Gen 6:11-6:22

Review:

Chiastic structure of next session:
    A God resolves to destroy the corrupt race (6:11–13).
      B Noah builds an ark according to God’s instructions (6:14–22).
         C The Lord commands the remnant to enter the ark (7:1–9).
           D The flood begins (7:10–16).
             E The flood prevails 150 days and the water covers the mountains (7:17–24).
               F God remembers Noah (8:1a).
             E’ The flood recedes 150 days, and the mountains are visible (8:1b–5).
           D’ The earth dries (8:6–14).
         C’ God commands the remnant to leave the ark (8:15–19).
      B’ Noah builds an altar (8:20).
    A’ The Lord resolves not to destroy humankind (8:21–22).”
(Ross), Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Ge 6:8). Galaxie Software.



Gen 6:11-13 (ESV) Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.



• How does God describe the problem?
• He uses two words to give us the character and expression of sin (the Cause and Effect) (Constable)
• Corrupt -- Hebrew: shachath (shaw-khath'); a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively):  can also be translated "destroy, mar, waster, spoiler, …"
• So God returns to man what he has done to God's creation; he destroys it
• Full of violence -- two joined Hebrew words male' (maw-lay'); to be full of; and hamac (khaw-mawce'); violence; by implication, wrong; by meton. unjust gain: translated as violence and injustice
• So God destroys what man had already destroyed
• In the Hebrew, all the instances of corrupt (what man did and what God will do) are the same root word which God uses to indicate what he will do
• Enoch walked with God, and what happened to him? (He was rescued)
• Noah walked with God, and what happened? (He was rescued)
• The two uses of an individual walking with God is followed by the two examples of God rescuing the person
• By implication, this is God's standard for men/women who walk with him. He naturally rescues them from destruction
• By implication -- the church will also be rescued from the tribulation because of Jesus' righteousness


Gen 6:14-18 (ESV) Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17  For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.



• The word for gopher wood or (some places use cypress wood) is not clear
• The number of rooms are not specified
• The dimensions suggest (verse 16 says 3 decks, but there could be floors in the decks for storage, possibly a total of 5 levels) almost 100 thousand square feet (based on 3 decks), (or 60 small houses)
• 1 1/2 American football fields long
• 75 feet wide
• 45 feet high
• 1 million cubic feet of space
• 800 railroad box cars
• 14,000 gross tons
• Probably looked more like a box than a ship
• Another "first" occurs in this passage, what is it?  A covenant
• Two kinds of covenants, one between equals and one between a greater party and a lesser (where the covenant is seen more as a gift from the greater to the lesser)
• Equals -- Parity Covenant -- Examples: Abraham and Abimelech (21:22-32), Isaac and Abimelech (26:26- 33), and Jacob and Laban (31:44-54)
• Unequals -- Suzerainty Covenant -- Examples: the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 15:18), the ?? Mosaic Covenant (Exod. 19—Num. 10), et al.


Genesis 6:19–22 (ESV) —
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.



• Were there enough animals and was there enough food?
• The animals only have to be of the major species. They could easily divide through micro evolution (different colors or exterior effects) without require macro evolution (which is when there is major species change). We see this with moths and environmental changes
• The animals don't have to be active. Some could be put into some hibernation or sleep by God
• My personal opinion is that enough were awake to keep Noah and his family busy for a year


Heb 11:1-7 (ESV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.


• What is Noah commended for?
• Obedience
• Believing in something he could not see
• (v6, by implication) that God cares for him
• "The author's purpose in drawing out the list of specifications for the ark in chapter 6, as with the details of the building of the tabernacle, is not that readers might be able to see what the ark or the tabernacle looked like, but rather that readers might appreciate the meticulous care with which these godly and exemplary individuals went about their tasks of obedience to God's will. They obeyed God with 'all their hearts.'" (Sailhammer)
• "What a splendid figure this man makes, a picture of solitary goodness! He was the one saint of that day. It is possible, therefore, to be good even though we have to stand alone. It is possible to be right with God even amidst surrounding iniquity. God is the same today as He was to Noah, and if only we are willing to fulfill the conditions we too shall walk with God and please Him." (Thomas)


APPLICATION:
1. Men were destroying themselves and each other, so God destroyed them
2. God is pleased by those who desire to walk with Him, not in legalistic devotion, but in pure and honest love
1. How are we doing in our QT and prayer?  This year is another opportunity to get right w/God.  You don't want to wait until He has to get your attention
3. Everything we have is a "gracious" gift of God
1. Do we take it for granted?
2. Do we remember to say "thank you" for the simple things of life
4. Faith is expressed in obedience but deep down reflects a belief that God does care for me, no matter what the circumstances may dictate.  Noah's task may have been humiliating at the time, but they were for his best