Did the flood eradicate man’s sinful nature?
(Genesis 6:1 – 9:17; Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:5) Blog Apr. 17-23, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world and placed human beings in it to govern all he had made. Besides dominion, individuality, and responsibility they were given power to think and to do. As the federal representative of the entire human race, Adam chose to eat what God had prohibited, bringing guilt and corruption to all his offspring. When sin entered God provided a Substitute and through faith in the Lamb of God who was to die in our place all may be restored to life eternal. Cain chose to reject God’s provision while offering his personal efforts instead of a blood sacrifice. Being rejected by God he got angry and killed his brother Abel who by faith had offered a blood sacrifice.
Precursors
1. When world population greatly increased what began to happen? Believers in God were attracted to unbelievers & upon marrying them, their children became mighty opponents to the true God (Gen. 6:1-4).
2. What made God regret that he made mankind? God was hurt by the exceeding wickedness of mankind (Gen. 6:5-7).
3. What did God plan to do to purify the violently corrupt earth? God told Noah that he would destroy the wicked & the earth with a flood (Gen 6:13, 17).
4. How long did God say that his Spirit would work for the salvation of the antediluvians? God promised that his Spirit would work for humanity’s salvation for 120 years during which time Noah was a preacher of righteousness (Gen. 6:3; 2 Pet. 2:5).
5. What salvation plan did God devise for an escape from the destroying flood? God told Noah to build an ark for the saving of him, his family, & a variety of animal life & to store food in it for them all (Gen. 6:14-22).
6. How specific was God regarding the construction of his ark of safety? God gave Noah specific instructions as to size, materials, internal arrangement, & window & door for the ark (Gen. 6:14-21).
7. What should we learn from the covering of pitch that sealed the ark? The covering of pitch was a symbol of the righteousness of Jesus that covers those hidden in him, just as the ark of the covenant was covered with a golden mercy seat (the verb “pitch” is kaphar, the same word used 70 times in the Bible for “make atonement”) (Gen. 6:14; Ex. 25:10-11, 17; 29:36; Lev. 1:4; 2 Chron. 29:24).
The Flood
8. Before the rain began, on what basis did God tell Noah to enter the ark together with his family and a collection of animals? The basis for entering the ark was because Noah was righteous in God’s eyes (Gen. 7:1-3).
9. How are we to understand what is said about Noah in Genesis 6:8-9? Noah’s righteousness & perfection were found in Christ his substitute whom he served. God viewed him with grace, considering him better than his sinful life deserved because his righteousness was before God in heaven (Gen. 6:8-9; 7:1; Rom. 3:20; Phil. 3:9; Heb. 11:7).
10. How long after God shut the door did Noah and his companions remain in the ark before the rain began to fall? Those inside the ark waited 7 days before the rain began to fall (Gen. 7:3, 10).
11. What should we learn from the delay of 7 days before the rain fell? God expects his people to obey his word before they see the evidence of his judgments. Human probation closes before Christ’s second coming for in the last days God will seal & spiritually separate his people before the seven last plagues fall (Josh. 3:13; Rev. 7:3).
12. Which New Testament story also teaches of the seriousness of a door shut by God? In the parable of the ten virgins there was no entrance to the wedding once the door was shut (Matt. 25:1-13).
13. From when the rain began to fall, how much time passed before Noah could leave the ark? It was the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 600th year that the rain began & it was the 27th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 601st year that he left the ark: making a total of 1 year & 10 days since the rain began (Gen. 7:11; 8:13-16).
14. What does it mean that God “remembered” Noah and those with him? The Hebrew language is dynamic rather than passive. To “remember” in Hebrew means “ready to take action” (Gen. 8:1; 9:15; Ex. 2:24; Rev. 18:5). (See https://liferesearchinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PT.3-2.pdf)
The Results
15. Did the flood eradicate man’s sinful nature? No, God said the same thing about human nature after the flood that he said before the flood: “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 6:5; 8:21).
16. After the flood how did Noah acknowledge his need of forgiveness and mercy from God? Noah built an altar & offered an animal sacrifice of each of the clean animals from the ark (Gen. 8:20).
17. Before the flood, what did God tell Noah that he would make with him? God, like any good suitor, made a proposal prior to making a covenant with Noah. That covenant is described in Genesis 9 (Gen. 6:18).
18. What did God do before he established his covenant with Noah? Before establishing his covenant with Noah, God delivered him & those with him from the worldwide flood & blessed them, explaining their new relationship to the animals, some (those “clean”) of which they were now permitted to eat (Gen. 8:16-9:7)
19. What promise did God make when he smelled Noah’s sacrifices? God promised that although humans still had sinful natures, he would never again curse the ground nor destroy every living thing & that now there would be seedtime & harvest (summer & winter) as long as the earth should last (Gen. 8:21-22).
20. What was the covenant that God established with Noah and every living creature? God promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood, & he gave the rainbow as a sign of his covenant promise (Gen. 9:8-17).
21. In the story of the flood what does the ark represent? The ark represents Jesus our mercy seat (our propitiation [hilasterion in Greek]) & all who are found in him by faith will be saved when he comes to destroy the earth by fire (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5; 2 Pet. 3:10).