Genesis 6:1-8
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart.
So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD. (ESV)
- The Wickedness of Man:
a) The Image of God (v1-2):
Humanity’s fulfilment of the mandate of God (the cultural mandate).
God’s Sovereignty of over all of life.
b) The Sin of Mankind (v4-5):
Man’s heart was corrupt and their abominable conduct grieved God. - The Lord’s Response:
a) His Judgement (v3) – the shortening of mankind’s lifespan.
b) His Verdict (v5) – the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intention (its width) of man’s heart were only evil (its depth) continually (its span). See Romans 3v10-18.
c) His Regret and Grief (v6) – Anthropomorphically, God regretted His creation of mankind and it grieved His heart that He made them.
d) His Wrath (v7) – What God saw made Him react to the sins of mankind, kindling His wrath.
e) His Favour (v8) – But the Good News: Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord. Why? God elected Noah to find favour in His eyes, granting him faith which was credited to him as righteousness.