Genesis 6:11-22

In
the Beginning

Genesis
6:11-22

Intro:

Last
week we studied 6:5-10. We learned of God's anger over the
wickedness of mankin. This resulted in God giving mankind a grace
period of 120 years to repent (6:3). The text tells us that God
regretted creating mankind because of his sinfulness. After the 120
years God promises that He will wipe out man and animals. This
brings to mind God's promise of a Redeemer (3:15). Noah is announced
as being pleasing to God and walking with Him. Noah will be used to
preserve the family line and one of his descendants will be the
Redeemer (Lk. 3:23. 36-38).

This week we
will be introduced to God revealing to Noah His displeasure with the
wickedness of mankind. God has observed how man is living and He
cannot stand their sin any longer. God reveals that He is going to
bring a worldwide flood, which will wipe out mankind and animals.
God is going to judge sin and the only way to avoid that judgment is
to choose God's means of rescue.

Message:

God
examines the earth and describes it as corrupt (11). He also
describes it as being full of violence. The reason for this is the
presence of a sinful nature in mankind. It is interesting to note
that God is described as “looking on the earth” as though He were
an eyewitness to the corruption of humanity. The Hebrew word
translated corrupt
means “to be ruined or rotten.” All of mankind had become
morally rotten (12).

God
addresses Noah, who had been described as “walking with God” and
tells him what He plans to do (13). God has determined to wipe out
mankind because of his wickedness. The earth is described as being
filled with
violence
as a result of man's sin (cf. v. 11). God says that He is going to
wipe out man using the earth. God can only endure unrepentant sin
for so long.

God instructs
Noah to build an ark made of gopher wood (14). This Hebrew word is
only used in one other account to describe what Moses' mother placed
him in to preserve his life (cf. Ex. 2:3, 5). We are unsure of what
type of wood this refers to. Some say it was pine, and others say
cypress. The ark was to contain rooms and the ark was to be covered
with pitch inside and out. The pitch was to ensure that the ark
would be watertight. The ark was to be 450' long, 75' wide, and 45'
hight (15). A cubit equals approximately 18”.

Noah
is to make a window (the word could be translated roof)
for the ark (16). He was to finish the ark to within 18 inches of
the top. This is fine because the water wouldn't get that high. He
was also to make a door in the side of the ark which would allow
people and animals to enter. There were to be three decks on the
ark.

God
emphasizes that He is the one who is brining the flood to judge man's
sin (17). He will destroy everything that has the breath of life in
it (cf. 2:7, 19). Everything on earth will perish, including man and
animals. But God has chosen to establish a covenant with Noah (18).
Noah wouldn't learn the full extent of this covenant until after he
exited the ark (cf. 9:8-17). As a result of God entering into this
covenant with Noah, Noah will enter the ark and be rescued from
judgment. Along with Noah will be his wife, his sons, and the wives
of his sons. They are spared because they are related to Noah. This
is much like Lot being spared because he was related to Abraham (cf.
19:1-29).

Noah
is also to bring two of every animal onto the ark with him (19).
They would be preserved in this way from the flood judgment. Since
there would be one male and one female this would ensure the
re-population on the animals on earth. This included birds, land
animals, and creeping animals (20). The animals will come to Noah.
Noah never had to go find the animals. This is contrary to what Bill
Maher said earlier this year in an interview to promote his
documentary Religulous.
He said, “Come on, can we really trust a book that says some 800
year old man went around and found two of every animal on earth to
get them on the ark. Can you really be intelligent and believe that
Noah did that?” First of all, Noah was only about 600 years old
when the flood began. Second of all, the animals came to Noah.

God
instructs Noah to take some of all edible food onto the ark (21).
Remember, that at this time man and animals were still not meat
eaters (cf. 9:1-4). The food that Noah took onto the ark would be
for the people (8 including Noah) and the animals. Noah did
everything that God asked him to do (22). This is a comment on the
kind of man that Noah was (cf. 6:8-9; 7:1).

Conclusion:

Here
are some interesting things to note from the passage:

#1 – God
notices how mankind lives

#2 – God
will eventually judge sin

#3 – God is
holy and righteous

#4 – God is
gracious and merciful

#5 – God
rewards obedience