Genesis 6:1-22

As the population of man began to grow and the length of man’s life was so prolonged, it seems that the sinfulness of man knew no boundaries.  The intent of man’s heart was to continually do evil.  This saddened the heart of God and caused Him to burn with anger towards man.  God decided to interrupt the history of man and judge him.  However, God also made a way for man to escape from this judgment.  This establishes a pattern that God will follow throughout the history of man.  It is a pattern to which we must pay close attention and about which we must warn the world.

THE PROLIFERATION OF SINNERS: The sins of men were growing more and more abundant and the number of sinners on the earth were multiplying at an ever increasing rate.  This passage talks about the sons of God and the Nephilim cohabitating with the daughters of men.  I have yet to hear an explanation of this that I am convinced is the correct interpretation.  The Nephilim appear to be giants and they may have been called the sons of God since they were so large.  Their sinfulness may have been even more accentuated, so God was greatly displeased with this fact.  However, there seems to be something in the language that sounds like these beings are some sort of fallen angels.  This creates many difficulties.  Whoever they are, they are very displeasing to God, but they are simply an illustration of how all of mankind is behaving.  The hearts of men were corrupt that the depths of sin and violence to which they had fallen is very great.  The scary thing about this passage is that it seems to be describing current events as much as it seems to be describing the days of Noah.  Man’s heart is sinful and that sin multiplies in society to a point that every aspect of that society in influenced and corrupted by it.

THE PENALTY ON SINNERS: God decides to punish sin by killing all of the inhabitants of the earth.  He is going to wipe the slate clean and start over.  He has determined to make some great changes on the earth and can tolerate the sinfulness of men no longer.  God is patient, but He is also very willing to judge sinful men who will not repent.  We must never think that there is safety in numbers before God.  Men have a tendency to excuse their sin by saying that “everyone is doing it.”  God does not care how many men will be judged, He will judge all men justly.  God demonstrates very clearly that the penalty of sin is death and that He is more than willing to pronounce that penalty on all of humanity if that is needed.  We must never think that since there are billions of people on the earth today that God will somehow excuse our sinfulness.  Just as He decided to judge men in the days of Noah; He will judge the current world.  Only the next judgment will not be with water but the New Testament tells us that the coming judgment will be by fire.  We must warn all of mankind that God’s judgment and wrath will fall upon this earth once again.

THE PROVISION FOR SINNERS: God establishes another pattern of His grace upon man through Noah.  God had preserved for Himself a faithful remnant in the person of Noah and his family.  It is said of Noah that he walked with God and lived in obedience to God.  God made a provision to save Noah and his family from the coming judgment by telling Noah to build an ark.  God is faithful and gracious to reveal His plan to His children and to make provision for their salvation from His wrath.  Noah was not a perfect man, but he feared God and lived for God’s glory.  God instructed Noah as to what he should do in order to spare the life of his family as well as the rest of the animals on the earth.  The ark was God’s provision of salvation.  Though it had never rained on the earth prior to this day, Noah believed God’s warning and did exactly as he was told to do.  He built a huge boat at God’s command.  This is what God requires of all men; that we hear His Word and believe what He tells us.  Noah built an ark to be saved from the judgment of God.  The ark was God’s provision for Noah to be saved from God’s judgment.  Today God has provided a means of escaping His eternal judgment that is far greater than the ark.  God has given us His only Son to die in our place and free us from the wrath of God.  God’s only requirement is that we believe His Word and entrust our lives to Christ as our only hope of salvation.  God is always faithful to make provision for the salvation of men, but He does require that we trust in His provision and not those of our own making.  Today there are many manmade “arks” that claim to provide salvation from God’s judgment.  However, the only means by which man can be saved is through faith in Christ.