All right, Genesis chapter 6. The scripture declares in verse
9 that Noah was a just man. He was justified before God,
declared to be no guilt, no infraction of the law, no record of an infraction
of the law before God, based upon the imputed righteousness
of Christ. He believed by faith that Christ
was his only hope of glory. Now his faith was not the reason
that he was justified before God. The object of his faith
is who justified him before God. Noah was also said to be perfect
in his generations. He was an upright man in his
conduct. He walked like every regenerated
sinner before God by grace. He struggled just like all believers
and knew his need of being saved and kept by the power of God
through faith. And Noah walked with God. He was in agreement with God.
He agreed with God About men, he agreed with God about God.
He loved and trusted the Lord God. He was a man reconciled
to God by the blood of Christ. One who was at peace with the
Lord, being in union with the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore
accepted in the beloved. and enjoyed fellowship with God
Almighty. Therein was Noah's safety. Now verse 10 says, and Noah begat
three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Noah was a family man. He was a man, though, who struggled. surely struggled like Job who
was vexed, the scripture says, with the filthy conversation
of the wicked. You have to understand there
was one just man in all the world at that time. One. Almighty God was pleased to save
this man that was found to be in the midst of a wicked world. Up until the time of the flood,
I told you that Methuselah died the year of the flood. I've had
people, I've even wondered myself, did Methuselah go through? I
don't think he did. Those that Almighty God judged,
He judged because of their being found within themselves. Methuselah
died the year of the flood, I truly believe. And at the time of the
flood, again, one man. Well, the Lord was pleased to
give Noah and his wife some children, of whom One shem was in the bloodline
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's found in Luke chapter
3. We can go back and look at that. We've looked at it. But
it lists shem as being in the bloodline. There has always been,
in all of the earth, a remnant that is giving witness. to the Lord Jesus Christ, a people
of God's choosing and love that gives honor unto His electing
grace and covenant mercy, a remnant that is preserved from destruction
before God. The scripture says Isaiah 1.9,
except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant
We should have been as Solomon and should have been like unto
Gomorrah. It doesn't amaze me that the remnant was small. It amazes
me that there was a remnant at all left in the earth. But for
the grace of God, Noah would have been a man just like everybody
else. He was born in Adam, just like
everybody else. He was born a fallen creature
of the dust, just like everybody else. But Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. But the world in which Noah lived
was a world that was filled with wickedness. The scripture says
in verse 11, the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth
was filled with violence. Now, the earth was corrupt, the
scripture says, before God. in private and social lives of
men, but especially in the worship of God, was men found to be corrupt. What had they done? Genesis 6,
1 and 2, It came to pass when men began to multiply on the
face of the earth, the daughters were born unto men, and the sons
of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they
took them wives of all which they chose. They began to intermingle
with that which was forbidden. I told you before, there was
only two lines. They both came from Adam and
Eve. And one of them was Cain, and the other one was Seth. Seth was in the bloodline of
Christ. And what began to happen is those
that were born, again, from Seth and his heritage. They had the
name of believers, of God's people, but they intermingled and God
was displeased with them. And so here we find the scriptures
declaring in verse 11 that the earth was corrupt now before
God and filled with violence. Now, John Calvin said this, he
said, a world that was practically save for Noah, practically void
of any true worship of God. Now just think, just think of
that. Here's a world, I mean I'm so thankful we've got brethren
here that we can come and we have fellowship and you know.
But there was at this time, there was one man said that was a just
man, one man. His family was spared because
of Noah. Someone said, well, when were
they converted? I don't know. I know Shem was in the bloodline
of Christ, was Noah's wife, a believer. I don't know. It doesn't say.
