The Universal Flood | Genesis 6-9

August 16, 2026, Sunday morning sermon with Pastor Terry. 

It grieved the heart of God so much when He saw that the wickedness of man had become great on the earth that He decided He must start over. To do that He had to wipe the slate (earth) clean by sending a flood of water to destroy every living thing. So with a broken heart He reluctantly did, except for Noah
and his family and at least two of every kind of animal and bird. Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord; he was a righteous man who believed and obeyed God (Heb.11:7). God brought two of every creature on earth to the ark Noah was instructed to build and seven of every clean animal which man would afterward be allowed to sacrifice to God and eat. After Noah and company were safely in the ark, God sent forty days and nights of water from the earth and sky until all the earth was under water. After a year the waters began to recede and they went out of the ark. Noah became a vineyard farmer, drank the wine, got drunk, and his son (Ham) in some way violated him so that Noah cursed his grandson (Canaan)
with servanthood to the family. From the three sons God repopulated the earth: Japheth going north (Europe), Shem going east (Middle East and Asia), and Ham (whose Hebrew name means black) went south (Africa).

I. The Depravity of Mankind, 6:1-13
As people multiplied on the earth they became more sinful and corrupt. They filled the earth with violence. To make matters worse the Nephilim (fallen angels) violated their bounds and had sex with human women, producing mighty giants. These would resurface in Canaan during Joshua’s time (Num.13:33) which explains the fullness of the wickedness of the Canaanite culture. That’s why God ordered Joshua and his armies to destroy every one of them. These preflood peoples were corrupt to the core. So much so that God decided to destroy them all.
Parallels to this passage are in the N.T. (Rm.3:9-12; 2Tim.3:1-4). We are in those perilous days and Jesus said they would be worse than they have every been on the earth (Mt.24:21), and that includes the time before the flood. No more destruction by water. God gave the sign of the rainbow to remind Him
of that promise. Next time the world will be destroyed by fire (2Pet.3:10-15).
The good news is that God took Enoch and Noah out of the judgment and wrath before the universal flood of water came. God has promised to keep Christ’s followers (the church) out of the coming days of the wrath of God (1Thes.5:9; 4:15-18; Mt.24:37-42). To get ready for the Rapture we must repent: make up our minds once and for all to follow Jesus, and like Noah – trust and obey God. Come into God’s Ark – Jesus.

II. The Deluge, 6:14 – 8:22
The flood covered all the earth because sin covered all the earth; thus, it was universal. Please notice that before God sent the flood, it says it grieved His heart to see what sin had done to mankind and the earth. God does not delight in judgment, though it is necessary for those who refuse to repent and live holy lives.
In the Last Days there will be a deluge of sin and judgment; just read the book of Revelation and see. Then in the end the devil, all his demons, and the lost will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. Afterward there will be a New Heaven and New Earth wherein all the righteous will live forever. And in the N.T. there is the outpouring (flooding) not for destruction but of the Holy Spirit for
salvation. “It shall come to pass in the Last Days I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh...” (Acts 2:17) We are now living in those days of the flooding of the Holy Spirit on the earth. Don’t miss it!

III. The Descendents of Noah, cha. 10-11
The three sons of Noah and their wives come out of the ark with a fresh command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And they did. Everyone on earth has one of these three boys as their forefather. An interesting story is given to us to explain the future condition of the Canaanites. Ham did the wrong, but his son Canaan took the blame and was cursed to be the servants of his family from then on. The Canaanites became the servants of the descendants of Shem and Japheth: Shem was the forerunner of the Israelites and the Canaanites became their servants, even helping build Solomon’s Temple. Later, Japheth’s descendants (Greeks and Romans) would come through their land and make them their conquered slaves.

Two warnings are given as man emerged from the judgment of the flood.
1. See the disastrous effects of the excesses of alcohol. Noah got drunk. No excuse. No doubt before the flood humans were drinking and getting drunk. Within months of Noah coming off the ark he was drunk and bad things happened. Bad things usually follow excesses of anything, especially alcohol. Beware! Many murders come in the wake of drunkenness; therefore God declared Capital Punishment for murderers. See Eph.5:18.

2. The power of words, especially toward our children. Noah cursed Canaan for what his father had done. That curse came true. We are not called to curse our children but to speak words of blessing to and over them. I want to conclude with some very good news.

1. In the New Covenant Jesus takes the judgment for our sins and doesn’t destroy us. “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins.” (1Jn.1:7) Because Jesus did that, God can now be just and the justifier of everyone who repents and trusts in Christ. He bore our sins in His own body on the cross that we might not taste the wrath of God. Thank God we do not live in the days of Noah when judgment fell on all the world. There is no sinner so vile that Christ cannot forgive and cleanse.

2. Before judgment fell, God took those who walked with Him to safety. Enoch was raptured and Noah was taken into the ark. And righteous Lot was taken out of Sodom before judgment fell on that wicked city. The last days will become very pernicious with wickedness abounding, but where sin abounds grace will much more abound. To comfort us, First Thess. tells us that there will be a rapture of the saints and Peter tells us that “God has not appointed us to wrath.” This is for all
those who “walk with God.” Make sure you are walking with God before the fire of God’s wrath falls on the earth. And not walking with God according to what you think walking with God means. It means walking with God according to what the Bible means by walking with God. Check the Bible and “lean not on your own understanding.” Make sure you have repented and are repenting, and you are obeying Christ. “Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.” Noah and Enoch walked with God. Are you walking with God?

3. There was an outpouring of judgment waters on “all flesh” and they all died except those who went into the ark. Jesus is our Ark of safety to save us from the judgment to come. Flee to Him and get into the Ark. The sooner the better. In the “Last Days,” the days of the New Covenant, God promised to (and is presently doing it) to pour a deluge of His Spirit upon all flesh; upon all who call upon the name of the Lord. You may experience living waters overflowing in your life. “Be
filled with the Spirit.” This is the ultimate experience of our day, to be “filled with all the fulness of God.”

4. Noah walked with God in the midst of a wicked and sinful generation. So it is possible to do that in our “perverse and wicked generation.” How? By the grace of God. “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” and so may you. “By grace are you saved, by faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God. By the grace of God you may live a righteous life where you work and live. So, be like Noah. Stand out and you will be eternally glad you did.

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