SESSION 4 God Saves Being true to His character, God judges sin but extends grace. DAT E OF M Y B I BL E S T U DY: 41
ONCE SIN HAD ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, HUMAN BEINGS QUICKLY DEGENERATED. BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY, HE CANNOT LOOK THE OTHER WAY WHEN IT COMES TO SIN. They collectively moved in a direction that took them further away from God and all the goodness that is found in Him. Instead of becoming more like God, as the serpent had promised, human beings became more unlike God. When people get caught up in sin they lose sight of two things. First, no one is exempt from the consequences of sin. Second, sin must be judged. Because God is holy, He cannot look the other way when it comes to sin. He must judge sin and, by so doing, keep it in check. Noah lived in what may have been the most corrupt period in human history. By the time Noah was born, the earth was filled with wickedness. God decided that He would flood the earth and start over with a clean slate. God would save a remnant Noah and his family to repopulate the earth and begin anew. 42 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
GENESIS 6:11-18; 7:11-14 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth. 13 Then God said to Noah, I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and outside. 15 This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 You are to make a roof, finishing the sides of the ark to within 18 inches of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks. 17 Understand that I am bringing a flood floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons wives. [...] 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the sources of the watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened, 12 and the rain fell on the earth 40 days and 40 nights. 13 On that same day Noah along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah s wife, and his three sons wives entered the ark with him. 14 They entered it with all the wildlife according to their kinds, all livestock according to their kinds, the creatures that crawl on the earth according to their kinds, all birds, every fowl, and everything with wings according to their kinds. Think About It Circle words or phrases that point to God s holiness and underline words or phrases that point to His grace. Consider how God s holiness and grace work together. Session 4: God SAVES 43
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT Genesis 5:1 7:24 Adam and Eve obeyed God s command to multiply and fill the earth. As the population increased, so did the wickedness of humanity. Adam and Eve s son Cain was the first to commit a senseless act of violence. The evil deeds of humanity became so widespread that God was sorry that He had made man. He was so grieved that He decided to wipe every living creature off the face of the earth and start fresh. In the midst of all the wickedness that filled the earth, God took notice of Noah. Noah was a righteous and blameless man who sought to please God and to walk with Him. God told Noah of His plan to wipe all flesh from the earth with the exception of him and his family. He told Noah to build an ark, the vessel that would preserve him and his family from the coming judgment. By faith, Noah trusted God and spent the next 120 years constructing the ark. During that period, God gave the world ample opportunities to repent. The world, however, refused Noah s witness. As part of His divine plan for beginning anew, God brought at least one male and female of every living species to the ark. God would use Noah and his family to repopulate the earth and the animals to do the same. When everyone was safely on the ark, God Himself shut the door. Then it began to rain. The rains continued for the next forty days and forty nights and flooded the earth. As God had promised, only Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark escaped the flood. 44 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
EXPLORE THE TEXT WICKEDNESS OBSERVED (Gen. 6:11-13) 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness. The single spark of Adam and Eve s sin ignited a wildfire that soon raged out of control. As humans multiplied and filled the earth, their wickedness also increased and spread. As a result, the earth was corrupt and filled with violence an indication of what happens when people no longer fear God or respect His commands. Sin always destroys what is good. As a result of the growing sin of humanity, creation faced God s certain judgment. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth. Sin had damaged everything God had created and once declared good. Humanity s wickedness did not escape God s notice. Everything that human beings do, whether good or evil, is always done before God. God will ultimately bring every act to judgment (Eccl. 12:14). 13 Then God said to Noah, I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth. As a result of humanity s sinfulness, creation suffered God s judgment. However, God extended grace to Noah and his family. Noah was a man whose righteousness set him apart from the wickedness that characterized his contemporaries. He was not sinless but had a faith in God that found him favor with God. He was the first to know that God s judgment was on its way. How do people today presume upon God s patience? In what ways would our community be different if everyone took seriously God s holiness? PROMISE UNFOLDED (Gen. 6:14-18) 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and outside. God instructed Noah to build an ark of gopher wood. While this type of wood remains a mystery, some scholars suggest the word refers to pine or cypress wood, commonly used in shipbuilding. Because the ark would house many animals, God told Noah to make rooms in the ark and then to make it waterproof by sealing it with pitch, a tar-like substance. Session 4: God SAVES 45
