Genesis 6 -- The Run-up To The Flood

Noah’s great-grandfather had been Enoch, who’d walked with God, suddenly taken to heaven.  That action by God rescued him from the judgment of the flood.  Noah’s grandfather was Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived, and he was living in a world that was getting more evil by the second.  Enoch must have passed his beliefs on to his son, and those same beliefs helped Noah to trust and obey two generations later.  Once Methuselah had died (his son Lamech had already died), Noah knew that nothing stood in the way of God’s judgment, for there were no other righteous men left on earth but himself.

Noah didn’t become a dad until he was 500 years old.  He knew that judgment was coming and likely wondered how a 499 year old man and his wife could be part of God’s plan.  But a year later he knew there was hope for the human race.  The Bible calls Noah “righteous”, and this was the first time that term is used in the Bible.  My commentary said, “Noah’s righteousness was God’s gift in response to his personal faith.  He believed God.”

Noah is also called blameless, which doesn’t mean he didn’t sin.  “Noah’s conduct was such that his neighbors (remember everyone else was very evil) couldn’t find fault with him,” my commentary explained.

Despite the fact that it had never rained and the fact that Noah lived far from any ocean, he believed God and followed God’s instructions for building a floating box that would protect his family and two of every creature so that the earth could be repopulated.  He endured the ridicule and scorn of his neighbors as he labored to build the ark.

My commentary said this is also the first use of the word covenant in the Bible.  God’s words were addressed specifically to Noah, but God also included Noah’s family in the covenant.

God also showed His sovereignty as He brought the animals to the ark and controlled them so that they did his bidding, my commentary said.  “The birds, beasts, and creeping things knew their Creator’s voice and obeyed Him, but people made in the image of God refused to heed God’s call!”

Father, I thank You for allowing me to hear Your voice and to respond.  Forgive me when You know I’m listening but I fail to obey.  Help me to see that doing so represents a lack of faith and trust in Your goodness and Your care for me, for You know better than me what I need.  Help me to bow to Your sovereignty as those animals did.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford