Gen. 6:5-7 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.””

Around 2,000 years after man was created he became so bad that even the intent of his heart was evil. God had enough! He determined to destroy man and beast from the earth. There was one man that God had favor on and his name was Noah. To sum up the life of the man Noah is to simply say he “walked with God” v. 9. Even though God had enough of the sinful activities of mankind, He still had compassion enough to allow Noah to preach the 120 years while the ark was being prepared, Gen. 6:3. “And did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;” 2 Peter 2:5. As a result of the great deluge the earth was purged of the sins of mankind. There are many lessons to be learned from this awesome event. (1.) God gave a specific plan of salvation. God told Noah what type of wood to use, gave him the length, breadth, and height including the number of doors and windows. The Bible tells us, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” Gen. 6:22. Notice that Noah did all that God commanded. After Christ shed His blood, God gave clear instructions on what a man should do to be saved. The New Testament church preached that one must believe John 3:16, repent Luke 13:3, confess Romans 10:10, and be baptized Acts 22:16. Had Noah not faithfully carried out God’s plan for the ark, I just wonder how long it would have floated. Noah sure didn’t want to find out. (2.) Even though God had enough of man’s evil ways, He still had compassion enough to give them 120 years to repent. “Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” 1 Peter 3:20. Later Peter would write, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9. Notice that the next time God has had enough, “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” 2 Peter 3:5-7. (3.) As in the flood, the only ones spared when the Lord returns in judgment will be those who are righteous and have been obedient.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”