Genesis 6:  Noah and the Flood

When we come to the story of Noah, we once again find a character from the early chapters of Genesis who made it to the Hebrews Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.

 In verse 5 we read that God saw how great the wickedness was on earth. We are told in 2 Chronicles 16:9 –“ the eye of God run to and for upon the earth to show Himself  strong on behalf of those whose  heart is right toward Him.” There had been a population explosion but the two classes of people that the Lord described would be on the earth – the seed of the devil and the seed of the woman were disproportionate.  Those who were the seed of the devil (unbelievers) were many and the seed of the woman ( believers)- were few. The believers were in number- 8 souls. Noah and his family.

 Let’s look at what is said about Noah:

“But Noah found favor (grace KJV) in the eyes of the Lord.” Grace is defined as unmerited favor from God.  It is by God’s grace we are saved thru faith. Who does God give grace to?  The humble- the one who sees himself as a sinner in need of the grace and forgiveness of God. The one who sees himself or herself completely dependent on God.

 Now watch the three things produced in the life of Noah as a result of being the recipient of the Grace of God.

“This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous (KJV just) man, blameless (KJV perfect) among the people  of his time, and he walked with God.” Genesis 6:9. Noah was declared righteous or just; Noah is described as perfect(blameless or whole); and Noah walked with God- meaning Noah communed with God.

 Hebrews 11: 7- “ By faith Noah, when warned about things not seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the  world and became heir of the righteousness that  comes by faith.”

 God made Noah righteous because Noah believed God. Note the definition of faith we are given in Hebrews 11:1- “ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Noah was warned of ‘ things not seen’ (the flood) but in response he built an ark as God commanded him to do. His faith moved him to build a boat where there was no water.

So was Noah righteous because of any works he did?  No. He became  the heir of righteousness by faith. That is always the case. For by grace are you saved thru faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.

Genesis 6:11-12: Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.   Note this is in God’s eyes- this is what He saw when He looked at what civilization had become- corrupt and filled with violence.  This is always the direction a civilization will take when you remove conscience and a fear of the Lord.  In addition , man is by nature and creation a fully dependent being. Man must depend upon God for his life, his breath, his activity, his intelligence, his power of choice and everything. That is why Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing. But man deceives himself into thinking he has the ability to control his life and as a result soon gets into a state beyond control- completely out of control. “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of man.”

When God looked down upon earth in the days of Noah- He saw open, flagrant sin and violence. Sin was not only flaunted but applauded. What we are seeing in the book of Genesis is how God deals with a society that has reached this stage of wickedness. We will see it here in the flood and we will see it in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah where homosexuals  demanded their rights. Know this about God and His unchanging principles:  Given the same set of circumstances, God acts in the same way He did before.

As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of God. As it was in the days of Lot, thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. The mayors and leaders of some of our great cities in this country have proclaimed a “ Gay Pride” week to honor homosexuals and lesbians.  Here is what Paul says of those: ‘ Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only  continue to do these very  things but also approve of those who practice them’ (Romans 2:32)

We see in Scripture- God sets a limit to human wickedness beyond which judgment is inevitable. When we warn society of this impending judgment- they are described by Peter as ‘scoffers’ – they ridicule us for our old fashioned morality. I do not know where the world is according to the limit God has set- but I  believe it is fast approaching  its limit as God looks down upon the earth and is grieved.

But then as always comes the good news, the gospel- the way of escape. It is found in the description of the ark. As we will see it all points to the Carpenter of Nazareth who provided a judgment-proof righteousness and perfect salvation for mankind. Atonement was assured. All who enter in by the one who is called The Way, who said of Himself- I am the Door, will be sheltered from the storm of God’s wrath.

God always makes a way of escape for His people- that is why Jesus said : I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me.

This is not a mythical account. The instruction given are precise, matter of fact and explicit. In fact the story of the Flood is supported by flood  legends of primitive people all over the earth.

After I was saved on September 16, 1977- the Lord led me to His word. I can still remember reading the Bible sitting in a certain chair in my blue bathrobe in our little house on Beaver Cove. I was battling alcoholism and the desire and temptation to drink scared me to death. I was in my first 30 days of sobriety and was attending AA meetings often. Then reading in I Corinthians 10- I came upon a promise that had my name written on it.

This story of Noah and how God made a way for him to escape reminds me of this precious promise.

“ No temptation has taken you or seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out ( also make a way to escape KJV) so you can stand up under it.” (God can make a way where there is no way.)

AA was showing me others had suffered the same temptations that were common to me and they had learned how to resist them. It told me a God who was faithful would not allow me to be tempted above that which I was able to bear- and would provide me with a way to escape if I trusted Him and depended on Him.

Within days of showing me that verse- that promise of empowering to overcome- I was tested.  I prayed this promise back to God- I called upon Him to make a way for me to escape in a moment of strong temptation. I had not been trained in prayer- but I learned a great lesson in prayer thru that situation and temptation. It was the turning point in my life. I discovered the weapons that we have that are mighty not carnal.(principle of leverage)  I discovered the power of powerlessness.  The great principle that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. 

Here is the story within the story of the ark. The ark is a symbol and a type pointing to something else. It is a shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. See how the details of the ark points  in that  direction.

First- God said to Noah I am going to put an end to man on earth. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.  Then in verse 14-16; God the architect gives Noah, the carpenter, the blueprint for the ark. It is detailed and specific- but also points to another carpenter who would build a judgment proof ark to protect believers from the wrath of God to come.

