Perfect In His Generations sermon notes. God’s patience for repentance of wickedness is long but always limited. It is at this time we meet Noah though perfect in his generations, it was an end-time generation.
NOAH
By Pastor Delbert Young
Perfect In His Generations
Scriptures: Genesis 6:8-9, Job 1:6, 2:1; Numbers 13:33, Deuteronomy 7:2-3
Perfect In His Generations sermon notes
Concerning Noah what does “perfect in his generations” mean? The NIV version says that Noah was “….blameless among the people of his time….” We could easily read over this and miss an extremely important truth. To see this wonderful truth we must begin by seeing how the Lord views generations.
Noah lived around ten generations after Adam. The fall of Adam and Eve was not the generations one and only failure. The fall is the only failure taught. Adam and Eve failed greatly concerning their first two children. How can two children (Cain and Able) be raised in the same home with the same parents and be so different? Why was it with Adam and Eve that one child sought the Lord and was accepted by the Lord while the other became a murderer, a liar, a vagabond, and was marked as an alien to God?
No matter what else may have been the cause, one reason is surely Cain’s parents. When parents only obey the aspects of the commands of the Lord God they find comfortable the results of the children will always be mixed. When the children saw the parents one day serve the Lord and tend their God-given garden with all their might, but the next day the parents were playing with the serpent a confused seed came forth. This was the case of the boys of Adam. That mixed lifestyle brought about a mixed-up child who became a murderer. Cain murdered Abel.
In the Lord’s program is the wicked will never triumph over the righteous.
The most important boy of Adam was neither Cain nor Abel. The often-forgotten, but most important son of Adam and Eve was Seth. Cain and Able are not important at all when compared with the third boy – Seth. Seth enters the scriptures in Genesis 4:25
Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. (KJV) (emphasis added)
It was after Seth and in Seth’s lineage that men began to call upon the name of the Lord. It would be through Seth that Christ would come. Previous to this announcement about Seth in Genesis 4:25 we are first given the generations of Cain (Gen 4:17-24). After the announcement of Seth in Genesis 4:25 we are given the generations of Adam through Seth (Gen 4:25-5:32). Interestingly the genealogies of Adam skip over any mention of Cain or Able in Adam’s generations.
Perfect In His Generations
The scriptures move from Adam to Seth.
Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth: (emphasis added)
THE WAY THE LORD LOOKS AT GENERATIONS
Most often when we are reading our Bibles and come to the genealogies we may read the first few names. We stop and look down the page. We ask inwardly “How long is this list of difficult names?” Next, we say, “There is nothing here that I need to read about. It’s just names that I can’t speak correctly. I will skip to the end of this and begin reading again.” Most often that is what we do. It seems meaningless to read all of that. So we skip them and begin reading after the genealogies. Usually, our conscience screams at us and we feel we have somehow cheated and done wrong.
We attempt to read the genealogies again. Eventually, most of us shrug our shoulders skip the genealogies and continue reading after they are over. We know we missed something. We don’t know what it was we missed, and we hope it wasn’t too important. By doing this with Genesis chapters 4 and 5 we do miss something very important. When skipping the genealogies we never understand how Noah was perfect in his generations.
Genesis 4:16-24 is needed information about the genealogies of Cain.
We learn the emphasis of Cain’s lineage. Genesis 4:16 makes a frightening statement. It says, “And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD…” The presence of the Lord was not only in Eden’s garden. The presence of the Lord was available to Adam and Eve and even Cain outside the garden. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. Away from this presence, Cain’s interest became obviously worldly. The focus of his generations after him was also worldly.
Cain had no desire for the Lord God. Only worldly interests and accomplishments are emphasized through these verses. “What is so important about that,” we may ask. It was that mentality that brought the termination of Cain’s lineage when the flood came.
Cain’s descendants built cities. They were successful farmers and ranchers. They were musicians, and they worked and used precious metals. However, they were also bragging murderers. Lamech introduced a new and easy morality – polygamy. There was no seeking of God. They sought things and success. The lineage emulated Cain even in murdering and naming children after Cain (Tubal-cain).
In chapter 5 we are given the contrasting genealogies of Adam through Seth to Noah. We are not given their worldly accomplishments. Their worldly accomplishments are not mentioned though they must have had them. They built cities, were ranchers, played music, used precious metals, etc. However, these are not the emphasis of the godly lineage. What is the emphasis of this lineage?
