September 27, 2009...OY: The Deluge

Introduction: In attempting to see / get the Big Picture by viewing the entire Bible in the course of a year we will be encountering God “progressively.” We are introduced to God in the opening verse of the Bible. He is the creator. As such He is also the Ruler of His creation. In creating man in His image and likeness God established a relationship with humanity unlike any other relationship in all the universe and Adam and Eve rebelled against God which had a disastrous effect upon their relationship and upon Creation. God as the Ruler determined and declared that they would have to be removed from the Garden of Eden and that pain would be their lot in life. He however, did not remove them from their relationship with Him. Even as He was in the middle of disciplining them He graciously made coverings for them. And we saw that their discipline was designed to bring them to God not push them away. The problem that they would face as we do today is sin. The effects of the Fall are tremendous but in this first act of God’s grace after the fall we begin a progression towards the ultimate fulfillment of His grace in the Cross of Christ. This morning we will make progress towards knowing and understanding that God makes promises and keeps them. We call these promises covenants. You see in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, we have promises made by God and in the Greek Scriptures, the New Testament, we have promises kept. As we move through a few chapters of Genesis this morning we get a view of God promise making and keeping through His deeds. Even when sin and the effects it has upon humanity is so pronounced.

Essential Impact: God intervenes in His kingdom.

Because God is active in promise making and intervening in His Kingdom…

Main 1: Trust God’s plan. Know that His ways are good and perfect.

A. Sin is prominent from the outset. Adam and Eve have two sons and one of them, Cain murders his brother, Abel.
B. God comes. His question to Cain is similar to God’s question to Adam when Adam was hiding from God. Here though, God asks Cain where Abel is. Cain outright lies and God knows it. And yet God shows “grace” to Cain by marking him with a sign to make sure that nobody murders Cain.
C. Then sin increases again as the sons of God procreate with the daughters of man. If you are wondering what is going on here in Scripture I would invite you to the One Year Web Site this week. It will be discussed in a separate post.
D. God comes again and speaks and declares that His judgment upon this outcropping will come in time, 120 years to be exact.
ILLUSTRATION: Biblical: “In the day you eat it you shall surely die.” Death did enter the world for Adam and Eve and all humanity it just wasn’t immediate physical death. : This isn’t a lynching but more like a delayed sentencing.
E. The Flood wipes everything clean. One righteous man and his family survive. Noah 6.8 finds favor in God’s eyes. God calls Noah to build an Ark and rescue the animals. And it rains. Then God comes again and He remembers Noah and the waters clear up.
F. Sin doesn’t take long to root again and Ham sins. This time God doesn’t speak but Noah does and declares a curse upon Ham’s son Canaan.
G. Sin increases more and Nimrod and his citizens build a huge city and a tower to do exactly what Eve and Adam did in their rebellion…to be like god…make a name for ourselves at the Tower of Babel.
H. God comes and confuses the people and scatters them across the face of the earth.

APPLICATION: 1. Noah is the one bright star in this mess of sin that trusts in God’s plan. Nowhere is there even a hint of Noah questioning the plan and authority of God. Even in the sin of Ham Noah’s drunkenness is not at issue. To be sure it precipitates Ham’s transgression but it also precipitates Shem and Japheth’s righteousness. When sin is swirling and rearing its ugly head in your world or in your life personally do you turn to God and trust Him to accomplish His plans. We sing the song “In heavenly armor we’ll enter the land…the Battle belongs to the Lord.”
2. God repeatedly comes in these chapters. He enters into His creation; into His Kingdom. It has been a long time since God has come, I’m referring to Jesus, but in God’s ultimate display of grace at the cross where Jesus dies to pay the penalty for sin does He need to come again? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your sin? If not let me ask, what are you trusting in? God gave Noah instructions for the Ark. Noah built it just as God said. Noah trusted God not his own ability.

Main 2: Remember that God makes and keeps His promises.

A. Adam’s promise: Given the responsibility of caring for the Garden, Adam’s sin terminates the perfect paradise and God institutes another set of circumstances. This time not as pleasant as the first; pain in labor and pain in labor.
B. Noah’s promise 6.3: The delay of God’s judgment upon the ungodly as they have increased and do continually what is right in their own eyes.
C. Noah’s promise 9.1ff = Rainbow plus: After the Flood water receded God once again dictates a certain set of circumstances. The repopulations of the earth is reaffirmed. The animals are once again placed underneath the fear of mankind. God will not destroy the earth again with water and He sets His bow in the clouds as a reminder.
D. Abram’s promise coming in 12.1-3: Forecasting just a little…for next week read the remainder of Genesis. Whereas the promises and covenants have been general and universal in nature, Eden, Adam, and Noah’s now with Abram/Abraham the covenant becomes specific and personal.

APPLICATION: 1. Genesis 3.15 the seed of the Gospel begins in the curse of the serpent. The door of redemption has been open. As we have peaked inside we see more of why it is that God must take action to restore us to Himself. Left to ourselves in the corruption of sin we become murderers, arrogant idol worshipers, with all sorts of perversions. We need salvation from somewhere outside of ourselves and God demonstrates that He makes and keeps His promises.

Conclusion: God has intervened in His Kingdom and He has moved towards fallen humans for His own glory by demonstrating His grace in kindness. The emphasis in these chapters of Genesis has definetly leaned to show us the prevelance of sin and its effect. Still God's grace and judgement shown through His intervention gives us hope. We will see throughout the remainder of this year a more specific and intentional movement as God makes and keeps His promise.