Choice And Consequences Text: Genesis 6-9 Series: Genesis [#5] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl October 28, 2018 Theme: The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Introduction. In previous looks at Genesis we have seen the importance of choices. Particularly, the choice to truly love God with our entire being or not to. In chapter 3, we saw Adam and Eve failing to love and so trust and obey God as they should. The lesson, a truth with enduring consequences for themselves and all their descendants including us, is that failure to love God brings disaster. In chapters 4 and 5 we looked at the next generations and those who chose to love and follow God and those who did not. The abiding truth from their examples is that your choice determines your destiny. Today we come to chapters 6 9, the section with the account of Noah, the Ark and the great flood. Here again we again see the importance of the choice to love God or not to love God. Choices are not always easy. Sometimes they are very difficult. A little girl was out with her Dad for an afternoon. One of the stops they made was in a toy store. He told her as clearly as he could before they went in that he would buy one toy for her. Just one. As they went in her eyes sparkled as she tried to take in the hundreds, thousands of different things. Soon she said, Dad, I want this one! A few seconds later, I want that one, and that one over there, and this one here! Her father said, Remember, just one. But, she protested, I want them all! 1 And, of course that is not just children. It is so easy to want it all, to not have to choose.
At other times the situation may be not that clear. We may have questions. We may need time to process the options to make a choice. One thing that is universal in life on this earth is choice and consequences. Every time we make a choice we eliminate the other options. When you look at a menu in a restaurant and are debating to have a steak or ribs, choosing the ribs eliminates the steak. As well, every time we make a choice certain results follow from that choice. If you are looking at relocating, the place you choose will lead to results in the of type of community, weather, opportunities, friends, churches, etc. And on the examples go. The chapters before us make the truth of choice and consequences all too painfully and tragically clear. The facts of this brief historical sketch that God has given us are very important. The truths behind them are also very important. The major lesson before us today can be summed up with a verse from the New Testament, Romans chapter 6 verse 23, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NASB). The Wages Of Sin Is Death. We begin with the first and negative part, the wages of sin is death. Let s back up a step and look at the source of sin. If you ask people What is the source of sin? you will find some people will have no idea. Then, you also will discover many people don t like the word sin while others reject the idea saying There is no such thing! And, of course, some will use a variation of the devil made me do it kind of thinking, trying to sidestep their responsibility. The Bible gives us the truth about sin. We see it clearly here in Genesis. Chapter 6 verse 5, Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. A few verses later, verse 12, So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth Just one more, chapter 8 verse 21, the imagination [or, intent] of man s heart is evil from his youth. There is a concise summary in the prophet Jeremiah, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked [or, incurably sick]; who can know it? 2 And on the Biblical 2
records goes. We have seen this lived out in every generation and person since Adam and Eve. The source of sin is our sinful heart, our sinful nature. Yes, the Bible tells us that Satan and his forces of fallen angels oppose God, good and God s people with force, deceit and subtlety. It speaks to us about spiritual warfare believers face with those forces. 3 But we can never say, The devil made me do it, or any other person or force made me do it. The source and responsibility is within. That is the Bible s statement. There is more than ample evidence of sin coming from the heart in the rest of the Bible s pages as well. Remember what Jesus has told us, what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person (ESV). 4 Yes, the source and responsibility is within. Let s look at that in the record of Noah s generation. At the opening of chapter 6 we read about marriages between the sons of God and the daughters of Men. These phrases are seen in several different ways. Without getting into details, let alone building a case for my view, let s just note that some see this as fallen angels in some way marrying people. While a quite common view, I believe there are serious textual, logical and theological problems with this view. I believe what we have here are people who did not have true faith in God marrying people who had true faith. The pattern of truth in both the Old Testament and New Testament is that a believer is free to marry whomever they wish, as long as that person is also a believer. 5 Whatever view we take on the opening lines of chapter t, it is after this statement of the sons of God marrying the daughters of men that we read about the overwhelming dominance of evil, violence, wickedness. Let s jump ahead to after the flood. Beginning at chapter 9 verse 5 we have God s commands against murder and also the consequences. We find only people of faith here Noah and his family but the human heart was the same, fallen, sinful. Later in chapter 9 there is an example. Noah, the man of faith, planted a vineyard. He made and drank wine from that vineyard and became drunk. He lay unclothed in his tent. His sons discovered him. 3
