382. GENESIS - Chapter Six

382. GENESIS - Chapter Six

"when men began to multiply on the face of the earth"

THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD

This chapter outlines the moral and political deterioration prior to the Flood. The world became noted for ruthless indifference to the requirements of others, widespread corruption of God's ways, and universal violence. The majority of the sons of God succumbed to this evil environment, but Noah and his family retained their integrity before God. Three Divine inspections were made of the world (cp. vv. 3, 7, 13) followed by three warnings of coming judgment. The final one proclaimed that the end had come, and Noah was told to make preparation for the deluge that followed. The Flood is the third of the four outstanding events of primeval history recorded in Genesis (see Analysis). It brought judgment upon the world of the ungodly, though a righteous remnant was preserved therefrom. This discrimination proclaimed the goodness and the severity of God" which epitomises the character of Yahweh (Rom. 11:22; Exod. 34:5-7). Other O.T. references to the Flood are found in Job 22:15-17; Psalm 29:10; Isaiah 54:9.

THE FLOOD: DIVINE JUDGMENT IN GOODNESS AND SEVERITY — Chapters 6 to 8

The world had reached a state of absolute anarchy. Filled with violence it reflected the attitude of Cain and rejected the divine appeal that had been constantly presealed by those of faith. But for the moment the ''seed of the serpent" was to be victorious; it was to crush the principle of righteousness in an orgy of fleshly desire. But ultimately the world was cleansed of such sin by a universal baptism.

The Antediluvian Apostasy — vv. 1-8 The adulterous union of the two seeds (the seed of the woman — descendants of Seth, and the seed of the serpent — descendants of Cain) led to the greatest calamity history has known. The Godless attitude of the people made it imperative that Yahweh should act. The generation before the Flood was not a pagan nor idolatrous one, but it was worse: it was a Godless one which worshipped self. The people became proud and arrogant in their attitude to one another; and lawless and indifferent towards God, His revelation and His will. Progressive and great in material things, they became carnal and corrupt in spiritual matters. In consequence God made known His intention to destroy His creation with a Flood (see Amos 3:7).

VERSE 1

"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth" — In the Hebrew "men" is in the singular number haadam — the Adam. In the beginning, Adam became both male and female (Gen. 1:27; 2:24), so that the "him" became "them" (see Gen. 1:27).

"And daughters were born unto them" — That is unto Adam and Eve, "the Adam" of this verse. These verses, therefore, provide a broad sweep of history from the beginning, showing that the seeds of the apostasy were sown long before the epoch of the Flood itself. Emphasis is given to the birth of daughters to draw attention to the seat of the danger — the physical and sexual motive.

VERSE 2

"That the Sons of God" — This is the first time this phrase is used, but by no means the last. Israel constituted a "son of God" even Yahweh's "firstborn" (Exod. 4:22-23; Deut. 14:1; Hos. 1:10; Isa. 43: 67) and He is their Father (Psa. 103:13; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Mal. 1:6). The same relationship subsists today between those who embrace the Truth in Christ and the Father in heaven (1 John 3:1-2). The sons of God in antediluvian times, therefore, constituted the seed of the woman, being mortal believers of the Truth.

"Saw" — Notice the same process in these sons of God as led Mother Eve to sin. She "saw" the fruit of the tree, that it was "good" and "she took" of it (Gen. 3). Now her sons permit their spiritual vision to be obscured by the sight of the daughters of men who had appeared in the society of the times. They were "fair" or good to look upon, and the believers "took" of whom they chose. Though the outward appearance of these women was beautiful, they were rebellious against God in heart.

"The daughters of men that they were fair" — They are described as "the daughters of 'eh haadam' in contradistinction to "the sons of God", because they were dominated by the flesh; they were "of the earth, earthy". Beautiful of face and deportment, they did not possess that "inner man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible ... and which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Pet. 3:4).

"And they took them wives of all which they chose" — In so doing they destroyed that healthy antipathy that Yahweh had established between the two seeds, and so broke a fundamental law established by Divine decree. It is a law endorsed by both Mosaic and Christian principles (Deut. 7:3; 1 Cor. 7:39). The flesh made choice and so began to dominate the most intimate associations.

VERSE 3

"And Yahweh said" — This is the first of three specific inspections that Yahweh made of His creation at this time. See vv. 7,13. They answer to the three inspections that a priest was required to make of a leprous house under the Law (Lev. 14:33-45). The type of the priest under the Law was fulfilled by John Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ, in the three-fold proclamation they made, after which the nation of Israel was given over to destruction (cp. Lev. 14:45 with Matt. 23:38). John warned the nation that if it did not repent it would be destroyed (Matt. 3:10); the Lord at the beginning of his ministry warned the leaders not to make his Father's house a place of merchandise (John 2:16); and at its conclusion, he rebuked them for turning it into a "den of thieves" (Mark 11:17). He publicly pronounced to them "your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 23:38), and in so doing indicated that its leprous condition was incurable. He paralleled those days with the times of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39), when Yahweh likewise made three inspections of His creation, and pronounced it to be incorrigibly corrupt. It is significant that the pangs of parturition develop in three distinct stages to the birth of a child; and that the birth of the new world order is similarly described (cp. 1 Thess. 5:3).

"My spirit shall not always strive with man" — The verb diyn signifies to contend, strive, decide, judge, and so forth. But here, and here only, in the Bible, it takes a different form duwn, and it has been rendered by the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and other versions as "remain among" or "dwell in" man. Using that meaning, Yahweh pronounced His intention of "gathering to Himself His spirit" (Job 34:14), the life principle of creation.

