I choose to believe God

Genesis 6:1-6

If you are anything like me, often you do not find the answer to questions that enter into your mind while reading the Bible; three of the six verses we are looking at today fall into that category.  This is what I do when that happens; by faith I choose to believe God and know that He will reveal what I need to understand. 

It is verse three that needs little illumination, “Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever; because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”  Man is going from having children at 500 years old, to the example that is recorded in verse 32 of chapter five, and now man’s days are being cut to 120 years of age.  What has happened with God’s creation to cause such a drastic change?  Verse one gives us a small clue, “Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.”  Are you saying more women and the place goes south, in no way would I imply such a thing, these “sons of God” that are being referred as taking wives for themselves, and the problem may be in the statement, “whomever they choose.”  I do not have any insight about who are the “sons of God,” and I’m sure that if you are interested someone has an opinion on the subject.

When we read verse five it gives clarity to why God has chosen to shorten the life of mankind; “Then the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”  It should not be hard for any of us to identify with the heart of God as we read this verse most of us have witnessed the destructive action of someone we love.  Those actions can be traced back to an independent spirit that rebels against authority and says in their heart, “I will do it my way” even though there are many warning them to not travel that path. 

The very wise king Solomon gave this advice in Ecclesiastes, that the wise, the fool, the righteous, the wicked, the rich and the poor all have one thing in common; they will die and return to dust.  In Ecclesiastes 12:7, we are given this insight; “then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”  Do you recall that all of us were created in the image of God, and what is that image?   God is Spirit and all who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.  So the real us returns to God, and it is a wise person who gives heed to Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.  For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice