06. The Language of Lamentation and Sorrow!

06. The Language of Lamentation and Sorrow! “I will destroy all the people I have created on the face of the earth. From humans to all the beasts on the ground, the creatures that move along the ground, and the birds in the sky, I will destroy them all. For I regret that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7) It was natural for a man to take a woman as his wife, as God had given Eve to Adam, which was one of the principles of the world that God had ordained and planned. However, the problem lies in Genesis 6:2-3: “The sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.’” This means that God’s people were living within a corrupt culture, and the descendants of Seth were thinking, judging, and acting based on the thoughts and culture of Cain’s descendants. As a result, God’s Spirit no longer remained with humans. Although it seemed that human life was becoming richer due to the world’s culture, in reality, humans were living increasingly barren and harsh lives as time passed and civilization advanced. People did not realize this. When the corrupt culture of the world became the standard for all thoughts and actions, the result was inevitably destructive and abnormal behavior. Therefore, God, who was watching this world, lamented deeply. He declared that He would destroy the world 120 years later, which foretold Noah’s flood. What does this mean for us living in this era? The consequences of human sin affect not only humans but also nature! That is, it is related to the destruction of the entire ecosystem of this earth. The people of that time, still enchanted by their preferences, chose spouses to improve the traits of their descendants, and the children born from these unions were giants and warriors, famous in ancient times. Their choices seemed to bear sufficient fruit in their eyes. However, God’s perspective was different. Seeing that human wickedness was great on the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time, He regretted that He had made human beings on the earth. Eventually, God decided to wipe out all the corrupt humans from the earth. “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!” (Genesis 6:7) However, before executing this judgment, He gave a period of 120 years. During this time, the righteous were given a preparation period to prepare for God’s judgment, and the unrighteous were given a chance to repent and return. In reality, this period became a preparation process for the righteous to prepare for God’s judgment, but for the unrighteous, it became a time of confirmation and proof of their wickedness, leading to God’s judgment. Ultimately, not a single person among the sinners responded to God’s warning by repenting and returning. Only Noah, who always walked with God, prepared the ark according to God’s word to prepare for the flood, along with his children. Meanwhile, people mocked Noah, calling him a fool for building a boat on a mountain during a long period of good weather. However, God eventually judged the world with water as He had promised, and through the ark that God had instructed, only Noah’s family of eight was saved from the great flood judgment, marking the greatest event in human history.