Genesis 7:1-24
In our walk thru Genesis up to this point, one particular verse is worth noting and remembering. It is from chapter 1:28, “And God blessed them, ... said to them, ‘Be fruitful & multiply.’” That is the theme not only for this sermon series but for the entire book of Genesis. Soon after that verse, Adam & Eve committed the Original Sin, paradise was lost, and the world was forever tainted by sin. Because of this, death spread to all people since all have sinned (Rom 5:12). The presence of sin took another tragic turn in last week’s account of Cain and Able. They were two brothers, both born – as a blessing to their parents – with great promise and hope. Cain, being jealous, failed to master sin couching at the door and killed his brother, Abel. Through it all, through the uncertainty of a broken world, God promises blessing & life. The question for everyone, you, me, our neighbor is, how will God’s people respond? How will we respond to God’s blessing & life?
In this passage we read that the flood was a catastrophic event. For those who had faith, who trusted the Word of God, the flood was something to prepare for, something for which God equipped them. It was something to survive. The message of Genesis 7 is that the water that brings judgment is the same water that brings salvation1. Two main points shed light on this understanding: (1.) It was not raining when Noah built the ark and (2.) Noah’s family was safe in the ark.
It was not raining when Noah built the ark. Noah didn’t just decide to build the ark one day. No. He responded to the command of the Lord, who had His reasons. Remember in chapter 1 when God created the world, recall what He saw when He admired His handiwork: He saw that it was all good; very good.” However, in chapter 6:5,12, God looked at the world and saw just the opposite – He saw a world that was twisted to the heart.
Like parents who are repulsed to see their grown daughter or son engage in self-destructive behavior, it was unbearable for the Creator to see His people throw away the fullness of life. What He saw grieved Him: Human nature at its worst. In today’s world, we often hear the cry for justice, which is the idea that bad people should get the penalty they deserve. God is all for justice and He was about to give the people of the world what they deserved. God does not tolerate violence, cruelty, corruption, or any sin. God made a conscious decision to “blot out, or destroy, humanity…” whom He had created.
But first, God would have to separate the righteous from the wicked. God could have treated the world like a rough draft, ended everything, and been done with it. Instead, God chose to work through a faithful remnant. God chose to work through Noah, who, in chapter 6:9, is described as a righteous and blameless man. The main word used to describe Noah is righteous, meaning that he followed the requirements of his relationship to God. He was a man who walked with God. Out of all the people in the world, Noah was the only person worthy of God’s mercy. Keep in mind that like everyone else, sin was part of his DNA. What made him different was that he was willing to call on the name of the LORD. What a contrast to the world around him. God had a plan to save Noah when the waters started to rise.
Noah and his family were safe in the ark. The water came from below like fountains from the deep implying an earth-shaking, earth convulsing event. Waters came from above like someone opened a window, a floodgate. It was absolute and utter chaos. For those on the outside, you can just imagine the terror of that day, animals scrambling to escape the water, people frantically searching for higher ground. Suddenly Noah did not seem like such a nut. But time was up, and the flood waters were judgment. The world was receiving justice. But there was hope. The people in the ark, Noah, and his family, were safely shut in by the LORD (v. 16). They were secure, on the receiving end of God’s mercy and grace. Now all that work made sense. Through faith and God’s call, Noah and his family were serving as a blessing to future generations.
It would be a fresh start for creation. According to theologian, Allen Ross, “Noah sailed thru the judgment to a new age which proves that catastrophes do not interrupt God’s plan to bless the world.” The believers were safe on the Ark. That calm before the storm gave people like Noah time to prepare. And when the flood waters of judgment finally came, the faithful remnant was safe in the ark. Through Jesus Christ, we also live under the flood’s promise of a fresh start. The same waters that brought judgment, devastation, and punishment, also brought deliverance, renewal, and salvation.
How will you respond to God’s blessing and life?
(1 “Message” phrasing from sermon, Saved By Water, by Rev. Paul Iperna, Nov 23, 2014, on Gen 7 & 8)