AUTHORITY
Genesis 6:13-22
By Mike Gurganus

INTRODUCTION:

  1. Authority plays an important part in many areas of our lives.

  1. The result is often tragic when an individual refuses to submit to authority.

  1. When a child does not recognize the authority of his parents it leads to calamity.
  2. When a person does not recognize the authority of the government it leads to chaos.
  3. When a person does not recognize the authority of God’s Word it leads to confusion.

    1. Jeremiah 10:23, "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps."
    2. Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

  1. Everything men do in religion they must do so by the authority of God if they are to please Him.

  1. From Genesis 6:13-22 we are able to learn much about authority.

  1. We learn of the origin of authority.
  2. We learn of the difference between generic and specific authority.
  3. We learn of the proper response to authority.

  1. THE ORIGIN OF AUTHORITY. 6:13

  1. The origin of authority is God. "And God said to Noah…"

    1. God has spoken, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." Hebrews 1:1,2
    2. God has spoken in words, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…" II Timothy 3:16
    3. God has spoken in words that communicate His will, "…and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." II Timothy 3:16
    4. God has spoken in words so that man may be complete, "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." II Timothy 3:17
    5. God has spoken in words that will one day judge man, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." John 12:48

  1. Have you ever said, "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it"

    1. We must realize that God is the source of authority and He does not need our approval when it comes to His instructions for us.
    2. It is not, "God said it, I believe it and that settles it," it is "God said it, that settles it." God is the source of authority not you and I.
    3. For example God said,
    1. Concerning Jesus, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17). Whether or not you and I ever believe that Jesus is God’s Son, it does not change the fact God has set forth that Jesus is His Son. God said it and that settles it.
    2. Concerning worship, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16) Whether or not you and I ever believe that we are to only sing in our worship of God, God has set forth that we are to only sing in our worship of Him. God said it and that settles it.
    3. Concerning salvation, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned " (Mark 16:16) Whether or not you and I ever believe that one has to be baptized to be saved, God has set forth that we must be baptized to be saved. God said it and that settles it

  1. The question left for us, is will we allow God to settle the matter for us? Our attitude should be that of Balaam, "'All that the LORD speaks, that I must do?" Numbers 23:26

  1. UNDERSTANDING GENERIC/SPECIFIC AUTHORITY. Genesis 6:13-21

  1. It is of vital importance that we understand the difference between generic and specific authority as it relates to the word of God.

    1. When God gives us a generic command, how we carry out that command is left up to us.

    1. "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark" What Noah used to accomplish this task given to him by God was left up to him.

    2. Another Biblical example, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15) The means of transportation has been left up to us.

    1. When God gives us a specific command, how we carry out the command is not left up to us and God expects exact obedience.

    1. "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood" 6:14 What if Noah had chosen to use another type of wood?
    2. "cover it inside and outside with pitch" 6:14 What if Noah had decided to place pitch only on the inside?
    3. "the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits." 6:15 What if Noah had decided to build the ark with the dimensions of 275 * 45 * 25?
    4. "You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks." 6:16 What if Noah had decided to build the ark with three windows, four doors and six stories?
    5. "And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive." 6:19,20 What if Noah had decided to bring onto the ark four of every kind of animals and they all were male?
    6. Another Biblical example, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15)" What we are to teach to others has not been left up to us, we are to teach the gospel.

  1. We have no trouble understanding the difference between generic and specific authority as it relates to everyday life, but yet when it comes to God’s instructions we throw aside logic and common sense.

  1. THE PROPER RESPONSE TO AUTHORITY.

 

  1. God gave Noah instructions and notice the response of Noah, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (Genesis 6:22). Noah built the ark and all other things exactly and precisely as God told him.

  2. God has stressed to us through various scriptures the importance of doing exactly what He says.

    1. Deuteronomy 4:2, "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."
    2. Proverbs 30:6, "Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."
    3. Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
    4. I Corinthians 4:6, "…that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written…"
    5. Revelation 22:18,19, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

  1. We say, "Does it really matter that I do it exactly as God says. I don’t see that it really matters, but we need to realize that it matters to God.

    1. Leviticus 10:1,2, "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."

      1. It seems that Nadab and Abihu were of the opinion, "What’s the big deal, God won’t mind if we offer the incense of our choosing.
      2. But it did matter to God and because they offered that which He had not commanded them, He destroyed them. God demands exact and precise obedience.
    2. "And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God" (II Samuel 6:6,7)

      1. Uzzah was doing a good thing, he reached out his hand to the steady the ark of God . What’s the big deal? Surely God will understand, it really won’t matter.

      2. But it did matter to God, God killed Uzzah because God had commanded that only the Levites were to touch the ark, anyone else would die if they touched it (Deuteronomy 10:8; I Chronicles 15:2). God demands exact and precise obedience.

    3. Some say, you know I really do not see the importance or it does not really matter if I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, God won’t mind.

      1. But it does matter to God, "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."" John 8:24
      2. God demands exact and precise obedience.
    4. Some, say, "I don’t see the big deal about using musical instruments in our worship of God, God won’t mind, it doesn’t really matter;" but it does matter to God for He has commanded us to only sing as part of our worship to Him today
      1. "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord," (Ephesians 5:19)
      2. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)
      3. God demands precise and exact obedience.
    5. Some say, "I don’t see the big deal about being baptized, God won’t mind if I am not baptized, it doesn’t really matter;" but it does matter to God for He commanded us to be baptized.
    1. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)
    2. "There is also an antitype which now saves us; baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ," (I Peter 3:21)
    3. God demands precise and exact obedience.

  1. May we all realize that God expects exact and precise obedience and will not accept partial, some or mostly obedience.

CONCLUSION:

  1. From Genesis 6 we have seen,

  1. The source of authority is God.
  2. The difference between generic and specific authority.
    1.  Generic authority—When God gives us a generic command, how we carry out that command is left up to us.
    2.  Specific authority—When God gives us a specific command, how we carry out the command is not left up to us and God expects exact obedience.
  3. The proper response to God’s commands is precise and exact obedience.

   2. And may ever seek to say as Balaam did, "'All that the LORD speaks, that I must do?" Numbers 23:26