"For that he also is flesh" — The Hebrew has: "in their erring he is flesh" (The New Old Testament — Interlinear) from beshaggim, (prim, root shagah) to wander, go astray. The statement witnesses to the tendency of flesh to wander from the path of righteousness.

"Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" — This does not proclaim a reduction in the life-expectancy of man, but the term of reprieve, before judgment would be poured upon that guilty generation. Yahweh gave time for man to repent, and proclaimed His intention to Noah in order that he might pass it on to his contemporaries. Yahweh has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezek. 33:11). Therefore, for one hundred and twenty years, before the Flood, the appeal went out to any "who had ears to hear", to turn from their ways and seek Yahweh. Peter declared that "the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah" (1 Pet. 3:20). The Greek word used, apekdechomai, signifies to "eagerly

await", suggesting a reaching out in readiness to receive something. Rotherham renders it: "God was holding forth a welcome". That was the merciful attitude adopted by Yahweh before the Flood, but few heeded the message. A repetition of that reaction in response to the preaching of the Gospel must be expected inasmuch as Christ warned that the days would be comparable to those of Noah (Lk. 17:26).

VERSE 4

"There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men" — The Hebrew nephilim, from naphal to fall, signifies "fallen ones". They were fallen from righteousness, but strong in stature and prowess. Like the sons of Lamech, of the time of Cain, they exercised great power in the fields of profit, pleasure, power and permissiveness. They reflected the fierce, military boastfulness of Lamech who threatened others with death if they dared impede his course.

"Men" in the Hebrew is adam.

"Also after that" — The same spirit was manifested after the Flood. The same term, nephilim (giants), is used to describe the powerful warriors of Canaan whom the spies of Israel encountered as they surveyed the land to be conquered (Num. 13:33).

Doubtless there were among them men of outstanding stature such as Goliath, but it was the attitude of ruthless indifference towards others that characterised them as giants in wickedness. In that connection, the nephilim are in evidence in modern political, commercial, and social life.

"And they bare children to them" — The sons of God were attracted to the apparent success of the nephilim in the various fields of endeavour, and observing that their daughters "were fair," like the pleasant Naamah (Gen. 4:22), they became attracted to them, and married them. The children of such a union, reflected the influences of both. The ruthless determination of the nephilim was now combined with the intellectual ability of the sons of God. There was an attempt to compromise the separateness of the Truth's demands to gain advantage of the great opportunities of material benefit that now opened up to the sons of God. They endeavoured to obtain the best of both worlds with apparent success.

"The same became mighty" — Heb. hagibborim, the heroes, usually men of war. The progeny of the Sons of God were thus drawn into "the way of Cain" as Jude observed (Jude 11). They were probably more refined in manners and exalted in thought than their predecessors of mere Cainite descent.

"Which were of old" — They imitated the exploits of the giants of the past.

"Men" — The word is enosh and it relates to mortal man as physically weak or morally depraved. See its use in Psa. 9:20. Though acclaimed as heroes, they were morally polluted.

"Of renown" — The Hebrew has hashem: the name. God knew their true state as weak and depraved, and before Him they had a name for wickedness. But to their contemporaries, they had a name of honour. They were honoured and respected by the Sethites, as by the Cainites, and their influence for evil was the greater because of that. The "princes" of Israel who supported Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On were similarly described as "men of renown". They were honoured by the Israelites, but revealed their moral depravity before Yahweh (Num. 16:2).

Bible Chronology to the Flood

	Born	Died	Age	Age at son's birth
Adam Seth Enos Cainan Mahalaleel Jared Enoch Methuselah Lamech Noah	1 130 235 325 395 460 622 687 874 1056	930 1042 1140 1235 1290 1422 987 1656 1651	930 912 905 910 895 962 365 969 777 600 at flood	130 105 90 70 65 162 65 187 182 1656

Enoch was translated before the death of Seth at the age of 365 years. Adam died a mere 57 years earlier. Thus, within a comparatively short period of time mankind learned of the death of Adam, the progenitor of the human race, and of the translation of the prominent reformer Enoch. From the former, mankind inherited mortality; whereas from the latter, it was provided with an example of how it could be overcome — by walking with God. Methusaleh lived to the very year of the Flood.

The Two Genealogies (The Seed of the Womanand the Seed of the Serpent).

It is significant to note:

* The imitation of the names of Cainites by the Sethites;

* The increasing moral pollution and permissiveness indicated by the polygamy of Lamech;

* The contempt of God's law shown by the prominence given to Naamah the daughter of Lamech;

* The decline of religion suggested by the significance of the names given to the Sethites.

 

(1) Adam
(2) Abel-Seth — Self-effacing	(2) Cain — Demanding
(3) Enos —Weak	(3) Enoch —Dedicated (false religion established)
(4) Cainan —Gain	(4) Irad —Wild Ass (self-will asserted)
(5) Mahalaleel —Praise of El	(5) Mehujael — Smitten of God (self-centred)
(6) Jared —Decline	(6) Methusael — Man of God (Apostate priesthood)
(7) Enoch —Dedicated	(7) Lamech — Reducer (Boastful arrogance)
(8) Methuselah —When he dieth it shall come	(8) Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-Cain, Naamah (Commerce), (Pleasure), (Military Permissiveness), (Prowess)
(9) Lamech — Reduced

Noah

* The "way of Cain" introduced city life (Gen. 4:17); false religion (vv. 17,18); polygamy or permissiveness (v. 19); commercial cartels, sophisticated pleasure, metal-working for war (vv. 20-22); personal vengeance, or the spirit of revenge (v. 24), women's liberation movement (v. 22), leading to the corrupt and violent condition of things on the eve of the Flood. It all stemmed from clever but fleshly organization ungoverned by Divine Law.

