Genesis 6 — Thoughts

The Bible Project likes to say "the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus." As we go through the Old Testament, we'll see this more and more.⁠

A good example of this principle is the way Romans 6:23 serves as a sort of summary for Genesis 6.⁠

Genesis 6 describes the world as so evil that God decided to wipe out humanity in a flood. This wasn't an emotional overreaction on God's part. From other Scripture, we know that God is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9), so the flood was probably a long time coming. But we also know that God is a just Judge (2 Corinthians 5:10), so an answer must be given for sin — and that answer must be death. What else can we expect from rejecting the God of Life? As Paul writes in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death..."

But God is also merciful. So, He provides a way out of sin and death for us. In Genesis 6, it's the ark He instructs Noah to make. Noah didn't deserve this — we'll see in Genesis 9 that he was just as sinful as anyone else — but Noah had faith (Hebrews 11:7), and we are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). As Paul goes on to write in Romans 6:23, "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."⁠

In Genesis, a flood was coming in answer to the world's sin. Today, we all face hell as an answer to our sin. But when we put our faith in Jesus, we're like Noah building the ark — we will be saved.⁠

(Originally written May 16, 2020)