Monday Night Bible Study

Verses 1-16: Reaffirmed Promises

After the events play out within which Abram saves Lot and declines to take any gifts or spoils from the king of Sodom, God’s words come to Abram in a vision. God encourages Abram to maintain his faith and to not be afraid. To Abram, God is:

• A shield and a protector
• An exceedingly great reward

Due to Abram’s sacrifices, we know that he was obedient and grateful. But Abram saw a problem: he had no heir. Sonship and passing lineage was very important to the people of Abram’s time. It is true that Abram had a designated heir, but this was not a blood-born heir.

God renews His covenant to Abram by telling him not to worry: Abram’s progeny will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. God also reminds Abram that he brought him out of Ur to inherit the land. Verse six tells us that Abram believed and that God credited him for his faith. When Abram asks God in verse eight, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”, it is not an indication of Abram’s lack of belief, but Abram was asking for a sign of the promise.

The animal sacrifices that were to be part of the sign are another precursor of sorts of the prescribed sacrifices that God will eventually require of His people. Abram protects these sacrifices from scavenging vultures while waiting for the sign from God. Verses 12-16 are unique in this context:

^“Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge;              afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

To directly reconfirm the promises to Abram in the above passage, God brings a sleep upon Abram that is reminiscent of the sleep that He brought upon Adam in Genesis 2:21. The “horror” and “great darkness” that Abram experiences is an indication of man’s reaction to being in the presence of the almighty and holy God. There is a dread, a fear of coming face to face with our creator. When God further explained the promises to Abram in these verses, Abram was exposed to the weight and impact of the presence of our Creator.

Verses 17-24: The Sign

The sacrifices that Abram laid out and protected from vultures are now subject to God’s sign in these verses. After the sun goes down, a smoking oven and a burning torch come and they pass between the halves of the sacrificed animals. This was a significant sign in the accepted symbolism of the time as part of making and sealing a pact. It would have been recognized as a “parity treaty,” essentially communicating the idea that those in the pact would become as the sacrificed animals if they did not keep their part of the agreement.

It is important to remember a couple of things in light of this idea of the parity treaty. For one, this affirmation from God to Abram is not labeled as a parity treaty by the Bible and therefore cannot be explicitly defined as such. In fact, we cannot be absolutely sure that God was trying to communicate via pact to Abram the same sentiment that men recognize as part of the parity treaty. Second, God is faithful to keep His promises in any condition, under any circumstance: Deuteronomy 7:9: “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

God did not need nor was He required to satisfy Abram’s request for a sign, but it says much about His faithfulness and and dedication to fulfilling the promises to Abram that He did provide one. Canaan is going to be delivered as God promised, and nothing is going to stop God from fulfilling this. The list of nations listed in the closing verses of chapter 15 defined the borders of the land and what would eventually be delivered to Abram’s descendants.

Tonight I encourage to rest in the knowledge of salvation, in God’s sovereignty as the Creator and in the knowledge of His grace through His Son Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:20-22: ““Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

After Abram and Lot receive their respective lands, strife enters the land in the form of wars of kings. The source of the conflict is not listed, but the kings and their respective kingdoms are. On one side, there is listed, king/kingdom respectively, Amraphel/Shinar, Arioch/Ellasar, Chedorlaomer/Elam and Tidal, king of various nations. These kings warred against Bera/Sodom, Birsha/Gomorrah, Shinab/Admah, Shemeber/Zeboiim and Zoar, king of Bela.

These nations fought against one another in the valley of Siddim, which was full of asphalt pits. The kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela were on the losing side and were forced to flee the valley. But the kings go Shinar, Ellasat, Elam and other nations took Lot and his possessions, as well as the goods and values of Sodom and Gomorrah. Escapees from the losing faction come to Abram and tell him of this theft and the kidnapping of Lot. Abram was allies with these, and was in a position to help. He came to Lot’s rescue and he strategically chased Lot until he as able to subdue the enemies and retrieve Lot and all of his family, people and possessions.

