a question presented to me in an english class
By marrie1
@marrie1 (255)
United States
September 18, 2009 1:49am CST
I was sitting in my english class and our topic was the first 11 chapter of genesis. The question was this. Was Noah a hero? I ansered in the negatave as he was following orders. Others answered yes as he helped to populate the earth again. now keep in mind we are answering this from a litarary point of view not religious. the definition of hero was interesting as each of us had a different one. i want to know your thought. what is a hero, and was noah considered one by your definition of one?
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2 responses
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
18 Sep 09
When we consider that it took Noah 120 years to build the ark, and we know that no one responded to his preaching in that time, and most likely ridiculed him, called him names and made fun of him, I suppose we could call him a hero for believing his God and obeying Him in most trying circumstances.
It is difficult to even conceive of performing such a seemingly ridiculous task - and to stick at it for 120 years makes it even more astounding. Can you imagine the ridicule he received?
Was he a hero? In my opinion, yes - and since he is included in the list of heroes in Hebrews 11 we cannot argue against it.
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
18 Sep 09
In Genesis 6:3 it is recorded that God said there would be a one hundred and twenty years respite, followed by a judgement. This time would be an opportunity for repentance, during which time Noah "a preacher of righteousness" laboured in the awakening of people to the enormity of their sin, urged them to repentance, and constructed the ark according to God's instructions.
Also, from the genealogical record, we see that Noah was 480 when he began construction and 600 when it was completed - a period of 120 years.
Considering the enormous size and complex construction of the ark, without any modern tools (all timber cut by hand) and with only the help of his three sons, it is not surprising the ark took so long to build.
@tankermone (22)
• United States
19 Sep 09
A hero, in the literary sense, is anyone who stands and accomplishes a task which others would have forsaken, or refused. By this definition, Noah is a hero!
Orders or not, he could have refused, but instead, he followed those orders, enduring years of hardship and ridicule from his neighbors. At the end of the building, he was stuck in a ship for months, and then came out of it to a world totally devoid of human life, but he endured, rebuilding the world from scratch, making him a hero on the grandest scale!
