IF NOT FOR ONE MAN

Genesis 6

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.           Titles for Genesis 6

 

A.   If Not for One Man

1.     Genesis Five ended with the focus being upon Noah.  He will be the main subject for the next four chapters.

2.     If not for this one man, the entire population of the earth would have been destroyed in the flood.

 

B.    The Pronouncement of Destruction:  The word “destroy” is used 3 times in this chapter by God (Gen. 6:7, 13, 17).

 

C.   Man’s Evil Leads to God’s Judgment (Gen. 6:13)

 

D.   A Flood of Waters to Destroy (Gen. 6:17)

 

E.    Noah:  You’re Going to Need a Boat (Gen. 6:14)

 

II.         Key Verse for Genesis 6

 

A.   Genesis 6:8

 

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

 

1.     The word “but” is a conjunction of contrast.

2.     Noah stand is sharp contrast to the world described in Genesis 6:1-7

3.     This contrast is seen again in Genesis 6:17-18, …but with thee will I establish my covenant.

 

B.    Genesis 6:13

 

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.

 

This verse could be the key verse because it reveals the “fact” of the destruct-

tion of the earth, and, also, the “why” of the destruction.

 

III.       Outline of Genesis 6

 

A.   Brief Outline

 

i.               Man against God (Gen. 6:1-7)

ii.              Man with God (Gen. 6:8-22)

 

 

B.    Long Outline

 

i.               Atrocities (Gen. 6:1-7)

ii.              Approval (Gen. 6:8)

iii.            Announcement (Gen. 6:11-13)

iv.            Ark (Gen. 6:14-16)

v.              Agreement (Gen. 6:17-18)

vi.            Animals (Gen. 6:19-20)

vii.           Accouterments (Gen. 6:21)

viii.         Adherence (Gen. 6:22)

 

IV.        Lessons from Genesis 6

 

A.   Marriage between the righteous and the unrighteous is not wise.  The evil often influences the godly in ungodly ways (Gen. 6:1-2).

 

B.    Man’s flesh and God’s Spirit have always been at war (Gen. 6:2).

 

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh…

 

C.   God is patient and longsuffering, but a day of reckoning will eventually come.  The period of grace will eventually end (Gen. 6:3a).

 

…yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

 

D.   Evil actions originate in the heart of man and can completely overcome one’s life (Gen. 6:5).

 

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.

 

E.    God’s mind can be changed by man’s behavior (Gen. 6:6a, 7).

 

And it repented God that he had made man…And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

 

F.     God is a real being with emotions.  Man’s actions can bring grief to the heart of God (Gen. 6:6b).

 

…and it grieved him at his heart.

 

G.   God holds the power of life and death in His hand (Gen. 6:7a).

 

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created…

 

 

H.   It is possible for any man to live in contrast to the evil ones of the world (Gen. 6:8).

 

But Noah…

 

A.   Noah lived differently (Gen. 6:9).

B.    Noah obeyed God (Gen. 6:22)

C.   Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8).

D.   Noah made a difference.

E.    If not for one man, the whole world would have been destroyed.

 

I.     Grace was found even within the Patriarchal system (Gen. 6:8).

 

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

 

J.    God’s eyes are watching each individual person upon the earth (Gen. 6:8).  See Proverbs 15:3

 

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

 

K.   Man needs to develop the qualities of Noah (Gen. 6:9).

 

These are the generations of Noah:  Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

 

L.    Noah’s charge involved three sons (Gen. 6:10).

 

And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

 

M.  Violence usually accompanies wickedness, evil, and corruption (Gen. 6:11).

 

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

 

N.   The ark of God had to be made according to the divine pattern (Gen. 6:14-16).

 

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, and 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.

 

 

 

 

 

O.   In his list of instructions for the ark, we learn the difference between specific instruction (authority), general instructions (authority), and implied instructions, authority).

 

Specific                                       General                             Implied

 

1.     Gopher wood                              1.  Rooms                          1.  Tools

2.     Length:  300 cubits                      2.  Pitch                            2.  Helpers:  sons]

Breadth:  50 cubits                      3.  Door in side                  3.  Accessories:  bolts,

Height:  30 cubits                        4.  Food (Gen. 6:21)                ropes

3.     Window:  a cubit above

4.     Three stories

 

P.    God entered into a covenant with Noah (Gen. 6:18)

 

Q.   Salvation was found “only” in the ark (Gen. 6:18-20).

 

…come into the ark…to keep them alive.

 

R.    Noah was fully, completely obedient to God’s will (Gen. 6:22).

 

Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he.