Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 7:1-8:19 02/24/02

Intro: Most people have heard of the Flood and Noah's Ark...agreed? The knowledge of the Flood is almost universal, it is even found in places where Christianity is unknown. In fact, anthropologists have discovered 250-300 Flood stories from all over the world. But our familiarity with this Biblical account is perhaps the greatest obstacle keeping many from truly benefiting from what the Flood reveals about God, and humanity. Most already have their minds made up concerning the meaning behind the Flood.

    Either God was justified in the destruction of all living things...because humanities sin was so great.  The emphasis is on mankinds sin OR, God was a monster to destroy all life, if He truly is a God of love, He should have found a better way to deal with sin. The emphasis is on God's character.

 Others concentrate on the mechanics of how such a Flood could or could not have happened scientifically? Where did all the water come from? Where did it all go? What about the animals? The emphasis is on how science validates or repudiates Scripture.

 We have our minds made up and there is little or nothing new about the Flood that could change our minds. Or is there? I will not attempt to give a detailed analysis of the Flood. Because I think that is the narrow view... and not the most important view to examine.

 Instead I want to look at the Big Picture of the Flood account. Is there something new we can find...or at least is there something we already know but have relegated to a lesser place of importance?

 Let's look at the Flood account this morning with eyes open to see what God for  His pleasure wishes to reveal to us.
Let's Pray

Trans: Open your Bibles to Genesis 7:1, page 5 in your Worship Center Bible. There are three important truths to glean from these first 16 verses.

Read: Genesis 7:1-16

First truth:  The Lord then said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and your whole family...' Unfortunately, both the NIV and the NASB don't do justice to the true meaning of this most important first verse.

 The Hebrew word  the NIV and NAS translates as 'enter' or 'go' is translated over 1435 times in the Bible as 'come', only 123 times as 'go' or 'enter'.  A better translation is 'The Lord then said to Noah, come in to the ark, you and your whole family'.

 Do you see the difference? 'Come into the ark' gives the idea that the Lord is waiting in the ark and will be with them. The Hebrew word for 'come' is used other places in Scripture of a father tenderly calling his children. The principal idea here is that God calls out to His children, tenderly inviting them to come into His presence where they will find safety and security.

Second truth: Notice there is a pattern in these 16 verses. There are three different statements that are stated three times. Why three times? For emphasis. To show importance. What are the statements?

 1. Noah and his family are invited by God to come into the ark. Vs 1; 6-7; 13.  We learned last week their invitation to come into the security of God's presence  was because of God's grace. Noah responded to God's grace, and we assume his family did as well, by living lives holy unto the Lord.  The emphasis here is on God's grace.

 2. Obedience to God is mentioned in vs 5; 9; 16 and is the second statement mentioned three times. It is interesting that the Lord saw or the NIV says found, that Noah was righteous. What this means is that not only did Noah believe God but his life was a demonstration of what he believed. Belief is the Christians motivation to obedience. Noah believed and acted in obedience to God. The life of the believer is a life of obedience.  Obedience is emphasized here.

 3. Finally, the animals are mentioned three times in vs 2-3; 8-9; 14-16a. Notice that the salvation of humanity is linked to the animal kingdom. For many, not me however, it may be comforting to  know that God cares for cats, dogs, elephants and even insects. The emphasis is on continued life for all God's creation.

 Three different statements all mentioned three times here in 17 verses. The purpose is to emphasisze life in the midst of the destruction of the Flood. Hold that thought and I will come back to it at the end of the message.

Third truth: vs 16b 'Then the Lord shut him in'. You can almost hear the door banging shut against the side of the ark. And as the door shut, Naoh and his family were safe and secure but, the time of God's judgment had arrived.

 Only those who had gone through the door would be saved/delivered from the wrath of God unleashed on the ungodly. God shut them in. But that means He also shut everyone else out. God waited 120 years for people to repent and turn to Him...but no one came, no one repented, no one turned to God...no not one! A wise man reminded me this week that God did not delight in the  judgment of His wrath upon sinful humanity.

2 Peter 3:9 'The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.'

 We must never forget that. God does not delight in the destruction of the wicked. However, the door was closed to those under the wrath of God in Noah's day. BUT the door is open today for all those who hear God's call....'come'. God is still calling the sinner to come, repent and be saved...Have you heard His voice? Have you come to the open door. Have you come to Christ? Have you found salvation in our Lord?

