Genesis 6:10-13 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
In our last devotional thought, we looked at the fact the Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. One of the first ways that grace was demonstrated and imparted was in the unveiling of truth from God to Noah. “And God said unto Noah....” It was a great act of God’s grace to thus reveal His displeasure with humanity because of their sin, and His plan to “destroy them with the earth.” The Deist would be quick to affirm a belief in God, but would just as quickly reject the notion that God would interact with men, and certainly would not communicate with them. Throughout the Scripture, we read of God speaking to humanity. He did so at times through dreams and visions. According to Exodus 33:11, “the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” We believe that the Word of God was “God-breathed,” “inspired” as we read in 2 Timothy 3:26. Beloved, that God has revealed Himself, His will, and His plan is a great example of His grace, and that revelation has been given to us through His Word. Noah did find grace in the eyes of the Lord, and one of the ways that grace was given was in the revelations that God gave him.
Now think just for a moment what that revelation was that was given to Noah. “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Previously, we read “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” That wickedness that controlled the heart of humanity naturally led to something else; “violence.” The Hebrew word translated “violence” means “wrong” with the idea of “seeking after unjust gain.” It means “injustice,” and “violence.” Sin’s disease had so corrupted the human family that all were bent on gain, regardless of how they had to obtain it. The word “corrupt” speaks of ruin, or decay. What an apt description of how sin had afflicted humanity by the time of Noah. They were ruined, decayed, and their lives were examples of cruelty, greed, injustice and violence. The result of that wickedness that had so corrupted humanity was total destruction through Divine judgment.
This is certainly not a pleasant thought, and some chose to disregard the thought of God exacting judgment on sin and sinners. Please read the following passages: Psalms 9:17; Mark 9:42-50; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15. Unfortunately, many who might acknowledge the existence of God only consider Him as being longsuffering, good and kind. And, while He is certainly all of those things, He is also just. The writer of Ecclesiastes revealed a sobering truth that needs to be believed and heeded; “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy you, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” See also Acts 17:30-31; 24:25; Romans 2:5-11; and Hebrews 9:27. Our God is compassionate, longsuffering and full of mercy, but He can also be a “consuming fire,” and as we read in Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Pastor Steve Smith