Lesson 31 Destruction for Preservation

                               Destruction for Preservation

                                           Genesis 6:11-18

The family of Seth had been preaching the righteousness of God through faith in the coming Son of the Covenant as the Way of being set free from the sin of having one’s own way over the Way God had designed for one to be born from above a son of God in an immortal body of flesh and bone of eternal life (see Gen.4:25-5:29). But those born of the seed of man, in the image of the earthy, had chosen to go their own way and, in so doing, had corrupted Elohim’s earth and filled it with violence.

“Elohim saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of the heart only evil continually” ... “The earth also was corrupt before Elohim, and the earth was filled with violence. And Elohim looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Gen.6:5, 11-12).

Every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart only that which Elohim did not approve - all day long, day afer day. Elohim must put a stop to such evil. Man was destroying His purpose to have man in His image, after His likeness (Gen.1:26).

“And Elohim said to 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’” (Gen.6:13). The earth must be cleansed from the corruption, for a renewal.

“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 everything that is in the earth shall die” (Gen.6:17).

It is Elohim’s doing. “I, even I, do bring.” “I” is repeated for emphasis. It is the Creator speaking, who is Jehovah, the God of His Covenant, and who is grieved at His heart (Gen.6:6). Jehovah shared with Noah what He had been contemplating in His heart (see Amos 3:7). Noah had become righteous through putting his faith in the Anointed Son of the Eternal Covenant. Noah’s righteousness was the righteousness of God.

Jehovah Elohim revealed to Noah the necessity of the coming judgment and the precise manner in which He would accomplish it. The earth which was cursed with thorns and thistles for man’s sake (Gen.3:17-18) is to again be submerged under water (see Gen.1:6-10), and again the curse is for man’s sake.

The two words “corrupt” and “destroy” are the same in the original Hebrew. Man is destroying Elohim’s earth and destroying himself, a creation of Elohim. Therefore, man must be destroyed. The judgment is a just retribution. Elohim gives man what he has done. In man’s freedom of choice to go the Way of his Creator Redeemer - or - to turn to his own way, man, in choosing to go his own way, destroys himself.

God’s purpose to have man in His image, after His likeness, must be brought to pass. Jehovah Elohim has promised Himself in His Eternal Covenant and He has given man hope of eternal life (see Tit.1:2; 2 Tim.1:9-10). Jehovah must be faithful to His promises. He is faithful, the thoroughly reliable One, who cannot lie, who is true to His promises, and fulfills His promises exactly. God’s Covenant is eternal and unchangeable, as done in heaven, and therefore it must be established, made to stand upon earth as He carries it through (Num.23:19; Is.42:9; 45:21-23; 46:9-11). God has a man - Noah, through whom He can establish His Covenant upon earth.

He said to Noah, “But with you will I establish [make to stand] My Covenant; and you shall come into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” (Gen.6:18).

Noah had already been given the blueprint for building a place of safety to keep the family safe from the waters of judgment coming to take away the breath of man’s bodies of flesh and blood (Gen.6:14-16).

With Noah is the first mention of the word “covenant.” In Moses’ record of beginnings in the Genesis record he did not specify the teaching of His first pair, Adam and Eve, of God’s Eternal Covenant. Moses only used the more personal Covenant name, Jehovah, translated Lord in English Bible Versions. Moses did not see the necessity to go into a long explanation, as the sons of Israel, who would be hearing “The Book of the Law” read and who would live by the Law, had understanding of God’s personal Covenant to have man in His image and after His likeness, and the promise of eternal life shared in God’s Eternal Covenant.

Here in the record Moses’ mention of the Covenant and Jehovah Elohim’s purpose to establish it on earth in Noah, points to the parties of the Covenant. The usual meaning of a “covenant” is a “solemn contract between two or more parties.” Each party is responsible to faithfully perform his part.

Elohim made clear to Noah that this is His Covenant. Noah is not a party in the Covenant. The three personal beings of Deity have covenanted between Themselves (see Is.48:3-17). Noah is needed as the person through whom they are able to make the Covenant come to stand on earth, even through the judgment of the waters of cleansing.

Jehovah did not give Noah any part to perform in the Covenant. He had given Noah to build an ark to save his household from the judgment of waters of death, but Jehovah took full responsibility for establishing His Covenant through and after the judgment (Gen.9:8-17).

Who then are the parties of God’s Covenant? He is - the One God in three persons. Where was the Eternal Covenant made? In God’s dwelling place - heaven. When was the Eternal Covenant made? Before the eternal ages - in eternity past (1 Tim.2:4-6; 2 Tim.1:9-10; Tit.1:2; Heb.13:20; 1 Pet.1:19-20).

Elohim had covenanted with Himself to make man in His image, after His likeness. It was a Covenant of promise. Also in His Covenant was the promise to the creation of man in a mortal body of flesh, with the life in the blood, a promise of the hope of eternal life for the body.

