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Sermon
Genesis

Noah’s Ark and God’s Covenant

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November 19, 2023
Genesis 6:9–9:17
Ben Katterson
Pastor for Middle School & Families

The Sovereignty of God

The Gospel

Faith

The Holiness & Wrath of God

Transcript

0:11At some point this last summer, the preaching schedule changed a little bit, so I looked up the roster and found my name and looked across and there's Noah's Ark. Just some kind of joke. I looked over at Pastor Steven, he's not smiling. I get to preach Noah's Ark. Good morning. My name is Ben Catterson. I'm the pastor for middle school and families and let's pray and get right into this.

0:44Father in heaven, we need you to send your spirit. We need your help. Here's your word, here's your glorious word and a whole lot of it this morning and I'm excited. I've loved what I've seen of you in your word and yet we, we need you to come give us your spirit. Like you. You gave your spirit that hovered over the waters in in Genesis one and that hovered over the waters in Genesis eight and that fell at Pentecost. Give us your spirit now to know you in your word. In Jesus' name, amen. We're going to look at four chapters this morning and the main thing I want you to come away with is not a scene of cute animals.

1:39In this epic saga that we know is Noah's Ark. God reveals himself to us. What do we learn about humanity? That's anthropology, but this text is mainly theology. What can we learn about God from the greatest cataclysm that has ever happened to this world? Here's the main point. God justly and mercifully makes and keeps his covenants. That's the kind of God he is and I want you to trust him when he gives a promise. I want you to see that unbelief is ludicrous. Trust him. My outline this morning follows the plot since that's the way Moses constructed the narrative, a plot or the elements of setting rising action and tension, climax, falling action and resolution.

2:46That'll help us cover a lot of ground. We'll mainly see the forest not every single tree or verse this morning. We will also notice that following the contours of this narrative will give us the outline for the gospel. God is the just judge and he judges sin and provides salvation for his righteous ones through judgment and then brings them through to a new creation and an everlasting covenant on the other side. If you recall in Genesis, Moses is the author, the nation of Israel is the audience of the time of writing. They've been freed from slavery in Egypt and Yahweh has led them by a pillar of cloud and fire.

3:37They walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. Paul says that Israel was baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. We saw some baptisms this morning, believers identifying with Jesus and his death and resurrection and in our text a vessel goes through the waters of judgment carrying passengers safely through to the new creation and a covenant on the other side. Here's the outline. Part one is the the setting in conflict and I'm calling that God judges justly. That's chapter six verse nine, all the way to the end of chapter seven, chapter seven, verse 24. Then part two is the climax and the falling action.

4:35God remembers mercifully, that's all of chapter eight. And then part three, the resolution God covenants faithfully. And that's chapter nine verse one through 17. So you can see we have a lot to cover so let's look together at part one, the setting and rising conflict and see God judges justly first in our setting we see that destruction and deliverance are promised in chapter six verse nine through 22. Uh, verse nine says, these are the generations of this is a toll dote. And as pastor Stephen has told us, these are lists of generations, these lists of generations. Mark a new chapter or section in Genesis.

5:29You may also remember from last week in in Genesis six, five, that man's heart is only evil continually. And verse six says that God's heart is grieved by it, but Noah finds grace or favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah in verse nine and 10 is righteous and blameless. He walks with God like Enoch. He has three sons like Noah, like Adam. Noah is a righteous man with offspring is he the snake crusher. Certainly Hebrews 11, seven shows us that he's a man of faith. But there are plenty of hints in this story that show us that he is a sinner saved by grace through faith. Let's look at verse 11 together now.

6:30The earth was corrupt in God's sight and the earth was filled with violence and God saw the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, I have determined to make an end of all flesh for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold I will destroy them with the earth. The cruelty and culture of cane had spread throughout the world. Think of yourself as a child listening to Moses. Read this, God tells Noah in verse 13, I'm going to destroy them with the earth. This introduces the tension in the plot. Will Noah be destroyed also?

7:31God tells him, make an ark. The word ark means box. It's not the same word as the ark of the covenant. It is the same word as the basket that Moses was put into, but this is no basket. It's huge. Approximately the math differs 'cause a qubit can can range in sizes but approximately 450 feet long from the doors back there to the back of the sanctuary is a hundred feet. So four of those plus a half or a football field plus about 90 feet give or take. It's also about 75 feet wide. This pillar to this pillar is about 70, so it could be a little bit wider than that. Approximately 45 to 50 feet tall.

8:16The the white stuff up here is about 25. I worked this out with with uh, Tim Frederick earlier. So about twice this height, it's a massive structure, three decks, a roof, a door in the side. Why build a box? We we don't know yet. Verse 17. For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die, but I will establish my covenant with you and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your son's wives with you. So now we have a promise of destruction and a promise of deliverance.

9:08Every sort of animal, male and female birds creeping things. Twosies by twosies plus food are ordered into the arc and in verse 2022, Noah obeys. And here's maybe where we can identify with the tension of the plot. Is God going to destroy Noah also? Of course not. I've known this story since I was two. But do you ever doubt despite all of the promises God has given, can you stare the flood in the face and not flinch? Did no doubt amid wickedness and knowing that a tsunami of God's wrath was ready to break, how could he hope to survive? By the end of this saga, our hope and assurance come from getting a view of God's heart.

10:09He will destroy the wicked. He will not destroy the righteous, he will not sweep them away together. God's justice continues on through destruction and deliverance. One comes to an end, the other flowers into something breathtaking. The tension rises and destruction and deliverance. Begin in chapter seven, verse one through 10. I want you to see a few things. Uh, in seven days the flood's gonna begin all aboard. Notice also God tells Noah to bring seven pairs of clean animals to keep them alive. Offerings will be needed to ma to be made after the flood dries. Notice also the arc and its preparations and Noah's fitness to be in it are central.

11:09Twice we've seen that Noah is righteous in God's sight. Chapter six verse nine and seven one. Twice that he does all that he has commanded. 6 22 and seven five. God is saying, I do not destroy the righteous. Then notice the multitude of numbers including Noah's age. These are definite particular markers of the passage of time and events. Notice the word blot out in verse four. It's it happens in verse four. It's also used in the Psalms when David says, blot out my sins as God destroys everything, there is a hint of cleansing, blotting out and making new. The tension increases in seven 11 through 24 where destruction and deliverance prevail.

12:09Notice the time markers again including Noah's age. This happens on a specific day. What happens? The fountains of the deep burst forth as if pressurized and the windows of heaven are opened. This judgment is sudden and intense and on this very day, the only spark of human or animal life that would remain entered the ark, the waters of judgment batter the hapless creatures of all kinds drowning and crying out except one family and a specific and complete register representing every kind of creature. Male and female. The only place in the world left with the breath of life is on the arc.

13:13Sin is serious. Notice it is the Lord Yahweh in verse 16 that shuts him in his hand, opened the windows of destruction but keeps his righteous one safe. Notice in verse 17 through 24 how the waters have a life of their own and prevail like a giant sea creature. Here the repetitions here, verse 17, the flood continued 40 days on the earth, the waters increased and bore up the ark and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth and the ark floated on the face of the waters. The waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole earth heaven were covered.

14:11The waters prevailed above the mountains covering them 15 cubits deep. Can you fathom the destruction and all flesh died that moved on the earth. Birds, livestock beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth and all mankind, everything on the dry land and whose nostrils was the breath of life and died in the arc is a speck of flotsam on the foam of the storm. Is this really deliverance to be lost at sea at the mercy of a maniacal destroying flood? The tension in this plot has risen with the waters of the flood to the climax of the story. We understand the tension and climax a little better if we consider Israel hearing this from Moses for Israel the sea was a thing of chaos and terror.

