The Book of GENESIS
James J. Barker


Lesson 7
NOAH AND THE FLOOD

Text: GENESIS 6:5-22


INTRODUCTION:


  1. The Atlantic Insurance Company was founded here in NYC in 1838. By the 1850's, it was the largest marine and general insurance firm in North America, and the only marine insurance firm in New York State.
  2. In 1852, the company began keeping a clipping service of newspaper accounts of shipwrecks and sinkings known as Vessel Disasters, a work which became famous as the best source of information on maritime disasters in the North Atlantic.
  3. They had a very large library, containing one of the most complete sets of records of maritime disasters. One time someone wrote them and asked if their library had a record of Noah's ark.
  4. In due time, the inquirer received a reply -- "Built in 2448 B.C., gopher wood, pitched within and without. Length: 300 cubits; width: 50 cubits; height: 30 cubits. Three decks. Cattle carrier. Owner: Noah and Sons. Last reported stranded on Mount Ararat."
  5. Of course, the inquirer could have gotten that information from Genesis 6:15-20 and 8:4.
  6. Our Lord said, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37).
  7. Second Peter 2:5 says Noah was a "preacher of righteousness," but the people were unrighteous (Genesis 6:5-8). They were "wicked" (6:5).
  8. Today, preachers are warning people that God is going to judge this wicked world, but worldly people ignore the Word of God (cf. II Peter 3:3-9).
  9. A pastor compared Noah to modern day hellfire and brimstone preachers. He said today there is a tendency to mock "the words of the preachers who preach hellfire and damnation...We tend to think that people who preach hell, fire and damnation are fanatical, perhaps uncultured or uneducated. I can imagine that while hellfire and damnation was not the specific theme of Noah — his theme was deluge and drowning that — in that 120 years that there were lots of people who got awfully tired of hearing him and consequently they referred to him as that deluge and drowning preacher" (S. Lewis Johnson).
  10. Yes, Noah was a "deluge and drowning preacher," and the people ignored his warnings, and they rejected his preaching. But eventually the ark was built and the door was shut (7:15-24).
  11. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Those who refused to get in the ark died because the wages of sin has always been death.

 

I. GOD ALWAYS JUDGES SIN (GEN. 6:5-7, 11-13).

  1. Whether it was the days of Noah, or the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the days of Pharaoh, or our day – God always judges sin.
  2. Psalm 9:16 says, "The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands."
  3. The wickedness of mankind is emphasized here in Genesis 6.
  • "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth" (6:11, 12).
  • "The earth was filled with violence..." (6:11, 13).
  • Fourteen times the word "earth" is used in this chapter, indicating that the flood covered the entire earth, because the entire earth had been corrupted and polluted by sin (6:1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 twice, 12 twice, 13 twice, 17 twice, 20).
  1. There comes a time when God says: "Enough" (cf. Gen. 6:3). Three times in Romans 1, it says, "God gave them up" (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).
  2. Second Chronicles 36:16 says, "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy."
  3. Proverbs 6:15 says, "Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy."
  4. Proverbs 29:1 says, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
  5. There is "no remedy" for stubborn unbelief and unrestrained wickedness -- only the judgment of God (Gen. 6:7; cf. II Thess. 1:8, 9).
  6. According to our Lord, the days preceding His return will be very much like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39).
  7. Since the days of Noah were likened by the Lord Jesus to the days of His second coming, it would be wise for us to study the days of Noah so we can understand what the days will be like leading up to the second coming of Christ.
  8. They were days that were characterized by corruption and violence.
  9. The other day in the Bronx, a baby girl was thrown to her death from a sixth-floor window of an apartment building.
  10. Neighbors say the baby's mother was screaming “Praise God!” and “Hallelujah!” before she tossed her daughter out the window.
  11. This was the third child killed that way in New York City in three months (cf. Genesis 6:11).
  12. That is terrible, but here is something even more terrible -- there are over 76,251 abortions performed in New York City a year.
  13. And 78% of the abortions in New York City were done on black and Hispanic babies.
  14. "Black Lives Matter"???