 Those who enter the ark of salvation by coming through the door of Jesus Christ will be sealed by God and kept by the power of God, just as Noah and his family were sealed in the ark and kept safe from the wrath of God.
 
Beloved of God, when the storm is raging, when the sky of your life is dark, when you sense there is no way out, God has made a way. The safest place to be in these difficult times is in the presence of God, safe in the ark of God, who is Christ Jesus.
 
Read: Genesis 7:17-24

 The judgment and wrath of God was very real in Noah's day. And here, in just 7 verses, God tells us of His wrath. When I read this, however, it seems to lack something. It lacks the Hollywood touch which would have made much more of this event.

 We would have seen all kinds of sinful, degrading behavior graphically displayed prior to the Flood. Then the plot would turn to the violence and destruction of the Flood. Cities would be ripped apart by the raging torrents. A mother violently separated from her children, buildings smashed shattering earthquakes, violent volcano eruptions, and great buildings collapsing into the roaring deluge. People screaming, swimming up to the ark pleading to be let in. Then one by one, they would go under.
 
Yet, there is not one graphically descriptive word in our 7 verses telling us the actual agony, suffering and death of the ungodly. Not one scene of the utter personal destruction is played before our eyes. Wouldn't that have taught us a lesson? While the wrath and judgment of God upon unrepentant sinful humanity is important and very necessary for us to fully comprehend. I thank God there is a much greater lesson to be learned here in Gen. 7:1-24..the saving grace of God. While we dare not ignore or minimize the warnings given to the ungodly in this text, we must not lose sight of it's encouragement either.

Read: Genesis 8:1a

 God remembered Noah, his family and all the animals in the ark. Did this mean that God, in the midst of  sustaining the Flood, had forgotten about them? No. Theologically, for God to remember means that He intervenes, acts in behalf of another...here Noah, his family and the animals in the ark. Remember, God was with them in the ark.  'Come into the ark' was God's invitation to Noah, his family and the animals. God was always with them...even if it seemed at times from their perspective that God had left them.

 Heb. 13:5 says 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'.  That is God's promise to all who go through the storms of life. You will go through them, but you will not go alone...God and all the power that created and sustains the universe will be with you.

Read: Genesis 8:1b-14

 The rain had stopped, the flood  was receding. Noah sent out some birds to see if the ground was dry.  When the dove didnt return, Noah knew the ground had dried up. It was safe to go out of the ark...so why did he stay inside? Imagine how difficult it would have been for Noah and his family to wait. They were stuck on that boat for over a year. Drifting at sea day after day. At last they knew the ground was dry,  yet they didn't throw open the door and rush out into the dry ground.

 This is telling us that Noah did not become impatient and try to run ahead of God. When it was God's will for them to leave the ark, He would tell them and they would not leave until God spoke. Kind of like when God said that He would take His presence from the Israelites because of their sin and Moses said if God didn't go with them, they would not go anywhere.   So Noah and his family waited.

 Perhaps you are struggling with a decision, up to here with sorrow and pain, uncertain about your future and God is silent. You are a Believer, you gave your heart to God by faith in Jesus Christ so why is God silent? You know you are supposed to wait..but for how long? When will God speak to you? How long must you wait? 3Child of God, the promise of God is that He will act, He will come near, He will intervene. He hears your cries to Him, but He will act in His time, not ours.  We must be like Noah who was an example of one who so trusts in God that He will not go forward without a clear Word from God.

 Well, God finally speaks to Noah.

Read: Genesis 8:15-19

 There is an end to the storms in our lives. There will be a time when God will say, it's over, go forth and live. Like Noah, we may not know exactly what God has planned for us BUT we must be like Noah and go.

 Noah didn't linger on the ark, he immediately left when God told him it was ok to do so. And Noah went out to start a new life. When God calls to us and tells us what to do, we must be like Noah and move immediately, whatever the Lord may require.  Even if we don't know what lies ahead, we know who walks the uncertain road with us...the God of the universe.

 The God who can calm the great Flood can see you safely through the storms of your life as well. Listen for Him, Trust Him, Obey Him, Be saved by Him.