Genesis 6-9: The Hope of Rest

Prayer of Adoration - God’s Redemption and Salvation

Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, we come before You with hearts lifted in praise. You are the God of justice, yet rich in mercy; the God of holiness, yet full of love.

We adore You for the salvation You have provided, for the ark of refuge You have prepared for Your people, and for the greater ark in Christ, through whom we are delivered from judgment. Even when the world is fallen, even when sin abounds, Your faithfulness preserves a people for Yourself.

We bless You for Your covenant, O Lord, for the promise that You will not abandon Your creation, and for the ultimate promise of rest in Your Son, Jesus Christ. In Him, our sins are forgiven, our guilt removed, and our souls find peace.

Holy and sovereign God, we marvel that Your mercy triumphs over judgment, that Your love pursues us even when we fail, and that Your plan of redemption unfolds perfectly across generations. To You alone be honor, glory, and praise forever.

Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with hearts full of gratitude and trust, acknowledging Your sovereign hand in all things. We thank You for Your Word, for the gift of Scripture that shapes, sustains, and guides Your people. Lord, we lift up the Bibles that have been sent out, the ones our hands have helped to build. May they fall on fertile hearts, bringing life, hope, and the knowledge of Your salvation. Let Your Word never return void, but accomplish all that You intend.

Father, as students and teachers return to their classrooms, we ask for Your presence to go before them. Give teachers wisdom, discernment, and courage to guide their students not just in knowledge, but in truth that leads to You. Help them model integrity, patience, and Christlike love in every lesson, every conversation, every decision. Grant students hearts that seek after You, a hunger for truth that points them to Your wisdom and goodness. Protect them from deception and distraction, and cultivate curiosity that leads to faith. May their learning be more than information; may it be a journey toward knowing You, trusting You, and walking in Your ways.

Lord, we bring before You our dear sister Sandy, who is now in hospice care. We ask for Your tender healing, if it is Your will, and Your sustaining grace for her body and spirit. Strengthen her faith, deepen her trust in Your promises, and fill her heart with peace that surpasses understanding. May she know Your presence intimately, walking confidently into Your arms, fully assured of Your love and eternal care.

Father, we also lift up Sandy’s family. Comfort them, O Lord, in the shadows of grief and anxiety. Surround them with Your peace that transcends human understanding. Give them strength for each day, courage to face the uncertainty of the moments ahead, and a sure hope rooted in the resurrection. Let Your love bind their hearts together and remind them that You are their refuge, their portion, and their comfort. Teach them to lean not on their own understanding, but on You, the God of all mercy and grace, whose faithfulness never fails.

Finally, Lord, we lift up this sermon and the message You have called us to proclaim. Bless the words spoken, that they would not simply inform minds, but transform hearts. May Your Spirit work through the preaching to awaken hope, strengthen faith, and point all who hear to the rest found only in Christ Jesus. Let Your glory shine, Your mercy be known, and Your truth take root in lives today.

We ask all this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate ark, the refuge, and the rest for our souls.

Amen.

Sermon

Genesis 6:1–9 ESV

1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Intro

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been in some heavy waters. We’ve seen how sin began… how it poisoned Eden… how it spread until the whole human story pulsed with death.

And maybe, for you, that’s not just history. It feels like now.

Some of you are living in the fallout of broken trust. Some are walking through illness that’s wearing you thin. Some are standing by the hospital bed… or the graveside… wondering if anything good can come from here.

When the world seems beyond repair… when all the pieces are too shattered to glue back together… it’s easy to wonder, “Where is God in all this?” “Does He still have a plan?” “Is He still good?”

Genesis 6–9 answers that—not with easy slogans or quick fixes— but with a story where the world really was beyond repair. Where every thought of the human heart was only evil all the time. Where the waters of judgment swallowed the earth.

And yet… in the middle of the wreckage… God gave hope. He saved Noah. He made a covenant. He promised never again to destroy the earth this way.

The flood is not just about destruction—it’s about restoration. It’s about the God who can rebuild what sin has ruined. The God who can give hope where there is none. The God who still says to His people today: “I will remember My covenant.” And the God who still gives us the hope of rest.

