What should we do when we are surrounded by wickedness?
Do you ever feel like you are surrounded by wickedness? Are you unsure how to act amidst all the evil you see in our world? What should followers of Yahweh do when we find ourselves surrounded by sin?
Genesis 6 tells us that Noah lived amongst wickedness. Noah's choices amidst the wickedness of his day provide an example for us to follow in dealing with the wickedness of our day. Let's take a look, starting at Genesis 6:5.
Notice in this first set of verses that Yahweh was very displeased with all of humanity except for one man.
Gen. 6:5-8 ¶ Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Why did Noah find favor in the eyes of Yahweh? Why was Noah singled out for praise? Genesis 6:9 tells us. Notice the three words in red.
Gen. 6:9 ¶ These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
In the next set of verses Yahweh gave Noah a series of instructions. Notice the last sentence. How did Noah respond to God's instructions?
Gen. 6:10-22 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. “This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. “You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. “Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. “As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.
Noah did what God told him to do. In the next set of verses are some more instructions. How did Noah respond this time? Also, what did God say about Noah?
Gen. 7:1-5 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. “You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. “For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made.” Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.
We see that Noah had distinguished himself in God's eyes by being righteous. We also see that once again Noah did what God told him to do.
Genesis tells us that there was much wickedness on the earth during Noah's lifetime; however, amidst all the wickedness, Noah stood out and found favor in God's eyes because he obeyed God. We can and should do the same. No matter how much wickedness exists in our society and no matter how much we are surrounded by sin, we can and should obey God.
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