KEY DOCTRINE: Last Things According to His promise, Christ will judge all men in righteousness. How do God s detailed instructions about the construction of the ark demonstrate His concern for those who would live aboard the vessel? 15 This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. God gave Noah specific instructions regarding the dimensions of the ark. According to those, the ark was a box-like vessel designed for flotation instead of navigation. The size of this vessel was enormous by ancient standards. The ark would have been about half the length of a ship the size of the Titanic. The boxy design maximized the interior space and provided adequate room for Noah and his entire family and all of the animals with them. What does Noah s undertaking of such a big project tell you about his faith in God? How would you describe the relationship between God s promises and Noah s faith? LIKE THE SINGLE DOOR ON THE ARK, JESUS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER. 16 You are to make a roof, finishing the sides of the ark to within 18 inches of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks. 17 Understand that I am bringing a flood floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will die. The ark had three stories and was well-ventilated all the way around under the roof line an important consideration because of all of the animals on board. This gap also allowed natural light to filter in to the upper deck. A single door was the only entrance and exit. When the rains finally came and Noah and his family were safely aboard the ark, God Himself shut the door (see Gen. 7:16). The ark is a type of Christ. Like the single door on the ark, Jesus referred to Himself as the door of the sheep (John 10:7), as well as the only way to the Father (see John 14:6). Just as God provided the ark to save Noah and his family, God has made provision for salvation through Jesus Christ for all who believe and take refuge in Him. What do you say to people who react negatively to the truth that salvation is found in Christ alone? 46 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
Noah likely spent as many as 120 years building the ark (see Gen. 6:3). Throughout those years, Noah remained steadfast to the task because he had faith that what God had told him about the coming deluge was true (see Heb. 11:7). God had revealed to Noah that He would bring a flood of waters that would destroy every living, breathing creature including humans, animals, and birds. This deluge was God s judgment on evil that had completely saturated and corrupted the earth. When the floodwaters finally came, they confirmed Noah s faith as well as His faithfulness in following God s instructions. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons wives. Only Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark would be spared from the coming deluge. God would later bless Noah and his sons and tell them to multiply, and replenish the earth (Gen. 9:1). The animals on the ark would also reproduce and fill the earth. For the first time in human history, God established a covenant with a man. A covenant is a solemn agreement between two parties in which each party is under obligation to perform his part. Covenants generally included conditions, benefits, and promises. God later revealed the details of this covenant after Noah and his family left the ark (see 8:20 9:17). What does God s initiative in establishing the first covenant tell you about His grace? How are you comforted by knowing that God has taken the initiative to provide a way of salvation for you? ACTION TAKEN (Gen. 7:11-14) 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the sources of the watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened, 12 and the rain fell on the earth 40 days and 40 nights. Noah stood courageously for God in the midst of a corrupt society. He spoke the truth even when it was unpopular to do so. Apparently no one took Noah or his preaching seriously and no Session 4: God SAVES 47
BIBLE SKILL: Use multiple Scripture passages to understand a major doctrine. Read the following Bible passages and note what they teach about God s judgment: Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; Romans 1:18-32; 2:2-16; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10; 2 Peter 3:3-15; Revelation 20:1-15. How can we relate such passages to God s judgment in the worldwide flood? How should we relate such passages to our lives? one repented as a result of his preaching. When God s patience finally ran its course, the first drops of rain fell from the sky. The drops soon became torrential and mixed with the waters that burst forth from the springs below to create an inescapable and cataclysmic flood. The first raindrops signaled that the time of judgment had arrived. Those who thought they had sinned without consequence and who had spurned repeated opportunities to repent now faced certain death. There was no escape. As God had warned, every breathing creature would be wiped out from the face of the earth. Those who thought judgment would never come were mistaken. As the ground became completely saturated, the water had nowhere to go but up. The waters continued to rise for 150 days (Gen. 7:24). The waters even covered the highest mountains (see 7:20). 13 On that same day Noah along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah s wife, and his three sons wives entered the ark with him. 14 They entered it with all the wildlife according to their kinds, all livestock according to their kinds, the creatures that crawl on the earth according to their kinds, all birds, every fowl, and everything with wings according to their kinds. God instructed Noah and his entire family to enter the ark seven days before the start of the rains (see Gen. 7:1,4). Noah obeyed God and entered the ark with his wife, his sons, and his son s wives a total of eight individuals. Although they did not know how long they would live in the ark, they trusted God. Noah s experience in building the ark, waiting for the rains, and entering the ark was a test of faith. What kinds of tests of faith do Christians face today? How do these tests compare to Noah s test? No one outside the ark escaped God s judgment. His mercy was found only within the ark. As the water began to rise, the ark began to float. All the earth was flooded, as God had said, as an act of His judgment. Noah and his family, however, were rescued as an act of God s grace. 48 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
OBEY THE TEXT Unchecked sin leads to greater wickedness. Disobedience to God leads to sure destruction. However, God rescues from judgment those who are faithful to Him. Reflect on a time in your life when a single sin left unchecked created greater problems for you. What lessons did you learn about how you should deal with sin? With whom can you share what you learned? What promises about God s judgment of sin cause you the greatest concern? What promises about God s grace give you the greatest hope? What actions can you take in the next week to minimize your concerns and maximize your hope? Discuss in your group what actions the group can take to help others know of the dangers of sin and the provision offered in Christ. Commit to take steps to implement at least one action in the next week. MEMORIZE These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9 Session 4: God SAVES 49
Use the space provided to make observations and record prayer requests during the group experience for this session MY THOUGHTS Record insights gained and questions to discuss during the group experience. MY PRAYERS List specific prayer needs and answers to remember this week. MY MISSION Acknowledge ways you will obey God s Word this week. 50 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS