Is it hard to imagine a world so wicked in the sight of God that He had to destroy it? Noah, the Bible says was a “just” man. He was a man who practiced righteousness (right living before God), and because of it, God warned Noah of His soon coming plans, plans to wipe out every living thing on the earth through a great Flood. He instructed Noah to build an Ark, whereby a remnant of mankind and animal life of the world that then was, would be saved. Two of each kind, male and female would he bring that the animal kinds upon the earth would be saved for posterity. Just stop and think about that for a minute – God informed this man that He was going to wipe out the earth. Can you imagine yourself in Noah’s shoes? It almost makes me think of the movie Knowing whereby a man deciphered through a series of coded messages through his son that the world was going to end. How would you, rather, how could you even prepare for something like that knowing that everything you once knew was going to be wiped out, and your life would change forever? I’m sure Noah witnessed to those around him. More on that shortly…
In Genesis 6, God tells us that His Spirit would not always “strive” with man, meaning He was not going to always plead with us to repent. As a result of this, it says He was going to shorten man’s days to 120 years. Before this time, men were living long ages, the oldest of which was Methuselah who lived 969 years. It’s sad that many do not trust the validity and authority of the Bible, so we will once again go outside of Scripture and relay an archaeological find. In the early 1900s, archaeologists uncovered what would turn out to be several copies (different versions if you will) of what is known as the “Sumerian King List” that mention the reigns of several kings who lived long ages both before and after a great Flood. The length of their reigns totaled in the thousands, as much as 43,000 for one of the first 8 kings only for the Flood to hit, whereby afterwards the length of their reigns drop drastically to 1200 and below eventually ending in the single digits. The list also mentions some of the place names and people whereby the Bible tells us that the first civilizations after the Flood, including the founders of those civilizations match some of those in the Sumerian King’s Lists. My hope is to cover these early ancient civilizations in a future post as it is covered generally but fairly extensively in my book. Just realize this – mankind to this day does not live much more than 120 years. There’s a Scripture that says, “Let God be true and every man a liar.” I think that’s an appropriate verse to interject here.
There were mighty men and even giants in the land Scripture tells us, that lived before the Flood (Genesis 6:4). This is funny because mankind has discovered a former world of giants, during so-called prehistoric times, of giant plants…cattails some 50 ft tall and lycopods (strange-looking trees) 100 ft tall. There were dragonflies with wingspans of 4 feet in length about the size of a sea gull and there were others, plenty of others. These things were said to live during a time called the Carboniferous period when scientists presume that oxygen levels were at an all-time high of 35% to account for the gigantism seen in the earth in those days. Long ages of men, giant things…we can only imagine what the pre-Flood world must have looked like. Needless to say it was quite different, but I wouldn’t say different in terms of the wickedness that overtook the land. Yes, God’s Spirit would not always strive, just as I have to wonder how His Spirit must be grieved as He looks out over the sea of our present humanity and sees a world filled with sin and violence that are increasingly growing to an all-time high.
And so, Genesis 6:5 says, “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 again in verses 11-12 “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” He was grieved whereby in verse 7 He declared, “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.8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Again in verse 13 we read “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth which is with pacificdreamscapes.com san diego ca is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” It is at this juncture that God gives Noah instructions to build an ark with all of its dimensions. This would be the only thing that would save any human being that would have potentially listened. Some refer to it as the ark of safety.
No doubt this righteous man preached to those around him, warning them that the judgment of God was coming. 2 Peter 2:4-8 clues us in on this, for it says, “4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;).”
Do you for a minute think the Flood was some small-scaled mythological event? Not so, for time will not permit me now to go into the mechanisms behind the Flood (which Scripture gives us), though I can post it in a future blog. Know this…Jesus made reference to the time of His future coming which if anyone who stops and takes a look at the world today knows that it can’t be too far off. Concerning the day of His return, Matthew 24:36-39 says, “36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Note: This blog was originally conceived April 18, 2016. It wasn’t until now (September 16, 2017) that I was finally able to complete its beginnings and get it posted! God bless
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