Genesis 6, 7, 8.
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Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”20 Adam[c] named his wife Eve,[d] because she would become the mother of all the living.
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side[e] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Introduction
The account of Noah and the flood is filled with many unusual details that are debatable and can soak up much study time without much learning gained. Who were the “Nephilim” (6:4)? Was the flood worldwide or regional? It this study, we may not answer such questions adequately but we will focus on the overall teaching of the narrative.
Genesis 6:8 ‘Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.’
1. Read Genesis 6:1-8. What is the purpose of this first paragraph in the flood narrative? What sin is being referred to? What do we learn about sin in Gen 6v5-7?
The purpose of the paragraph.
The purpose of the paragraph is to continue tracing the development of sin since Genesis 3. Adam’s sin then Cain’s, through to Lamech’s life, we can see that sin hardens the heart. Sin does not ‘plateau’ in society or in the heart; it continually claims more territory until, like cancer, it strangles and destroys the good. By the time we get to Genesis 6, evil has taken hold and things have become desperate and God has to intervene. Gen 6:5 is a commentary on the whole history: “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become…” So the sin in Genesis 6:1-4 is the reason for the flood God is going to send. Gen 6:3 “his days will be 120 years” (v3) may mean that because of their wickedness, God shortened a life-span to remind them of their mortality.
What was the sin- the “sons of God” married the “daughters of men”?
Either: (1) Believers in the Old Testament called “sons of God” (Deut. 14:1; Is. 1:2; Hos. 1:10) from the line of Seth were intermarrying with the unbelieving line of Cain (called “daughters of men”). The result was a generation of violent and oppressive men (“Nephilim” can also mean “powerful men”). NB in the OT, “sons of God” usually refers to angels (Job 1:6; 2:1).
or (2) The “sons of God” were fallen angels: demonic and intermarrying with human beings. However there is that no other biblical reference to such a thing. Derek Kidner wisely says: ‘More important than the detail of this episode is its indication that man is beyond self-help, whether the Seth-ites have betrayed their calling, or demonic powers have gained a stranglehold.’ 1
What we learn about sin.
First - the seriousness of sin, v7: “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth” God cannot tolerate evil, while there is belief today in heaven and to a lesser extent, hell - belief in Judgment Day has gone.
Second, sin begins within: “the thoughts of [the] heart” (v5). The internal forming of sin can grow even before it erupts into behaviour.
Third - the content of sin: “every inclination of the…heart was only evil…” This does not mean the human heart is only evil, but that the heart inclines to evil. The NIV’s “inclination” translates the word ‘yeser’, which refers to a potter shaping clay into a vessel. The word means purpose. It means that even when we are doing a good thing, our motives and purposes are tainted. Everything we do is with the goal of being our own saviour and lord of our own lives (Rom 1:18ff)
Fourth - the grievousness of sin: “The Lord was grieved…and his heart was filled with pain” (v6). Rom. 3:23 says what makes sin sin is that it contradicts the “glory” or nature of God. Because sin contradicts the nature of God, it deeply grieves him and causes him pain! This is one of the secrets to repentance. If you say, “I must stop doing this thing because it will get me into trouble,” you are only sorry for the consequences of sin. You are not sorry because it grieved God, but because it grieved you and others. Thus, when your sinful habit stops causing you trouble, you stop “troubling” your sinful habit. If you know what your sin is doing to God, you have a deeper motivation to flee from the sin itself.
Fifth - the universality of sin. Notice that there are no exceptions in the human race with regard to sin. Born of Adam, all humankind is wicked (v. 5a). Sons of Adam’s thoughts are “all” evil (v5b) at their core, and deserve to be destroyed (v7). No exceptions noted (Rom. 3:10-20).
2. Read Gen 6:8-22”? Why had Noah “found favour in the eyes of the Lord? How does Noah’s obedience in building the Ark challenge your understanding of faith and trusting God in a secular culture?
Genesis 6:8 reads, “Noah found chen in the eyes of the LORD.” Chen is the Hebrew for “favour”, meaning “grace”. Note that verse 9 is not the reason for verse 8. Verse 9 tells us that Noah was “a righteous man, blameless. . . and he walked with God.” But we know from 6:5-7 of the universality of sin and judgment - no exceptions: All mankind was to be wiped from the face of the earth. This is in tune with other Bible teaching (Rom 3:10, 23; 6:23).
So why did Noah escape the flood?
‘Chen’ in 6:8 meaning grace is always unmerited. It does not say “Noah won favour in the eyes of the LORD,” but “Noah found . . . favour.” To “find” it is to discover it or come upon it. Verse 8 is the cause of verses 9-22, not the other way around! Noah walked with God because he found favour with God. He did not find favour because of his walk.
How does Noah’s obedience in building the Ark challenge us today?
Believing the Unseen: Noah built a massive ark far from any ocean, before the floods began (Heb. 11:7). It challenges us to ask: Can we trust God’s warnings and promises when they contradict our current physical reality?
Counter-Cultural Endurance:Noah built the Ark for many years surrounded by a culture hostile to God. He faced ridicule; theproject looked wasteful, foolish, and radical.
The Challenge is this are we willing to look "foolish" to remain obedient to God's word?
True faith requires endurance, resisting the pressure to conform in secular society.
3. Discuss God’s Grace and justice in Genesis 6:6,13. How does the flood itself illustrate grace and judgement?
Gen 6:13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth (e.g., the 120-year warning, the design of the Ark)?
Gen 6:6v13 is such a contrast. On the one hand, 6:6 gives us a picture of God’s love, telling us that God’s grief over our sin gives him personal grief. God loves us so much that the brokenness of human life affects him too! In contrast, 6:13 is an expression of God’s holiness and justice. The “violence” of the human race cannot be ignored.
In Gen 6:11 God saw that “the earth was corrupt,” corrupt here is from the Hebrew word for “destroyed.” In other words, God judged and cleansed the human race that had destroyed itself! God’s judgment work is simply to confirm our choices.
How does the flood narrative illustrate both?
The flood illustrates both attributes of God. On the one hand, the fury and power of the flood teach us that God is a God of might, justice and, yes, destruction: “Every living thing that moved on the earth perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind” (7:21).
God has the right, the power, and the wisdom to judge: (1) Because he is Creator, he has the right since he owns all that is. None other have the authority to destroy. (2) Second, he has the power, since he created all that is. (3) Third, because he is Creator, he has the wisdom, since he is all knowing. Only he knows what people deserve, or what they would do if he gave them more time.
On the other hand, the flood shows the love and grace of God. In the midst of God’s judgment he shows mercy to Noah and his family. He saves them despite the coming judgment. The ark is a “vessel of grace.” Because of the ark, Noah and his family are saved. Ultimately, the purpose of the flood, was to save the human race. The human race had become evil. By justice and mercy, God gives the human race a new start - “saves” it. Thus, both his justice and mercy are evident in the flood.
4. Judgment & Sovereignty (Read Genesis 7:1-24)
In Genesis 7:16, God personally shuts the door of the Ark. What does this detail reveal about the finality of God's judgment and His protective care?
Gen 7:11 mentions both rain and "fountains of the great deep" breaking open. Was the flood global or local? Does either opinion alter your view of God's power?
5. Salvation & Deliverance (Read Genesis 8:6-17, 20-22)
Waiting: Noah and his family were on the Ark for over a year before stepping onto dry land. I wonder how they kept their faith, patience, and sanity during this isolation?
Testing the Waters: Noah sends out a raven and a dove. Why do you think he uses these specific birds, and what does the olive leaf signify for us today?
Noah used a raven and a dove as navigational scouts to check the floodwaters' recession. He likely sent the carrion-eating raven first to see if bodies surfaced for food, then the gentle dove to find living vegetation, ultimately proving the earth was habitable.
The dove returns with a freshly plucked olive leaf, signifying the end of God's judgment and the restoration of life on Earth. It was the proof for Noah that the floodwaters had receded enough for plants to grow again, heralding a fresh start and a peaceful future.
Worship: Noah built an altar and offered a sacrifice as soon as he was on terra firma. What do we learn about our priorities after trials and experience of God's deliverance?
6. Read Hebrews 11:7. What practical lessons do we learn from this verse (and Genesis Chapters 6-8) about faith?
Heb 11:7 ‘By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.’
First, faith is connected to God’s Word. Noah got a “warning” of things “not seen”. Noah lived and acted on the basis of God’s revelation, not the basis of his feelings or senses. Application: We should take the Bible seriously and read in a disciplined way.
Second, Noah lived in “holy fear.” We must be careful, though, to distinguish Holy Fear from fear. The term “holy fear” is the “fear of God” as opposed to being scared. Trust in God’s Word meant Noah was in awe before God. His heart and actions were controlled by reality as God defined it, not as the world defined it.
Third, he “saved his family.” This means that Noah’s faith was a factor in God’s protection and blessing upon his family.
Fourth, Noah’s obedience exhibits his salvation by faith, but does not earn it. The writer to the Hebrews says that Noah was not “righteous by works” but “righteous by faith.”
1 Derek Kidner, Genesis (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1967), p. 84. 2 Alec Motyer, Look to the Rock (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996), p. 43. 3 Derek Kidner, p. 86. 4 Derek Kidner, p 87; David Atkinson, The Message of Genesis 1-11 (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990), p. 136. 5 David Atkinson, p. 136. 6 Edmund P. Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery (Phillipsburg, N. J.: P & R Publishing, 1988), pp. 40-41. 7 Derek Kidner, p. 87.
Study notes adapted from www.redeemer.com Copyright © Timothy Keller, and Redeemer Presbyterian Church 2009
