1 Genesis 6.11-7.24 | Great Wrath, Greater Promise Introduction | Noah’s Ark For generations, people have wondered if Noah’s Ark is still atop Mt. Arat in Turkey. Expeditions have been sent, reports have been made, photographs have been taken, and even a few alleged pieces of wood have been retrieved. All in all, its presence on the mountain is inclusive. And while some might argue that its discovery would vindicate the faith of Christians, I would argue that the continuing mystery strengthens our faith even more. If forces us to trust. As we read what about what seems impossibly fantastic, will we trust the Word of God as written? Will God’s Word be our authority? This is not about throwing out all reason, emotion, or experience; rather, it is about keeping those things in their proper place. What will we do when truth of God’s Word confronts anyone one of those? We live in a culture full of people that have exchanged the truth of God for a lie; they have decided to place God’s Word under the authority of what they know, what they feel, and what they desire. When it comes to Noah’s Ark, most spend their time asking about questions about what is not written, rather, than learning from what is written. People will argue about the size of the boat, the number of animals, and the amount of water. It is my conviction that the biblical story of Noah’s Ark is feasible logically but there are more people than less who will reject it philosophically. In other words, it doesn’t fit what they already know, feel, or experience as authoritatively true. Even though the story of Noah’s Ark records the building of a great boat to survive a great flood, it is not about either. The story is about the great judgment on a world of sinners contrasted with the great salvation of a family of sinners made possible by a great God. In the plainest of terms, we learn that God does not merely grieve, hate, and punish sin—He hates grieves, hates, and punishes sinners. But, mysteriously at the same time, he favors, loves, and saves sinners. The Covenant MADE The narrative begins with God reviewing his assessment of the world and then speaking to Noah—the one whom he has chosen to show grace. He tells Noah that: ALL flesh has corrupted its way and that he is planning to destroy it all. He then proceeds to give Noah very detailed plans for a large vessel nearly 500 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet tall. God instructs him to use certain materials and to follow specific designs. He then tells him that he is going to bring a flood of water upon the earth, which he is later told will include something called rain. Before He does, God reveals that he will fill the ark with every kind of animal and every kind of food to eat so that he and his family can survive. In summary, Noah is told to believe something he’s never imagined, to do something that’s never been done, in preparation for something he’s never seen. He is not told how long it will take, how long he has, or how it will all come together. He is simply instructed to build big boat in the middle of the desert and get in it when God says. This is the way our God works. We serve a God who always gives us directions but rarely gives us destinations. We see this throughout the Old Testament. Abraham is told to get up, leave his family, and go to a land he has not seen. Moses is told to get up, leave the comforts of Egypt, and shepherd sheep. Then, Moses is told to leave his sheep, the comfort of his family, and go back and tell the leader of the largest nation in the world to let his people go. Joshua is told get up, leave the wilderness, and walk into the battlefield of the Promised Land full of pagans, giants, and more. Time and time again, God gives His people glimpses of what we are supposed to do and, because we trust WHO HE IS, we begin to walk in WHAT HE TOLD US TO DO—even if we cannot see how it all ends. We serve a God who always gives us directions but rarely gives us destinations. 2 Noah did not only believe God’s warning, by faith, he trusted His covenant promise. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith (Hebrews 11.7). In Genesis 7.18, God tells Noah that he will establish his covenant—his promise— with him. We have a God of relationship who makes and keeps promises with men but unlike men. This promise was initiated by God. He came to Noah; Noah did not come to Him. He judged the world and established the way of salvation. The only reason Noah knew when and how to build a boat was because God spoke to Noah and God told Him to. This promise was based on God’s eternal unchanging character. Unlike men, God’s Word can be trusted and cannot fail. God will do whatever is necessary to fulfill his promises because he is faithful to the integrity of his name. Th Noah believed God’s Word because He trusted God’s character. This promise was established in grace—it was not conditioned on Noah’s’ obedience. God’s promise was not something to be achieved; it was simply something to be believed. This is the first time the word covenant is explicitly used, but not the concept. God had made a covenant of works with Adam promising him unending life if he obeyed one command—don’t eat from one tree. He broke that covenant. At time Genesis is written, Moses has just received another “conditional” covenant from God—the law. Obedience to the law promised blessing and prosperity. Disobedience promised cursing and judgment. In time, it became obvious, that Israel would not and could not obey. As a nation, God spanked them with another nation, first the Babylonians, then the Assyrians, then the Romans. They could not fulfill conditional promises. This is why the prophet Jeremiah had foretold that 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke (Jeremiah 31.31). The new covenant that would come through Jesus was first revealed by the very old covenant of grace with Noah. The Covenant BELIEVED AND how do we know Noah really believed God’s covenant of grace? The grace that saved Him was the same grace that moved Him. He acted on that belief—His faith had feet! According to verse 22, Noah did this; he did all that God commanded Him. This same phrase is repeated again in chapter 7 verse 5, verse 9, and verse 16. Noah lived by faith believing God’s promises were true even when it was not reasonable to him, understandable to his family, or acceptable to the world. God made a promise with Noah and Noah lived life of faith, trusting that promise. He rested in the promise, but he did not rest. Resting in God’s promise inspired Him to work hard. RESTING in God’s promise INSPIRED HIM TO WORK RADICALLY—no fear of failure. RESTING in God’s promise INSPIRED HIM to WORK DIFFERENTLY—no fear of disapproval. RESTING in that promise INSPIRED HIM TO WORK CAREFULLY—no fear of insufficiency RESTING in God’s promise INSPIRED HIM to WORK STEADFASTLY—no fear of disappointment. It is not enough to confess belief if that belief doesn’t impact our behavior. Obedience is not merely doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Obedience is acting on what God has said because you believe the promises He has made. Now, there is no evidence that God kept speaking during the 75-100 years it 3 took to build the ark. Noah trusted in the one-time God spoke to Him. God wouldn’t speak again until the boat was finished. The account in chapter 7 can be confusing, but it’s likely at some point God told him that in seven days the waters would come and to get into the boat. Perhaps it took them all seven days to move in, perhaps not. It’s possible they were sitting in a big boat…in the middle of the desert…waiting. What were they thinking…what were others saying? Despite their doubt, fears, or confusion, they still believed God’s promise enough to stay in the Ark. The Covenant FULFILLED In verse 11-15, we read that the rain began to fall…for the first time in the history of the world. And the fountains of the deep [NEWS: Scientists have discovered evidence of a vast water reservoir trapped hundreds of miles beneath the surface, capable of filling Earth's oceans three times over.]. Can we imagine the relief that Noah and His family felt, and the terror that anyone outside the boat felt.