Genesis 6:9-22: A Flood of Corruption and a Beacon of Hope

This passage in Genesis paints a dark picture of the world before the great flood. It was a time when humanity had become deeply wicked and corrupt, and God’s heart was grieved. But amidst this darkness, we also see a beacon of hope in the life of Noah.

What Happened?

• The World’s Corruption: The Bible tells us that “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was filled with violence.” (v. 11) People had turned away from God and were only focused on doing evil.
• Noah’s Righteousness: In stark contrast to the prevailing wickedness, Noah is described as a “righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” (v. 9)
• God’s Plan: God decides to wipe out all living creatures with a flood because of their wickedness. But He makes a covenant with Noah to save him and his family.
• The Ark: God gives Noah specific instructions on how to build a massive ark to preserve himself, his family, and representatives of all the animals.

What Does This Mean for Us?

• The Consequences of Sin: This story shows us the devastating consequences of sin. When we turn away from God, it not only damages our relationship with Him but also affects the world around us.
• The Importance of Obedience: Noah’s obedience to God’s instructions, even though they might have seemed strange, saved his life and his family’s. We can learn from this that following God’s commands, even when they’re difficult, is crucial.
• God’s Mercy and Grace: Even in the midst of judgment, God shows mercy by providing a way for Noah and the animals to be saved. This reminds us that God’s love and grace are always available, even when we mess up.
• A New Beginning: The flood represents a fresh start for humanity. It shows us that God can bring good even out of the most difficult situations.

Study Questions

1. What does it mean to “walk faithfully with God” like Noah did?
2. How can we apply Noah’s example of obedience in our own lives today?
3. Why do you think God chose to save Noah and his family?
4. What can the story of the flood teach us about God’s character?
5. How does this passage give us hope, even in the face of challenging circumstances?
6. In what ways do you see the effects of sin in the world today?
7. How can we as young people make a difference and live lives that please God?

Remember, the story of Noah and the flood is not just a historical event but a powerful reminder of God’s judgment, mercy, and the importance of following Him. Let’s strive to live lives of obedience and righteousness, like Noah, even when the world around us is going in a different direction.

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Commentary on Genesis 6:9-22

Verse 9: “This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”  

• Matthew Henry: “He was a just man, that is, justified before God, by faith in the promised Seed… It is easy to be religious when religion is in fashion; but it shows strong faith and resolution to swim against the stream, and to appear for God when no one else appears for him; Noah did so.”  
• Spurgeon: “Noah dared to be singular. He was ‘a righteous man,’ and therefore he was ‘blameless among the people of his time.’ It was no small thing to maintain a holy character in such an age.”

Verse 10: “Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.”

• Matthew Henry: “These three were the heads of three families which peopled the new world and from them the whole earth was overspread.”

Verse 11: “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was filled with violence.”

• Spurgeon: “The whole earth was filled with violence. Sin had become rampant and aggressive. It was no longer lurking in secret, but stalked abroad unashamed.”

Verse 12: “God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.”

• Matthew Henry: “God sees all the wickedness that is among the children of men; it cannot be hid from him now; and if it be not repented of, it shall be made known by him shortly.”  

Verse 13: “So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.”  

• Spurgeon: “It is clear that the Lord never does a thing without good reason… He sees that evil has grown so strong that only a clean sweep will suffice.”

Verse 14: “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.”

• Matthew Henry: “God could have secured Noah without putting him to any care or trouble; but he will have him work for his safety that he may be the more sensible of his obligation to God who provides for him both work and wages.”

Verses 15-16: “This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.”  

• Spurgeon: “The directions given to Noah are very minute and particular, showing us that God loves accuracy in the details of obedience.”

Verse 17: “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.”  

• Matthew Henry: “Observe the universal extent of this judgment. It shall be all life, all flesh… The universality of the deluge proved the universality of the corruption; the whole fabric of nature was tainted.”

Verse 18: “But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.”

• Spurgeon: “Though the earth be deluged with a flood of water, yet the Lord will still have his chosen remnant, a people to show forth his praise.”  

Verse 19: “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.”

• Matthew Henry: “God that gave life could have given it again to what creatures he pleased; but he will preserve the kinds of beasts by the care of man, to intimate that when God destroyed the world of ungodly men he did not design the destruction of the brutal nature but that should be kept alive to serve the new world.”

Verse 20: “Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.”  

• Spurgeon: “The Lord will have every living thing represented in the ark. There was room even for creeping things. No creature is beneath the notice of the all-seeing God.”

Verse 21: “You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

• Matthew Henry: “Noah must provide food for all these creatures. He that gave them life would preserve it; yet not without food, and suitable food.”

Verse 22: “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

• Spurgeon: “This is the highest character that can be given of any man. It is an epitome of a holy life, a volume of biography in a single sentence.”
• Matthew Henry: “This is the work of faith, and the labour of love… The grace of faith and obedience was crowned with the honour of usefulness to all the world.”

This passage in Genesis portrays the stark contrast between Noah’s righteousness and the pervasive corruption of the world. It highlights God’s justice in punishing sin, but also His mercy in providing a way of salvation through the ark. It serves as a reminder that obedience to God, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, is always rewarded.