Synopsis: The most remarkable thing we have upon record concerning the old world is the destruction of it by the universal deluge, the account of which commences in this chapter, wherein we have, I. The abounding iniquity of that wicked world (v. 1-5, 11, 12). II. The righteous God's just resentment of that abounding iniquity, and his holy resolution to punish it (v. 6, 7). III. The special favour of God to his servant Noah. 1. In the character given of him (v. 8-10) 2. In the communication of God's purpose to him (v. 13, 17). 3. In the directions he gave him to make an ark for his own safety (v. 14-16). 4. In the employing of him for the preservation of the rest of the creatures (v. 18-21). Lastly, Noah's obedience to the instructions given him (v. 22). And this concerning the old world is written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the new would have come. Matthew Henry s Whole Bible Commentary Genesis 6:1-2 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. This chapter starts off by saying, by the time of Noah, there were a lot of people on the earth. Both the descendants of Cain and the descendants of Seth had multiplied greatly on the earth. Proverbs 29:16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.
Keeping the two apart was becoming increasingly difficult for the people of God, as it is today. Romans 9:8. They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. God had placed enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan. That means there are irreconcilable differences between the two. The seed of the woman is Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. Just as all mankind was in Adam from the time that he was created until now, so it is that all the children of God were in Christ from the beginning. Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: A marriage between these two seeds is a violation of God s law, which is His Word, and it will be judged accordingly. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Even today, a marriage between a believer and a nonbeliever will not work. Numbers 19:22 whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean.. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
The problem back then, as it is now, is our fallen nature that came to us as the children of Adam. When Adam sinned, we all sinned in him. Now, they, as we, are made subject to vanity (Romans 8:20). That means susceptible to the lust of the flesh. James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. The sons of God were not immune to these things, though they had been taught by their fathers to keep themselves from them. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The sons of God - Those who were called by the name of the Lord, and called upon that name, married the daughters of men - Those that were profane, and strangers to God. The posterity of Seth did not keep to themselves as they ought, but intermingled with the race of Cain: they took them wives of all that they chose - They chose only by the eye: They saw that they were fair - Which was all they looked at. John Wesley s Notes on the Bible Many learned theologues have opined that the sons of God referred to in the second verse is speaking of Angels that came down and took women as their wives. Dr. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible has said the good Angels wouldn t do it, and the bad angels would not be called the sons of God. I don t believe the Scripture ever refers to Angels as sons of God. Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?
And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? Jesus said the angels do not marry (Matthew 22:30). That s good enough for me. The sons of God referred to here and in other places in scripture are God s children, and are all mortal men. Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. This comes in here as a token of God's displeasure at those who married strange wives; he threatens to withdraw from them his Spirit, whom they had grieved by such marriages, contrary to their convictions: fleshly lusts are often punished with spiritual judgments, the sorest of all judgments. Or as another occasion of the great wickedness of the old world; the Spirit of the Lord, being provoked by their resistance of his motions, ceased to strive with them, and then all religion was soon lost among them. This he warns them of before, that they might not further vex his Holy Spirit, but by their prayers might stay him with them. God's resolution not always to strive with man by his Spirit. The Spirit then strove by Noah's preaching and by inward checks, but it was in vain with the most of men; therefore, says God, He shall not always strive. Matthew Henry s Whole Bible Commentary 1 Peter 3:19-20 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once 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.
Since the day that Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, man-kind has been imprisoned in this sin cursed world. It is a world where everything and everybody is dying. The scripture says that through fear of death we are, all our life time subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:15). The only escape is in obedience to the Word of God. John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. The prophet, Zechariah called the people of God prisoners of hope (Zechariah 9:12). That hope is based on Christ. The Apostle Paul called himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:1). Jesus said he had come into the world as a fulfilment of Isaiah 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. God will not always strive with man-kind saying Zechariah 1:3. Turn ye unto me. He waits long enough and provides ample preaching of warning of his coming wrath, but the day will come when His judgment will be brought to bear on the earth. Noah preached by the Holy Spirit to the people of his time 120 years, plus the time when he was building the ark. The results was a congregation of believers numbering 8.
