HBS & DwJ Podcast

Genesis 6:14
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

Having warned Noah of the impending flood, God now tells him how to survive it.

Notably, God’s instructions require Noah to demonstrate faith.

While God could miraculously protect Noah and his household inside a magic underwater bubble, He instead requires Noah to create his own means of survival at his own expense long before the first drop of rain falls.

Noah’s salvation is to take the form of a boat—an ark.

The Hebrew word used to describe the vessel is somewhat unusual, appearing in the Bible only here in the story of Noah and at Exodus 2:3–5.

In the latter, it refers to the container in which Moses’ mother set him afloat on the Nile River.

Some commentators think the word, deriving from an Egyptian term, means, chest or box; others think it means, palace.

In Noah’s context, it perhaps implies the special role the ark will play as a container of the precious life within.

This was a hollow chest, a box designed to float on water, made of gopher-wood.

Probably cedar or cypress trees are in view, abundant in the mountains of Armenia.

The precise kind of wood is uncertain since the word gopher is not a translation but a transliteration, that is, a literal rendering of the sounds of the original Hebrew word.

The fact that this is the only place in the Old Testament where this word is used adds to the uncertainty.

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood.” Gopher wood is an almost indestructible wood very much like our redwood in California.

“Rooms shalt thou make in the ark.” The word for “rooms” has the idea of nest.

The elephant would need a room, but the mole would not need quite that much space.

He could be given just a little dirt in a corner, and that is all he would need.

“And shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” The ark was to be made waterproof.



Genesis 6:15
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

The dimensions of the ark are impressive, even by modern standards: conversion of 18-inch cubits to feet yields a length of 450 feet, a breadth, or width of 75 feet, and height of 45 feet.

At first glance, the 33,750 square feet of floor space is impressive enough, but Genesis 6:16b, has more to add to this.

The total volume computes to more than 1.5 million cubic feet.

This equates to the capacity of about 375 modern tractor trailers!

Note that Noah’s ark is conceived as a free-floating barge, not as a steerable ship.

Therefore none of its capacity will be occupied by any kind of propulsion system.

The impression that most people have of the ark is the impression they were given by the little Sunday school pictures which made it look like a houseboat.

It was, to me, a very ridiculous sort of a travesty.

It was an exaggerrated immataion of the ark instead of a picture of it like it actually was.

To begin with, the instructions for the building of the ark reveal that it was quite sizable.

“The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits.” If a cubit is eighteen inches, that ought to give you some conception of how long this ark was.

The question arises as to how they could make it substantial in that day.

My fellow Christian Siblings, we are not dealing with cavemen.

We are dealing with a very intelligent man.

You see, the intelligence that the race has today came right through Noah, and he happened to be a very intelligent man.

Noah is not making an oceangoing ship to withstand fifty-foot waves.

All he is building is a place for life, animal life and man, to stay over quite a period of time—not to go through a storm, but just to wait out the Flood.

For that reason, the ark might lack a great deal that you would find on an oceangoing ship, and that would give it a great deal more room.

If a cubit is 18 inches, 300 cubits would mean that the ark was 450 feet long.

That is a pretty long boat, but the relative measurements is the thing that interests me.

For instance, I noted that the New Mexico, one of our battleships of the World War II era, was built 624 feet long, 106¼ feet wide, and with a mean draught of 29½ feet.

By comparison the ark had practically the same ratio; so that you did not have a ridiculous looking boat at all.

But one which would compare favorably with the way they build ships today.



Genesis 6:16
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

The Hebrew word translated window occurs only here in the Old Testament, so the problem of exact meaning is similar to that of “gopher” in verse 14.

The translators of the old Greek version known as the (sep-twuh-gnt) - Septuagint, who lived two centuries before Christ, seem to have been just as perplexed in their translation. “By an assembling, you shall make the ark; and by a cubit you shall complete it from above.”

Presumably, the ark is to have many openings below an overhanging roof for light and ventilation.

And the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

The door of the ark will allow the loading of cargo and animals.

It is likely sealed with pitch before the journey.

Because the ark is to include three habitable stories, its floor space will exceed 100,000 square feet.

“A window shalt thou make to the ark.” The window was not a little slit made in the side of the ark.

Have you ever stopped to think about the stench that there might be with all those animals in there over that period of time?

The window was a cubit high and went all the way around the top of the ark.

The roof must have overlapped the window quite a bit.

That is the way they ventilate a gymnasium today.

At the state fair in Dallas, Texas, the buildings in which the animals are housed have a window which goes all the way around at the top.

With all the animals they have there, it is not an unpleasant place to be. People were sitting in there eating their meals and also sleeping.

It seems to be very comfortable, and the odor does not seem to be bad.

It has been said that poor Noah had to stick his head out this little window in order to live.
That’s ridiculous.

That is man’s imagination and not what the record says here at all.

“And the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof.” The ark had only one door, and that is important.

Christ said, “I am the way” and “I am the door to the sheepfold,” and He is the door to the ark.

“With lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.” The ark had three decks, you see, and then, I take it, one either on top or on the bottom which would make four decks.

Was there a door for each deck?

I am rather of the opinion there was only one door and not one for each floor, but frankly, that is beside the point.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Romans 8:1-2 KJVS
[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8 is one of the most powerful and popular chapters in all the Bible. In it, Paul describes with great detail what it means to live as Christian, both now and for eternity. The chapter begins, as well, with one of the most comforting statements in all the Bible. The previous chapter ended with Paul crying out in frustration about his wretchedness and asking who would deliver him from his "body of death."

