The Flood: Cruel Genocide or Merciful Justice?

28/8/2019

The Flood: Cruel Genocide or Merciful Justice?

“Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground—man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky—for I am sorry that I have made them.”” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭6:5-7‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

When Bible skeptics read the account of God sending a flood to destroy all living things on earth, they claim that God is a cruel dictator who committed the worst genocide.

However they don’t consider what kind of evil mankind was doing on earth at that time.
Back then, mankind’s lifespans were incredibly long due to the pre-flood atmosphere of the earth which was still good for supporting life.
Imagine what kind of evil contraptions, corporations and activities can be imagined and produced by villains who live for multiple hundreds of years?

People were probably raping others in plain sight, having sex with all kind of creatures, torturing those weaker than them and so on.
Not to mention, the fallen angels led by the devil were making everything worse by filling the earth with their half-man, half-angel offspring calledthe Nephilim.
They were giants—huge in stature and very strong.

“The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis‬ ‭6:4‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

Yahweh (the pre-incarnate Christ) saw all the evil that was happening on earth, and gave Enoch a prophecy, warning him about the flood that would come many years later.
That explains why Enoch named his son Methuselah, which in Hebrew means “his death will bring”, in reference to the flood that would come upon Methuselah’s death.

“Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah. After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God for three hundred years, and became the father of more sons and daughters. All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him...All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭5:21-24, 27‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

From the time that God gave Enoch the prophecy to the time of the actual flood, was 969 years—the length of Methuselah’s life.
Methuselah also happens to be the longest living person in history.
This is definitely not by coincidence, but was designed by God out of His patient and longsuffering character.

God does not enjoy executing judgment—He delights in showing mercy and Grace.

“Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?” ‭‭(Ezekiel‬ ‭33:11‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

After receiving the prophecy from God, Enoch probably began preaching strongly about God’s impending judgment, urging hearers to repent before it was too late.

“About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”” ‭‭(Jude‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

After revealing the truth about the impending flood to Enoch, Jesus (Yahweh) also warned Noah about it.

“Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.”” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭6:3‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

For about 120 years, as Noah was building the ark, he was also preaching to the people, telling them to place their faith in God and to repent of their ungodly ways.

“and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly;” ‭‭(2 Peter‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

Was the flood in Noah's time an act of genocide by a cruel God, or was it merciful justice? Let us examine what really happened back then.

The patient and longsuffering character of God who delights in showing mercy

Take note that it had never rained before the flood, and that’s why no one believed that a flood was coming—it was something unprecedented back then.
It was obvious that no one else believed, if not there would be more than 8 people on the ark when the rain began to fall.

Consider the fact that God is so patient and merciful that He waited almost 1000 years before sending the flood to wipe out all life on earth.
He did not act hastily out of anger, and neither did He send the flood secretly without warning.
For all those years, there were preachers chosen by Him to warn the world about the flood and urging people to repent.

“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” ‭‭(2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

As a righteous God, He must punish sinners—by the Law, the wages of sin is death and eternal separation from God. This is called justice and it is what the world cries out for.
When someone cheats them or harms them, they take up the case in court to get justice, don’t they?

Stubborn unbelievers will complain that God doesn’t do anything when people are suffering because of evildoers on earth, and when God sends judgment, they complain that He is a cruel dictator who committed genocide.

Jesus’ words ring so true in this case:

““But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”” ‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭11:16-19‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

No matter what God does, whether He executes justice or shows mercy, those who are wicked at heart will have something bad to say about it.
If one’s impression of God is bad, everything He does can be spun in a way that seems bad.
If one has faith in God, then he or she will trust that everything He does is righteous, merciful and good.
Even when we can’t understand what God is doing it’s okay because His ways and thoughts are higher and wiser than ours.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, we see that the third servant had a bad opinion of his master (who represents Jesus).

““He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” ‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭25:24-30‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

Despite all the mercy, goodness and many attempts at drawing sinners back to Jesus, those unbelievers who foolishly hate Jesus and keep saying bad things about Him will eventually face Jesus at the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of time.

The flood upon the earth caused physical death, but the unquenchable flames in the lake of fire will be utter spiritual death: eternal separation from God’s sweet presence.

Today we can be like Enoch, Methuselah and Noah who have the privilege of warning the world about the impending judgment before it’s too late for them.
We who believe in Jesus are saved. God wants all those who haven’t heard the Gospel to be saved too.
Go out and proclaim the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit so that everyone can come into the true Ark (Jesus) and be saved from the judgment to come!

Who will be judged?
What are the different judgments that Jesus will give?
When will these judgments happen?
Where will they take place?
Why will each person receive a different judgment?
How will these judgments be measured out?

There are so many questions to ask and answer, so I wrote a book called "Sandcastles Don't Last Forever" about it, which also heavily focuses on eternal rewards, fulfilling your calling on earth, end times prophecy and the different judgments at the end of time.

I believe that this is a message that is hardly preached and it's very relevant for us who are living at the second half of the end times.
In the book, I also explain about things that those who go through the Great Tribulation will face, such as the Mark of the Beast, as well as the identity of the Antichrist as revealed by the Bible.
These truths are powerful for evangelism, to plant seeds of salvation in your loved ones who don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior yet.

You can order a paperback copy of "Sandcastles Don't Last Forever" here on Amazon.

Click the image to find out more and purchase Milton Goh's new Book "Sandcastles Don't Last Forever" on Amazon.

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