“The LORD saw HOW GREAT THE WICKEDNESS of the human race had become on the earth, and that EVERYTHING they THOUGHT or IMAGINED was CONSISTENTLY AND TOTALLY EVIL.” (Gen. 6:5) Is this the world we live in today?
How did things get so very evil? “The SONS OF GOD saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married ANY OF THEM THEY CHOSE…The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the SONS OF GOD went to the daughters of humans and HAD CHILDREN BY THEM. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” (Gen. 6:2-4) Nephilim, in the Hebrew Bible, a group of mysterious beings or people of unusually large size and strength who lived both before and after the Flood. The Nephilim are referenced here in Genesis and Numbers 13:32–33. The Hebrew word nefilim is sometimes directly translated as “giants”.
Jude describes this time of evil like this, “And THE ANGELS who DID NOT STAY within their own position of authority, but ABANDONED THEIR PROPER DWELLING (archē: the origin of a being), God has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, WHICH LIKEWISE INDULGED IN SEXUAL IMMORALITY and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:6-7)
So, because of Satan’s evil influence God said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I REGRET THAT I HAVE MADE THEM.” (Gen. 6:7) We might ask ourselves “What could I do if I were there? Can ONE PERSON make a difference? YES!!! “Noah (one man) found grace in the eyes of the LORD…Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations (dôr: uncontaminated posterity). Noah walked with God.” (Gen. 6:8-9) It was not that Noah himself was perfect but that “In His Generations” there was no Nephilim influence in his generations. This is what God told Noah to do, “God said…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.” (Gen. 6:13-14)
Just how big was the ark? A life size replica of Noah’s Ark, exists at the “Ark Encounter” theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky. The huge replica stretches 510 feet long by 85 feet wide and 51 feet high. Noah’s ark was constructed on a 1:6 ratio. Naval architecture reveals that this is the most stable ratio for an ocean-going vessel. It could have easily survived even big ocean waves and would be next to impossible to capsize. The total volume of Noah’s Ark, was roughly 1.5 million cubic feet. This is equal to the total capacity of more than 570 standard stock railroad cars used on a typical railroad. Its floor space, divided over three decks, would total over 101,000 square feet. This is more floor space than 21 standard college basketball courts! Whatever the Lord does IS ALWAYS JUST RIGHT…
“So Noah did everything as the LORD commanded him. Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth. He went on board the boat to escape the flood—NOAH AND HIS WIFE AND HIS SONS AND THEIR WIVES. With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth…God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived WERE NOAH AND THOSE WITH HIM IN THE BOAT.” (Gen. 7:5-10, 21-23)
“In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” (Psa. 56:4)
-Bill Stockham