Genesis Ch6v8-Ch8v22 - New Creation

At the end of the 150 days, the water had gone down, and on the 17th day of the seventh month,

the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Well, let's keep our Bibles open at these great chapters, and we're going to pray,

and as always, ask God to help us. Let's do that.

Father, you are the Creator God, the God who sends rain for things to grow, the sun to shine.

You give us all that we have. We are dependent upon you.

And so we come to you and ask that you would help us to have understanding of your word.

But more than that, that your word would travel deep into our hearts,

and that it would change us, and help us to live lives that walk faithfully with you.

Amen.

As a kid, we used to sing a song about Noah in our church.

Maybe you might remember it. Maybe you've heard of it.

It went like this.

Mr. Noah built an ark.

The people thought it was a lark.

Mr. Noah pleaded so, but into the ark they would not go.

Down came the rain in torrents.

Splish splash.

Down came the rain in torrents.

Splish splash.

Down came the rain in torrents.

And only eight were saved.

Did you ever hear that song?

Well, as we sang that song, as a little kid, I can picture myself there, sitting there, daydreaming away.

One question occupied my mind.

Where on earth was torrents?

Now I'm a little bit older, I can still ask the wrong questions about the text.

Next, we get preoccupied with things like, what happened to all the water?

How did they all fit into the ark?

All those different kinds of animals and birds.

And did it include dinosaurs?

And when did the flood actually happen?

I mean, does the flood and all the fossil records,

are we able to determine when the world was created and when the flood happened?

And was it just eight people who were in the boat?

Did they have children too?

Now these are all wonderfully interesting questions.

But you know what?

It's not the point of the flood account.

To understand what the flood account teaches us,

we need to listen to what God has to say.

Now in the text, there are three things that God clearly says.

There are three statements that kind of stand out as highlights

to break up the text for us.

God says three things.

He says, build an ark.

Second, go into the ark.

And then third, come out of the ark.

Three commands given to Noah that are going to teach us today.

Build an ark, go into the ark, and come out of the ark.

So let's look at them together.

First, build an ark.

Chapter 6, verse 14.

God said to Noah, go make yourself an ark of cypress wood,

make rooms in it, and coat it with pitch on the inside and out.

It was a huge vessel, 135 meters long.

So if you can imagine, if you're out in the car park,

it's from one end of the car park,

right the way, I'd say, to the bandstand.

Huge.

25 meters wide.

That's as long as this room is.

That's how wide the boat was.

And 14 meters high?

Well, we had an argument about this earlier.

To the roof, and maybe a couple more meters.

This was to be a floating vessel,

big enough to house Noah's extended family,

and a whole lot of animals and birds and creepy crawlies.

But why?

Why is God giving this seemingly strange command?

I mean, Noah's not living anywhere near the sea.

Why is God telling him to build a boat?

Well, I think there are two reasons that we're given.

Here's the first one.

Sin is more serious than we thought.

Look back at verse 11.

Now, the earth was corrupt in God's sight

and was full of violence.

And God saw how corrupt the earth had become.

For all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

Remember, at the beginning of creation,

the world was full of God's glory.

Now the world was full of man's corruption.

Instead of displaying God's beauty,

humanity is now displaying their brokenness.

And God looks and he sees all the destruction and disorder

and he responds with judgment.

Verse 13.

So God said to Noah,

I am going to put an end to all people.

For the earth is filled with violence.

I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

Now, understandably, we find this shocking.

I really struggled working through that this week.

How could God do something like this?

I mean, images come to mind of some of the floods we see

most recently in Canada

or passed in the summer in Germany.

Or think back to 2004.

Remember the tsunami in Southeast Asia

where 20 metre waves came travelling in

three kilometres inland,

swamping whole towns and communities.

230,000 people died as a result of those floods.

How can God say to Noah,

I am going to put an end to all peoples?

To our minds and to our senses,

it's incomprehensible.

