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As in the Days of Noah (Part 1 & Conclusion)

#1 · August 6, 2003, 11:59 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on August 6, 2003, 11:59 pm
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>

As in the Days of Noah

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Genesis 7:1)

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." (Luke 17:26)

(Part 2 sent previously)

When Jesus spoke these words about the time near His return to this world, He said it would be like it was in the days of Noah. It was a time of great wickedness that was tremendously void of faith. Yet, God found one man whom He could approve and deliver from the judgment that He must send upon the world: Noah. There are several comparisons which can be made between Noah's day and ours. I will deal with some of them in the following sermon notes.

I. A Devilish Reversion from Righteousness

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (Genesis 6:5a)

    A. A Time of Great Compromise in the Church

"The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose...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." (Genesis 6:2, 4b)

In another Bible Note, I have dealt more specifically with the question of who the "sons of God" were. I take a view that I believe to be sane and balanced with the immediate context and the whole tenor of God's holy Scriptures. They were likely of Seth's lineage, which obviously took the place of "righteous Abel" since Cain murdered him. Enoch, and Noah were both of Seth's direct descendants and both "walked with God". I believe Genesis chapter six is the terrible tale of how the rest of Seth's offspring eventually compromised and gave up their righteous heritage for the wickedness the world has to offer.

The context makes clear that this was not a good thing. The marrying of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" was done contrary to the good principle of separation between the clean and unclean. The church ought to love and care for the wicked people around them, but should by no means compromise with them on issues of right and wrong.  We should never become "unequally yoked with unbelievers". In such marriages, almost without exception the believers become unbelievers or greatly reduce their influence for God.

Worst of all, the majority of the resulting generation will tend to take the paths of sin. "The sons of God" left their godly principles in order to marry worldly women. Such a course inevitably leads to the corruption and destruction of the entire society. As Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." (Matthew 5:13)

    B. A Time of Great Corruption in the World

"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... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." (Genesis 6:5a, 12)

The word corrupt here means "decay, ruin, marred, or messed up". All of mankind had "corrupted" God's way. God's righteous, holy way had been so messed up by the world until right was "wrong" and wrong was "right". No one ever has a right to do what is wrong.

The most wicked men were seen as great, "men of renown". The world was full of violence.

But, not only what they did was wicked, but their thoughts were wicked. Notice how complete the corruption was:

Every thought was evil,

Only evil with no good mixed in,

Continually evil all the time;

& Almost everybody was this way!

    This all made God sick.

The New Testament describes the last days before Jesus returns in similar terms:

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:" (Matthew 5:13)

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Mathew 24:12)

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (II Timothy 3:13)

"Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b)

II. The Divine Rejection of an Unrighteous Race

"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... And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth;" (Genesis 6:3, 6, 7a)

Man had made such a mess of things that God was sorry He had made him. His Spirit would eventually cease to strive with man. This means that He would no longer plead with them to turn from their sins and to turn to God and righteousness. Mankind rejected truth, God, and the pleadings of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, God gave them up to their own sinful ways and the judgment that He must administer in such a case.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 2:11, 12)

At various times in the history of the world, God does give up on mankind. After having been abundantly merciful and longsuffering, there comes a time when God says, "It is enough!"

Now we will briefly consider four different levels at which this happens.

When God Gives Up on:

    A. A Man

"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Proverbs 29:1)

To illustrate this we need look no further than King Saul in the Old Testament. He had a great beginning, but left the good grace of God behind and would never truly repent of his wicked and murderous ways. Finally, he went so far as to consult the witch of Endor. By this very act the Bible seems to indicate that Saul sealed his own damnation. The next major event is the battle with the Philistines in which Saul is greatly wounded and finally commits suicide rather than allow the enemy to get him alive.

    B. A City

The city of Sodom, and Gomorrah, was destroyed, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;" (Genesis 18:20)

God destroyed the city with fire and brimstone. He did it, because of their wickedness. Sinful men in many cities today should fear and tremble before such a holy, just, all-powerful God.

    C. A Nation

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Psalms 9:17)

Remember the Amorites. God said of the Israelites eventual return to Canaan after their slavery in Egypt, "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." (Genesis 15:16) There comes a time in the life of a nation that God says this far and no farther. In the case of the Amorites, God used the Israelites to bring judgment upon them. At other times, God used other nations to bring judgment upon the backslidden Israelites.

     D. A World

"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (II Peter 3:6, 7, 10)

Obviously, God destroyed the world with what we sometimes call "Noah's Flood". Yes, the earth was still here, and many sea creatures did not need to enter the ark; but, the world system and the multitudes of wicked people were killed by the Flood. But now, God tells us that the next time this world and all the wicked people will be destroyed by fire.

We know not how soon this will happen, but the book of Revelation tells us that God has a "cup of wrath"; and, when that cup is full the whole world had better look out.

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,... Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:11, 13)

Let us then be like Noah and be righteous before God in our generation. Through Jesus Christ we can "flee the wrath to come".

