STARTING OVER — Genesis

GENESIS 6 STARTING OVER The low spiritual condition on earth as a whole became notably wicked before God. It is frightening to think how quickly people who know about God but glorify Him not as God, can sink into the depths of sin. The first seven verses of this chapter give us a view of how God sees sin on the earth. However, in all of this evil that had taken over the world, there was one man and his family who were conscious of God, lived before God, and in the case of Noah at least, walked with God. So, verses eight through ten give us the encouragement that “The Lord knows them that are His,” in spite of all the departure and evil around. Verses eleven through sixteen tell us of the need for the ark and what God intended it to be used for and how it was to be built. “By faith, Noah built an ark to the saving of his house.” The last verses of the chapter tell us of God’s grace in action.

The low spiritual condition of humanity

The descendants of Cain and Seth comingled and intermarried. Instead of righteousness increasing, evil thoughts in the mind of people led to evil actions and practices until sin abounded on the earth wherever people were found. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
When the separation needed between the children of wrath and the children of God is ignored, the evil heart of man claims the souls of the offspring and wickedness increases with every passing generation.
God does not excuse or ignore such sin, and verse three pronounced sentence upon humans by limiting the age to which they would live from then on. God shows mercy to sinful people but there is a limit to the time of mercy.
The inward wickedness of human hearts that are opposed to divine authority, causes people to be known for their gigantic wickedness in the sight of God. The inward nature of sin was revealing itself in the outward actions of evil and extreme wickedness. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in days of the coming of the Son of Man.”
God’s sorrow when He “saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,” is in contrast to when “God saw everything that He had made; and indeed, it was very good.”
God’s grief reveals the passionate involvement He has toward us. “He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” He grieves over those to whom He gave life so that they could know Him and love Him, but instead, they turn away from Him to evil practices produced by evil hearts.
God’s compassion in no way diminishes His sovereignty. His foreknowledge of people and events does not mean He is hard-hearted. Rather, it shows His personal interest in each person and what each of us will choose to do with His offer of grace and salvation.
In the midst of this universal prevalence of sin, there were those who were godly. Noah’s great- grandfather Enoch had walked with God and was taken into heaven without dying. His grandfather Methuselah, was nine-hundred-sixty-nine years old when he died just before the flood. Likely he had passed on to his son Lamech (the good Lamech) the fact that God is real so that right from when Noah was born, he found comfort in the midst of the hard work sin had caused.

Before the flood

“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” He was different. He was a man of integrity and was blameless before the evil people among whom he lived.
His connection to God was so unique, that he would have been known as “a preacher of righteousness” by his life and conduct as well as his words and warnings of judgment to come.
The character of Noah was in striking contrast to the evil of all in society that was around him.

Noah in the old world

He lived in the middle of all the evil of the sons of Adam but lived separately from the evil that had come from Adam’s choice. Open sin had ultimately covered all the earth where humanity dwelt and corrupted the whole world.
In contrast to all the wickedness that was around him, was Noah; “A just man, and perfect in all his generations, and Noah walked with God” [Gen.6:9;12].
The fleshly mind always brings corruption, but the spiritual mind bears witness against both the fleshly and carnal minds of people. The spiritual mind is true to God and faithful to God’s word.

Carnality of mind reveals itself in all that it does. It is open to scrutiny as to the right that it does not do, as well as the wrong that it is inclined to do and often does.
The new nature imparted at the new birth of a person, places an individual into a whole new world of living for the things that are eternal.
Even though Noah walked with God, he was not taken out of the corrupted world like Enoch. He was not removed from all the evil influences and powers around him. The new birth does not mean that we are made sinlessly perfect so that we can walk through this world untouched by all that is going on around us, nor does it mean that we will never be tempted by that which pleases the fleshly part of our humanity. The new birth doesn’t improve the old nature. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ makes us a new creation in Him and by Him, so that we can live for God “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.”
Living for God is a way chosen by God, to reveal Christ to those in darkness, by the evidence of new life in Christ that shines as light in the darkness of sin. Such a new life is so far superior to the disappointments, disillusionments, and dissatisfaction of the life of the flesh, that those who choose sin are uncomfortable when a believer in Christ is around.
Noah was brought higher into the joy, liberty, and glory of living in the conscious presence of God. There is a great difference between the blindness of sin, and the light of righteousness; from the purposelessness of doing what is wrong or self-centered, to the glorious objective of living for the Lord.
The results of the spiritual mind that has been given life imparted by God when faith is put in Him, is that the Holy Spirit has regenerated by grace that person who has put their unreserved faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The mixing of the fleshly affections of the world with the spiritual influences of those whose faith was real, has produced “giants” of confusion that have taken control of the world system, society in general, and the religious systems of man’s making. It has reached into churches, families, homes, and individuals to the extent that right and wrong seem to be indiscernible to most people.
Confusion, uncertainty, anxiety, grief, and the unfruitful works of darkness are results that come when evil is allowed to continue unchecked.

Noah built the ark. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him,” [6:22 NIV]

Noah’s spiritual mind remained uncorrupted by all that was going on around him. In faith “the axe was laid to the root of the trees,” and the works of evil and the days of evil were numbered. Judgment was coming as sure as the boards and beams were formed by Noah as he did the work God commanded him.
There was one door of access into the ark of safety. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the one door to salvation. There is no other way to God. There was a window to give light to the whole inside of the ark. The light of the word of God through Christ who is the Light, is the only clear way to understand the will of God. That open window would have given the air of divine grace available to every creature inside that ark.
The ark was made to divine specifications, not according to the limited knowledge of human “scientific” minds. The result was the most efficient way to use the ark to capacity and still is used in similar ways today.

Lessons to be learned

In evil days, God has a remnant of people of faith left here on earth to bear witness for the Lord. They have an impact on those around them, but they cannot make people enter the “ark of safety” from the coming judgment that is going to fall on the earth. God offers salvation to all, but the result that He chooses is the result of each individual’s response to the invitation to

receive Christ by faith.

The ark is an outward figure containing an inward, unseen kingdom of living souls that are alive in Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is alive and well, even though the minds of people are focused on the evils of humanity.
Our strength is in the cross alone where we are safe because of the atoning work of Christ. We died with Him. We are saved by Him. We are kept safe for eternity through him in spite of all that is going on around us or all that will come as evil men and seducers wax worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Noah the man

His Position, v.8. “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” The foundation of a believer’s life is God’s grace.
His Attitude, v.9. “Noah was a righteous man.” Sincere, right before God.
His Character, v.9. “Noah… was perfect…” Upright, genuine in the sight of God.
His Testimony, v.9. “In his generations.” His life was a true witness to God in dark times
His Fellowship, v.9. “Noah walked with God.” He had friendship and fellowship with God
His Conduct, v.22. “Thus did Noah.” All that was said about Noah was proved by his obedience to God.
His Thoroughness, v.22. “According to all God commanded him.” The standard by which he lived was the word of God.