What is the Bible? Part 2 - The Second Judgement of Mankind

Genesis 6:5–8 NASB95

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Introduction

Bible books slide

1. The Expansion of Sin

Cain and Abel (Gen 4:3-8)

Murder:

Genesis 4:6–7 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Lamech (Gen 4:19, Gen 4:23-24)

Sexual sin:

Genesis 4:17–19 “Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.”

Boasting of murder:

Genesis 4:23–24 Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

Genesis 1–11:26 Excursus: The Origin of Civilization in ANE Mythology

This is the first recorded incident in the Bible where crime is venerated by the culprit.

Genesis 1–11:26 Excursus: The Origin of Civilization in ANE Mythology

Lamech’s gloating over a reputation more ruthless than infamous Cain’s shows the disparagement of human life among Cain’s seed that was fostered by his murder of Abel. God’s promise to avenge Cain’s life “seven times” (v. 15) is interpreted by Lamech as a badge of honor for Cain rather than as a merciful provision by God for a shameful criminal

Hints of Grace (Gen 4:17, 21-22; 5:21-24)

Building of Cities (Gen 4:17)

Development of Music (Gen 4:21)

Development of Bronze & Iron (Gen 4:22)

Called “common grace” - “grace” = gift; “common” = something all enjoy

Matthew 5:45 “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Anticipation of Eternal Life (Gen 5:21-24)

Enoch

Genesis 5:21–24 “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

What Does This Mean for Us?

1. Sin spreads like wildfire

All it takes is one negative, rude, or slanderous word, and it will spread like no other fire. All it takes is one outburst of anger and shouting, and seeds of sin and discord take root. All it takes is one whisper in another’s ear or one negative attitude, and sin is set ablaze. It took Adam only one small, little bite of fruit.

James 3:5–6 “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”

Galatians 5:14–15 “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

Galatians 5:19–21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

2. There was something about Adam’s sin that ruined everything, including us

Original sin vs. taint/bent

Romans 5:12 “. . . through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

Romans 5:18 “. . . through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men . . .”

Romans 5:19 “. . . through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners . . .”

This is what is wrong with the world. This is why “bad things happen to good people.” This is why we have the problem of evil and pain. Adam introduced sin into God’s beautiful world and it spread like wildfire.

In fact, sin got so bad, God decided to bring a second judgment upon mankind. (The first was excommunication from the Garden.)

2. The Second Judgement of Mankind

Genesis 6:5–8 NASB95

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

“Wickedness” was great. How great? => every intent was only evil continually

Reaction of God: rather than his heart glorifying evil, his heart is grieved. Heart = emotional response; God is not stoic

Commentator, Ken Matthews:

Genesis 1–11:26 (2) Worldwide Wickedness (6:5–8)

God’s response of grief over the making of humanity, however, is not remorse in the sense of sorrow over a mistaken creation; our verse shows that God’s pain has its source in the perversion of human sin. The making of “man” is no error; it is what “man” has made of himself

Comparison of parent/child relationship

God decides to judge humanity as a whole

Method of Judgement (Gen 6:17)

Genesis 6:17 “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.”

Now, we can ask all sorts of questions about this text that interest us. Was the flood actually global or local? Was there enough water to actually cover all the earth? What kind of animals were on the Ark? But if we get bogged down into all these minute details, we miss the forest for the trees; we miss the main point:

God brought a major catastrophic flood upon mankind to judge them for their continual sin.

Man is evil; God is not. God is sovereign and holy; man is not. Unbridled sin requires wrath, indignation, and judgement.

There always comes a time when God has had enough, and sin must be held in check. We see this over and over again throughout the Bible.

But in the midst of God’s judgement, there is always God’s faithfulness and love:

Covenant with Noah (Gen 6:18, 22)

Genesis 6:18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.”

Genesis 6:22 “Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.”

The Judgement (Gen 7-8)

Rained 40 days/nights; water covered mountaintops; everything killed; water on earth for 150 days (about 6 mos); another 150 days for the water to subside (now up to 1 yr); in full, Noah & fam in the Ark for about 14 mos

Chiasm Illustration:

Genesis 1–11:26 IV. Noah and His Family (6:9–9:29)

7 days of waiting for flood (7:4)

7 days of waiting for flood (7:10)

40 days of flood (7:17a)

150 days of water triumphing (7:24)

150 days of water waning (8:3)

40 days’ wait (8:6)

7 days’ wait (8:10)

7 days’ wait (8:12)

What Does This Mean for Us?

1. The judgement of the flood serves as a warning to us of God’s justice

We all want a God of love, mercy, and grace, and God is just that. But he is also a God of holiness and justice, which must play out in wrath and judgement when confronted by sin.

God’s wrath is his righteousness reacting against unrighteousness.

J. I. Packer

This, in fact, is what made it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross.

Romans 3:24–26 “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 5:21a “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin . . .

2. The judgement of the flood serves as an illustration of God’s love, grace, and faithfulness

Romans 3:26 “. . . for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

3. The Flood is merely a precursor to what is to come final judgement:

John 5:25–29 ““Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

3. Hope After Judgement

A New Beginning (Gen 9:1-7)

Genesis 9:1–7 NASB95

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. “The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”

Several commands and declarations:

Command: “Be fruitful and multiply”

Declaration: “The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.”

Genesis 1–11:26 (1) Provisions for the New World (9:1–7)

The Lord is formally announcing that this new enmity against humans cannot win out because the animal order is “given in your hands”

Declaration and Command: “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

Declares and Commands the death penalty:

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.”

Hope is also seen in the first covenant God makes with man:

Covenant with Noah, Sons, & All Creation (Gen 9:8-16)

Genesis 9:8–16 “Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. “It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.””

Definition of Covenant: It is the binding of one party to another by an oath before God.

Promise of the Covenant: “All flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Sign of Covenant: Rainbow

What Does This Mean for Us?

1. We have hope although the wrath of God is real

=> we can have a new beginning with God

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

John 3:3–5 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

2. God desires to enter into a covenant today with us

Covenant: God makes an oath to reconciles us to himself. He promises us to make us his people, to renew us in body, soul, and mind. He promises us forgiveness of our sins, gift of his presence by the Holy Spirit, eternal life (life beyond the grave), and peace, joy never-ending.

To make us so we always do the right thing and fulfill his design and purpose for us that he made from the beginning of creation.

We enter into the covenant by grace, not works. We respond in faith, repentance, and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then, we respond in baptism as we wed ourselves to Christ through this sacred event.

Entering into covenant with Christ is not to be taken lightly.