He answered by giving thanks "to God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:25). Now he states absolutely why the gospel is such good news for all who believe. The Greek words translated as "there is therefore now no," as in the English Standard Version (ESV), are very emphatic. The literal phrasing is Ouden ara nyn katakrima, which accomplishes two things.

First, it ties this statement to the claim made in Romans 7:25, according to the word "therefore."

Second, it definitively states a permanent, present, and complete lack of "condemnation," from a Greek word meaning "a sentence" or "penalty." In crystal-clear language, the Bible indicates there is absolutely no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.

None.

Zero.

Paul's statement leaves no room for even a tiny bit of condemnation to sneak in. In short, if you are "in Christ Jesus," God will never, ever condemn you for any sin whatsoever. The condition of this statement, however, is crucial: salvation is for those who place their faith in Christ (Romans 3:23–26). There is no other way (Acts 4:12), and those who reject this salvation will not be rescued from condemnation (John 3:18).

How can this be?

Paul has already built the case in chapters 3—5 of this letter to the Romans. When we place our faith in Christ, God so closely identifies us with His Son that He gives us credit for Jesus' sinless, righteous life, and He accepts Jesus' death as payment for our death-deserving sin. Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

So if God is judging us on the basis of Jesus' righteousness, how could we ever be condemned?

God would never condemn Jesus, so He will never condemn those who are seen by God as being in Christ.

And how do we come to be "in Christ"?

Only by faith (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:8–9).

Paul wrote in the previous verse that there is absolutely no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This verse begins to describe why that is true, and it has much to do with the Holy Spirit. This is only the second mention of the Holy Spirit in Romans, but merely the first of about 19 mentions of the Spirit in chapter 8!

Why is there no condemnation from God for those in Christ Jesus?

The law—or principle—of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law—or principle—of sin and death.

The word used twice as "law" in this verse does not refer to the law of Moses, about which Paul has written so much in Romans. Instead, it describes the idea of a universal truth.

The first truth or principle is the Spirit of life. Put another way, the Spirit of God always gives or brings life. That notion has set Christians free only in Christ Jesus. Without faith in Christ, we will not be justified by God (Romans 5:1), and if we are not justified we will not receive the Spirit who brings life. Put positively, because we have faith in Christ, God has given to us His Spirit that brings life. That has set us free from the law or principle of sin and death.

That second law is just that sin always, always leads to death. It is the reason we were all condemned to eternal death and separation from God in the first place (Romans 3:23; 6:23). The only way to escape from the law of sin and death is to access the law of the Spirit of life through faith in Christ.


Our topic today is:

GOD’s Deliverance From The Judgement Of The Flood Discussion

After the finality of God's statement in the previous verse, verse 8 catches us by surprise. In light of the great wickedness of humanity, the Creator has just expressed the pain His creation of mankind has caused Him. Even worse, He has announced His plan to wipe humanity, along with birds and animals, from the face of the earth.

Now, however, we are told that one man, Noah, has found favor in God's eyes. The rest of the chapter will explain exactly what "favor" means. It won't stop God from carrying out His plan to destroy so much of His creation. It certainly won't mean that Noah's life will be perfect, or easy, or painless.

However, it will mean that humanity will continue. The end of civilization will be followed by a new beginning. Noah will not only survive the upcoming judgment, along with his wife and children, but he will carry on the survival of the human race. This reference is also important because it is rare.

Very few people in the Old Testament are said to have found favor in God's eyes. Noah was special, and that favored status before God would mean the difference between death and life for future humanity.

This verse begins a brand new section of Genesis. Just as chapter 5 began with the "generations of Adam," this new section begins with "the generations of Noah."

However, the chapter doesn't immediately launch into a list of Noah's descendants. Instead, it will first tell his amazing story, beginning with his character. We are told he is both righteous and blameless among the people of his time. These are both words of comparison. Noah's choices stood in contrast, at least in God's sight, to the sinful, selfish choices of the rest of humanity.

Noah was righteous in the sense that he did was right, and he was blameless in the sense that he didn't do what was wrong. In strong distinction to those around him, Noah was a moral, god-honoring man. The term blameless is used in Scripture to refer to those who are exceptionally obedient to God (Job 1:1; Luke 1:6).

The idea is not someone who is "absolutely perfect." Noah wasn't a sinless, morally perfect man. Only Jesus ever accomplished that (Hebrews 4:14). But by character, reputation, and practice, Noah was exceptional. In simple terms, he did good things and didn't do bad ones. That set him apart from the rest of humanity.

Even more, we're told that Noah walked with God. Those words are only said of one other man in Genesis: Enoch, the man God took away without any report of his death (Genesis 5:22–24). Noah enjoyed a very close relationship with God.

Noah's three sons are listed again, as they were in Genesis 5:32. Along with Noah and his wife, these men and their wives will be the only humans saved from God's judgment on the sins of humanity. Few other details are given of their lives or character. Strictly speaking, we don't know who was the oldest or youngest, or exactly how old Noah was when they were born.

Genesis 5:32 gives a rough idea of Noah's age, but has every appearance of a general statement, not a specific one. Though the Bible does not say so in explicit terms, we might assume that Noah's sons also stood apart from the normal wickedness of humanity (Genesis 6:5, 8). This is mostly because they are welcomed on the ark.

The other patriarchs of Genesis chapter 5 are credited with having "many" sons and daughters. Noah is not described in this way. While the Bible does not say, directly, that these were his only three children, that is certainly likely. Noah's father Lamech died prior to the flood, and the three sons mentioned in this chapter all survive with Noah on the ark.

It's possible that this was all part of God's favor on Noah: limiting the loss of his family in judgment. Another, sadder, possibility is that Noah had other children, who are not mentioned in the Bible. The other patriarchs of Genesis chapter 5 are credited with having children at a much younger age than Noah's 500 years at the birth of these three sons.

This chapter frequently repeats the reasons for God sending the flood. Verse 5 explained that man, on the whole, thought of nothing but evil. Here, the same idea is brought out again. God sees the earth as it is: corrupt and ruined. What He had made and observed as good in Genesis 1 He now sees as unacceptably disgraced by human sin.

A primary evidence of the corruption of the earth was violence. Instead of being filled with good, the earth was filled with human violence to others. The Hebrew word translated "violence" here is hā'mās'. This implies more than just the kind of brute force attacks we think of when we hear the English word.

This can also include injustice, oppression, and cruelty. The term also suggests the effects physical violence has on a person or group which has been violently conquered: oppression, deprivation, and misuse. Men of the pre-flood world are not only disobedient to God, they are harsh and abusive to each other.

This verse describes the extent of the corruption of sin on the earth: It was everywhere. It was everyone. And it was self-inflicted. "All people" or "all flesh" had corrupted their ways

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

And why did Noah find grace?

Lest one believe that Noah was spared because of his good works alone, God makes it clear that Noah was a man who believed in God as Creator, Sovereign, and the only Savior from sin.

He found grace for himself, because he humbled himself and sought it, he was obedient, as well.



Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

This characterization of Noah creates a sharp contrast with the description of the world at large in Genesis 6:5.

Of course, Noah sinned like every other human being.

But clearly he did not participate in the general moral decay into which the society around him had fallen.

Noah was a follower of the Lord rather than idols.

But the language and context here distinguish him from other people more on the basis of his character than on the object of his worship.

While others are violent, abusive, and self-centered, Noah acts with justice toward others.

The word order is one of increasing spiritual quality before God.
Just, is to live by God’s righteous standards.

Perfect, sets him apart by a comparison with those of his day.

And that he walked with God, puts him in a class with Enoch.



Genesis 6:10
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Noah’s three sons are significant for the role they will play in repopulating the earth after the great flood.

As survivors of the catastrophe, Shem, Ham, and Japheth will become the forefathers of all ethnic groups found in Genesis 10.

Presumably, they follow their father’s moral example and avoid the sins of the culture around them.



Genesis 6:11
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

This verse summarizes the more detailed description of society in Genesis 6:4–7.

As seen earlier, God intends for humans to manage the earth and all living things responsibly by following His instructions.

While God had commanded Adam and Eve to produce new life, the darker human capacity to murder was introduced in the second generation of the human race.

The tendency now seems to be to take life rather than multiply it.

The seed of Satan, the fallen rejectors of God, deceitful and destructive, had dominated the world.



Genesis 6:12
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

The breadth of the problem is stressed in that the phrase all flesh includes all descendants of Adam and Eve.

Everyone except Noah has become corrupt.

This implies many self-centered sins. Violent struggles for power, no regard for the common stewardship of the earth’s resources as God originally commanded, etc.

People have come to realize that control of the world at the expense of others can produce great material wealth.

That is, man had corrupted God’s way and was going his own way.

He had turned from the purpose for which God had created him.



Genesis 6:13
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

By the time Noah comes on the scene, the situation has become so bad that God sees no other solution than to destroy what He has made.

Destroy did not mean annihilation, but rather referred to the Flood judgment, both of the earth and its inhabitants.

Theoretically, Genesis 6:7 could signal a return to the timelessness that existed before Genesis 1 after God destroys the universe and all humans with it.

Then He could start over. Or God could keep all the inanimate elements of creation intact, then bring new humans into existence.

But since Noah is an exception to the rule of wickedness, God decides to work with him and his family rather than starting from scratch.

God’s decision to reveal His plan to Noah further stresses the quality of Noah’s character.

To what extent Noah shares this dire warning with others outside his family is unknown.

Noah is characterized as “a preacher of righteousness” in 2 Peter 2:5, but it is unclear whether that means Noah actually speaks to his contemporaries about the coming judgment and the need to repent.

God is going to send the Flood, and I would like to mention here several reasons why.

Man had a promise of a Redeemer, and he was told that there was coming a Savior on the earth.

That is the thing man should have been looking for; instead of that, he turned from God.

These two boys, Cain and Abel, stand as the representatives of two great systems, two classes of people: the lost and the saved, the self-righteous and the broken-spirited, the formal professor and the genuine believer.

That is what was present in the human race at this time.

And then we find that the patriarchs were living so long that the lives of Adam and Methuselah bridged the entire gap from the creation to the Flood.

They certainly could have given a revelation to all mankind, which they did.

Then we are told in Jude 14 and 15 that Enoch preached, he prophesied, during that period.

We are also told that Noah preached during that period as he was building the ark.

When Enoch disappeared, that should have alerted the people to the intervention of God in human affairs.

They also knew about this man Methuselah and the meaning of his name; and when he died, they should have known the Flood was coming.

Finally, there was also the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

God said that His Spirit would not always strive with man.