VERSE 5

"And Yahweh saw" — This implies a second "inspection" — see note v. 3. The word "God" is Yahweh, as it is also in v. 3, though it is there translated "Lord". Wherever the word GOD or LORD appears printed in small capitals, as in these places, the word is Yahweh. From this it will be apparent that throughout the narrative of the Flood, the Divine Name, Yahweh, is interchanged with Elohim. What is the purpose of this? We believe it relates to the doctrine of God-manifestation. Whereas Yahweh, the Eternal Father, was personally cognisant of all that took place and directed the issues in regard to it; the actual work was undertaken by the Elohim. They are His ministers (Heb. 1:7), "that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word" (Psa. 103:20).

"That the wickedness of man was great in the earth" — The Hebrew ra'ah is from the root signifying "to break in pieces, to destroy, afflict", and relates to people who break in pieces the established order of things, thus confounding and destroying that which is right, and afflict themselves by so doing. It is frequently used for moral depravity and lewdness.

"And that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart" — Imagination is from yetzer, something made to plan, and thus includes both purposes and desires. Man, by nature, is prone to sin, and needs the law of God to restrain this. When that law is abandoned, all that remains is evil. That was the case with the antediluvians. They had rejected the restraints of Divine law, and had given themselves over completely to the purposes and desires of their hearts. To the Hebrew, the heart was the seat of the affections and emotions of the mind, and thus related to intellect (see Judges 16:15; Psa. 10:6; Prov. 5:12). The "wickedness" of the antediluvians was deliberate, and was pursued with complete consciousness of their actions.

"Was only evil continually" — The evil was practised without intermission every day (see margin), and so became habitual. The carrying out of their own desires and purposes occupied all their time, and left them completely indifferent to the will of God. The world today is rapidly reaching that condition.

VERSE 6

"And it repented Yahweh that He had made man on the earth" — The Hebrew yinnahem is from the root nacham, to sigh, pant, groan, lament, grieve. The extreme wickedness of man, and particularly that of the sons of God, caused grief to Yahweh, in consequence of which, He decided to alter His purpose. This is an anthropomorphic expression, in which God accommodates His language to man's limited ability to understand. In fact, God does not repent (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29), if by "repent" is meant to regret something done; but He does change His purpose when such is necessary. A study of such passages as Exod. 32:14; 1 Sam. 15:11; Jer. 18:7-8; 26:3,13, 19; and Jonah 3:10 reveals that repentance in relation to Yahweh relates to changes in His dealings with man consequent upon man's change of relationship towards Him.

"And it grieved Him at His heart" — This expression is used to emphasise the effect of sin upon God. In Ephesians 4:30, believers are exhorted to "grieve not the Holy Spirit of God". Man's wickedness and ingratitude caused God sorrow. He may not have expected anything more than indifference from the line of Cain, but to experience a similar attitude from "His sons" caused "sorrow of heart" to the Father in heaven, as a like experience of indifference on the part of children, does to parents on earth.

VERSE 7

"And Yahweh said" — Paul declares that "By faith, Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark" (Heb. 11:7). Evidently the message of Yahweh was conveyed to Noah (Amos 3:7). This declaration followed the second inspection of Yahweh. See comment on v. 5.

"I will destroy man whom I have created" — This decree illustrated the Bible principle: "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). As Creator, Yahweh has the prerogative to do what He assesses to be right and best with His creation. "Destroy" is machah, to blot out, erase, or wipe out, and, in this context, with water.

"From the face of the earth" — Why should God do this if angels were responsible for the wickedness of the antediluvians as some teach? They claim that the "sons of God" were angels, and not mortal believers, and that the "giants" who resulted from the co-mingling of the sons of God with the daughters of men were halfhuman, half-divine monsters of crime. But, if that were the case, why should God be so specific in His declaration that He intended to destroy man from "the face of the earth", leaving the "angels" untouched, if they, in fact, were the cause of the wickedness.

"Both man and beast and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air" — The literal Hebrew, as given in the margin, is "from man unto beast" thus representing creation in reverse.

"For it repenteth Me that I have made them" — Another anthropomorphic figure of speech, in which God applies terms to Himself that man would normally use. See notes on v. 6.

VERSE 8

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh" — The verb is expressive. Noah must have "sought" grace in order to have "found" it. It implies some action on his part. The R.V. renders "grace" as "favour". The Hebrew word is from a root chanan signifying "to bend", to lean over as in kindness to an inferior. It is expressive, therefore, of Yahweh's condescension in figuratively stooping down to help fallen man. In Noah's case, this took the form of exempting him from the general destruction reserved for the human race. Was this provision extended to Noah on Noah's own merits? If that had been the case, Noah would have had no need to plead the favour of Yahweh; he could have claimed salvation as his right. On what grounds could Noah, as a sinner, seek the favour of Yahweh? On the basis of the forgiveness of sins through the promised Redeemer (Gen. 3:15). The atoning efficacy of Christ's offering is retrospective as well as prospective; it reached back as well as forward. Paul taught that the Lord's death embraced "the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant" as well as those that even then were future (Heb. 9:15). Noah's faith (Heb. 11:7) was a confident anticipation of things hoped for, and embraced that promise as well as the other promises and teachings of Yahweh. He sought and found grace in the eyes of Yahweh.

THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH: A JUST MAN

The Ruin of the Old World & the Preservation of a Remnant

Chapters 6:9-9:29

This section of Genesis, the third of the "generations" (see "Outline of the book") narrates the destruction of the old world by the Flood, and the preservation of a righteous remnant. It therefore sets forth "the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22), which are fundamental to the character of Yahweh. Noah is described as "a just man and perfect in his generations", one who "walked with God". His character was unique among a generation that had abandoned the way of righteousness. Being "warned of God" of things "not seen as yet" he believed what he heard;and, energised by the "spirit of Christ which was in the prophets" (1 Pet. 1:11), he "preached to the spirits" (or teachers of the time) who were "in prison" to sin and death (1 Pet. 3:19), that is, to the Antediluvians "who were disobedient in the days of Noah". He warned them of the coming Flood, which would "destroy them from the earth"; and proved to them his own conviction of its certainty, by "preparing an ark for the safety of his own house"; by the which he condemned the world, and became "heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Heb. 11:7). But his faith, thus made perfect by his works, made no salutary impression upon his contemporaries. "They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not till the Flood came; and took them all away" (Matt. 24:38-39), leaving only eight persons of the line of Seth alive (2 Pet. 2:5).

The Section of Genesis narrating the Generations of Noah, is divisible into two parts:

(1) A Generation perishes by Flood —Gen. 6:9-9:17;

(2) Sin In The Flesh Survives — Gen. 9:18-29.

The first part records the details of the Flood, including the covenant Yahweh made with the survivors; the second part shows how that flesh again took over.

(1) A GENERATION PERISHES BY FLOOD — GEN. 6:9-9:17

Noah And His Family — Vv. 9-10. The righteousness of Noah and his family is contrasted with the gross wickedness of the rest of the antediluvians. In the face of the latter, God confirms His intention to punish the world with a Flood.

VERSE 9

"These are the generations of Noah" — See note Gen. 2:4. The "generations" of Noah comprise his family history.

"A just man" — Justification is through Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24). Noah, therefore, must have anticipated the coming of Christ, and the redemption in him. He thus had a clear understanding of the teaching of the Edenic covenant in regard to individual redemption, as did Abraham (John 8:56).

"Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations" — The Hebrew word tamim is from a root signifying to be complete, to be without blemish. It indicates to be full to capacity. Noah did what he could, to the fullest capacity, and was complete in that sense; he was also "without blemish" for his sins were forgiven. In the New Testament, the word "perfect" is used in the sense of maturity: "We speak wisdom among them that are perfect" or mature (1 Cor. 2:6). Again: "In understanding be men" (1 Cor. 14:20). The Greek word for "men" is elsewhere rendered "perfect", and here signifies to be mature, to grow up. Perfection, in the sense of being "without blemish" (and tamim is frequently so rendered. See Exod. 12:5; 29:1) is possible through the forgiveness of sins. So Paul wrote: "By one offering he (Christ) hath perfected for a continuance (see Diaglott) them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). Noah's justification and perfection, therefore were by faith (Heb. 11:7), by his "confident anticipation of things hoped for" (Heb. 11:1). He was perfect in the sense of moral integrity, not in that of complete sinlessness. The perfection referred to, therefore, proclaims that Noah was a complete, or "whole man" (cp. Ecc. 12:13, eliminating the italics) through obeying the commandments of Yahweh. As with teleiosis in the Greek, the word denotes the complete readjustment of sinful man to the laws of God. To be "perfect" towards God therefore is to be full, or complete, to the individual capacity possible. In that regard, the capacity of men vary, and none come up to the absolute perfection of the Lord Jesus.

"And Noah walked with God" — Like Enoch he was fully conscious of the reality of his Creator, and conducted himself as though He were visibly alongside. He "walked with God", and therefore he "walked in the light" (1 John 1:7), enjoying communion and fellowship with Yahweh through the Elohim. He "humbled himself to walk with his God" (see Micah 6:8 mg, and note on Gen. 5:22).

VERSE 10

"And Noah begat three sons" — Three is the number of completeness. Noah's three sons became three racial groups that comprised all mankind after the Flood.

"Shem" — His name means Name or Renown. Though mentioned first, Shem apparently was younger than Japheth who is called the "elder" (Gen. 10:21). Why this anomaly? Because it was a prerogative of a parent to elevate a younger son into the position of legal firstborn, if such were deemed necessary (1 Chron. 5:1; Deut. 21:15-17). Thus Reuben, the actual firstborn of Jacob, was replaced from such an honoured position because of his shocking immorality (Gen. 49:4), and the three-fold privileges of such were given to other sons: the priesthood was given to Levi (Exod. 13:2, 11-16; Num. 8:14-16); the double portion of inheritance was given to Joseph (he had two tribes to all the other sons' one); rulership was given to Judah. There are many other examples of younger sons being elevated to legal firstborn: Isaac in place of Ishmael; Jacob in place of Esau; David in place of his brethren (Psa. 89:27), and so on. Why was this so frequently done in Yahweh's dealings with men? To teach His purpose to man, which was to supply a righteous younger son who would assume the position of legal firstborn over the human race. Yahweh has had two sons: Adam (Luke 3:38) and Christ. In point of time, Adam was the elder of the two, for Yahweh's second Son came some four thousand years after the first. But the older son revealed his incompetence through transgression, to receive the promised inheritance, or to act as priest and king, and he was deposed in favour of the obedient "second Adam", who was elevated to the position of firstborn (Col. 1:15). The title of firstborn does not teach the pre-existence of Christ, instead it proclaims the Father's pleasure in His Son, and the elevated status he has been granted. The Lord Jesus manifested the Father's Name, and Shem was a type of him. The name of Shem, signifying Name or Renown, was a fitting caption for he who would come.

