GENESIS CHAPTER 6: NOAH'S COMMANDMENT

Introduction: This chapter is about such a wicked world that only one family in it God felt were worthy enough to save. 

1.    And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2. That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3. And the Lord said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years”. 4. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 

 

     This chapter is very interesting, because it depicts the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men”. In some studies the sons of God are thought to be angels but there is no evidence in the Bible to reference that. The sons of God refers to Seth’s descendants and later others who serve God. (John 1:12,Romans.6:14,Galatians 4:6,3:26,27, IJohn3:1-10,the story of Solomon) Seth’s descendants lived on a mountain or away from Cain’s descendants. But they could still hear the noise of the sinful behavior from Cain’s city. The sons of God succumbed to their lust after the seductiveness of the daughters of men (Cain’s descendants) and came down from their place of holy service and study and chose wives that corrupted them and their offspring. So this is a lesson in proper choice of a marriage partner and how it will affect the service of a Godly person and the life of the offspring. In this case sin prevailed and corruption spread over all the earth. Fewer and fewer remained true to the service of God, down through which Noah through his dedicated service and that that he taught his family, was thought worthy to be saved from the flood. 

5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7. And the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man, and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 

How heartbroken God must been to the point that He repented even creating man. What does the word repented mean in this context? It comes from the Latin root word “paenitere” which means to regret; to feel sorry for; to repent” Man with the influences of Satan  had chosen to become so wicked that it filled the known earth, all of it. Cain, Adams first son that killed Abel, descendants for 9 generations continued in all manner of sin without repentance as Cain turned his back on God and served Satan. (Webster’s Dictionary)  

 So why did Noah find grace in the sight of the Lord when the world all around him was so wicked? The lineage from Adam to Noah  was as follows: Adam, Seth, Enos, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah=the new worlds population.    These patriarchs  service to God is why God chose Noah to build the ark to save his family and humanity. Noah and his family were faithful in worship and service to God, mentally, physical, morally, spiritually. (Noah was saved from flood by grace Gen. 6.8, and through faith in God, Hebrews 11.7) Like Noah our salvation from sin is also by grace (Eph. 2:8, 9 ;) and by faith (John 3; 16)

    9. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God. 10. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Ja’-pheth. 11. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupted; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13. And God said unto Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”

By the time of Noah throughout all the 9 generations since Adam, 

 sin and wickedness grew and filled the earth with violence. God allowed 120 years after he talked with Noah about building the Ark, for man to repent of their sins before the flood destroyed all that had the breath of life within them. Here we see God mercy and love for man, who broke His heart by serving Satan; and through the salvation of God’s grace and love we are also saved. (Hebrews 11;7, I Peter 5:20,21, Matthew 7:21-27, John 14:15, 21-24, Acts 10:34,35 , Romans 2:6-10, 6:17,18,ect.)  

14. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make of it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die. 18. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives with thee. 19. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. 20. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 21. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

 We have here the instructions God gave Noah to build the Ark. A cubit is about 18 inches. If we do the math (18x300 = 450 ft. approximately). Next we see that the width of it was to be 50 cubits. (18x50 =75 ft. approximately). Then the height of it was to be 30 cubits (18x30 = 45 ft. approximately). The flood was not just rain from heaven but from under the earth where God had gathers the waters of the deep. God also wanted to save the animals and fowl and in creeping things to help in caring for and replenishing the earth again. (2Peter 3:6) when it was time God the creator told his creations to go to the Ark.

The storage capacity on the Ark was 1,400,000 cubic feet, about the size of 522 railroad cars. Since it was most likely that the animals were young ones they would not take up as much space as adult ones would. Also, they would eat less. Another thought is that God could have had the animals to go into hibernation or estivate during some or most of the time, especially during the roughest part of the trip in the rough waters that might have frightened them.(this picture depicts mature animals which may not have been the case) 

The Road to Salvation (KJV)

Romans 3: 23, 24 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 5:8 “But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:15 “For God so loved the world That He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:9”In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

John 6: 47, 48 “Verily, verily, I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.  I am that bread of life.”

Romans 10:9 – 14 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed: and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard: and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

If you are not saved, I pray you will accept Christ as your Savior to day. We are not promised another minute on this earth. We are but on a journey, passing though this world to the next, and you have a choice of where you will spend eternity. I pray you choose to spend it in Heaven with the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit and all those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and paid our sin debt for us. 

Seek out a Bible preaching church in your area, one where God word is preached and  is the center of their service, study and devotion.

References: 

godpelway.com

religionofjesuschrist.com

webster'sdictionary