God’s Dealing with Sin

14 March 2021 PM – Genesis 7 – Gen2021 – Scott Childs

Introduction: God struck Uzzah dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant while Queen Jezebel lived a wicked life for years before God judged her. God’s timing is not always the same, but He always deals righteously with sin and sinners.

Transition: The Noahic flood gives us a picture of how God deals with sin and sinners. In Genesis 7, we find God’s provisions, God’s punishments, and God’s protections.

1. God’s Provisions

a.         God provided an ark of safety

1)         Moved by compassion and love, God did not just wipe out all life. He provided an ark of safety for the righteous.

a)         This is also true of God’s ark of salvation through Christ. In eternity past, God devised a plan to save sinners from eternal doom. In love, Christ died for us to provide the Ark of Salvation. (1 John 4:9) “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.“

b)         Once a Christian, God makes us new creatures in Christ that we might live victoriously over sin. (2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“

c)         God has also provided Christians with spiritual armour enabling us to resist temptation (Eph 6:10-18).

b.         God provided warning of sin’s danger

1)         Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2Pe 2:5).

2)         God clearly stated that it would rain 40 days and nights and that all living substance would be destroyed (v.4).

a)         God has given us His word to warn us of the consequences of sin. “The wages of sin is death…” (Ro 6:23). (Hebrews 9:27) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:“

b)         God also warns Christians of their accountability. (Romans 14:12) “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.“

c.          God provided a call

1)         From within the ark, God called Noah, his family and all the selected creatures into the ark (v.1).

2)         God caused the selected creatures to line up and enter Noah’s ark (v.9, 15).

a)         God extends His call to salvation to every man. (Romans 10:13) “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:4) “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.“

b)         During temptation, God urges Christians to come to Him for help. (James 4:8) “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you …“

d.         God provided longsuffering time.

1)         Noah preached for many years as he built the ark.

2)         Once Noah and all the animals were inside the ark, God waited yet another 7 days before He shut the door (v.10, 16).

a)         (2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.“

b)         (1 John 2:1) “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:“

e.         God provided security.

1)         The LORD shut Noah in the ark (v.16)

2)         He could not fall out nor could water leak in.

a)         This is a beautiful picture of our security in Christ. (John 10:28) “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.“

b)         When a Christian sins, he loses his fellowship with God but not his relationship with God (1Jn 1:6-9).

2.        God’s Punishments

Sin always bears consequences.

a.         The flood was a supernatural judgment

1)         All the fountains broke up (v.11). This caused volcanoes, tidal waves, earthquakes and cyclones of the greatest magnitude.

2)         The windows of heaven opened (v.11). The subterranean waters spouted high into the air, coming down in torrents of rain. It is likely that the vapour canopy collapsed at that time as well, adding to the rain.

3)         It rained for 40 days and 40 nights (v.12).

4)         The waters prevailed (i.e., unrestrained, successful in strength) (v.18-19, 24). The waters washed the vegetation into gigantic piles, and then buried it with tons of earth. The bodies of billions of creatures piled up and being buried formed the huge underground oil fields. Fossils by the trillions formed as the floodwaters buried them worldwide. Continental sized layers of sediment settled, layer upon layer, all over the world. All this and more happened as the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth.

b.         All that breathed died

1)         Every man died (v.21)

2)         All that lived on the face of the ground and breathed air, died (v.22-23).

a)         God promises that another Judgment Day is still ahead for those who reject Christ. (Revelation 20:12) “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.“

b)         God also always chastens His sinning children. (Hebrews 12:6-7) “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?“

3.        God’s Protections

a.         God protected the ark during the storms.

1)         Though the floodwaters prevailed exceedingly, God kept the ark safe.

2)         God may have kept the waters around the ark calm. Certainly, He could have done that. However, the ark ride may have been rough at times, but it was a place of safety from the outside storms.

b.         God protected Noah and all within the ark.

1)         Noah and his crew were all kept safe and healthy during their yearlong voyage (v.23).

2)         Only those in the ark survived the mighty flood.

a)         God will punish sin, but if you have received Christ’s punishment for your sin, you are safe in the ark of salvation. (Philippians 1:6) “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:“

b)         If you are a Christian, and you walk in harmony with the Holy Spirit, in fellowship with God, you can live in victory. (Galatians 5:16) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.“

Conclusion: The picture of how God dealt with sin during the Noahic flood provides a twofold application for us today. 1) If you are not positive that you are securely in God’s ark of salvation, delay no longer. Answer God’s call. Receive Christ’s payment for your sins while there is time. All who are not truly in God’s ark of salvation will suffer the consequences of their sin in eternal hell. 2) If you are a true Christian, claim God’s provisions of armour and closeness to God during temptation. Do not let sin rob you of God’s rewards and His fellowship. There is victory over sin in Jesus if you will walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Song: Victory in Jesus – 496