Mankind has a tendency to play the blame game with God. Refer back to Adam when he realized the sin he committed in the garden. Do you remember his initial reaction? “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate.” Adam was very quick to include everyone in his fault. People of today’s world blame God for the tragedies that take place. They claim that an all-loving God would not watch on standby while the world hurts.
Many skeptics target God as a corrupt being for the countless lives He took in the Old Testament narrative. The flood is perhaps one of the most well-known and extravagant manslaughters recorded in history, especially since Noah and his family were the only survivors from the entire population of the earth. How could God, the origin of love, do such a thing?! Here are some observations to consider:
- The intentions of man were evil continually (Gen. 6:5) – We can try and grasp that concept, but I’m convinced we’ve never experienced a culture of wickedness to this degree. If God let that generation continue on, violence would have escalated until man’s extinction became a reality.
- God made a choice – He had a couple options at this point in the timeline. He could have wiped out everyone, including Noah. Noah was a righteous man and therefore could have received his reward after facing death. This would have, and could have been the ending for mankind. But He didn’t. He allowed Noah to live, and because of that choice, we are here today.
- God gave man a choice – Verse 14 is an incredible illustration of grace. He waited patiently until Noah finished the ark. Not only that, but He allowed Noah to preach a message of repentance to the people during this time. God did everything within the realm of free moral agency to get the people to turn from their ways.
- The intentions of God were good continually – God knew He would eventually have to send His Son to a cross and watch the painstaking event of crucifixion unfold. He knew there would be more souls who would reject Him. He knew pain would ensue if He let man continue on in their existence. So why did He save Noah? Because of love. Love is not just a feeling, it’s a commitment to proceed forward no matter the joys or pains that wait in the future.
While many look at God as a corrupt being who is okay with killing man, we have the opportunity to praise a God who is gracious, merciful, and loving. Look at the pain of this world, the decay of it, and the death of it. But don’t stop there. Look at the sunrise of the next life to come, and you’ll see a Savior waiting to embrace you. The flood is one of the biggest stories of love that we’ll ever know.
Tyler King