June 23, 1999

FAMILY BIBLE SERIES:
God's hatred of sin, love of
humans shown to Noah
___ Genesis 6:5-9:17
___By Susan Pigott
___Logsdon School of Theology, Abilene
___"Why would a good God decide to destroy the world? It just seems so vengeful!" This is a question that is posed to me almost every semester when I teach about the flood and Noah's ark. And it is a legitimate question.
___What could motivate the wholesale destruction of men, women and even children by the very God who created them?
___ Punishment (Genesis 6:5-7). The answer to this question is summarized in Genesis 6:5. Humanity had reached the point of no return because "every intent of the thoughts of (their hearts) was only evil continually." In English the word "heart" connotes the seat of the emotions, but in Hebrew the word represents the seat of the will or mind--the conscience.
___Humans were so corrupted by sin that they continually chose to do evil, and this decision impacted all of creation. Because of sin, God determined to destroy all humans, animals and birds with a flood and restore creation to its original form--a watery chaos (see Genesis 1:2).
___Sin destroys and corrupts what is good, and as the New Testament clearly states, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
___ Deliverance (Genesis 6:8; 7:1-4). However, in the midst of this horrifying announcement of judgment a tiny word appears that offers a glimmer of hope: "But." "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord" (6:8). All creation would be destroyed because of humanity's sinfulness, but hope would come through the righteousness of one man who obeyed God and built an ark.
___Against all odds, the human race would be given a new beginning.
___ Promise (Genesis 9:12-17). God established a covenant of hope with Noah and his family, with every living creature and with the earth itself (9:12-13), promising never again to use a flood to destroy all flesh.
___This promise was not made because humans deserved it. Rather, the promise was made in spite of the fact humanity's wickedness would continue (8:21).
___In other words, God's promise was based on grace, not on the goodness of humans. The bow in the clouds served as a reminder to God of the promise to Noah and all future generations.
___It may make us uncomfortable to read about a God who actually punishes sin, because we prefer to dwell on grace and forgiveness. Nevertheless, we must never forget the God of mercy is also a God who is just and punishes sin (Exodus 34:6-7).
___ We live in an age of relativity and ambiguity, where sin is no longer acknowledged as sin. Alongside the message of grace in Jesus Christ we must also help our world understand sin is real and punishment is eternal.
___ It is not a popular message, but it is a vital one.

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