Well, God's response reveals to us

just how serious sin is.

God is saying,

because you have continued down a road of self-destruction,

he is saying to the people of that time,

I am going to destroy you.

I mean, how do you respond

when you hear about some crime?

How do you feel

when you experience an injustice?

When you see all the madness in our world,

you want it to end, don't you?

You want it all to stop right now.

No more bad news.

We want it to stop.

Well, now think of it on a cosmic scale.

God who made us

and sees everything about us

knows everything that is going on all of the time.

And God is rightfully angry

at all the evil and injustice

because it destroys the peace

and the beauty that God intends

for mankind in the world.

So God says,

no more.

It's going to stop.

I'm not going to allow this to continue.

You persist in ruining your own lives

and destroying the gifts that I have given you.

So I am going to ruin you.

No matter how much we think it through,

I think we'll always struggle

with the account of the flood.

We'll always think that God has overreacted

and kind of just flipped off

and gone off on one.

We'll even sit back and charge God

with a cosmic genocide.

Why?

Because we don't see

how serious sin is.

The problem is not God's response.

It's our tolerance of sin.

That's the issue.

But that's not the only reason

why Noah had to build an ark.

Here's the second.

There's a greater judgment to come.

God told Noah,

build an ark

because God's judgment was coming.

It was a judgment

from which there would be no escape.

Look down with me,

chapter 7, verse 17.

For 40 days,

the flood kept coming on the earth.

Now, we're used to water and rain

in Ireland, aren't we?

I mean,

it lasts a few hours

and then it stops

and maybe a little while later,

a few more hours.

But this is 40 days,

40 nights,

torrential rain

doesn't stop.

The flood kept coming on the earth

and as the waters increased,

they lifted the ark

high above the earth.

The waters rose

and increased greatly on the earth

and the ark floated

on the surface of the water.

Verse 21.

Every living thing

that moved on land

perished.

Birds,

livestock,

wild animals,

all the creatures

that swarm over the earth

and all mankind.

Everything on dry land

that had the breath of life

in its nostrils died.

Every living thing

on the face of the earth

was wiped out.

People

and animals

and the creatures

that move along the ground

and the birds

were wiped

from the earth.

Only Noah was left

and those with him

in the ark.

The effects

were terrible,

devastating.

Now,

while we try

to comprehend this

and to get our heads

around a worldwide flood,

something more terrible

and devastating

is yet to happen.

Yes, it is.

The flood

is a sign,

a warning

of a greater judgment

to come.

Go with me, please,

to Matthew's Gospel.

It's the first book

in the New Testament.

Matthew

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24.

Matthew

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24.

And verse 36.

Jesus here

is speaking

of the final

and eternal judgment

to come.

and he likens it

to

the time of Noah.

But

as he thinks

about it,

it's going to be

different to the flood

in Noah's time

because

this judgment

will be

eternal.

Let's pick it up

in verse 36,

Matthew 24.

But about that day,

about this day

of judgment,

about that day

or hour,

Noah knows,

not even the angels

in heaven

nor the sun,

but only the father.

As it was

in the days

of Noah,

so it will be

at the coming

of the son of man.

For in the days

before the flood,

people were eating

and drinking,

marrying

and giving in marriage

up to the day

Noah entered the ark.

They were just

going about

their normal lives,

going to work,

going to college,

doing all the normal things.

Verse 39,

and they knew

nothing about

what would happen

until the flood came

and took them

all away.

That is how

it will be

at the coming

of the son of man.

Two men

will be in a field,

one will be taken

and the other left.

Two women

will be grinding

with their hands

on the mill,

one will be taken,

the other left.

Can you see

what Jesus

is saying?

This coming

of Jesus

again

will come

as a surprise.

It will be

unannounced.

Some will be

rescued,

others will

perish.

Some will be

in safety,

others will be

condemned.

You see,

it is not just

Noah

who is in need

of an ark.