It says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah
was a just man. So that's all I know right now. But here was a world, Calvin
says, practically void of any true worship of God. I mean, if there'd be one, If
there was one man, who would you fellowship with? He fellowshiped
with God. He walked with God. But that's
the world. It was a world, the scriptures
declares it was in decay, it was in ruin, destroyed, and utter
waste. Those are words, the definitions
of corrupt. It was putrid in God's sight
and it was filled with violence. with one just man. It was filled
with violence. It was full, that's a word, a
definition, at an end, given over to or given in to nothing
less than overflowing and shameless filthiness. Rude and shameless
behavior. Now this, This word violence,
the scripture says that the earth, verse 11, was corrupt before
God and the earth was filled with violence. Now, you know
how my thoughts on looking up words and getting the definitions. I went to three sources and violence
in this word right here. If you ever want a good expository
dictionary, I mean, you can get, Strong's is a good one. Strong's
is very good. Vine's is very good. Vine's is
very, very good. Here's what Vine's expository
dictionary says concerning violence. Wrong. Maliciousness. The disruption of the divinely
established order of things. a violent wrongdoing which has
not been righted, the guilt of which lies on an entire area
disrupting their relationship with God and thereby interfering
with His blessings. Strong's Concordance relates
that the word is from a root word that means to maltreat. Now, I know a lot of you people
know what maltreat means. I didn't. I had to look it up. To treat or handle badly, to
treat ill or roughly, to abuse or misuse. And then lastly I
looked at the Oxford Dictionary and it says that it means cruel
or violent treatment of a person or an animal. Mistreatment. The earth also was corrupt before
God, and the earth was filled with violence. That word just
doesn't seem to give the meaning of it, but it was filthy. It
was filthy. And verse 12 says, and God looked
upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt. And all flesh had
corrupted his way, upon the earth. Now, here we see the Lord beholds
all men at all times. Psalm 33, 13, the Lord looketh
from heaven, he beholdeth all the sons of men. You know, men
think because they have forgotten God, that God has forgotten their
deeds, and he hasn't. Men left to themselves will have
the books open and every thought, every action, every imagination
is all going to be brought up. It's all going to be exposed
and they're going to be judged out of the books. according to
their deeds, according to their works. And God knows. God records. It's going to come
up in the day of judgment. So the Scripture says, He looked
and beheld that which He saw was corruption. Religious, social,
personal, utterly wasted. And according to the Word of
God, that attitude of men Left to themselves, it's got consequences. Hold your place there. Turn to
Ezekiel 14. Listen, I think about the amazing
thing to me is that God's people, because of that old man, they
have some of the same thoughts that everybody else has. They
think, they find themselves, the scriptures record some of
the things that God's people did. But being found in Christ,
there was pardon for them. There was forgiveness for them.
But listen to what the scripture says concerning Almighty God
and the consequences of men left to themselves. Ezekiel 14, starting
in verse 12 to 14. The word of the Lord came again
to me saying, When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously,
then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, I will break the
staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, will
cut off man and beast from it. Though these three men, Noah,
Daniel, and Job, were in it, They should deliver but their
own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. So does sin
and rebellion against God and failure to bow to the Lord Jesus
Christ have consequences? Yes. Sin has consequences. Well, with that backdrop concerning
the world's condition, Now, I want us to look at the mercy of Almighty
God to this man, Noah. Verse 13 back in Genesis 6 says,
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. Now the first thing that
we behold in that 13th verse is that the Lord was not silent
toward the vessel of his mercy. God was pleased to tell Noah
something. David spoke of that blessing
of God and his pleasure to reveal his will. to His people. Psalm 28.1 says, Unto thee will
I cry, O Lord my rock, be not silent to me, lest if thou be
silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Psalm
25.14, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and
He will show them His covenant. So the Lord, the scripture reveals,
is getting ready to reveal to Noah his pleasure to destroy
this earth, but he's getting ready also to reveal to Noah
his good pleasure to spare him and his family. Now, this is
the heart of chapter 6 right here. The just condemnation of
mankind, save for this man Noah and his family, and the pleasure
of Almighty God to spare in that one man, mankind. You know, we all came from Adam.