It was made of gopher wood- probably similar to cypress. Gopher wood  was the most incorruptible wood he could use. History tells us the gates of St.Peter’s at Rome was made of gopher wood . They lasted over 1000 years from the time of Constantine to the time of Eugene IV without any signs of decay or rotting. The ark contained rooms in it…the Hebrew word used for rooms is the common word used for ‘nests’- implying the ark was built  not only for protection but for rest and comfort.  It was to be coated with pitch inside and out. Pitch was a tar-like substance used to coat the wall inside and out to seal them and make them water proof. The word ‘ pitch’comes from the same root word used for atonement.

Noah is given the specific dimensions : 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. A roof was constructed with an 18 inch window in the roof. No windows on the sides – only the one  window in the roof- so Noah could look in only one direction- UP.

One door on the side.

Three decks.

These dimensions tell us of a vessel that had 3 million cubic feet. Making it comparable to modern ocean-going vessels. In 1609,the Dutch Mennonite, Peter Jansen, built a ship in Holland to the same proportions, only 1/3^rd the size. It moved slowly- but it carried 1/3^rd more cargo than an ordinary ship of that day with the same cubic space.

Noah was quite a carpenter. It is interesting how God provides our needs and often uses those who hate Him as well as those who love Him to accomplish His sovereign will.  Tubal-Cain, the son of Lamech, who followed the way of Cain and was indifferent to God is the one who developed the tools Noah needed to construct the ark.  Just as the Jews who hated Jesus and the Roman empire were used by God to put His Son on a Roman cross.

Or did you ever think of the gift of the Magi- the gold – etc.- probably financed Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus’ escape to Egypt.  My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  

It all begins with God’s grace.

“Noah found grace in God’s eyes.”  Remember grace is the unmerited favor of God- Noah did nothing to deserve it. Noah found grace- he found grace because he saw himself a sinner in need of the grace of God.

Others living in that time we are told the Spirit strived with them- contending with them to convict them of their sin- but in their pride they resisted the Spirit of God, grieving and quenching the Spirit who contended with them for 120 years.

God looks down on us with an eye of favor for those who sincerely look up with an eye of faith.  That is why in the ark the only window was in the roof  looking up to heaven- expressing our complete dependence on God and His Marvelous Grace.

The verses in Ephesians 2 described the process of salvation – the prepositions there describe the proposition of salvation.  Watch the process: it is BY grace THROUGH

Faith- UNTO good works.  The good works come after salvation. We are saved by grace not works. Be we are saved unto good works.

There is only one door. In the ark- all entered by the same door- be they elephants or mice. Jesus said I am the door, by me if any man enter in he shall be saved. ( John 10:9)  He is the only way to the Father.

He is our atonement-His blood seals us and judgment proofs us from the wrath of God. He is the mediator of a new covenant.

He is our refuge- our strong tower- our shelter in the storm. The blueprint for this plan of salvation- the ark for lost mankind was created before the foundation of the earth. It was God’s love that drew up the plan- it was his grace that brought it down to man.

God tells Noah ´I will establish my covenant with you- and you will enter the ark- you and your sons and your wife and  your sons’ wives. Your are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female. You are take every kind food for you and for them.   And Noah did everything just as God commanded him to do.”

A covenant is an agreement between two parties- made by one party to another. One can accept the agreement or refuse the agreement- but you cannot alter the agreement. This covenant with God must be done exactly as God commands it to be done.

It was not merely the ark that saved Noah and his family. The ark was the means by which his salvation was accomplished. It was the promise of God, the word of God that saved Noah.  How are we born again?  Peter tells us how we are: ‘for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible , by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever.” ( I Peter 1:23)  All of these OT saints whose names are recorded in Hebrews 11 we are told again and again they were counted righteous – not for their works but for their faith…their faith in God’s word- in His promises. God grants His Grace only thru the window of faith.

We not only are saved by grace thru faith—that is how we are also to live our lives- by grace thru faith.

Do you realize how dangerously close our pride brings us each day  we depend upon our selves to control our life. We depend upon our intelligence, our strength, our talents until the Lord sends a storm- that causes us to cry out like the disciples who said Lord – don’t you even care we are perishing?  The Lord rose and stilled the storms and the waters then asked them as He asks us---where is your faith?

Paul wrote in Romans 1:  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed; a righteousness that is by faith, for from the first to the last, just as it is written : the righteous will live  by faith.

The Gospel is a simple specific message given by God. The Gospel is the instrument to save lives. It brings salvation to all who believe.

Paul writes again in I Cor 15.  “ Now brothers I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved..

The Gospel, the Good News- is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.

So it all comes down to do you believe the Word of God?  It is about a simple message and do you really believe…it’s still the Cross and the blood of Calvary.

It is about this amazing grace that Noah found… 

Oh were it not for grace… I can tell you where I’d be- wandering down some pointless road to nowhere with my salvation up to me; I know how that would go- the battles I would  face; forever running but losing this race.

Were it not for grace.

So here is all my praise expressed with all my heart offered to the Friend who took my place and ran a course I could not start. And when He saw in full just how much it would cost – He still went the final mile between me and heaven so I would not be lost.

One of the greatest statements ever made about the Lord Jesus was made by those who despised Him..  In Luke 15- as the Pharisees and teachers of the law observed Jesus with the tax collectors and sinners they muttered:  “ This man welcomes sinners.” 

Aren’t we glad He does?  Oh were it not for grace!