Commentary on Genesis Part 27

* The fate of true doctrine in our day is the same as it was in Noah's 192.

B. THE GRIEF OF G.o.d.

V. 6b. _And it grieved him at his heart._

178. Such was the regret of G.o.d that he was pained in his heart. The word here is _azab_, which was used before when he said (Gen 3, 16), "In pain shalt thou bring forth children"; also in Psalm 127, 2, "the bread of toil." This expression must be understood according to the usage of Scripture. We must not think that G.o.d has a heart or that he can suffer pain, but when the spirit of Noah, Lamech or Methuselah is grieved, G.o.d himself is said to be grieved. We may understand such grief not of his divine nature, but of his conduct. Noah, with his father and grandfather, feels in his heart, through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, that G.o.d hates the world because of sin and desires its destruction; therefore they are grieved by this impenitence.

179. This is the simple and true meaning. If you refer these words to the will of the divine essence and hold that G.o.d has resolved this from eternity, a perilous argument is employed to which are equal only men who are spiritual and tested by trial, like Paul, for instance, who has ventured to argue concerning predestination. Let us take our stand on an humbler plane, one less open to danger, and hold that Noah and the other fathers were most grievously pained when the Spirit disclosed to them such wrath. These inexpressible groanings of the best of men are accordingly attributed to G.o.d himself, because they emanate from his Spirit.

180. An example of such groanings we see later in the case of Abraham, who interposed himself like a wall in behalf of the safety of the Sodomites and did not abandon the cause until they came down to five righteous ones. Without a doubt the Holy Spirit filled the breast of Abraham with infinite and frequent groanings in his attempts to effect the salvation of the wretched. Likewise Samuel--what does he not do for Saul? He cries and implores with such vehemence that G.o.d is compelled to restrain him: "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel?" 1 Sam 16, 1. So Christ, foreseeing the destruction of Jerusalem within a few years by reason of its sins, is most violently moved and pained in his soul.

181. Such promptings the Spirit of prayer arouses in pious souls.

Present everywhere, he is moved by the adversities of others, teaches, informs, spares no pains, prays, complains, groans. Thus Moses and Paul are willing to be accursed for the sake of their people.

182. In this manner Noah, the most holy man, and his father and grandfather are consumed with pain at the sight of such terrible wrath of G.o.d. He is not delighted at this overthrow of the whole human race, but is filled with anxiety and the most grievous pain, while at the same time the sons of men live in the greatest security, mocking, boasting and taunting. Thus Psalms 109, 4, "For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." Thus Paul, "I tell you even weeping." Phil 3, 18. And what else could holy men do but weep when the world would in no wise permit itself to be corrected?

183. It is always the appearance of the true Church that she not only suffers, not only is humiliated and trampled under foot, but also prays for her tormentors, is seriously disturbed by their dangers; on the contrary, others play and frolic in proportion as they approach their doom. But when the hour of judgment comes, G.o.d in turn closes his ears so completely that he does not even hear his own beloved children as they pray and intercede for the wicked. So Ezekiel laments that no one is found who will stand for Israel as a protecting wall, saying that this is the office of the prophets, Ezek 13, 5.

184. It is impossible for the unG.o.dly to pray; let no one, therefore, entertain the hope concerning the papists, our adversaries, that they pray. We pray for them and plant ourselves like a wall against the wrath of G.o.d and, without doubt, it is by our tears and groanings that they are saved, if, perchance, they will repent.

185. It is a terrible example, that G.o.d has spared not the first world, for which Noah, Lamech and Methuselah set themselves like a wall. What, then, shall we expect where such walls do not exist, where there is no Church at all? The Church is always a wall against the wrath of G.o.d. She feels pain, is tormented in her soul, prays, intercedes, instructs, teaches, exhorts, as long as the judgment hour is not here but coming. When she sees these ministrations to be unavailing, what else can she do but feel grievous pain at the destruction of the impenitent? The pain of the G.o.dly fathers was augmented by the sight of so many relatives and kindred at one time going to destruction.

186. This pain Moses could not express in a better and more graphic description than to say that G.o.d repented of having made man. Before, when he describes man's nature as having been formed in G.o.d's image, he says that G.o.d beheld all that he had made and it was very good.

G.o.d, then, is delighted with his creatures and has joy in them. Here he absolutely alters that statement by one altogether at variance with it--that G.o.d is grieved at heart and even repents of having created man.

187. It was Noah and the other fathers who felt this through the revelation of the Holy Spirit; otherwise, they would have shared those thoughts of joy and would have judged according to the earlier prophecy that G.o.d had delight in all his works. Never would they have thought that the wrath of G.o.d was such as to destroy not only the whole human race, but also all living flesh of sky and earth, which surely had not offended, yea, the very earth also; for the earth, because of man's sin, had not retained after the flood its pristine excellence. Some have written, as Lyra reminds us, that by the flood the surface of the earth was washed away three hands deep. Certain it is that paradise has been utterly destroyed through the flood.

Therefore, we possess today an earth more deeply cursed than before the flood and after the fall of Adam; though the state of the earth after the fall could not compare with the grandeur of its primeval state before sin.