"Ham" — His name means hot, dark, or swarthy. The descendants of Ham ultimately occupied those portions of the earth that are expressed by his name, and became swarthy in appearance.

"And Japheth" — His name means enlarger, expansion. The Japhetic races (the European races) have been noted for their restless energy, particularly in the fields of exploration and inventiveness, by which they have enlarged their possessions or their scope of knowledge. They, too, have lived up to their name.

Noah's contemporaries — vv. 11-13 They had corrupted Yahweh's Creation, and consequently He proclaimed His intention to "corrupt" them.

VERSE 11

"The earth also was corrupt before God" — By "earth" is meant the inhabitants thereof, who are "of the earth, earthy". The description of this verse contrasts them with Noah and his family who, "walked with God." Noah's upright sincerity was brought into bold relief by the "corruption" of his contemporaries. In consequence, Noah and his family shone forth "as lights in the world" being "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (Phil. 2: 15-16).

"And the earth was filled with violence" — The moral corruption of the antediluvians found expression in ruthless contempt for the rights of others; they followed in "the way of Cain" (Jude 11), as manifested by the boastful and arrogant Lamech (Gen. 4:24).

VERSE 12

"And God looked upon the earth" — This is the third and final inspection as required by the Law with regard to a leprous house (cp. note v. 3). The inspection revealed that the moral condition of the world had not improved in spite of the preaching of Noah, but, in fact, had worsened, and all that remained was to destroy the building. Yahweh exhibited mercy as well as judgment towards the antediluvians.

"And, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth" — The word "corrupt" is shachath in Hebrew, and signifies to decay, cast off, corrupt, ruin. The same word is rendered "destroy" in v. 13. Compare its use there with the word machah rendered "destroy" in v. 7. The latter signifies to wipe out as with washing; the former means to bring to ruin. Mankind had ruined God's creation by moral depravity; and now Yahweh, as a wise Master-Potter was about to destroy the marred vessel, and remake it with another lump of clay (See Jer. 18: 110; 19:1-2,10-11). The statement of Genesis 6:12-13 is cited generally in a significant context in Rev. 11:18: "The nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come ... (that Thou) shouldest destroy (mg. corrupt) them which destroy (corrupt, mar, ruin) the earth." Thus the approaching crisis of the latter days is antitypical of that of Noah's day.

"His way" — This was the way to the tree of life; the way to immortality (see notes Ch. 3:24). God's intention as expressed at this epoch is similar to that recorded in 1 Cor. 3:17 in relation to the present. "If any man defile (mg. destroy) the temple of God, him will God destroy (same word as "defile" in Greek), for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." In corrupting "God's way", the antediluvian sons of God corrupted "the temple of God" as it was then constituted, and Yahweh had no further use for them nor their corruption of His Truth.

VERSE 13

"And God said unto Noah" — To whom did He proclaim His intention? Paul declared that He did so to Noah. There was a series of revelations, each expressing with growing intensity and greater urgency, the signs of the times and the intentions of Yahweh (see vv. 3,7,13; Ch. 7:1). Thus warned, the family of Noah was exhorted to stand aside from the mad rush of doom that characterised the attitude of most of the antediluvians. In similar manner, the proclamation of the Spirit is urgent upon this generation of believers, as they "see the day approaching" (cp. Rev. 16:15).

"The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them" — Throughout the ages, great epochs of judgment have been similarly introduced for it is a principle of Yahweh's ways of Providence, to make known His intentions to His servants (see Amos 3:7). By so doing, He elevates such from the status of servants to that of intimate friends (John 15:15; Rev. 1:1). The Flood (Gen. 6:13), the Egyptian plagues (Exod. 7:2,3,7), the destruction of Jerusalem (1 Pet. 4:7), as well as the coming judgment on the nations (Rev. 10:7; 16:15), have all been the subject of warning messages to those who have "ears to hear". We thus stand in a privileged position, being among those "taken out of the Gentiles" (Acts 15:14), to whom Yahweh has confided the secret of His future intentions.

"And behold, I will destroy them with the earth" — The Hebrew word rendered "destroy" is the same as that translated "corrupt" in v. 12. As men had morally ruined Yahweh's work in Creation, He, in turn, announced that He would ruin them. The use of the same word to announce Yahweh's intention, shows that this was a fitting retribution for the wickedness of the antediluvians. The margin renders "with the earth" as "from the earth", thus following the Samaritan text. But the Hebrew is as the AV. This suggests that God designed the cataclysmic upheaval of the Flood to reduce the earth to its original void and empty state, completely overwhelming the inhabitants thereof. Originally the earth was covered with water, and subsequently rose out of it, but now God proclaimed His intention of causing it to revert to that original state. It is the very presence of water on the earth that makes life possible upon this planet. Peter taught that the earth "was compacted out of water and through water" (2 Pet. 3:5). But he proceeds to explain that this very element, so essential to life, became the means of destruction: "The world that then was being overflowed with water, perished" (v. 6). Thus the water destroyed the very life it helped to bring into existence. Yet, remarkably, that same water held the ark aloft and preserved Noah and his family! Peter again declares: "eight souls were saved by water" (1 Pet. 3:20). The water, which brought death to the world, saved them because it lifted them up above the destruction that swept the globe. It saved them because of their relationship to it in the Ark. This is true also of our relationship to the death of Christ through the waters of baptism. Thus Christ is to the one "the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life" (2 Cor. 2:15-16). None could remain indifferent to the Flood, though, for a time, they might ignore the warning message of Noah. And, ultimately, none will be able to remain indifferent to Christ, though, for the time, they might ignore the message of warning and salvation proclaimed in his name.

