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Noah Found Grace (Daily Portion 10212)
Scripture Passage:
Genesis 6:1-22 Man, because of his evil imaginations and wicked actions, corrupted the earth and filled it with violence. God determined to destroy all life from the face of the earth by a flood. But Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord and God gave him plans for the building of a life-saving ark.
What Does It Say?
- After men began to multiply on the face of the earth, the sons of _______ saw the daughters of ________ that they were __________.
- The children born to the these marriages became _________ men which were of old, men of __________.
- But Noah was a ________ man and ________ in his generations, and Noah _________ with God.
- God commanded Noah to make an ark of __________ wood.
- In order to save the animals, Noah was commanded to take ______ of every sort on the ark and that they be male and __________.
What Does It Mean?
- Because of the wickedness of man, God determined that His spirit would not always strive with man and that his days shall be an hundred and twenty years (v.3). Some have said that this verse teaches that no person after the flood could live to be more than 120 years old. But there were many after the flood who did live longer than 120 years. Even Abraham died at the age of 175. So, what is God saying in this verse?
- In this chapter, God repents that He had ever made man (v.6). Yet, several verses teach that God cannot repent (Numbers 23:19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
See All...). In fact, in 1Samuel 15, God repents that He had made Saul king of Israel (v.11, 35) and also declares that He is not a man that He should repent (v.29). Such places are not contradictions but are meant to force us to see subtle differences in the meanings of a word. Study the word a bit and see if you can explain why some passages teach that God cannot repent while others show places where He does repent. HINT: The word is used in more than one way and a good dictionary can help. - Check verses 7 and 20 to see what categories of animals are reserved in the ark. Compare these categories with the ones describing creation week in Genesis 1 (see verses 20 and 24). What category of created animal is not brought on the ark? Why? Genesis 6:17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
See All... gives the key to this division. What is it?
What Does It Mean to Me?
- Genesis 6:5And 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.
See All... has the first time in the Bible where the word “imagination” occurs. The verse says “that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” This verse does not bode well for God’s opinion of man’s imagination. Of the 20 times the word is found in the Bible (singular and plural), 18 of them are definitely evil, while 2 are potentially good (1Chronicles 28:9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
See All...; 29:18
See All...). It may help you to see God’s viewpoint when you realize that the word “imagination” is another form of the word “image.” And images are idols. But today, we see our imagination exalted as one of the best things about man. Children are encouraged to use theirs often. What makes the difference? Why does man exalt his imagination while God speaks of its danger? And, how can you apply this understanding to your own heart? - Two times in Genesis 6, the earth is said to be “filled with violence” (v.11, 13). What is the connection between wickedness, evil imaginations, and violence? How has violence affected our lives today? How are people’s imaginations being filled with violence? What should you do about it?
Suggested Memory Verses
Genesis 6:5And 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.
See All...; Genesis 6:22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
See All...