God is grieved by sin
Genesis 6:1-8
With sin and wickedness all around us, some wonder if God feels anything, or even cares Some say that if He did, He would surely stop it. Yet sin in the world continues. Why? Does sin bother God or not? A look at Genesis 6, and Noah’s world provides an answer.
We note in the first five chapters of Genesis, three specific truths about God. First that He is sovereign. Secondly, that He is a God of laws, He sets up boundaries for his creation and establishes rules for us to live by. Finally we discover that He is a God willing to redeem.
Back in Noah’s day, men began making a name for themselves in total disregard for God. Jehovah is a God of rules, of boundaries. The Nephilim (”giants” or “men of renown”) crossed God’s boundaries and caused a total breakdown of society as God designed it. (Gen. 6:5)
Note verse 6. “…it grieved him at his heart.” The overwhelming wickedness of man had crossed God’s boundaries. He would stand by no longer. “I will destroy man” (verse 7). God would remedy the wickedness of the world by blotting it out and starting over with Noah,” who was a just man and perfect.” (verse 9) To Noah, God would extend grace and salvation from the destruction.
Today we see the battle again, with the wickedness of the world all around us. When the world goes beyond His boundaries, He will deal with it again. That will be the end times. As believers, we won’t be around for that. We, like Noah, will be saved. But we need to continually be aware of how sin grieves God to His heart. When we sin, we don’t sin alone, or hurt only ourselves. God sees, and it hurts Him. We need to take sin seriously. God does.