This message will pick up with the second half of the flood story all the way through God’s covenant with Noah marked by the rainbow. Some attention here to the Noahic Covenant and Christological connections with it. (Genesis 8:1-9:17; 1 Peter 3:19-22)
Sermon Outline
“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” (Genesis 8:1)
“He remembers His covenant forever, the promise He made, for a thousand generations.” (Psalm 105:8)
zakar: remembered—used to indicate God taking action on His promises. See: Sodom & Gomorrah (Genesis 19:29), Rachel (Genesis 30:22), Israel (Exodus 2:24)
We know God remembers us, so we wait patiently for His direction (8:1-19)
- God stops the waters (1-3)
- The ark comes to rest (4-5)
- The birds (6-12)
- The hatch/covering is opened (13-14)
- God speaks (15-19)
- God told them to go in (7:1)
- God tells them when to come out (8:15-16)
- “I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.” (Psalm 130:5)
- “Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:7-8)
We know God remembers us, so we worship Him, grateful for His faithfulness (8:15-22)
- Worship through obedience (18)
- Worship through an altar and sacrifices (20)
- The worship was pleasing to God (21)
We know God remembers us, so we welcome a new relationship with Him (8:21-9:19)
- A new humanity (9:1)
- A new relationship with creation (9:2-4)
- A new law (9:5-7)
- A new covenant (8:21-22; 9:8-17)
Live it Out
- How will you remind yourself that God remembers you?
- Where do you most need to wait for God’s direction, instead of racing ahead of Him?
- How will you encourage others with the truth that God remembers them?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Open Up (answer one of these two questions):
- Have you ever felt “forgotten”? How did it make you feel?
- When you are truly grateful for something, how do you respond?
Dig In
- Read Genesis 8:1-9:17
- What first stands out to you about this section of scripture? Try to make at least 5 observations about this text.
- What do you learn about humanity and our relationship with God?
- What do you learn about humanity and our relationship with the rest of creation?
- What do you learn about God?
- Why do you think God makes us wait on Him? How can we know whether God is telling us “no” or “wait”?
- How do you think Noah and his family felt as they prepared to step outside the ark?
- Since the text doesn’t explicitly tell us that God told Noah to offer a sacrifice, why do you think he did it? What do you think he was trying to express through it?
- In Genesis 8:21-22, God delivers a speech to God, “in His heart.” Why does (or might) God speak silently to Himself? Why do you think God’s speech is included here? What do readers learn from these verses? Is it important that we know this? Why or why not?
- How does God’s instruction to Noah and his sons differ from the instructions He gave Adam? What is added or removed? Why do you think this is so? To what extent do you think they still apply to us today?
Live It Out
- Look at Psalm 29:10-11. What do these verses communicate about God’s role in the midst of disaster? Pause and think about how God is with you and rules over you and the “disasters” you face.
- Is the story of the flood and its aftermath a story of: God’s wrath; God’s justice; God’s redemption; God’s mercy or grace; God’s providence; God’s love; other? Why?
- Should the story lead human readers to: fear God; trust God; obey God; love God; other? Why?
DIG DEEPER
- Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan