Episode 246 - "Noah walked with God" Genesis 6:9-10

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

You may already be thinking, “What! That’s it? Two verses?” I was tempted to include the next section. But it is a bit long, and there are some essential elements of this text concerning the greater narrative that I thought deserved our undivided attention.

First, did you notice any repetition in this text of what has already been covered in Genesis up to this point? How about the term “generations?” Go back and check out Genesis 2:4 and Genesis 5:1. The first occurrence of this term speaks of the “generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” (Gen 2:4). The second introduces the genealogy of Adam through Seth’s descendants up to Noah. Now, this third occurrence speaks only of Noah and his three sons. What’s up with this?

The Hebrew term transliterated “toledot” is often represented by the English word “generations.” But it’s more than just a word for descendants or generations. It is a structural marker in the narrative literature. It advances the greater narrative by focusing on a specific group of people because they are going to be important in the continuation of the story, leading the reader toward the solution for the crisis revealed in Genesis chapter 3. The “generations of the heavens and the earth” toledot focus on Adam and Eve and their two sons, Cain and Abel. With the murder of Abel by Cain, neither of them can fulfill the role of “the seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent. So, the next occurrence of “generations” helps us focus on Adam’s descendants through Seth, whom God appointed as a substitute for Abel. But then mankind became very wicked, and God determined to wipe out humanity. Of course this problem makes us wonder how the seed of the woman could appear to fulfill the promise God had made. But the section concludes with “but Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8) So, now this “toledot” signals a focus on Noah and his three sons. It seems to me this suggests the LORD was serious about wiping out all living things from the face of the earth (Gen 6:7). But Noah, finding favor in the eyes of the LORD, would be spared this judgment along with his family.

Why would the LORD do this? Was God’s choice arbitrary? Was it fair and just? I believe this section answers that. The text delivers a three-fold description of why Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. First, “Noah was a righteous man.” That means that his thoughts, words, and actions were deemed consistent with the LORD’s character and expectations for mankind. His life stood in stark contrast to others in the world at that time. How righteous was he? The second description tells us that he was “blameless in his generation.” I don’t think this means that he was a sinless person all his life. But according to the LORD’s assessment, he was blameless. In the end, isn’t that the only assessment that really matters? Finally, the text tells us that “Noah walked with God.” Hold the horses! We’ve heard that before, haven’t we? There is some more repetition. Back in Genesis 5:21-24, it is twice mentioned that Enoch walked with God. In verse 24, Enoch is the first person of whom it is said did not die. God just took him. Therefore, walking with God seems to suggest that this is the highest assessment from God that one can receive. Why is that?

Walking with someone suggests that you want to be with that person. In being with that person, you are listening to what they have to say, understanding what they value, sharing the same values and interests. This is why Noah found favor with the LORD. Noah walked with God, and it impacted his life rather than letting the culture around him influence his thinking and his actions.

With verse 10 naming Noah’s three sons, we have an indication that humanity would continue regardless of the destruction that would soon come upon the earth. Is Noah the seed? One thing is certain: his father’s pronouncement that Noah would bring rest from their labors would be fulfilled for a while.

The primary things I wanted to point out is how this story of Noah is a sub-story of the greater one that began in Genesis 1, and we need to keep thinking about the meta-narrative as we progress through Genesis and the Scriptures. Secondly, our desire in our own life of faith is to walk with God.