Perfect In His Generations
First notice that Genesis 5:1 says “This is the book of the generations of Adam….”
Then the lineage begins. The births of Cain and Abel are skipped. The genealogy begins with Seth, the third boy of Adam whom Christ came through. The truth first given and followed through the genealogies of Seth is the emphasis on continuing the lineage that would bring forth Christ. Those who call upon the name of the Lord have only one primary concern. That concern is to bring the presence of Christ to the earth. When we truly call upon the name of the Lord the emphasis is to bring the presence of the Christ.
Notice that the emphasis of Cain’s descendants was their accomplishments. The emphasis of Seth’s descendants was (1) they produced godly descendants (seed) through which God’s program would continue; (2) they lived long lives full of birthing sons and daughters; (3) they died. The cities they built, the cattle they raised, the iron they melted, the music they made, etc. cannot be compared in importance when compared with bringing forth the lineage. It was that lineage that would bring forth the seed who would crush the serpent’s head.
The Holy Spirit tells us how old Seth’s descendants were prior to birthing the lineage child and how long they lived after that event.
This length of life is obviously given by the Holy Spirit to impress those who would later read the accounts. Man was intended to live long lives even after the fall. Next, the Holy Spirit tells us they died. There is no mention of this dying in Cain’s genealogy! We are not told how long Cain’s lineage lived. We are not told how old each was before they brought forth a specific child. Also, we are not told how long they lived after that event. Furthermore, we are not told how old they were when they died.
Why is this? Psalm 116:5 says the death of a saint is precious to the Lord. The Lord was not concerned with the length of days for Cain’s lineage. They would be destroyed shortly. What they did and all they accomplished matter nothing. What mattered to the Lord was bringing forth the godly lineage.
The main contrast between the line of Cain and the line of Seth is the emphasis of each. Cain’s emphasis was worldly accomplishments. Seth’s accomplishment was a long life that produced godly seed who would bring forth the Christ – the seed of the woman.
Perfect In His Generations
The tenth generation from Adam in Cain’s lineage is Tubal-cain the son of Lamech.
Here Cain’s genealogy comes to a dead end. The lineage begins with ungodly Cain and ends only 10 generations later with Tubal-cain the son of wicked Lamech. The entire name of Cain and his lineage is washed away by the flood.
Adam’s lineage begins with righteous Seth and extends on through righteous Noah and his offspring. They were not washed out. The tragedy is the unrighteous seed are destroyed. The lesson is the righteous seed continues. The measure of a man in the eyes of the lord is evidenced in his children. Cain exchanged his sons for success, but Seth found success in his sons.
A LOOK AT THE GIANTS
We are looking at Noah who was perfect in his generations. The first aspect of this perfection was that Noah was of Seth who called upon the name of the Lord and brought forth the Christ. There is another aspect of this perfection. It was at this time the serpent entered the picture in a new and perverse way. It appears the lineage of Seth is doing fine. They are seeking the Lord and walking with God. Then suddenly from no place we read….
Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
What is so wrong about this? Did not the Lord say to multiply? But there is something horribly wrong here for it is at this moment the Lord says,
Genesis 6:3 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. (emphasis added)
It is at this moment that the Lord determined that He would destroy mankind. What happened? The godly lineage was accomplishing its purpose, wasn’t it? People were walking with God and seeking the Lord. They were naming their children with godly names. What happened? We are told what happened and it is indeed strange.
Perfect In His Generations
Genesis 6:4 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.
Genesis 6:5 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. (emphasis added)
When were there giants? There were giants “when the sons of God came in unto the daughter of men….” This union produced giants and that was not all it produced. It produced something so horrible that every imagination of man’s heart was evil continually. Man, even Seth’s lineage, no longer thought about the Lord God. They only thought and imagined wickedness. This thought process is in direct connection with the giants in the earth in those days. The Holy Spirit repeats Himself telling us where those giants came from.
The sons of God came in unto the daughters of men. What does that mean? When studied we find that fallen angels took mortal women and produced Anakims – giants. Sounds like some Hollywood movie doesn’t it? It sounds like Hercules or some mythology god-fiction story, but it is not. This was real and the only answer to what happened in Noah’s generations. But Noah found grace for Noah was perfect in his generations.
There are two basic interpretations to this passage of Genesis 6:1-4.