We are in

all need

of an ark.

One day

God's judgment

is going to

fall,

but this time

it will be

final

and eternal.

Verse 44,

so you

also must

be ready

because the

son of man

will come

at an hour

when you do

not

expect him.

We all

need

an ark.

We are all

in need

of rescue.

So first,

God says

to Noah,

build

an ark.

Let's go

back to

Genesis

and chapter

7.

Build an

ark.

Second thing

God says

to Noah

is,

go into

the ark.

Chapter

7 and

verse 1.

the Lord

said to

Noah,

go into

the ark,

you and

your whole

family.

It's clear

at this

stage,

isn't it,

that God

is providing

Noah a

means of

rescue.

God is

going to

bring Noah

through the

judgment.

So what

is this

teaching us?

Well,

here's the

first,

that God

is more

gracious

than we

thought.

God's

more

gracious

than we

thought.

Look at

verse 1

again,

chapter 7.

The Lord

said to

Noah,

go into

the ark,

you and

your whole

family,

because I

have found

you righteous

in this

generation.

Now it's

easy for us

to read that

and think,

oh,

God's

saving

Noah because

Noah's

righteous.

Everybody

else was

corrupt,

but Noah

was good.

That's not

what it

means.

We're going

to come

back to it

again in a

minute.

You see,

Noah was

also sinful.

Look what

God says

to Noah

and his

family after

the flood.

Yes,

spoiler alert,

he does

get rescued,

but let's

see what

God said

to him

after the

flood.

Chapter

8 and

verse 21.

They come

out of the

ark.

Noah gives

a sacrifice

of thanksgiving

to God.

Verse 21,

the Lord

smelled the

pleasing aroma

and said in

his heart,

never again

will I curse

the ground

because of

humans,

even though

every inclination

of the human

heart is evil

from childhood.

Who's God

talking about

there?

Well,

it's only

Noah and

his family

who are left,

isn't it?

You see,

Noah is

just as

corrupt as

everybody else.

Noah saves

not because he's

better than

anyone else,

he's rescued

because God

is gracious.

God is

saving a

sinner

who is

going to

sin

again.

Now,

as we read

the text,

we're caught

up with all

kinds of

questions like

this.

Why did

God let

so many

people perish?

Yes,

God was

gracious to

Noah,

but I

mean,

what about

everybody

else?

Maybe if

they knew

what was

going on,

things would

have been

different.

If they

knew God

was going

to send

a flood,

then they

could have

turned and

could have

done something

about it.

because we

probably think

of the

account like

this.

We think

of God

coming along

to Noah

one day

and saying,

Noah,

build an

ark,

and by

the end

of the

week,

Noah has

his ark

built,

and the

rains come,

and they're

saved,

and everybody

else perishes.

No,

that's not

how it was.

A vessel

this size,

think of

it,

135 metres

long,

25 metres

wide,

14 metres

high,

would have

taken years

to build,

decades

to build.

I mean,

there was

no builder's

supply store

to go to,

no power

tools,

everything done

by hand,

cut down

the trees,

sliced up

the trees,

dry the

wood,

everything

all done

by hand,

135 metres

long,

all done

by hand

by eight

people.

You can

imagine

everybody

walking by.

Noah,

what are

you doing?

I'm

building an

ark.

God told

me to

build a

great big

boat.

Why are

you doing

that for?

Well,

because God

said a

flood is

coming.

Your man,

did you hear

about your

man?

The New

Testament

actually tells

us that Noah

was a preacher

of righteousness.

He warned

the people

year after

year,

decade after

decade,

but no

turning to

God.

You see,

the shock is

not that God

doesn't save

more.

Here's the

shock.

The shock is

that God

would save

a sinful

family in

Noah who

would end

up messing

up again.

You see,

without God's

intervention,

Noah would

face the

same fate

as everybody

else.

Look back

at chapter

6,

verse 17.