Noah Commanded To Build An Ark — vv. 14-22

The Divine decree: "The end of all flesh is come" rang like a death knell through the consciousness of Noah. It was obvious that Deity could not remain indifferent to the flood of violence that had covered the earth; and now the Divine vengeance is proclaimed. The earth was to be ruined in the sense that it would cease to support life whilst covered with water; but mercy was also to temper judgment in that an Ark of safety was to be Divinely designed for the remnant who would submit to the ways of Providence. Noah, moved with fear at the revelation given him, preached an urgent message of salvation to whoever would hear, as he prepared the ark for the salvation of himself and his family.

VERSE 14

"Make thee" — The ark was to be identified with Noah, subject to Divine instructions and dimensions. It was thus to be representative of the human race, whilst, at the same time, representative of Yahweh's requirements for the salvation of those who would accept His mercy. In size it was adequate for all who would shelter therein. In like manner, the Lord Jesus, our Ark of Refuge, was representative of those he came to save, as well as manifesting Yahweh as Saviour. In him is adequate provision for the salvation of all who desire to accept the Divine grace extended.

"An ark" — The word is tebah, (not aron, a chest, as used for the ark of the Tabernacle), and signifies a hollow construction for the purpose of floating. It was not a ship in the normal sense of the word, as being a vessel designed to travel from one place to the other and therefore equipped for steering. The ark was the best possible construction for the purpose in view; for it was designed simply to float upon the water, leaving it to Yahweh to drive it wheresoever He would. The word only occurs twice in the Bible; here for the ark of Noah, and again in Exod. 2:3-5 for the ark of bulrushes in which the infant Moses was saved from the cruel decree of Pharaoh. The actual meaning of the word is in doubt, and it could have been of Egyptian derivation. It is significant that Moses, who wrote both Genesis and Exodus, should have used the same word to describe the vessels in which both Noah and himself were able to shelter from danger. The ark points forward in type to Christ our Ark, in which "whosoever will" is able to shelter from the storms of life.

"Of gopher wood" — There is considerable doubt as to what is meant by gopher wood. The New Old Testament Interlinear renders it as "timbers of Cyprus"; the Concordant Version has "sulphur wood"; Strong renders it "wood to house in" suggesting that it relates to the method of construction, the ark being a covered-in vessel. Gesenius identifies gopher with kopher, to cover, implying a covering over the top to roof it in. The ark, including the covering, was of wood.

Wood suggests both human nature and also the stake upon which human nature was portrayed and crucified, and through which a covering was provided for mankind. Christ bore "our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24). The word for "tree" in this quotation is xulon, "wood". As a figure, the wood of the ark points to flesh cut down as in sacrifice, and shaped according to Divine specification to provide a covering. The covering of the ark points to the covering obtainable in Christ through his sacrifice. Gesenius, in identifying the word Gopher with the Hebrew kopher links it with the "pitch" with which the seams are sealed, probably relating to the resin from the tree. If correct, the wood of the ark came from trees that were cut down as in death, and wounded to provide the resin, pointing to the death and the piercing of the Lord.

"Rooms shalt thou make in the ark" — In the Hebrew "rooms" is ginnim, nests (see margin). Nests are abiding places of comfort and shelter. Christ declared: "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2) or "abiding places". These are " nests" where his followers can find refuge and comfort from the storms of life. "The Name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe" (Prov. 18:10).

"And shalt pitch it within and without with pitch"   The Hebrew word for "pitch" is kopher, covering, thus: "thou shalt cover it with a covering". The vessel was thus caulked for safety. What was used for that purpose we are not specifically told; but it could well have been bitumen, or the resin from trees. The fact we need to heed is that it was required to be covered. The word used to describe this, kopher, is the same word that is used for the covering of sins. It is rendered "ransom" (Exod. 30:12; Isa. 43:3; Job 33:24). In its plural form kappurim it is translated "atonement" (Exod. 29:36; 30:10,16; Lev. 23:27; 25:9). As kapporeth, it is used of the mercy seat, the covering of the ark of judgment. The "covering" made the ark watertight, and thus held back the waters of judgment. The covering in Christ (Gal. 3:26-29) does likewise by providing a means for the forgiveness of sins.

VERSE 15

"And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits"   In ancient times, there were several measurements in use defined as the cubit. According to F.Petrie, a noted Egyptologist, the cubit in Egypt measured 2272 inches (57cm). In Israel, the common cubit represented the length from the elbow to the middle finger, and so was called "the cubit of a man" (Deut. 3:11). It was approximately 18 inches (46cm) in length. However, there was also a sacred, or great, cubit, by which the common cubit was increased by a hand-breadth" (Ezek. 40:5), making it about 24 inches (61cm) long. When the dimensions of the ark are considered in the light of these measurements, they reveal a vessel of no mean size.

