These Two Humanities

Genesis 4:25-6:13

Gen 4:

25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

 

Gen 6: When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 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.

What we see in this section of Genesis chapters 1-6 which to me appears to be a literary unit: From Creation to the Flood we see a cycle of life as it relates to God’s world and the independence of man.

 

God has given you an independent will.

As you submit your will to God and follow His ways, then you will encounter His continued blessing. There still may be trouble in your life because of the sins of others, but God will look out for your life. He will provide life for you. You will have your daily bread.

 

You will have desires that are independent and contrary to God’s will for your life. You will have to deal with your personal selfishness, your pride, your sensual pressure to put pleasure above wisdom, and your greed.

 

Each of these areas of sinfulness, which are common to all people will yield the curse of chaos in your marriage, your family, your work, your relationships with others, the physical world, and your relationship with God. If we put God first, then the rest of our desires can stay in balance. We learn discipline. We learn to be cautious about our own desires, to not trust them, to not lean on them for life. And we learn that life does not come from bread alone, but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. God will lead us into lean times, into very difficult situations to show us what is in our hearts, whether or not we will submit our independent wills to Him. This is how life will be lived.

Jesus says it this way, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

This then is the message of the Bible. Those who follow Christ will have life. And those who follow Christ must deny self-willed desires, sacrifice them to God’s will and desire and then follow Jesus’ way of living. The reward is to gain the blessing of God on all of your life, the presence of God in all of your life and the life of God forever. There is a reason that the book of Revelation ends with mankind restored to the Garden. This is God’s will and desire for your life. And we are headed there right now!!

Let’s look at the contrasting people in this passage:

 

  1. Those Who Call on the Name of the Lord

 

  1. From Seth to Noah

 

It seems to be the smaller set of people. Because of the influence        of sin on the hearts and minds of people. The concept of the    remnant.

 

  1. Calling on the Lord

 

        Genesis 4 just after the Lamech fiasco:

25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. (A lead in to the genealogy of Seth)

 

        Proclaiming the name of the Lord. Name equals character,   identity, reality.

 

Proclaiming the truth of God.

II Peter 2:5b   but preserved Noah, a herald of     righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

 

Like Moses is to the COI.

 

  1. Finding grace for life

 

        Those who call on the Name of the Lord find grace for life!

 

        They walk with God like Enoch

 

They have life even in the midst of the judgement of God, like      Noah because they find grace. Noah was righteous, blameless      and walked with God!

 

        Grace is all that God does on behalf of people to give them life     that they do not deserve. Grace is communicated to us through God’s Word. And grace is received as we trust in God’s revealed         truth.

 

 

  1. Those Whose Intentions are Evil

 

  1. From Cain to the Nephilim

        The sensual: Replacing God with His pleasant gifts, hearts are    given over. Sons of God took whomever they wanted as their wives. Or took by force wives.

 

The proud: Replacing God’s glory with our own selfish         accomplishments. Lamech and the Nephilim. Think of Nephilim as         great men. If the great men are terrible, then you are in big        trouble. Hitler, Stalin, Mao.

 

The greedy: Replacing generosity and gratitude with selfish         acquisition.

 

The rebellious:

        Story of St. Augustine and the joy of stealing

 

        The joy of vandalism

 

The joy of rebellion

 

        The joy of submission to God and the indwelling Holy   Spirit

 

 

  1. Corrupted desires for pleasure and power

        Pleasure:

        Sons of God and the daughters of men. Nephilim.

        When man began to multiply on the face of the land and      daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the       daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives       any they chose.

 

Violence:

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it      was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

 

Corrupt means rotten!

 

  1. Finding the regret and judgement of God

 

        6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth,      and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out       man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am      sorry that I have made them.”

 

How can a loving God destroy what He loves? The question is       whether or not what He loves has already destroyed itself. The earth was corrupt! Corrupt= Decayed, ruined, rotten!

 

        Since God is Creator, He is also Judge!

 

 

III. God’s Patience Does Not Last Forever

 

  1. God regrets making mankind

This is not a good place to be with your Creator. The disbelief of   people does not affect the reality of God’s nature or character.        He cannot not exist. And He cannot not be Who He is.

 

Romans 9: 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

 

  1. Judgement as a curse on life

 

        We have touched on this many times now! All of the good    blessings of God are polluted, corrupted, by sin!

 

        Judgement as the end of life

 

        God will destroy that which has turned to corruption! He uses the environment to do this. And it is unavoidable! The water is twenty feet over the top of the highest mountains for months. Man, the steward of God’s creation has become the ruin of the same.

 

  1. Grace for those who trust God’s character and will

 

        In the midst of all the corruption, there is still grace. And the grace comes to those who call on the name of the Lord! Is this what you do? If you are calling on the Name of the Lord instead of pursuing life in pleasure, success and greed, then my expectation for you is that regardless of the judgement that is all around you, you will have life. God rescues Noah, God rescues Lot, God rescues. And Jesus is our rescuer! He makes us right in God’s eyes, removing the corruption of sin that plagues us, and He leads us in the path of God’s good works, prepared beforehand for us. He makes us God’s most precious possession. This is amazing Grace!