Transition

We ache for rest. Not just sleep, but rest from guilt, rest from suffering, rest from endless striving. When life feels like it’s collapsing around us, what we long for is peace — security that tomorrow won’t swallow us whole. Genesis 6–9 shows us that God not only judges sin, He also provides rest for His people in the middle of chaos.

Even at humanity’s lowest point, when wickedness filled the earth and violence was everywhere, God was not powerless, absent, or indecisive. He was writing a story of rescue — a story that begins not with our goodness, but with His grace.

And that is the truth that gives us hope.

I. A Name That Hopes for Rest (Genesis 5:28–29; 6:5–9)

Even in the midst of overwhelming corruption, God never abandons His people. That’s what we see in Noah.

The story begins quietly—with a birth announcement and a name. Lamech, Noah’s father, looks down at his newborn son and speaks a prophecy over him: “He will bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed” (Gen 5:29). The name “Noah” means “rest.”

That is a striking thing to say in the world of Genesis 5–6. This is not a peaceful, calm era. It is an age groaning under the curse given in Genesis 3. Every harvest is hard. Every birth is painful. The ground itself seems to resist its farmers. People die, one after another, their years recorded like gravestones in a row. And the moral climate is worse still—violence, corruption, pride, and rebellion run unchecked.

Into that world, Lamech dares to hope. Naming a child “Rest” is an act of faith. It’s a declaration that God will not let the curse have the last word. It’s a reminder that even before the flood, God’s people were clinging to His promise in Genesis 3:15—that the offspring of the woman would one day crush the serpent’s head.

Yet the tension is immediate. Genesis 6:5 tells us: “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” If you stacked that diagnosis against Noah’s name, you might think the hope was misplaced. The world is not resting—it is raging. Every plan, every desire, every thought is twisted by sin.

But even here, God acts. He chooses one man, Noah, to be faithful and to walk with Him. Genesis 6:9 says: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” That phrase—walked with God—is not about perfection; it’s about relationship. Noah’s righteousness is relational. He trusts God in a world that has stopped listening.

And in this, Noah becomes a living preview of the greater rest God will one day give. The ark will be a place of refuge in judgment, just as Christ will be the refuge for all who come to Him. Jesus Himself takes Noah’s name and promise to its fullness when He says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–29). Noah points forward to the One who can give the only rest that lasts—the rest from sin’s curse, the rest from striving to save ourselves, the rest found in the finished work of the cross.

Now, two things I want you to notice really quickly.

1. The “Generations”

First, look again at verse 9: “These are the generations of Noah.” If you remember from last week, that’s not just a throwaway phrase. In Genesis, this is a structural marker—it’s like the narrator turning the page and saying, “Now begins the next chapter in God’s unfolding plan.”

Genesis is built on these toledot (“generations”) headings. They aren’t just lists of names; they’re story hinges—the way God’s promises move forward through specific people. We saw it with Adam. We’ll see it again with Shem, Terah, Isaac, Jacob.

And that’s exactly what’s happening here. In a world collapsing under the weight of its own sin, this little phrase—“These are the generations of Noah”—is a flare in the night sky. It’s God saying, “My plan is still on track. I’m still writing the story. And through this man’s family, I will bring rest.”

Even the structure of Genesis is preaching to us: when corruption multiplies, so does God’s faithfulness. His purposes are handed down, generation by generation, until the promised rest arrives in full through Christ.

Even as God preserves a faithful remnant through Noah, the rest of the world continues in rebellion

2. The Nephilim and the World’s False Heroes

I also want you to pay attention to verse 4 where the author mentions the Nephilim—the “mighty men of old, men of renown.” The Hebrew word likely means “fallen ones,” and the text gives us only a glimpse.

Some ancient interpreters suggested they were offspring of fallen angels and human women, highlighting the world’s deep corruption. Others understood them simply as powerful, violent humans. Either way, they stand in sharp contrast to Noah. Where Noah walks with God, these figures are defined by might and fame. Where Noah’s strength comes from righteousness, theirs comes from rebellion and terror.

Around this time, many cultures told stories of demigods—Gilgamesh, Baal, Hercules, Vishnu’s avatars, Rama. These “heroes” were celebrated for their strength, courage, or divine ancestry. Ancient people looked at these figures and thought, “This is greatness; this is glory.”

The Bible flips that script. The Nephilim, like the “sons of God” in surrounding myths, are not figures to admire. They are markers of the world’s corruption, examples of what happens when humans—or semi-divine beings—defy God’s order. Scripture never glorifies them; it shows them as under judgment, not as heroes to emulate.

The world loves its heroes. It elevates those with power, charisma, or influence—men and women whose names are shouted in stadiums, whose faces dominate screens, whose every move is dissected and celebrated. But God’s greatness is not measured by applause, by popularity, or by the sway of crowds.

Noah’s life stands in stark contrast. He does not seek attention. He does not rally supporters or manipulate opinion.

He walks faithfully with God in a world that has turned away, obeying quietly, humbly, steadfastly. God preserves him—not because of fame, not because of power, but because of faithfulness.

This is the pattern God honors: covenantal trust over spectacle, obedience over applause.

Noah points us forward to Christ, the ultimate faithful One, whose greatness is seen not in headlines or human acclaim, but in salvation freely offered to all who trust Him. True rest and life are found not in following the crowd or idolizing men, but in walking with the God who never fails.

Even in the presence of “mighty men of renown,” God’s plan continues, His promise of rest holds, and His faithful remnant stands firm.

So their presence here in Genesis underscores the brokenness of creation but doesn’t change the main point: God is sovereign and merciful, saving a faithful remnant through Noah.

Even when the world is this dark, God preserves a faithful remnant. That remnant begins with Noah, who walks with God, and points us forward to the ultimate remnant — His people saved in Christ.

II. One Door Through the Waters

(Genesis 6:13–7:24; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:18–22)

After God preserves a faithful remnant in Noah, He provides the instructions for salvation: an enormous boat, three decks high, made of cypress, sealed inside and out. Every kind of animal—birds, cattle, creeping things—are to be brought in, two by two, to be preserved from the coming flood.

He says: “Make yourself an ark of cypress wood… and you shall bring into the ark… for you alone I will see as righteous before me in this generation” (6:14–18).

Notice carefully what God does here. He provides the means of salvation. It’s precise. Deliberate. Not left to Noah to invent a plan, guess at a solution, or improvise a way to survive. God specifies the design, the materials, and the way in. Every detail matters because salvation is His work, not ours.

And there is one door. Only one way into the ark. No side exits, no alternate escape routes.

One door, one way of salvation. That is not arbitrary—it’s a theological statement. Judgment is coming, but God’s mercy provides a clear, exclusive means of rescue.

This has application for us today. When the world feels like it’s collapsing, it’s tempting to think, “I’ll figure out my own way out. I’ll find my own solution.”

But God’s provision is exclusive, because salvation is His work, not ours. Our “solutions” cannot save us; only His design can. And his design is that we trust in his work and follow him in response to what he has already done.

Hebrews 11:7 reminds us: “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.”

Noah obeyed God even though he had never seen rain. He trusted the promise of God over his own understanding of reality. His obedience flows from faith, and his faith is anchored in the God who provides rest amid judgment.

Noah follows the instructions exactly. He gathers his family, loads all the animals, and waits as the clouds darken. And then it begins—rain pours down, water rises, and the entire earth is covered. The ark is the only safe place; outside, destruction sweeps everything away.

Genesis 7:21–23 tells us: “Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out… only Noah and those with him in the ark were left.”

Imagine the storm raging outside the ark — judgment falling on every side. But inside, there was safety. Inside, there was peace. Inside, there was rest. That is what it means to be in Christ. The storm of God’s judgment fell at the cross, and those who are in Him are sheltered forever. He is our ark, our place of rest.

The flood destroyed what was outside, but lifted up what was inside.

The ark was the line between judgment and salvation, destruction and rest.

Peter picks up this imagery in 1 Peter 3:20–21. He calls the flood a prefiguration of our salvation through Christ: the water did not cleanse the hearts of the world, but it saved those in the ark.

Today, our hearts are saved in the same way—not by escaping judgment on our own, but by being in Christ.

Notice a repeated refrain in these chapters: “And Noah did all the Lord commanded.” What are we seeing in Noah? He is truly righteous. He succeeds where everyone else fails. He becomes the vessel of God’s mercy, pointing forward to the one who will fully redeem creation.