Man had a promise of a redeemer. Instead of looking for him, they turned farther away from God until they had gone too far. Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. I believe Goliath might have been just an average sized guy among these giants. I think most men and woman were generally of greater height and weight than is standard for today. They were heathier, they lived longer, and were physically more capable than men are today, and, sometimes, as happens even now, they would have children that grew to be much larger than their parents. Some of the wonders of the world, I believe, might have been created on the other side of the deluge by these men of renown. Perhaps, such things as the great pyramids of Giza in Egypt or the Stonehenge in England might have been erected by them. The leaving of an enduring legacy might have given them a sense of immortality and steeled them in their unbelief. I think, as men are today, they were ambitious for power and authority and were very proficient at accomplishing those goals by whatever means necessary. Luke 16:8. for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. Genesis 6:5-7 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. It is interesting to note that the disposition of man s heart has not changed from that time to this. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? They retain their wickedness because it is their nature to do so. They have lost their fear of the Lord, and, as a result, they have lost the wisdom that comes from knowing He is a God of justice and judgment. Consequently, they have no hope of recovery from the calamity that is to come. 2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Psalms 55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. Romans 2:5-6 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 5, 6. God saw it... repented... grieved--god cannot change (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17); but, by language suited to our nature and experience, He is described as about to alter His visible procedure towards mankind--from being merciful and long-suffering, He was about to show Himself a God of judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up the measure of their iniquities, He was about to introduce a
terrible display of His justice (Ec 8:11). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Nothing surprises God. He is all seeing and all knowing. He is a purpose working God, Ephesians 1:11.. who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Because He is omniscient, He is resolute. He does not change His mind because He has it made up right to start with. His will is to keep His children separate from the children of this world. When His children turn from Him and fall into sin, He is grieved at His heart. 1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. Judgment begins at the House of God. 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Many sons of God will be swept away by God s judgment. They are not eternally lost, because they, like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), are still sons, but they are taken away in physical death to a place reserved for them until the time of the end. Some of these are those spoken of in Job 1:6 and Job 2:1, they are the righteous dead, made righteous by Jesus Christ, whom Satan accuses before God. Psalms 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
God had told Cain, if thou doest well, wilt thou not be accepted? But Cain did not do well, and neither will his progenitors. Daniel 12:10 the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; God has created all things, but the spirit that is abroad in the world is not of God. He created them to separate the spirits of light from the spirits of darkness, the good from the bad, and the righteous from the unrighteous. Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Still, the Lord takes no pleasure in the execution of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11.I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: When the scripture says, it repenteth me that I have made them, it testifies of God that He is sorry it has to be this way. God has blessed them with life and now, He must curse them with death, and hell, and eternal separation from God and God s people. God still remembers the world that He created in the beginning. God so loved the world that He made then. He looked down and saw that it was good, including the man and the woman in it, but this world was not that world. This world was cursed, and the children of this world are cursed children, and God intends to wash it clean with the baptism of Judgment. 2 Peter 2:12-14 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting
themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), told Satan in the Garden of Eden, in the hearing of Adam and Eve, that a Savior would come into the world of the woman s seed. Noah was in the line of that Savior. He didn t place himself in that line. That lineage was determined before God laid the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Grace is the free unmerited love and favor of God. KJV Dictionary Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Noah was a good man. I have no doubt he was the best man alive at this time, but that was not why God was gracious toward him. While the rest of the world had become deaf to the Word of God, this man, by God s grace, was given the gift of hearing. Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. God spoke to him, and the hearing of God s word engrafted faith into him (James 1:21). Genesis 6:9-10 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah
walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (perfect: Absolutely conforming to the description or definition of an ideal type, Dictionary.com). (perfect: Finished; complete; consummate; not defective; having all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as a perfect likeness; a perfect work, KJV Dictionary). The cause of the difference between a good man and the openly wicked is, not their natural disposition, but divine grace; and the fruits of this grace are piety towards God, integrity, uprightness, and benevolence towards men. Family Bible Notes Since the fall of Adam, no man has been free from sin except Jesus Christ, but the Spirit of Christ was in Noah, and the Spirit of Christ perfects all that it touches. 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. The Apostle Paul asked this question: Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? God spoke to Noah and gave him a hearing ear to receive His Word. When Noah heard, it was the hearing of faith, because that s the way faith comes, not by the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). Like Enoch, Noah walked with God, but Noah would not be caught up to paradise before the judgment that was to come. If that had happened, the Messianic line would have been cut off from the earth. Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned
the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Genesis 6:11-13 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (corrupt: Depraved; vitiated; tainted with wickedness. KJV Dictionary) Here, God gives to Noah the reason for the judgment to come. The earth is filled with violence. The descendants of Cain have proven to have a corrupt and violent nature the same as he. The earth is stained with blood, and God has determined to wash it clean, and begin again with a very small group of believers, Noah and his family. The selfrighteous, self-willed people are here contrasted with the broken and contrite spirit of Noah. Noah preached to them, and I m sure he felt like a total failure because they did not listen. 2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; Genesis 6:14-17 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou
set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. Dr. Carl Baugh, Director of the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, Texas, told me the word Gopher means put together or bonded together. You couple that with the word wood and it means wood bonded together. It could mean any kind of wood, but he thought the ark was made of hard wood like oak or mahogany. The reason he thought that was the various qualities of those woods, and their over-all strength. If "gopher" was a name given to a particular tree, it is not necessarily one that still exists today. Dr. Baugh said the word pitch represents a type of resin, perhaps one taken from trees like cypress or pine that were readily available to Noah. This resin would then be boiled down and made into a super tough super glue to bond together the various planks, and an epoxy to coat the surface of the wood, thus sealing the pores and preventing it from absorbing water and swelling. The scripture says it was sealed (coated) inside and out. Pitch: Any of various thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing. A cubit is the distance between an adult s elbow and tip of the finger, no less than 18-inches [45.72 centimeters].
Most Hebrew scholars believe the cubit to have been no less than 18 inches long [45.72 centimeters]. This means that the Ark would have been at least 450 feet long [137.16 meters], 75 feet wide [22.86 meters] and 45 feet high [13.716000000000001 meters]. Noah s Ark was said to have been the largest sea-going vessel ever built until the late nineteenth century when giant metal ships were first constructed. Its length to width ratio of six to one provided excellent stability on the high seas. In fact, modern shipbuilders say it would have been almost impossible to turn over. In every way, it was admirably suited for riding out the tremendous storms in the year of the flood. Christen Answers Noah was a very intelligent man. He could follow the instruction of the Lord. As I have said, I believe he and his sons were of enormous physical stature, but if they were not, God never gives us something to do without also giving the ability to do it. Samson probably wasn t someone who was big and strong from an outside point of view, but, when the Spirit of the Lord came on him, he could do wondrous fetes of strength and endurance. I think Noah and his three sons would have been very capable of building the ark without any outside help, especially given the amount of time they were allotted to do so. Some believe there was only one window in the ark and it was small. I don t believe this could be the case, because it would not allow for adequate ventilation. That many animals and people would require a lot of ventilation. Dr. J. Vernon McGee (Through the Bible) said there was one window with many louvers that went all the way around with a roof overlapping, much like a gymnasium s windows. This would have allowed the odor to vent out and fresh air to come in.
Dr. Baugh said the ark was equipped with plank flooring that would allow fecal material and other waste to simply fall through or to allow Noah and his sons to easily sweep it through the spaces between the planks. It would then fall down to a large trough area that would subsequently overflow into the bottom of the ship. Dr. Baugh believes there were worms and other things there that would devour it, or that it would be dried and use for fertilizer, or simply left there as ballast for the ship. I believe God gave to this man, Noah, a tremendous measure of faith (Romans 12:3). He was to build a boat on dry land, because a flood was coming, and I don t believe it had even rained at all up to this time. There was to be only one door in the ark. Jesus said, John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Genesis 6:18-22 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. God s curse on the serpent is the first announcement of the covenant of grace, which is the covenant through which salvation comes. This covenant is revealed in several
subsequent covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Christ. Dr. R. C. Sproul This is God s promise that He has not forgotten His covenant to bring the Messiah into the world. God determined to save, not only this small remnant of humanity, but He would also choose a select few from the animal kingdom. I think it is important to note that Adam did not have to go out and collect the animals and force them onto the ark. God drew them to him. Animals sense danger. They migrant and hibernate in winter. It is not beyond the scope of possibility that God chose the pairs of each specie and compelled them to come into the ark with Noah. Perhaps, some might have even gone into a hibernation type state while on the ark. This would mean there would be less feeding and maintenance. Noah was told to provide provisions for them all, and for him and his family. I believe, at this time, man and animal were all vegetarians (herbivores). The chapter finishes by saying Noah did what the Lord told him. How wonderful would be the temporal salvation of all of God s people if they would do the same. Acts 2:40.Save yourselves from this untoward generation.