Day 7: God is grieved by man’s sin
Read Genesis 6:1-8
In Genesis 6, God sees that man’s sin is not a behavior problem but a heart problem. Every inclination of the thoughts of man’s heart was evil. God also sees that man’s sin contaminates everything, it is pervasive. Genesis 6 also says that God was grieved that He had made man and His heart was filled with pain. God is not apathetic or unaffected by our sin. God is not unmoved by the consequence of our sin! God’s pain is real. To not understand God’s pain is to not understand His love. Part of God’s pain is related to His judgment! God must and will judge sin. He has to! To write God’s judgment out of the script of our lives is to violate the very character of God. Many of us struggle with the judgment of God. It seems harsh to us, archaic, and intolerant. Yet, for us to negate the reality of God’s judgment on sin is to say that violence wins. Man’s violence without a God who stands outside of us to not only determine right from wrong but to be the judge of the right and the judge of the wrong in the world! God must judge sin and will judge sin.
This is a dark backdrop against which we get to see the glimmer of light of the fourth reality about God we see in this passage and that is the grace of God. God provides rescue for those who will believe Him. Noah found favor with God. Literally Noah was the object of God’s grace. Why? Was Noah just better than everyone else? Hebrews 11:7 tells us that what was different about Noah was not a righteousness in himself, but it was the righteousness that comes by faith.
Q: How does the fact that God is grieved & in pain over sin change your view of God?
Q: What are the implications, if God did not judge sin? (Think hard on this.)
Q: Reflect on a time when you felt like you were standing alone or running against the flow of everyone else. What things keep you from doing what God says?
Q: What are some things you know God wants you to do that you are hesitant to do?
Q: How is the story of Noah a picture of God’s grace?