In Genesis it is inherent that power always originates from God, but it is also possible for people to gain power from God indirectly. Noah, an ordinary man, is tasked by God to build a giant ship capable of holding beings of all species without sinking during a severe flood. Obviously, this would be a very difficult task for a normal family, so Noah must gain the necessary power to complete the task, but God never explicitly gives it to him. Noah's devotion is what gives him the power to complete the project. He is devoted to the service of God and wants to please him; this extreme devotion is what gives him the stamina needed to complete such an arduous task. However, the book fails to explain why Noah was chosen to take on this task. The Bible never explicitly states what Noah did to be chosen to build the ark; nothing distinguishes him from other commoners living at the time the story is set. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Noah's father believed he had potential since his birth, saying that Noah will "bring us relief from our labor and the toil of our hands" (5:29). Likely foreshadows that Noah will complete a great project ; one larger than life that had never been completed before. His father probably did not know at the time that he would do this for God himself. When building the ark, God gives Noah very specific requirements that Noah must follow meticulously to make the creation perfect. He is told to "make it with a lower story, a second and a third" and to make "the ark three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high" (6 :15-16.) Since a cubit equals about a foot and a half (“Converting units”), Noah is taking on a task greater than any attempted by the few humans who lived before him in giving directions to Noah may be part of what drives him to complete the project. Since Noah is just a mortal, he probably wouldn't know much about building a giant boat, but God gives him direction and helps him determine what he needs to do to finish the ark. However, God never appears to give Noah instructions on how to herd the animals; all the animals simply “entered the ark with Noah” (6:9). This part of the text leaves the reader without a real answer as to how Noah managed to gather couples of all kinds on earth and load them onto the ark with ease in just the first seven days of the flood, with the only logical explanation being his devotion giving him the strength to do it. Perhaps there is something about Noah that is even more amazing than his ability to build an ark almost entirely by himself: at the time of the flood, "he was six hundred years old" (7.6). ). Even at this age, an age that humans cannot reach, he was still able to finish the last part of what God had entrusted to him. The only reason Noah could have lived so long is because God gave him the power to do so. Noah had already demonstrated his devotion to God at this point by building the ark to God's specifications and patiently waiting for the flood to come. Noah, however, still had to perform the rest of his duty. He had to rebuild civilization and work with his family to fully repopulate the earth and establish his lineage. After the flood ended, Noah further demonstrated his devotion to God by building “an altar to the Lord,” and never changing the fact that he had an unwavering devotion to God (8:20). Once the animals have come down from the ark and Noah and his family begin to settle in the land, God saysthem to “be fruitful and multiply” (9:1). By telling Noah and his family to procreate, God leaves the rest of humanity in the hands of Noah's bloodline. This is a supreme demonstration of trust from God; he believes that Noah's descendants will be better than the humans he had to eradicate, and he probably assumes that they will be as godly as Noah. Because God is so optimistic about Noah's descendants, he tells him that he will ensure that "never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood," implying that Noah's descendants are safe from disaster (9:11). However, God is only promising not to bring a devastating flood to the earth, leaving all other means of destruction as fair game if he truly gets fed up with humanity again. In a final thanks to Noah for his devotion, God allows him to help rebuild humanity for another three hundred and fifty years, before dying at the age of nine hundred and fifty. God kept Noah alive for so long because He knew he deserved to stay alive because of his devotion. Noah's devotion led him to do what God wanted done, and as a result, God gave him power over other humans, both to allow him to finish the ark and to help him rebuild society with his children, which may even take longer than building the ark itself. One question still remains unanswered: What did Noah do in the first place to be chosen as the best person among a plethora of other human beings? The Bible says very clearly that he “found favor in the sight of the Lord,” but never mentions what he did to earn God's respect (6:8). Before that, God states that “the wickedness of mankind was great in the earth,” but likewise, he does not mention exactly what humans have done that was so wicked (6:5). Although stories like Cain and Abel and Eve eating the forbidden fruit have been told before, one would think that God would have decided to eradicate humanity long ago if he believed that humans were truly corrupt and irredeemable. There is no clear reason why God would allow hundreds of descendants to be born since Cain killed Abel; you would think he would bring a worthy human being to earth and simply ask him to kill those who continually sin. Since Noah is never mentioned as special or superior to the others for any specific reason, God's preference is probably not solely towards Noah. He is one of many people who are righteous and do not commit heinous sins, but God had to choose one. There are simply too many people listed in Genesis who are never mentioned as being responsible for something sinful for all of humanity to make a torrid mess. When you look at every aspect of how Noah is presented in the Bible, it is actually very easy to determine that he is not special. He is chosen simply because God needs to choose someone to do the job. Noah is extremely godly and this gives him power, but much of the power God gives him is not out of the ordinary for the time. Although Noah's power allowed him to live nine hundred and fifty years, he was already five hundred years old when he began to build the ark. Although God nearly doubled his lifespan after this, it is not a great honor considering his previous longevity and that of others. Enosh also died at the age of nine hundred and five years, and Seth at the age of nine hundred and twelve years. Despite all this, his devotion, at least according to the Bible, is the only reason why humanity continues to live today. If Noah's devotion had failed, he would have refused God's request, or not carried it out properly, and God would have eradicated humanity and no other beings would remain, 2010.