Yeah, that's true. But I tell you what, there was
a restart there. We all came from Noah after that. Noah's wife and his three sons. And so here we're going to behold
something. The mercy of Almighty God. Here's the heart. of God's mercy. God, without compromising His
justice, He's going to save a hell-deserving creature of the dust. He's going to destroy everything,
men, beasts, but He's going to be pleased to save this man and
his wife, his three boys and their sons, and some animals.
is going to be a remnant of what God had originally created. Habakkuk 3.2 says, God in wrath,
remembering mercy. So here's the Lord remembering
mercy because He remembers His covenant. Hold your place here
and turn to Leviticus 26. Leviticus 26. precious passage of scripture
here. Leviticus 26, I'm gonna read verse 42, and then I'm gonna
read verse 45. Leviticus 26, verse 42. Then will I remember my covenant
with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, also my covenant
with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the land,
verse 45, But I will, for their sakes, remember the covenant
of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt
in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God. I
am the Lord." God's covenant, that covenant, it's an agreement
that is established upon the precious word and promise of
Almighty God who delights to show mercy. It's a covenant. It's a contract. We'll understand
that. This is a contract. And it's
based upon the will and mind and purpose of the sacred persons
of the Godhead, the Father who chose a people. That's the scripture. It gives the choosing of God's
people to the Father. It says the Father chose them.
The Son stood as surety for them. He redeemed them. And the Spirit
of God in the covenant agreement regenerates them, and seals them,
and keeps them, and guides them, and teaches them. And so here
we are, the covenant of God established upon God's will. I'll have mercy
on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. And it was this covenant of grace,
this counsel of peace that was entered into before the world
began. Before there was a world. 2 Timothy. We've read this many times. I'll
read it to you. You can turn to it. 2 Timothy
1 verse 9. Before there was anything before God spoke anything into
existence, there was an everlasting covenant of grace when there
was God. The Scripture declares 2 Timothy
1.9, who has saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began, but is
now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel." So before there was ever a creation,
God Almighty, among the three persons of the Godhead, one God,
entered into this covenant. All the sheep were known. The
Lord said, I know my sheep. All the sheep were chosen. All
of them were elected. And they were all entrusted.
They all were put in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a miracle. Before they were ever born, they
were there. Don't even try to figure it out.
You won't. But they were there, chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. That ends it, Mitch.
It's there. But we weren't even born yet.
I know that. Doesn't change anything. Because my little peanut brain
can't figure it out, don't mean it's not so. So here we are. There's a covenant. And Almighty
God looked upon Noah. And Noah was in that covenant.
Noah was a just man, he was justified by God, by grace, before the
foundation of the world. He was saved. Who has saved us
and called us. The calling comes after the salvation. God's always looked at his people.
And so here's Noah, a man just before God. He was perfect. He was upright in his generations.
He walked with God. He was a family man. He had a
wife and he had three boys for sure. And God looked and he saw
that the world was corrupt. It was violence. It was just
evil, putrid, stinking stuff. And Almighty God told Noah, He
came and He told Noah, He said that I'm going to have a day
of reckoning. And He says in verse 14, and
I'm just going to look at the first few words of 14 and then
Lord willing we'll pick up the rest of 14 next. He said in verse
13, God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before
me and the earth is filled with violence through them and behold,
I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark. You make an ark. The scripture reveals that when
God saw corruption in all the earth, he revealed that to Noah. He revealed to Noah that he was
going to destroy the earth, but it is no record up until that
point that he had revealed to Noah what would become of Noah
and his family. God saw the corruption. He was
going to destroy all flesh. I'm going to destroy all flesh.
Now, I thought to myself while I was reading that, I wonder
what went through his mind. If God's going to destroy all
flesh, well, I'm flesh. Noah's flesh. Oh, the mercy of
God to reveal to this vessel of his love and affection I want
you to make an arc. A box. You look up the word arc. You know what it says? A box. A box. You know, I've seen these
pictures. It's got this beautiful, like
a, you know, beautiful, rounded, you know, it's got this great
big, you know, the bow and the stern. It's just beautiful. It
was a box. A rectangular box. And it had no means whatsoever
in the description, we'll look at it next time, no means whatsoever
in the description of any kind of navigation system. It was
a box that floated. It was a box that was totally
a box for deliverance, safety. No sails, no rudder, oars, it
was a chest. One purpose, safety. Safety. Safety in Christ, the
one that the Ark pictured. That Ark, the type of Savior,
of the Savior, would be the means of deliverance from the judgment
of God. And nothing else but an Ark would
do. You know, there was no tower
that was going to be tall enough, no mountain. Scriptures, when
we get to it, you'll see that the water was 15 cubits above
the tallest mountain. So there was no pinnacle of escape. There was no tunnel that was
deep enough or safe enough to escape the water. The only safety
was the ark. And it was sufficient. God was
going to send his justice and judgment, and he was pleased
to put Noah and his family in a box, in a chest of safety. That ark, it was a distinguishing
place of safety. Make thee An ark. Make thee an ark. The long suffering
of God would endure for another 120 years. And I want you to
build an ark. And Noah, the Scripture says,
was the preacher of righteousness, telling men of their need of
the Lord Jesus Christ, their need of safety and salvation.
