Scripture Introduction
Many web sites explain, “All I Really Need to Know, I Learned from Noah’s Ark.” They contain wisdom like:
Plan ahead – it was not raining when Noah started.
1. Stay fit – when you are 600 years old someone might ask you to do something really big.
2. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
3. The woodpeckers inside are a larger threat than the storm outside.
4. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.
5.Don’t miss the boat.
This morning we continue in Genesis, where many critical issues we face begin. I’m reading the first eight verses of chapter six: the beginning of judgment.
[Read Genesis 6.1-8. Pray.]
Introduction
For her birthday, Rebekah asked that we repaint her room. Last week, she and I went to Sherwin-Williams to look at wallpaper borders and color schemes, and we soon found that no wallpaper collection is complete without a Noah’s ark theme: that cute little boat, barely wide enough for a few rabbits and chickens, and with the neck of the giraffe sticking out.
The silliness of the image started us talking about what would happen if the wallpaper had a real picture of Noah’s ark. You would see Noah and his family, tears mixed with the rain flooding down their cheeks as terrifying horrors unfold. Their homes and lands are destroyed, while animals and people drown by the billions. And those close enough to the ark beat on the door and plead for rescue. It is gruesome – no wonder we cleaned it up before pasting it to baby’s nursery! But wallpaper borders are not the only place judgment gets sanitized.
Gerald Mann does not believe in an eternal hell. He pastored a church in Texas which started in 1980 with 60 people, but grew to over ten thousand before he retired from preaching. Mann says, “We try to bring people to church who don’t like church. I know three things people want when they come to church: they want help, they want hope, they want home. How could a loving God make hell permanent? I know that doesn’t set well with some people – they want to smell some singed hair and some burning flesh.”
In the midst of his error, Gerald Mann fingers a good point. As fallen people, we find balance difficult. Some, of course, like Mann, reject eternal consequences for rebellion. Others, however, seem to relish it; not with godly grief over sin, but with gloating. Presumption and pride can combine to make us too glad at the destruction of the wicked.
We do well to remember Romans 11.22: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” Paul prohibits either extreme. God’s kindness does not exclude judgment so as to make him harmless; but neither does his severity exclude mercy so as to make him harsh. Neither harmless nor harsh, but kind and severe, as seen perfectly in the cross, where love and justice flow mingled down.
These twin truths of kindness and severity first shine in the dark days of Noah. Mann is correct; people do want help, hope, and a home. We also want to escape the hell which is the just judgment due sin. The Bible calls the destruction of the world by water a sign, a type, a warning of a more terrible judgment to come, and Peter explains how these events reveal both kindness and severity.
2Peter 2.4-10a: “For if God… did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;… then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.”
We dare not deny God’s wrath, even if doing so might grow the church. Instead, with sorrow over sin, we examine our own souls, while the promise of entering still stands, lest any fail to reach it, because we refused to accept the good news with faith. Please notice six truths about the kindness of severity of God revealed in his judgment during Noah’s days.
1. We Must Believe That Pride and Worldliness Will Be Judged (Genesis 6.1-4)
Bible scholars argue over the meaning of these verses. The least plausible answer seems to be that the “sons of God” were powerful, pagan kings who forced women into their harems. Although possibly supported by extra-Biblical texts, it seems an unlikely meaning for Moses.
Another idea is that the “sons of God” were fallen angels who possessed men’s bodies so that they could have relations with the “daughters of men.” This produced what A. W. Pink, called these beings “a race of monstrosities” people with super-human qualities, maybe even the “gods” of Greek and Roman mythology. Many in the early church held this opinion, as well as James Boice, and my mentor, Michael Ross.
Probably the most widely held view is that the “sons of God” refers to descendants in the godly line of Seth, while the “daughters of men” refers to children born of the unbelieving line of Cain. Augustine, Luther, and Francis Schaeffer held this view. Matthew Henry: “The ‘sons of God,’ that is, the professors of religion, who were called by the name of the Lord and called upon that name, married the ‘daughters of men,’ that is those that were profane, and strangers to God and godliness.”
