Chapter 5 to 7: Humankind could not create Utopia
By the time we reach chapter 5 there were two tribes. The descendents of Cain the murderer and the last generation mentioned was Lamech, another murderer.
Then God gave Adam and Eve another son, Seth, to replace Abel, to start another lineage. By the time of Lamech, life was becoming difficult. Humankind was not getting the reward of their labour. The ground was not producing its yield. So he named his son Noah. It means "to bring relief from our work and from the toil of our hand".
The society was also decaying. Those who were still godly (from the lineage of Seth) were succumbing to the seduction of the daughters of godless men. The wickedness of man was great. Society was dictated by the law of the jungle; corrupt and violent. It was survival of the fittest. There was no more kindness or caring, just exploitation for pleasure and gain. Even God felt sorry for humankind and forced Himself to intervene.
God decided to blot out all living beings and renew the earth with the only righteous man on earth, Noah. Noah found favour (from the same word meaning grace in Hebrew) in the eyes of God.
Noah was righteous because he chose to acknowledge the Lordship of God.
"Noah did all that God had commanded.".
An old man building an ark in a mountainous area with no sea in sight, going round collecting animals. He must have been the butt of countless jokes. Just imagine what the David Letterman of his days could do. They might even have a show, or a contest, known as, "Guess what Noah is doing today?" This went on for 120 years. Nevertheless Noah kept faith with God.
When Noah was 600 years old, God asked him to go into the Ark and God shut the door of the ark. This must be for fear that a softhearted Noah might try to rescue those who were drowning.
They were in the ark for seven days before God flood the earth. I hope the family was supportive and did not think that Noah was senile.
For 40 days and 40 nights water came from above and below. It covered even the tallest mountain by as much as 7 yards, and for 150 days. No living land creatures could survive this.
The finding:
Humankind could only self destruct when left to itself.
Noah and his family chose to accept the grace of God by faith and was saved.
