And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
This is the fulfilling of Genesis 1:28, “be fruitful and multiply”.
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. See post titled: Genesis 6 – Sons of God.
The sons of God are people who are followers of God who married the daughters of men. The daughters of men (children of men) are those that are profane, and strangers to God.
The posterity of Seth did not avoid intermingling with the posterity of Cain; they took wives (in some cases multiple wives) from the sons of men because of their beauty. They chose only by the eye; rather than keeping themselves equally yoked with believers.
3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
This is the second recorded occurrence to the Spirit of God. Prior to this, He moved upon the face of the deep (some translation use hovering, fluttering). In Genesis 6, The Spirit of the Lord’s activity is literally identified as “judging” (yadon from the Hebrew root din) which means that He wants to justify, save, deliver, and vindicate people, but He is unable to do so, because people are stubborn or indifferent to His calling.
God’s Spirit was striving with people, i.e., calling them to repentance before the Flood through His Spirit. What would the Spirit of the Lord not do any longer? He would no longer be able to bring people to repentance and thus justify, save, deliver from their addictions to sin, and vindicate them. They were in rebellion, closed to His voice, so He was not able to do something for them; He could no more strive with them. It will be the same at the end of time just prior to Christ’s return.
They were flesh-oriented and living according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit (see Rom. 8:4), as the next sentence indicates: “For he [humanity] is mortal [lit. flesh]” (Gen. 6:3). There are two possibilities for understanding the Hebrew word beshaggam, the first expression in the phrase “for he is flesh”:
(1) be + she + gam meaning literally in + which + also, i.e., for, because (causative meaning); or better
(2) to take it as a verb derived from the root shagag (shagah), to “sin,” “go astray,” “err” plus the pronominal suffix “their” resulting in rendering “in their going astray.”
A literal translation of the beginning of this sentence can be as follows: “My Spirit will not strive with man forever in their going astray; he [i.e., humanity] is flesh.”
Regarding the 120 years, God deferred the judgment they deserved, and gave them space to prevent the judgment by repentance and reformation. Mercy interceded and justice was placed on hold for the time period. Unfortunately, humanity (outside of Noah and his family) did not take the opportunity afforded them to repent and reform and the deluge ensued. God ALWAYS gives warning before judgment, so not one person will have an excuse for everyone will have had an opportunity to life.
Some say the 120 years is determined that no person shall live in excess of that span of years, but it is contextual to the time-frame of the warning.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
These were giants and men of renowned. These giants and the daughters of men (ungodly men) had children. The carried all before them:
1. With their great bulk, as the sons of Anak (Numbers 13:33), and,
2. With their great name, as the king of Assyria (Isaiah 37:11).
Thus armed, they daringly insulted the rights of all their neighbors, and trampled upon all that is just and sacred.
5 And 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.
Abundance of sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of people: and those sins in their own nature most gross and heinous, and provoking: and committed daringly, with a defiance of heaven.
A sad sight, and very offensive to God’s holy eye. This was the bitter root, the corrupt spring: all the violence and oppression, all the luxury and wantonness that was in the world, proceeded from the corruption of nature; lust conceives them, James 1:15, see Matthew 15:19. The heart was evil, deceitful and desperately wicked; the principles were corrupt, and the habits and dispositions evil. The thoughts of the heart were so. Thought is sometimes taken for the settled judgment, and that was biased and misled; sometimes for the workings of the fancy, and those were always either vain or vile. The imagination of the thought of the heart was so, that is, their designs and devices were wicked. They did not do evil only through carelessness, but deliberately and designedly, contriving how to do mischief.
‘Twas bad indeed, for it was only evil, continually evil, and every imagination was so. There was no good to be found among them, no not at any time: the stream of sin was full and strong, and constant; and God saw it.
Here is God’s displeasure of man’s wickedness. He did not see it as an unconcerned spectator, but as one injured and affronted by it; he saw it as a tender father sees the folly and stubbornness of a rebellious and disobedient child, which not only angers but grieves him, and makes him wish he had been written childless.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
That He had made a creature of such noble powers, and had put him on this earth, which he built and furnished on purpose to be a comfortable habitation for him and endowed him to rule (have dominion), enjoy face-to-face communion with his Creator, a Paradise to keep, a God to worship, and others to enjoy companionship with; and it grieved him at his heart.
It doth not speak any passion or uneasiness in God, nothing can create disturbance to the eternal mind; but it speaks his just and holy displeasure against sin and sinners: neither doth it speak any change of God’s mind; for with him there is no variableness; but it speaks a change of his way. When God had made man upright, he rested and was refreshed Exodus 31:17. and his way towards him was such as shewed him well pleased with the work of his own hands; but now man was apostatized, he could not do otherwise, but shew himself displeased; so that the change was in man, not in God.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
I will destroy man — The original word is very significant. I will wipe off man from off the earth; as dirt is wiped off from a place which should be clean, and thrown to the dunghill. Or, I will blot out man from the earth, as those lines are blotted out of a book which displease the author, or as the name of a citizen is blotted out of the rolls of the freemen when he is disfranchised.
Both man and beast the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air — These were made for man, and therefore must be destroyed with man.
It repenteth me that I have made them — Mankind was in constant rebellion against God, their “imaginations” or thoughts/action were self serving and wicket. They served the lusts of their hearts rather than serving their Sovereign Holy Living God. These unscrupulous desires made them subject to vanity.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord — This vindicates God’s justice in his displeasure against the world, and shews that he had examined the character of every person in it, before he pronounced it universally corrupt; for there being one good man he smiled upon him.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Noah was a just man — Justified before God by faith in the promised seed; for he was an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, Hebrews 11:7. He was sanctified, and had right principles and dispositions in him: and he was righteous in his conversation, one that made conscience of rendering to all their due, to God his due, and to men theirs. And he walked with God as Enoch had done before him: in his generation, even in that corrupt degenerate age. It is easy to be religious when religion is in fashion; but it is an evidence of strong faith to swim against the stream, and to appear for God, when no one else appears for him: so Noah did.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
The earth also was corrupt before God — That is, in the matters of God’s worship; either they had other gods before him, or worshiped him by images: or, they were corrupt and wicked in despite of God. The earth was also filled with violence, and injustices towards men; there was no order nor any obedience to His government. Man’s own desires was his government.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
God looked upon the earth — And was himself an eye-witness of the corruption that was in it, for all flesh had corrupted his way – It was not some particular group that were thus wicked, but the whole world so; there was none good beside Noah.
13 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.
The end of all flesh is come before me; I will destroy them — The ruin of this wicked world is decreed; it is come, that is, it will come surely, and come quickly.
14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
The ark was a means to be saved from the predicted deluge.
God gave him particular instructions concerning this building.
1. It must be made of Gopher-wood; Noah, doubtless, knew what sort of wood that was, though now we do not.
2. He must make it three stories high within: and,
3. He must divide it into cabins with partitions, places fitted for the several sorts of creatures, so as to lose no room.
4. Exact dimensions are given him, that he might make it proportionable, and might have room enough in it to answer the intention, and no more.
5. He must pitch it within and without: without, to shed off the rain, and to prevent the water from soaking in; within, to take away the ill smell of the beasts when kept close.
6. He must make a little window towards the top to let in light.
7. He must make a door in the side of it by which to go in and out.
Noah had 120 years to build the Ark. During that time the Bible tells us that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) pleading for all to repent of their sin and find refuge in the Ark for God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
The image of Christ portrayed in the Ark offers many parallels.
- The ark was constructed of wood. The cross upon which Jesus died was constructed of wood.
- Noah was instructed to make a single door in the side of the Ark; it was the only entrance into the Ark, and access was controlled by God. Likewise, Jesus said that He is the door, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
- Noah was instructed to cover the Ark with a covering of pitch within and without. The pitch sealed the Ark and made it watertight so that all inside would be saved. The blood of Jesus covers the sin of all who will put their faith and trust in Him, and His blood puts a seal of security on those that belong to him.
Finally, the Ark carried all of its passengers safely to the destination that God had prepared for them. Jesus said:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3)
17 And, 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.
And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth — I that am infinite in power, and therefore can do it; infinite in justice, and therefore will do it.
The Flood (Hebrew mabbul) was a unique event. Various other words were used in Scripture for local floods. The mabbul was the Flood.
The purpose of the Flood–to destroy all flesh–could only have been accomplished by a worldwide deluge. The idea of a local flood is merely a frivolous conceit of Christians seeking to avoid imagined geological difficulties. Although many marine organisms would perish in the upheavals, everything in the earth (that is, “on the land”) would die.
18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
But with thee will I establish my covenant — The covenant of Providence, that the course of nature shall be continued to the end of time, not withstanding the interruption which the flood would give to it: this promise was immediately made to Noah and his family, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” Genesis 9:8. Noah is an example of faith and became and inherited righteousness. They were entrusted with they earth and given the same responsibilities as given to Adam and Eve they were to care for the animals to ensure their kind would continue and they were to re-populate the earth, and subdue it. God would be to him a God, and that out of his seed God would protect that He foretold would eventually come…the Messiah.
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
God sent the animals for Noah and his family to gather; two of unclean kind and sevens of the clean kind (Genesis 7:2). They were to gather the food for the trip. At this point they were all still eating a plant diet, we have not indication that meat had been introduced at this point. We know that this came after the flood. Noah and his family were obedient to God.
Mark Finley – Commentary
Genesis 6 records the story of the worldwide flood. Suppose you were Noah. What confidence it must have taken in God to begin building the ark against overwhelming odds. Noah not only began, he persisted for one hundred and twenty years building the ark. Think of the ridicule he endured. It had never rained before. Was this man crazy? The size of the undertaking was remarkable. What a task to cut the lumber and hoist it into position on this massive boat. Yet scripture says, “Thus Noah did according to all that God commanded Him…” (Genesis 6:22) What faith! What courage!
There is another aspect of this story that is extremely significant. God declares that He will “establish His Covenant” with His people. God’s Covenant is His promise of His faithfulness and salvation. In the midst of the storm, God prepared an ark of safety. Jesus is our shelter in times of storm, our ark of safety, our refuge in times of trouble. What incredible good news – God’s Covenant is His eternal guarantee of our security in the ark of His grace.
Note: Several sources were used as resources: Christianity Today, Institute for Creation Research, and Mark Finley former host/director of It Is Written.
Where is Jesus?
Salvation comes in a piece of wood that was lifted up above the earth, just as Jesus was lifted up from the earth on a piece of wood said “I will draw all me unto me” (John 12:32).
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”