The Spirit of God was striving with him, but, when man totally rejected God, the Flood came in judgment upon the earth.

The entire human family has turned from God “. . . There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10).

There are just a few, though, who do believe Him—Noah and his family.

Here is one man who walked with God; he believed God.

Here is a man who still trusted God—“by faith Noah.”

Here is a man who was willing to risk building a boat on dry land.

If the rains did not come, he certainly would be the laughingstock of the community.

I think he was just that for 120 years, but Noah believed God.

There is a striking comparison in the fact that the days of Noah are to be duplicated before the Lord comes again to the earth, not for the Rapture, but to establish His Kingdom.

But there are some remarkable parallels that have already taken place.

For instance, this chapter opened: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them. . . .” There was this tremendous population increase, and by that time man had spread pretty much over the earth.

He was in North America, in Asia, in Europe, and in Africa.

He had spread in every direction.

Today we have a tremendous population explosion, and men again have increased upon the face of the earth.

Also, there is the fact that during the Great Tribulation period, the Holy Spirit will no longer restrain evil.

He will be there to convert men, but we are told very definitely that He will not be restraining evil on the earth.

God’s overtures to men will be despised and rejected, and certainly they are even today.

Isn’t it amazing that the only ones who are listened to by the world today are the liberal Protestant and Roman Catholic ministers?

You hear nothing from conservative men.

They have attempted to make some sort of inroad, and they are trying their best to get back in the mainstream, but we have come to the day when, if you are going to stand for God, you will find that you will not be able to talk before a television camera very often.

Instead, you must learn to protest, to march, and to deny Christ before you can expect a television interview!

Finally, the world in that day will be faced with the great problem of the Rapture—there will have been a great number of people who have mysteriously left the earth.

Also there were judgments in Noah’s day, and yet they did not heed them.

"Man Of God" is the description given to a man who follows God in every way, who obeys His Commands with joy, who does not live for the things of this life but for the things of Eternity.
Who willingly serves GOD and gives freely from all his resources, yet gladly suffers a consequence of his faith.


All right get those phone lines buzzing by the mighty dozens and let us know what you think of today's episode.

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To GOD Goes The Glory
The Glory
Glory👃🏾

When it comes to men, there is very little information directing men on how to really become a man.

Besides GOD, who does a man talk to for positive direction?

What do you feel is the most pressure that a man faces?

What do you feel discourages a man the most?


All right get those phone lines buzzing by the mighty dozens and let us know what you think of today's episode.

📱(704) 471-8526

To GOD Goes The Glory
The Glory
Glory👃🏾

Genesis 6:1
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

Such long lifespans as indicated in the record of chapter 5 caused a massive increase in earth’s population.

This matter of “the sons of God” and “the daughters of men” is something that has caused no end of discussion.

There are a great many of good men who take the position that “the sons of God” were angels.
A number of teachers teach, that the sons of God were angels, and I recognize that a great many of the present-day expositors take that position.



Genesis 6:2
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

The sons of God, identified elsewhere almost exclusively as angels, saw and took wives of the human race.

This produced an unnatural union which violated the God-ordained order of human marriage and procreation as found in Gen. 2:24.

Some have argued that the sons of God were the sons of Seth who cohabited with the daughters of Cain; others suggest they were perhaps human kings wanting to build harems.

But the passage puts strong emphasis on the angelic versus human contrast.

The NT places this account in sequence with other Genesis events and identifies it as involving fallen angels who indwelt men.

Matthew 22:30 does not necessarily negate the possibility that angels are capable of procreation, but just that they do not marry.

However, to procreate physically, demons had to possess human, male bodies, making this an unnatural process.

This matter of “the sons of God” and “the daughters of men” is something that has caused no end of discussion.

There are a great many good men who take the position that “the sons of God” were angels.
I personally cannot accept that at all.

Most of my teachers taught that the sons of God were angels, and I recognize that a great many of the present-day expositors take that position.

However, if these were good angels, they would not commit this sin, and evil angels could never be designated as “sons of God.”

Also, the offspring here were men; they were not monstrosities.

I do not know why it is assumed by so many that the offspring were giants.

We will look at this more closely when we come to verse 4.



Genesis 6:3
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

The Holy Spirit played a most active role in the OT.

The Spirit had been striving to call people to repentance and righteousness, especially as Scripture notes, through the preaching of Enoch and Noah.

One hundred and twenty years, is the span of time until the Flood, in which man was given opportunity to respond to the warning that God’s Spirit would not always be patient.

We believe that Noah preached for 120 years, and during that time the Spirit of God was striving with men.

Peter makes it very clear that it was back in the days of Noah that the Spirit of God was striving with men in order that He might bring them to God—but they would not turn.

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Pet. 3:18–19).

These spirits were in prison when Peter wrote, but they were preached to in the days of Noah.

How do we know that?

Well, Verse 20 reads: “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

When were they disobedient?

During the long—suffering of God in the days of Noah—during those 120 years.



Genesis 6:4
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, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

The word Nephilim is from a root meaning “to fall,” indicating that they were strong men who “fell” on others in the sense of overpowering them.

They were already in the earth when the “mighty men” and “men of renown” were born.
The fallen ones are not the offspring from the union in verses 1 and 2.

It says, “There were giants in the earth in those days,” but it does not say they are the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men.

It does say this about the offspring: “the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

These were not monstrosities; they were men.

The record here makes it very clear that the giants were in the earth before this took place, and it simply means that these offspring were outstanding individuals.