 

II. GOD IS GRACIOUS (GEN. 6:8).

  1. God is gracious. This is the first mention of "grace" in the Bible. The Bible teaches that God must judge sin, and the Bible also emphasizes that God is gracious and longsuffering.
  2. Romans 11:22 says, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
  3. We see the "severity of God" in sending the flood, but we also see "the goodness of God" in sparing Noah and his family. "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
  4. They were not "cut off" because they believe God.
  5. Do you believe God?
  6. As his ship was being tossed about by the fierce tempestuous winds, the apostle Paul stood on the deck and said, "Sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God" (Acts 27:25).
  7. Do you believe God?
  8. God can be trusted. God is gracious.
  9. The LORD is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6).
  10. God gave sinners 120 years to repent (Gen. 6:3).
  11. In the midst of all the wickedness and spiritual darkness, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen. 6:8). God always has a faithful remnant (Hebrews 11:7).
  12. Second Peter 2:5 says God "spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly."
  13. Genesis 6:22 says, "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (cf. 7:5, 9, 16).
  14. These Scriptures emphasize the obedience of faith of Noah. Hebrews 11:7 says, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."
  15. If your faith does not lead you to obedience, then it is not a saving faith but a false faith.
  16. Our Lord said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23).
  17. Genesis 5:22, 24 says, "Enoch walked with God," and Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah walked with God." To walk with God means to obey God (Gen. 6:22).
  18. Amos 3:3 says, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
  19. There is a great contrast here between the righteousness of Noah, and the wickedness of nearly everyone else (Gen. 6:9).
  20. Noah was a just man (justified, righteous -- cf. 7:1; he was "right with God") and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
  21. The Hebrew word translated "perfect" is usually translated "without blemish." Noah lived in a wicked and corrupt world blemished by sin, but he kept himself unblemished. He walked with God.
  22. Sometimes this same Hebrew word translated "perfect" is translated "upright" or "uprightly." David wrote, "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart" (Psalm 15:1, 2).

 

III. GOD HAS PROVIDED AN ATONEMENT (GEN. 6:14).

  1. God instructed Noah to build an ark of gopher wood (probably cypress or cedar, maybe oak) and to "pitch it within and without with pitch" (Gen. 6:14).
  2. The Hebrew word translated "pitch" (kippur) is elsewhere translated "atonement." {Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement}
  3. Notice there was only one door in the ark (Gen. 6:16). There is only one way to have your sins forgiven – it is not through confessing them to a priest; it is not through baptism; it is not through your good works – it is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  4. Notice – "the Lord said unto Noah, Come…into the ark" (7:1), not "Go into the ark." Likewise, Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).
  5. The whole world was about to be destroyed, but Noah and his family were safe in the ark. Beloved, that ark was a picture and type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  6. John Phillips said that in Genesis 6 "we see Noah toiling away, the great antediluvian carpenter, producing a judgment-proof vehicle of salvation for a lost world. It all points to the Carpenter of Nazareth who provided a judgment-proof righteousness and perfect salvation for men. Atonement was assured. All who shelter in Him will never face the storm. He comes between them and the outpoured wrath of God" (Exploring Genesis).
  7. This old world is on its last legs. God’s judgment is certain. But those who have trusted Christ are safe. Are you in Christ?
  8. The Lord said, "Come." It was a gracious invitation. It was a special invitation; the Lord said, "Come thou…"
  9. It was an urgent invitation – "For yet seven days…" (Gen. 7:4).
  10. God told Noah what to do and he obeyed (Gen. 6:22; 7:5). What about you? Are you obedient to the Lord’s commands?

 

CONCLUSION:


In Hebrews 11:7 gives us seven things shown concerning the faith of Noah:

  1. Warned of God -- The ground of faith
  2. Things not seen -- The realm of faith
  3. He feared -- The exercise of faith
  4. Prepared an ark -- The work of faith
  5. Saved His house -- The results of faith
  6. Condemned the world -- The testimony of faith

Heir of righteousness -- The reward of faith (A.C. Gaebelein)



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