“How can a loving God let anybody go to hell?” This is the question that many ask today. It is the question that is provoked by a diminished view of God instead of a biblical understanding of the God revealed in Scripture. For if we read of God there, we find that the Scripture leaves no room for that kind of question. Rather, the question that the Scripture poses from Genesis until the gospels is how is a holy and just God will let anyone stand before him. And the mystery is answered in the gospel.
However, the fact that this question is asked quite often assures us that we need to return to the Scripture and make sure that we have not been taken captive by its reason, seduced by a false view of God, and led into idolatry as we worship a God far different than the one who is there (to steal a line from Francis Schaeffer). The story of the flood does well in curing us of this will. It shows us an aspect of man that we like to deny, an aspect of God that we like to overlook, and the grace of God which we often fail to appreciate.
After the Fall and Cain’s sin, we are reminded that the penalty of sin is real, for the genealogy of Genesis 5 we find the words “and he died” repeated over and over again, signifying the continuing curse of Adam upon his line. However, in chapter six (as well as in chapter 4) we see that the corrupting power of sin is spreading to all of humanity.
We read in the first four verses that the “sons of God” were marrying the “daughters of men,” which probably means that either the holy sons of Seth were marrying the unholy daughters of Cain or that men in royalty were seizing for themselves common women by their power.1 Either way, sin was occurring in the marriages of man. And God looked down upon mankind and “saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (6:5).
Man becomes evil to the core or (as we looked at last week) depraved. And God is sorry that he makes men. The Lord’s holiness cannot associate with the utter sinfulness of men and his holy character forces him to react to man’s utter sinfulness.
God would tell Moses in Exodus 34 that he is slow to anger and abounding in love. So we know that God is patient. The trigger of his wrath isn’t set off too easily (if you will). But God also promises Moses that he will not leave the guilty unpunished. And in this text we see that the patience of God does not extend forever.
God tells Noah to build a boat and fill it with a few of every kind of animal that dwells the earth. We read in 6:13 and 19-20, “Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy the earth … But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark – you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.”
From here the picture is horrible. No one repents and joins Noah on the ark except the ones whom the Lord foretold, and as they get on the ark it begins to rain and would not stop until every living thing that was on dry land and breathed died (7:22-23), as it rained forty days and forty nights, flooding the entire world.
Verse 16 of chapter 6 is a gracious note, for we read that God shut the door behind Noah and his family. I cannot imagine how hard it would be for Noah to shut the door and hear many outside scream and beat on the boat as the rain began to pour and to rise. It is a horrible thought that would lead us to get sick if we picture the scene with the full council of our imagination. Dads, Moms, and children are drowning as dead animals and people float along the surface of the water. It is a horrible picture. And it leads us to ask, “What kind of God is this?”
The answer to this question is that God is a holy God. He is not by nature wrathful. That is to say, he does not have to be wrathful to be God. It is not a necessary attribute of his character. If there were no sin, there would be no wrath from God. But because God is holy and sin exists, his wrathful response is necessary and inevitable. And it is good to remind ourselves, “Nobody stands under the wrath of God except those who have chosen to do so.”2 But it is also good to remind ourselves of the severity and impending wrath of God.
And lest we try to contrast the “Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild” with the wrathful God of the Old Testament, we find that no one speaks of hell in the Scripture as much as Jesus. Also, the wrath promised at his final appearance will be far greater than even the flood.
This will probably lead many people to respond, “Well, where is he? I’ve heard this idle threat all my life!” But the Scripture knows of these responses, for Peter writes, “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-7).
Thus the gospel cries for men to flee from the coming wrath of God (e.g. John 3:36 and 1 Thess. 1:10). And that must be our cry to men. We must not hesitate to speak of stories of the flood and the greater wrath of God to come in a day when it is not very popular to speak of such things. For only by offending men in this truth are we telling them the reality of the danger that is yet to come.
God is patient, even as he has been for thousands of years now, holding off judgment. He will not hold off forever. For Jesus tells us, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage [i.e. going about life “normally”], until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39). We must be aware of this reality.
In the midst of God’s seeming merciless wrath on the earth, we see a beautiful picture of his mercy to man. God preserves a family through which he will replenish the earth and bring forth “the seed of the woman,” the salvation of man.
We see a picture of God’s grace as he spares one who participated in Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12), reaped the penalty of Adam’s sin (Genesis 9:29), and was corrupt in his nature (Romans 3:10-18), providing him a haven from his wrath. In this way, the ark foreshadows the salvation yet to come. As we see a picture of the ark receiving the outpouring of God’s wrath and protecting those found within from that wrath, we cannot but be reminded of Christ drinking down the wrath of God on the cross3 and shielding those who are found in him. This is in fact how we who sinned in Adam are justly justified before God.
And then God makes a covenant with Noah not to flood the earth again as he did the first time, making the rainbow serve as a sign of his covenant. This is indeed gracious, but one key that we need not overlook is the fact that God does this in response to Noah’s sacrifice in Genesis 8:20-21, which becomes a “soothing aroma” to the Lord. For the author of Hebrews reminds us that a covenant is made only after the shedding of blood (9:18), and this foreshadows the words of Christ to his disciples as he said in the upper room, after giving to them the fruit of the vine, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).
After the ark, the flood, relenting of the waters, and the covenant made with Noah, we hear something very similar to the command in the garden made to Adam. Noah is commanded to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (9:1, 7). And we might be tempted to think, “This is it! This is the New Creation that we have been waiting for.” But quickly we are reminded that the world has yet to be purged of sin as Noah gets drunk in the ninth chapter. That is no doubt there to remind us that we still wait our final salvation.
But it is coming. He is coming! The one who satisfied God’s wrath for our sin and spread his righteous standing before God over us will come again to take those who are his home and judge those who are not in eternal hell. At this point, we will find the New Creation where the sun is not needed for Christ will be our light. Therefore, we wait in hope and faith. He will come. Even as with his wrath, his final salvation will not delay forever. He will come to take us home.
1) We need to let this story serve as a healthy reminder that God judges sin and will not withhold his judgment forever
We must not shrink back from speaking this to those who do not know Christ. If anyone does not believe on Christ, he shall not see eternal life, but he remains under God’s wrath which will ultimately manifest itself in the eternal torment of hell (John 3:36, Revelation 14:9-11, and many more). We do man no favor if we try to be nice and conceal his condemnation before God. He may temporarily avoid being offended, but great will be his misery if he does not repent and believe.
But don’t dismiss yourself from the reminder of God’s judgment for sin if you are a believer. Yes, you do not stand under God’s eternal wrath of judgment because you are in Christ, but because God is your Father, he will discipline you as you dwell in sin (Hebrews 11:7-13).
2) We need to let the reality of this text remind us that the world is not to be envied
It’s hard to remember this at times isn’t it? Men are going about indulging their every lust while you are pitied among them for your faith and consequent striving for holiness. And this can lead us to pity ourselves as well.
But this world is a façade. It is not reality, for God will not be mocked: man will know the judgment of God. Therefore, we should pity them, be quick to live pleasing to God, and readily share the good news of his grace with those who have yet to taste it.
3) Finally, we should constantly call to our minds our blessed position in Christ Jesus
As I read this story, I want to ask, “Why Noah? What’s so special about him? Why is he the one who is protected from the wrath of God?” However, it is not long before I begin to turn my thoughts away from him and to myself. Even last night as I was sitting in a bookstore finishing up my manuscript, I couldn’t help but think that I was sitting in the midst of a number of people who might mock God in their day to day lives, mock me if they knew what I believed, and hate me if they heard me speak of the judgment to come. But what swelled up in me was not dislike for them. Rather, I asked, “Why are my eyes opened to this truth and am I privileged to find favor as Noah did?” And the answer for me and Noah (and you) is simply the grace of God.
I sinned with Adam in the garden, I inherited his corruption and guilt, and one day I’ll realize the penalty for that sin as I will die, but I will not taste the wrath of God because God has made a covenant to be my God as I am of his people (as are all who believe). And I was overwhelmed by this truth as I kept thinking of my blessed position, hearing him say, “Drink from it … for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28). May we remember why we are spared God’s coming wrath as we come to the table this morning.
Grace be with you. Amen.