Genesis 6
Time passes - about 1000 years – and God’s command in
Ge:1 28 to “be fruitful and multiply”
had been obeyed. Sadly, sin too had
multiplied (vs 5) as men and women flouted God’s will in every aspect of their
lives, including through elicit sexual relationships. Sounds familiar? As human behaviour drifted
far from His expectations God grieved; a fresh start was needed. God could have destroyed everything and
started again but he chose to work with the little that was still uncorrupted
to begin his process of recreation. Do you recognize a theme that recurs in
scripture; rather than destroy totally and start again, God uses a remnant that
is faithful to work out His purposes.
Here the remnant is “a righteous man”, Noah and his family (vs 9). Their
story provides a wonderful picture of the over-arching message of the whole
bible: sin brings judgment and death (the flood) but God’s grace brings rescue
(the ark) followed by a new beginning.
The offer of salvation was totally God’s initiative – it was undeserved
grace – but for Noah to be saved he had to show faith and obedience as he acted
out God’s command to build the ark. No
doubt he was ridicule but that was a price worth paying to save his and his
family’s lives. Are we prepared to
experience similar ridicule or disdain for choosing to obey God rather than
follow the crowd? Quite a challenge! But
the bible should encourage us through the record of God’s faithfulness in the
past, the promise of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in the present and
the assurance of a place in His eternal Kingdom for the future.