The dimensions of the ark, however, have a spiritual as well as a literal significance. There is such a thing as spiritual numerics in the Bible, in which numbers are used to teach basic truths. This is found in the numbers associated with the Law, the Tabernacle, the Temple, as well as those relating to Noah's Ark. Thus the dimensions, 300 x 50 x  30, are on a closely proportionate scale. Their highest common factor is ten, a number which, in the Bible, expresses the idea of completeness. It is used to describe a large, undisclosed number, which in its totality expresses the whole. See Deut. 33:2; Psa. 3:6; 1 Sam. 29:5; 1 Cor. 4:15; 14:19 where "ten" is

used as a token number for a much larger unrevealed total. Thus the "ten thousand" of Deut. 33:2 actually expresses a "great multitude which no man can number" (Rev. 7:9). If each of the measurements of the ark is divided by five, the number of grace, the results are respectively 5 x 6 x 10 = 300; 5 x 10 =50; 5 x  6 =30. What do these figures teach when considered in the light of spiritual numerics? Five represents grace; six is the number of man or flesh (Rev. 13:18); and ten suggests completeness. So 5 x 6 x 10 = Grace extended to flesh to bring to completeness the multitude of the Redeemed. The dimensions of the width and the height of the ark convey the same spiritual lessons.

"The breadth of it fifty cubits"   Either 23m (75 feet) or 30m (100 feet), according to the size of the cubit.

"And the height of it thirty cubits"   Either 14m (45 feet) or 18m (60 feet), according to the size of the cubit.

VERSE 16

"A window shalt thou make to the ark"   The Hebrew word for window in this place, tsohar, is entirely different from that found in Genesis 8:6. The word here is from a root signifying "to glisten", and literally means a "light". It was a lighting apparatus, which may have been a series of windows (Gesenius), or an opening running along the top of the sides of the ark, covered in by some translucent substance.

"And in a cubit shalt thou finish it above"   This relates not to the window but to the ark. A cubit square window in such a large vessel would not have been of much use. It is suggested that an opening was left around the whole of the ark a cubit below the roof for light and ventilation.

"And the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof   There was only one door, as there is only one way of entrance into Christ. It was on the side of the ark, and as such, reminiscent of the side of Adam from which Eve was built up (Gen. 2:21-22).

"With lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it"   The word "stories" is not in the original, but some such word must be supplied. Evidently the ark was divided into three sections or storeys; and these were fitted out with rooms (v. 14).

VERSE 17

"And behold I even I"   The repetition is for emphasis. Who was the speaker? The Creator! He thus proclaimed His intention to destroy the wonderful creation which witnessed to His wisdom and power. Noah believed the statement (Heb. 11:7), but he was almost alone in doing so. The two families of mankind ignored the unlikely warning. It was a fearful and unheard of thing that the Creator threatened to bring about, and the "wisdom" of the world ridiculed it as impossible (1 Pet. 3:20). The world unheeded the warning (Matt. 24:38-39), as it similarly is unheeding of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:4).

"Do bring a flood of waters upon the earth"   This is the first intimation of the form of judgment to be inflicted upon the earth. The word for flood is only used here and in Psalm 29:10; and therefore is limited to Noah's flood.

"To destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die"   In the Hebrew, "breath of life" is in the plural, ruach chayim, and literally signifies breath of lives. The term relates to all forms of life as defined in this verse. However, this is "from under heaven"; and "every thing that is in the earth shall die"   limited to "everything under heaven" and "everything in the earth". This includes all bird-life and animal-life, but not necessarily fish life.

VERSE 18

"But with thee I will establish My covenant"   The Covenant established   with Noah was that proclaimed in Eden, which promised a Redeemer for mankind (Gen. 3:15). After the murder of Abel, this Covenant had been kept alive though the line of Seth. But the line of Seth had proved disobedient and would be involved in the Divine judgment that would blot out the rebellious, and so faithful Noah was selected as the channel through whence would come the Redeemer of mankind. This demonstrated that Yahweh's Promise and Covenant are greater than human opposition or weakness: they will prevail in spite of the wickedness and indifference of flesh.

In this statement to Noah, the word "covenant" is used for the first time in Scripture. It is from the Hebrew berith which is from a root signifying to cut, or carve, and therefore implies a covenant confirmed by sacrifice (see Gen. 15:9; Jer. 34:18-19). The use of this important and significant word taught that the promise in Eden would be confirmed by sacrifice (see Rom. 15:8), and the declaration now made to Noah snowed that this offering would come through him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the covenant victim (Heb. 9:15-17), and Noah typed the work he would accomplish.

"And thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee"   It was nessessary for Noah to be saved if salvation was to extend to others. In fulfilment of the type, it was necessary that Christ first save himself, that he might save others. Both Noah and his family were invited to shelter in the ark, though Noah led the way. Hence Noah not only organised the building of the ark, but was the first to be saved thereby. Again the type is fulfilled in Christ, who both saved himself by his own sacrifice, and led the way to salvation for others. He was "brought again from the dead (to life eternal) ... through the blood of the everlasting covenant (his own blood   Heb. 13:20)".

VERSE 19

"And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark"   Literally, "Two from every kind"   that is, all gathered into the ark shall appear in pairs, whether it be the seven pairs of clean animals or the single pairs of unclean animals (Ch. 7:2). Noah was to "bring them into the ark" in the sense of receiving them and not prohibiting them. He did not go out and gather them; the Elohim did that (Ch. 6:20).

"To keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female"   They did not enter the ark on a basis of faith, but with the object of preserving life. Noah and his family ruled over them, as Christ and the saints will rule over the mortal peoples in the Age to Come. In this, the experience of Noah foreshadowed the future. See notes Genesis 9:15. The birds and animals in the ark, were separated into clean and unclean categories, answering to the nations (see Acts 10:9-12; Dan. 7: 1112; Ezek. 39:17). For example, Israel is represented as a holy nation, the Gentiles as unholy. Both will find a place in the Kingdom as mortal peoples, incorporated therein by a national acceptance of Christ's rule. This was typically set forth in the judgment of the Flood. Consider the categories dealt with by Yahweh:

1. The adulterous sons of God destroyed.

2. The mighty men and giants together with their followers, destroyed.

3. Noah and his family saved by faith.

4. The lower creation preserved to sustain life.

As in the typography of Genesis 1:26, these lower forms of life represent the mortal nations of the future (see Gen. 1:28), with whom Yahweh will enter into covenant relationship (Gen. 9:15).

