I don't know if any of you are going to see "Noah"
in the theaters, but I thought I'd give you a few resources.
Read the narrative itself - Genesis 5:28 -
10:32.
Read how the rest of the Bible reflects on this
narrative - Isaiah 54:7-10; Ezekiel 14:12-23; Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 3:23-38
(esp. 3:36); 17:26-36; Hebrews 11:6,7; 1 Peter 3:18-22; 2 Peter 2:1-22 (esp.
2:5).
Click here
to read some thoughts on those urging Christians to see the movie.
Click here
to read a good devotional on Noah.
Click here to see an evangelistic movie on Noah.
Despite the message of the movie, God didn't
destroy the world for the sake of environmentalism (why would He command Noah to
chop down a forest to build the ark if this were true? Why would He destroy all
of nature if this were true??).
Despite the message of the movie, it is
after the flood that human beings are explicitly told they are allowed
to eat animals. The wickedness of humanity was not technology or carnivorism.
It's true that Cain's original building of cities was a rebellion against God's
command (Genesis 4:12,16,17), but this in itself is not the wickedness of
humanity.
"Noah" is the equivalent of sitting through a
139-minute sermon delivered by an atheist. What thinking Christian (which we
should all be - Matthew 22:37) would do this? I'm reminded of Paul's sarcastic
comments on how well the Corinthians were tolerating false teachers because they
looked and sounded good (2 Corinthians 11:19,20).
I'm not against movies. I like a good story. I was
even intrigued by the trailer to "Noah" before I did a little research. But you
and I are meant to encounter the truth of the Word of God through the reading,
hearing, and teaching of the Book...together. Why? Because the bare events and
words (even if they're accurately portrayed, which they're not in "Noah")
are not enough. We have the whole Book because it records the events and words,
but also their meaning. We are not meant to give the narratives
our own meanings or values, or reflect on how they make us feel. No matter how
faithful a movie like "Son of God" is, it doesn't contain the New Testament
apostolic testimony about what Christ's life meant and what it requires from us.
Enjoy the movie if it doesn't mock and twist Scripture (which "Noah"
does), but don't ever, ever think the movie is enough. We are meant to
gather together and fellowship in the Word by the power of the Spirit. He works
through His Word in the gathering of His people.
* * * * * * *
Finally, Noah himself was not the Promised Seed
(Genesis 3:15), but he did prophecy concerning the Gospel work of the Promised
Seed:
"Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he
shall be to his brothers...blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan
be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his servant" (Genesis 9:25,26).
"Canaan" (the descendants of Ham) will be subdued
during Israel's conquering of the Promised Land.
"Shem" will become the Hebrews, the children of
Israel, the Jews: the people through whom Christ the King comes into the world
(John 4:22; Romans 9:5).
"Japheth" will be the Gentiles, the largest people
group. Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ "people from every tribe and
language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9) will be taken from Japheth
and united with Christians from the tribe of Shem (Jews) to be one people in
Christ (Acts 11:1-18; 20:21; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:11-22; Colossians
3:9-11). They will, in other words, "dwell in the tents of Shem" by
faith in Jesus Christ.
Everything in the biblical story points us to
Christ and the saving work of His Gospel. AND it reminds us how seriously God
takes sin and how unstoppable His wrath against it is.
* * * * * * *
There are numerous different understandings of
Genesis 6:1,2, but here's how I understand it - the "sons of God" are those who
were of God's covenant people in those days, and the "daughters of men" were
those outside of God's covenant people. In other words, the sons of God's people
took wives from the women of unbelievers...we'll see this echoed in Numbers
25:1-18 and in the adulterous temptress of Proverbs (see also Genesis 28:6-9;
Judges 16:4-20). I think this interpretation best fits themes we will see later
in the Bible. (The fact of the matter is that we don't know precisely what the
word "Nephilim" in Genesis 6:4 is, so it's safer not to let theories about this
word direct your interpretation).
