Genesis 6 - And it was [not] good

Genesis 6 contains both one of the weirdest passages and the most significant passages in the Bible.

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Genesis 6 Summary

v1-4 - Don't freak out when you read this. It's one of the weirdest, most mysterious passages of the Bible, and you're in good company if you're confused by it.
v5-8 - This is one of the most theologically significant passages in the Bible, as it best describes the sinful conditions of mankind. Yet it ends on a note of hope: Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord.
v9-22 - God simultaneously announces His plan to destroy the earth, but save mankind through Noah. As we see so often in the Bible, God's justice and mercy are inseparable.

Dig Deeper

Conventional wisdom says that even though there are tons of problems in the world and things are really messed up, people are basically good. If we just really work hard at being good, either as individuals or as a society, we can end the cycles of misery and life will go on happily ever after.

But reality has a way of constantly throwing a bucket of cold water on this worldview, as we often come close, but never seem to achieve it.

Genesis 6:5 helps us understand the reality of things (and ourselves) as they actually are:

The Lord saw

that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,

and that

every intention of the thoughts of his heart

was only evil continually.

This means that people are not basically good, instead all of us are inherently rotten.

Although today's chapter may seem super depressing, it's actually really good news. First, it's always good to know the truth of the situation you live in. You can't pull yourself out of the mess you were born into.

Second, and more importantly, v8 shows us where it is that you will find salvation:

But Noah found favor [grace] in the eyes of the Lord.

AAA Prayer:

ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who's heart hurts because of our sin, but yet who provides mercy even in His judgment.
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask for the perseverance to "walk with God" as Noah did.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: