Genesis 6:13 - Meaning and Application

Here Noah clearly appears to have found favor in the eyes of the Lord. God’s favor toward him was shown in what had already been said about him in Genesis 6:8-10, where his name is repeated five times in five lines, though one mention would have been enough to make the point clear. It is shown even more in what God says to him here, in these instructions and warnings.

First, God makes Noah the man of his counsel, sharing with him his plan to destroy this wicked world with water. Later, God did the same with Abraham when he told him of his plan for Sodom (Genesis 18:17). In the same way, God did not hide from Noah “the thing” he was about to do. The secret counsel of the Lord is with those who fear him (Psalm 25:14). It was with his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7), who received special revelation about his purposes. It is also with believers, through wisdom and faith, as they understand and apply the warnings and truths already given in God’s word.

God first told Noah, in general terms, that he would destroy the world. “The end of all flesh has come before me; I will destroy them” (Genesis 6:13). That means the ruin of this wicked world was settled and certain. It had “come,” that is, it would surely come soon. Noah had likely already warned his neighbors, in general terms, about the anger they were bringing on themselves by their sin. Now God confirmed that warning with a direct message of judgment, so Noah might see whether this would move them to repent. This shows that God confirms the words of his messengers (Isaiah 44:26). It also shows that the one who has received something from God, and uses it for others’ good, will receive more, including fuller instructions.

God also told Noah exactly how he would destroy the world, with a flood of water. “And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth” (Genesis 6:17). God could have destroyed mankind by an angel’s sword, as he later destroyed the firstborn of Egypt and the Assyrian army. In that case, he would only have needed to mark Noah and his family for protection. But God chose a flood to drown the world. His reasons were wise and just, even if they are hidden from us. God has many ways to judge, and he uses whichever he chooses. As he chooses the rod to correct his children, he also chooses the sword to cut off his enemies.

The wording is striking: “I, even I, do bring a flood.” He who is infinite in power can do it, and he who is infinite in justice will do it. This language shows how certain the judgment is. What God himself undertakes will surely be done. It also shows how this judgment will glorify God and honor his justice. In this way, he will be known as the God to whom vengeance belongs. The tone is much like Isaiah 1:24, “Ah, I will ease myself of my adversaries.”

Second, God makes Noah the man of his covenant, which is another way of saying that Noah is treated as a friend of God (Genesis 6:18). “But with you I will establish my covenant.” This includes the covenant of providence, meaning that the order of nature would continue to the end of time, even though the flood would interrupt it. That promise was made directly to Noah and his sons later in Genesis 9:8 and following. They stood as trustees for that part of creation, and this was a great honor to them.

It also includes the covenant of grace, meaning that God would be his God and would take a people for himself from Noah’s descendants. When God makes a covenant, he establishes it firmly and makes it stand. His covenants last forever. The covenant of grace is both the reward of special service and the source of all special favor. We need nothing more, either to make up for losses suffered for God or to find true happiness in God, than to have his covenant established with us.

Third, God makes Noah a sign of sparing mercy by giving him a way to survive the coming flood. “I will destroy them,” God says, “with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). But then he says, “Make for yourself an ark.” He would take care to preserve Noah alive. Special devotion to God is rewarded with special deliverance, and that is a strong encouragement. It will add much to the honor and joy of glorified saints that they will be saved when most of the world perishes.

God then directed Noah to build an ark (Genesis 6:14-15). It was like the hull of a ship, made not for sailing, since there would be no shore to sail to, but for floating until the waters went down. God could have saved Noah by angels without any labor on Noah’s part, but he chose to use Noah in the work that would become the means of his rescue. This tested Noah’s faith and obedience, and it teaches us that no one is saved by Christ apart from working out salvation in obedient effort. We cannot do it without God, and God will not do it without us. Both God’s providence and God’s grace honor and reward the efforts of the obedient and diligent.

God gave Noah very exact directions for the ark, and it must have been perfectly suited to its purpose, since Infinite Wisdom designed it. It was to be made of gopher wood. Noah knew what kind of wood that was, though we do not now know for sure whether it was cedar, cypress, or another kind. It was to have three levels inside. It was also to be divided into rooms and compartments, with places set apart for the different creatures, so that no space would be wasted. Exact measurements were given so that it would be the right size, with enough room for the intended purpose and no extra. Those who work for God must take their directions from him and carefully follow them. It is fitting that the one who assigns our dwelling should also set its limits.

The ark was to be coated with pitch inside and out, to shed rain and keep water from seeping in, and also to lessen the bad smell from the animals being kept inside. Notice that God did not tell Noah to decorate it, only to seal it. If God gives us homes that are safe, warm, and healthy, we should be thankful even if they are not grand or attractive. He was also to make a small window near the top, to let in light and, some think, to let him see the ruin that would come upon the earth. And he was to make a door in the side, for entering and leaving.

God promised Noah that he and his family would be kept alive in the ark (Genesis 6:18): “You shall come into the ark.” This reminds us that when we obey God, we often find comfort and benefit in that obedience. “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.” Noah was not saved alone in the ark. His wife, his sons, and his sons’ wives were saved with him.

Notice two things here. First, good parents care not only about their own salvation, but also about the salvation of their families, especially their children. Second, children with godly parents are greatly blessed. Their parents’ godliness often brings them outward protection, as it did here, and it also helps them toward eternal salvation if they make good use of that blessing.

God also made Noah a great blessing to the world, and in this he gave a clear picture of the Messiah, though Noah was not the Messiah himself, as his parents had hoped (Genesis 5:29). God made Noah a preacher to the people of that generation. Like a watchman, he received God’s message so he could warn others (Ezekiel 3:17). While God patiently waited, Noah preached through the Spirit to the old world, who were later described as “spirits in prison” when Peter wrote (1 Peter 3:18-20). In this, Noah pointed forward to Christ, who lived among people whose whole race had corrupted its way, and who preached repentance while warning them of coming judgment.

God also made Noah a savior to the animals, so the different kinds of creatures would not perish in the flood (Genesis 6:19-21). This was a great honor. Through Noah, the human race would continue, a new world would begin, the church would continue as the life of the world, and the Messiah, the head of that church, would eventually come. But Noah was also used to preserve the lower creatures, so that mankind would later have a renewed claim on them and their service.

Noah had to provide shelter for them so they would not drown. He was to take two of every kind, male and female, into the ark. And so he would not struggle to gather them, God promised that they would come to him of their own accord (Genesis 6:20). The same God who makes the ox know its owner and its stall also made it know its preserver and its ark. Noah also had to provide food for them so they would not starve (Genesis 6:21). He had to stock the ark according to the number of those in his care and the length of their stay.

In this too, Noah pointed to Christ. It is through Christ that the world continues, because by him all things hold together. He keeps humanity from being completely destroyed and ruined by sin. In him, the holy seed is preserved alive, and creation is rescued from the emptiness under which it groans. Noah saved those he was set over, and Christ does the same, bringing his people to salvation (Hebrews 5:9).