III. The Determined Remnant of the Righteous

(The first Bible Note -- sent as Part 2 -- on this subject covered this main point in detail)

Conclusion: The Delivering Reward for the Righteous

(I had better deal with the conclusion next time.) 🙂

Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield

Please pass this Bible Note to others who may
be interested or helped by it.
To subscribe to FREE Bible Notes just send an empty e-mail to
[email protected]

Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>

As in the Days of Noah

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Genesis 7:1)

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." (Luke 17:26)

(Part 2 sent previously)

When Jesus spoke these words about the time near His return to this world, He said it would be like it was in the days of Noah. It was a time of great wickedness that was tremendously void of faith. Yet, God found one man whom He could approve and deliver from the judgment that He must send upon the world: Noah. There are several comparisons which can be made between Noah's day and ours. I will deal with some of them in the following sermon notes.

I. A Devilish Reversion from Righteousness

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (Genesis 6:5a)

A. A Time of Great Compromise in the Church

"The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose...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." (Genesis 6:2, 4b)

In another Bible Note, I have dealt more specifically with the question of who the "sons of God" were. I take a view that I believe to be sane and balanced with the immediate context and the whole tenor of God's holy Scriptures. They were likely of Seth's lineage, which obviously took the place of "righteous Abel" since Cain murdered him. Enoch, and Noah were both of Seth's direct descendants and both "walked with God". I believe Genesis chapter six is the terrible tale of how the rest of Seth's offspring eventually compromised and gave up their righteous heritage for the wickedness the world has to offer.

The context makes clear that this was not a good thing. The marrying of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" was done contrary to the good principle of separation between the clean and unclean. The church ought to love and care for the wicked people around them, but should by no means compromise with them on issues of right and wrong. We should never become "unequally yoked with unbelievers". In such marriages, almost without exception the believers become unbelievers or greatly reduce their influence for God.

Worst of all, the majority of the resulting generation will tend to take the paths of sin. "The sons of God" left their godly principles in order to marry worldly women. Such a course inevitably leads to the corruption and destruction of the entire society. As Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." (Matthew 5:13)

B. A Time of Great Corruption in the World

"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... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." (Genesis 6:5a, 12)

The word corrupt here means "decay, ruin, marred, or messed up". All of mankind had "corrupted" God's way. God's righteous, holy way had been so messed up by the world until right was "wrong" and wrong was "right". No one ever has a right to do what is wrong.

The most wicked men were seen as great, "men of renown". The world was full of violence.

But, not only what they did was wicked, but their thoughts were wicked. Notice how complete the corruption was:

Every thought was evil,

Only evil with no good mixed in,

Continually evil all the time;

& Almost everybody was this way!

This all made God sick.

The New Testament describes the last days before Jesus returns in similar terms:

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:" (Matthew 5:13)

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Mathew 24:12)

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (II Timothy 3:13)

"Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b)

II. The Divine Rejection of an Unrighteous Race

"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... And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth;" (Genesis 6:3, 6, 7a)

Man had made such a mess of things that God was sorry He had made him. His Spirit would eventually cease to strive with man. This means that He would no longer plead with them to turn from their sins and to turn to God and righteousness. Mankind rejected truth, God, and the pleadings of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, God gave them up to their own sinful ways and the judgment that He must administer in such a case.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 2:11, 12)

At various times in the history of the world, God does give up on mankind. After having been abundantly merciful and longsuffering, there comes a time when God says, "It is enough!"

Now we will briefly consider four different levels at which this happens.

When God Gives Up on:

A. A Man

"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Proverbs 29:1)

To illustrate this we need look no further than King Saul in the Old Testament. He had a great beginning, but left the good grace of God behind and would never truly repent of his wicked and murderous ways. Finally, he went so far as to consult the witch of Endor. By this very act the Bible seems to indicate that Saul sealed his own damnation. The next major event is the battle with the Philistines in which Saul is greatly wounded and finally commits suicide rather than allow the enemy to get him alive.

B. A City

The city of Sodom, and Gomorrah, was destroyed, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;" (Genesis 18:20)

God destroyed the city with fire and brimstone. He did it, because of their wickedness. Sinful men in many cities today should fear and tremble before such a holy, just, all-powerful God.

C. A Nation

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Psalms 9:17)

Remember the Amorites. God said of the Israelites eventual return to Canaan after their slavery in Egypt, "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." (Genesis 15:16) There comes a time in the life of a nation that God says this far and no farther. In the case of the Amorites, God used the Israelites to bring judgment upon them. At other times, God used other nations to bring judgment upon the backslidden Israelites.

D. A World

"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (II Peter 3:6, 7, 10)

Obviously, God destroyed the world with what we sometimes call "Noah's Flood". Yes, the earth was still here, and many sea creatures did not need to enter the ark; but, the world system and the multitudes of wicked people were killed by the Flood. But now, God tells us that the next time this world and all the wicked people will be destroyed by fire.

We know not how soon this will happen, but the book of Revelation tells us that God has a "cup of wrath"; and, when that cup is full the whole world had better look out.

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,... Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:11, 13)

Let us then be like Noah and be righteous before God in our generation. Through Jesus Christ we can "flee the wrath to come".

III. The Determined Remnant of the Righteous

(The first Bible Note -- sent as Part 2 -- on this subject covered this main point in detail)

Conclusion: The Delivering Reward for the Righteous

(I had better deal with the conclusion next time.) 🙂

Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield

Please pass this Bible Note to others who may
be interested or helped by it.
To subscribe to FREE Bible Notes just send an empty e-mail to
[email protected]