Noah

Noah

I. Refresh: What did we talk about last week?

II. This week:

a. After Adam and Eve leave the Garden, they have 2 sons:

i. Cain

ii. Abel

c. Cain killed Abel, and he was sent out from them – to the land of Nod, east of Eden

d. Adam and Eve had another child – Seth

e. Noah was a son of Lamech, descendant of Seth

III. Problem: 6:1-6

a. “Sons of God” began to marry whomever they chose.

Nephilim? What were they?

If they were the reason that God flooded the earth..why are they still around later on?

Numbers 13:30–33 ESV

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Numbers 13:33

Alternative theory — the people of God were mixing with those that did not know God....and God had to fix it.

i. This resulted in moral chaos – and there was no distinction between those that trusted in the Lord and those that did not

He has always called his people to be separate from the world, and Holy.

It’s why he gave the Law to the Jews.

i. This resulted in moral chaos – and there was no distinction between those that trusted in the Lord and those that did not

They didn’t---and it resulted in moral chaos – and there was no distinction between those that trusted in the Lord and those that did not

i. This resulted in moral chaos – and there was no distinction between those that trusted in the Lord and those that did not

b. God said his Spirit will not be with men forever; their lives were limited to 120 years

i. Possibly this means 120 years to the flood (Luther, Calvin)

ii. Possibly this means 120 years lifespan – since God is responsible for the long lives of men

c. God saw that the wickedness of man was great, every intent was only evil

i. This brings up a question about the nature of man

ii. God was sorry he had made man on earth

1. He is sorry?

IV. God’s plan: The Flood 6:6 – 7:24

a. God decided to wipe man from the face of the earth and start over

b. Only Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord

Why? What was special about Noah?

ii. Not because of his deeds, though—but because of God’s favor (v. 8)

HE alone was not like the rest of mankind

iii. Noah was a sinner, just like everyone else.

Genesis 6:11 ESV

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

Gen 6:

Noah wasn’t violent like them — he walked with God, unlike them.

Who else was said to “walk with God”?

Enoch — Enoch walked with God and was spared.

c. God instructs Noah to build an ark

i. “It was not a boat, but was rather a “floating box” made of cypress wood and pitched with bitumen.” - Warren Wiersbe (know what bitumen is?)

Assuming a 24” cubit....it was 600 feet long, 100 feet wide – it was big!

iii. Noah would bring his family on the ark

1. His wife

2. His sons, Ham, Shem, Japheth and their wives

iv. Noah would bring the animals on the earth

1. 7 pairs of clean animals

2. 1 pair of unclean animals

3. 7 pairs of birds of the sky

How many kinds of animals was this? Species? Or Kinds?

Did Noah go out and round up all the animals?

— It’s not mentioned.

4. No great roundup needed -- God actually would send the animals to him (v. 7:8-9)

d. The Flood v. 7:4

Did God REALLY send a great flood?

Yes.

Was it a flood that covered all the earth? Or just a local flood?

Global — 7:3 says the face of all the earth.

i. Rain came from above

ii. Water erupted from below

IMAGINE the effect it had on the surface of the earth, as well as the climate!

It’s believed by name it had never rained before this.

Genesis 2:5–6 ESV

When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—

iii. Noah and his family entered the ark, with all the animals

iii. Noah and his family entered the ark, with all the animals

1. Notice who closed the door? God closed the door.

iv. The rain came and the water rose for 40 days

Look at the timing: v. 10

Was it raining when they entered the ark?

No—it wasn’t like what we might see in movies....or what we might think....God made them wait on the ark for 7 days.

v. The water rose on the earth, covering all land – even the highest mountains

vi. The water lasted on the earth 150 days, or 5 months

e. The waters subside 8:1-19

i. After 150 days the water began to recede

ii. The waters gradually receded

iii. On the 17th day of the 7th month, the ark rested upon mountains of Ararat.

iv. On the 10th month, 1st Day, the mountains became visible

v. On the 27th day of the 2nd month the earth was dry

vi. God called Noah and his family out of the ark

f. Noah offered a sacrifice 8:20-21

i. Now we see the reason that God commanded 7 clean animals of every type: a sacrifice

g. God makes a promise and gave a sign to never do it again ()

The Ark: What it means to us

I. The Ark is a “type” of Christ – it is an Old Testament account that points forward to Christ

a. In the days of Noah, men were evil and there was none righteous

i. Today, there are also none righteous ()

Romans 3:10 ESV

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

ii. Someday, God will destroy the world with fire (), but he will give us an ark (Jesus).

2 Peter 3:10 ESV

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

b. Noah “found favor” with God

ii. There was nothing special about Noah

iii. Noah was saved because he believed God — he walked with God.

God saved him, out of the wicked of the world

1. He built the ark as a result

2. He entered the ark with his family

iv. In the same way believers in Jesus are saved not because of our own righteousness, but because of God’s favor ()

Romans 10:11 ESV

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

c. Noah was safe in the ark

i. God closed the door on Noah in the ark

1. Likewise, believers today are safe in Christ

2. Jesus will not lose any (, , )

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

John 6:47 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

John 10:27–28 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Chaism in the account of Noah

Chaism: A literary Device applied to narrative motifs, a phrase, or a whole passage. Often, this device is employed to highlight a particular detail of importance.

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)

But God remembered Noah (8:1)

150 days of water waning (8:3)

40 days of waiting (8:6)

7 days of waiting (8:10)

7 days of waiting (8:12)