The Wickedness of Man

I've got a scenario for you guys that I’d like to share. Imagine that you spent a long time learning to make something, and tat something is an android with artificial intelligence that was designed to serve you and make your life easier and more joyful.

Lets say this android that you created is a humanoid type. Meaning it looks kinda humanish but it isn't. Once you created this thing lets say it know sat by you and fed you popcorn while you watched movies. Or it went outside to play catch , or basketball, or practice dance moves with you.

Lets say this thing that you created was a great companion and it served its purpose well.

What if one day this Robot was making food for you and scratching your back because it itched. But you asked the robot for water and its head turned from green to red, and it said no.

Then later on that day you were watching a movie and your robot was supposed to be sitting by you feeding you popcorn but you notice that it is not in there. Then you hear your dog winning and barking.

You go to see what your dog doing and you find that the robot is throwing your dog, and when it makes a noise the robot then kicks it.

What would you do?

Later on you find the robot with your dog but your dog is no longer alive and the robot is standing right there with the dog in its hands.

What would you do?

Since this robot is an android wit artificial intelligence that has gone wild and will not listen to its creator and only does bad things this robot must be destroyed.

Today we are going to talk about a real life story of a creation that was designed for a certain purpose but it began to go against its creator. Today we will talk about how mankind went from ones who were supposed to be image bearers who made other God following image bearers and multiplied Gods reign and rule all over the earth. But instead mankind was wicked and were spreading wickedness throughout the land.

The Big Idea: God preserves the promised seed so that mankind can be reconciled to him and have eternal life.

Take Aways

The destruction of man.

The seed preserved through Noah.

Divine deliverance.

So we have been in Genesis in the last few kids church’s. We have gone trough Genesis one. (Who can give us a quick summary of what we talked about in Genesis one and creation?) We saw that God is the creator and that He has created everything, and when He made Adam and Eve He made them in His image to be fruitful and multiply other image bearers who are representatives of God in this world spreading His reign and rule.

Then we went through Genesis 3 and talked about the fall of man. (Who can give us a quick recap on what the fall is and its importance?) We talked about the first sin and that was when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit. This caused sin to enter the world and for the relationship between man and God to be broken. But God gave us a solution. He told Adam and Eve that there would be a seed from the woman who would defeat Satan, sin and death. This would allow mankind the opportunity to be back in a right relationship with God.

After that we went through Genesis 4 . (Who remembers what was talked about then?) In Genesis 4 we saw the story of Adam and Eves son’s Cain and Able. Cain killed able showing that he was not the promised seed and that he as not the one who the promised seeds line goes through. But God still preserves the promise and gives Adam and Eve another son named Seth and he is the one who carries the promised seed.

So we have been walking through the Bible looking at the story of the Gospel and tracking the promise. Today we will be looking at Genesis 6 and the wickedness of man and how God still keeps his promises while still dealing with the issue of wickedness in the land.

As we are going into Genesis 6 we will talk about a somewhat controversial section of the chapter. But this section is not the main focus of the message of the Bible or of this lesson, so we will talk about it and explain it but we will not stay in that section.

Genesis 6:1–2 NKJV

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

So the question here is who are the sons of God and the daughters of men, and why is it notable that the sons of men took wives for themselves of who they wanted.

There are two major interpretations on Who the sons of God are and who the daughters of men are.

The first interpretation is the oldest and most widespread one and this is the one that Pastor Cory Johnson believes is correct. This interpretation says that the sons of God are angels and the daughters of men are human woman.

In this interpretation the angels left their natural heavenly place and married human woman in an attempt to corrupt the promised seed of the woman.

The second interpretation says that the sons of God are descendents of Seth who is Adam and Eves Son who carries the promised seed and the daughters of men are woman who do not follow God and are after the seed of the serpent.

Genesis 6:3–4 NKJV

And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Because of all of the corruption in the land God limited man’s lifespan to one hundred and twenty years.

Genesis 6:5–8 NKJV

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

So just like that Android in the story before, mankind was not operating like it was designed to operate. Instead of making image bearers who are spreading Gods reign and rule they were spreading wickedness. So because of this wickedness God said he would destroy all of creation off of the face of the earth.

This is the effect that sin had on the world, it grew and spread so much that the entirety of creation was corrupted and impacted by it.

But Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord. Who can tell me what grace is?

Grace is getting unearned favor or compassion

Genesis 6:9–12 NKJV

This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

Who can tell me what a genealogy is? A genealogy is a family line. It is a list of fathers and sons or ancestors tracing the lines of family members who were parents of the others vice versa.

Why do you think the Bible has the genealogy of Noah here? God was showing grace to Noah in that He would allow him to live and would preserve him and his family while still destroying the rest of creation with the exception of whatever God told Noah to save. This Grace that God shows Noah is grace that He shows mankind in that God is preserving His promised seed through Noah. The offspring of Noah would be the ones who were the next to carry the seed since the rest of the World would be destroyed.

In verse 9 it says that Noah was a Just man, perfect in his generations and that He walked with God. What does that mean, and why is it important in this story? Noah served God. When God created mankind He created us to be image bearers who multiplied image bearers who serve God and spread his reign and rule. In order for this to be multiplied then this is what would be needed to start with. Noah was an image bearer who served God in a world that was full of people who reflected the image of satan and who did not serve God.

Genesis 6:13–17 NKJV

And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.

Here we see Gods Grace for Noah and mankind. God is preserving Noah, or protecting him. God even gives Noah a specific rescue plan with building instructions included for the ARK.

What does this tell us about God? God is gracious, in showing grace to mankind. God is Kind, in showing the kindness to spare humanity. God is faithful,in keeping his promise to Adam and Eve to bring forth the seed that will defeat satan. God is truthful, He does not lie. God is Just, He destroys the wicked and delivers the righteous. Are these things still true of God today? Yes. Genesis 6:18-22

Genesis 6:18–22 NKJV

But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Once Noah did what God said and built the ark and placed all of the designated animals into the Ark and He and his family went into the ark then God shut them in the Ark. Then the great flood went on for forty days and every living thing on the earth that was on dry land and birds died. Then after a while God caused the water to go down and told Noah to go out of the ark.

Then God just as He told Adam and Eve, He told them to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”.

Why can tell me what they were supposed to fill the earth with?

They were to fill the earth with image bearers of God who were followers of God spreading Gods reign and rule on the earth.

After this God establishes His Covenant with Noah and his descendants and all of creation.

Genesis 9:8–15 NKJV

Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

So here in the Story of Noah we see that God saw that the wickedness and corruption of man had grown so much that it was necessary to destroy all of creation. However God showed Grace to Noah and he also kept his promise to Adam and Eve concerning the promised seed who is to defeat satan, and who would allow mankind to be able to have a right relationship with God. This seed was preserved through Noah. God gave Noah a plan to build the Ark and Noah obeyed and was delivered from the flood.

Here is the important question. What does this story have to do with us? The Bible is a unified story that points to Christ. This Story shows that Gods plan was his plan for us from the beginning. God through his love and grace has preserved the promised seed all the way until the coming of Jesus who is the promised seed. Who died for our sins so that we could have a relationship with Him.

Even in mans wickedness God showed Grace. And in our wickedness even now he shows Grace and provides a way for us to have a relationship with Him and to Follow Him.

Romans 5:10–11 NKJV

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

If you have not given your life to Christ you can today. Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

What this means is that you are confessing and acknowledging the truth that Jesus is Lord and you are following Him as king and ruler of your life, and you believe that God has raised Him from the dead.

Take Aways

The destruction of man.

The seed preserved through Noah.

Divine deliverance.