Genesis 6

Toledoth III (Genesis 6:9)

This is one of the most significant chapters in the Bible, as evidenced by the N.T. references to it. As repeatedly emphasized in this series, the key to understanding the O.T. is a thorough knowledge of the N.T., and therefore we shall first review the status of this chapter as revealed in the N.T.

NEW TESTAMENT LIGHT ON THIS CHAPTER

The Flood was received as history.

1 Peter 3:20: "The longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved by water."

2 Peter 3:5,6: "This they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished."

Hebrews 11:7: "By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."

Matthew 24:37-39: "And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days which were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not till the flood came and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man."

The historical truth of the event before us is thus categorically affirmed by the words of both Christ and his apostles. The universal, world-wide extent of it is a necessary deduction from the fact of Christ the Lord having made it a type of the universal and final judgment of humanity, and from the further fact of the apostle Peter's having made the salvation of Noah and his family "through water" a type of the salvation of the church through Christian baptism (1 Peter 3:21).

The typical nature of the event is also apparent in Christ's having designated the hardening and gross wickedness of humanity preceding the flood a prophecy of the way it would be prior to the Second Advent of the Lord. Most scholars seem to be totally unaware of this; but we are thankful that Francis A. Schaeffer accurately discerned the undeniable connection between this chapter and the end of the world with the Second Advent and the Final Judgment. He recognized the events related here as "parallel"[1] to the Second Coming of Christ. (See Luke 18:8).

A SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER

First, the prelude to the disaster about to be related is given in Genesis 6:1-4, where the progressive worsening of wickedness results in the withdrawal of God's Spirit (Genesis 6:3), with the consequent hardening of mankind. Divine judgment is announced as the consequence of the hopeless condition brought upon themselves through their total rejection of God; details of the judgment are given, and the exception to be made for Noah is announced (Genesis 6:5-8). Reasons for the exception being made in the case of Noah are given (Genesis 6:9-12). God instructs Noah on how to build the ark (Genesis 6:13-17). God establishes his covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:18-22).