But Noah …

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8).

As far as human beings are concerned, this may be the most significant sentence in all of the Scriptures. The corruption of the race formed and made alive in the image of God had become deep and wide.

Genesis 6 describes a society drenched in bloodshed and energized by supernatural interference. Violence was rampant. The murderous tendency that began in Cain and was emphasized by Lamech brought feelings of great grief to God. He said, “I will blot out man … for I am sorry that I have made them” (Genesis 6:7).

“But Noah found grace. …”

What was at work in the world, as I see it, was a satanically stimulated rage. Psalm 2 refers to heathen given over to the vanity of their minds – empty pursuits and simmering frustrations produced a poisoned brew. This led the kings of the earth to set themselves against the Lord and against His Anointed. …” (See Psalm 2:2).

A category of people referred to as “sons of God” is mentioned in Genesis 6:2. There are a couple of ways to interpret this. One school of thought suggests that fallen angels intermarried with “daughters of men” and perpetuated a class of giant, half-angel, half-human beings.

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and others point out that this opinion is directly contrary to what Jesus said in Mark 12:25. There, in a discussion with the Sadducees about the nature of post-resurrection life, the Savior made it clear that angelic beings “neither marry nor are given in marriage.” And believers in Christ will have resurrection bodies in the future that will not be given in marriage. Our future in eternity will be one of total fulfillment – our godliness will enjoy absolute contentment. We shall not want and will bask in the glow of the Lord who is our Shepherd.

To understand the phrase “sons of God” we have to go back to Genesis 4 and its conclusion. We read there of the birth of Seth. This son was celebrated by Eve herself.

Seth was seen as the answer to her mourning over the killing of Abel. To Seth was born Enosh, and “at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). The nature of salvation, of restoring a right relationship with the Lord, was thereby emphasized for us. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” So wrote Paul in Romans 10:13.

To me, it makes sense to say that the “sons of God” were those who were descendants of Seth and Enosh. The genealogy of Luke 3 links Jesus to these sons.

The “daughters of men” were from the line of Cain. These women proved enticing to some of Seth’s sons and those born of this intermingling set in motion this degradation of the world’s culture.

This pattern repeats itself through the Bible. We know that the people of Israel intermarried with the peoples the Lord had instructed them to destroy and this led their hearts away. Proverbs counsels young men to avoid the strange woman of folly who leads to deadness.

Solomon, the king who wrote the majority of Proverbs, failed to follow his own teaching. “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin” (Nehemiah 13:26; also see 1 Kings 11:1-3).

Evil, Strong and Concentrated

The giant ones mentioned in Genesis 6 are labeled Nephilim. The root of this designation is the Hebrew naphal – fallen or prostrated. These were fierce men beholden to the evil one. They had given themselves over to the devil and his purposes.

It is no stretch of the imagination to think that Hell orchestrated a genetic concentration that resulted in a gang of big, muscle-bound thugs – see Goliath. The slave-owners and traders of the past used to forcefully mate the large children to gain strong ones to work in their fields and drive sales.

We’ve seen what scientific discoveries have done for people. They’ve brought measures of preservation and healing, but also distortion and malignancy.

What was God to do about it? What would it say about Him as Creator if He could find no way to keep man alive?

“But Noah …” Two important words are these. This man walked with God and was found “blameless in his generation” (Genesis 6:9). He and his sons maintained integrity in their relationships.

Simply put, God had four men who hadn’t given themselves over to Cain’s heritage. These sons of God were unstained by the daughters of men. By them, the Lord would preserve humanity and the earth.

God had four men who hadn’t given themselves over to Cain’s heritage. These sons of God were unstained by the daughters of men. By them, the Lord would preserve humanity and the earth. Share on X

“And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth’” (Genesis 6:13).

The thoughts and actions of men had not only corrupted humanity, the shedding of blood and immoral practices with animals had left the whole planet in disorder.

The Lord planned a washing — a toxic cleanse for all that breathed upon the land. Man and beast had been raised out of the ground and now that very dust from which they came required a renewal. All of it had to be soaked.

From above and below, God was going to do His work. From the skies, rain would fall like it had never fallen before. More than a mist of moisture, this was to be a deluge. The fountains of water running underground would also burst forth.

Faithful to the Call of God

This brings me to the man Noah. His calling was amazing and astonishing. He would have to fashion a huge Ark from gopher wood. He and his sons would have to make this vessel watertight by painting it with pitch.

All of their materials they would be created from scratch according to the design of the Lord. The project timetable lasted more than 100 years.

Imagine the conviction and commitment Noah possessed to keep sawing, hammering, and painting. How many times did he feel like giving up? Yet he labored on, and according to 2 Peter 2:5 he preached righteousness.

This man believed that the Lord was going to do what He had promised to do. He had faith in God and manifested that faith to a wicked, untoward generation.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

The day came when God instructed Noah and his family: “Go into the Ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.” Then, “All the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. … And Lord shut him in.” See Genesis 7:1, 11, 16.

The final point there is what I want to emphasize as we finish. “The Lord shut him in.”

The waters gushed forth. The rain fell hard and continuously for 40 days. The mountains were covered over.

“But Noah” was safe and secure because of what the Lord had done. This man’s faith came by what heard from God. He believed and received power and strength to do all that was commanded.

Months passed and the waters assuaged and the Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. A new chapter in human history began and so here we are celebrating the wonderful work of God in His care for Creation.

We, like Noah, are sealed unto the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit of God. We can rest in the Ark of salvation. Soon we will gather at the River of Life in a restored and regenerated earth, free from the influence of the despicable liar of Hell.

Come soon, Lord Jesus, come soon.