Humanity has a tremendous capacity.

Man is fearfully and wonderfully made—that is a great truth we have lost sight of.

This idea that man has come up from some protoplasm out of a garbage can or seaweed is utterly preposterous.

It is the belief of some scientists that evolution will be repudiated, and some folk are going to look ridiculous at that time.

Evolution is nothing in the world but a theory as far as science is concerned.

Nothing has been conclusive about it.

It is a philosophy like any other philosophy, and it can be accepted or rejected.

When it is accepted, it certainly leads to some very crazy solutions to the problems of the world, and it has gotten this country into trouble throughout the world.

Anyone would think that we are the white knight riding through the world straightening out wrongs.

We are wrong on the inside ourselves!

I do not know why in this country today we have an intelligentsia in our colleges, our government, our news media, and our military who think they are super, that somehow or another they have arrived.

It is the delusion of the hour that men think that they are greater than they really are. Man is suffering from a fall, an awful fall.

He is totally depraved today, and until that is taken into consideration, we are in trouble all the way along.

Then what do we have here in verse 4?

As I see it, Genesis is a book of genealogies—it is a book of the families.

The sons of God are the godly line who have come down from Adam through Seth, and the daughters of men belong to the line of Cain.

What you have here now is an intermingling and intermarriage of these two lines, until finally the entire line is totally corrupted (well, not totally; there is one exception).

That is the picture that is presented to us here.

I recognize, and I want to insist upon it, that many fine expositors take the opposite view that the sons of God are actually angels.

If you accept that view, you will be in good company, but I am sure that most of you want to be right and will want to go along with me.

Regardless of which view you take, I hope all of us will be friends, because this is merely a matter of interpretation.

It does not have anything to do with whether or not you believe the Bible but concerns only the interpretation of the facts of Scripture.

What was the condition on the earth before the Flood?

What caused God to bring the judgment of the Flood?



Genesis 6:5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

This is one of the strongest and clearest statements about man’s sinful nature.

Sin begins in the thought-life.

The people of Noah’s day were exceedingly wicked, from the inside out.

There are four words here that ought to be emphasized and which I have marked in my Bible.

“The wickedness of man was great.”

“Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil.” Only evil—that is all it was—and that “continually.”

These four words reveal the condition of the human family that was upon the earth.



Genesis 6:6
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Sin sorrowed God who is Holy and without blemish.

“And it repented the LORD.”

What repented the Lord?

The corruption of man repented the Lord. It looks as if God has changed His mind and intends to remove man from the earth.

He probably did just that with a former creation on the earth.

Although it grieved God because of man’s sin, thank God, He did not destroy him.



Genesis 6:7
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

God promised total destruction when His patience ran out.

It does not mention fish because they are in the water, and He is simply going to send more water.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Psalm 1:2 KJVS
[2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord ; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
This verse continues to describe the blessed man.

Whereas verse 1 takes a negative tone (Psalm 1:1), this strikes a positive tone. Verse 1 describes what the blessed man does not do, verse 2 describes what he does. As in verse 1, the context here applies to all people, not only males or men. The blessed person delights in the law of the Lord.

The Hebrew word translated "delight" is related to a word that can mean "to bend." The blessed person "bends" towards God. His or her inclination is to meditate on God's Word. Instead of letting the words of the ungodly influence one's thinking, a blessed person wants God's words to influence his or her life.

Reading and obeying the Scripture is extremely important to the blessed person. Such a person doesn't merely give God's Word a cursory reading or an occasional reading—he or she digs into it, whether it is daytime or nighttime. Worthwhile meditation does not require a person to empty his or her mind.

Scripture does not support the idea of self-emptying in meditation—godly meditation means filling the mind with Scripture. To meditate on Scripture involves pondering what the Bible teaches about God's character. It involves thinking deeply about what His Word teaches about ourselves and others.

As we meditate, we cherish the promises and precepts we find in the Bible, we heed its commands, we confront our sins and confess them, and we conform our thoughts to God's thoughts.
The blessed person is not influenced by the words of the ungodly, but is deeply influenced by God's words.

Our topic today is:

THE GENEALOGY OF ENOCH TO NOAH Discussion

Methuselah's status as the oldest person recorded in the Bible is the reason his name is often a punchline. Modern people sometimes jokingly refer to a very old person as "Methuselah."
At 969 years, Methuselah not only lived more than 200 years in parallel with Adam, he saw the world as it was just prior to the great flood.

The long lifespans of this chapter can be attributed to many possible effects. The earth of this era would have been free from most diseases and pollution. Nearly perfectly-clean air, food, and water would have been the norm. And, humanity had not yet suffered the effects of long-term genetic decay.

So, given that both human biology and human environments were "brand new," it's not shocking to imagine people surviving to extraordinary old age. Even today, modern biology suggests that length of life is far more influenced by biology and environment than anything else: living things die because of corruption. In some respects, Methuselah's story is just like the others recorded in this genealogy.

His story ends with the common phrase, "and he died." He is said to have fathered many sons and daughters. However, there are some aspects of his life which are remarkable. Among these, of course, are his long life, and the unusual fate of his father, Enoch (Genesis 5:24). Methuselah also outlives his son, Lamech, who will die five years before him.

