THE REALITY OF THE FLOOD PT 1

Good morning to all of you.

This post will begin to examine the description of the flood contained in Genesis 6-8. We need to know why it happened and notice the additional changes to the world's climate that occurred after the flood.

To this point in history, we have traced out the creation including human origins. We have witnessed the devastating impact of sin entering the world as we see the use of the phrase "and he died."

We saw the rise of a sensual, secular culture as the earth was populated and cities were built. The world still had a remarkable climate ideal for all forms of life to reproduce as God planned.

We saw that there are two lines of people: the Godly line descending from Seth and the ungodly line descending from Cain. This is not to say that everyone in the line of Seth were "Godly." Rather, it is a Holy Spirit inspired record of the family connections that will ultimately become part of the ancestry of Christ.

The context of Genesis 4 & 5 shows that there was ongoing conflict between the two lines of humanity. The conflict began with Cain murdering Abel and being judged by Holy God for his sin.

Essentially, this condition continues in the world today. People of all ages, genders and ethnicity commit unspeakable acts of violence and degradation upon others. It will never stop being this way until Jesus Christ returns to this world to set up His kingdom.

Sin is a terrible thing that tragically ruins lives, fosters rebellion against the revealed will of God and robs man of the beautiful relationship God originally intended for us to have with Him.

However, we also noted good news in that the Godly line began to preach the truth of God that they had in that day, to the ungodly line. Men began to call upon the name of the Lord for salvation and although we do not have a record of people responding to the preaching of the Word, no doubt there are those who did respond by faith.

Genesis 5 closes by telling us that Noah fathered 3 sons and that Lamech lived 590 years after Noah was born. Noah did not have children until he was 500 years of age.

Genesis 5:30-32 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6 opens with verses describing the accelerating degradation of the human culture. It would seem to indicate that although God's word was being preached, the response seemed to be diminishing as men moved from calling upon the name of the Lord to following their wicked imagination.

The people did every vile and evil thing that they could think of. It was brazen sin against God. It was the promotion of perversion, a complete disregard of the moral standards God established. The Godly line began to mix with the ungodly line and the call to holiness was ignored. The defiant rebellion against God reached the point where God said He would destroy all mankind.

Genesis 6:1-7 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.


God gives a stern warning in this text. He says His spirit will not always strive with man and He set a time limit of 120 years. If you have never responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ and been born again, I urge you not to delay. 

If you know that your heart is not right with God and that you do not have any relationship with Holy God, that uneasy and guilty feeling is likely the convicting work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit may one day stop trying to call you to Christ, and at that point there is no further hope available. 

In the next post we will be introduced to a man named Noah. He found grace in the sight of the Lord. You too, can find that same grace when you turn in repentant faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
See you next time!
Bob

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