The Flood and the Institution of Human Government

The Flood and the Institution of Human Government

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 6:1-5

The godly line of Seth began to intermarry with the ungodly line of Cain. This caused all of mankind to fall deep into sin. God gave mankind 120 years to repent; however, men only became more and more ungodly.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:6-8

God decides to destroy all of mankind, but Noah finds grace in God’s eyes. Notice that Noah is not saved because of his works, he is saved by grace. Again, it is God’s who chooses His path of salvation.

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto 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. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

Genesis 6:11-14

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 7:1

And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

Genesis 7:16

God has Noah build an ark that delivers him and his family. Notice that Noah is not the savior. God is the One Who brings about Noah’s salvation. God is the One Who closes the door. Noah is secure in God’s salvation. This shows us that we are looking for a Messiah Who will, like the ark, cover us from God’s wrath. This salvation will be brought about by God’s own hand. This is pointing to the fact that the Seed of the Woman will be the Divine Deliverer from God’s wrath and death.

And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

Genesis 7:21-22

God’s wrath towards sin is poured out. The wages of sin is death. Those who are in the ark are delivered from death by God’s grace.

And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Genesis 9:5-6

God now creates the institution of human government. The institution of government is created for one reason: to prevent another outpouring of God’s wrath by restraining evil through punishing those who break God’s law. In this instance mankind is given the command to punish murder by the death penalty. Notice that human government is not a picture of the Savior. It was never intended to bring about mans flourishing. Government was only intended to restrain evil.

And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Genesis 9:11-16

God now enacts a covenant with Noah and all mankind that He will never again destroy the whole earth by a flood. The rainbow is seen as a sign of this covenant.

And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Genesis 9:20-21

Here we conclude with the fall of Noah. Noah is not the Seed of the Woman that we are looking for. He is only an imperfect picture of the Messiah to come.

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