Perhaps he really is the one through whom rest from the curse of sin will come—but even he is a shadow.

The ark is a shadow of Jesus:

One way in.

Completely sufficient for all who enter.

God’s design, God’s work, God’s provision.

When the pressures of life feel like floodwaters rising around you

sin in your own heart,

struggles in your family,

challenges in your church

the rest God provides is not found in your efforts or your solutions.

It is found in His provision. It is found in Christ, the door through which salvation flows.

III. A Washed World Still Stained

(Genesis 8:20–9:17)

Finally, after months on the ark, the floodwaters recede.

The ark rests on dry ground.

Noah sends out a raven, then a dove, to see if the earth is dry.

When the dove returns with an olive leaf, it is a sign that life is beginning again.

Noah and his family step out, builds an altar, and worships God for His mercy.

The earth has been cleansed. The stage of creation has been rebuilt. The waters that destroyed the wicked are gone. You might think that this is the end of sin — that now everything is perfect.

But Scripture is honest: it’s not the end of sin.

The earth is cleansed, new life begins to emerge, and it seems like a fresh start for humanity.

But human hearts have not changed.

Even this new beginning carries the shadow of sin, and the choices Noah and his sons make show that corruption still lingers.

Noah plants a vineyard. He drinks the fruit, becomes drunk, and lies uncovered in his tent (9:20–21).

Ham sees his father’s shame, dishonors him, and is judged (9:22–25).

Even in this fresh start, sin remains.

The flood has purified the earth, but it has not purified the human heart. It will take an even greater act of judgement to do that.

The world is still fallen. The curse of the serpent is still active.

This is a crucial point for us: the hope of rest is real in Noah, but temporary.

The ark lifted Noah above the waters, but it did not remove the presence of sin.

Judgment was carried out, but corruption still lingered.

Restoration is never fully realized in this world.

And yet, God provides a covenant — a promise to preserve His creation.

Genesis 9:11 ESV

11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

He sets the rainbow in the clouds as a sign (9:12–17).

The rainbow isn’t just a pretty sky bow — it’s God hanging up His war bow, pointing it heavenward, pledging peace. The bow of judgment, once aimed at the earth, is now hung in the sky as a pledge of restraint. God promises never again to destroy the earth with a flood.

That’s covenant rest: not because humanity got better, but because God Himself pledged mercy. Our rest doesn’t depend on us holding tight to God — it depends on God holding tight to His promise.

And if you pay attention to the direction God’s war bow is now pointed, it’s not pointed at the earth, but up into heaven itself.

The covenant reminds us:

God keeps His word, even when the world remains imperfect.

God’s mercy restrains judgment, giving humanity time and space.

The promise points forward to ultimate salvation, the restoration of all things in Christ.

Application: Even when life feels broken, even when sin lingers in our own hearts, God’s covenant assures us that He is faithful. He preserves what matters. He restrains His judgment. And He is working toward the day when His rest will be fully realized.

The flood points us to a greater ark, a greater covenant, a greater rest — the Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. The Greater Noah Who Brings True Rest (Hebrews 4:1–11; Matthew 11:28–30; Revelation 21:1–7)

Preserving created life in Noah was God’s provision for a world under judgment. The ark kept life, the waters destroyed the wicked, and the covenant promised restraint.

Yet Noah’s rest was temporary.

Sin remained.

The serpent was not crushed.

The earth was preserved, but humanity remained fallen.

This is precisely why the story of Noah points forward to Christ.

Like Noah, Jesus is the righteous one in whom God’s people find favor.

Noah walked with God and was preserved in judgment;

Christ walked perfectly in obedience and brings ultimate salvation to all who trust Him.

Like the ark, Christ Himself is the refuge from judgment.

Those outside perish; those inside are saved.

Noah’s ark protected his family for a season,

but Christ’s work secures eternal life for His people.

There is one door, one way to salvation, and that door is Jesus.

Like the flood, the cross is both judgment and salvation at the same time—judgment on sin, salvation for sinners.

The waters of Noah’s time foreshadowed the purifying, separating work of God, but the flood was temporary.

The cross accomplishes once and for all what the ark could only symbolize.

Hebrews 4 reminds us that the promise of rest remains open.

The ark was a shadow.

The Sabbath was a sign.

