wife of Noah

Noah’s wife was an unnamed woman who obediently followed Noah and the animals into the ark, trusting that God would protect and provide for them.

The Bible teaches wives to submit to our husbands, but what if he does something that makes no sense? Imagine what Noah’s wife thought when her husband came home and told her he’d heard from God and God wanted him to build a giant ark in their backyard. Though it sounded outlandish, she trusted him.

Noah’s Wife’s Story

Can you imagine if your husband came home one afternoon and announced that he’d been talking to God and God told him there was going to be a great flood, so he needed to start building a giant boat to get ready for the flood? Oh, and by the way, at least two of every species of animal will be joining us in the boat.

I’m pretty sure the words “Are you insane?” would have instinctively poured forth from my mouth. This came out of nowhere. Mrs. Noah had no advance warning that this was coming. She wasn’t prepared for such a dramatic announcement, and yet, the Bible says nothing about her reaction. We can assume, then, that she kept her thoughts to herself and supported her husband even if she secretly wondered about his sanity.

Mrs. Noah remained faithful to her husband day in and day out as he gathered supplies and constructed the ark. When the neighbor ladies whispered behind her back and mocked her to her face, she stood firm. Inside, her heart may have pounded with fear, but she wasn’t letting on to the rest of the world. Was this all a waste of time? Did God really intend to destroy His creation? Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Regardless, her husband had faith, so she did too.

Can you imagine when the time came, when the ark was complete, and the animals started lining up in front of the door? I’d be a little freaked out. And imagine what the neighbors were thinking. But seeing those animals parading to the ark would give me a little more confidence that this was real, that God was getting ready for something major.

Then, would come new fears. Were they seriously going to have to hunker down with all those beasts? What if fights broke out between the animals? What if they tried to attack the family? And how could they possibly feed, care for, and clean up after all those critters? Because you know whose job that was. How could Mrs. Noah handle all that? Not to mention having to feed and care for the family as well. Again, Mrs. Noah kept her fears to herself. She followed along behind Noah and her sons and their wives, and entered into the ark with the wildlife.

When God gave Noah directions on building the ark and bringing together the animals, he included one last instruction. He told him to take all food that could be eaten and gather it for everyone to eat while on the ark.

I imagine that this last task fell on Mrs. Noah and her daughters-in-law. While the men were building the boat, the women went to work, gardening, gathering, and preserving. How long would they be in the ark and how much food would they need? They had no idea. What did all the animals eat? How could they possibly know what to feed all the different animals? They didn’t. They just had to collect, prepare, and stockpile as much as they could.

Once the ark was complete, and they had all the food they could store, they began loading up. For seven days Noah and his family herded animals onto the ark, stocked the ark pantry, and get everyone settled in. Once they were all inside, God shut the door and sent the rain.

It rained for forty days and nights, then it took months for the flood waters to subside. The family and animals ended up being in the ark almost exactly a year.

I don’t know how much food the family packed, but however much it was, it couldn’t have been enough to feed eight adults and two of every species of animals for a year. And yet, no one starved. God took whatever they had and made it last.

I have a plaque in my kitchen that says, “If Mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy.” Noah’s wife set the tone for the atmosphere in the ark. I tend to overeact when I’m afraid. I panic and take it out on everyone around me. Mrs. Noah did not allow her fears to consume her. She kept her head and kept a calm during their time of encampment. Despite losing everything they’d owned, all their friends, and the only life they’d ever known, she remained strong inside the ark, focusing on the needs of those around her instead of getting caught up in her own selfish fears.

And when the rains ended and the floods subsided, she fearlessly exited the ark and embarked on a new life with her husband and family, trusting God to continue to take care of them through life’s storms.

What Can We Learn From Mrs. Noah?

How are you handling these uncertain times we’re experiencing? Are you living in fear, focusing on the whys and the what ifs, or are you walking in faith, trusting that God will see you through this present storm just as He’s done so many times in the past? Are you complaining about your situation or are you making the most of it? Are you wasting your time or making the most of your time? Are you blaming God or praising God?

The first thing Noah’s family did upon exiting the ark was to build an altar and worship God. What about you? Once you resume your life of work and school and coming and going, will you remember who saw you through the storm? Will you praise God or will you forget Him? The choice is yours. Choose wisely.

Prayer

Lord God, we come to you with many questions. We don’t understand all that is going on, and we certainly don’t know what the future holds. But we know that you are in control. As we hunker down in our homes, watch over us. Just as you provided the olive branch as encouragement to Noah’s family, send us hope and reminders that we won’t be stuck inside forever. Thank you for always providing for us, even when Your ways may be different than our ways. Guide and direct us as we set the tone for our family atmosphere. May we be peaceful and joyful in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.