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God's
judgement - a worldwide flood
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Prelude
to the flood
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When
men began to multiply on the face of the
ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons
of God saw that the daughters of men were fair;
and they took to wife such of them as they
chose.
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.
Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight,
and the earth was filled with violence.
And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt;
for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the
earth.
And God said to Noah, "I have determined
to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is
filled with violence through them; behold,
I will destroy them with the earth.
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Genesis
6v1,2,5,11-13 (RSV)
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The
state of the world before the time of flood...
• A population explosion - Gen 6v1
• Marrying (and remarrying) - Gen 6v2
• Vain, unchaste women - Gen 6v2
• Believers marrying out of the Faith - Gen 6v2
• Evil imaginations - Gen 6v5
• A wasted, neglected environment - Gen 6v11
• Wide spread violence - Gen 6v11
• Developed Science and industry - Gen 4v22
• Large cities - Gen 4v17
• Senseless violence - Gen 4v24
• Rampant materialism - Job 22v15-18
Does this list describe the world we live in?
The main causes for God's judgement on man were
• Corruption, and
• violence
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How
the Bible describes the last days
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As
were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of
the Son of man. For as in those days before the
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day when
Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until
the flood came and swept them all away, so will
be the coming of the Son of man.
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Matthew
24 v37-39 (RSV)
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Christ
likens these last days to the days of Noah, before the
flood. Why?
During those times they ate, drank and married. Seems
quite normal, but this is all they did. They
carried on with their lives day after day, oblivious
to God, their Creator. They were unconcerned about what
God wanted and didn't seek to follow after the ways
of God, who is all wise and righteous.
Why
is that people do not want to repent and change their
ways?
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Peoples'
attitudes
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...there
shall come in the last days scoffers, walking
after their own lusts, and saying, Where is
the promise of his coming? for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation.
For this they willingly are ignorant
of, that by the word of God the heavens were of
old, and the earth standing out of the water and
in the water: whereby the world that then was,
being overflowed with water, perished: but the
heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same
word are kept in store, reserved unto fire
against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly
men.
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2
Peter 3v3-7 (RSV)
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People
follow after their own lusts, taking comfort in life's
luxaries and pleasures. Life goes on. They stiffen their
necks against changing and resist statements of truth
and fact. Today the world is in a similar state that
requires God to put an end to violence and corruption.
Many may turn away their ears, but it's to the few that
we appeal.
Willful ignorance to God's commands is carried on in
our next example - Babel.
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