From Seth to Noah: from a new son to a new people

Revival is written in the Bible. After the Fall, from which its need arises, where does it begin? Remember what Martyn Lloyd Jones said in his preaching on Revival: “You cannot revive something that has never had life.” And that Revival’s first focus is the renewal of the people of God.

After the Fall the Lord gives new life to Adam and Eve in the birth of two sons, Cain and then Abel. But Cain suffers temptations of evil against his brother, which bring sin crouching at the door of his heart. Sadly he does not master it but opens the door and kills Abel. Unable to repent, he comes under God’s curse.

Revival begins with Seth. And as an introduction to his birth Scripture restates God’s creation of man. Genesis C5 v1 - 3

“This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created man, He made them in the likeness of God He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, He called them “man”. When Adam had lived years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.” [NIV 1984]

Seth it is said may mean ‘granted’. Here is an act of God’s grace. It is presented like a new creation, as if the living cursed Cain does not exist.

Seth made in the image of Adam is made in the image of God. He is the first of the line of man that flows from Adam to Jesus, who fulfils all Revival for He leads God’s obedient people out of exile home to God and to eternal life in the new creation. Through Seth we come to Noah. Sadly by his day evil had so multiplied through man that there was great wickedness on the earth.

“Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”

This grieved the Lord and His heart was filled with pain. He resolves to ‘wipe mankind whom [He] had created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air. He regenerates mankind through Noah who was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and walking with God. [See Genesis 6 v1 to 9]

It is worth noting in passing that:

[1] God is neither emotionless nor unable to suffer, as indeed we fully see in Jesus.

[2] All creation is stained by the sins of mankind. Our evil spoils creation as fly tipping spoils the countryside and land pollution the rivers and the sea.

[3] It is insufficient to read the story as a rainbow promise of life between God and all humanity. God does commit Himself not to destroy life again by a flood, but He does not a promise to give eternal life to all people.

As Hebrews 9:27 tells us: “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement”. We shall all as Rev 20:12ff says be judged according to what we have done, and if out name is not found in the book of life we will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

God works a Revival through Noah, making a new line of people who in the definition words of the Shorter OED, are operative for His purposes, returning them to a flourishing state.

Through Shem, He will raise up Israel, a people holy to Himself, chosen to be his treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth, [see Deuteronomy 7v6] which He initiates in Abram and Sarai, but their revival story is for another episode.