"But Noah Found Grace..."

The text we have read today is one of the most disagreed upon text in the entire Bible amongst orthodox christians. That is to say that good Bible believing christians who will be in heaven together disagree over the meaning of a portion of our text this morning. We’re going to do our best not to get lost like a ball in high weeds this morning while still coming to a basic understanding of what we've just read.

In Genesis 4:1-24 we saw the birth, rapid growth and the sinful corruption of the line of Cain. The in Genesis 4:25-5:32 we saw the descendants of Seth (the third son of Adam) who continued a godly. Through Seth and Cain two streams of people began to multiply on the earth. The godly line (Seth) worshipped and served God. The ungodly stream (Cain) neglected God and lived wholly unrighteous lives.

Both formed the structure of society, I would suggest two different societies that at some point fused together to form ultimately a godless society. This passage before us summarizes the downfall of that society to the point that God decided to destroy it. Imagine a society so debased that God wipes it off the face of the earth.

Let’s look into our text together before us as we see:

Human Degeneration and Depravation. (v.1-5)

God’s Declaration of Judgement. (v.6-7)

Noah Discovers God’s Grace. (v.8)

1.) Human Degeneration and Depravation. (v.1-5)

Both the lineage of Seth and the lineage of cain began to grow exponentially in number and spread over the entirety of the earth. One thing that always happens though is that the the amount of ungodly people there are in the world, the more the amount sin and evil increase as well.

Just as it is today, there is no doubt that the earth was filled with far more ungodly people than it was godly. We can’t fool ourselves into thinking that everyone in the lineage of Seth was godly and we already know how godless and wicked the descendants of Cain were.

When righteousness and unrighteousness walk together the fruit is not usually more righteousness. The corrupt will taint the incorrupt.

Genesis 6:2–4 NKJV

2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

V.2 is perhaps one of the most disagreed upon text in the entire Bible as to what exactly is is talking about. I don’t want us to get lost in the weeds this morning, but, I do want to take a moment to discuss the two main views, and, I will also add that both are in the realm of orthodox christianity. I also want you to understand that neither view is the point of the passage and neither influences the point of the passage.

Some say that the phrase “sons of God” refers to the fallen angels or demons who were cast down to earth when Satan was cast out of heaven. That they either directly married or they possessed the bodies of men in order to have these relationships. They then produced offspring called “Nephelim” who were giants and had super human strength and abilities. THey would point to this abomination as one of the significant reasons for God allowing the flood to occur in order to kill off these “nephelim”. This view is actually the oldest interpretation of this verse.

Others say that the “sons of God” were men who were a part of the godly lineage of Seth.They arrive at this understanding based on the flow of Genesis and the preceeding chapters. They would go further to say that the terms “giants” and “men of renown” are metaphoric. That is to say that they were “giants of society and industry.” We might say that they were famous. This is the personal view that I hold.

Honestly, neither matters all that much really.

What really matters is just how debased human culture and mankind had become. Understand no matter if these unions were demonic or the simple mixing of believers and non believers there is nothing to indicate that these were not normal marriages and that means that parents were complicate in allowing these unions to occur.

The world had become godless and immoral. It was a society of decadence where the physical body and sinful desires were indulged in every way. They were a society who completely ignored God and went about doing there own thing, satisfying their lusts of the flesh.

v.5 tells us just how depraved and degenerate the anti-diluvian society was.

Genesis 6:5 NKJV

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Sadly, mankind isn’t really much different today.

Matthew 15:19 NKJV

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

Ephesians 2:3 NKJV

3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

So wicked was society that in v.3 God shortens the lifespan of mankind to 120 years old, this is a roughly 7 fold reduction to human lifespans. Human depravity and degeneration had grown so bad that they were beyond repentance, their sin was unrelenting and without hesitation.

2.) God’s declaration of judgement. (v.6-7)

v. 6 tells us that the wickedness of mankind had grown so great that God was sorry he had created man and was grieved in His heart. (This is anthropomorphic language.)

Here is … God’s resentment of man’s wickedness. He did not see it as an unconcerned spectator, but as one injured and affronted by it; he saw it as a tender father sees the folly and stubbornness of a rebellious and disobedient child, which not only angers him, but grieves him, and makes him wish he had been written childless.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary Vol.1 p.53

The wickedness of man caused God such grief that he made the decision to bring catastrophic destruction onto the world which would result in the destruction of mankind, the animals and the entire globe.

Parent, “I brought you into this world and I can take you out.” - except God did just what he said he would.

There was going to be no half measures by God in judging mankind for their sin, God’s wrath was full and would be poured out.

Speak of God’s wrath upon sin today.

3.) Noah discovers the grace of God. (v.8)

In Genesis 3:15 God made a promise to Adam and Eve. A promise that is called the “proto-evangellium”.

Genesis 3:15 NKJV

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Even as God declares his wrath is going to be poured out on the world, he simultaneously has not forgotten his promise of a deliverer. God could not and would not violate his promise to mankind. There was one man in the entire world who would remain faithful to the Lord until l the day he died. That man’s name was Noah.

Genesis 6:8 NKJV

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah’s faith in God’s promise of a coming savior, is why God would spare him and his family.

This is the first time that grace is mentioned in scripture.

Noah wasn’t a perfect man, he was a sinner just like the rest.

Noah wasn't saved because of his own righteousness, he was saved according to God’s grace. Left to his own works, Noah would perish in the flood like everyone else.

Every person is saved from God’s wrath just like Noah was: by the grace of God through faith in the promised seed, the Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Acts 15:11 NKJV

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

Titus 3:5–7 NKJV

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Today we don’t have to fear a universal flood of water, but we must fear a worse fate; being drowned under the current of our own sinful condition. The only hope any of us have for escaping the wrath of God is God’s great grace.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

JULIA H. JOHNSTON,

“GRACE GREATER THAN OUR SIN”

Conclusion:

Today our world stands condemned before a holy and just God who has been storing up his wrath. We are a profoundly sinful people.

Listen to these New Testament descriptions of mankind, and this is after the flood. Romans 3:10-12

Romans 3:10–12 NKJV

10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Romans 3:13–14 NKJV

13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

Romans 3:15–17 NKJV

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

This is the sate of mankind if left to ourselves apart from the grace of God.

Give the gospel and talk of Christ return to judge the world.

Matthew 24:37–39 NKJV

37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

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