Escape from the Flood

1. Escape Rooms

1) It is a popular activity today for people to go to escape rooms.

2) Groups of people are put into a room and then compete to escape.

3) They are given clues, and when they solve all the clues, it gives them the key to get out.

4) There are some great escapes in the Bible as well.

2. Read Genesis 6:5-8

3. About the Text:

1) The sins of man brought about the destruction of the earth.

2) Noah, however, found favor with God and was given an escape plan.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. God’s Plan for Escape

1) God sees the wickedness of man is great and decides to destroy the earth with a flood.

2) Noah, however, finds favor in God’s eyes.

3) God gave Noah a plan to escape from a sinful world.

2. God Knows the Sins of Man.

1) God knew the sins of the antediluvian world.

2) He knew their sinful thoughts – on evil continually.

3) He knew their sinful actions – violence throughout the earth.

4) Psalm 44:21 “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”

5) 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth”

3. God knows that man needs to escape from sin’s destructive consequences.

1) There are some natural destructive consequences of sin, some more obvious than others.

2) Hosea 8:7 says, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind….”

3) Proverbs 1:31 says of those who do not fear God, “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.”

4) Galatians 6:7-8 – “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man….”

4. Today, God gives us that plan through His Son Jesus.

1) “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities” (Acts 3:26).

2) “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

1. The period of the rains.

1) Noah, his family, and all the animals enter the ark and God closes the door.

2) Noah was 600 years old, 2 months and 17 days.

3) It rains for 40 days and 40 nights.

4) God also breaks open the fountains of the deep.

5) The waters cover the earth 15 cubits above the highest mountain.

6) Everything on the earth in which was the breath of life died.

7) The waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days.

2. God communicated with Noah to provide for his escape from the waters.

1) God tells Noah how to escape from the water by building an ark.

2) Noah builds the ark to God’s specifications.

3) God commands Noah to gather his family and the animals into the ark.

4) Noah obeyed these instructions.

5) Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing …”

6) Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”

7) God’s plan of salvation involves the same elements of grace, faith, and obedience.

8) God does his part; that’s grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

9) Man must do his part; that’s faith. Faith is knowledge of, trust in, action based upon God’s word. Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to be pleasing to God….”

10) Man must obey God in order to receive God’s offered salvation. Hebrews 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him”

3. To escape, Noah had to respect God’s authority.

1) God expected Noah to do the things that were necessary to get the job done.

2) God also expected Noah to observe the specifics that he was given.

3) Today we also have both general and specific commands to follow.

4) Colossians 3:17 teaches that whatever we do it must be done in the name of the Lord.

1. The period of drainage.

1) Noah was in the ark for over a year.

2) He and his family would have needed sustenance during that time.

3) He needed faith in God that He would sustain them during this time.

4) The Bible says that God remembered Noah and began to drain the water from the earth.

5) He sent a wind to start the process.

6) The rain stopped and the fountains of the deep were stopped as well.

7) It took another 150 days for the waters to run off the land.

8) During this time, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

9) Toward the end of this period, Noah sent out a raven and then also a dove.

10) The first dove came back, but the second stayed gone after seven days.

11) Noah removed the covering from the top of the ark to look on the ground.

2. God’s covenant contains commands and promises.

1) God’s covenant with Noah was conditional and so it is today.

2) If we want to enjoy the promises, then we must obey the commands.

3) 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

4) Consider 2 Peter 1:3-4 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

5) 2 Peter 1:8 “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

6) 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

3. God will not do what man can do.

1) God gave Noah the plan, but Noah had to build.

2) God shut Noah in the ark, but Noah had to enter and leave.

3) God didn’t miraculously remove the water; He told Noah to prepare to stay in the ark.

4) God gave manna, but the children of Israel had to pick it up (Ex.16:15-21).

5) God sends rain and sunshine but expects man to work.

6) 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

1. The ark was not to be a permanent dwelling place.

1) God told Noah to leave the ark, and they did.

2) Noah offered a sacrifice to God.

3) God promised that the earth would never be destroyed like this again.

4) God established a new covenant with Noah and his sons.

5) They were to be fruitful and multiply.

6) God placed the fear of man into all the animals.

7) God gave the animals to them for food as well as the herbs of the field.

8) God commanded them not to eat the blood of the animals.

9) God also established the punishment for murder being death.

10) God then gave Noah and his sons a symbol of this covenant, the rainbow.

2. God wants his creation to enjoy the earth.

1) 1 Timothy 6:17 “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy”

2) Acts 14:17 “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

3. God punishes the wicked but rewards the righteous.

1) Romans 11:22 “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”

2) Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

1. The story of the flood is relevant to our lives today.

1) Let us understand its story.

2) Let us learn its lessons.

2. Invitation