Chapter 6:
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Revelation Exodus
Genesis 6
In this chapter we have,
I. The abounding iniquity of that wicked world, ver. 1-5. and ver.
11, 12.
II. God's just resentment of that iniquity, and his holy resolution
to punish it, ver. 6, 7.
III. The special favour of God to his servant Noah.
1. In the character given of him, ver. 8, 9, 10.
2. In the communication of God's purpose to him, ver. 13-17.
3. In the directions he gave him to make an ark for his own
safety, ver. 14, 15, 16.
4. In the employing of him for the preservation of the rest of the
creatures, ver. 18, 19, 20, 21. Lastly, Noah's obedience to the
instructions given him, ver. 22.
Verse 1. Men began to multiply upon the face of the earth - This was the
effect of the blessing, chap. i, 28, and yet man's corruption so
abused this blessing, that it turned into a curse.
Verse 2. The sons of God - Those who were called by the name of the
Lord, and called upon that name, married the daughters of men -
Those that were profane, and strangers to God. The posterity of
Seth did not keep to themselves as they ought, but intermingled
with the race of Cain: they took them wives of all that they chose
- They chose only by the eye: They saw that they were fair -
Which was all they looked at.
Verse 3. My spirit shall not always strive with man - The spirit then
strove by Noah's preaching, 1 Pet. iii, 19, and by inward checks,
but 'twas in vain with the most of men; therefore saith God, he
shall not always strive, for that he also is flesh - Incurably corrupt
and sensual, so that 'tis labour lost to strive with him. He also, that
is, all, one as well as another; they are all sunk into the mire of
flesh. Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years - So long
will I defer the judgment they deserve, and give them space to
prevent it by their repentance and reformation. Justice said, cut
them down; but mercy interceded, Lord, let them alone this year
also; and so far mercy prevailed, that a reprieve was obtained for
six score years.
Verse 4. There were giants, and men of renown - They carried all before
them,
1. With their great bulk, as the sons of Anak, Num. xiii, 33, and,
2. With their great name, as the king of Assyria, Isaiah xxxvii, 11.
Thus armed, they daringly insulted the rights of all their
neighbours, and trampled upon all that is just and sacred.
Verse 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth
- Abundance of sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of
people: and those sins in their own nature most gross and heinous,
and provoking: and committed daringly, with a defiance of
heaven. And that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually - A sad sight, and very offensive to
God's holy eye. This was the bitter root, the corrupt spring: all the
violence and oppression, all the luxury and wantonness that was
in the world, proceeded from the corruption of nature; lust
conceives them, James i, 15, see Matt. xv, 19. The heart was evil,
deceitful and desperately wicked; the principles were corrupt, and
the habits and dispositions evil. The thoughts of the heart were so.
Thought is sometimes taken for the settled judgment, and that was
biased and misled; sometimes for the workings of the fancy, and
those were always either vain or vile. The imagination of the
thought of the heart was so, that is, their designs and devices were
wicked. They did not do evil only through carelessness, but
deliberately and designedly, contriving how to do mischief. 'Twas
bad indeed, for it was only evil, continually evil, and every
imagination was so. There was no good to be found among them,
no not at any time: the stream of sin was full and strong, and
constant; and God saw it. Here is God's resentment of man's
wickedness. He did not see it as an unconcerned spectator, but as
one injured and affronted by it; he saw it as a tender father sees
the folly and stubbornness of a rebellious and disobedient child,
which not only angers but grieves him, and makes him wish he
had been written childless.
Verse 6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth -
That he had made a creature of such noble powers, and had put
him on this earth, which he built and furnished on purpose to be a
comfortable habitation for him; and it grieved him at his heart -
These are expressions after the manner of men, and must be
understood so as not to reflect upon God's immutability or
felicity. It doth not speak any passion or uneasiness in God,
nothing can create disturbance to the eternal mind; but it speaks
his just and holy displeasure against sin and sinners: neither doth
it speak any change of God's mind; for with him there is no
variableness; but it speaks a change of his way. When God had
made man upright, he rested and was refreshed, Exod. xxxi, 17.
and his way towards him was such as shewed him well pleased
with the work of his own hands; but now man was apostatized, he
could not do otherwise, but shew himself displeased; so that the
change was in man, not in God.
Verse 7. I will destroy man - The original word is very significant. I will
wipe off man from off the earth; as dirt is wiped off from a place
which should be clean, and thrown to the dunghill. Or, I will blot
out man from the earth, as those lines are blotted out of a book
which displease the author, or as the name of a citizen is blotted
out of the rolls of the freemen when he is disfranchised. Both man
and beast the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air - These were
made for man, and therefore must be destroyed with man. It
repenteth me that I have made them - For the end of their creation
also was frustrated: they were made that man might serve and
honour God with them and therefore were destroyed, because he
had served his lusts with them, and made them subject to vanity.
Verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord - This vindicates
God's justice in his displeasure against the world, and shews that
he had examined the character of every person in it, before he
pronounced it universally corrupt; for there being one good man
he smiled upon him.
Verse 9. Noah was a just man - Justified before God by faith in the
promised seed; for he was an heir of the righteousness which is by
faith, Heb. xi, 7. He was sanctified, and had right principles and
dispositions implanted in him: and he was righteous in his
conversation, one that made conscience of rendering to all their
due, to God his due, and to men theirs. And he walked with God
as Enoch had done before him: in his generation, even in that
corrupt degenerate age. It is easy to be religious when religion is
in fashion; but it is an evidence of strong faith to swim against the
stream, and to appear for God, when no one else appears for him:
so Noah did, and it is upon record to his immortal honour.
Verse 11. The earth also was corrupt before God - That is, in the matters
of God's worship; either they had other gods before him, or
worshipped him by images: or, they were corrupt and wicked in
despite of God. The earth was also filled with violence, and
injustice towards men; there was no order nor regular
government, no man was safe in the possession of that which he
had the most clear right to, there was nothing but murders, rapes
and rapines.
Verse 12. God looked upon the earth - And was himself an eye-witness
of the corruption that was in it, for all flesh had corrupted his way
- It was not some particular nations that were thus wicked, but the
whole world so; there was none good beside Noah.
Verse 13. The end of all flesh is come before me; I will destroy them -
The ruin of this wicked world is decreed; it is come, that is, it will
come surely, and come quickly.
Verse 14. I will destroy them with the earth, but make thee an ark - I will
take care to preserve thee alive. This ark was like the hulk of a
ship, fitted not to sail upon the waters, but to float waiting for
their fall. God could have secured Noah, by the ministration of
angels without putting him to any care or pains, but he chose to
employ him in making that which was to be the means of his
preservation, both for the trial of his faith and obedience, and to
teach us that none shall be saved by Christ, but those only that
work out their salvation; we cannot do it without God, and he will
not without us: both the providence of God and the grace of God
crown the endeavours of the obedient and diligent. God gave him
particular instructions concerning this building.
1. It must be made of Gopher-wood; Noah, doubtless, knew what
sort of wood that was, though now we do not.
2. He must make it three stories high within: and,
3. He must divide it into cabins with partitions, places fitted for
the several sorts of creatures, so as to lose no room.
4. Exact dimensions are given him, that he might make it
proportionable, and might have room enough in it to answer the
intention, and no more.
5. He must pitch it within and without: without, to shed off the
rain, and to prevent the water from soaking in; within, to take
away the ill smell of the beasts when kept close.
6. He must make a little window towards the top to let in light.
7. He must make a door in the side of it by which to go in and out.
Verse 17. And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the
earth - I that am infinite in power, and therefore can do it; infinite
in justice, and therefore will do it.
Verse 18. But with thee will I establish my covenant -
(1.) The covenant of Providence, that the course of nature shall be
continued to the end of time, not withstanding the interruption
which the flood would give to it: this promise was immediately
made to Noah and his sons, chap. ix, 8, &c. they were as trustees
for all this part of the creation, and a great honour was thereby put
upon him and his. God would be to him a God, and that out of his
seed God would take to himself a people.
Chapter 6:
| Calvin
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Revelation Exodus
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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