The Eternal Covenant of the Godhead was the very reason that man must be destroyed before he destroyed himself utterly. The Covenant must be carried out upon earth in time. Only Noah was seen righteous in the evil generation living in the imagination of the heart (Gen.7:1). God must have a righteous man in whom He could make His Covenant to stand on earth. The righteousness of God is through faith in the Anointed Son of God’s Eternal Covenant. Righteousness is from faith to faith (Rom.1:16-17).

The bodies of Adam and Eve and many of their progeny had stopped breathing and become lifeless and must be left to sleep in the dust of the ground. The spirits of those having departed their bodies were safe in the place Jehovah had prepared for them to await The Resurrection of Life, when their bodies would be raised up out from the dead (see Job 19:25-27; Dan.12:1-3; Lk.16:19-26; 23:42-43; Jn.11:23-27; Rev.20:6). Each one had believed Jehovah concerning the righteousness of God and each one had received the Gift of the Son of God’s Covenant. Having believed the promise of eternal life, each one had obeyed the truth to be born of the incorruptible Seed of the coming Son of the Covenant as seen in “The Heavenly Revelation of the coming Son of God’s Eternal Covenant.”

Jehovah must be faithful to His promise to them. The Covenant Son must come in the likeness of man - in a mortal body of human flesh and blood. He must have a family whose likeness he could share through birth in the body of flesh, as any son of man comes into the world of mankind (see Mt.1:1-2:4).

Noah is righteous. Noah has three sons and they are married. Each has a wife. No children have been born. Noah will be made safe from the waters of judgment in the waterproof ark. His family can be sanctified together with Noah. Elohim can set them apart with Noah and invite them on the ark and preserve them alive together with Noah and his wife. Elohim has need of seed of man to again repopulate the earth, that He might have sons of God in the ones who would choose to obey the truth and be born from above (1 Pet.1:17-23).

In the new beginning after the judgment of the waters of death - when the earth has been cleansed - Noah’s sons and their wives can begin to multiply and fill the earth with sons of man born in mortal bodies of human flesh and blood.

Through the preaching of the gospel of the coming Anointed Son, in whom mankind is freely given the righteousness of God for his soul and eternal life for the mortal body, each son of man, on hearing the word of the Anointed Son, can believe and receive eternal life for the mortal body of human flesh (Jn.1:12-13; 5:24). Each one having received the Gift of God to be born from above a son of God will share the truth of the righteousness of God with others, that they might be born from above a son of God. Through these born-again sons of God Jehovah will have true prophets of the righteousness of God through faith in the Anointed Son of the Covenant. His Eternal Covenant will be made to stand.

All down through the ages, as He works out His Covenant upon the earth, these born-again sons of God will preserve the truth of the righteousness of God and preach the truth to be obeyed - until the fullness of time comes for God to send His Son, become of a woman, become under the Law of the Covenant (Gal.4:4). The Son will come and ratify the Eternal Covenant in His blood.

Elohim Himself must bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, wherein is breath of life - human and animal. Everything that is in the earth shall die. It is a righteous retribution to those destroying themselves. It is a severe mercy to save His creation of mankind and to assure the raising up of those who have formerly put faith in the Anointed Son of God’s Covenant to be born from above and become a son of God. Elohim must be faithful to His promise to fulfill their hope of eternal life and raise the mortal body up out from the dead - immortal - deathless - and alive - forevermore glorified.

God has an Eternal Covenant of grace in His Son and He has a Covenant of grace with Noah. God has a son of God in Noah. At the time of the sending of the Flood Noah is the only one having been freed from the law of sin and death through the righteousness of God  freely given to His creation of mankind in human flesh and received by Noah.

Noah had entered into the grace of God and he stood in the grace, a justified man and complete with his gift of eternal life for his mortal body. “Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah” (Gen.6:8). How did Noah find grace?

In “The Heavenly Revelation of the Anointed Son of the Eternal Covenant,” where God had declared His glory, that He might make Himself known in the light of the knowledge of His glory, the outshining of His worth (see Ps.19:1-6; 97:6; Rom.1:16-25; 2 Cor.4:3-6). The weight of the worthiness of God’s love is seen in the person and work of the Son of the Covenant as seen in “the figures of the true.” “The Heavenly Revelation of the Son of the Eternal Covenant” is taught in signs and types and symbols. When Jehovah added the Law to the worship of His nation as a second witness of the Anointed Son of the Eternal Covenant, He used the same method of signifying through types and symbols, figures of the true Covenant Son (Heb.8:1-5; 9:1-10:1).

Noah came from a godly family, who took God at His word. Noah came through the godly line of Adam’s son Seth. It was appointed to Seth that the coming Redeemer-Deliverer, the Son of the Covenant and Heir to all things created, would come through one born in the line of his seed. Of all the unnamed sons of Adam of the multiplied conceptions promised Eve, Seth was “appointed” to carry the seed for the coming Son of God (see Gen.4:25-26).

