3 readings in and we see the effects of sin on the whole of mankind. And God is ‘troubled’ by what he sees. But we’re talking really troubled here. He’s ready to wipe out the human race and the whole of creation with it.

When we come in at the end of a film and see the happy ending, it never means as much because we haven’t spent time watching all of the trouble our hero was in before the problems got sorted out, the villains were dealt with and everything was alright again.

We celebrate Jesus, His death and resurrection, and thank Him for saving us, from releasing us from the effects of sin in our lives and in the world. But without looking back through the story, without reflecting on what a terrible thing it is, it is easy to overlook the importance of what Jesus did.

So here it is; one of the fundamental messages of the bible: our selfishness; our disobedience of God awoke something in the world that is terrible, really terrible. So much so that it was worth considering drastic measures to get rid of it again, measures as drastic as wiping out the human race, or of killing God himself.

Let’s sit with that thought for a day or so, before we move on!

 

Richard