Chapter

6,

verse 17,

God says,

I'm going to

bring the

floodwaters on

the earth to

destroy life

under the

heavens,

every creature

that has the

breath of life

in it,

everything will

perish,

but I will

establish my

covenant with

you and you

will enter the

ark, you and

your sons and

your wife and

your sons'

wives with

you.

A covenant

is a promise

from God,

it's a

commitment.

So God is

saying to

Noah,

here's my

promise,

this is my

commitment to

you,

I'm going to

rescue you.

In fact,

I'm going to

give you the

plans and

the details

of how to

build this

ark to

ensure that

you and

your family

are safe.

And so

Noah and

his three

sons and

his wife and

his son's

wives entered

the ark.

Verse 6,

chapter 7.

Noah was

600 years old

when the

floodwaters came

on the

earth.

And Noah and

his sons and

his wife and

his son's

wives entered

the ark to

escape the

waters of

the flood.

You see,

grace is

always shocking

because it's

not what we

deserve and

it's not what

we even

desire.

But there's

something else

to learn from

this.

Just as

there is a

greater

judgment to

come, so

there's a

greater

saviour to

come.

Go with

me, please,

to 1 Peter.

It's near the

end of the

New Testament.

1 Peter

and chapter

3.

Just as

God provides

a rescue

vessel for

Noah, so

God provides

a rescue

for mankind

today.

1 Peter

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

Here, Peter

is actually

looking back

as he teaches.

He's looking

back to

when Noah

was building

the ark.

We'll pick it

up in the

middle of

verse 20.

1 Peter

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

middle of

verse 20.

So he's

looking back

to the

days of

Noah when

the ark

was being

built.

In it,

only a few

people,

eight in

all,

were saved

through

water.

Noah was

saved through

the flood.

In other

words, the

floods came

down and

Noah and

his family

were brought

safely through

the flood

of judgment.

They were

rescued.

They were

kept safe.

Now look

at verse

21.

And this

water, this

flood,

symbolizes

baptism

that now

saves you

also.

Just as

God saved

Noah from

judgment

through the

flood,

so baptism

is a

picture of

salvation

from God's

judgment to

come.

baptism.

So picture

in your

minds with

me a

baptism.

Baptism is

not just a

sprinkling of

water on

somebody's

head.

It literally

means to

submerge or

to immerse.

It's to go

under.

To go under

the water and

to come out

of the water.

So when

somebody gets

baptized,

they're going

down under

the water.

It's a

picture of

judgment.

And when

they come up

out of the

water,

it's a

picture of

salvation.

Now we

need to be

careful that

we don't

see baptism

itself as

the means of

saving people

because anybody

can get

baptized and

go,

that's me,

I'm saved,

that's it.

Now look

carefully at

verse 21

with me

again.

This water

symbolizes

baptism that

now saves

you also.

Not the

removal of

dirt from

the body,

but the

pledge of

a clear

conscience

towards God.

It saves

you by

the

resurrection

of Jesus

Christ.

You see,

baptism is

a picture

of the

death and

resurrection

of Jesus.

Jesus'

death was

a judgment

for my

sin and

your sin.

So when

Jesus died,

it's as if

he was going

under the

flood of

God's

judgment for

you and

for me.

And as

Jesus rose

again from

the dead,

so Jesus

was being

raised to

life for

you and

for me.

Jesus comes

through the

judgment for

us so

that we

can share

in his

life.

That's what's

happening when

someone gets

baptized.

They're saying,

I trust in

God's provision

of salvation.

I trust

that Jesus

is my

ark when

the judgment

comes.

So just

as God

said to

Noah,

Noah,

go into

the ark,

God is

saying to

us,

go into

Jesus.

Go to

him,

run to

him,

trust him

because he

alone is

the only

one who

can save

you and

deliver you.

And God

is giving

us great

opportunity.

just go

forward to

2 Peter,

just flick

over a

couple of

pages,

till you

come to

2 Peter

2 Peter 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and verse

6.

