Mission Hills Church
The story of Noah's ark may be the most familiar and possibly one of the most misunderstood stories in the whole Bible. Hollywood has corrupted it and the church has made it cute. But in between these two extremes, there are powerful lessons for trusting God even when the world thinks you're crazy.
Where do I start to make things better?
Genesis is prescriptive history.
Prescriptive history describes what happened in the past in order to help us live faithfully in the present.
When Genesis was originally written, God’s people were facing some specific challenges to living faithfully.
Genesis was written when a group of God’s people were struggling to take possession of God’s promises.
Exodus 34:16 NIV
Numbers 13:33 NIV
Genesis 6:1-3 NIV
Genesis 6:2 NIV
The “sons of God” were the faithful remnant who still claimed to follow God.
Even the faithful remnant was putting their desires over God’s designs.
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. (Genesis 6:4a)
The Nephilim were there at the same time God’s people were marrying any women they wanted.
Nephilim = “the fallen ones”
God called them “the fallen ones” because, in spite of their great strength, they fell before God’s power.
All human strength will fall before God’s power.
They were the heroes of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4b)
Even the faithful remnant was focusing on human strength and forgetting about God's power.
Even God’s people were putting their desires over God’s designs.
Even God’s people were focusing on human strength and forgetting about God’s power.
Genesis 6:5 NIV
Even the faithful few had ceased to be faithful.
Genesis 6:6 NIV
Genesis 6:7 NIV
The faithfulness of a few may hold back the flood of God’s judgment.
[God] answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32)
Jeremiah 5:1 NIV
God may reward even the faithfulness of a few with great grace.
Our faithfulness matters more than we think.
Our faithfulness models an alternative way of living.
1. Where might my faithfulness matter more than I’ve realized?
2. Where in my life am I putting my desires over God’s designs?
3. Where in my life am I focusing on human strength and forgetting about God's power?