Christ is the substance.

He offers rest for our souls—rest from striving, rest from guilt, rest from the weight of sin.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28–30:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This is the true hope of rest.

Not in avoiding trials.

Not in escaping suffering.

Not even in avoiding the floodwaters of life’s challenges.

True rest is found in a Person—Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21 gives us the ultimate vision: a new heaven and a new earth, free from curse, free from sin, free from death.

The ark was temporary.

The flood was a shadow.

Christ’s work is eternal!

The stage God built in creation is finally restored, and the curtain will never fall on His glory.

Noah’s story ends in temporary relief. Christ’s story ends in eternal rest.

The waters receded, but the curse lingered;

the ark was lifted, but sin remained.

But in Christ, the floodwaters of judgment are transformed into rivers of mercy. In Christ, the faithful remnant finds not a temporary haven, but a home that lasts forever.

Conclusion: From Noah to Christ — The Rest That Lasts

From the very beginning, God has been faithful, even when the world is broken. Noah’s name promised rest in the midst of toil. Noah’s obedience preserved life through the ark. God’s covenant restrained judgment and pointed forward to the ultimate salvation to come.

And yet, Noah’s story was never meant to leave us in the ark forever. It points us to the greater Noah, Jesus Christ, who brings true and eternal rest.

The ark could lift Noah above the waters, but it could not cleanse the heart. The flood could destroy the wicked, but it could not remove sin from humanity. Only Christ can do that. Only Christ can take our rebellion, guilt, and shame, and replace it with forgiveness, life, and peace.

Today, the waters are still rising.

Sin, guilt, fear, and failure press in on every side.

The world still groans under the curse. But God has made a way. There is one door. There is one refuge. There is one ark that saves eternally—Jesus Christ.

If you have been trying to find your own way out—trying to escape judgment by your own strength, good works, or clever plans—hear the invitation of God: come to Him. Lay down your burden, your striving, your fear, your sin. Step through the door of Christ by faith. Repent of your rebellion, trust in Him alone, and you will find rest for your soul.

Hebrews 4 warns us not to harden our hearts. Matthew 11 calls us to come to Christ. Revelation 21 promises a new heaven and a new earth, where rest is final and perfect. That hope is open to you today.

Do not wait. The waters of judgment are real, but the refuge is sure. Come to Christ. Trust in Him. Step into the ark He has prepared. Receive forgiveness, receive life, receive rest that lasts forever.

Let us pray.

Confession and Assurance

Heavenly Father,

We come before You aware of our sin and our need for mercy. We confess that we have often sought our own ways, trusted in our own strength, and ignored the refuge You provide in Christ. Forgive us, Lord, for our pride, our disobedience, and our failure to walk with You faithfully.

Thank You for the gift of Jesus, the greater Noah, the ark of salvation for our souls. Thank You that through His death and resurrection, our sins are forgiven, our hearts are cleansed, and we are offered true rest. Help us, Lord, to place our trust fully in Him, to step through the one door of salvation, and to live as those who have been rescued by Your grace.

By Your Spirit, strengthen our faith, deepen our love for You, and enable us to walk in obedience each day. Let the hope of Christ guide our hearts, shape our actions, and shine through our lives. May we leave this place with joy, gratitude, and a renewed commitment to follow Jesus, who is our refuge, our rest, and our salvation.

We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Assurance

Hear the good news of God’s Word: Just as He preserved Noah and his family in the ark, so now He preserves us through Christ, the greater Noah, from the floodwaters of sin and judgment.

Scripture tells us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

And again: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Friends, this is our refuge: not by our works, not by our striving, but by His mercy and covenant faithfulness. Stand in this truth: your sins are forgiven, your guilt is removed, and His mercy endures forever.

Let us lift our voices with confidence and joy as we sing of this unending grace in “His Mercy is More”

Benediction

May the God of Noah, who preserves a faithful remnant, guide you in righteousness. May Christ, the greater ark, shelter your hearts from the floodwaters of sin and fear. May His Spirit strengthen your faith, grant you peace that passes understanding, and fill you with hope in the promise of His eternal rest. Go in the grace, mercy, and steadfast love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is faithful from generation to generation.

Though our sins are many, His mercy is more. Praise the Lord!

Amen.