Iam not sure which is correct. I am sure that these relationships were driven by worldly desires. Verse 2 tells us that the men chose women whom they wanted, based on physical attraction. These were “Hollywood beauties with Botox bodies.” But the attractiveness which thrills godly men and women is “the hidden person of the heart, the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” And the goal is godly offspring, not a generation of mighty men, well known for their power. John Calvin correctly observes: “Their first fault was pride, because relying on their own strength, they arrogated to themselves more than was due. Pride produced contempt of God. At the same time, they were also disdainful and cruel towards men…. Moses adds, they were ‘men of renown,’ by which he intimates that they boasted of their wickedness.”
Whether the “sons of God” are fallen angels or elect adopted into the family of God, they chose what felt best to them. With no regard for God or eternity, they were captives to the desires of their hearts. John warns us of this approach to life: 1John 2.16-17: “All that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
When our kids were little, we sometimes let them choose a treat from the mall cookie shop. Before we looked, I coached them, reminding them that chocolate is their favorite. But when we gazed through the display glass, the triple chocolate cookies were plain brown, while the stale sugar cookies smeared with a mixture of Crisco and powdered sugar were colored brightly and topped with sprinkles. They chose the sugar cookies.
They have outgrow that silly example of the lust of the eyes. But fallen people never outgrow the temptation to decide based on worldly goals: fame, attractiveness, the desires of the flesh and pride in possessions. This is the very real and practical battlefield where our souls argue between love for God and love for the world. To make sure we win the war, Noah reminds us that the world is under judgment, and will be wiped away.
2. We Must Believe That Wickedness and Evil Will Be Judged (Genesis 6.5, 11-13)
I think many people would fault God’s harsh judgment of the world. Not that we would consider ourselves among the eight most moral people on the planet, but how could all others deserve damnation? So it is important here that Moses tells us that God is neither capricious nor unfair. It was not a bad day or an occasional indiscretion which fueled his righteous anger. God looks at the heart, and finds the thoughts twisted toward continuous and complete evil. Not that any act as badly as we can, but that our hearts are bent in that way. Then, shockingly, the Bible claims that our hearts are no different now than theirs!
In Romans 3.10-12, after asking the rhetorical question, are we any better than they? Paul says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
In my years as a pastor I have had some conversations with committed atheists, those who flat out-deny that God exists. In every situation, when I explain that the Bible says that their problem is that they hate God and are rebelling against him, they are deeply offended. Why would someone who denies God and believes the Bible to be a fairy tale care what it says? Because the conscience convicts; they know in their heart that they must one day give an account. When God judges the world with a flood, he reminds us that there are no good people in hell. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
3. We Must Believe That God’s Judgment Tarries Yet A Little While (Genesis 6.3)
God here promises that for 120 more years his Spirit will strive with men, sensitizing their consciences to the law, and bringing guilt and remorse to their souls. God decrees a reprieve, a time for repentance and reconciliation. But it is a stay, not a pardon. And 120 years later, lightening flashes across the sky, the first thunder peals its fearful warning, and drops began to fall. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it is today.
2Peter 3.3-7: “Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
While Noah built an ocean liner in the desert, some mocked. When you stand up for Jesus, you will occasionally be criticized. Mostly, however, you will be ignored, because God is patient. But do not forget that “the coming one will come.” It may by 120 years, or 120,000; or, one of us may die before lunch, and face judgment today. Are you ready? Let us not presume on his delay, but prepare today.
4. We Must Believe that Judgment Results from God’s Being Offended (Genesis 6.6-7; 7.17-24)
Unfortunately, we often miss the point because we ask the wrong questions. People wonder if we can hurt God, or if he needs to repent, or whether he really is in control of all things. But this is not intended as a systematic explanation of God’s nature. Instead, God simply tells us, in human terms, the greatness of sin and the reason it is so terrible.