Obviously, something terrible happened. Even the lineage of Seth’s thoughts had turned to wickedness. The first interpretation is that the sons of Seth were the sons of God. They took the women of Cain (daughters of men) and married them. The problem is that this union would not produce giants. But that is not the largest problem. A huge problem, and sadly the problem that gives us the answer of who these must be is this: because of the giants the flood came. It was when something so demonic took over the very thought process of man the flood came. It is far more than Seth’s boys marrying Cain’s girls. The giants and the lineage of Cain were destroyed in the flood. We never find Cain’s lineage again after the flood.
Perfect In His Generations
We do find giants after the flood. How did that happen? The second interpretation gives the answer. The “sons of God” are fallen angels that would be chained. Seth’s lineage had never been referred to as “sons of God”. Angels are referred to as “sons of God”.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. [KJV]
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. [KJV]
And, to me, the next one is the clearest.
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? [KJV] (emphasis added)
Simply listing the verses (as we do in this writing) is not a proper study. However when properly studied in context and meaning we find the “sons of God” are angels. Also, as sad as it is to note, the sons of God in Job 1:6 and 2:1 come around the same time Satan shows up.
The scriptures clearly tell us that there are angels chained reserved for judgment (2Pe 2:4). We are not told why they are chained except that they “kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation” (Jud 1:6). The word “habitation” (Strong’s #3613) means “residence”. They left their residence and came in unto the daughters of men!
Perfect In His Generations
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; [KJV]
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. [KJV]
We are not told when they were chained. It would have been after the flood, for after the flood – 1500+ years later – we find the giants nephiyl in the land of Canaan. When Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan it was these giants that frightened the spies.
Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants (nephiyl), the sons of Anak, which come of the giants (gibbowr): and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. [KJV] (emphasis added)
The Lord instructed Moses and Joshua to destroy every man, woman, and child, even animals and to have no mercy. This gives depth of understanding and adds clarity to why the Lord said to utterly destroy the Canaanites. Interestingly, in the very same sentence that the Lord tells the nation to utterly destroy the nations of Canaan, He tells them not to marry with them.
Deuteronomy 7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Deuteronomy 7:3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. [KJV]
Perfect In His Generations
It also gives new meaning to the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The seed of the serpent can be more than wicked people. It can be a literal seed! Genesis 6:1-6 is a most interesting Biblical passage. We obviously see mixed marriages within the context, but mixed marriages of an extremely devastating level. These giants (nephiyl) of Genesis 6 are destroyed in the flood but are back again 1500 years later. How can that be explained? If they were destroyed by the flood of Noah’s day then how can they exist in Moses’ day? The only answer is these “sons of God” are fallen angels who took human women and produced children. The Living Bible believes this is so.
Genesis 6:4 In those days, and even afterwards, when the evil beings from the spirit world were sexually involved with human women, their children became giants, of whom so many legends are told. [TLB]
The giants came from someplace. Most biblical scholars eventually determine that this is what this passage means. It is not because they want to say this is what it means. I personally have attempted to disprove the “fallen angel” teaching. It is in my attempt to disprove it that I find no other position is suitable. Fallen angels (2Pe 2:4; Jude 6) took mortal women as wives producing a race of large people who became called Anak. No one would argue that the sons of Seth intermarried with the daughters of Cain, but that would not produce the giants of Genesis 6:4. It is also interesting that Peter mentioned the chaining of the fallen angels with the flood of Noah’s day.
It is at this point of revelation that Genesis 6 tells us the condition of man. Man was now wicked. That degree of wickedness was called “great”. Every thought and every imagination that man had was continuously evil. The wickedness was deliberate. It was evil continually.
Genesis 6:5 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. [KJV]
It is in the midst of this context that the Lord says man had 120 years. One hundred twenty years later the flood happened. God always gives time for repentance. In this case, it was a large amount of time. God’s patience for repentance of wickedness is long but always limited. It is at this time that we meet Noah.
Perfect In His Generations
It is in the context of worldly Cain and giants that we read of Noah that he was “perfect in his generations” (Gen 6:8, 9). The Hebrew word for “perfect” is tamiym (Strong’s #8549) meaning “entire”. Noah was not perfect as in without fault. He was perfect as in entire of Adam and Seth. He was not of Cain! Also, he was also perfect and entire in that he and his family were not of fallen angels – nephiyl! He was entire of Adam and Seth. The serpent had not defiled the lineage! Noah was perfect in his generations.
Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and PERFECT IN HIS GENERATIONS, AND NOAH WALKED WITH GOD.
Perfect In His Generations sermon notes
Perfect In His Generations sermon notes
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