2 Peter

2 Peter 3:6

chapter 3

verse 6,

Peter again

takes up the

story of

Noah and

teaches us

some more.

2 Peter

2 Peter 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and verse

6,

he's talking

about the

flood.

And

he's talking

about the

flood.

By

these

waters,

the

waters

of the

flood,

by these

waters,

also the

world of

that time

was deluged

and destroyed.

By the

same word,

the present

heavens and

earth are

reserved for

fire,

being kept

for the

day of

judgment and

destruction of

the ungodly.

But do not

forget this one

thing, dear

friends,

with the

Lord a

day is like

a thousand

years and

a thousand

years are

like a

day.

The Lord

is not

slow in

keeping his

promise as

some understand

slowness.

Instead he is

patient with

you, not

wanting anyone

to perish,

but everyone

to come to

repentance.

Do you hear

the call of

God?

Go into

the ark,

run to

Jesus.

The only

reason he

has not

yet returned,

the only

reason why

we are

still living

for each

and every

one of

us is

that he

is giving

us time,

time to

turn to

him,

time to

run to

Jesus,

our sure

and steadfast

salvation.

salvation.

Let's go

back to

Genesis

and

chapter

8.

So God

says to

Noah,

build an

ark.

He says

go into

the ark

and then

third he

tells Noah

come out

of the

ark.

chapter

8 and

verse 15.

Then God

said to

Noah,

come out

of the

ark,

you,

your wife

and your

sons and

their wives.

Verse 18,

so Noah

came out

together with

his sons

and his

wife and

his sons

wives.

God

promised

Noah,

Noah I'm

going to

save you

I'm

going to

bring you

through this

flood and

God did

exactly what

he said.

You see

God is

more trusting

than we

thought.

Look at

the end of

chapter 7

verse 24.

The waters

were told

flooded the

earth for

150 days.

That's

almost for

five months.

And when

you take

into account

the 40

days and

40 nights

of rain,

that means

Noah and

his family

were in

the ark

for six

months,

floating about.

Can you

picture them

floating about

in this huge

big vessel

with all the

dirt and

the muck of

all those

animals and

everything else,

nothing but

water all

around them.

What would

they be?

Where's

God?

Is this

the rescue?

Is this

our life for

the rest of

our days,

floating around

on this

barge?

God said

he was

going to

rescue us.

Where is

he?

What's

going on?

Chapter

8 verse

1.

But God

remembered

Noah.

God

remembered

Noah.

It's not

that God

forgot

Noah.

It's not

like kind

of picturing

God way up

there and

looking down

on the

world and

just kind

of goes,

what's that

little speck?

Looks a bit

closer.

Oh,

it's poor

Noah floating

about.

Oh,

I'm terribly

sorry,

Noah.

I forgot

all about

you.

No,

God doesn't

forget.

God

remembered

Noah.

It means

God acted

on his

promise.

God said

he would

save Noah

and God

did what

he said

he would

do.

He made

a commitment

and God

holds himself

to the

commitment.

He always

does.

But they

weren't out

yet,

were they?

Look at

verse 3.

The water

receded

steadily from

the earth

at the

end of

the 150

days.

So this

is 150

days to

build up

to the

water

coming

and then

another

150

days for

the water

to go

down.

So that's

another five

months,

isn't it?

We're up

to 11

months now

on the

boat.

Has

God

forgotten

again?

Can we

really trust

God with

his promise

of salvation?

Yes,

we can.

Verse 13,

By the

first day

of the

first month

of Noah's

601st year,

the water

had dried

up from

the earth.

Noah then

removed the

covering from

the ark and

saw that the

surface of

the ground

was dry.

By the

27th month

of the

second month,

the earth

was completely

dry.

And God

said to

Noah,

come out

of the

ark.

You see,

when God

makes a

promise,

he keeps

a promise.

