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Sermons from the Book of Genesis |
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There are some dates that have gone down in history. I think we would all agree that July 4, 1776, is a very significant date for all Americans. President Roosevelt speaking of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, said that December 7, 1941 was a day that would live in infamy. There are some dates that seem to capture our attention and hold a sort of historical spell over us. There is November 22, 1963, the date of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I'm sure that most of you can remember where you were at and what you were doing when you heard that Kennedy had been shot. April 15, 1912, is a date that is well known. For some reason, that fateful night, when the Titanic struck and iceberg and sank, is a date that has never been forgotten. There is not a day on our calendar that could not tell the story of some historical significance. There are many red-letter days on our calendar that marked the observance and anniversary of certain dates and their historical significance.
There is one date that you never see marked on a calendar. Even though it is one of the most significant events that ever occurred in history, recently, when we reached the 4,346th anniversary of this event, it was not mentioned on the evening news or mentioned in any newspaper. Most people, if not all, never even realized the significance of the date. The date I refer to is February 17. The great significance of the date is not that on this date in the year 1776, the first volume of Gibbons "Decline & Fall Of The Roman Empire" was published. It is not that in 1867, the first ship passed through the Suez Canal. It is not that in 1876, in Eastport, Maine, the first sardines were canned. It is not that in 1908, at the age of 79, the Apache Indian Chief, Geronimo died. It is not that in 1934, the first High School auto-driving course was offered at State College, Pa. It is not that in 1961, Michael Jordan was born. It is not even that in 1889, Billy Sunday made his first appearance as an evangelist in Chicago. The great significance of the date February 17 is that in the year 2348 BC, it began to rain. For the first time in history it rained. Beginning on February 17, 2348 BC, it rained for 40 days and nights.
We read in Genesis 7:11, “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” On February 17, 2348 BC, God judged this world and His wrath was poured out on all mankind. February 17, 2348 BC, and the 40 days and nights of rain that followed remind us of a side of God that you don't hear much about anymore. We are a generation that only wants to talk about God in positive terms. We only want to think of Him as a God of love and a God of forgiveness. He certainly is a God of love and forgiveness. I bless His name that He is such, but at the same time, we must realize that He is a God of wrath, judgment, and vindication.
George Barna found that nine out of ten adults (93%) say they believe God exists. Yet when it comes to defining what "God" means to people, nearly three out of ten, describe a deity other than the God portrayed in the Bible.1
The God that is portrayed in the Bible is a God of love, grace, mercy, patience, but He is also portrayed as a God of wrath, anger, and judgment. We read in Jeremiah 10:10, “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” We also read in Nahum 1:2, “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.”
Genesis chapter seven and the story of the flood reveal this side of the nature of God. First, notice with me:
1. THE PATIENCE OF GOD THAT WAS EXHAUSTED
We read in Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” The Bible says in Numbers 14:18, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.” Also, we read in Psalm 86:15, “But thou, 0 Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
When the Bible speaks of God as being long-suffering it means that He is forbearing, patient, and slow to anger. When you consider God's patience you see that:
A. God's Patience Is Long
There is no story in the Bible that better reveals the patience and long-suffering of God. I was amazed at how much the long-suffering of God is revealed in this story. In a previous study we noticed a man by the name of Methuselah. He lived 969 years, longer than any man that every lived. We saw that the reason he lived longer than any man was because it was at his death that the rain began to fall. In Methuselah we see 969 years of God's long-suffering.
We read in 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. God warned Noah that His judgment was coming.” We also read 2 Peter 2:5, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” Noah is called a preacher of righteousness. God warned Noah, and Noah warned others. For 120 years, Noah warned men of the coming judgment. The long life (969 years) of Methuselah revealed the long-suffering of God. The 120 years of Noah's preaching revealed the long-suffering of God. God warned men for 969 years that He was going to judge the earth. The last 120 years, God intensely warned men of His judgment.
We read in 1 Peter 3:20, “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.” Peter says that God waited. Why? 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not wiling that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
There is another example of how long-suffering God is in this story. Notice Genesis 7:4, “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.” Even after 969 years of Methuselah living and 120 years of Noah preaching, God still waited one more week before He poured out His wrath on the earth.
I am glad that God is not as impatient as we are. I heard about one fellow that prided himself on being exceedingly punctual. He followed a precise routine every morning. His alarm went off at 6:30 A.M. He rose briskly, shaved, showered, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth, picked up his briefcase, got into his car, drove to the nearby ferry landing, parked his car, rode the ferry across to the downtown business area, got off the ferry, walked smartly to his building, marched to the elevator, rode to the seventeenth floor, hung up his coat, opened his briefcase, spread his papers out on his desk, and sat down in his chair at precisely 8:00 A.M. Not 8:01, not even 7:59. Always at 8:00 A.M. He followed this same routine without variation for 8 years, until one morning his alarm did not go off, and he overslept 15 minutes. When he did awake, he was panic-stricken. He rushed through his shower, nicked himself shaving, gulped down his breakfast, half-way brushed his teeth, grabbed up his briefcase, jumped into his car, sped to the ferry landing, jumped out of his ear, and looked for the ferry.
