The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created

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 that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 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.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”  Genesis 6:1-7

To understand this statement by Yahweh, and appreciate the causes of this complete degeneracy of the race, we must first derive a correct interpretation of the expressions "sons of God" (האלהים בני) and "daughters of men" (האדם בנות). Different views have been entertained from the very earliest times but Keil and Delitzsch offer a comprehensive, and compelling, explanation of who these people were. "The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." Now אשּׁה לקח (to take a wife) is a standard expression throughout the whole of the Old Testament for the marriage relation established by God at the creation, and is never applied to πορνεία, or the simple act of physical connection. This is quite sufficient of itself to exclude any reference to angels (the alternative understanding of "sons of God"). For Christ Himself distinctly states that angels  cannot marry.

This great wickedness God saw was the direct result of the godly Sethites marrying the carnal Cainites. This alone must be a resounding declaration for why you and I should never countenance the marriage of believers to non-believers: the result is naturally wicked...not divine. Even more, its time we understand that merely cavorting with the wickedness of man demeans and stains us beyond recognition as children of God. Our ability to affect righteous change in our culture is completely destroyed. So...God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.” Can you imagine if God had completely blotted out humanity? We would exist only in the memory of God himself. There would be not trace of us.

But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah...and, rather than human history having no cosmic trace...one righteous man altered the outcome and saved us all.

You and I, today, live in a culture not profoundly distinct from the one Noah witnessed. We see evil all around. We see open defiance of God. We see wickedness that has surpassed anything history has recorded. It is easy for believers to lose heart and wonder if God is even paying attention. If He is, why doesn't He do something?

What could we suggest that God has not already done?

The real lesson is clear. Our wickedness breaks God's heart. We fill Him with sorrow...to the degree that He cannot stomach it. He promised He wouldn't send another flood but...it doesn't mean judgment is not coming. When that time comes, will we be Noah? or, will we be history? The answer depends on our willingness to separate ourselves from the snares of wickedness in order that God might "like what He sees".

Live boldly out there today...