God to Destroy Mankind, Part 1
So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
Here we read God’s decision in response to the nearly complete moral degeneration of humanity before the Flood. Last week we read that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Not only were man’s actions characterized by wickedness, but his heart (his inward motivation) was evil. This degeneration of morality was a result of a refusal to acknowledge God and follow His ways (Romans 1:20-28; 8:7).
The natural consequence of man’s wickedness was suffering and violence. Because of the extent of sin in antediluvian society, the earth had become a miserable and dangerous place that was “filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11-13). It was so violent that it was unsafe for any righteous human beings to live there and could have eventually resulted in mankind destroying itself. The Bible consistently teaches the principle of cause and effect. The effects of sin are listed in Galatians 5:19-21.
Tomorrow’s Daily Bible Verse Blog will further cover why God occasionally decrees the death of some human beings.
To learn more about the causes of human suffering, read the articles at “Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering?”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “God to Destroy Mankind, Part 2”