There it was, out in the water a few feet from the dock. He said to himself, "I think I can make it." He ran down the dock towards the ferry at full speed. Reaching the edge of the pier he gave an enormous leap out over the water and miraculously landed with a loud thud on the deck of the ferry. The captain rushed down to see if he was all right. The captain said, "Man, that was a tremendous leap, but if you would have waited just another minute, we would have reached the dock, and you could have walked on."
We are not very patient at times. But blessed be the name of God that He is patient and long-suffering.
Furthermore, we see that:
B. God’s Patience is Limited
Notice 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.” God is long-suffering and extremely patient but there is a limited to His patience and His long-suffering. There is a time when God says "No more!" There comes a time when God says "I will wait no longer, I will be patient no longer."
God will strive with man. The word "strive" means "contend, plead with." God will do all He can to spare men from His wrath, but there is a point when His spirit will strive no longer. The account of the flood is a great example of God's patience being exhausted.
Secondly, we see:
2. THE WRATH OF GOD THAT WAS EXHIBITED
We read in Genesis 7:10-12, “And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” Verse 11, tells us that on February 17, 2348 BC, it began to rain. God would be patient and long-suffering no longer. Judgment came in the form of a flood.
We see:
A. The Opening Of The Windows Of Heaven
Verse 11 tells us that the windows of heaven were opened and the rain was upon the earth 40 days and nights. In Genesis 1:6-7, we learned how God divided the waters. There was water on the earth and water in the heaven. It is commonly believed that there was a canopy of water (some believe ice canopy) over the earth. Notice Genesis 2:6, “But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.” This huge canopy of water suddenly collapsed and came rushing to the earth. One can only imagine the devastation and destruction this would have caused.
Add to that 40 days and nights of rain. Notice Genesis 7:17-20, “And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. [19] And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.” The waters rose higher and higher until the highest mountain peak was under 22 feet of water. In you had been in space looking at the earth, all you would have seen was a huge ball of water.
We also see:
B. The Occurring Of The Wrath Of Heaven
We read in Genesis 7:21-24, “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.”
We read in 2 Peter 2:5, that God spared not the old world. All living things on the face of the earth were destroyed. The flood reminds us of the severity of God's wrath.
I think of Nahum 1:-8, “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.” The prophet Nahum declared the severity of God judgment in the words, "Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?"
J.I. Packer writes, "Yet if we would know God, it is vital that we face the truth concerning His wrath, however unfashionable it may be, and however strong our initial prejudices against it."2 It is vital that we face the truth concerning God's wrath for one day every person that dies lost without God will face God's wrath. Every person that rebels against God and ignores His warnings will experience God's wrath. One day this world will experience God's wrath.
I can only imagine the actions and reaction of men and women in Noah's day. I can see those who survived the initial rush of water from the heavens pounding on the side of the ark. I can see them rushing to the mountains trying to get above the rising water. I can see them go under one by one.
We read of future day when men shall try to flee the wrath of God. We read in Revelation 6:14-17, “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
There will come a day when it will be too late! The Bible makes very clear that one day there will be a reward for the righteous and a retribution for the wicked.
Thirdly, notice:
3. THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WAS EXPERIENCED
We read that all flesh died upon the earth, yet there was an exception. We read in Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” There was one thing that saved Noah and his family from the wrath of God and that was the grace of God experienced in his life.
We see that Noah:
A. Experienced The Saving Grace of God
We read in Genesis 7:1, “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” God saw that Noah was righteous. He was a man right with God and right before God. Why was he righteous? He had experienced the saving grace of God in his life. We noticed that Genesis 6:9 says that he was a just man, perfect in his generations, and walked with God. He was not saved because he was just. He was just because he was saved. He was not saved because he was perfect in his generations. He was perfect in his generations because he was saved. He was not saved because he walked with God. He walked with God because he was saved.
The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Have you found grace in the eyes of God?
Furthermore, we see that Noah:
B. Experienced The Sheltering Grace of God
We read in Genesis 7:23, “And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” Notice carefully that Noah and his family remained alive. The grace of God had provided a shelter from God's wrath. They were spared the wrath of God and sheltered from the wrath of God.
The Bible says in 2 Peter 2:5, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” God saved Noah from the flood. There was only one reason why God saved Noah. He had found grace in the eyes of God.
Back during the days of the pioneers, there was a wagon train that was crossing the mid-western prairie. The wagon master noticed a huge cloud of smoke several miles in front of them. He knew that it was a prairie fire and the wind was blowing it straight toward them. It would be on them in a matter of minutes. He knew they could not out run it. He rode to the back of the wagon train and set fire to the grass. When the grass behind them had burned a large section, he shouted, "Back your wagons. Back your wagons." He had all the wagons backed on the grass that had burned. The wise wagon master knew that fire could not burn where fire had already burned.
Jesus experienced the wrath of God when He was on the cross. The fires of God's judgment burned at Calvary and those who have come to Jesus have come to a place where the judgment has already fallen.
One day the wrath of God will come on every nation and every person. The only escape is Jesus our ark of safety.
1. “The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators” by George Barna (Word Publishing 1996) p.18 2. “Knowing God” by J.I Packer (Inter Varsity Press 1973) p.142 |