Methuselah's name has a dual interpretation. It can be taken to mean "man of the dart," or "his death brings judgment." As it turns out, according to the ages given in this chapter, Methuselah will die in the same year as the flood.
This, combined with the fact that Methuselah was born prior to the death of Adam, is especially important.
Right up the point of destruction, mankind still had access to (at worst) second-hand accounts of the origins of our entire race.
Genesis chapter 6 describes humanity at the end of Methuselah's life as deeply depraved (Genesis 6:5).
And yet, the history of mankind was not lost or obscure.
There were men and women walking the earth who had seen, personally, what had happened in the past, and who God was.
This makes the depth of sin during Noah's era all the more tragic.
What's also intriguing about Methuselah are questions about his life, and his character.
Clearly, most of his children were not followers of God—only his grandson Noah would be rescued by God.
Strictly speaking, we don't know anything about Methuselah or his relationship with God.
He might have been devout like his father, or he might not.
The fact that he dies in the same year as the flood could even mean he was killed by it.
We simply do not know.

Lamech is the ninth generation from Adam, despite being born many hundreds and hundreds of years after Adam.
Using the ages given in this chapter, Adam was still alive when Lamech was nearly sixty years old!
That's an important part of the context of this passage.
The next chapter will describe mankind as deeply depraved, causing God to send the flood (Genesis 6:5).
Clearly, humanity could not blame their sins on forgetfulness, or having lost their heritage.
At the time of the flood, there would have been men and women alive who personally knew Adam, or his sons and daughters.
The evil of mankind was not because we had forgotten about God, but because we had chosen to reject Him.
This verse also breaks the normal pattern of the chapter, adding Lamech's prophetic comments about his son, Noah, in the next verse.
Lamech is the first of the patriarchs to actually "die" before his father.
While his grandfather, Enoch, was only on earth for 365 years, he was taken by God prior to death.
Lamech will die at the age of 777, five years before his father, Methuselah.

Verse 29 introduces the second major patriarch in the book of Genesis: Noah.
Lamech's comments in this verse show a strong contrast between the lineage of Seth, and that of Cain.

One of Cain's descendants was also named "Lamech," but he is recorded as bragging about his sin (Genesis 4:23–24).
The Lamech described here, a descendant of Seth, is mourning the struggles humanity has faced since the fall.
This results in him giving his son the name Noah, which sounds very much like the Hebrew word for "rest or comfort."
In addition, Lamech speaks a prophecy about his son: Out of the cursed ground, Noah would bring relief from the painful work and toil of his people's hands.
Perhaps Lamech just meant that Noah would bring relief from God's curse on men by sharing in the painful work of getting crops from the ground.
We don't know what Lamech had in mind.
What God had in mind for Noah's lifetime, though, would bring a very specific kind of relief to the world in the form of a devastating flood that would wipe out the effects of so much human sin.

As with most of the other men listed in this chapter, verses 30 and 31 describe Lamech as having additional children, and then passing away.
According to the numbers given in this passage, Lamech lived 595 more years after Noah was born.
Since we're told in Genesis 7:6 that Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came on the earth, this means Lamech died just 5 years before the flood.
As with Methuselah, there is a sad aspect to reading about Lamech's many children.
One way or another, only Noah, his wife, and their family would be rescued from the flood.
The rest of Lamech's offspring will not survive.
One also has to wonder how Lamech felt about the state of mankind.
According to Genesis 6:5, the human race was rapidly decaying into horrific evil.
And yet, men like Lamech had lived on earth at the same time as men like Adam and Seth.
The contrast between these eras would have been especially clear to someone like him.

At 777 years old, Lamech's lifespan is more than one hundred years shorter than any of his fathers, dating back to Adam.
The only exception is his grandfather, Enoch, who did not die.
Was this a gift of mercy to Noah?
We don't know, since the details of this passage are few and far between.
However, looking at the ages given in this passage, Lamech lived 595 years after fathering Noah.
The floodwaters came on the earth when Noah was 600 years old (Genesis 7:11).
And so, Noah would have had the comfort of knowing that his father would not be killed in the flood that would take so many other lives.
The passing of Lamech and his father, Methuselah, also marks a sad occasion for the human race.
With their deaths come the end, in a general sense, of those who walked the earth at the same time as Adam and Seth.
At least among the names of this chapter, Lamech is the last to be born prior to death of Seth.
Noah, on the other hand, was born just after these men departed.
In a very literal sense, humanity after the flood would have to live, for the first time, without any direct memories of our earliest ancestors.

This chapter of genealogy ends with the birth of three more sons.
The quick, detail-free nature of this chapter is on full display here, as we are only given the rough age when Noah fathered these particular sons.
We are not told specifically how old Noah was when each of his sons were born, only that they were all born after he was 500 years old.
This is not meant to imply that they were triplets, or that Noah's wife had all three within a twelve-month span.
For the purposes of the story, all that matters is knowing that, around that age, Noah had the three offspring who would accompany him on the ark.

Interestingly, Noah is the first patriarch who is not explicitly described as having other sons and daughters.

Genesis 5:27
And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

Methuselah lived longer than anyone has ever lived, 969 years; he apparently died just before Noah’s flood; despite his Godly father, there is no record that he lived for God.

Methuselah lived longer than Adam.

These two men, Adam and Methuselah, pretty well bridged the gap between creation and the Flood.

According to our genealogy, this man Methuselah could have told Noah everything from the creation of the world.

I personally feel that we have a gap in the genealogy given here.

We know that in the opening of the New Testament the genealogy that is given of the Lord Jesus leaves out quite a few, and purposely so, because there is an attempt to give it in three equal segments.