15:15Israel is listening to this hearing that God Almighty sent the entire globe back to pre creation, chaos and the arc is skipping around on top of it like a leaf. Yes, we heard that Yahweh shut them in. We know that he said he would make a covenant. We know all the facts about God. He's the maker in love. We know he sent Jesus, his son the Christ to rescue from sins, but the waves of doubt crash against the sides of my heart. Egyptians are chasing us giants are in the land. Goliath mocks and all I have is a sling. Where are his promises the wicked prosper and we feel like a speck on the surface of the raging sea.

16:12What's your situation this morning? Doubt rises too easily, but as we look at this saga, we see that God is just, he will not destroy the righteous one. Let's look at part two, the climax and falling, climax and falling action in the plot. And this is God remembers mercifully and this is all of chapter eight. Let's look at uh, chapter eight verse one through 12. But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. Uh, that first word is a contrasting conjunction, but God remembered that word remembered is the pivot of this whole story. Now the logical mind like we have will say, I know I could see all the way along that Noah's gonna be safe.

17:12God has made provision. How is this a climax? Well, here's how it's a climax. How often do we need help trusting Jesus despite all of his promises we know he'll pull through logically, but life is tough and test my faith. The flood of circumstances washes over me. You read Pastor Steven's email this week with the litany of overwhelming circumstances and I doubt his promises seem compromised. Maybe your heart calls out. Do you remember me? Do you see my situation? The storm is big. I feel like the last one on the earth. There's a voice whispering in my ear. Where is your God?

18:11Hear this? But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. Noah is held through the storm by Yahweh and the storm abates as God remembers. Are you remembered? Are you in the arc of rescue? The rescuer is Jesus. God's righteous one and the seed of the new beginning we're all in the ark. If you are in the ark of God, he will remember you. When God remembers the waters recede, notice the markers of restraint and waiting and new creation. Uh, verse one, but God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark and God made a wind blow over the earth and water subsided the fountains of the deep and the windows of heavens were closed.

19:18The rain from the heaven, heavens was restrained. The waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days, the waters had abated and in the seventh month on the 17th day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ara and the waters continued to abate until the 10th month and the 10th month. On the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen before the restraining of the waters and the ground of the ark. A wind blows. The word wind is the same in Hebrew as spirit. And in Genesis one verse two, the spirit or wind, the ruach of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

20:08Do you remember that? This is a signal of new creation. The sense now is that the waters are washing. Noah has been rescued not just from something but for something. Let's start at verse eight. Then He sent forth a dove from him to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground, but the dove found no place to set her foot and she returned to him to the ark for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. Notice the slow passing of time here. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited TikTok, TikTok another seven days. And again he sent forth a dove out of the ark and the dove came back to him in the evening and behold, inner mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf.

21:06No one knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days and we check our watches and sent forth the dove when she did not return to him anymore after the terror of the storm. The scene is peaceful and slow. It creates anticipation. We are longing with Noah to get off this arc. Next God gives a mandate to Noah in chapter eight, verse 13 through 19. In 13 through 15 there are two more specific time markers and Noah takes off the lid and it's dry. Only then does God give the relieving word. In verse 16, go out from the arc in verse 17, bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

22:01And here's the purpose that they may swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. Do you hear that new creation mandate? God wants the creatures to flourish and multiply. Then everybody gets off the ark, off the ark, squawking and squeaking, roaring and laughing. And Noah remembers to worship. Now watch what happens. And Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground because of man for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth.

23:08Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains sea time and harvest. Cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. Noah builds a worship structure and makes burnt offering with some of those clean animals and the Lord Yahweh receives this worship and Yahweh who is spirit, smells the pleasing or soothing aroma and then his colossal heart is opened and we glimpse beauty. Notice these things. The evil intent of man's heart motive motivates God not to curse the ground.

24:09This begins a merciful covenant of restraint. While there may be small scale judgments like Sodom Gamo and we'll get that get get there next year, the world will not suffer in its cycles because of man's sin. Notice too that God knows the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth. The only humanity left is Noah and his family. They got onto the arc with sin. God saves Noah because he's righteous and he has obeyed, but the intention of his heart is evil from his youth. God has been extending mercy this entire time. Now we're starting to see the source of Noah's righteousness, not a perfect record of right living, but rather trust in God's promises.

