Genesis 6-7
Genesis 6–7: A Familiar Story We Keep Coming Back To
Genesis 6 and 7 is one of those stories we find ourselves returning to again and again—often around the dinner table, usually with laughter. In our family, it’s almost a tradition to ask: How many animals did Moses put on the ark? The answer, of course, is zero. It wasn’t Moses. It wasn’t Jonah. It was Noah. If you ever run into one of our kids, there’s a good chance that joke is coming your way.
But beneath the humor is a story that is weighty, sobering, and deeply important. Noah’s ark isn’t just a children’s Bible story—it sits at a critical hinge point in the biblical narrative. Genesis 6 and 7 show us both the depths of human wickedness and the lengths God will go to in order to preserve His redemptive plan.
Why the Flood Happened—and What We’re Meant to Notice
One of the most common questions we ask about this story is simple: Why the flood? Genesis 6:1–8 answers that directly. Wickedness had multiplied on the earth. Violence, corruption, and rebellion had become the norm, not the exception. Humanity, once called “very good,” had spiraled into moral chaos.
The passage about the “sons of God” and the “daughters of humans” raises plenty of questions, and over the centuries there have been three main interpretations: fallen angels intermarrying with humans, the godly line of Seth mixing with the ungodly line of Cain, or powerful Cainite rulers abusing their authority. Faithful scholars disagree, and we don’t pretend to have final answers.
What is clear, though, is the point of the text: something profoundly wrong was happening. Wickedness was increasing. Darkness was spreading. And God was about to act in judgment.
This is one of those moments where curiosity can easily distract us. While it’s good to study and ask questions, the text doesn’t invite us to fixate on speculation. It calls us to recognize the seriousness of sin, the grief it causes God, and the necessity of divine intervention. Ultimately, the Bible isn’t centered on solving every mystery—it’s centered on pointing us to redemption.
Noah, Grace, and Faithful Obedience
Genesis 6:8 is one of the most hopeful verses in Scripture: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” That word “favor” is closely tied to grace—unearned, undeserved, freely given. Noah wasn’t chosen because he was flawless. He was chosen because God, in grace, set him apart.
Noah is described as righteous and blameless among the people of his time, meaning he lived differently. He walked faithfully with God in a world that had abandoned Him. And that faithfulness wasn’t momentary—it likely stretched over a century of obedience. Imagine building a massive boat in a place that barely sees rain, enduring ridicule year after year, simply because God said so.
That kind of obedience feels foolish by worldly standards, and Scripture doesn’t shy away from that. God often works through what looks like foolishness to reveal His power. Noah’s story challenges us to ask ourselves whether our fear of the Lord outweighs our fear of people—and whether we’re willing to keep trusting God when obedience feels costly, slow, or misunderstood.
At the same time, Noah is not the hero of the story. None of the biblical figures are. They all point beyond themselves to the true hero—Jesus. The flood narrative is not just about judgment; it’s about preservation, grace, and the continuation of God’s promise that one day a Savior would come to crush the serpent’s head.
Genesis 6 and 7 remind us that sin grieves God, obedience matters, and grace is always God’s initiative. And even in judgment, God remembers His people—a truth that becomes even clearer as the story continues.