They dealt with their father in both a respectful or righteous and non-respectful or sinful manner. God pronounced judgment on the sin. Remember what God tells us through James, Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God ; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 6 Every generation since, including ours, has more evidence of sin than we care to acknowledge. We can see it in every aspect of life. Just after the fall hunting season opened a number of years ago in one area with many hunters, the wildlife officials posted a sign on a road: Check station 1,000 metres ahead. That is where they would check for licenses and the game to make sure all was in order, legal. As you followed the road, about 500 metres after that sign there was a convenient side road. Guess what? You are probably ahead of me and correct: the law-abiding hunters went straight ahead while those who weren t ducked down the side road hoping to avoid the check station. And 500 metres down that side road was the check station! 7 Yes, the evidence of sin is all around us. To explore the truth that the wages of sin is death we have seen an overview of the source and evidence of sin. Now we turn to the consequences of sin. God told Adam that if he disobeyed the result, the consequence, the wage would be death. Death. Separation from God. Spiritual death. Also, physical death. With the gradual effects of the fall on people, and the special conditions on earth prior to the flood, people lived hundreds of years, but even Methuselah died after his long life of 969 years. The record tells us about Noah s generation. We see the flood s purpose in chapter 6. Verses 6-7, And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. 4
Drop down to verse 13, And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. And once more, verse 17, And behold, I Myself [God] am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. Jesus commented on this as recorded in Matthew chapter 24 verses 36-39, saying that the people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. In other words, they were keeping up with the normal routine despite the warning that Noah gave them. They did not accept the warning, were not concerned and did not change how they thought and lived. In verse 39 Jesus tells us they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away (NASB). The flood s course is described in chapter 7, verses 11-24. The skies opened, the fountains of the great deep burst open, and this kept on going, water coming down from above and up from below, for forty days (11-12). Verse 19 tells us all the high hills [mountains] under the whole heaven were covered. All living things that moved on the earth perished. Verse 23, So [God] destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. The wages of sin is death. Think of us and today. Every person given life lives forever. Yes, God judges people, nations in time, physically. But the second death, spiritual death, being separated from God and suffering judgment forever, that too is the wage of sin. 8 We are moral beings. We have choices to make about good and evil, about God. Choice and consequences. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NASB). The Free Gift Of God Is Eternal Life. Now we turn to the second and positive part, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. At the start we should clarify the source of the free gift. Noah is a good example this. He lived in a wicked, unbelieving generation. Yet, verse 8 in chapter 6 tells us he found grace [or, favor, NASB, ESV, NLT] in the eyes of the LORD. God then 5
promised to save him and his family, to establish a covenant with him, which we see in verse 18 where God told him, I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark you, your sons, your wife, and your sons wives with you. The opening verse of chapter 7 is a wonderful and at the same time sad verse. Then the LORD said to Noah, Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. God kept Noah, his family and only them as well as all the animals that entered safe on the ark. We don t know how many animals there were. It is sometimes estimated to be around 45,000 and there would have been adequate room for them and their food. That would take a big boat! It was! Verse 15 in chapter 6 records God s plan: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. With a cubit being about 18 inches the ark would have been about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. For perspective you can take a trip to Kentucky where the Answers In Genesis organization operates Ark Encounter with an ark that is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high. 9 How did Noah get all of them, every one of them on board? Chapter 6 verse 20 records God telling Noah that they will come to you to keep them alive. Noah did not conduct a big roundup. God brought them to Noah and then kept them safe for a long boat ride, for just over a year. Why Noah? What was the source of this grace or favor to him? It was not Noah s own accomplishments. Remember, the standard is perfection. Noah was not perfect either before or after the flood. The source was God and His grace. This was the free gift of God. By grace you are saved. It was true for him then, it is true for us today. How does one receive the free gift? What is the means to it? Moses record here in Genesis tells us that Noah found favor or grace with God, 10 that he obeyed God. 11 So? The New Testament completes the picture, makes it crystal clear. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 7. By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became and heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (NASB). Noah loved God with all of his heart, soul and strength, and so he trusted God, he believed God s warning, he put his faith in God, no matter what others thought. Imagine the ridicule 6