188. These disasters, therefore, the holy fathers saw through the revelation of the Holy Spirit a hundred and twenty years before. But such was the wickedness of the world that it put the Holy Spirit to silence. Noah could not venture to reveal such threats without risk of the gravest dangers. With his father and grandfather, with his children and wife, he would discuss this great wrath of G.o.d. The sons of men, however, had no more inclination to hear these things than the papists today have to hear themselves called the church of Satan and not of Christ. Accordingly, they would vaunt their ancestors and over against Noah's proclamations they would plead the promise of the seed, believing it to be impossible for G.o.d, in this manner, to destroy all mankind.

189. For the same reason, the Jews did not believe the prophets nor even Christ himself when called to repentance, but maintained that they were the people of G.o.d, inasmuch as they had the temple and wors.h.i.+p. The Turks today are inflated with victories which they believe to be the reward for their faith and religion because they believe in one G.o.d. We, however, are viewed as heathen and reputed to believe in three G.o.ds. G.o.d would not give us such victories and dominions, they say, if he did not favor us and approve our religion.

This same reasoning blinds also the papist. Occupying an exalted position, they maintain they are the Church and hence they have no fear of divine punishment. Devilish, therefore, is that argument whereby men take the name of G.o.d to palliate their sins.

190. But if G.o.d did not spare the first world, the generation of the holy patriarchs, which had the promise of the seed as its very own--if he saved only a very small remnant--the Turks, Jews and Papists shall boast in vain of the name of G.o.d. According to Micah 2, 7, the Word of G.o.d promises blessings to those who walk in uprightness. But those who do not walk in uprightness are cursed. Those he threatens, those he destroys. Neither does he take account of the name "Church", nor of their number, whereas he saves the remnant which walks in uprightness.

But never will you convince the world of this.

191. In all probability the descendants of the patriarchs who perished in the flood abused quite shamefully the argument of the dignity of the Church, and condemned Noah for blasphemy and falsehood. To say, they argued, that G.o.d was about to destroy the whole world by a flood is equal to saying that G.o.d is not merciful, nor a Father, but a cruel tyrant. You proclaim the wrath of G.o.d, O Noah! Then G.o.d is not such a being as to promise deliverance from sin and death through the seed of woman? The wrath of G.o.d, therefore, will not swallow the whole earth.

We are the people of G.o.d. We have from G.o.d magnificent gifts; never would G.o.d have given these to us if he had resolved to act against us with such hostility. In this fas.h.i.+on the wicked are in the habit of applying to themselves the promises and trusting to the same. All warnings, however, they neglect and deride.

192. It is profitable to contemplate this diligently so that we may be safeguarded against such vicious heedlessness of the wicked. For what happened to Moses, now happens also to us. Our adversaries ascribe to themselves the name of G.o.d's people, true wors.h.i.+p, grace and everything holy; to us, everything devilish. Now, when we reprove them for blasphemy and say that they are the church of Satan, they rage against us with every kind of cruelty. Hence we mourn with Noah, and commend the cause to G.o.d, as Christ did on the cross--what else could we do?--and wait till G.o.d shall judge the earth and show that he loves the remnant of those that fear him and that he hates the mult.i.tude of impenitent sinners in spite of their boast of being the Church, of having the promises, of having the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d. When G.o.d destroyed the whole original world, he manifested the promise of the seed to that wretched and tiny remnant, Noah and his sons.

V. NOAH ALONE WAS RIGHTEOUS; THE WORLD DESTROYED.

A. NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS.

1. What comfort was offered Noah by his righteousness in the midst of his suffering 193.

* To find grace before G.o.d leads to faith and excludes works 194.

2. For what was righteous Noah especially praised by G.o.d 195.

* Many great men lived in the days of Noah 196.

3. How righteous Noah had to contend against so much all alone 197.

* By what means the Papists contend against the Evangelicals 198.

4. With what the world especially upbraided righteous Noah 199.

* People then were wiser and more ingenious than now 200.

5. Noah may be called both just and pious 201.

6. Righteous Noah led a G.o.dly life, possessed great courage and was a marvelous character 202.

7. By his piety Noah was a confessor of the truth 203-204.

* It is very difficult for one man to withstand the united opposition of many 204.

8. Being a preacher of righteousness Noah was in greater danger 205.

9. Noah an example of patience and of all virtues 206.

10. How he traveled and preached everywhere in the world, and preserved the human race temporally and spiritually 207-208.

11. The world takes offense at righteous Noah's marrying, and adds sin to sin 209.

12. The order of the birth of Noah's sons 210.

B. THE WHOLE WORLD DESTROYED.

1. Whether, as Lyra teaches, birds and animals were destroyed 211.

* Why the punishment of sin was visited also upon the animals 212-213.

2. The meaning of "the earth was corrupt before G.o.d" 214-216.

* The sins against the first table of the law can easier be concealed than those against the second table 214.

* Where false doctrine is taught, G.o.dless living follows 215.

3. How the earth was corrupt in the light of the first table of the law 215-216.

4. How the earth was corrupt in the light of the second table 217-218.

* The meaning of "violence" in Scripture 218.