The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
Genesis 6:5-7 (ESV)
There are two parties in this story, each with a big problem - man and God. Fortunately, as we shall see, the two problems combine easily into a straightforward solution.
Man and his problem:
The problem of man is very clear in these verses. Just a few chapters earlier, in the creation accounts, we find that "God blessed them [mankind]. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it'" (Genesis 1:28, ESV). Very soon after this we find Adam and Eve breaking the one commandment they are given by God, seeking to become like him by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From this first sin, man has indeed multiplied to the extent that he has filled the earth with evil. That is, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth".
This wickedness is not just great in its extent across the earth, on a macroscopic level. Nor is it merely a problem that is found in some people all over the earth. Rather it is both macroscopic and microscopic - man is evil even in the tiniest of details. We see that "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". There is a lot of evil packed into this sentence:
- every - this is a fully inclusive evil; everything is evil, there is no room left for good
- intention - even the lofty ambitions of man are evil
- thoughts of his heart - even before the actual deeds, the mind of man is evil
- only evil continually - there is neither room nor time for good; this is a ceaseless evil
In other words, before we even come to the actual deeds of man we see in his heart he is fully evil. There is not a single good thought, not a single good intention, in his heart. He has no time nor any inclination to even consider planning to do anything good. Man is as utterly evil as he could possibly be. When Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit in the garden of Eden, they chose to directly disobey God, putting themselves in his place. Now we see that this attitude of rebellion has spread so that all mankind, in every thought and desire, is choosing to directly disobey God. Man's great problem is that he has rejected God, who created him and provided for him.
God and his problem:
The LORD saw the state of man and "it grieved him to his heart". God created man to be his representative on Earth - made in His image, so that when creation looked at man they would be pointed to God the creator. Man was the culmination of creation, made to dwell in relationship with God. When Adam and Eve rejected God, they were cast out of the garden of Eden, out of God's immediate presence. Now the relationship has been further shattered, as all man is rejecting God in every way they can, every second of every day. In this way God is grieved. Man could not have acted in any way that is more offensive or more grievous to God, since "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Further to merely being grieved by the rebellion of man, God "regretted that he had made man on the earth". This is not to say that God believed he had made a mistake and wished he could go back to change his mind about creation. Rather it expresses in human terms the intensity of God's feeling against the wickedness of man. For, being fully sovereign, God knew what man would become when he made him. Indeed, as we shall see, this wickedness is part of God's big plan for his creation, still in its infancy.
So, God's problem is that he is left grieved by the wickedness of man, with the strength of feeling of one who regrets every creating man. As I said earlier, these two problems, of man and God, fit together to create a simple solution.
The obvious solution:
Now the next word in the text is a classic linking word, that even a young child can follow. So. What we have looked at so far leads simply into the solution. As a result of what we have seen, God declared, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” There can be no other solution for a God of justice. Man has willingly rejected his reason for creation, turning his back on God completely. Man no longer deserves to remain a part of God's creation. The culmination of God's creation has failed and is no longer fit for purpose. Creation no longer functions as it should. The natural solution is simply to get rid of it.
This is not like suggesting that a sick racehorse should be killed because it is no longer fit for purpose. There is nothing in the passage to suggest that man is merely suffering under the weight of his mistakes, or made broken by some sickness. The passage is clear that man is indulging in an all-encompassing evil. This is not even the equivalent of discussing if a serial killer should be given the death penalty. Man is not an equal party to God, nor does he have any claim over creation. Man is like a house-sitter, there to represent the owner and care for his creation. When man chooses to reject God and go his own way, he forfeits any right to remain a part of creation. As Adam and Eve were warned, "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 1:17, ESV.) How much more does man who as evil as he can possibly be deserve death?
At this point the story could justly end. The only tragedy would be that creation failed. Like one may mourn the loss of an abusive spouse, not because there is any sadness in losing the abusive individual, but because of the lost potential. The opportunity that man had to serve God and enjoy perfect relationship with him was worth infinitely more than any of the pleasures they sought. God, however, is just and his patience cannot last forever. It is only right that he should bring judgment on wicked man. In the judgment of sinners we see the wonderful justice and holiness of God. We find confidence that God will not let evil go unrewarded. The story does not end here, however, even though there would be nothing to complain about if it did.
Noah and the God of love:
"But Noah found favour in the eyes of God" (Genesis 6:8, ESV).
Man was evil and God was grieved SO God decided to end creation BUT Noah found favour in his eyes. Another simple word leads us into the greatest cause for celebration that sinful man can have in this story. God will not let the story end here. God loves his creation and has great plans for it. Through the destruction of sinful man, his character is displayed and he is glorified. A holy and righteous God, who will not tolerate evil and will not let the guilty go unpunished. The perfect judge. But this is not all he is. As Noah finds favour in the eyes of God, the love of God is displayed.
Noah should be joining man in facing God's judgment, but he is chosen by God to endure. God's mercy is at work here, as Noah escapes the punishment he deserves. More than this, though, Noah is not simply let off the hook. The verse does not read "But Noah was allowed to live by God". Noah receives God's grace, finding favour in God's eyes. As well as escaping the punishment that God is bringing on man, Noah is given a convenant (agreement) with God and "God blessed Noah and his sons" (Genesis 9:1, ESV). Noah is not merely saved to carry on life as it was before, but he is saved for a renewed relationship with God and a renewed covenant with God. Noah is chosen to start a second attempt at creation, one which begins with a promise that God will never again destory the earth with a flood (Genesis 9:11).
So, we see God more fully glorified as he shows his judgment on sinful, deserving man, yet pours blessing on a chosen man. Noah receives mercy, as he escapes punishment, and grace, as he receives blessing. The problem for man is not over yet, though. Noah is chosen from among an evil mankind. The punishment he should have received has not arrived yet. Whilst God has acted in justice and love here, the problem of sin remains. Man cannot exist in relationship with God whilst sin exists, for sinful man deserves death. If man is to be able to live in the relationship with God they were intended for, there will need to be a better and longer-lasting solution. By the end of chapter nine of Genesis, where God establishes his covenant with Noah, Noah has both sinned and died. The story is not over yet.
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