There is another excellent lesson in this chapter about proximity to evil and the tendency towards corruption. Although Lot did not seek out conflict, he found himself and his family profoundly affected by it. Keeping worldly acquaintances is a good practice to ensure some level of protection, but keeping too close to them will lead us to folly. We know that Lot was living too close to these corrupted nations, and because of this he suffers. Abram was able to stay clear of the fighting and was also in a position to rescue due to the goodness and purity of his station.

There is a paradigm in this lesson on how to treat worldly “friends” and acquaintances. There is a balance of exerting influence on others versus being influenced ourselves. We have to be watchful and wise when it comes to this because we can so easily be lulled to comfort with worldly influences and friends: “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.” Luke 12:37

Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God, brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram. He is recognizing God as the deliverer. Melchizedek is an interesting enigma of sorts – a man that appears out of nowhere, with no previous mention, yet also is a man of God. For him to be a priest and offering bread an wine is something that suggests the future, when priests will be commanded to offer bulls and goats as sacrifices to God. But even deeper, Melchizedek also reminds us of Jesus Christ, who commands us to eat unleavened bread and fruit of the vine in order to remember Him. In Hebrews, there is a lot said about Melchizedek. A good place to start is Hebrews 7:1-10.

But the link to Christ is palpable in Hebrews 5:5-6: “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

So what does it mean for Christ to have been a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek?” Melchizedek was a mystery to New Testament Christians, and he is also a mystery to us. We are unsure of his origin or his story. But we do know of his allegiance and dedication to God. To many that met Christ in the first century, there would have been many similarities; Christ’s origin and story were a mystery to many, but His holiness and allegiance to God was plain. Christ’s mystique and authenticity exceeds Melchizedek’s when He truly states that He is the Son of the living God. May your faith and belief in Him be deep and long-lasting.

 

In Genesis 12, we experienced the promises that God made to Abram, from which eventually came the nation of Israel, the Ten Commandments and Jesus Christ.

Abram left Egypt with many goods and riches. The same was also true for his brother Lot. They traveled to the same area where Abram made an altar to the Lord in chapter 12 in Canaan, between Bethel and Ai. As before, there were still other inhabitants in the land.

There does not seem to have been any discord between Lot and Abram, but there was between their respective herdsmen. These men who were taking care of Abram’s and Lot’s livestock evidently had difficulty getting along due to the small space that both groups were trying to inhabit: “So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”” Genesis 13:8-9

Lot chose all the plain of Jordan to the east. In this section of the chapter there is mentioned the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were on the outskirts of this vicinity. Lot’s choice of this area, in close proximity to these dens of evil, will have an eventual effect on him and his family. But for now, we are only told that the men of Sodom were “exceedingly wicked” and that the two cities would be destroyed sometime in the future.

Abram, having selflessly given the preference to Lot, finds himself in the land that will prove superior in the long run. God speaks to Abram again and reiterates the land and descendent promises. Abram, evidently pleased with the land and his communion with God, takes action: “Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.” Genesis 13:18

Let’s look at the behavior of these two men by way of a lesson for this chapter. Both men were quick to act, but their motives to do so were most likely different. Abram, sensing the strife between the herdsmen, was quick to offer a solution to the issue by way of separation, even going so far as to selflessly offer Lot first pick of the land. This quick decision is one made in the interest of peace and successful brotherhood. Abram was willing to sacrifice first pick of the land for peace with Lot. Abram’s story from this point is overall successful as God begins to fulfill the promises.

For his part, Lot was quick to accept the offer and pick the land. The land chosen by Lot was well-watered and appeared as the garden of the Lord. But this sight was deceptive, much like sin. Temptation promises success, fulfillment and even happiness, but within that temptation, sin hides stealthily, waiting to infect and corrupt. This is what will ultimately happen to Lot as he lives close to the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although he does not intend to participate in evil, he will as the result of this choice.

Does the fate of Lot and his family rest on this one quick choice? Lot’s choice to take the well-watered plain of Jordan could be interpreted as Lot trying to take advantage of the situation. This in turn, could lead us to interpret that Lot’s fate is the result of his selfishness. The text of chapter thirteen does not make any of this apparent, but the lesson is important and familiar nevertheless: Self-seeking in decision-making can benefit in the short term, but the unintended consequences are often inescapable.

