Creator, Father, King #47

Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.

IMAGINE IF THE WORLD was filled with nothing but thousands of dangerous escaped convicts. This was the moral climate of earth in the early days of humanity, as described in Genesis 6:5: “The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.”

That’s a shocking statement.

Verses 11-12 give additional detail: “Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.”

Once a beautiful paradise, God’s creation sadly had devolved into a realm of brutality and wickedness, thanks to sin. The world was a treacherous place to live. Love and kindness were as rare as an oasis in a vast desert wasteland. Selfishness, pride, and hostility ruled. Violence was the currency of the day (verse 11). It’s entirely possible Cain’s murderous example was being repeated often. The earth was groaning under the weight of sin.

But one man was different. His name was Noah. As today’s verse says, “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time.”

What’s It Mean?

Noah’s decision to follow God in such a hostile environment couldn’t have been easy. The entire world was filled with evil and cruelty. He was one man walking one way while the flood of humanity (no pun intended) wickedly raged the opposite way. It would have been much easier to go with the flow. Yet he chose to trust in God, press on, and ultimately, his faith saved him and his family.

Read today’s news headlines. Today’s world is no different than Noah’s. It’s a dark, wicked place. Maybe you haven’t been confronted yet with tough choices in life. If not, you will eventually. Or maybe you’re facing one now. Regardless, when that decision comes, will you go with the flow of godlessness, or like Noah, will you stand against the tide and follow God in obedience and faith?

Now What?

Pray for God to help you stand strong for him, even when it seems the whole world is choosing evil.

Did You Know?

Noah’s era was also when God began limiting the extensive age spans of humans. Genesis 6:3 says, “In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”