Genesis Ch. 6. Noah and the Flood

1. Gen 6:1-2

1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.

1-1> Who are the sons of God?

            a. Descendants of Seth; (traditionally Christian interpretation)

b. Angels (Job 1:6; Early Jewish interpretation)

c. Kings at that time. (AD 2 century by Rabbis)

d. b+c

1-2>  Who are the daughters of men?

           Could be Descendants of Cain or just daughters of men in general.

2. Nephilim (Gen 6:4)

Giant like mighty men

They were born through the sons of God and daughters of men

            Destroyed by the flood but later showed in Canaan: the descendants of Anak (Num 13:33)

3. Gen 6:5,11,12

5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

3-1> We can see that the wickedness of men grow more and more after Adam’s fall.

The world was filled with sin.

            In Ch 4, Cain killed his brother.

In Ch 4, Lamech killed multiple people without feeling guilty rather he was full of pride.

            In Ch 6. People were violent and their thoughts are evil all the time even from childhood (8:21)

3-2> The wickedness of men is still progressing.

                It will get worse and worse.

4. Gen 6:8,9

4-1> Grace/Favor

Noah found the favor in the eyes of God.

            Noah found the grace of God.

                     Noah did not earn God’s grace by his work.

                     God’s grace is unmerited.

                     God saved Noah and his family by His grace

4-2> Righteous/blameless among the people of his time

Noah was not sinless but a sinner before God. (Gen 9:20-23)

            Noah became righteous by faith (Heb 11:7)

                      Noah was relatively/morally righteous and blameless in his generation.

4-3> Walked with God

Signifies the intimate relationship with God.

Noah did everything just as God commanded him. (6:22, 7:5)

5. Gen 6:11-22.

(1) Noah built the ark.

Noah built the ark by faith in holy fear. (Heb 11:7)

Noah was a preacher of righteousness. (2 Pet 2:5)

            He preached the message of judgment of God, but nobody listened.

Obviously, he must had been ridiculed by people

(2) In NT perspective.

The ark is also a symbol of our salvation in Jesus.

The door is a symbol of Jesus. (Mat 7:7, Jn 10:7)

Noah’s family, and the animals all passed through the door of the ark (Gen 7:13 ).

For salvation, like Noah, we must pass through the door,  which symbolize Jesus.

6. Time line of Noah (modified from 1997 Thomas Nelson)

500 year; Noah had three sons; Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Gen 6:10,14)

                 God commanded him to make an ark. (Gen 6:14)

600 year, 2^nd month, 10^th day: Noah entered the ark. (Gen 7:4,7,10)

600 year, 2^nd month, 17^th day: flood started (Gen 7:11)

*For 150days including 40days of rain; the water flooded the earth. (Gen 7:24)

600 year, 7^th month, 17^th day: the ark rested on Ararat. (Gen 8:3,4)

600 year, 10^th month, 1^st day: the water receded and the top of the mountains became visible. (Gen 8:5)

600 year, 11^th month 10^th day; Noah sent out a raven. (Gen 8:6)

601 year, 1^st month, 1^st day; the water had dried up. (Gen 8:13)

601 year, 2^nd month, 27^th day; Noah came out of the ark (Gen 8:14,18)

                * Calendar system of Moses: unknown; but it appears that one month equal 30days.