Alpha and Omega, Part 12
We must believe God’s commands
Genesis 6:1-22
Introduction
- We’ve begun 2023 with “one purpose”: Knowing there is a God!
-- Continuing our series, “Alpha and Omega”; examining the beginning to the end
- Last week: God’s plan of redemption was not a knee-jerk reaction to our sin
-- FACT: He had ordained our rescue before the foundation of the world
-- Not only did God always plan to provide the way of redemption for man
-- He recorded it in man’s lineage to show us that His Grace was always planned
- Let’s read and unpack our scripture for today … Read Genesis 6:1-22 / Pray
Point 1 – Society will always follow its own cravings
- Six facts about how society behaves …
1st Fact: The godly ignored God, becoming part of the worldly (v1-2)
- What we see is the corruption of God’s creation, in its entirety
-- We have believers, those who followed God, marrying unbelievers
-- These unbelievers had one focus: to do whatever they wanted
- The primary driver, btw, is sex … focus on ‘beautiful women’ phrase
-- The men, who were sworn to live godly lives, did what their flesh wanted
- The result, even in 2023, is the same: faithful are pulled into sin by selfish wants
-- SEE: Sin always appears more attractive than godly obedience
2nd Fact: God became disturbed and warned man (v3)
- Remember, there was great preaching going on during this time
• No doubt Adam taught about faithfulness to God and how to live
• Enoch preached and warned the world about ungodly deeds
• Methuselah (whose name reminded them of judgment) lived during this time
• We know that Noah was a man (lived) of righteousness
- As a result, God gave two warnings:
1. He would withdraw His Spirit (this is the point of no return for humanity)
2. His grace would be limited, b/c He would remove His spirit from them
- FACT: God gave them a term of 120 years to repent …
-- Gen 6:3 (KJV): “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.”
-- May it never be said of us that we willingly live without God’s grace!
3rd Fact: Man became lawless and immoral (v4)
- Nephilim: origin is word naphal; ‘giants’ Hebrew: naphal; fall upon and attack
-- This is the name of the people who lived before and after the flood
-- It refers to the strong and powerful of the Earth, i.e., those who are in control
- APP: Became corrupt because they had power (allowing it to govern them)
-- The strong and powerful rule today … and easily can become corrupt as well
• Consider: advertisements seek to govern how you feel about yourself
• Consider: some politicians waive control because they have powerful office
• Consider: movie stars/athletes have huge a platform to affect others
• Consider: even pastors can have a negative influence by teaching untruth
4th Fact: God saw man’s wickedness (v5)
- Never allow yourself to think that we live in a time that God is not aware
-- As we see in v5, God is personally invested in His creation, or our lives
-- God was (and is) paying attention, and He records what how we spend life!
5th Fact: God is grieved over man’s wickedness, condemns the Earth (v6-7)
- Terrible story to unpack here: God regrets that He ever created …
-- First, He called us ‘very good’, the pinnacle of His masterpiece (creation)
-- Now, we are a regret that He ever wasted His time, or His efforts
-- The result is swift: 120 years judgment shall fall, and man is to be destroyed
- Consider: How wicked must humanity have been that God reached this state?
-- APP: When something is created, it must fulfill its purpose (we all have this)
-- If it won’t serve God, it is to be destroyed and removed (separated from Him)
-- BIG: Thank God that He is faithful to Himself … and to His word!
6th Fact: God remembers His grace and saved Noah (v8)
- Great promise here: God remembered that He said a redeemer would come!
-- RE: Gen 3:15, “He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
-- APP: Through the lineage of man, God would send to us a redeemer
-- God would provide one who would rescue, and thus, found one faithful man
- Noah was the first ‘saved by grace/favor’ reference in the bible
-- Because He trusted/was faithful to God, He would provide the lineage of rescue
Point 2 – Who was Noah?
- Noah’s character is very specific: he was a distinguished & noble man (v9)
-- Righteousness refers to honorable; blameless refers to how he lived his life
-- Consider: With God as his focus, he lived/chose to live an honorable life
- Hebrew for blameless: tamim (taw-meem, adjective); complete or sound
-- It does not mean he didn’t sin, but he knew how to live (to seek forgiveness)
- APP: We must contrast Noah with the character of mankind at this time!
