About the Flood…

November, 2004

by: Jeff Jones

At one point in my life when I thought about the Flood story, my mind went to a cute story beginning with animals getting onto a giant boat and ending with a pretty rainbow in the sky. I pictured Mommy and Daddy peacock, and Mommy and Daddy anteater, and giraffe, and Tyrannosaurus Rex, etc, lovingly entering the Ark. Of course there's that song: “God told Noah, to build him an arky, arky… ” All this to say, the “cutesy–ness” in some of our presentations of the Flood story, caused me to forget about what was really going on… When God sent the Flood he wiped out every living creature off the face of the land, save Noah and his family. And the reason, we are told in Genesis 6:5, was that the hearts of mankind were horribly wicked; “only evil continually” says the text. I find this to be incredible, yet at the same time frightening. For, it was not merely external actions that God noticed (e.g., murder, adultery, thievery), but internal thoughts. God does not see as man sees, he can see our very heart motives. This is what moved God to send the Flood.

There is a lesson here for us. God can see the motives and thoughts in your heart. God is deeply concerned about your heart. God will judge men and women according to the condition of their hearts. How's your heart?