Genesis 6
Verses 1-6. By this time sin, having spread all over the world, corrupted everyone. God’s description of the condition of the world is in verse 5.
Verse 7. Sin brings punishment. There is no other result, and it must be paid for with blood (Heb. 9:22). “Remission” means payment.
Verses 8-22. Noah is a picture of Christ. He was a “just” man (fair and honest) and perfect (upright). In contrast to all those around, Noah stood alone, being faithful among the faithless.
Verse 13. Punishment from God. People say, “Smile, God loves you.” They forget this verse: “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” are necessary. Then the smile comes.
Verse 14. Grace brings deliverance. Though it must be paid for by the shedding of blood, God delights to act in grace (Rom. 5:20).
Verses 14-22. The time comes when judgment falls. But God makes a way of escape. The ark was the only means of escape from the waters of death.
Today, only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is there salvation from coming judgment. Every picture of deliverance from the punishment of sin in the Old Testament is a picture of the cross of Christ. Water sometimes is a picture of judgment (Psa. 69:2,14-15; Psa. 42:7). Noah in the ark passing through the water is such a picture (Matt. 24:37-39).
Genesis 7
Noah obeyed God’s word to him (Gen. 6:22; 7:5,9). The ark provided a perfect shelter from God’s judgment. Obedience to God brings deliverance, blessing and happiness, all through a believer’s life.
Verse 1. “Come” in we have to come in (Matt. 11:28) before we can go out (Mark 16:15). Then we must separate from the world (Heb. 13:13; James 4:4). However, separation is not isolation. Mixing with the world to socialize spoils our testimony. Telling others about Christ keeps us healthy Christians.
Verse 10. After Noah enters the ark, God waits in patience for others to flee to Him for safety. Even after He had gone back to heaven, Jesus was “standing,” waiting for Israel if they would turn to Him (Acts 7:56).
We are now in that “waiting time” the “door” is still open and God is waiting for the last soul to flee to Him and be saved before He acts in judgment. When the Lord Jesus comes for believers (1 Thess. 4:13-18), the day of grace will end and the “door” of safety will be forever shut.
Verses 11-24. All the souls in the ark were there for one year and ten days (Gen. 7:11; 8:14).
Verse 23. Judgment fell on every living person, animal and bird outside the ark. And so today, no person who has heard and rejected the gospel of the grace of God will ever have another chance to be saved after the Lord Jesus comes.
Genesis 8
Verses 1-14. God does not forget Noah and his family in the ark. We learn many interesting details as God makes a fresh start with the human race.
Verses 15-22. Noah builds an altar to God and offers burnt offerings. Notice only the clean animals (Gen. 7:2-5,8) were sacrificed. They are a picture of the Lord Jesus, God’s Lamb (Rev. 5:6). Noah’s sacrifices, which remind us of the coming sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, were a sweet smell to God. God’s promise of seasons has never failed and never will.
Genesis 9
Verses 1-17. God makes a new covenant (agreement) with man. It starts in Genesis 8:20 and runs to Genesis 9:17.
Verse 4. For the first time, God allows man to eat the flesh of animals. But they were NOT to eat the blood, for that is the life of the flesh (Lev. 17:10-14).
Though we have natural life, we need a new life spiritual life. When Jesus died, His precious blood was poured out. When He rose from the dead, His body had flesh and bones, but no blood (Luke 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:43-50; 2 Cor. 5:17). Believers have a new life eternal life the very same life that the Lord Jesus has.
Verses 11-12. Every time you see a rainbow, you can remember that God has promised to never again judge the world with a flood. But there is going to be an even worse judgment someday God will judge the world by fire (2 Peter 3:6-7,10,12).
Verses 19-29. Alas, people did not improve after the flood. Even Noah falls into sin, and the human race once again starts down the road to worldwide corruption.
N. Berry
(to be continued)