-- No doubt he would’ve been persecuted by the society – but he still chose God
- The Earth was corrupt (v11), and the Earth was filled with violence (v11)
-- KEY RE: Man was gifted with the Earth; we were created to care for it
-- And now, we have made is a cesspool of our own desires – abused command
- Know this: Sin is universal, none of us are exempt or free of it:
-- Psalm 53:3, “But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Ref the NT version of this same fact …)
-- Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
- TR: FACT: Thankfully, Noah is a man that you and I can model our lives after
-- Not follow him like a Messiah, but apply to our life right now to follow God!
Point 3 – What were the 6 beliefs of Noah?
- Noah lived in difficult times, however, he had great faith in who God is!
-- What God called Noah to do is truly remarkable - many of us would run away!
-- KEY: His faith drove him to obey, from that we see 6 beliefs (encourage us)
Belief 1: God’s Word (destruction is coming) v13
- Noah was a man who believed God’s word … He had to hear it and apply it
-- When God told him that all life on earth would end, it would mean his own too!
-- This was bound to have been a terrifying image: all life would cease!
- Why? Because man had become so sinful that it all had to be destroyed
-- Noah was faced with a great dilemma: follow & obey God or be destroyed also
Belief 2: God’s Command (build an ark) v14-16
- IMP: Noah had to believe God’s command, and act upon it immediately
-- When God gives a word, we too must act … and here we see proper response
- Notice what’s key here: God is specific, He does not speak to us vaguely
• Use gopher wood, build it 450’ long, 75’ wide, and 45’ high
• Allow for ventilation, put a door on one side, allow for three decks in it
-- APP: Noah was asked to believe the unbelievable and act on God’s command!
Belief 3: God’s means of destruction (the flood) v17
- Noah had to recognize three things as God was speaking to Him:
1. A flood was coming (of epic proportions) – up to this point it hadn’t rained!
2. God himself was going to destroy the Earth; He created it, He can end it
3. God affirms (is adamant) that everything on the Earth will die
- APP: We must all face a coming judgment of God, but here it’s given to Noah
-- You and I will all answer for how we live and that cannot be escaped
-- Noah receives word that everything is going to die … and he has to act!
Belief 4: God’s promise of personal salvation (to spare Noah) v18
- Noah received a great promise: God would spare him and his family
-- Get this: Reminds of a covenant, something that could be stood on for Noah
-- But what covenant? The only covenant in existence: a Messiah is coming
-- FYI: In Genesis 9 we will see the expansion of this covenant …
- For Noah, the reminder of the covenant, which 4 generations had preached …
-- Is a promise for him that he could rest on; it granted life (Salvation)
-- Prophecy of this life coming: Isaiah 25:9, “In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!”
- How do we see that in undeniable (and joyous) glory today?
-- Romans 10:13, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Belief 5: God’s commission (to rescue every species on Earth) v19-21
- Noah had to believe God’s commission; to save two of every species on Earth
-- Task: He had to capture them, bring them onto the ark, and see to their care
-- He would need feed, water, and of course to make sure they’d survive/repopulate
- See this: God is commissioning him to rescue all that he sees (don’t miss this …)
-- Aren’t we given the same orders? Aren’t we told to go and tell of Jesus?
-- Noah’s calling is NO different than ours – to seek and bring all that we see!
Belief 6: God’s way of salvation (one that demands obedience) v22
- Noah had to believe in, and devote himself to, God’s way of salvation
-- Noah had no ‘proof’; all he had was the word and command of God
-- Refer to bible … don’t we have the same? Aren’t we simply called to believe?
- Look, don’t put Noah on a pedestal – he is a human just look you and I
-- But his faith was clear, and his obedience was solid, & that is a testimony to us!
Conclusion
- We do not need parlor tricks or cute gimmicks to follow & obey God
-- What we need is faith that He has already done what He said He would do
-- He rescued this man and his family because they obeyed His word
- In fact … Noah shows us how God responds to our faithfulness (IMPACT)
-- The faith that Noah has is on display for us to learn from and follow
-- Will you obey in this same manner … or continue to rely on yourself? …
- Pray for:
• Willingness to obey, and seek to rescue all that we can
• Lean on God, desire His calling, and follow Him into life everlasting!
