God's regret: “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.  The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the LORD said, 'I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created ... for I regret that I have made them.'”(Genesis 6:5-7).

If the general population knows anything about the Bible, and increasingly that is not the case, they likely have the impression that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath, while the God of the New Testament is the God of love. But both of these divine characteristics are there in both the Old, and the New Testaments. In the Old Testament for example, we read that the Lord is good, His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136:1). On the other hand in the New, we read that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).  Many of us are happy with a God of love, with a God of wrath not so much. But God is both a God of love, and a God of justice (1 John 4:16; Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 30:18). And being made in His image (Genesis 1:26), we have the very same sense of justice built into us. Why else, when we see atrocities or abuse, do we have this inner sense that somebody should do something about it?”   

God's diagnosis about the thoughts of the heart only being evil, come again and again in  Scripture.  That is why the disciple needs, with the help of the Spirit,  to put to death the passions and desires of the heart (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:24).  Left on its own the heart is deceitful beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). This is part of the offense of the cross, and it is why the only way to salvation is to be rescued by receiving the substitutional sacrificial death of Christ on the cross (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

The context of the Genesis passage comes on the heals of the story of the mixed offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men (verse 4). It points to the horrendous evil in the world being inspired, and directed from the unseen realm (see Ephesians 6:12). That the wickedness of men was great, is totally believable when you consider the over two hundred million murdered through genocide in the last century. However no matter where the influence comes from, mankind will be held responsible for his deeds (Hebrews 4:13). And justice and judgement are coming (Romans 2:5).  It is deferred only because God does not want that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). That all will not come, is clear from the lips of Jesus (Matthew 7:13).

Father, many of us want our cake and eat it too. We want judgement for the sins of others, but mercy for ourselves. However, we will  be judged with the very same measure we judge others (Matthew 7:2). And Your mercy is freely offered only to the repentant, whose who admit they are lost without you, and who turn from their sin. How shall we escape if we neglect this great salvation (Hebrews 2:3)? We will not! Thank You Lord that You opened my eyes to see my need, in Jesus Name Amen