Verses 1-9: The Promises

Seemingly unprompted, but surely with a planned divine purpose, God promises Abram blessings and a lineage through which will eventually come the nation of Israel and Jesus Christ. In this passage, it is important to remember that God calls upon Abram to leave everything. When his father Terah died, Abram would have assumed leadership of the family. This would have been Abram’s rightful place in the world and God asks him to leave and go to an as yet undisclosed location, “to a land that I will show you.” Let us read the first three verses, comprising the promises:

“Now the Lord said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The last part of verse three (which is also the seventh and final promise) is the mention of the eventual salvation through Jesus who offers it to all. Jesus would be a Jew, borne through the bloodline of Abram.

Here is a list the seven promises:

1. A great nation will come from Abram’s lineage
2. Abram will be blessed
3. Abram’s name will live on long after he is gone
4. Abram will be a blessing to others
5. Those that bless Abram will be blessed
6. Those that curse Abram will be cursed
7. All families of the earth will be blessed through Abram

Abram’s response to God is consistent obedience regardless of the command and it is done without question or complaint. Abram is indeed a blessing to us by setting this example.

Abram comes to Canaan and passes through to Shechem. Shechem was an ancient site in the center of the land of Canaan. There, he sacrificed to God on a mountain between Bethel and Ai, an effort that was most likely in view of many of the inhabitants of Canaan. This too, is a worthy example to us from Abram: shameless devotion to God in the presence of others.

Verses 10-20: In Egypt

A famine in the land causes Abram and his familial entourage to travel to Egypt, where there would have been better access to food. Abram says to Sarai that she should call herself his sister in order to protect himself. Abram correctly perceived that the Egyptians would notice Sarai’s beauty and seek to kill Abram in order to take Sarai. For Abram’s part, was this smart? Was it shrewd? Or was it a sin? Sarai was in fact Abram’s half-sister, the daughter of his father, but not of his mother (Genesis 20:12). Remember that is was Abram’s whole family that was heading to Egypt due to this unexplained famine. Abram’s perception was accurate because in verses 14-15, the Egyptians did notice Sarai’s beauty.

Sarai was commended to Pharaoh by his princes and she was taken to Pharaoh’s house. Because Abram was her “brother,” he was given sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants and camels. This brief episode of Abram and Pharaoh comes to an end when God plagues Pharaoh because he has taken Abram’s wife. Somehow Pharaoh comes to know that she was in fact Abram’s wife all along and he gives her back to Abram, allowing them safe passage away from Egypt.

In the end, Abram leaves Egypt in a much richer state than he arrived. Escaping the famine, he was able to maintain the overall health of his clan while evading the threat of a powerful leader in Pharaoh. Undoubtedly, this sequence of events was directed by God. It is all a part of His plan to maintain the promises that were made to Abram earlier in the chapter.

What can we learn? Following God’s commands without hesitation or question is a great example for us, as mentioned above. But perhaps the greater lesson is the one found in the magnitude of God’s promises to Abram. From the prophecy of Genesis 3:14-15, to this prophecy of the promises, it all revolves around how God will save His people, how He will reconcile us to Him. Despite the sin that darkens our hearts, God has made a way for everyone to come to Him.

The amazing part of how God saves us is how far back and how interconnected all of the prophecies and promises are. This was God’s plan from the beginning. He always knew that we would need help. He knew that the old law would be imperfect and that it was necessary to bring forward the gospel of Jesus Christ. Abram’s (soon to be Abraham’s) part in it is absolutely critical to the formation of the Jewish nation and what would eventually become the Christian heritage that we find ourselves in today.

After the genealogy of chapter 10, chapter 11 begins with the infamous story of the tower of Babel. The story itself is actually quite short, but we learn many things from the peoples’ attempt and failure to reach the heavens. There are a few key phrases in the passage that are worth our focus:

• The whole earth had one language and one speech
  • Before the divisive elements of culture, geography, language and ethnicity, at this time after the flood, all of the descendants of Noah lived and were traveling together
• Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
  • The people were unsatisfied with the conditions of their life and livelihood on the earth. Living in and on the land was not their desire and they wanted more. At this time, there were still men who could remember God having spoken directly to man (Noah), and the presence of God was a different reality then than it is today. With this different sort of knowledge, the descendants of Noah desired to be more like God and were unwilling to remain in the state within which God had created them.
• Nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them
  • The exact meaning here is indiscernible, but if we take it to its full meaning literally, we can surmise that mankind would have been capable of fantastic things, had their language not been confused and diversified
• Come let Us go down and there confuse their language
  • The Godhead (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) appears to be in action in this endeavor
• The Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth
  • The very thing that the people avoided happened. In verse 4, the people wanted to build a tower “lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Resisting the will of the Lord will often reveal our own foolishness as we end up doing His will in the end.

The remaining verses provide for us the genealogy from Noah to Abram. Abram, of course, will eventually become Abraham, the man whose lineage would produce the Israelites and Christ the Savior.

Familiar as we may be with the story of Abram and Sarai and who they would eventually become, we are probably not curious at the mention of Sarai being unable to have children. However, if this is our first time reading these words, we might wonder why there is the specific mention of a barren woman in the heretofore male-name-dominated genealogy.

As Terah leaves Ur of the Chaldeans with Abram, Lot and Sarai, they travel to the land of Canaan. But they stop in Haran, where Abram’s father Terah dies.

Please do read along with me next week as we read about the promises that God makes to Abram.

Genesis chapter 10 records the genealogy of Noah. All of the names, bloodlines and geographical places listed here represent how the nations were divided after the flood. Granted, it seems laborious to read all of these names, but each of them have a purpose and a place in the history of mankind. It is true that the names and places and their true significance may be all but lost to us now in the long hall of antiquity, but their record in Genesis establishes their importance.

An intriguing aspect in this chapter is the mention of gentiles. Verse 5 is the first appearance of the word “gentile” in the Bible, and is almost always used to refer to non-Jews. Its’ mention here is intriguing because the Jewish nation had not yet been established by God and the separation mentioned in the verse would have come after the advent of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Whether some descendants of Noah were separated into “gentiles’ after the Tower of Babel is unclear, but as the Old Testament wears on, the distinction between Jew/Gentile is at times stark and ambiguous intermittently, depending on the Jews’ rebellion (idol worship, intermarriage, etc.) mixed with periods of intense faith and obedience.

Nimrod, mentioned in verse 8, was evidently an arrogant man as his description suggests (he began to be a mighty one on the earth). The geography connected to his name would eventually contain the Assyrians, an enemy of Israel. Conversely, in verse 21, the name Eber appears, which is a precursor to the word Hebrew, which will in turn be used to describe Abram (soon to become Abraham) in Genesis 14:13. To see the origins of the terms “Gentile” and “Hebrew” in this way, in this chapter, is intriguing.

At this time, the lineage of Noah and thus all of the names listed in this chapter can be traced back to Adam, the first man: Adam –> Seth –> Enosh –> Mahalalel –> Jared –> Enoch –> Methuselah –> Lamech –> Noah

To Moses, who wrote Genesis (inspired by the Holy Spirit), it was important to record the lineage of the earliest patriarchs. In fact, as time wears on and the Bible story unfolds, establishing Jewish lineage becomes very important in scripture. The first chapter of Matthew establishes Jesus’ lineage to validate hundreds of years’ past prophecy and the apostle Paul recognizes the importance that Jewish tradition placed on lineage in Philippians 3: …”If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews…” 

Despite all of the attention and effort that lineages received, they became meaningless when Jesus came and died for all mankind. Now that salvation is for all, the lineage of the Jews is unnecessary to establish any link with God. Throughout Jewish history, however (and as with many Jews today), lineage was very important: it solidified their place in a faith that was based on bloodline.

There are many events that transpire in this chapter. You will remember that the conclusion of chapter 8 found Noah and his family leaving the ark onto dry land. God  promised that He would never again destroy every living thing as he had done. In the beginning of chapter 9, God blesses Noah and his sons, telling them to be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.

Verses 1-7: Fresh off the Boat

As Noah and his sons are blessed by God, He tells them that all living things on the earth will fear them. This is a strengthening of the statement from early on when God instructed Adam that he would have dominion over the animals in Genesis 1:26. But there are three new directives that God gives Noah and his sons as they leave the ark and multiply the world:

• Meat may now be eaten in addition to plants
• Blood is not to be eaten with the meat
• Taking a life must now be repaid with the life that took it

There are a lot of unknowns with these three concepts. First, it cannot be said definitively that man did not eat meat prior to the flood. Also, I do not think that we can interpret that it is sinful to eat rare meats, as blood occurs naturally in the muscles; I believe the directive implies drinking or eating the liquid blood. And finally, the command to not take a life, lest it be paid for, is a precursor to one of the Ten Commandments, which of course have not been delivered yet from Mount Sinai to Moses.

After the flood, God in His wisdom evidently saw the need to establish some new parameters for mankind.

Verses 8-17: Covenant of the Flood

Although previously mentioned (albeit in much less detail), in chapter 8 and verses 21-22, God makes a firm covenant with man that He will never again destroy all life on the earth with a flood. The sign of the covenant is a rainbow. It will not only be seen by us as a reminder, but will also allow God to remember this covenant as He looks upon the rainbow.

We should not go so far as to interpret that God needs a reminder to keep His covenant, although the passage could be read in that way: “It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” This is less of a reminder to God and more of a memorial. Simple as that.

Verses 18-29: Noah’s Nakedness

Early in this passage, Noah’s son Ham is mentioned as having a son named Canaan, and indeed from the sons of Noah, “the whole earth was populated.” Noah plants a vineyard, produces wine and becomes drunk from his wine. As he is drunk in his tent, Ham comes in and sees his father, yet instead of covering up his father’s shame and nakedness, he tells his brothers, seemingly so that they could see too, perhaps even to laugh at their father’s expense. Yet Shem and Japheth do not find humor or entertainment at their father’s condition, instead they cover him. Once Noah awakes, he knows how Ham treated him and he curses Ham’s son Canaan, saying that Canaan will be a servant to the sons of Shem and Japheth, who are blessed with prosperity.

There are two primary applications for us from this series of events:

1. Folly, foolishness, shame and sin follow drunkenness
2. Honoring one’s parents is valued and rewarded
   • The theme of honoring the father is another precursor to the Ten Commandments

After the events of this chapter, Noah dies at 950, only 19 years younger than the eldest man recorded, Methuselah.

After the waters had their sway over the Earth for 150 days or about five months, Genesis 8 starts with God remembering Noah and all of the living things in the ark. As the floodwaters recede, the ark, after a total of seven months, comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. And after ten months, the tops of mountains could finally be seen.

Noah’s exercise with the raven and the dove is so that he can identify when the waters have receded enough to indicate the presence of dry land. When the dove returns first with a freshly plucked olive leaf, Noah knows that at least the tops of trees are no longer submerged. When the dove does not return at all, we can assume that there is enough exposed land to support the life of the bird.

in verses 13-19, Noah notices that the earth is drying out and God directs Noah and his family to exit the ark along with all of the other animals and living things that were on the ark.

Noah then sacrifices offerings to God and God is pleased. God declares that He will not do such a thing as the flood again, even though man is evil in his heart. The cycles of day and night, and that of the the seasons will continue. This is strong proof of God’s grace in the face of man’s sin and its’ appearance here so early in Genesis deserves our recognition and gratitude.

“And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.””

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This chapter tells a short story of desolation by water. One item in this chapter (verses 2-3) that may have escaped attention during previous readings is the commandment from God to Noah to take seven each of every clean animal, two each of every unclean animal and seven each of birds. Although we cannot be certain, this group of animals could have been meant as food, or to sacrifice after the flood (see Genesis 8:20-22).

Here are some highlights to glean from this chapter:

• Rain will come on the earth for forty days and forty nights
• Noah is obeying God’s every commandment
• All animals went into the ark to Noah by themselves
• The waters covered the mountains
• Everything with breath in its lungs dies except for the lives on the ark
• The waters remained on the earth for ~5 months

Only eight people remained alive: Noah and his wife, and his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth and their wives.

This chapter is one of action. It tells the story of the desolation that was visited upon the earth by God because of the wickedness of the people. Did God still love man? Yes, for He saved the righteous. But was God pleased? It is difficult to say whether God was pleased. This flood took the life of a huge and vital chunk of His creation. Even still, God’s decision to end the lives of so many is based on righteousness and obedience. It is one of a seemingly infinite number of examples in the Bible of how God loves obedience and hates sin.

After the history of Adam in chapter 5, the Word of God takes us to the story of the increasing wickedness of man, Noah’s righteousness and the Great Flood.

Verses 1-12: Patriarchs, mighty and wicked

Man multiplies and finds beauty in the “daughters of men.” All women at this point should have been daughters of men save Eve, who was made by God, so the expression serves to say that men are finding favor with women and are multiplying. Last week we spoke of man’s long, yet declining lifespan. Verse 3 here reveals that God chooses to shorten the span of man’s life because “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.” This seems to be an allusion to man as an individual, as to say that 900+ years is too long for God to abide with single individuals and that the judgment of any one man is complete after a life of 120 years.

Verse 4 makes an allusion to there being “giants on the earth in those days.” Whether or not we interpret this to mean men of physically large stature or not could be taken from the Hebrew word for giants, which means “fallen ones.” This, in turn, makes us consider, could these “giants” have been fallen angels, living among men? Or could they have been men of great spiritual stature instead, men of great fortitude and strength in the land, men whose faculties greatly exceed that of modern men? They are also described as “Sons of God” as opposed to being “sons of men.” It is difficult to say who exactly these men were or what prompts their mention. In any case, these men were certainly impressive and we most likely would notice a difference in them were we to meet one of them today as they Word describes them as “mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

The passage continues on, explaining the sad state of man. Mankind has spiraled into a pattern of exceeding wickedness, where “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In verses 6 and 7, a very sad sentiment states that God grieves and seems to regret having made mankind and decides to destroy all men and beasts. But in verse 8, an antiquated version of salvation blooms in the person of Noah, who “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Noah’s righteousness is irregular in the wicked society in which he lives, yet God notices and chooses to bless him and his family.

Verses 13-22: The construction and contents of the ark

The remainder of this chapter lists the instructions God has for Noah to create and populate the ark. God tells Noah that He intends to destroy all flesh because the earth is filled with violence. Imagine the righteous and deep faith Noah must have possessed to pour so much time, effort and energy into creating this enormous structure. Following are the highlights of God’s instructions to Noah:

• Build an ark of gopherwood
  • Incorporate rooms
  • Cover it with pitch, or tar
• Dimension specifics
  • Length: 300 cubits or 150 yards
  • Width: 50 cubits or 25 yards
  • Height: 30 cubits or 15 yards
• Incorporate a single window and a single door
• Incorporate lower, second and third decks
• Bring two of every living thing into the ark
  • One male, one female
• Bring enough food for all living things on the ark to subsist

God then reveals that he is bringing the great flood through which all flesh shall die. But God makes a covenant with Noah, his wife, his sons and his sons’ wives. This covenant is that He will save them from the flood through the use of the ark. This covenant is a promise from God to these people, as a reward for their righteousness and as a result of His grace.

The single greatest lesson in this chapter is that Noah obeyed. He was already accounted for his righteousness, so Noah’s obedience is surely in line with his character. His “blind” obedience to God as the result of what seemed absurd to many is a great example to us. Even if, or especially when it seems illogical, strange or unwise to follow God’s guidance for our lives as Christians, it is still of the utmost importance that we follow Him. The fate of our eternal souls depend on it.