VERSE 20

"Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort"   This statement excludes sea-life which possibly was not subjected to the same judgment. See v. 17.

"Shall come into thee"   The animals to be preserved, would be drawn to Noah by angelic means. This fact has been ridiculed by those who reject the Bible, and the claim has been made that it was impossible. For example:

1. How would it be possible for the slow-moving animals of Australia to shuffle their way back to the Middle East, and to the ark in time to be saved?

2. Would the ark accommodate all the species of animals to be preserved?

3. How would a mere eight men attend to all the requirements of so many creatures?

4. What about space for the normal increase of such?

These and other problems may present themselves to the mind, and, indeed, have been pressed by those who doubt the Bible record. We suggest the following answers:

1. The antediluvian globe was different from that which is familiar to us today. That is obvious from the fact that there is evidence of growth in the polar regions, such as would be impossible today. Most likely, the land masses were different then from those of today, and it is possible that all creation was more completely centred then, than is the case now, into one main continent.

2. Concerning the species and available room in the ark, the following comment is by  Nelson in After Its Kind,pp. 80-81.

"Into the ark had been brought two of every kind. From the sacred record it appears that it was not necessary for Noah to go out in to the world and collect these pairs, but that they were sent to him, they came to him, impelled by the Power which made and controls all things. That the ark was not large enough to contain two of every bi-sexual species has often been charged. The charge, however, rests on ignorance both as to the vast carrying capacity of the ark as outlined in the Bible, and as to the number of species that there actually are. Some scientists, called the "lumpers", make the number of species few. Others, called the "splitters", make the number many. Until breeding tests have been carefully applied so that men can know which forms are varieties and which are distinct species no one will be able to do more than make a guess at the number of 'kinds' there are. Dr. Howard Osgood in the Sunday School Times discusses the question whether all species of animals, as they are now classified by naturalists, could have found accommodation in the ark. The highest estimate of the number of species of land mammalia is 290 above the size of the sheep, 757 from the sheep to the rats, and 1,359 of the rats, bats, and shrews. The average size is about that of the common cat. Allowing five square feet of the deck room as amply sufficient for a cat, two of each species of mammalia could find room on two-thirds of one deck of the ark, with its 33,750 square feet of surface. The representatives of 10,000 species of birds, 979 of reptiles, 1,252 of lizards, and 100,000 of insects could easily be placed on the remaining third of the deck, leaving the other two decks for storing food".

3. It could be that most of the animals hibernated during the period of the Flood. This would limit the amount of food and attention necessary to attend to them. In regard to the judgment of the Flood, we are in the presence of miracle in many various aspects.

4. If Yahweh limited the activity of the animals by hibernation, it would also care for this problem.

"To keep them alive" — Male and female were both essential to that end. Cp. v. 19.

VERSE 21

"And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee and for them" — Whereas the angels gathered the animals and birds to Noah, he had to arrange for their food. This applies also on the spiritual plane: God is calling out of the Gentiles a people for His name (Acts 15:14), but they must feed on the food that Christ, as the antitypical Noah, has prepared.

VERSE 22

"Thus did Noah" — Noah was moved by faith, and his faith was perfected by action. See James 2:18-24. As Yahweh had limited the period of preparation to one hundred and twenty years, most of this time would be occupied in building the ark, preaching to the people, storing the food, and preparing for the reception of the animals.

Chronology of the Flood

7:6 7-7-10a 7:10b-11 7:12 7:24 8:4 8:5 8:6 8:10 8:12 8:13 8:14

— Noah's age at the Flood (600 years). — Loading the Ark — 7 days. — Rain begins — 17th day 2nd month — Rain continues 40 days — Water prevails 110 days — Ark rests on Ararat —73 days later tops of mountains are seen — 40 days later raven and dove sent out — 7 days later dove sent out a second time (returns with leaf) — 7 days later dove sent out (does not return) — 36 days later, covering removed — 56 days later, the earth ready

17/2/1656 27/3/1656 17/7/1656 17/7/1656 1/10/1656 11/11/1656 18/11/1656 25/11/1656 1/1/1657 27/2/1657

Total time from beginning of the Flood, one year, 10 days. The computation above is based upon lunar reckoning which from the fact that 150 days are computed as five months. See Gen 8:4. The repetition of 5's (grace), 6's (flesh), 7's (covenant), 40's in the above period is significant.

REFERENCE LIBRARY

Genesis Expositor - HP Mansfield

Concordane - Strong

After Its Kind - Nelson

Sunday School Times - Dr. Howard Osgood

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. Where does the third Genesis tablet begin?
2. How is Noah like Enoch?
3. How many days was the ark used for?
4. Why were only two of some animals taken and more of others?
5. Why did God make the flood?
6. Do angels marry?
7. How many times did God warn the people of the coming flood?

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Who are the sons of God?
2. Who are the daughters of men?
3. Who were the giants?
4. How is the ark similar to the tabernacle?
5. What is the significance of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in scripture numberology?
6. How does 1 John 2:16 relate to Genesis 6:2.
7. Compare the pitch of the ark with the tabernacle coverings.