Certain ones are left out, but you will notice that it follows through accurately.

I am sure that this genealogy is accurate, but the important thing is that we may have a gap here that would account for the fact that man has been on this earth a great deal longer than we have supposed.

This is something I do not care to go into because it is quite an involved subject.

Scripture is not clear right here.

Why isn’t it?

Because God is not anxious to insist upon that.

What He is trying to get over to us is the religious, the redemptive, history of mankind on this earth.
The name of Methuselah means “sending forth.”

Others believe that Methuselah meant: “When he is dead, it shall be sent.”

What will be sent?

The Flood.

As long as Methuselah lived, the Flood could not come.

The very interesting thing is that according to a chronology of the genealogy of the patriarchs, the year that Methuselah died is the year that the Flood came.

“When he is dead, it shall be sent”—that is the meaning of his name.

Why did Methuselah live longer than any other person?

God kept him here just to let mankind know that He is patient and merciful.

God will also wait for you, my friend—all of your life.

Peter speaks of the long-suffering of our God: “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (1 Pet. 3:20).

As we continue down through the rest of this chapter, each man is mentioned and then his death.

Genesis 5:28
And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

This simply means Lamech fathered a son, but not just any son.

Genesis 5:29
And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

We are now introduced to Noah, one of the central figures of the Bible, and of all time. His name means “rest”.

It seems that Lamech, the father of Noah, had been given a Revelation concerning this child.

The comfort he brought, as it regards the curse, had to do with the Ark, and the One Who would ultimately come through his lineage, the Son of God, Who would remove the greater curse — the curse of the broken Law [Gal. 3:13].

Genesis 5:30
And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

Lamech fathered more sons and daughters after he fathered Noah.

But none of the brothers and sisters of Noah believed the Word of the Lord, and thereby perished in the flood.

Genesis 5:31
And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

Here we see Lamech died after seven hundred seventy seven years of life on earth.

Genesis 5:32
And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Due to the fact that every human being on the face of the Earth died in the flood, with the exception of Noah and his family, this means that every person who has ever lived since then is a descendant of either Shem, Ham, or Japheth, who are all sons of Noah.

It is the popular theory in the world, blindly accepted by men, and the conclusion, I think, of all philosophy, that human nature is inherently and innately good and that it can be improved.

The whole program that is abroad today is that, if we will just try to improve the environment of man and his heredity, he can really be improved.

Communism and socialism seek to improve man.

Arminianism means that man can assist in his salvation.

Modernism says that man can save himself.

In other words, salvation is sort of a do-it-yourself kit that God gives to you.

Some of the cults tell us that human nature is totally good and that there is no such thing as sin.

What does God say concerning man?

God says that man is totally evil, totally bad.

That is the condition of all of us.

“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10).

That is the estimate of the Word of God.

If we will accept God’s Word for it, it will give us a truer conception of life today than is given to us by others.

Here is mankind, and we are following a godly line now.

Where is it going to lead?

Is it going to lead to a millennium here upon this earth?

No.

The very next chapter tells us that a Flood, a judgment from God, came upon the earth.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Hebrews 11:1 KJVS
[1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This often-quoted verse gives a direct definition of faith, meant to be read in the context of the rest of this letter. At the end of chapter 10, the writer of Hebrews finished describing why the new covenant in Jesus Christ was superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1–18). This concluded with a reassuring reminder not to "shrink back," but to "have faith" (Hebrews 10:39).

The definition given here is meant to tie this command to the examples given later on. After this verse, the writer will explain how the actions of various biblical figures proved both the existence and validity of their faith. Those contexts—former evidence and future expectation—are essential when interpreting the meaning of these words. In the following verses, the writer of Hebrews will point out examples of believers who demonstrated real, saving faith in God.

Each example of faith demonstrates trust, based on what that person knew and held as reassurance that God would act according to His promises. The "assurance" and "conviction" of faith is not blind belief, or gullibility, or wishful thinking. Study of the various characters mentioned in this chapter shows that they all had good reasons to trust in God.

Their "faith" was not naively accepting fairy tales; it was acting in full confidence that God would do as He had promised, based on those experiences. As the rest of this chapter demonstrates, that kind of faith—trust which produces obedience—results in God's blessings and approval.

Our perspective, looking back on their example, should inspire confidence that God will make good on His promises, even if our earthly lives don't last long enough to see them come to fruition. God "creates" out of things we cannot see—both in a literal, physical sense, as well as a spiritual sense.

Just because we don't understand how God will act does not mean He cannot, or will not act.


Our topic today is:

The Thrilling Story Of Enoch – Jared’s Son Discussion

But before he died, Jared had a son by the name of Enoch. Aside from Adam, Seth, and Noah, two of the most famous names in this chapter of genealogy are Enoch and Methuselah. Enoch fathered Methuselah at the age of just 65, a relatively young age for this passage.

Methuselah's name has a dual meaning: it can be interpreted as "man of the dart," or as "his death brings judgment."

According to this chapter, Methuselah will die in the same year as the flood. Both men represent an interesting extreme within this chapter. Enoch's lifespan is the shortest recorded for these patriarchs. At "only" 365 years, he was on earth less than half as long as others in his family.

However, Enoch's is the only story which does not end with the repeated phrase, "and he died."
Rather, verse 24 simply says that God "took" Enoch. While we're not entirely sure what it means, the contrast to every other man listed in this genealogy is striking. Most likely, this was an event similar to what happens to Elijah at the end of his ministry: taken bodily by God prior to a natural death (2 Kings 2:9–12).