25:16Listen to Hebrews 11, seven, by faith, Noah being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen in reverent fear constructed an arc for the saving of his household. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. In a few more chapters, we're going to hear the exact same thing happen to man named Abraham who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. What is all this reveal about God? God applies righteousness to the one who believes in him. Then he saves his righteous, one brings him into a new creation and blesses him with a covenant.

26:15Now let's transition to part three, the resolution of the plot God covenants faithfully. This is chapter nine, verse one through 17. This resolution has two very clear sections. The blessing is verse one through seven and the covenant is verse eight through 17. The end of deliverance is not merely being kept alive. The righteous one after deliverance from global destruction receives a global covenant from God Almighty. Notice all the parallels in this blessing section with a blessing given to Adam in the garden. Verse one, and God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

27:17That procreation blessing comes right outta Genesis one and brackets this section. Verse two, the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heaven, heavens upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea into your hand, they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything God tells him. Everything's gonna fear you and you can eat everything just like God provided all the trees in the garden for Adam to eat except one. Now he's providing Noah with every animal.

28:04But verse four, you shall not eat flesh with its life that is its blood. And for your lifeblood, I will requi require a reckoning from every beast. I will require it and from man, from his fellow man, I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed for God made man in his own image. Um, notice the word fellow man there in verse five. It's actually the word brother and it was used eight times with Cain and Abel in order to stave off more bloodshed. God blesses the community with law, family members and societies are held accountable for the shedding of blood.

29:08Don't let laic abound. Why Another reference to Genesis one, for God made man in his own image. This blessing then flowers into a covenant more vast than the flood and more solid than the mountains Theologian Michael Horton defines covenant this way. A relationship of oaths and bonds and involves mutual though not necessarily equal commitments. Humanity's part is not to eat flesh with the blood and to hold murderers accountable. What is God's commitment? Moses introduces the covenant in verse eight through 11 and notice the number of times he mentions the parties of the covenant, how long the covenant will last and what he's covenanting to do.

30:10Verse eight, then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you. And with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came outta the ark, it is for every beast of the earth I establish my covenant with you that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. God is gonna repeat much of that with stylistic variation in the next section. But he inserts certainty, a sign of beauty that reflects his heart, a multicolored decoration that causes people all over the globe to gate verse 12.

31:19And God said, this is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for all future generations. I have set my bow in the cloud and it shall, it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

32:15The bow is there for God to see and remember, but we are supposed to see it and know that he remembers just like God remembered Noah. Now God sees this celestial phenomenon and his remembrance is warmed. He will not kill every living thing through flood. We progress from global judgment in the flood to a sign of global mercy. This whole story in all its sweeping action and grace. Gracious resolution reveals that God is a covenant keeping God. There is a in the sky a sign that the world can see that proclaims, I have mercy for this world. You can bank on it what he says he will do. He is faithful to his promises.

33:26However, God's faithfulness to execute justice still stands. It was proven with the flood, but the flood didn't change hearts. It will not take long to see sin in Noah and his offspring. There will be no more worldwide floods, but God will judge sin and his final judgment for sin is coming. The truth is we require a cleansing of our soiled hearts and a rescue not through waters, but someone to be crushed in our place. I'm concluding here. Some of you have yet to believe, to trust that God keeps his promises. Here is one from two Peter three, seven, the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

34:47That day will come with unquenchable fury. But there is a rescue more than an ark. There is a man who became sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. If the rainbow assures us of his faithfulness to his covenant, we can trust in Jesus the rescuer, the snake crusher Father in heaven, you are trustworthy beyond the ground, under our feet, the immovable mountains. You sent your son Jesus into the world. Oh God, help us to trust you. Trust that you have given a rescuer trust that there is a salvation from sin. Help us to bank on your promises. Oh Jesus, thank you for the blood applied in your name.

36:10Amen.

Jump to live

Jump to live

Sermon Text

Genesis 6:9–9:17

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