God is no disinterested force to whom it matters not what we think and do. God is a person grieved by wickedness and evil. First, he hates how it dishonors his holiness, for all sin is an attack upon his character. Additionally, God cares for his people, and our sin hurts us. God grieves as any loving mother does when her children rebel against all that is good.
Robert McQuilken was the first president of Columbia Bible College. Many have heard his speech when he retired early to devote himself full-time to caring for his wife who had Alzheimer’s. (Available on the web.) McQuilken also is remembered for often beginning his prayers with the sincere and sorrowful cry: “O God, look what has become of us.” He felt, with God, offended and grieved by the mess we had made of our world and our lives.
5. We Must Accept that God’s Judgment is Always Mingled with Grace (Genesis 6.8-10)
Sometimes people wonder if Noah was perfect. “Wasn’t he saved because he was blameless?” The truth is that Noah was a sinner in need of mercy and grace just as surely as we are. He and his family were on the ark because God placed his sovereign and undeserved favor on them.
Note well the order in the text. First Noah received grace, then he was righteous. He was not chosen because he was good; he was good because he was chosen. Only after he found favor do we hear of his changed behavior. Redemption precedes reformation; salvation comes before sanctification. Noah was a God-made man.
In addition to the timing, notice also twin effects of grace. First, grace preserves Noah from corruption. The favor in verse eight produces real effects in verse nine. Grace is not caused by goodness, but grace causes goodness. Noah really was godly, a preacher of righteousness, different from the world around him. Such change did not produce God’s love, but resulted from God’s love. Grace preserves from corruption. Then, second, grace preserves from destruction. The same grace that sanctified Noah during his days on the earth, also saved Noah from the flood. The blameless life he lived proved the favor that would soon save him from judgment.
When I was first converted, I thought everyone would love to hear of grace. Years in the church, however, convince me that grace offends, because grace means inability, and sinners do not like to be told that they can do nothing to save themselves. There is grace bondless in the gospel, but few seek it. So as we conclude today, let us consider, last, how we can receive grace and be rescued from the coming judgment.
6. We Must Accept God’s Grace Through Faith (Genesis 6.14-22)
Hebrews 11.7: “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
Noah did three things by faith. First, he made sure of his own standing. He was adopted into God’s family and declared righteous in God’s sight, not by works, but by faith. Second, he prepared his family. A reluctant wife or rebellious children could easily have left him. You know his family was pressured to abandon the crazy man building a boat on dry land. But he prayed with and preached first to his own family, grounding them in the faith and mercy of God, taking care to give reasons to believe. Then third, he preached to the world in word and deed. He built an ark, obeying God with his life, and he told people what it meant – there was a judgment to come. The same responsibility faces each of you.
There is a coming judgment and reverent fear demands that you construct an ark. Not to deliver you from another flood, but from the fires of hell. That ark is the Son of God, Jesus, the Messiah.
Do you believe? Have you found God’s favor, his grace, appropriated and held by faith? Is his favor evident in your life by the way you walk and live? Has the redemption you profess caused a reformation in your life? Is your profession more than presumption? Do we truly know God’s favor?
Second, is your family a testimony to God’s grace? Not are you cramming religion down their throats, but is your faith winsome and winning? Are you giving forgiveness as you have received the same? Does your family know the love of God from the love in your heart? In the new covenant your family extends to the church – do people here see you as a shining testimony of mercy, kindness, and grace? Never underestimate the manifestation of grace in a covenant family. Are your loved ones ready for the judgment?
Then, third, herald the work of Christ to this world. Preach in word and deed the grace of Jesus and the love the Father has for sinners. Some will mock, but that is OK. In a day when no one had ever seen rain and no judgments had ever appeared, Noah surely was scorned for building the equivalent of a battleship in the middle of Wyoming.
It is easier for us. The world has seen a terrible judgment. Not as great as the one to come, but a testimony of the wrath of God against sin. Let us believe and with reverent fear, plead with others to come into the ark of God’s grace, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Amen.