We can

trust what

he says

he will

do.

If he

says,

I will

save,

he will

save.

No

doubts.

You see,

there's a

better way

for us

all to

live.

Not by

listening to

our own

voices,

or listening

to the

voices of

others,

but listening

to the

voice of

God,

just like

Noah did.

We need

to respond

as Noah

responded.

Remember how

he was

introduced,

chapter 6,

verse 9?

Noah was a

righteous man,

blameless among

the people of

his time,

and he

walked

faithfully

with God.

God.

We're not

saying Noah

was perfect,

he wasn't,

but he was

righteous.

That means

he walked

faithfully

with God.

That means

he heard

God's word

of salvation,

and he

trusted in

God's word

of salvation.

He wasn't

trusting in

himself,

he was

trusting in

what God

said he

would do.

He obeyed

God.

Did we

see that

throughout?

Chapter 6,

verse 14,

God says

to Noah,

go build

yourself an

ark.

Verse 22,

Noah did

everything just

as God

commanded him.

Verse 1,

God said

to Noah,

go into

the ark.

Verse 5,

and Noah

did all

that the

Lord

commanded

him.

Chapter 8,

verse 16,

come out

of the

ark.

Verse 18,

so Noah

came out

together with

his sons

and his

family.

Faith

is hearing

what God's

word says

and doing

what it

says.

it's

acting

upon

what God

is saying

to us.

It's not

just ticking

the box,

I believe,

anyone can

believe,

even the

devil believes

in God.

It's

obeying

God's

word of

salvation.

It's

taking

God's

word,

it's

taking

what this

book says

as serious,

that this

is what I'm

going to

build my

life upon.

God's

name.

The book

of Hebrews

celebrates

Noah as

an example

of faith.

Follow on

the screen,

it says,

by faith

Noah,

when warned

about things

not yet

seen,

God said

a flood

was going

to come.

Noah

believed

and he

trusted and

in holy

fear built

an ark to

save his

family.

you see,

faith is

what secures

our salvation.

There's

one very

small but

significant

act in

the whole

account of

Noah that

we need to

see.

Something

that God

did.

Noah goes

into the

ark as

God commanded

him.

He trusts

God for

salvation and

then what

happens?

Look at

chapter 7

the end

of verse

16.

Well,

we'll read

verse 16,

chapter 7

verse 16.

The animals

going in

were male

and female

of every

living thing

as God

had commanded

Noah.

Then the

Lord shut

him in.

God shut

the door.

God secured

Noah into

the ark.

God

the God

who promises

to save

is going

to save

us eternally.

It's not

the strength

of my

faith or

the ability

of me

that keeps

me saved.

It's God's

promise to

keep me in.

You see,

faith leads

to security

and assurance.

If God

could bring

Noah through

the flood,

how much

more is

God going

to save

and secure

us for

an eternity.

Remember

what Jesus

said?

I give

them eternal

life and

they shall

never perish.

No one

can snatch

them out of

my hand.

God

will

save

us.

God

will

save

us.

Maybe you're

wondering

today,

am I going

to make

it?

Is God

going to

save me?

He knows

all about

my life.

He sees

it all.

I'm not a

very good

Christian.

I don't

do very

well.

I mess

up and

fail so

much.

We

wonder if

we're going

to make

it.

Well,

remember

this,

the Lord

shut

Noah in.

Salvation

doesn't depend

on your

ability,

but on

the ability

of God

to keep

you as

he promised.

The Lord

secures

you once

and for

all.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Father God,

there is

much that

we hear

today

that

raises

questions

and

may

trouble

our

own

hearts.

But

help us

today

to

believe

your

word,

to

trust

what

it

says,

and to

know

that you

are the

God

who

does

save,

you

save

forever

and

eternally.

Father,

thank you

that you

are our

great

salvation

and it's

in you

we trust.

In

Jesus'

name.

Amen.