Let’s go over this again…for understanding…
Creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Genesis 1:1)
Corruption: “But you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
From perfection…
For a while, things were perfect in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived in a beautiful garden (planted especially for them by God). They could eat of any tree in Eden, except one. This first couple had a perfect relationship with their Creator, a perfect marriage and a perfect place to live. The animals, which Adam ruled over, got along perfectly. But something obviously corrupted this “very good” world, turning it into the world we see today, which is full of sickness and death.
To imperfection …
Adam and Eve both knew they could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except the one known as the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” God had forbidden them to eat of it, telling them that if they ate of it, on that day, “dying, you shall die” (the literal Hebrew used).
The devil, a real being, had taken the form of a serpent. He knew what God had said, but he caused Eve to question God’s words by asking, “Did God say you weren’t to eat of any tree of the garden?” and then lying, “You won’t really die.” Eve believed the serpent, rather than God, and ate the forbidden fruit.
Then she gave some to Adam, who hadn’t been deceived by the serpent but ate it willingly (1 Timothy 2:14). This caused them both to immediately die spiritually (be separated from God) and to begin to die physically, on that very day.
Because of his disobedience (sin), all of his descendants (you and I) are born with sin in our nature. Because of Adam’s sin, our bodies will die. Because of Adam’s sin, God cursed His precious creation. The world we see today, while reflecting God’s original creation, has been corrupted by sin.
Catastrophe: “And every living thing which was on the face of the earth was destroyed, from man to cattle, and to the creeping things, and the fowls of the heavens. And they were destroyed from the earth, and only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 7:23).
God created a perfect world in six normal-length days (Genesis 1–2), but Adam disobeyed God’s command not to eat the forbidden fruit and brought corruption and death into the world (Romans 5:12). Adam’s sin passed to his children, his children’s children and so on. This brings us to the third “C” of history found in Genesis 6-9.
As time went by, people began to invent new machines, explore new places, try new ideas. Because their hearts were wicked, though, they did things that displeased their Creator. They didn’t listen to their ancestor Adam when he would have told them what had happened in the Garden of Eden, and how they needed to obey and worship only the Lord.
This grieved God so much that He determined to destroy everything with the breath of life in it. Only one righteous man, Noah, found favor in His eyes. God told Noah that He would send a great flood to judge the entire globe by covering it with water.
“Make a boat from resinous wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.” Genesis 6:14, NLT
“‘Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing. Everything on earth will die! But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and your sons and their wives.” Genesis 6:17, NLT
God provided a way for Noah, his wife, his three sons, their wives, the land animals and birds (the fish and other sea creatures could survive in the water) to survive this catastrophe by building a huge Ark.
Noah and his family worked on the Ark for many years, probably warning those around them about God’s judgment that was coming. Nobody but his family believed. When they finished building, God brought two of every animal (including dinosaurs!) and seven of some, to the Ark.
The one who was to come …
The good news of this sad tale is that God did not abandon His creation after Adam’s sin! He promised that one day He would send a Savior, the “seed of a woman,” to “bruise” (crush, break) the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). This Savior, Jesus Christ, was indeed born of a woman without a human father, about 4,000 years later. Christ died on the Cross, and rose again to save His people from their sins, so indeed dealing a death-blow to (crushing the head of) the devil (serpent).
Why Noah? Because “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” The relationship Noah had with God was consistent. Consistency. A sermon in itself…
Dear Heavenly Father, We admire Noah in Your Story of grace and mercy extended to him because he loved you in a continuous relationship with you. He did exactly what You said. We give you our desire and decision to be committed to be and do exactly what You command us to be and do. May Your kingdom come, Your will be done in all our lives, for Your glory forever and ever, In Jesus Name, Amen.
(Excerpts from The Seven C’s by Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis)
