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Men God Called
No.1.
Noah.
pp. 32 - 37
Throughout the centuries there have been men and women "subject to like passions as
we are", who have been raised up by God for His purposes. The records of their exploits
are `written for our learning', and as examples for us.
Noah was such a man. The background to his calling is outlined in Gen. 6: 1-7. In
verses 1, 2, 3 and 4 the word `men' (or `man') represents in the original "the Adam".
This is translated by J. N. Darby as `mankind' in verse 1, and draws attention to the fact
that it is true human beings who are in mind in contrast to `the giants' or nephilim who
were the off-spring of the illicit union between the `sons of God' (i.e. angelic beings) and
the daughters of Adam. It is a somber and sobering thought that even as early as the
daughters of Adam, Satan was not only at work, but found ready response in the human
race.
As a result of this state of affairs `the wickedness of man was great in the earth'. The
word `wickedness' has the significance of lewdness, and moral depravity, and draws
attention to a significance of the Lord's words in Matt. 24: 37, 38, which is often
overlooked:
"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in
the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the Ark."
In the light of the account in Gen. 6: "marrying and giving in marriage" takes on a
more sinister meaning. It can hardly be the fact that they were `marrying and giving in
marriage' that is so significant, for throughout the history of mankind this has been going
on. Moreover Paul specifically states in Heb. 13: 4:
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled:
but whoremongers and
adulterers God will judge."
It is the abuse of the married state that comes under the judgment of God. This is
found in the state of affairs recorded in the passage before us: there was a combination of
`supernaturalism' and moral depravity. There is a similar situation in the world today:
moral depravity abounds, and there is an increasing interest in supernaturalism, in the
occult, spiritism, and even Satanism.
The description of the world wide situation in Gen. 6: 11-13 has a familiar ring
today. "All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth" (verse 12), "the earth was filled
with violence" (verse 11). Such was the situation that "The Lord said, I will destroy man
whom I have created from the face of the earth" (verse 7). The events in the world today,
in the light of Scripture, are leading up to God's judgment upon mankind. It was against