Methuselah, on the other hand, is credited with the longest lifespan of any person in the Bible: 969 years! Methuselah will also be the first of the patriarchs listed here to live until the year of the great flood. Each generation continues to pass on to the following one the image of God, as well as their own human likeness, as Adam did with Seth and his other sons and daughters (Genesis 5:3).

In addition, this line of Seth seems to be passing on a commitment to walking with and worshiping God. This is important in the context of the upcoming flood. The only people saved from that catastrophe were those of this very line.

As usual, we are given the number of years that a man lived after fathering the son who would lead to Noah and his children. This time, though, we're told something about that man: Enoch "walked with God," a fact that will be repeated in the surprising verses to follow. In the Bible, the expression "walked with God" refers to someone who is obedient and devoted to the Lord, resulting in His favor.

In Enoch's case, this was so vital a point that it's mentioned twice: both here and in verse 24.
This passage is primarily intended to explain the family tree from Adam to Noah, so there are few other details given. We really don't know much about Enoch. However, we do know that God chose to remove him from earth prior to his natural death.

To this point, the youngest listed age at death has been 895 years old.

What happened?

The Bible gives no details, other than God was the one responsible, and Enoch did not die. One important piece of information comes from what the Bible does not say about Enoch. All the prior men of Noah's heritage were described with the same basic information, including the concluding phrase, "and then he died." Physical death was the primary, and most obvious effect of the fall of man.

Considering how amazing and unusual this event is, we might have hoped for more details. And yet, every word of the Bible is focused on a particular purpose. In this case, the real purpose is to explain the genealogy from Adam to Noah, through Seth. So far as that is concerned, exactly what happened to Enoch is beside the point. What we do know is that Enoch "walked with God."

In fact, this is such a crucial part of who Enoch was that it's repeated twice. To walk with God means to make a relationship with God part of your everyday lifestyle, to honor God with your choices in every aspect of life. His case is unusual in all of Scripture and, possibly, in all of human history. The only other event which seems similar is when God did something similar to Elijah, who was taken to heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:9–12).

What does it mean that Enoch "was not, for God took him"?

Apparently, in response to Enoch's walking with God, God prevented Enoch from dying.
God just took him away, instead. Hebrews 11:5 says this: "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God."

This life of faith, Hebrews tells us, pleased God so much God prevented Enoch from passing from this life in the normal way.

Genesis 5:21
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

And then did Enoch die?

No! He did not die.

This is a dark chapter, but here is the bright spot in it.

Apparently, Enoch was 65 years of age when he was converted and entered into this Divine fellowship.

The name “Methuselah” means: “The Deluge (the flood) shall be sent when he is dead”
So, Methuselah was a living, walking testimony that judgment was coming upon the Earth because of its terrible wickedness.

However, only Noah and his family believed.
So the flood came a little less than a thousand years after Methuselah was born.
We read that Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begat Methuselah, and after that he walked with God.

I do not know what the first sixty-five years of his life were.
I assume that he was like the rest of the crowd—this was a very careless period, moving now into the orbit of the days of Noah.

But when that little boy Methuselah was born, Enoch’s walk was changed.
Perhaps, that baby turned him to God.

Genesis 5:22
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

Three statements are made in the Bible respecting Enoch: “he walked with God” [Gen. 5:22]; “he witnessed for God” [Jude, Vs. 14]; “he pleased God” [Heb. 11:5].

Enoch did not live a life of isolation, but he did live a life of separation.
This is one of the most remarkable things, that in the midst of death one man is removed from this earth.

It is said of Enoch that he “walked with God.” This is quite remarkable, by the way.
Only two men are said to have walked with God.

In the next chapter, we find that Noah also walked with God.

These were two antediluvians, which means "before the flood" and they walked with God.
This is demanded of all Believers.

Genesis 5:23
And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

Converted at 65 years old, he faithfully lived for God some 300 years.

My fellow Christian Siblings, sometimes God puts a baby in a family just for that purpose, and if that baby will not bring you to God, nothing else will.

For three hundred years after that he walked with God, and he begat other children, sons and daughters.

“And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years”—that is how long he was on this earth, but he did not die.

Genesis 5:24
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

There are actually only two men in the Old Testament who did not die.
One of them is Enoch, and the other, of course, is Elijah.

Enoch was translated, and as Paul said, “that he should not see death” [Heb. 11:5]).

Enoch is one of the few before the Flood of whom we have any record at all.

We are told that he did not die but that God took him—he was translated.

What do we mean by translation?

Translation is the taking of a word from one language and putting it into another language without changing its meaning.

Enoch was removed from this earth; he was translated.

He had to get rid of the old body which he had.

He had to be a different individual—yet he had to be the same individual, just as the translated word has to be the same.

It does not say, “And then Enoch died,” but it says, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Enoch was taken to heaven.

I think that all the great truths here in Genesis are relevant to a subject under consideration.

In my judgment, this is the picture of what is to come; here is the Rapture of the church.

Before the judgment of the Flood.

God removes Enoch.

Genesis 5:25
And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:

Methuselah, Enoch's son, fathered Lamech at the age of a hundred eighty seven years of age.

Noah, Enoch's great grandson, will be born to Lamech.

Genesis 5:26
And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

Methuselah fathered more sons and daughters seven hundred eighty two years after he fathered Lamech.