Bible Stories for Adults

God Makes a Covenant with Noah

Genesis 6-9

Next Week - God Makes a Covenant with Abram (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-21; Hebrews 11:8)
Bible Words to Remember:
I now establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you. Genesis 9:9

What was the typical lifespan during the first 1656 years of human history?
Genesis 5 = (just have class skim, don't read) around 900 years
How and why was this changed? = Sons of God - faithful line of Seth; d. of men - evil line of Cain
Genesis 6:1-3 = God decided to limit man to 120 years
What was the typical lifespan between Noah and Abraham and beyond?
Genesis 11:10-32 = (skim) 200-600 yrs N-A, 100-200 A-Joseph, 70-80 past Moses

How many generations were born by Adam's death?
Genesis 5 = 9, Lamech had been born
How did Enoch die, and why?
Genesis 5:24 = Enoch walked with God, never died, God took him away
How did Methuselah die?
Genesis 5:25-29, 7:11 = He drowned in the flood at 969 yrs old
NOTE: Methuselah means "when he is dead, it shall come"

How had disharmony affected God's creation?
Genesis 6:5 = every inclination of man's heart was only evil
What did God decide to do as His judgment?
Genesis 6:6-7 = I will wipe mankind from the face of the earth
How did God follow this judgment with His grace?
Genesis 6:17-18 = He saved Noah and his family
Why did God save Noah?
Genesis 6:8-9 (also 7:1) = He walked with God (like Enoch)

Did the flood eliminate all wickedness from the earth?
Luke 11:29a = The "generation" that followed was wicked
How wicked was the old covenant generation of whom Jesus was speaking?
Luke 11:31-32 = Even condemned by non-Jews (Sheba) and pagans (Ninevites)
What was God's judgment for this wickedness?
Luke 11:50-51 = They will be held responsible as enemies of God
Did Jesus offer any promise of God's grace in His message of judgment?
Matthew 12:39-40 = The saving act of Christ's death and resurrection

Did Jesus' act eliminate all wickedness from the earth?
Romans 1:21, 28-32 = Continued in Paul's time; Obviously still in our time
After thousands of years of wickedness, has God just washed His hands and given up?
Romans 1:18-20, 24 = No, His wrath is being revealed; ignorance of God is no excuse
How is giving men over to their sinful desires a result of God's wrath?
Matthew 12:43-45 = He allows Satan to drive them deeper into wickedness

Is this the extent of God's judgment on the world's wickedness?
Romans 2:5-9 = The evil who reject the truth will eventually see God's wrath and anger
How does Peter describe God's wrath and anger?
2 Peter 3:5-7, 10-12 = The heavens and earth as we know them will be destroyed
Are Peter and Paul saying we must be good to escape God's wrath of eternal damnation?
Romans 3:9-12 = Yes, but no man has been good enough in God's eyes
So how can we escape God's wrath?
Romans 3:21-24 = Accept the grace of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ

Was the flood just an accidental occurrence?
Genesis 6:12-13 = No, God had a plan
Was God's plan only one of judgment?
Genesis 7:1-4 = No, it was one of grace & salvation - saved His creation from wickedness
What larger plan of God's does this point towards?
Ephesians 1:9-10 = To bring all things in heaven and on earth under one head - Jesus
Who is the select family that God has chosen to receive His grace in this larger plan?
Ephesians 1:11-14 = Us, We are considered righteous and included because we believe

How concerned was God about His plan to save Noah?
Genesis 6:14-16 = Had a very detailed plan
Was God concerned with details in His plan to send the Messiah?
Galatians 4:4-5 = All history prepared for His coming in the fullness of time

Could Noah have predicted the flood and prepared to save himself without God telling him?
Genesis 6:22 = No, he needed & heeded God's warning and instructions
How are we to know the details of God's plan for our own lives?
1 Corinthians 2:7-13 = We cannot know without heeding the teachings of the Spirit

