The Vindictive Violation - Part 2

         We’re only a few chapters into Genesis and we already see what happens when the human race chooses evil. Things quickly take a turn for the worse. But we need not despair. Remember, the all-knowing, Almighty God knows this is coming. He already has a reset planned. We get a hint of it in Gen. 6:3. “And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’ ”
            This is a time-specific prophecy that alerts us that God plans to deal with the violation in 120 years. Why does God wait? He waits to allow mankind to see the error of their ways. Otherwise, they could accuse Him of jumping the gun and moving too quickly with His judgments. He is also bound to the rules of operation in His creation, working through the choices of Adam’s godly line.
            So enters another character in His-tory. In the midst of the great wickedness of the masses, God sees a faithful man. He is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Adam. [Hmm, 7 greats; coincidence?]
            Noah finds grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8). Noah is a just and perfect man, uncontaminated by the hybrids. He walks with God and has endeavored to plant the ways of God into his three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They will play pivotal rolls in the aftermath of what is about to happen. As always, they get to choose the roll they will play.
            You probably know what happens next: the great worldwide Flood. Why is the Flood worldwide? It’s because the Nephilim have used their great knowledge and might to establish strongholds around the world. Hence, the unusual monoliths and very ancient structures around the globe. Of course Satan uses his giant minions to build counterfeits.
            There is one exception, however. It is the Great Pyramid that was built by Shem and his descendants according to God’s design. The intricate details visually highlight His plan.
              God reminds us again of why the Flood has to happen. “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (vs. 11-12). Evil has to be contained. It can’t be allowed to proliferate unabated.
            God shares His plan with Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (vs. 13). The plan includes a life-saving way to avoid the consequences of mankind’s evil choices—an ark.
            Noah faithfully follows God’s instructions for the ark even though it probably doesn’t make any sense to him because it has never rained on the earth. He also probably doesn’t know that the oversized vessel foreshadows another life-saving Way—Jesus Christ—who would become the spiritual ark as the Savior of the world and deliver people from the flood-like consequences of sin and death.
So in effect, God was forced to flood and destroy the earth in order to cleanse it from the genetic corruptions perpetrated by the fallen angels and the nephilim. By preserving eight souls, together with pairs of the other creatures, God was able to start over and maintain the integrity of the prophecy in Genesis. The lineage of the Seed would be safeguarded. Knowing what the Seed would accomplish for mankind, the watery reset is a merciful solution.
             The Chronos Lesson: Let’s take a moment to recall the conditions in the world at that time. EVERY intent of their hearts was evil CONTINUALLY. We think that what humanity has witnessed throughout history and what we are witnessing now is bad. Can you imagine every intent being evil continually?
            I believe it is also helpful to take a moment to see God’s heart in this reset. Because God is perfectly just, it was necessary to contain evil and to keep at least one lineage of the human race set apart to God. Because God loves perfectly, verse 6 says He was grieved. Yes, God has feelings, too.     Some translations say God repented or was sorry that He had made mankind. But the actual Hebrew word literally means to sigh heavily. I know the feeling, Lord. I’ve sighed quite a bit lately—usually when I watch the news.
            If you think the Flood was an over-reaction on God’s part, Romans 6:19 warns that these evil tendencies still linger in the human race. It is a weakness of our flesh that we know or are capable of evil. And it continues to multiply after its own kind: the more we yield to this uncleanness and this lawlessness, the more lawlessness proliferates and worsens. At some point, God knows mankind will reach the point of no return. That breaking point of creation cannot be allowed.
            Let’s fast forward to Rev. 11:18 to glimpse a climatic moment [emphasis added]. “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.” Is there any wonder why Jesus compared the times of Noah with our own times? There’s more to this timely scene than many believers have seen. Stay tuned.