Genesis 6:5 - The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled…8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
When we read this, it is hard to imagine the world Noah lived in; a world where nothing but evil existed in the hearts of men.
It’s hard that is until we look around us, and see what the world has now become.
Values seem to be an ancient relic. Boundaries are being pushed and broken at every turn. Sometimes it seems like there is no hope left in the world. I imagine Noah felt the same way.
Yet somehow, when the world was crumbling down around him, Noah found the strength to stand firm. He commanded the attention of God. By the faith of one man, humanity was spared the ultimate judgment.
After Noah and his family left the ark, a new covenant was begun. Rather than promising to send a flood along whenever we start getting out of control, God instead moved another direction. With the seal of the rainbow, He pointed us forward to a time when one would be sent who could overcome the power of sin; when one would be sent who could redeem the hearts of men; when one would be sent whose redemption would be attained not through escape, but through surrender.