he faced at building such a structure, and then the message that all life would be destroyed by water. They did not have floods or hurricanes before the great flood. Many people probably thought old Noah had gone off the deep end, was crazy. Noah had reverence for God. He prepared the ark, turning his faith into action. He was obedient. By doing that he condemned the world, that is, the alternative for people to hear and believe was there. Their failure to listen, to accept and trust God through Noah s witness of words and action condemned them. So he became an heir of righteousness. Ephesians chapter 2 tells us For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (verses 8-9, NASB). Noah entered the ark by faith. God provided the salvation. Once Noah entered God kept him safe. It was true then for Noah. It is true today for us. Some think and say, That sounds too easy! It doesn t make sense! He didn t earn it! It sounds like foolishness! The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 12 We receive the gift of eternal life by God s grace through faith. So, what is it like? What is its nature? We see some of the nature of the free gift here. What was it like for Noah and his family? We can start with chapter 7 verse 23. So [God] destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. After the almost 54 weeks, Noah was safely out, back on land. He worshiped, offered sacrifices of the clean animals (and, yes, there were enough the clean animals were taken into the ark by sevens as we read in verse 2 of chapter 7. The ark was the vehicle of salvation for Noah and his family. There is no known background for the meaning of this Old Testament word translated ark. It is used here simply to describe a boat that Noah built following God s directions that then saved him, his family and animals. We see this word again in Exodus chapter 2 where it used of a basket that saved baby Moses. Both the large boat and small basket were instruments of salvation, without which those concerned would not have been saved. 7
Let s bring that down to us, for everyone today. We face choice and consequences. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NASB). The ark, the basket of personal, forever salvation from sin and life with God which God has provided is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. 13 The apostle Peter proclaimed, there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (NASB). 14 Yes, God s salvation from sin and death is Jesus. He is the one way, the only way. We are familiar with Jesus words in chapter 3 of John s gospel, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (verse 16). Later in the same chapter the apostle tells us, He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (verse 36). Conclusion. Choice and consequences. Your choice, my choice, our consequences. Let me speak first to any of us who have not yet entered the ark, who have not yet made the choice to put your faith in Jesus Christ. You may think, Well, I m not that bad, you know. In fact, I m better than a lot of people! There is an old story of a young pastor in his first week of ministry at his first church. There was a funeral to conduct. Obviously, he did not know the man. He wanted to include some personal aspects to the packed church. So he asked if some of them there in the service would have a few good words to say about the man. Silence. Silence. Finally, an older man in the back row stood, cleared his throat and, in a very serious tone said just five good words: His brother was much worse. 15 I don t know if you would consider those good words, but that is what the man said. God doesn t operate that way. He is love. He is also truth. He is pure. He is just and righteous. He does not compare us with our brother or anyone else, He does not grade on a comparative or sliding scale. You may have been thinking about God, and how to know Him and have life forever with Him, but with the busy-ness of your life you simply haven t made the choice, made room for Him in your life. If you sense something prompting you to think about this today, that 8
is God extending His invitation. It s your opportunity to get into the ark. When you reach out to Him, God will not disappoint you. King David gives his testimony and invitation, O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 16 Then God promises through the prophet Jeremiah, you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 17 Reach out to God in these next few quiet moments. If you want to talk with someone, we would be glad to do that right after the service. Just approach me or someone else you know who has already made that decision. Now let me speak to those of us who have entered the ark, who know Jesus Christ. Remember, just as God did not have to save Noah for any reason other than His determined, steadfast, unchangeable love, so He did not have to save you or me. You are in the ark by God s grace through faith. Think about His love, think about His goodness, His grace for you. Thank Him and praise Him. Then, one more step think about the choices you are making today and every day about what you think, say and do, about your priorities, goals, about how you use your time, abilities, resources. When our choices get sloppy, when self-centeredness regains the focus and throne, those are times when we are not making room for Jesus, where we have not chosen to love Him with all of our being. Those choices have consequences with respect to our fellowship with God, our peace, happiness and fulfilment. So, in addition to thanking and praising God for His love and grace, evaluate, confess, repent and then keep on making the right choice to make room for God, give Him His rightful place. 1 Old story. Original source not known. 2 Jeremiah 17:9. 3 e.g., Ephesians 6:10-20. 4 Matthew 15:18-20a, ESV. 5 Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Joshua 23:12; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14 (an application of the general principle here). 6 James 1:13-15. 7 Old news account. Original source not known. 8 Revelation 20:14. 9
9 Ark Encounter. <https://arkencounter.com>. Accessed 25 October 2018. 10 Genesis 6:8. 11 Genesis 6:22; 7:5, 16 etc. 12 1 Corinthians 1:18. 13 John 14:6. 14 Acts 4:12, NASB. 15 Old story. Original source not known. 16 Psalm 34:8, NASB. 17 Jeremiah 29:13. 2018, Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 10