Why did Noah build this huge boat on dry land despite looking foolish to his neighbors?
Hebrews 11:7 = By faith Noah built the ark
Why would we live faithfully and obediently to God despite appearing foolish to our neighbors?
1 Corinthians 1:18, 21-25, 30-31 = This "foolishness" is God's wisdom & our redemption

What was the purpose of the ark?
Genesis 6:19 = To save lives
What is our ark that saves our lives? = Enter through the door of baptism
1 Peter 3:18-22 = We are saved by the resurrection of Christ

What materials were used to build the ark?
Genesis 6:14 = Cypress wood - very common & durable, pitch - tight seal from deadly water
Note: The Hebrew word for "pitch" is same as used for "atonement" (covering)
What is significant about the ark being made of a common durable wood and pitch (atonement)?
Hebrews 2:17-18 = Jesus was a common man, durable against sin for our atonement

Who built the ark? = Project took a lot of cost & time & work, which God gave Noah, even at 600
Genesis 7:5-6 = Noah worked with the blessings God gave him to do God's work
Does God really need our help to accomplish His work?
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 = God accomplishes His work through us, His fellow workers

How did Noah, his family and the animals get into the ark?
Genesis 6:16 = Through a single door on one side
Is there more than one way for us to enter the ark of salvation?
John 14:6 = Jesus is the only way, there is no other; through the speared side of Jesus
Was the door too small to allow all animals to get in?
Genesis 7:8-9 = Members of ALL animals were able to enter by grace of being selected
Is our door too small to let all people to get in, regardless of their sinfulness?
1 Timothy 1:15 = The door is large enough for even the biggest sinner to enter, if he comes

How did Noah get this large door to close and seal tight?
Genesis 7:16 = The Lord shut him in
The door protected Noah from the evil and deadly waters. How does Jesus, our door, protect us?
John 17:11, 15 = He intercedes with the Father on our behalf to protect us from evil
What did the closed door mean to those outside of the ark?
Luke 17:26-27 = They were locked out of God's grace and destroyed in God's judgment
What parable did Jesus tell to explain that not all will enter the door?
Luke 13:22-28 = The parable of the narrow door; Must be known by the owner to enter

How did God care for Noah's welfare while closed in the ark for a little over a year?
Genesis 6:16 = Had him build a window(s) in the top to let in light and fresh air
How can we look to heaven & be renewed when we are feeling closed in and wasting away like Noah?
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 = Fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen

How big of a flood did God send? = 40 days (40 means generation to a Hebrew)
Genesis 7:17-20, 23 = Every land was covered, there was no way to survive
How long did the earth stay flooded? = 150 days (5 months) until ark rested on mountaintop
Genesis 8:3-5 = 1st day of 10th month - 225 days (7.5 months) from start

How long did Noah and his family live on the ark?
Genesis 8:13-14 = Until 27th day of 2nd month - 371 days
How did Noah know when to get out of the ark?
Genesis 8:15-17 = God told him to come out
What was the first thing Noah did after leaving the ark?
Genesis 8:18-20 = He built an altar and sacrificed to God
Wouldn't Noah eliminate species by sacrificing clean animals?
Genesis 7:2-3 = Noah took 7 pairs of each clean animal & each bird

How did God respond to Noah's worshipful sacrifice?
Genesis 8:21 = Decided to never again curse the ground or destroy animals
What else did God decide to sustain?
Genesis 8:22 = All creation - nature's cycles and seasons
How did man's relation to animals change?
Genesis 9:2-3 = Animals will fear man, man can eat animals
Genesis 1:29 = Man before only ate plants
Since man could now kill, what did God command against and why?
Genesis 9:5-6 = Cannot kill another man since he is made in God's image
What did God command to restore his creation?
Genesis 9:7 (see 1:28) = Be fruitful and increase in number

With whom did God make a covenant?
Genesis 9:8-10 = Noah, his descendants (all people) & all creatures
What was God's promise under the covenant?
Genesis 9:11 = There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth
What sign or signature guaranteed this covenant?
Genesis 9:12-17 = God's rainbow in the clouds