You know, you say, he preached for 120 years. You know, and
his family, him and his family. How many times have preachers,
how long have preachers been preaching, Fred? They're telling
people the same thing. Judgment's coming. Judgment is
coming. Noah was saying, God's gonna
send judgment. There's safety only in this ark. And it was
the way of escape that had to be received by faith. Now listen,
Genesis 2.5 said it had never rained. There was just a mist
that came up on the earth. That's how vegetation was. They'd
never seen rain before. And he's building an ark. He's
building a box. He's building this rectangular
chest. And it was an arc that was open. It's got to have a door. Again,
I don't want to get ahead of myself. Three story door. A door that was open and it had
three stories in the arc and it was open. There it was. There was nowhere was it ever
recorded, even right up until the end, that anybody that wanted
to get into the ark couldn't come. It wasn't, nope. It was
open. No one was preaching to them.
Tell them, the only safety is this ark right here. Outside
this ark, there's destruction. Is that not the message of the
gospel? Outside of Christ, there's destruction. There's death. You ain't going
to make it. You're not going to make it. All the explanation
that you'll give before God, read it in Matthew 7. We've read
it so many times before. We prophesy in your name, we
cast out devils in your name, we do wonderful works in your
name. I never knew you. Message is the same message. It's the same exact message.
It's open. The Lord doesn't cast any out.
The problem is no man by nature wants to get in. They don't want
to. I don't want to. I don't want to get in. There's
resentment and rebellion. It wasn't that they were ignorant
of His coming. How many people do you think
that's got any semblance whatsoever of ever having heard anything
about God? How many do you think are ignorant
that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back? They've heard that. They've heard
of the second coming. And Noah declared what was coming
Judgment and this boat is safety. So they couldn't plead ignorance.
The Lord sent preachers of righteousness to declare the same thing that
Noah, but he built an ark, build thee an ark for him. It was for his wife and three
sons, their wives, because God knew these are the ones that
I'll put in the ark. The building of that ark was
the proclamation of Christ. I thought to myself, that ark
is a type of the Lord Jesus. We know that. Safety, judgment
fell on him. Noah and his family were in.
The judgment fell on Noah, but they were in the ark. That was
their safety. Whenever Christ was crucified,
Paul said, I was crucified with him. I was there. I was there. But it fell on him, the ark himself. But why did it have to be an
ark? Could there have been any other
way? God was pleased to send a flood. God was going to send
a flood. Could there be any other way
besides an ark? No. The Ark is a picture of Christ
and the only message that God has ever blessed is the message
that exalts and honors the Son. It's the gospel of God, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, The world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Let me ask
you this, do you think that there was any thoughts in the minds
of the people concerning that boat, that ark, that box, that
that was foolishness? How long you been working on
that thing? Are you ever gonna get done?
That has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life. Noah, there ain't no water here. You're saying it's going to float
on water. It's the foolishness in the minds of this world. But
that's what God's been pleased to bless. The foolishness of
preaching to save them that believe. And so it is today. Men hear
the gospel of God's grace. The particular redemption? Particular redemption. You're
telling me that the Lord Jesus Christ died only for the elect. Is that what you're saying? Yeah.
Where in the world did you ever come up with that? I lay down my life for the sheep.
You mean to tell me that God has chosen a people And you are
telling me that it's guaranteed that they're coming. It's guaranteed. Yes. All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. That's foolishness. That's what
God's been pleased to bless. I pray the Lord bless these words
to our hearts and to his glory.