Chuck Larsen

After his year at sea, Genesis 8:1, tells us the Noah was still on God’s mind. It says, “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark.” The flood narrative moves on from the presentation of Noah’s faith and trust in God’s word, to God’s response to Noah’s faithfulness. He “remembered…” In the Bible when God “remembers,” it’s not that something had slipped His mind. It’s a way of introducing God’s actions as they fulfill His promises. God is always “faithful” to the “faithfilled.” God brings the flood to an end, dries up the waters, blesses Noah and his family and sends them out into the big, wide, wonderful world to live life to the full. But God, as usual, does more than He promised. He extends to Noah and the entire creation another special promise, which He has kept to this very day.

With much joy, Noah and his family step foot on dry ground after a year and rejoice together and celebrate with a big feast. I was once at sea for 38 days straight as my destroyer, the USS RATHBURNE made it’s way from Hawaii to the Tonkin Gulf back in 1974. Those were a difficult 38 days. I can’t imagine what a full year at sea would be like. We all knew that dry land existed at the end of our cruise, I think Noah just trusted God for that. But the God who never forgets, took action and brought the rain to an end and raised up dry ground for Noah and his family and all the animals. Noah and his family were elated to say the least and had a party during which they offered sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God. Genesis 8:21 says, “When God smelled the sweet aroma” of Noah’s sacrifice he said, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.” I believe verse 22 is a song. We find several places in the Bible where God is said to sing. Did you know that God sings? The Hebrew text and many of our English translations put this verse as a poem or a song.

While the earth remains,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night,

shall not cease.

The situation the reigned on earth before the flood in Noah’s day was not pretty. We had a demonic invasion of sorts. Genesis 6:2 says, “…the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” Thus we are introduced to what is probably the most debated passage in the Bible. Who are these “sons of God” who had sex and children with the “daughters of man?” Let me begin by saying, “I don’t know.” But I have an opinion (as usual). I believe they are fallen angels. Peter and Jesus’ brother Jude both refer to them during the time of Noah as angels who left their own domains. There are other good reasons to think so. But since angels are spirit beings they cannot procreate. They have to take on the bodies of real men. Thus I see them as Kent Hughes does, “fallen angels commandeering the souls of men (demon-possession, in modern parlance), and these demonized men marrying the daughters of other men.” These became known as the “Nephilim.” The represent the arch-enemies of God and God’s people. The interesting passage is in verse 4. It says, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them.” The practice continued after the flood it seems and the results of those ungodly unions were the “Anakim.” The giants that occupied the land of Canaan that scared the Israelites away. Goliath was one of the latest of the Anakim that is referred to in the Bible along with his four brothers. They all represent the arch-enemies of God and God’s people. Michael Heiser’s book on the “Unseen Realm” is very interesting on this issue.¹

In this chapter we see two things that serve as preludes to God’s judgment on the earth which comes a few chapters later in the form of a universal flood that wipes out all life except that saved by Noah and his family. The first is sexual perversions as mentioned. The second is violence. It began back with Lamech who is the first bigamist and ended up killing a young boy. Sex and violence! Lamech even bragged about it. As a result chapter 6, verse 5, tells us that “God’s heart was filled with pain.” Genesis 6:6 says, “And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”

I remember when Mike Tyson bragged about an upcoming fight. He said he would kill his opponent and that he would do anything because he was a convicted rapist! (sex and violence). By the way, this is the guy who bit off Holyfield’s ear. Sex (not biblical sex) and violence are indeed glorified in our society. Both of them fill God’s heart with pain. Sex is a gift from God and is proper inside the bounds of holy matrimony. That’s what Jesus said. But the sex as we see it displayed and viewed in our society is not a pretty thing to God.

¹ Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, First Edition. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015), 44.

Adam lived a long life according to Genesis 5:5. At the end of Adam’s life it summarizes it all in this very short verse. “Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.” Genesis chapter five is the solemn refrain “and he died.” All the people in this genealogy lived longer lives than any of us will ever experience. Methuselah barely fell short of a full millennium at 969 years of age! But regardless of the length the ending is the same; “And he died.” The only bright spot in the chapter is a man called Enoch. He lived 365 years. But the end is not “and he died.” It is “God took him.” It doesn’t record God’s disposition for any in the list except for Enoch. He “walked with God.” He seemed to have been favored by God because of that.

We might be tempted to think the opposite. Enoch was cheated out of a long life like the others. But God taking him is presented as a good thing. You’ve heard it said that “only the good die young.” I expect that this is where that comes from. From this issue we learn that being “taken by God” brings us (who walk with Him by faith in this life) to a better place. It’s a blessing to go to be with God, not a curse. It’s our destiny anyway. Some anonymous person wrote: “Man’s life means: tender teens, teachable twenties, tireless thirties, fiery forties, forceful fifties, serious sixties, sacred seventies, aching eighties, shortening breath, death, the sod, God!”

Even here we know that we will be with God in the next life. This life, whether long or short, ends for every believer at the same place. To be absent from the body is to present with the Lord according to the Apostle Paul. While waiting in a cemetery to conduct a funeral service, Charles Simeon walked among the graves, looking at the epitaphs. He found one that arrested him.

When from the dust of death I rise,

to claim my mansion in the skies,

E’en then shall this be all my plea–

“Jesus hath lived and died for me.”

Genesis 4:15 tells us about God putting a mark on Cain to assure him that he has protection from anyone taking vengeance on him in response to his murder of his brother Abel. Cain tells God he’s afraid that anyone who finds him will exact vengeance. But, “Then the Lord said to him, Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.” Cain’s life is marked by God’s grace everywhere you look. Even though he offered an inferior sacrifice to God, God did not abandon him. That’s grace. God approached Cain in a fatherly manner giving advice and counsel concerning Cain’s attitude. That’s grace. God exhorted Cain to resist temptation and live honorably in His presence. That’s grace. After he murdered Abel, the Lord confronted him in his sin and offered an opportunity to repent. That’s grace. Cain resisted God’s grace and failed to repent. Even so, God placed a sign on Cain that would protect him throughout his natural life. Now that’s amazing Grace.

What that mark was has been the subject of debate for millenniums. Some argue that it’s a tattoo of some kind. There’s a website (bodyart.com) which has a blog on “Cain’s Mark.” Some suggest it was a special hairstyle. That’s funny. Others have suggested in was his color, i.e., he was made black. Eastern Christian writing says “the Lord was wroth with Cain. . . He beat Cain’s face with hail, which blackened like coal, and thus he remained with a black face.” Until recently the Mormon’s taught this and refused admittance of any black man to the priesthood. (How strange is that?) It’s not possible. One ancient Rabbi suggests that God gave Cain a dog that went with him everywhere he was and protected him. I can imagine a huge Doberman with a spiked collar and a surly disposition. Some renaissance painters put a horn in the middle of Cain’s head. I don’t think so! Some argue that the word “mark” should be translated as “sign.” God gave Cain a sign that assured him of his protection from vengeance. Maybe! Who knows?

But whatever the mark was, it is certainly an indication of God’s grace for one of his created beings, even a murderer. God offered Cain His Amazing Grace of forgiveness and restoration. But Cain refused. He offers all of us sinners the same thing. And Like Cain, we all need it. Horatius Bonar wrote in 1861:

Not what these hands have done can save this guilty soul.

Not what this toiling flesh has borne, can make me whole.

Thy Grace alone, O God; to me can pardon speak;

Thy power alone, O Son of God, can this sore bondage break.