Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 6:1-22 02/17/02

Intro: This story is told by the late Donald Barnhouse 'Musicians noticed that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. the boys did not know there was anything wrong with the ringing of the chimes and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch.

 So, Barnhouse says, we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs we watch on TV and in the movies, almost without knowing it. God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all the music of the world.'

 What I am talking about is compromise and not the good kind where you give a little and someone else gives a little so that you can both work together.
 
    I am talking about only one person changing and the change is not for the better.
    I am talking about allowing our integrity to take a back seat to our desires.
    I am talking about trying to straddle the line between living a godly life and living like the world.
    I am talking about saying no to the Holy Spirit when He warns us that we are crossing the line of obedience to God and jumping squarely on the side of rebellion against God.
    I am talking about spiritual compromise.  Have I got your attention?

Background: After ch. 3 of Genesis Satan is not mentioned but he is actively at work. One of Satan's most successful devices used against the godly of any time is compromise. If Satan can delude God's people into abandoning their privileged position of separation from sin and separation to fellowship with God, then he can corrupt and lead them astray. Satan does this often in Scripture to the nation of Israel...and he does it today as well with Christians.

Trans: What was Satans plan for compromise in Noah's day? Let's look. Open your Bibles to Gen. 6:1

Read: Genesis 6:1,2,4
 
    These first verses of Ch. 6 have been wrought with controversy in the church with the question 'Who are the sons of God in this text?' There has been three positions held historically.

1. They were fallen angels who took the form of man.
2. They were demons who indwelled rich and powerful leaders.
3. They were descendants of the godly line of Seth.

 While there is some Biblical support for the possibility of  one of the first two being true, they don't make sense here in Gen. 6.

 First,  9 times God uses the word man or men...never is the word angel used.

 Second, the context here is the scope of sin and wickedness then in the world...it was inclusive...even the godly descendants of Seth eventually crossed the line from obedience to God to rebellion against Him. So much so that we will see that God was going to judge the whole earth and everyone in it.

 Finally, if it is talking of fallen angels uniting with human women, what does that have to do with us today? No, here, a paramount Biblical theme is introduced, the co-mingling of the godly with the ungodly. Time after time Israel was commanded by God to separated from all it's neighbors.

 Did they listen? No. Israel learned the hard way what it meant to compromise their relationship with God. What was the nature of the compromise here in the text? The godly descendants of Seth began to marry the ungodly descendants of Cain. And what was the result?

     Were the daughters of the ungodly converted to faithfulness to God?
     Were they won over to following the One True God?
     Were they saved by the testimony of the godly who married them?

     NO! It was the other way around. The ungodly women turned the hearts of their godly husbands away from God. That is the way is was in Noah's day...that is the way it was in Solomons day when he married foreign women. And that is the way it is today when  Christians marry unbelievers. Want me to make it clearer?

Read: 2 Cor. 6:14-18

 That is God's Word. God's command not to be 'unequally yoked with unbelievers' carries the same authority as 'for there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus'.

 There is no difference..the same God has spoken. Yet, as more and more Christians today cling desperately to Rom. 8:1 many don't acknowledge 2 Cor. 6:14-18 as being valid for them.

 IT IS NO DIFFERENT!  Often when they do see it, it is too late. Christians who have chosen to rebel against God and marry an unbeliever see their own faith questioned or at the very least their service to God, and attendance at corporate worship, become non existent.  Then, when children come along, it is hard to justify going to church regularly as a child when you have one parent who doesn't attend.

     Folks, especially those of you here this morning who are single or who have unmarried children, there is no upside to marrying an unbeliever.  And there is a great downside...as those in Noah's day found out.

     One final thing before we leave these verses. What is this about Nephilim...giants of vs 4? If you hold that the sons of God were fallen angels, then these would be the children of angels marrying humans.  The problem is that the text says they were there after the flood too.

     So was there another joining of fallen angels with human women after the Fall? No. Most conservative commentators believe the Nephilim were extremely ungodly men who were highly regarded by the wicked people of that day.  It is a sad time when the most ungodly and wicked are considered the heroes or mighty men of their day.

Read: Genesis 6:3

 Here we see that although God saw mankind was increasingly more and more evil and that the darkness of  His judgment was just around the corner, He still shines the light of His grace. He gives humanity 120 more years to repent before He will execute judgment. That's God's grace in action.

 But notice, this text also teaches that there is an end to the grace of God. God is not obliged to be patient with the sinner forever. The time will come, once again, when His Sprit and His grace will be withheld and His judgment on sin will be executed. The smart thing is to respond to the Spirit of God and accept God's grace while it is still offered.

Read: Genesis 6:5-7

 Want a definition of the total depravity of sinful humanity? Here it is. Every inclination, every thought , every desire of the heart is evil/sinful...all   the  time. That is why it is impossible but by the grace of God for anyone to be saved. There is nothing in the sinner that drives us to want God.

 Now, they have said 'God hates the sin but loves the sinner'? Did they, whoever they are, get that phrase from Gen. 6? No, in fact, here we see that not only does God hate sin, He doesn't think too highly of the sinner either. God was sorry, it grieved Him that He created mankind since they plunged themselves to the depths of utter sinfulness.

 Understand that God is not changing His mind here about His decision to create mankind in the first place. He is saying that humanity has utterly disappointed Him and it hurts to see what we have become apart from a personal relationship with Him.

 Folks, apart from Jesus Christ, you can not separate the sin from the sinner. They are one.God hates sin and w/o repentance, the sinner will face the wrath of God...which will mean their utter destruction.

    I don't know about you but if that is how God deals with those in the world who are ungodly, I don't want to fit in with the world...do you?

Read: Genesis 6:8-10

 But...what a great Biblical word.  The world was under God's wrath ...But Noah was under God's grace!

 Noah was righteous, that means he had a right standing before God. Noah was blameless, that doesn't mean he was perfect, but he had a right standing before his neighbors and family.  No one could find fault with his lifestyle.Noah, like Enoch in his family tree, walked with God. He had a personal, intimate and everyday relationship with God. And he didn't allow the world to corrupt his morals or compromise his integrity or relationship with God. Noah said no to the world and yes to God! Everyday.

Read: Genesis 6:11-13

 Here God, once again, reminds us  of why He is going to destroy the world with the flood. The earth and all in it were corrupt and it was full of violence. There was no spiritual revival, no calling upon the name of the Lord. There was only evil.

Read: Genesis 6: 14-17

 God let Noah in on what He had planned. Because Noah walked with God, God spoke to him and Noah listened.

Read: Jer. 33:3

 When you walk with God, He will speak to you and tell you what He is doing around you and will invite you to join Him in His work. That is more than just something taken from the book 'Experiencing God' it is taken directly from God's Word here in Gen. 6:14-17.

    And God told Noah to build an Ark. The burning question on many minds is 'How big was it really?' Depending upon the measurement of a cubit which is usually 18",  the boat would have been  450 x 75 x 45. Computer simulations have shown that a vessel of this size and with these dimensions would not only be stable in the water but would be near impossible to capsize.
Let me give you some examples of the size. It would hold the same volume as 250 Boeing 757's, or   4000 railroad cars. By the way, some say a biblical cubic is 20 ½". I am told by those not mathematically challenged like I am, that means the volume of the ark would have been 47% more. Huge, no matter how you measure it.

Read: Genesis 6: 18

 Here is the first use of the word covenant in the Bible. A covenant is a promise between God and His people. It involves obligation and benefits for each party involved. The covenant was that God would be with Noah and his family and they would survive the Flood.

 God in his matchless grace understood the terror Noah and his family must have felt when God told them to build the ark because a great flood was going to destroy all life on earth.

 Notice that up to this point, God never said they would be spared. Imagine the relief and great sensed of thankfulness they must have felt when God made His covenant, His promise to them.

Read: Genesis 6:19-21

 Was it possible that one, basically really big floating box, could  house all the animals and birds mentioned here? Considering there are only 100 species of wild mammals that weight over 100 lbs that means the average land animal is about the size of a sheep. And those over 100 lbs were probably taken into the ark very young which would drastically reduce their size and weight. Yes, computer simulations have revealed that representatives of every species of animal and bird would fit into the ark with room for food as well.

 Notice that Noah and his family didn't have to go looking for the animals to place into the ark. God brought them. The Sovereign God spoke to the animals and they not only heard the voice of their creator they responded.  I will speak more about the animals on the ark next week in chapter 7.

Read: Genesis 6:22

 Imagine what Noah's neighbors might have said.

 By the way Noah, did you get a permit from Walt for that thing?
 Noah, you have been building that monstrosity for over 100 years...when will it ever be done?
 Noah, you keep telling us about the judgment of God, His wrath  and this great flood and I got to tell you, I don't see it.
 Year after year the preaching fell on deaf ears and the people around him thought him more and more crazy...

 Yet, Noah did everything just as God commanded. That meant Noah believed God and His Word. Noah built a huge boat in the middle of nowhere, even though there was no water, no marina, or boat ramp to be found. Noah heard and believed the Word of God and obeyed it...period.

Conclusion

 Compromise is often the result of peer pressure. Whether it has to do with drugs, alcohol, sex, bending or breaking the law in some way, everyone regardless of age is tempted by peer pressure. Children in the playground, teens at the school dance, college kids in the frat house, adult at that company party ...all  are tempted with peer pressure to compromise their relationship with the Lord. Resisting peer pressure and refusing to compromise your integrity and faith in the Lord is not just a matter of saying no to ungodly thoughts and actions but saying a resounding YES to living a godly life.

 Believer, I want you to notice something..a pattern here in this text. God first speaks of the evil in the world and then he gives us a glimpse of his grace.

 Vs 1,2  evil, vs 3 grace, vs 4-7 evil, vs 8-10 grace, vs 11-13 evil, vs 14-16 grace, vs 17 evil, vs 18-21 grace.

 Never is there condemnation of evil without the hope of grace. I believe Noah understood that. And that is why he did everything just as God commanded. Noah knew the grace of God. Over and over again he saw God's gracious acts in his life and he responded with love and obedience.

 Christian, ask God to open your eyes to the abundant grace He is pouring upon you everyday...and the more you see it, the more thankful you will be and the more you will desire to walk with God and be obedient to all that He commands. Then you will be able to say NO to compromising your relationship with God.