In Noah’s day the time for the judgment of the just retribution of mankind destroying himself has come. Noah, in the line of Seth’s seed, God sees as righteous. Noah becomes the heir of the righteousness which is through faith in the Anointed Covenant Son (see Heb.11:7). Noah was to take the truth of the righteousness of God through faith in His Covenant Son on board the ark to preserve the gospel of the Anointed Son which must be shared from faith to faith (Rom.1:17). In the new beginning one of the three sons of Noah will be chosen to carry the seed for the coming Anointed Son of God’s Eternal Covenant.

All is the grace of God. All is done in the Son of the Covenant. The grace of God is the great favor God has done His creation of mankind in a mortal body of human flesh and blood. The grace of God is an undeserved favor. No reason can be found in a man for making him safe from the consignment of the mortal body returning to the dust of the ground from where it came (Gen.3:19). All mankind have sinned, and each sinner is coming short of a new body of flesh and bone of eternal life (Rom.3:23).

To be made safe from the condemnation of the second death one must receive the eternal life for the mortal body given as a gift in God’s only begotten Son - Christ Jesus. Before Jesus, the Word who is God, took the likeness of man and was birthed in a mortal body of human flesh, His glory was declared, as He was made known in “The Heavenly Revelation” as the Son of the Eternal Covenant (see Ps.19:1-6; 97:6; Job 9:6-9; 38:31-33; Is.40:25-26; Amos 5:8).

From the beginning of time there has been One Way to become a son of God and enter into the Kingdom of the Son of God’s love. The one way is through obedience to the truth to be born again of the incorruptible Seed, the Word of God, who lives and abides forever (1 Pet.1:17-23). By grace - this great favor God has done man - is each one saved through faith in the righteousness of God.

When the heart of man was proved in the first man, all sinned (Rom.5:12). By one man the sin came out of the heart into the world and death came through the sin. The mortal body of Adam, formed from the dust of the ground, and all mortal bodies conceived of man’s sin seed and birthed into the world were consigned to return to the dust of the ground (Gen.3:19). Each one coming into the world turned to his own way - each one denying himself to be a creation of Jehovah Elohim and, therefore choosing not to accept his dependence upon and his responsibility to his Creator-Redeemer, who has the say over His creation (Ps.14:1-3; Rom.3:10-12).

There can be no reason found in man, who continually goes his own way, for doing him the great favor of offering him the means of becoming the righteousness of God through faith in God’s Anointed Son. And no reason can be found in man for offering him the gift of eternal life for his mortal body except upon his own choosing to become the righteousness of God through receiving righteousness and eternal life as a gift.

The one reason for God doing man such a great undeserved favor is in God’s own heart. “For God so loved [His world of mankind], that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes into Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn.3:16).

God did mankind the great favor of a Mediator for reconciliation, a Mediator who is fellow with God and fellow with man. God so loved His mankind that He offered amnesty for man turning from his own way and coming over to God’s side through the one Mediator - the Man Christ Jesus, His Son (see 1 Tim.2:3-6).

God commended His love toward us [His creation of man] in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ - the Anointed Son - died for us. He was delivered for our offenses. He had none of His own. In Him is no sin. He is God who clothed Himself in skin like us. He took the likeness of man - a mortal body of flesh and blood - that He might put away the sin - the lawlessness which came into the world through the old creation of sons of man - and raise us up a new creation, sons of God, sharing the likeness of His resurrection - a body of flesh and bone of eternal life. The life of that body is His life - spirit being - eternal life (see 1 Cor.15:44).

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was delivered for our offenses, that He might take us into death with Him and bring us safely out of the old creation of mortal flesh of man - alive in a new creation of flesh and bone of sons of God.

We made our exodus out of the first creation through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, having become the righteousness of God in Him, we have been acquitted of all charges of sin and guilt of our former creation. That has been dealt with in going through death in Jesus. The former creation is buried and old things have passed away. We are a new creation and all things in our creation as sons of God is new. New things to be discovered and lived out. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. Much more then, being now justified through His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (see Rom.4:25-5:21; 6:3-11; 8:1-3; 2 Cor.5:14-21).

Man was impotent to save himself, but Christ, the Anointed Son of God, died for the ungodly, powerless sinners that man might be justified through His blood. The blood shed is the evidence of the death of the mortal body. The death of God’s Anointed Son is the means of sinners at enmity with God in the mind reconciling with God. The means of reconciliation is in Christ dying in man’s stead (Heb.2:9-17).

Having been justified through faith in Christ being delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification, we are now justified through His blood. The blood must be applied. The blood that looses us from the sin is in union with His death. Justification is in the object of our faith - the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

By one man’s offense, the many were accounted sinners, the many born of the seed of the one man, Adam. By the obedience of the one man, Jesus Christ, to the death of the cross, the many obeying the truth and following Him through death were made righteous and to being a new creation - of sons of God, whether born in Noah’s day or ours.

This concludes our lesson.