Genesis 6

Noah Builds an Ark (6:9–22)

9–13 God’s means of destroying life on earth was a flood; God’s means of preserving life on earth was a boat—the ark (verse 14). God knew that the flood alone would not cure man’s evil heart (Genesis 8:21); but through the flood God revealed both His hatred of sin and His mercy toward mankind. Later He would have other remedies to fix man’s heart: first the old covenant mediated by Moses, and then the “new covenant” mediated by Christ. But for now, by God’s grace and through Noah’s faith, the human race would get another chance. The story of Noah exemplifies God’s way of salvation for mankind: it is always by grace . . . through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

14–22 God’s detailed instructions for building the ark highlight Noah’s faithful obedience to everything God commanded him³¹ (verse 22).

The purpose of the ark was to house a male and female of every species and to keep them alive during the flood (verse 19). Thus the ark had to be big enough to hold all of these creatures, including their food. We are not told how many species there were at that time.

The floodwaters covered the entire earth³² (verse 17). In many different cultures today, there is a story about an ancient flood. That massive disaster has been permanently engraved in the collective memory of mankind.

In verse 18, God said that He would establish His covenant with Noah. This is often called the “Noahic Covenant,” the agreement between God and Noah according to which God would save Noah and his family and Noah, in turn, would (among other things) be fruitful and increase in number (Genesis 9:1). God’s covenant with Noah was similar to His “agreement” with Adam (Genesis 1:28); in fact, Noah is often seen as a “second Adam.”

Notice that God didn’t only spare Noah and his wife; He spared their three sons and their wives as well (verse 18). This is the first of many instances in Scripture where God shows special concern for entire family units.