Noah and the New Institution (Genesis 6-9)
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There is evidence in Scripture that from Eve on, the faithful believed that the chosen seed would be born in their lifetime. When her first son (Cain) was born, Eve said, “I have begotten a man from the Lord (4:1). Many Bible scholars believe this should be translated, “begotten the man…” In other words, Adam and Eve were expecting the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 in their lifetime and even thought Cain would be him.
But as the story of Adam’s children unfolds it is quite obvious none were worthy to be recognized as the chosen, promised seed. Indeed, Adam's first descendent, Cain, became the first murderer. The descendents of Adam over the next ten generations multiplied and filled the earth.
Genesis now unfolds the story of the human race in terms of two “seeds” or families. The family of Cain was unfaithful and refused to submit to the covenant made with Adam. However, his third son, Seth, was more faithful as God’s covenant mediators. As God’s representatives they were the prophets, priests and kings to the rest of the earth.
As this is only a summary, I won’t detail the stories of the two families of Adam. But during this undisclosed period of time, the corruption and wickedness of the sons of Cain grew worse and worse. The opening verses of Genesis 6 also reveal that the serpent (devil) was very much at work in the world attempting to corrupt God’s covenant of grace. These verses reflect a kind of nadir in the story line.
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When men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives. 3 Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim[a]were on the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
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5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. 6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. 7 Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground—man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky—for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes (Genesis 6:1-8).
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I cannot take time to dig into the debates and controversies about what this passage means. I will just state my conclusion that it reflects a satanic plan to corrupt the “faithful seed” of Adam with demonic evil. That plan was so dangerous that God had to send the flood. Noah alone of his generation was being faithful to the covenant.
Growing up as a child with Bible stories I learned early the basic stories of Adam and Eve and Noah. I’m sorry to say that my takeaway from the story of Noah was limited to the flood and rescuing the animals. And of course, there was the rainbow promise that God would never again destroy the earth with a flood.
All these things are true but did very little to help me understand why they were so important in the story of the Bible.
In the unfolding of God’s covenant of grace, the flood was a covenant sanction required because men were refusing to obey God’s law. That was especially prevalent in the universal wickedness and violence: every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.
But, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”! God rescued him and his family in the ark and, after the flood waters subsided, God announced a new administration of grace not only to him but to the world.
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4 But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. 5 I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. 7 Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.” (Genesis 9:1-7)
We notice here that God was renewing the covenant made with Adam: “be fruitful and multiply.” However, in light of the flood and the wickedness on the earth that required it, God announced a new institution to restrain violence on the scale that had developed. In the words to Noah God was establishing human government as a covenant command.
The word “government” or “kingdom” is not here. However, the foundation of the institution of government is implicit in God’s words: “whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man…”
This is the bedrock upon which just governments exist. We call it the “sanctity of life.” It’s the basic assumption that all human life has value because man was made in the image of God. Even those who reject God’s covenant are nonetheless creatures made in his image and as such are protected by this moral foundation. If someone takes the life of another his life must be taken. In the covenant administration to Noah, that responsibility is given to governments of men. They are obligated to practice what we call capital punishment.
Theologians note that, like the covenant made with Adam, the covenant with Noah was made with the entire human race (8:20-9:17). This is a good place to explain how, within the covenant God demonstrates his grace in two ways–special grace and common grace.
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Common Grace
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The term “common grace” describes the favor of God that is universally displayed on all his creatures. In the New Testament we read that God provides sun and rain for both the just and the unjust, regardless of their obedience to him (Matthew 5:45). Common grace is a favor from God to preserve civilization. Governments and other social institutions (for example, marriage, family, education) are part of this new institution from God.
Why would God provide common grace for those who hate him? As the flood story shows, without God’s restraining grace, Satan has unbridled authority in the world. As a result, humanity is increasingly corrupt. Without common grace, we will self-destruct.
The covenant did not only involve government but also a certain stability in the natural world. Thus, God promised Noah, after the flood, there would be stability in nature: day/night cycles, and seedtime/harvest “while the earth remains” (Gen 8:22). This promise was not for eternal life but to preserve creation itself. Theologians have explored the link between common grace and other biblical truths like “general revelation” and “natural law.” General revelation (compared to special revelation) means, “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Paul described general revelation and natural law as the “law written on the heart” of every man:
…because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse (Romans 1:19,20).
Paul notes particularly that this common grace not only preserves the creation but also makes everyone “without excuse” for the day of judgment.
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Special Grace
The second administration of grace is called, “special grace.” This administration is narrower in scope and pertains to God’s covenant people alone. Whereas common grace merely preserves creation in time, special grace preserves it for eternity.
Special grace is also linked to special revelation–what we know as the word of God. Even before there were written Bibles there was special revelation. For example, it is generally understood that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible and no written Scriptures existed before that time. This doesn’t mean there was no special revelation, however! Whenever God has spoken his word is revealed.
Another important thing to understand is that special grace is only available and knowable by special revelation. That means, we cannot enter into the experience of a covenant relationship with God without a special grace from him we know as salvation. “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9). Faith is the operation of special grace in our lives. The only way we can appropriate that grace is when God gives it to us in his word. As Paul said, “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17).
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